Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) and Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) are teaming up together to co-produce their first online live staged reading this Thursday, April 2, starting at 7:30 p.m.

During these unprecedented times, the organizations are continuing to seek ways to share interesting stories with their community.

“Quiet Cross” is a new play by local playwright Casey Tibbitts. It was well received at its first staged reading and post reading workshop at Scripps Ranch Theatre in January and has been reworked for this online performance. Each actor will be performing from their own homes, hosted on the ZOOM platform. The community can join in and watch from the comfort of their living rooms.

“For the past three seasons we have co-produced one show each season with Oceanside Theatre Company,” SRT Artistic Director Jill Drexler said. “Sharing talent, resources and extending the reach of the stories we tell has created a wonderful collaborative relationship between the two organizations. Partnering up to continue to share stories creatively was a natural fit.”

OTC Artistic Director Ted Leib agreed.

“Now is a time for the entire arts community to come together as we all navigate the impact of COVID-19. Sharing QUIET CROSS with our community this Thursday is one way we can reach out to our friends and patrons who have believed in our organizations for so many years,” Leib said.

How to join in:

A quirky romantic comedy that reveals multiple layers as it explores the power of love, in all its forms, was set to hit the local Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) stage, but “Love Song” has been postponed due the COVID-19 crisis.
Scripps Ranch Theatre decided it is in the best interest of the community to postpone the production indefinitely. The theatre will contact anyone who bought tickets in advance. As a non-profit organization, the adjustment with “Love Song” will have major fiscal ramifications on Scripps Ranch Theatre. Ticket-holders may choose to transfer their ticket to a 100 percent tax-deductible donation.

About ‘Love Song’
Written by John Kolvenbach and first produced in 2006, the play tells the story of Beane, an emotionless, extreme introvert who is burglarized by the pixieish Molly and then falls in love with her. His sister, Joan, and her husband, Harry, Beane’s self-appointed caretakers, are suspicious of the relationship, but Beane’s newfound joy is contagious.

As director Kevin Hafso-Koppman explained, Beane begins the play withdrawn from life in general and not having an opinion on many things. But the burglary and the burglar have a strangely transformative effect on him.

“What this burglar does is turn his perspective of the world upside down and all of a sudden everything is illuminated to its fullest potential,” Hafso-Koppman said. “Everything from food to love to what the air smells like is completely changed for him. I think where the quirky comes in is that (Beane) goes a little too far almost into the ridiculous from our perspective. But it’s one of my favorite things about the play because he starts behaving in these ways and soaking up life and the world around him.”

The play marks Hafso-Koppman’s directorial debut at SRT. He has acted previously at the theater in “Death Trap” and “The Sunshine Boys.” He last directed John Logan’s “Red” at the Oceanside Theatre Company.

In the play, Paul Eddy will play Beane; Martina Lopez, Molly; Leigh Akin, Joan; and Javier Guerrero, Harry. Jillian Jones is assistant director.

Hafso-Koppman noted that as the play unfolds, audiences are in for pleasant surprises.

“Sometimes if feels like you’re watching your average comedy that’s a little left of center,” he said. “But then it’s making poignant points about the choices we make, how we live in the world around us and participate in our own life.”

As they work through rehearsals, the director said he and the actors were discovering new things every day about the play.

“As we’ve worked on it, I’ve discovered how much more there is to mine out of it and to say with it beyond a quirky comedy. I feel like it’s a lot more than that,” Hafso-Koppman said.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, based in Austin, Texas, sent out a press release a few weeks ago to let members of the public know that they should not use their vodka as a hand sanitizer or disinfectant to battle COVID-19.

Now, Tito’s, which has a history of charitable acts, has converted some of it distilling process to manufacture a formula of real, government approved hand sanitizer.

Here is some of the info directly from Tito’s website:

(March 22) While we advise that you cannot use our standard vodka product as a hand sanitizer, our team at the distillery has been working hard to get all of the pieces in place to begin production on a hand sanitizer that adheres to industry and governmental guidance.

Last week, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announced they are authorizing production of ethanol-based hand sanitizers by permitted distillers. This good news allowed our team to continue working on this process.

Currently, we are testing our formula, procuring necessary components of supplies and packaging, and preparing for production as we wait for the additional required ingredients to be delivered to the distillery. We have the ingredients and equipment on order to make an initial 24 tons of hand sanitizer over the next several weeks, and plan to make more from there as needed.

Production begins
(March 25) Our distillery team is working as quickly as possible to ramp up the production of hand sanitizer that we will be giving away to those in need. We are starting with an initial 24 tons over the next several weeks and will make more from there as needed.

We are actively working with local government emergency management agencies to distribute our initial hand sanitizer batches in bulk to first responders (police officers, firefighters and EMT), hospitals (and other medical staff), and managed care facilities such as nursing homes and specialized care. We are also working to distribute it to other personnel in critical need.

The demand is very high, and our production capacity is limited, so we are unable to fulfill all current requests. It is anticipated that for the next several weeks, needs in our region and state will deplete all we can make to fill dire needs. We hope to have supply available for wider distribution in several weeks.

We expect to be able to open requests outside of our immediate distillery region in the next two weeks as we have a better feel for what we can produce and package for donation to those in highest need. At that time, we anticipate there will be other avenues to get more sanitizer to all, and we are planning to be in a better position to help out where needs cannot be met.

Seacoast Media Lab, LLC – publisher of Scripps Ranch News and The Poway Eagle – is introducing a new video series – and readers can now view its very first video episode. San Diego Words & Pictures is the company’s new multi-media project which will highlight the best San Diego has to offer, including the most unique places, hidden gems, mystery spots, upcoming events and urban legends. 

Taking her first piano lesson at six years old, Dawn Yocom developed a love of music early. She majored in music performance, earning a teaching credential in music and education. Yocom currently owns a private studio where she teaches piano and voice, and has sung in musical theater, choirs and various groups throughout the years.

So, it only makes sense that she took on the director role for a local women’s singing group when the need arose. She sang with the Scripps A Cappella Singers, formerly known as the Scripps Ranch Madrigal Singers. Over the years, directors came and went, and soon there was a need for someone to step into the director role.

“In order for the group to survive, I took over the job of directing it and singing with it,” Yocom said.

Eventually, that singing group came to an end, but not for everyone.

“When that disbanded after about 35 years of singing together, many of the women wanted to invite other friends in and continue singing,” Yocom said. 

In response to continuing the joy of singing as a group, the Scripps Ranch-based acapella women’s ensemble group, Bella Voce emerged. The name is Italian for “beautiful voice” and was established about two and a half years ago. 

The group sings a vast range of music, including Renaissance, contemporary, sacred, folk, spirituals and holiday-themed songs. It also performs at a variety of locations, including community events, churches, parties, retirement residences and libraries.

“We’re always looking out for opportunities to sing,” Yocom said. “We don’t need to get paid, necessarily. We’re looking for volunteer opportunities as well to highlight peoples’ lives with music.”

Bella Voce’s goal is to cultivate friendship while sharing the love of music with others.

“It’s a joy in our lives, and it brings such joy to others as well,” Yocom said.

The group currently comprises 10 members and they are eagerly aiming to expand.

“We’re not as diverse as we would like to be,” Yocom said.

Although members range in age from their late 40s to 70s, they welcome younger women, hoping to bring in members who share their joy of singing.

“We’re looking for people who like to sing to come out,” Yocom explained. “We’re a
very friendly group and we do social events among
ourselves.”

As the director, Yocom runs the weekly to bi-weekly rehearsals – the cadence depends on whether they have an upcoming gig. The women gather at each other’s homes in San Diego to practice. Yocom said she teaches the music, but many of the women are knowledgeable in music reading, so they also help each other learn. 

Upcoming shows include a performance during the Scripps Ranch Old Pros’ Fourth of July 2-Mile Fun Run, where the group will sing the National Anthem, and a performance at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library in September.

A local group started to work toward building more community in Scripps Ranch with meetups, exercise and a little coffee.

Walk the Lake was founded by Scripps Ranch resident Shelby Morgan at the beginning of the year as a way to support individuals who have a passion for their health and their community.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the group was meeting at Miramar Lake the first Sunday morning of the month. Morgan provided coffee for those interested in a little boost or warmth for their walk. Locals were encouraged to join for as much of the five-mile walk as they could both in time commitment and physical ability.

“I really wanted to build a community within Scripps Ranch that supports those who have a passion or inspiration for health. And, I thought this would be one of the ways to build that community,” Morgan said. 

She initially started the group by posting it on the Scripps Ranch Information Exchange page on Facebook and on her own personal social media accounts. Morgan also invited other residents she knew including Melissa Culver. Morgan and Culver knew one another through high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout classes at the Scripps Ranch Swim and Racquet Club.

“As you can imagine, HIIT training doesn’t allow for us mom friends to really get a chance to socialize with one another. The seconds we do have in class we are usually trying to catch our breath,” Culver said.

Culver said that while she was initially hesitant to join because of other commitments and time constraints in her schedule, she was glad she carved out the time to join.

“I’ve attended both meet ups and have had such a great time getting to meet new faces and seeing familiar ones. It’s fascinating how much we have in common with people we barely met, and even better – it’s people from within our community,” Culver said.

Mostly women attended the Walk at the Lake meetups, but Morgan said she is hoping that more men from the community will join as well. She said that during the walk, the participants are able to decompress about their week with one another as well as learn through advice on everything from nail salon recommendations to kids after-school programs.

“This group is serving its purpose in the sense that it’s getting us like-minded individuals out, moving our bodies … But, it’s also giving us a chance to build authentic and genuine relationships and friendships,” Morgan said.

Scripps Ranch musician Patrick Yandall's “When It’s Hip” album has been nominated for Jazz Album of The Year at the San Diego Music Awards, which was scheduled to be held March 23 at the House of Blues in downtown San Diego, but has since been postpoed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“This is my 22nd album. I’ve been nominated numerous times over the years, and so far, I’ve always been the bridesmaid and not the bride. Maybe this will be my year to catch the bouquet,” Yandall said.

“Twelve years ago, Life’s Work Entertainment in Los Angeles nominated me for Jazz Artist of The Year. I’ve also had Grammy consideration for four of my albums, but I’m still waiting for that first win,” he said.

Yandall was born into a musical family. His father was a performer doing “gigs” at local clubs and events in Michigan. Subsequently, young Patrick was bitten by the show-biz bug about the same time most kids his age were learning how to ride a bicycle.

“Dad had all kinds of instruments laying around and I started playing a little trumpet in grade school, but I gravitated toward the guitar when I was in fourth grade and stuck with it.” Yandall said. 

“I grew up in Michigan and began playing around town when I was in the ninth grade. A friend of my brother had a band that was playing clubs and they asked me to play with them. I’m only 13; I asked, ‘can I even go in there?’” he explained. “The club manager said it was okay for me to play, but I had to stand outside when the band took a break. So, I stood outside, and this was in Michigan, in the winter. Some of those breaks were pretty cold.”

Rock was the music of choice in the clubs, but Yandall began to take a new musical path that would eventually lead him to a career as a jazz musician. 

“Like most kids, I started playing rock, but the instrumentals in songs by the Allman Brothers began to sway me towards jazz improvs. I began picking up jazz influences in other artists’ music and that was how it all started for me,” Yandall said.

“Technically, there’s quite a difference from playing rock on a guitar to playing jazz on a guitar. Since my dad was a musician, I started young and developed an ear for music. Because of that, I could listen to and learn rock songs very quickly. For example, if I heard a song by ‘Aerosmith,’ 30-minutes later I could play it perfectly, but jazz wasn’t that easy to pick-up. 

“Jazz was a different world and that intrigued me. Most jazz musicians will tell you that the learning never stops. Because of that, I’m always doing something new. Jazz is challenging and it isn’t for everybody. You either dig it or you don’t.

“The albums I’ve recorded over the years have a mix of blues and contemporary jazz. Now I’m into smooth jazz, like you would hear on KIFM Radio, 98.1. Jazz to me is George Benson and Wes Montgomery. That’s the kind of music that influenced me early in my career to be a professional jazz guitarist.” 

Yandall has been playing clubs in the San Diego area since the late 1980s. His music has been featured in several movies including “Fruitvale Nation,” “Girls” on HBO and “The New Girl” on Fox, to name a few.

The Scripps Ranch Friends (SRFOL) of the Library regret to announce that the Sunday, March 15, “Pleasure of Your Company” concert featuring the Westwind Brass Quintet has been canceled due to coronavirus precautions advised by the California Department of Public Health and the San Diego County's Public Health officer.

The SRFOL made the decision to cancel after much deliberation with concern for the health and safety of its concertgoers, musicians and volunteers. The organization hopes to bring the Westwind Brass back to its stage in the not too far distant future.

The Glen at Scripps Ranch hosted the legendary collegiate a cappella group The Whiffenpoofs at the new retirement community on Jan. 29. 

Several hundred residents and guests enjoyed a special performance from Yale University’s talented traveling singers.

The Glen at Scripps Ranch welcomed its first residents in November 2019 and is home to more than 200 residents, with more scheduled to move in. 

A grand opening celebration for The Glen at Scripps Ranch is being planned for spring 2020.

Garden Club Program Coordinators Helen Plutner and Lynnell Hallock are bringing an outstanding lineup of gardening experts to the Scripps-Mesa Garden Club.

Farmer Roy of the Sunshine Garden in Poway leads off the new year schedule for the club. Roy will present his extensive knowledge and experience in cool season vegetable gardening at the January 28 meeting. Club member Susan Castellana will present her plans for outings and tours of local gardens that will take place later in the growing season. Helen Plutner will share the news about the innovative program for a Seed Library now underway at the local city library. Plutner will explain how this program to share seeds among local gardeners will work. Garden Club members will also be electing a slate of new officers for 2020 at this first meeting of the year.

In February, author Kevin Espiritu is scheduled to share information from his book “Urban Gardening.” Growing plants in small spaces and in containers are his specialty. Those of us who live in apartments and condos will especially appreciate his expertise.

At March’s meeting, many people’s favorite flowers will be Chuck McClung’s topic. He is author of “How Orchids Rebloom.”

Scripps-Mesa Garden Club meets most months at the Community Room of the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library at 6 in the evening on the fourth Tuesday. Local gardeners are welcome to come by and join the group as they have a short social time, a brief business meeting, an informative presentation on gardening skills, a plant share and a drawing for a useful garden tool. Membership dues are only $30 for the year. Contact Bob Gale at rgale1943@gmail.com for more information about the club.

Friendship, family, and the trials and tribulations of romantic entanglements set the stage for a night of laughs when Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) presents the romantic comedy “Italian American Reconciliation,” now through Feb. 16 at Scripps Ranch Theatre on the campus of Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations.

Written by the award-winning John Patrick Shanley in 1988, “Reconciliation” tells the story of Huey, divorced from the shrewish Janice, who shot his dog and even took a bead on him.

Huey feels he must woo Janice one more time, if only to regain his “manhood” and move on in his life. He enlists his lifelong friend, Aldo, to help, even though Aldo thinks Huey should stick with his new lady friend Teresa, a usually calm person who gets fired up once she learns what Huey is up to. 

“It all takes place in Little Italy in New York and it’s full of very colorful characters and colorful language,” director Charles Peters said while talking about the show before its opening. “Although there’s no foul language!”

Playwright Shanley wrote the 1998 movie “Moonstruck,” winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Peters said the story of “Reconciliation” is different from that movie, but people who enjoyed the film will likely also enjoy the play.

“The feel of it and the elements and the relationship ideas are in there,” Peters said. “That’s really what ultimately this show is about.”

As part of the committee that selects what plays SRT produces, Peters said he was impressed with the play’s personalities and the dialogue.

“I read it and was struck with the language and the characters and the way they spoke and communicated deep ideas,” he said. “These characters are – in their own way – very eloquent and very romantic and very poetic and they talk about these deep emotional subjects but in a very entertaining way. I was struck by the strength of the characters and the simplicity of the story.”

The play includes a balcony scene humorously reminiscent of Cyrano de Bergerac.

“It’s an entertaining story, it’s nothing hard and heavy,” Peters said. “(Audiences) are going to have fun and the cast is fun to watch and the dialogue is witty and entertaining.”

In the play, Marco Kengott, plays “Huey,” SRT newcomer Lynnia Shanley plays “Janice,” Gina Maria Cioffi plays “Teresa,” John DeCarlo plays “Aldo” and Rhiannon McAfee plays “Aunt May.”

“All the actors are tremendously talented,” Peters said. “And, as it turns out, a good handful of them are Italian.”