Summer Theatre in El paso

I spent the morning looking at the different shows being perfomed in the sun city today and decided to post some of the information here. Stevo will be perfoming in his first play (he actually has lines) at the El Paso Playhouse this summer. The play is called The Clown Who Ran Away and it will be staged August 6-21. The directors have a talented cast to work with and the production will be great for kids and their parents.

I was scheduled to play the part of Pancho Villa in land of the Centaur but the show has been postponed till next season. The playhouse will be staging the mark Twain play The Diaries of Adam and Eve in place of Centaur. I get to play the part of Adam but am happy that I will not have to wear a fig leaf. You can catch the Diaries of Adam and Eve at the playhouse from July 9-24.

I am glad to see that the El Paso Community College Performers Studio is emerging onto the theatre scene in the city. Keith Townsend is a great artistic director and I am sure the productions will be well worth the price of admission.

Utep and The El Paso Playhouse will also be producing shows this summer. I hope El Pasoans will escape the heat and fill a seat at any or all of these fine productions. Here is a list of some of the productions being staged this summer.

El Paso Community College Performers Studio Summer Repertory 2010

All shows will be at the Forum Theatre 9570 Gateway North

Box office opens at 6:00pm

Shows begin at 7:30 pm

$10 general public

$5 students

Fantasticks directed by Keith Townsend

July 8,9,10

Christopher Durang Explains It All To You

directed by Jacob Rodriguez

July 15,16,17

The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me by David Drake

Directed by Kristi Harbin

July 22,23,24

UTEP Summer Shakespeare Festival Presents

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

July 23,24,30,and 31st @8pm

July 25 and August 1st at 2:30 pm

Wise Family Theatre

2nd Floor

Fox Fine Arts Center

Tickets: $8-$10

info:747-5118

http://www.theatredance.utep.edu/

Utep Dinner Theatre presents

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Music and lyrics by William Finn

Book by Rachel Sheinkin

July 9th-25th

World Cup Fever

I will be the first to admit that I was not a huge soccer fan before the start of this years World Cup but now I am following the sport like a man possesed. The kids at school introduced me to some of the more popular players on the Mexican team and everything just sort of steam-rolled from there. I had to follow the first half of the US and Algeria game on ESPN on my Blackberry for the first half because of early morning workouts but was lucky enough to see the second half at home. Was on the edge of my seat as the shots from the US team refused to find the back of the net. With four minutes left in extra time all hope seemed to be lost but the goalkeeper executed a fast break better than Rajon Rondo and Donovan "dunked" it home. Stevo and jazz ran out of the room scared to death because they thought the house was on fire the way I was yelling so much. Still can't believe a soccer game almost gave me a heart attack. Now comes the next round and ninety minutes of nail biting. It just a shame that the World Cup comes only every four years. Go USA and Mexico!!

Summer Sport Camps In El Paso

Campers working on their dribbling skills at the Riverside Basketball Camp










Stevo and Jazz both had a great time at the Riverside Basketball camp this past week. The camp was a huge success with over 40 kids getting quality instruction on the fundamentals of basketball. I was blown way with the talent level of some of the younger kids. Some of the third graders looked like they were ready for Varsity.

El Paso is filled with great camps dealing with athletics so I decided to list a few that were pretty inexpensive. Most camps in El Paso will range in price from $20 to $50 dollars per camper, however some camps can charge as much as $300 for a week of instruction. For $300 bucks you would think that Lebron James would be teaching the fundamentals of dribbling and finishing at the basket. Money is tight all around so we have to pick and choose which camp we will attend but I'm glad that their is a wide range of camps available throughout the city to choose from. Here are just a few that we hope to attend this summer

Summer Sports Camps:

Tim Floyd, the new head coach at UTEP, recently announced he will be holding a camp for ages 7-18 from June 23-July 1st. The cost of the camp is $225.oo.

Burges Baseball Camp

7800 Edgmere
Ages 10-14

Date: June 25th

Cost: $25

http://www.burgesbaseball.com/

El Paso High Basketball Camp

grades 5th-9th

Dates: June 22-23rd

5-8pm

cost: $30.00

info: 328-4699

Montwood Basketball Camp

grades: 3-9

Dates: June 23-25

9:00 am-12:00pm

cost: $40

registration at 8am

Clint basketball Camp

8:00-4:00pm

Dates: July 19-22

cost: $60

info: 383-5950

Jefferson Cheer Camp

8:oo-2:00pm

Dates: June 23-24

cost: $30

info: (575) 650-1836

47th Season at the El Paso Playhouse

The El Paso Playhouse recently released its lineup for the 2010/2011 season. The usual Agatha Christie play is on the schedule along with a few classics and some new works.

It's a shame that more El Pasoans don't attend shows at the playhouse on a regular basis. I would not be surprised if the attendance numbers this year were well below average. (Hope I am wrong). Why is this? Are the ticket prices just a little too high? Are the shows scheduled not appealing enough?

Entertainment dollars are hard to come by all over but there has to be a way to increase attendance and support the hard working actors, technicians, and directors in our city. I am guilty of not attending shows on a regular basis this year, so I need to step up to the plate and do my part in supporting theatre in El Paso.

Here's hoping more people catch the theatre bug and head out to catch a great show at the El Paso Playhouse.


2010/2011 El Paso Playhouse Season

July 9th -24th Land of the Centaur by Tony Stafford.
Play written by UTEP Professor and tells the tale of Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, N.M.
*auditions are June 6th and 7th at the Playhouse*

August 6th-21st The Clown Who Ran Away by Conrad Seiler
*auditions are June 20th-21st at the Playhouse*

September 3rd-25th Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
*auditions are June 27th-28th at the Playhouse*

Oct. 8th-30th No Sex Please, We're British by Allstair Foot and Anthony Marriot

Nov. 12th- Dec 4th- Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Dec. 10th,11th,17th, and 18th- It's A Wonderful Life by Joe Landry

Jan. 7-29th- The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

Feb. 11th- March 5th- Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward

March 18th-April 9th- Brooklyn Boy by Donald Margulies

April 15th- May 7th- Barabbas by Fred Keyser

May 20th- June 11th Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig