This Week in Suisun City - Community Meeting, Wildflower Train, Live Theater

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - Here is a capsule look ahead at what's going on this week in Suisun City:

• Wednesday, April 18, 7 p.m. - Community meeting on youth, crime and drugs at the Nelson Community Center
• Wednesday, April 18 - Scenic Limited Wildflower Train, Western Railway Museum
  
• Thursday-Sunday, April 19-22 - 'Distracted' by Solano College Theatre at the Harbor Theater. This is the closing weekend for this show that has gotten tremendous reviews!
• Saturday, April 21 - Earth Day in Suisun City presented by Mission Solano.  A full day of activities for the whole family on Sheldon Plaza.
•  Saturday, April 21 - Native American Walk presented by the Suisun Wildlife Center at Rockville Hills Park
• Saturday, April 21 - Vintage Comet Wine Tasting Train, Western Railway Museum
• Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22 - Scenic Limited Wildflower Train, Western Railway Museum

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

• April 28 - Rush Ranch Open House
• April 28 - MS Walk: Solano County
• April 28 - Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
• May 13 - Mother's Day Artisan Fair

For more about all these events, go to www.visitsuisuncity.com or "Like" us at www.facebook.com/SuisunCity

Live Summer Shakespeare Both Outdoors and In in Suisun City Waterfront

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - The Solano College Theatre presents Shakepeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," directed by Carla Spindt as a modern-day version of a classic comedy complete with a "Glee" moment. Produced outdoors in the Harbor Square Courtyard (700 Main Street) and in the Harbor Theater (720 Main Street).

Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of the bard's earliest comedies, in which four bachelors who have dedicated themselves to chastity and scholarly pursuits soon encounter the women of their dreams.

In the University of Navarre live a King and his three fellows, who make a 3-year vow to fast to study and to see no women. Soon after this vow has been made a Princess from French Canada arrives with three of her ladies in hopes to see the King to speak of “serious business”. When the eyes of the King and Princess meet, will it be love at first sight? And, will the others want to break their vows? Join us in unraveling the mystery of this comedic performance brought to you by students of Solano Community College of the modern day, Loves Labour’s Lost.

DETAILS

• Harbor Theater (720 Main Street) performances: 7:30 p.m. Friday August 5 & Aug. 12
  
• Harbor Square Courtyard (700 Main Street) performances:
  2 p.m. Aug. 6, 7, & 13
  7:30 p.m. Aug. 10, 11 & 12
• Tenbrink Winery Performance: 2 p.m. Aug. 14
  
• Admission is FREE
• Please bring chairs or blankets for Harbor Square Courtyard performances. Seating not provided in the paved courtyard.

Loves Labour’s Lost features some of the following fresh faces:

• Aris-Allen Roberson of Vacaville is the King of Navarre.
• Rebecca Lewis and Robin Murray of Solano County as the Princess of France.
• Mikkel Simons of Solano County is Boyet.
• Michael Reardon of Vacaville is Don Adriano De Armado.
• Conner Watson, Levi Duncan and Chris Raymond of Solano County and Esparto as Berowne, Longaville, and Dumain.
• Jaina Frank, Janessa Mosqueda and Meghan Pence as Rosaline, Maria and Katherine.
• Aaron Flores and Amanda Widick of Vacaville and Solano County as Moth.
• Brianna Hester and DeShae Thorton of Vacaville and Suisun as Jaquenetta.
• Jim Jones of Napa is Holoferenes.
• David Shuster of Solano County as Sir Nathaniel.
• Beth Choy of Benicia as Dull.

For more, go to www.VisitSuisunCity.com

Solano College Theatre Opens Auditions for 'Wizard of Oz'

Solano College Theatre will hold auditions for the upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz on January 31st and February 1st, 2011, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Harbor Theatre, 720 Main Street in the Suisun City Waterfront District. Callbacks will be February 5th from 1 to 5 p.m.

This beloved musical is based on the classic book by L. Frank Baum. Director Edward Hightower, Musical Director Renee Oakes and Choreographer Tom Segal will bring The Wizard of Oz to the SCT stage.

All roles are available. Non-equity actors only, please. Actors should prepare one uptempo and one ballad, 1920-1965 legit musical theatre. Please do not sing anything from The Wizard of Oz. Actors should come prepared to move and should also bring a photo and resume.

Please call the Solano College Theatre production office at (707) 864-7000, ext. 4518 to schedule an audition appointment.

Rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz begin March 14th, 2011. Performances begin May 12th, 2011 and run through May 28th, 2011 at the Campus Theatre in Fairfield.

Swept up in the turbulent core of a tornado, Dorothy Gale is transported from her home in Kansas to the magical land of Oz. There, she meets the steadfast friends that will help her find her way back home. The Wizard of Oz is rated G.

"Dracula" to Haunt Harbor Theatre This Halloween

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - Plan to catch the classic retelling of Bram Stoker's classic "Dracula" this Halloween season at the Harbor Theater in the Suisun City Waterfront District.

Presented by Solano College Theatre under the direction of Daren A.C. Carollo, this dramatization by Steven Dietz is the truest version to Stoker's classic novel, and bring suspense and seduction to the stage.

As Count Dracula begins to exert his will upon the residents of London, they try to piece together the clues of his appearances – in a valiant attempt to save themselves from a hideous fate.

Rich with humor, horror and sensuality, Dracula is rated PG-13.

Dracula opens at the Harbor Theater, 720 Main Street, Suisun City, on October 21 and runs through November 7 with shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, and a Sunday matinee.

>> Click for more information >>

Theatre Touring Company Auditions Announced

SUISUN CITY, Calif. – Solano College Theatre announces auditions for the fall semester Theatre Touring Company.

Solano College Theatre Touring Company is often described as Solano College’s goodwill ambassadors providing entertainment and community service wherever they appear. Currently under the musical direction of Vivian McLaughlin, former star of Disney Television’s "Out of the Box," and award-winning choreographer Staci Arriaga, this diverse and talented ensemble performs a fully choreographed Broadway style musical revue throughout Solano County and the state of California.

They have made appearances for An Evening with Tom Hanks, a benefit fundraiser for the theatre hosted by the actor and in Sacramento at the Community College League Centennial Dinner and California State Fair. Other venues in which they regularly perform are Disneyland in Anaheim, Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, Solano and Napa County Fairs, local libraries, parades, schools and retirements communities.

AUDITION DETAILS:

• When: Saturday August 14th, 2009. 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Where: Harbor Theatre – 720 Main Street, Suisun City >> Click for Map >>
  
• What: Please prepare 32 bars of a musical theatre song that shows off your vocal range & personality. Bring clearly marked sheet music in your key. Accompanist will be provided. Wear clothes you can move in and jazz shoes/dance sneakers for the dance portion of the audition.
• Details: Rehearsals begin September 18, 2010. Rehearsals are held Saturdays from 9:30a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Involvement with the company means performing on average once a week for 12 weeks.
• Contact: Call Stage Manager, Sue Cavazos to schedule your audition appointment. (707) 592-1549
  

Solano College Theatre Announces an Evening with Tom Hanks

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks will make a one-night only fundraising appearance at Solano College Theatre in Fairfield on February 6, 2010. Mr. Hanks’ visit will include a presentation on the Campus Theatre stage, as well as a dinner with guests.

An Evening with Tom Hanks will begin with a special meal at 4:30 p.m. with Mr. Hanks in the Solano Community College dining hall. The dinner will feature entertainment by past and present SCT Actor Training Program students as well as a catered dinner and wine exclusively provided by Green Valley Cellars of Suisun Valley. Tickets for the dinner are $100.

After the fundraising dinner, Mr. Hanks will move into the Campus Theatre to give a first-person exploration of non-fiction film entertainment, utilizing clips from his movies as well as from other documentaries. The presentation will also include an exclusive preview of Mr. Hanks’ newest project, The Pacific, a ten-part miniseries executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and set in the Pacific Theatre during WWII, which will premier on HBO in March 2010. An audience-interactive question and answer period will conclude the evening’s presentation. Tickets for the presentation are also $100.

Sponsors of the event include Advocates for the Arts, NorthBay Healthcare and Copart.

Tickets for both the dinner and the theatre presentation go on sale to the general public on January 14th at noon. SCT subscribers can begin buying tickets to the event on January 7th at noon. Tickets can be purchased by calling (707) 864-7100 or in person at the Harbor Theatre Box Office at 720 Main Street in the Suisun City Waterfront District. Box Office hours are Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

All proceeds from the event will go to support the Tom Hanks/Rita Wilson Endowment Fund which was established by the actor and director earlier this year. The fund is a living legacy from Mr. Hanks and honors students as well as his long friendship with SCT Artistic Director George Maguire. The endowment will support the programs and students in the Solano Community College Theatre Arts department.

Mr. Maguire met Mr. Hanks at Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, OH, 32 years ago and the two have maintained a close friendship ever since. Mr. Hanks is a strong supporter of the arts and arts education. The Theatre Arts Department at Solano Community College is one of the few schools Mr. Hanks is kind enough to support.

For further information, contact Amy Lenahan, Marketing Associate, at (707) 864-7000, ext. 4541 or amy.lenahan@solano.edu. Press passes are available to the stage presentation only, but are extremely limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

Solano College Theatre Casting "Our Town"

Auditions December 7 & 8, 2009.
Callbacks December 9, 2009.

Fairfield, CA – November 4, 2009 – Solano College Theatre announces auditions for our upcoming production, the American classic Our Town, by Thornton Wilder. George Maguire will direct this non-traditional quasi-contemporary look at the play.

Auditions will be held Dec. 7 and 8, 2009 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Harbor Theatre, 720 Main Street, Suisun City. Callbacks will be Dec. 9, 2009, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. With a cast of 18-20, all roles are available and all ethnicities are welcome; all actors are encouraged to audition. Auditions will consist of a reading from the script. If the director does not know you, you may use a simple contemporary monologue. No accents or regionalisms will be used in this production, although the time period and placement of New Hampshire will not be altered.

Please see www.solanocollegetheatre.org for more information and a complete listing of roles available.

Call the Solano College Theatre production office at (707) 864-7000, ext. 4518 to schedule an audition appointment.

Rehearsals for Our Town begin Jan. 19, 2010. Performances begin March 4, 2010 (preview March 3) and run through March 21, 2010 at the Harbor Theatre.

In the tiny town of Grover’s Corners, love, disappointment, joy and heartbreak transform ordinary lives into something extraordinary. With a set by conceptual designer Nina Ball, whose magical work for Shotgun Players recently included Jon Tracy’s provocative The Farm, Maguire and his team of collaborators will take a fresh and new look at this seminal American play. Rated G.

To schedule an audition appointment, please call (707) 864-7000, ext. 4518.

For further press information, contact Amy Lenahan, Marketing Associate, at (707) 864-7000 x4541 or Amy.Lenahan@solano.edu

Rodriguez Takes 'Steel Magnolias' on the Road

SUISUN CITY'S HARBOR THEATER HOSTS PRODUCTION

By Talia Sampson | Daily Republic | October 27, 2009 18:14

Cast members of Rodriguez High School's production of "Steel Magnolias" run through a dress rehearsal of the play Tuesday evening at the Suisun Harbor Theatre. The theater will allow the students to have a more realistic experience producing the play according to the school's drama teacher, Nathan Day. Photo by Brad Zweerink

SUISUN CITY - For the first time in about 15 years, a Fairfield-Suisun School District high school will offer a play off campus at a local theater.

Rodriguez High School's fall production of 'Steel Magnolias' will take place at the Suisun Harbor Theater, 720 Main St. in Suisun City.

'Our (campus) theater is a black box that was originally built to be an auto shop and they converted it into a theater,' said Nathan Day, the theater teacher and director for Rodriguez. 'It's nice to be able to offer the kids a more realistic theater experience where they don't have to set up chairs and take them down after the show to set up the room for class the next week.'

As a graduate of the Solano Community College theater program, Day stayed in touch with contacts from the program who let him know about the opportunity to perform at the Suisun Harbor Theater. The college program advertised 'Steel Magnolias' in its programs for 'The Producers,' which ended its run Oct. 18.

The drama club at Rodriguez High typically funds its shows through ticket sales, Day said, so though the cost of performing at the Suisun Harbor Theater is double the cost of performing at the school, he hopes to draw a larger crowd and sell more tickets.

'I know it's a gamble, and I said to my administrators that it's a gamble,' Day said. 'I am well aware this could blow up in my face, but I thought the pros outweighed the cons.'

>> Click here for showtimes and ticket information >>

To read the full story, go to www.dailyrepublic.com

'Bye Bye Birdie' Auditions at Suisun City's Harbor Theatre

AUDITIONS TO BE HELD SEPT. 13 &14 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY WITH CALLBACKS ON SEPT. 17

Solano College Theatre announces auditions for Bye Bye Birdie. This beloved musical features music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams and a book by Michael Stewart. The production is directed by Holli Hornlien with musical direction by Vivian McLaughlin and choreography by Staci Arriaga.

Auditions will be held September 13th and 14th at the Harbor Theatre, 720 Main Street in Suisun City's Waterfront District. Callbacks will be September 17th. All roles are available including many ensemble roles. Non-equity actors only, please. Actors should prepare 32 bars of a traditional musical theater song and provide sheet music for the accompanist. Please call the Solano College Theatre production office at (707) 864-7199 for information and to schedule an audition appointment.

Rehearsals for Bye Bye Birdie begin November 9, 2009. After a winter holiday break, performances begin January 14, 2010 and run through January 30^th at the Solano College Campus Theatre in Fairfield.

Director Holli Hornlien is a professional teaching artist, director and actress. For Solano College and Solano Youth Theatre, she directed the award winning productions of A Year with Frog and Toad, High School Musical, and Footloose. Other professional directing stints include Stones in His Pockets, The Final Twist and A Complete History of America (Abridged) for interPLAYERS in Washington, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Jungle Book, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for Pistarkle theatre in the Virgin Islands, and The Taming of the Shrew for Chicago’s Shakespeare’s Herd. Her regional theatre acting credits include Chicago Shakespeare Company, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC. Film and television roles include the title role in The Pilot's Wife for the Oprah Winfrey Show on CBS; Primal Fear and leading lady appearances in several independent feature films.

Musical Director Vivian McLaughlin is best known for her role in Disney Channel’s television series, Out of the Box. Vivian was chosen from hundreds to sing at the annual Broadway on Broadway concert in New York’s Times Square and her Broadway debut at Madison Square Garden followed soon after. Since then she has recorded several audio books for Scholastic, Random House, and Bantam Doubleday, has appeared in industrials, commercials and is a member of AFTRA, SAG and AEA.

Staci Arriaga is an award-winning choreographer, actress and director in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been honored with the prestigious Dean Goodman Award for her choreography of Jekyll and Hyde and The King and I at Solano College Theatre. She has also received Arty Awards for her choreography of Jekyll and Hyde, The Sound of Music, Guys And Dolls and Broadway Bound. Recently, the Theatre Bay Area Critics lauded Ms. Arriaga’s choreography with a nomination for Into The Woods at Crossroads Theatre. As an actress, Ms. Arriaga has also received Sacramento’s Elly Award for Anita in West Side Story and Princess Winnifred for Once Upon A Mattress.

In Bye Bye Birdie, Conrad Birdie is the latest and greatest rock and roll phenomenon in the country. He won’t be America’s most eligible bachelor for long however. He’s about to be inducted into the army. Before he ships out, his press agent has set up one last Birdie-Mania moment. One lucky teen-age girl will receive “One Last Kiss” from him, live and in person in The Ed Sullivan Show. Bye Bye Birdie received the 1961 Tony Award for Best Musical and features such songs as "Put on a Happy Face," "Kids," "The Telephone Hour" and "A Lot of Livin' to Do.”

Solano College Theatre Touring Company Auditions

AUDITIONS MAY 2, 2009, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

The Solano College Theatre Touring Company members are considered important “Ambassadors to the Community.”

College and High School students that excel as triple-threat performers work with a professional musical director and choreographer to create a thirty-minute touring show. They share their exceptional talents by appearing at bookings across the region such as Disneyland, San Francisco Theatre Festival, Solano and Napa County Fairs and Vacaville Fiesta Days to name a few.

We are thrilled to announce that Vivian McLaughlin will return as the Artistic Director, and celebrated choreographer Staci Arriaga shall also return to share her talents and energy.

AUDITION DETAILS

• Saturday May 2nd, 2009. 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Harbor Theatre – 720 Main Street, Suisun City
• Please prepare 16 bars of a musical theatre song that shows off your vocal range & personality. Bring clearly marked sheet music in your key. Accompanist will be provided. Wear clothes you can move in and jazz shoes/dance sneakers for the dance portion of the audition.
• Rehearsals begin May 30th, 2009. Classes meet Saturdays from 9:30a.m. – 1:20 p.m.
• Call Stage Manager, Sue Cavazos to schedule your audition appointment. (707) 592-1549

Actor's Showcase Opens Final Projects to the Public

SOLANO COLLEGE THEATRE'S ATP SHOWCASES GRADUATING CLASS PROJECTS

Solano College Theatre proudly presents Every Story Is A Love Story, a showcase of scenes, songs and dancing presented by the Actor Training Program (ATP) graduating class of 2009. Playing May 8th and 9th, 2009 at the Harbor Theatre in Suisun City's Waterfront District, the showcase is directed by Nancy Carlin, who has been an ATP adjunct faculty member for 10 years.

This is the first time SCT has opened up the ATP final performances to the public. “We wanted to make these performances public because we have seen that they are consistently great,” said Managing Director Chris Guptill.

“The final projects are, literally, a showcase of the talent and creativity of our students in the best possible way. The performances are always entertaining and often very emotionally charged, allowing our graduates to show the full range of performance skills they have mastered at Solano. The only thing missing has been an audience, which is, after all, what makes the difference between an exercise and a performance.”

Every Story Is A Love Story features scenes from contemporary playwrights including Sarah Ruhl, Bob Glaudini and Stephanie Zadrevic. Songs and dance numbers about off-beat, quirky love will round out the performances.

The students showcased in the performances include: Heather Bankston from Suisun City, Randal Chun from Fairfield, Magdalena Crane from Napa, Bianca Doria from Sacramento, David Ewing from Napa, Sergio Gonzales from Vallejo, Roy Landaverde from Antioch, Ruben Perez from Napa, Melissa Petty from Fairfield, John Rivard from Vacaville, Allison Smith from Vacaville, Lindsay Stoltz from Napa, Sofia Tovar from Vacaville and Anthony Williams from Fairfield.

The ATP program was created in 1988 by SCT Artistic Director George Maguire and former Managing Director David Leonard. ATP is for the career-bound acting student. It is modeled after a variety of other conservatory-based (all-inclusive, taught by professionals) training programs. It includes modules on acting; singing; modern dance; tap dance; ballet; voice and speech for the actor; Shakespeare; text analysis; scene study; acting styles; movement for the actor; mask work; and a variety of other topics. Many ATP graduates go on to professional conservatories (such as the American Conservatory Theatre) or top-tier universities (UCLA, NYU, Yale). The ATP is designed to get graduates into programs that create career actors.

Every Story Is A Love Story performs at the Harbor Theatre, 720 Main Street in Suisun City, Friday, May 8th and Saturday, May 9th, 2009, at 8 p.m. Tickets are only $5 and are a tax-deductible donation to the Solano College Theatre Association Scholarship Fund.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Solano College Theatre Box Office at (707) 864-7100 Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.

Reviewers Love "Mr. Ripley" at Harbor Theatre

The reviews are in & they love Solano College Theatre's staging of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" at Suisun City's Harbor Theatre.

The Daily Republic's Tony Wade said:

"The actors were absolutely phenomenal.

Jonathon Grout is an amazing talent. As in other roles he's played on local stages, he embodies whomever he is portraying. Grout infused the character of Ripley with a barely-controlled frenzied rage that bubbled underneath the surface and exploded all over it from time to time.

In short, he completely creeped me out, in a good way."

L. Pierce Carson of the Napa Valley Register said:

"With this staging of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Solano College Theatre adds to its well-deserved reputation for presenting first-rate theater in the North Bay.

While this psychological drama may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that it’s well acted, superbly directed and been given a first-class staging.

With so little regional theater available in this neck of the woods, it’s comforting to know that audiences can count on SCT for quality productions."

Don't miss this terrific production running at the Harbor Theatre now through March 22.
Performances are at

• 7:30 p.m. Thursdays
• 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday
• 2 p.m. Sundays

For tickets, call 707-864-7100 or go online to www.solanocollegetheatre.org

DINNER & A SHOW

Eight terrific restaurants in the Suisun City Waterfront District offer dining discounts the night of the show! Just show your play tickets and get a discount at

• La Cabana Restaurant, 325 Main Street
  
• Athenian Grill, 750 Kellogg Street
  
• Padthai Thai Cuisine, 603 Main Street
  
• Puerto Vallarta, 301 Main Street
  
• Tasuke, 314 Spring Street
  
• Main Street Bar & Grill, 627 Main Street
  
• Uncle Bong's Pizzeria, 203 Main Street
  
• Taqueria Tepa, 501 Main Street #D
  

'Talented Mr. Ripley' Comes to Suisun City's Harbor Theater

Starting on March 5, 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' will begin a nearly month long run at the Harbor Theater in Suisun City's Waterfront District. It's a great play, so plan on joining us.

The Vallejo Times-Herald ran a short interview this morning with Lee Ann D'Amato, one of the leads in the Solano College Theatre production.

Actress plays evil Dottie in 'Ripley,' believe it or not

By RICH FREEDMAN/Times-Herald staff writer
Posted: 02/13/2009 01:01:22 AM PST

There just may be a little Aunt Dottie in Lee Ann D'Amato. And for those familiar with "The Talented Mr. Ripley," that can't be a good thing.

"She's not the nicest person in the world," D'Amato said of her character. "She's really evil. I think she's the reason Tom Ripley became a serial killer."

Though the Vallejo actress has never provoked anyone to murder, "I'm sure I have a dark side," she said.

Not that she needed to look inside herself to bring Dottie to life in the Solano College Theater's production that opens March 5 at the Harbor Theater in Suisun.

"I have a relative who is similar to Aunt Dottie," D'Amato said.

The actress is excited about the role and working again with director George Maguire.

"George is an actor himself, so he totally can relate to what you go through to do a part," D'Amato said.

The director gives direction, "but doesn't direct you to the point where you think it's his vision of the part," D'Amato said. "You feel you're able to explore what you want to do and that the part is truly your own."

Besides, she added, "I think he's hysterically funny. That helps a lot. I giggle all the time during rehearsals. I enjoy a director who's a hoot. He has great stories. I'm having a blast."

The admiration is mutual.

"I've known her for almost 18 years, and she is a kick to be in a room with," Maguire said. "A lot of humor and simultaneous depth, and above all friendship and familiarity."

Whatever the role, the reasons D'Amato takes to the community theater stage hasn't changed in 20-plus years.

D'Amato's fresh off her performance as pirate in "Pirates of Penzance" for the Vallejo Music Theatre last October. She laughed that, as a 48-year-old, "I was a little long in the tooth to play a maiden. So I said I'd do it only if I played a pirate."

"I do it because I love to act," she said. "It's my thing. Everyone has their love. I'd act in my living room if I could get people over. And my friends know this. That's why they say, 'Meet us in a public place.'"

Despite her experience, there's always the jitters no matter what the play, D'Amato said.

"I'm always nervous with every part," she said. "Every single show. I believe that's what gives me energy and hopefully makes me portray roles well. I always feel nervous. I don't care how smoothly it's gone in rehearsals. Until I walk on stage. Then it vanishes."

It's just fine if loved ones are in the audience, D'Amato said, as long as it's not the front row.

"I actually like knowing people come to see me. I like to know friends, family and loved ones care enough to come," D'Amato said. "But I almost prefer not knowing, of course. But that's impossible. They usually call and tell me they're coming. I just want to go ut and do the part and not be thinking about that kind of stuff. As long as they're not in the front row. I try to ask, 'Please don't sit too close.'"

A 26-year Vallejoan, the actress said she might take a shot at directing some day. All the better if it's Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile."

"I if can get a venue and put together the money and cast to do that particular play," D'Amato. "I would kill to direct that."

She thought for a minute. Aunt Dottie, perhaps, would kill to direct.

"I would maim to direct that play," D'Amato said.