October 12, 2007, Calling all angels and lovers of quality theater, By Alan Jordan, You can go home again, By Nancy Kandal

Marshall Dackert, Paola Juarez, Jill Gottlieb, Merle Howard in the production of In Their Own Words

Iguana Productions has just announced their upcoming productions and new A.C. (not-for-profit status). Last year, Iguana brought San Miguel the highly acclaimed hit productions of Blown Sideways Through Life and Love Letters, and this year the powerful, innovative In Their Own Words. Still to come, just in time for a 2007 holiday giggle, is the world premiere of Sex, Lies and Quilting, opening the week before Christmas at Teatro Santa Ana.

Iguana Productions began serendipitously when San Miguel newcomer Alan Jordan was approached to direct a one-woman tour de force play called Blown Sideways Through Life. He read it, loved it and agreed to direct only if he could choose the actress to star in the production. Jordan, a well-known Canadian actor for 35 years, had just directed an acting workshop at the Biblioteca under the banner of San Miguel Actors’ Workshop. One woman in that class was Kirsten Dehner, who displayed the kind of fearlessness and daring needed in an actor for that kind of “out there” one-woman show. Isaac Toporek was then invited to co-produce with Alan Jordan.

Other actors who have completed Alan’s workshops and gone on to appear in other Iguana Productions include Merle Howard, Billie Bremer, William Henderson, Susan Page and Geoff Hargreaves, who co-wrote and will star in Sex, Lies and Quilting.

Blown Sideways was presented at the former Finnegan’s and was a smash hit for three weeks. Iguana decided on a longer run than the usual one week in hopes of attracting tourists, letting word of mouth spread and allowing the actors to grow with their roles. This was risky but worked, producing sell-out crowds every night. Later in 2006, Iguana chose what many thought was a very safe and overdone play: Love Letters. Kirsten Dehner was chosen to direct this time, and her vision was to lift the story off the page and allow the two actors, Billie Bremer and David Hunter, to age before our eyes. This production astonished many avid theatergoers who had seen other conventional presentations. The word of mouth was excellent and the play was restaged for a successful three-week run at Villa Jacaranda this year. The dinner package proved very popular.

Sets for both Blown Sideways and Love Letters were artfully done by Gerry Holmes and Christine Foster.

Most recently, the 9/11 presentation came about because Jordan, Iguana’s artistic director, discovered a book called Operation Homecoming. He invited Kirsten to edit and together they rounded out the play with first-person accounts from people involved in the twin tragedies of September 11 and the Iraq War. It took months of research, editing and seeking out appropriate participants to make this event work. They chose a mix of actors and non-actors to create what they called a “live documentary.”

According to audience members, this controversial presentation was extraordinarily moving and powerful. Many suggested that it should travel to Washington and play in all schools in the US. In Their Own Words was presented this past September at Teatro Santa Ana.

In February 2008, Iguana moves to Teatro Ángela Peralta with a major production of Norm Foster’s popular comedy The Love List. Foster is Canada’s most-produced playwright. The director, Brenda Bazinet; one of the stars, Robin Ward; and author Norm Foster, will all be flown in from Canada. Rounding out the cast will be Kirsten Dehner and Alan Jordan. For this production Danny Cameron is executive producer. Cameron saw the first presentation of Iguana’s Love Letters and was so impressed that he wanted to become involved in supporting quality theater in San Miguel in the same way he had supported theater in North Carolina. Maria Eugenia Llano, formerly with the Escena 2 Theatre Festival, is acting producer.

Iguana Productions dedicates itself to bringing high-caliber theater to San Miguel. However, quality theater with professional artists costs money. Costs include theater rental, advertising, salaries and honoraria, royalties to the author, sets, costumes and props. Up until now, almost all the seed money for these efforts has come from Alan Jordan, personally. The formation of the Iguana Productions, A.C., is part of an effort to change that. Now that Iguana is coupled with the San Miguel Community Foundation, they are able to offer US tax-deductible receipts for individuals, businesses and foundations.

Ideally, they are working towards creating theater in San Miguel that is dedicated to presenting professional quality theater (bilingual), music and dance. One of their goals is to have their own space for theatrical presentations. There are few spaces in town where one can present a full production for an extended run or host productions from other companies. Ideas are more than welcome.

Iguana Productions is a not-for-profit organization, folks, and they need assistance to create exciting, entertaining, edgy and soul-searching theater in English, and soon, Spanish as well.

Please consult their website for details and audience comments about past and current productions, as well as information about how to make a donation to help promote quality theater in San Miguel: www.theatersanmiguel.com or call 154-0352.

You can go home again
By Nancy Kandal

Theater
The Trip to Bountiful
Weds & Thurs, Oct 17–18, 7pm
San Miguel Playreaders
St. Paul’s Parish Hall
Cardo 6
10-peso donation

Most people hold a special fondness for their childhood homes. Real or imagined, the place where we grew up has a special magic, a nostalgic reminder of innocence and happy times. Some never get there, while others do. Of those who do return, some find a picture quite different from the one they remember.

Such is the journey of Mrs. Carrie Watts, the main character in Horton Foote’s acclaimed play, The Trip To Bountiful, which is the poignant story of an aging widow living with her son and daughter-in-law in a three-room flat in Houston, Texas. Feeling imprisoned in the city and longing for the country, she dreams of escaping from the rigid and selfish supervision of her daughter-in-law. Mrs. Watts imagines that if she can get away and return to her old home in the small town of Bountiful, she is sure to regain her strength, dignity and peace of mind. She manages to escape and thus unfolds her pilgrimage to Bountiful.

Mrs. Watts will be played by Lola Smith, one of San Miguel’s most talented actresses, who has acted, directed and produced here for 25 years and has been a leading force in both Playreaders and Players Workshop.

She will be supported by Michael Gottlieb, Jill Gottlieb, Dennis McCarter, Steve Weisberg, Kathleen Bohné, Joan Strouse, Clark Waite and Rudy Hornish.

The Trip To Bountiful followed its successful Broadway run with a film version, starring Robert Duvall and Geraldine Page, who won the Oscar that year for her performance.

American author and playwright Horton Foote has won the Academy Award (twice), a Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy Award and has been nominated for a Tony Award. Perhaps his best-known work is his To Kill a Mockingbird screenplay.

Nancy Kandal directs the production and Seth Sharp handles lights and sound. Doors open at 7pm and performances on both evenings are at 7:30pm. A 10-peso donation is requested.