S2S2S Will Present an Original Reading, The Most Distinguished Citizen of Ledbetter Gap
by Audrey Liebross
We are fortunate here in the Coachella Valley to have a fine theatre company called Script to Stage to Screen (S2S2S) that specializes in staged readings. An arm of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert (UUCOD) in Rancho Mirage, S2S2S monthly presents new plays that audiences can enjoy at the bargain price of $15.
Coachella Valley Theatre World does not review S2S2S’s performances. Because the two-evening run would be over by the time we’d be able to publish a review, reviews — as opposed to previews — are not overly helpful. Nevertheless, because analysis of the direction, acting, and production design help readers understand more about S2S2S’s work, I have decided to address last month’s show in each preview. Therefore, before I say anything about S2S2S’s next offering, scheduled for February 23rd and 24th, 2024, a brief critique follows about January’s show, Let It Rain, written by Ed Friedman, and directed by Hal O’Connell.
Let It Rain discusses the travails of a small-town community theatre that is trying to produce an American classic play without sufficient resources, including willing actors. The cast consisted of a combination of well-known Coachella Valley actors, several experienced actors from outside the area, and one performer, Lauren Nile, who deserves special mention because this is her first stage role. Ms. Nile is an author, speaker, and retired attorney, who clearly has terrific performance instincts, including being able to act through facial expressions. She also possesses top-notch stage presence. Her chemistry with Kevin Hayles, who played her love interest, is also fabulous.
The acting by the entire cast of Let It Rain, the direction, and staging were also excellent. For example, the actor playing the costumer ran around with a tape measure around her neck. I very much enjoyed the music between the scenes. The reading also presented well-performed physical comedy. Rather than their performances being diminished by holding a script, the top-notch actors that appeared in Let It Rain handled them perfectly.
If the past is prologue, S2S2S’s February comedy, The Most Distinguished Citizen of Ledbetter Gap, written and directed by the Coachella Valley’s own Jason Hull, ought to be a great deal of fun. The recipient of six Desert Theatre League awards, Jason Hull, who has been involved with S2S2S since 2011, is a Renaissance man. He is an accomplished artist, actor, playwright, director, singer, and teacher of American Sign Language, and has appeared in more than 70 stage productions since 1997. He is currently working on his second novel, and can be seen starring in multiple films from Intriguism Moving Pictures.
The story of The Most Distinguished Citizen of Ledbetter Gap involves retired assistant librarian Lucinda Miller, who has been doing good deeds all year in the hope of being recognized on Founders Day with the highest honor in the town of Ledbetter Gap (Population 986): the Most Distinguished Citizen Award. Her efforts may be for naught, however, when an awards committee member nominates the town’s wealthiest (and meanest) resident. The cast consists of numerous experienced actors from the area: June August plays Lucinda, supported by Alden West (Country Kelly); Lisa Hammert (Ruby Keene); Timothy Rathke (Cletus Johnson); Kai Brothers (Roscoe Hazlett); and Stephen Blackwell (Deputy Charlie Gamble).
Performances take place at UUCOD, 72-425 Via Vail Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (across from the Rancho Mirage Dog Park). Tickets are $15 cash or check at the door, or they may be purchased via PayPal on the S2S2S website, www.script2stage2screen.com . Will-call reservations may be made at script2stage2screen@gmail.com.
The rest of S2S2S’s season consists of:
Life, Love, And The Pursuit, by Shelley Chester (March 22-23, 2024) Maxine Stafford, 67, meets a successful 55-year-old writer, Ryan Allen Squire. As Maxine attempts to play matchmaker for Ryan, the two develop an unlikely friendship that changes both of their lives.
Young Playwrights’ Celebration: Main Character, by Brooklyn Rutledge (April 19-20, 2024). Cass is a completely, totally, absolutely average high school girl, definitely not anybody who would be a main character. She is overly aware of this fact, and yet, here she is dealing with all the annoyances that come from being the star of the show.
Southlake, by Mike Byham (May 24-25, 2024). We peek in on the life-defining moments of Randall Scott – a Vietnam veteran who with his young, pregnant wife Rose settled into the quiet farming suburb of Southlake, Texas in the early 1970’s. Told through scenes that alternate between the early 70’s and 2022, it’s a story of love, regret, change and redemption. And there’s a ghost.
Engagement Rules, by Rich Orloff (June 21-22, 2024). This comedy follows the intertwined lives of two couples who have become good friends despite (or because of) their multi-decade age gap. Both couples face problems at the intersection of sexuality and spirituality, forcing everyone to face questions that none of them can answer easily.