William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Perhaps this explains the popularity of theatre. Even in the Santa Clarita Valley, local interest in the performing arts has led to the formation of several playhouses which continue to grow in popularity. In 2006, the Santa Clarita Playhouse was formed and last month the playhouse presented the inaugural season opener, “Private Lives,” by Noel Coward.
“Private Lives,” was first produced in 1930 yet, remains a standard of repertory and non-professional theatre companies everywhere. Known for its incisive wit and its razor-sharp social observation, Private Lives tells the story of enduring love and the battle between passion and practicality. To have a play of this caliber performed in Santa Clarita is an indication of the rise of culture and art in our valley. The play was a one-night-only free-admission performance at 8 p.m. on June 16th at the Rio Norte Jr. High School Auditorium.
Private Lives is the first production of the Santa Clarita Playhouse. The theatre company spent its first year developing the program, “Shake Hands with Shakespeare,” which is designed to promote student appreciation of classic literature, benefiting area youngsters. “Shake Hands with Shakespeare,” has toured throughout the Newhall and Sulphur Springs School Districts, providing an innovative way to introduce Shakespeare to young minds.
The Santa Clarita Playhouse is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of residents and businesses to continue to serve the community in the form of productions and outreach programs such as, “Private Lives,” and “Shake Hands with Shakespeare.”
For further information, visit www.thesantaclaritaplayhouse.org .