Press Contact
Mark Shapiro
858-578-7728
pr@scrippsranchtheatre.org

Beefs Up Schedule with Additional and Challenging Productions 

For the upcoming season, to celebrate our 30th year of operation Scripps Ranch Theatre will be presenting five shows instead of our standard four.

“Up until now we have purposely populated our seasons with a preponderance of light-hearted fare,” said Jim Caputo, Executive Director, Scripps Ranch Theatre. “ This has proved to be a successful approach, as witnessed by our subscriber growth. Our recent surveys indicate that there is a significant portion of our subscribers that would like to see more variety, more depth.  To meet this need we have added a fifth production dedicated to drama of the highest caliber.  For our first selection we have chosen the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Shadow Box.  It is an achingly beautiful story of three disparate families facing the imminent loss of a loved one. But it is not about dying. It is about people, about life. Touching, courageous and at times, even funny, The Shadow Box is an incredible work of art.”

According to Jill Drexler, Scripps Ranch Theatre Artistic Director, “The suggested 30th wedding anniversary gift is pearls, and we at SRT believe we have some pearls to share with our audience.  Besides The Shadow Box, we're also offering a smash off-Broadway success (The Dining Room), a Tony award winner for Best Play (The Last Night of Ballyhoo), a West Coast Premiere (All This and Moonlight), and a Neil Simon Classic (Chapter Two).  We'll take you to New England, Atlanta, and Manhattan.  We'll take you back in time, into a character's wildly imaginative mind, and into the personal history of America's most successful playwright.  This season offers thoughts on family, religion, love, commitment, marriage, life and death; and all five plays for less than you might pay for one show at another theatre."

For the 2008-2009 season, we have formulated a new subscription program that allows our supporters to customize their season subscription, to choose to see a selection of four ($70) or five ($80) shows.  Please visit the website for more details: www.scrippsranchtheatre.org.
The 2008 – 2009 Season Summary

The Dining Room,- a heart-warmer by A.R.Gurney
September 5 – October 4, 2008
Eavesdrop on the comings and goings in one room over the span of fifty years. The dining room where birthday parties, celebrations, dinners and holidays occur is the perfect setting for such discovery. Come watch eight actors play 50 roles in 18 scenes – whew! This Pulitzer Prize nominee is a whirlwind of a play. At times humorous, meaningful, witty and touching, it is always an engaging story of the American family. Rated G

The Last Night of Ballyhoo - a comedy/drama by Alfred Uhry
November 7 – December 6, 2008
By the author of “Driving Miss Daisy,” this TonyAward-winning comic drama examines the challenges of a Jewish family living in the Bible Belt. It is Christmas 1939, and the Freitags have a Christmas tree in their living room. The family gets pulled apart and then mended together as they face where they came from and who they are. “A charming, wonderfully crafted play.” (Variety)
Rated G

The Shadow Box - a drama by Michael Cristofer
January 16 ­ January 31, 2009
In this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play, three families face the impending loss of a loved one in a manner that spans the human condition: touching, tearful, courageous, hopeful and at times surprisingly hilarious. The Shadow Box is not about dying but about embracing life, its finality and the meaning of close friends and family. “A beautifully realized drama; often as funny as it is moving.” (Washington Post)
Rated PG-13 (Mature Concept)

All This and Moonlight - a comedy by Charles R. Johnson
March 13 – April 11, 2009
A delightful romantic comedy about a photographer who cannot forget a former girlfriend. In fact her memory haunts him and even accompanies him on his new dates, and we all know two is company, three’s a crowd. A play reminiscent of the sophisticated comedies of the forties and fifties, “All This and Moonlight” will have you thinking back to your first true love.
Rated PG

Chapter Two - a comedy by Neil Simon
May 15 – June 13, 2009
We are all familiar with the typically witty Neil Simon play, but Chapter Two is a richer more engrossing tale. It’s a rocky road for two not-so-young lovers in Simon’s semi-autobiographical play. Laughter and heartache mix as a recent widower and divorcée struggle to commit or not to commit. “Lovely, whimsical and touching.” (N.Y. Post).
Rated PG (Adult Situations)
 
All performances are held in the Legler Benbough Theatre on the campus of Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) at 10455 Pomerado Road in Scripps Ranch, one-half mile east of the I-15/Miramar-Pomerado Road exit. 

Performances are on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.  There will be special Saturday matinees on the last weekend of each show’s run.

For season tickets, more information and reservations, check the Website www.scrippsranchtheatre.org or call 858-578-7728. Scripps Ranch Theatre encourages patrons to make reservations early as performances sell out quickly. 
###