Laguna Playhouse to host virtual gala with guest performances

Long a regional home for the performing arts, Laguna Playhouse is set to turn 100 years old in October.

It should be a time of celebration, but the playhouse last hosted a performance on March 13.

The show must go on, so Laguna Playhouse will hold its 99th gala virtually on Saturday at 7 p.m. The night will include acts by eight members of the entertainment industry, including celebrity readings and musical performances.

Acts will include monologues prepared and performed by Kim Brockington, Jodi Long, Joe Mantegna, Alfred Molina, James Pickens Jr. and Tony Shalhoub. It will also include a special introduction from Dan Lauria.

Lauria started an initiative called “Keeping Live Theatre Alive,” calling on fellow screen and stage actors to create videos showcasing their writing talents. Filmmaker Jeremy Fletcher has joined the effort by editing the vignette project.

“We want to do something to help because these theaters are hurting,” Lauria said. “Even if they had a vaccine tomorrow, I don’t know if people are going to go run to see a play. So how do we keep them alive?

“Everybody wanted to do something, so this was a way that they could read something they wrote, so the audiences can see them as who they are, in their home, and then I take [the videos] with Jeremy Fletcher, and we add the magic to it.”

Several theaters have decided to partake in the program, including Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Durango PlayFest, New Jersey Repertory Company and Seven Angels Theatre.

“Our goal was to get 52 of the celebrity reads, and we’re already over 40,” Lauria added. “I don’t think I’m going to have any problem. Now, people are calling me. They want to get involved. They want to help.”

The 100th birthday of Laguna Playhouse is coming up in October.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Musical performances will also be turned in by Nathan Gunn and the Skivvies.

Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley are the lightly clothed duo that come together to produce both covers and original music as the Skivvies. The band has held concerts for a few years at the playhouse.

Stripping down for performances became part of their body-positive gimmick after the duo performed a stripped-down series on YouTube that Molina said went viral.

“We had, early on, comments saying, ‘You guys are so talented. You don’t need to take your clothes off,’” Lauren Molina said. “But to that, we say, ‘Well, you never would have clicked then.’”

Regarding the industry’s trials during the pandemic, Molina added that the impact is widespread and affects more than the performers themselves.

“I feel like we are one of the industries that is hit the hardest,” she said. “People sort of forget about all of the different aspects of the entertainment industry that are forced to shut down.

“It’s not just the performers, but all of the people behind the scenes, all of the people who make the costumes and the props and the marketing teams, and there are so many different aspects that go into creating arts and theater, so it’s a very challenging time for everyone.”

Ellen Richard, the executive director of Laguna Playhouse, said the annual gala was originally scheduled for May. The date of the centennial gala is yet to be determined, as the venue will hope for the pandemic to pass before planning an event to celebrate the milestone.

Registration for the online event is free. As part of the fundraising efforts, all donations of $100 or more will be entered to win a pair of Lugano Diamonds earrings. The winner will be drawn on the venue’s 100th birthday on Oct. 22.

Dee Dee Irwin, the director of marketing and communications for Laguna Playhouse, said that ticket sales account for 70% of revenue, demonstrating the impact of the pandemic.

“It’s been a significant financial hit for us,” Richard said. “We’re no different than any other not-for-profit theater company in the country right now. There’s been a significant impact to our world.”

Richard added that the playhouse receives great support from Laguna Beach and the surrounding towns, and she is thankful for the artists who have come together to help out the venue in its time of need.

“There’s a lot of connective tissue between the people who work here and this group of artists,” Richard said. “This group of artists care deeply about seeing live theater making it through COVID-19. It’s just really special.”

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