Art Center Theater presents The Ladies of the Camellias Coleman Auditorium Gualala Arts Center

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Fri.,   July 27, 7:00 p.m. Sat.,  July 28, 7:00 p.m. Sun., July 29, 2:00 p.m.matinée

Fri.,   August 3, 7:00 p.m. Sat.,  August 4, 7:00 p.m. Sun., August 5, 2:00 p.m.matinée

Imagine if you will a superstar actress with her own theater. She is the last great actress of her generation, and a legend known throughout the civilized world for her quirks and flamboyant style. Into her perfect performance palace for a one-night-only show comes her best known rival, a slightly younger actress from another country - a superstar in her own right - who exemplifies the new natural acting style. What if she was coming to perform the one work that our first actress feels is her own personal trademark. Would sparks fly from this encounter?

Now add a beleaguered playwright, two spurned lovers, a Russian dissident, a cheetah and a couple of garden snakes into the mix. Put all that together, stir well, and you would either have the makings of a modern sitcom or The Ladies of the Camellias, Art Center Theater's summer offering.

Directed by Karen Serratoni, who beautifully brought Art Center Theater's The Little Foxes to life, this show will lift your spirits and tickle your funny bone as Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse, Alexander Dumas fils and a host of other characters liberally drawn from the pages of history strut their antics across the stage. This show promises to make you forget the world outside for a few hours.

Cast
The play depicts two theatrical legends, Sarah Bernhardt (Lynne Atkins) and Eleonora Duse (Kathye Hitt) preparing for back to back performances of Alexander Dumas' (Richard Knarr) internationally famous work "The Lady of the Camellias," or as it's known in America, "Camille." The rivalry between these two divas is intensified by Ivan the Russian anarchist (Tony Ariola), Benoit a harried theatrical producer (Tina Vasavada), an ambitious actress (Denise Otterson) and the leading men of the two international stars - Flavio Ando (Phil Atkins) and Gustave-Hippolite Worms (Jim Littlejohn). When the famous French actor, Coquelin, costumed as Cyrano de Bergerac (Robert Evans) enters the stage, the play reaches its apex.

Art Center Theater's The Ladies of the Camellias runs Friday - Sunday, July 27 - 29 and Friday - Sunday, August 3 - 5, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15 adults and $10 youth (17 and under); $5 additional if purchased the day of the performance. For advance ticket purchase, go to Brown Paper Tickets or call them at 800-838-3006. To purchase tickets in person, visit the Gualala Arts Center or Dolphin Gallery in Gualala. Be sure and get your tickets early - with all the fun this show promises to bring to the coast, it is sure to sell out!

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.