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Art Center Theater presents:
Israel Horovitz's
"Park Your Car in Harvard Yard"
Coleman Auditorium Gualala Arts Center
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Fri, July 21, 7:00 p.m. - Gala Opening*
Sat, July 22, 7:00 p.m.
Sun, July 23, 2:00 p.m.
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Fri, July 28, 7:00 p.m.
Sat, July 29, 7:00 p.m.
Sun, July 30, 2:00 p.m.
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A grouchy old man and a
vindictive housekeeper - what do they have
in common? At first glance, there is not
much. But the play, Park Your Car in
Harvard Yard, shows that their differences
come from a common base - humanity.
Part comedy, part drama, this summer
production is a must see.
"Nothing is inevitable," goes the
old saying, "except death and taxes." In
Park Your Car in Harvard Yard,
playwright Israel Horovitz adds "regret" to
that list. In the bleak New England winter,
an imperious old Jacob Brackish shuffles around his house
lamenting his mistakes and lost opportunities. "Memories can
cripple you," he says, "turn you into stone."
Similarly afflicted
is his new housekeeper, Kathleen Hogan, a middle-age widow
seething with resentment underneath her mousy demeanor. They
are seemingly mismatched. He's a Jewish bachelor with no
family, a Harvard-educated Ph.D., and retired high school
teacher. She's a blue-collar Irish Catholic with a passel of
relatives. However, the odd-couple relationship reveals their
connections in this rueful, and often amusing, look at the
popular habit of second-guessing one's mistakes.
Directed by Lynne Atkins, Park Your Car in Harvard
Yard is a play in miniature. Except for the voice of a classicalmusic
DJ (Dave Badger), the entire cast consists of Jim Riley as
Brackish and Kathye Hitt as Hogan. However their skillful
pas de deux evokes the personalities of the past that peoples the cast
with many characters.
Horovitz has been a successful
playwright since the 1960s. He also founded
a theater company in Gloucester, his
hometown, where he tutored many fledgling
writers. His mentoring provided a seed for
this play - the study of impact teachers make
on their students. Many works have
addressed the subject, but Park Your Car...
asks a deeper question. How do specific
events and general circumstances affect a
person's life? Jacob wonders if he had any
effect as a teacher, while people in
Kathleen's world blame his harsh rigidity for
their misfortunes.
A gentle, introspective play, Park Your Car in Harvard
Yard is powered by personality. This thoughtful, touching piece
is also potent, funny, and resonates after the final scene.
Tickets are $15, and doors open 30 minutes before show, except for the
*Gala Opening, Friday, July 21, when tickets are $25, and doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Gualala Arts Center is located
at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, and is open from 9 am to 4 pm weekdays,
and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information.