Reviews & Other Press: 2009

New plays on tap at The Chance Theater
A preview of The Chance: Season 11
by Jonathan Josephson, Anaheim Hills News

January 7, 2009

After completing our first decade of challenging, award-winning theater in Orange County, we at The Chance are thrilled to announce the first season of our new decade.

The 2009 season begins with "Jesus Hates Me," a new comedy by celebrated playwright and TV writer Wayne Lemon ("Grace Under Fire," "The Torkelsons"). The play is set in a New Testament-themed miniature golf course - enough said. The production is supported by the largest grant we have ever received, a generous vote of confidence from The Lear Family Foundation.

The second production of Season 11 is a new work by a familiar name. Tony Award-inning composer Mark Hollmann ("Urinetown: The Musical") and bookwriter Jack Helbig have written a hilarious show called "The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat" - a Greek farce with a contemporary sensibility. When I saw a reading of the play last year at a new works festival, I found myself laughing off orifices I didn't know I had. Our production will be the West Coast (and professional) premiere.

The third slot of the season will be occupied by a musical we have wanted to do for many years. the original tribal rock-musical, "Hair!" If you thought our recent productions of "Evita," "Assassins," and "Sunday in the Park" with George were evocative, ambitious musicals - you ain't seen nothing yet.

The final season production of our year will be a revival of Anton Chekov's "The Seagull." No, the play is not about air-born sea-scavengers. If you feel like you've heard this play, you probably have - it's without a doubt one of seminal dramatic works of the last 200 years.

In addition to our regular season productions, The Chance will again be producing a full slate of shows during the holiday months. The Mainstage production will be the world premiere of the multimedia work "Charles Dickens Christmas Tree," created and directed by yours truly. We will also be producing the Broadway musical "The Little Women" (based on the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott, and of course, it wouldn't by the holidays at The Chance without "The Eight: Reindeer Monologues," back on our stage for the sixth straight year.

And that's just the beginning. Stay tuned for more information about guest productions, exciting concerts, and other special events that The Chance has planned for 2009.

See you at the theater.

The Chance Theater is at 5552 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim Hills. Details: 714-777-3033 or www.chancetheater.com.

Jonathan Josephson is the literary director for The Chance Theater. He can be reached at jonathan@chancetheater.com.

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New Musical by Tony Winner Mark Hollman Highlights Chance Theater's 2009 Season
by Dan Bacalzo, TheaterMania.com

January 9, 2009

Mark Hollmann

A new musical by Mark Hollman, who won a Tony Award for his score to Urinetown: the Musical, will be featured in the Chance Theater's 2009 season.

Featuring a book by Jack Helbig, The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat has music and lyrics by Hollmann, and will run April 17-May 24, with an opening on April 18. Loosely based on Menander's Dyskolos, this West Coast premiere is a wild and farcical romp through ancient Greece where Athens is struck by a drought and the only water in town is controlled by a nasty old grouch named Clemnon.

The mainstage season will also include Jesus Hates Me (January 30-March 1), written by Wayne Lemon and directed by Oanh Nguyen; Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (July 10-August 16), featuring book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot; and Anton Chekhov's The Seagull (September 25-October 25).

Chance's holiday series will include Little Women - The Broadway Musical (November 20-December 27), based on the classic novel and featuring a book by Allan Knee, music by James Howland, and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein; the world premiere of Charles Dickens' Christmas Tree (November 25-December 20), adapted and directed by Jonathan Josephson; and Jeff Goode's comedy, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (December 1-19).

For more information, visit www.chancetheater.com.

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Chance Theater announces new season
by Paul Hodgins, OCRegister.com

January 9, 2009

The Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills has just announced its 11th season. As usual, it’s a tempting mix of provocative fare (the title “Jesus Hates Me” is designed to raise eyebrows), classics (Chekhov’s “The Seagull”) and a two-choice Christmas line-up.

I’m most intrigued by the West Coast premiere of “The Girl, the Grouch and the Goat” by Mark Hollmann, one of the creative geniuses behind “Urinetown.” Chance should be proud of landing such a significant show.

And “Hair” — that seems right up Chance’s alley. (Although the nude scenes in a venue of that size might seem a little too, um, intimate).

I’m also glad to see Chance is taking a continuing interest in musicals, something this theater (and precious few others in O.C.) does well.

Here’s the season.

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Anaheim Hills theater is still taking chances
The Chance Theatre offers new programs, edgy works in its 11th season
by Rosalba Ruiz, Anaheim Hills News

January 29, 2009

Director Oanh Nguyen discusses a scene with Chance Dean and Timothy Covington while rehearsing Jesus Hates Me Photo by Joshua Sudock, Orange County Register

Even in the midst of an economic slump, leadership at The Chance Theater is not afraid to take risks.

The 11th season at this nonprofit theater consists of mainstream works such as “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical,” and edgier works that will now be presented in prime time performances. The season opens, for example, with the West Coast premiere of “Jesus Hates Me,” a dark comedy about young people looking for something to believe in.

“This play is hilarious, it’s irreverent, it has a lot to say,” says Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen.

Irreverent might not sit well with all audiences, but directors say that O.C. audiences are definitely ready for all types of plays and that’s why they decided to roll their Evolving Stage series, which featured more experimental plays, into their Main Stage program.

Chance Dean and Timothy Covington rehearse a scene from Jesus Hates Me Photo by Joshua Sudock, Orange County Register

“It’s time to do that,” said Nguyen. “It’s difficult to do in a year like this, but a lot of people have wanted it.”

MORE FOR THEIR MEMBERS
This year, The Chance will offer three new series. “Inside the Chance’s Studio”, where guests can interact with the cast and production crew, will take place the first Sunday of every month. The Special Guests Series will bring performers from around the country for limited engagements at The Chance, and the “On the Radar” Series will present stage readings.

In addition to general admission tickets, The Chance offers subscriptions — tickets at discounted rates — and sustaining memberships — monthly contributions that entitle members to unlimited admissions to all shows.

Members get treated to special events, such as The Chancies, an award ceremony where members pick the winners, and this season, new programs mean more shows for them to attend, says Casey Long, managing director.

“This theater group believes that the audience is part of the process,” he said.

Cast and crew in final preparations for the opening of Jesus Hates Me Photo by Joshua Sudock, Orange County Register

MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY
The company just hired a full-time education director who will be responsible for creating and implementing programs that provide opportunities for students to explore their creativity through theater.

It is important to keep this type of programs going even when non-profits are getting hit hard in the recession, said Long, specially when art programs are scarce in public schools.

“Now more than ever these kids need organizations like The Chance to fill the gaps, to build a bridge,” he said.

LOOKING AHEAD
Planning for a season begins a year in advance, so the 12th season is already under works. All 35 company members have a say in what shows will be produced; they also take their audience into consideration.

Because they are a small company, they are in touch with their community, they say. So, by offering what their audience wants, they manage to thrive.

“A benefit of having a small organization is the ability to take risks, which is at the very core of theater to begin with,” said Nguyen. Another way Chance will evolve is in the tools their artists use, said Nguyen. As technology changes, for example, the company will consider using other media, such as video, to tell stories. “The basic core of ‘I’m going to tell you a story, and I’m going to tell it in an interesting way’ hasn’t changed,” said Nguyen. “It all comes down to the quality of the productions. Audiences will always be interested in that. I’m very hopeful.”

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PHOTO: American Theatre Magazine
photo by Doug Catiller (True Image Studio), American Theatre Magazine

March 1, 2009

Featured on pages 83, an official press photo from the Chance's West Coast Premiere production of Jesus Hates Me.

Chance Dean, left and Dimas Diaz in Jesus Hates Me at the Chance Theater in Anaheim, CA

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New South Coast Repertory Season defies the times
by Paul Hodgins, Orange County Register

April 1, 2009

Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen

.. The season will include four world premieres, including Julie Marie Myatt's "The Happy Ones," set in Little Saigon in the 1970s, and Howard Korder's "In a Garden," a cat-and-mouse drama that involves an American architect and a Culture Minister in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. ...

Benson said "The Happy Ones" should appeal to Orange County's Vietnamese community. The Chance Theater's Oanh Nguyen is assisting with translation and other details of the staging.

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Garland's Critic's List
Back Stage West

March 13, 2009

A scene from Rabbit Hole

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

PRODUCTION: Rabbit Hole and The Brain From Planet X

DIRECTION: Oanh Nguyen, Rabbit Hole

PERFORMANCE IN A (PRIMARILY) MUSICAL PRODUCTION: Paul Kehler and David Lamoureux, Assassins

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Rabbit Hole

MUSICAL SCORE: Bruce Kimmel and David Wechter, The Brain From Planet X

MUSIC DIRECTION: Carmen Cortez Dominguez, Assassins

SCENIC DESIGN: Oanh Nguyen and Joe Pew, Assassins

LIGHTING DESIGN: K.C. Wilkerson, The Brain From Planet X

SOUND DESIGN: Mitchell Kohen, Rabbit Hole, Mitchell Kohen and Dave Mickey, The Brain From Planet X

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'Hair' raises an Anaheim Hills playhouse
The musical's success has been a triumph for the Chance Theater.
by Sarah Cole, Orange County Register

[ Link to OC Register ]

August 21, 2009

clockwise from top left: Oanh Nguyen, Erika C. Miller, Jonathan Josephson, and Casey Long photo by Mark Rightmire

The Chance Theater, founded in 1998 in Anaheim Hills, is truly a labor of love. From the plays and musicals it produces to the discussions and community events that it sponsors, the Chance has built a reputation as an edgy alternative to the light fare served by many theaters.

But the Chance is much more than merely a theatrical powerhouse; it is the epitome of theater, putting the artist first. It was founded on the same basis as art itself: the concept of the individual drives every production, whether through the artist himself or the spectator.

"It was founded as a way to allow a group of theater artists to do it on our own time and with our own aesthetic. We are a true ensemble; everybody has a decision," said Oanh Nguyen, Chance's artistic director.

The theater's greatest recent accomplishment has been its revival of "Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical," a show that explores the tumultuous events and emotions of the '60s. One of the most celebrated productions the theater has ever staged, "Hair" has brought critical acclaim and sold-out shows, and inspired the theater to add six performances.

"('Hair') was very passionate for many of our company members," said Jonathan Josephson, the company's literary director. "The timing has been amazing. … We felt lucky, and it just feels like the production is coming at the right time and is great for the times."

"Hair" established itself in the '60s as a radical show, touching upon topics such as the Vietnam War, the counter-culture revolution, drugs and sex, including a nude scene. The Chance, however, transforms "Hair" into a timeless classic, highlighting how many of the themes parallel today's issues, such as an unpopular war and discontented youth.

"By a lot of people it has been dismissed as outdated," Josephson said of the show. "But our production is the culmination of 11 years of hard work. It was one of those productions we kept applying for. The complexity of story-telling, the coloring of the set design, the acting … It represents a new standard of what we're doing. We've gained press and critical acclaim unlike any we've ever received."

photo by Mark Rightmire

But "Hair" has morphed into an even more bittersweet production because of the reactions of the audience. When Chance members mingle with the audience during and after the show, they are able to see the impact of their artistry.

"There are different ways that people step away from it," said Casey Long, the Chance's managing director. "I've listened to the older audiences who were around then and the younger ones who just heard about it. To hear the stories of their own lives in the '60s and hear discussions among the older and younger generations … it's just been really amazing. They see it and have a great time, and this experience lasts longer than the curtain call and lasts with them."

The Chance works with the city, performing at the Anaheim Farmer's Market and for veterans on the Fourth of July; it also provides workshops for Girl Scouts, as well as the program Speak Up, where Anaheim Unified High School students create and produce their own theater production.

"Whenever we get an opportunity, we try to get involved," said Long. "We're a small theater with a small budget and there are only 30-some (company members), but we do what we can."

This year is the first time since the theater's founding that it has operated in the red. In order to raise money, Chance will be holding a benefit concert featuring Tony-nominated actress Susan Egan and Georgia Stitt, the music director for "America's Got Talent." The duo will put on a production of "All Knocked Up! (again)," a comedic medley of songs, quips, and fun. Despite its financial crisis, Chance is donating a portion of the proceeds to the new theater at Anaheim Union's Kennedy High School.

But the theater's financial challenges do not detract from its hopes for the future.

"With all the success we've had with 'Hair,' we're still having the same issues as people are all across the country, especially in the arts," said Josephson. "We have the benefit concert coming up … We just really hope that people will find something in this season, and I'm just hoping they'll come out and support us."

The Chance promotes a strong company of artists, each able to influence the performance in his or her own way. In every production, the theater creates a relationship between the individual and the ensemble, forging a partnership in which everyone uses a distinct voice to create performances fueled by passion for both the art and the theater.

"It is a special collective ... It takes everyone to make the theater, and the range and depth of this theater really strike the core of people," said Nguyen.

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Best of 2008-2009
by Steven Stanley, StageSceneLA.com

[ Link to StageSceneLA.com ]

September 7, 2009

Chance Theater's cast of Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

BEST OF THE YEAR:

BEST PRODUCTION, MUSICAL:
Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

BEST DIRECTION, MUSICAL:
Oanh Nguyen: Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musica

BEST ENSEMBLE, COMEDY:
Jesus Hates Me

BEST ENSEMBLE, MUSICAL:
Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR, MUSICAL:
Armando Gutierrez: Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR, COMEDY:
Dimas Diaz: Jesus Hates Me

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL:
David Lamarr: Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT:

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY A DIRECTOR, COMEDY:
Oanh Nguyen: Jesus Hates Me

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY A LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA:
Bryan Barton: Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY A FEATURED ACTRESS, COMEDY:
Karen Webster: Jesus Hates Me

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY A FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL:
David Lamarr: The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT BY AN ENSEMBLE, DRAMA:
The Giant and The Pixie

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN LIGHTING DESIGN:
KC Wilkerson: Jesus Hates Me and Hair, The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

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Chance Theater benefit comes up short
by Paul Hodgins, OC Register

[ Link to OC Register ]

September 9, 2009

Despite the presence of Susan Egan and other big-name talent, the Chance Theater’s recent fundraiser didn’t dig the Anaheim Hills company out of trouble. The economic downturn has taken a big bite out of its resources and hampered its programming plans, and Chance was hoping to staunch the bleeding with a successful benefit concert.

”This year, we had budgeted to make half of what we made last year, and it looks like we made half of that lower projected amount,” said Casey Long, the Chance’s managing director, in an e-mail I received yesterday. ”I still consider the event a success in terms of a friend-raiser, since we recruited 11 new sustaining members.”

Then came the really bad news:

“However, to help our company reach the end of the year, we will be postponing our world premiere production of “Charles Dickens’ Christmas Tree,” which was written by our Literary Director, Jonathan Josephson. In its place we will be adding a few more performances of “Little Women” and “The Eight: Reindeer Monologues.” It’s just simply a fact that original works tend to lose money, and our company cannot afford to produce the show at this time.”

It’s always a setback when a theater company has to revert to the tried-and-true to survive — doubly so when the company is a scrappy and inventive outfit like the Chance.

Theaters like the Chance are especially vulnerable right now: in the middle of an ambitious expansion, big enough to catch the eye of critics and attract audiences, but without the survival tools, deep-pockets friends and rainy-day funds of theaters such as South Coast Rep or the Laguna Playhouse.

Now more than ever, this worthy company needs your help. The best way to show you care is by picking up the phone and ordering a ticket or two.

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Fall Arts: the best of theater
by Paul Hodgins, OC Register

[ Link to OC Register ]

September 11, 2009

Karen Webster and Dan Flapper in a scene from The Seagull

If you want to look for signs that the recession is taking a big bite out of local theaters, they're not hard to find.

South Coast Repertory has canceled its longtime second Christmas show, "La Posada Magica," shortened its main stage runs and appealed for the public's help last spring to make up for fundraising shortfalls.

Anaheim Hills' Chance Theater made some substantial cuts in resources and staffing, and this year's fundraiser fell far below expectations despite the presence of Broadway star Susan Egan.

And the Laguna Playhouse abandoned its decades-long dream of expanding and building a second stage, selling a piece of property adjacent to its aging main stage on Laguna Canyon Road that would have been perfect for a two-venue complex.

Despite all the bad news, there are still some daring and worthwhile productions being planned for 2009-10. And musical theater fans have a reason to rejoice – there are more good choices than ever, it seems, on stages in Orange County and Los Angeles.

"The Seagull"

Richard Nelson had created a new adaptation of Chekhov's first major play.

In a garden by a lake, old friends and family gather to watch the newest theatrical creation of Konstantin, the son of a celebrated actress past her prime. Little does anyone in attendance know that the events of this evening have consequences that will change their lives forever.

As the Chance gains confidence it delves ever deeper into theater's classics.

Where: Chance Theater, Anaheim Hills
When: Sept. 25-Oct. 25
Tickets: $22-$35
Call: 714-777-3033
Online: chancetheater.com

Click here to see the best in local theater for 2009-10

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2009 Best of OC: Live Theater Group & Best Friendly Business in Anaheim
by OC Register

[ Link to OC Register ]

September 18, 2009

Cast of HAIR

BEST LIVE THEATER GROUP
1. SOUTH COAST REPERTORY

2. CHANCE THEATER
5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills
714-777-3033 chancetheater.com

• Started in 1999 with "Wasted Wishes."
• Works with youth educational programs and community outreach efforts.
• First gained national recognition with the world premiere of Robert Preston Jones' "The Stroop Report" about an uprising by the Warsaw Ghetto during in World War II.
• Years in Orange County: 10

Claim to fame: "What I love about the Chance, and what I found our performers like best, is the true dedication to the artist. It really puts the actors, the directors, the designers, the individuals at the forefront for a high artistic end result." – Jonathan Josephson, literary director

Inside scoop: "As the literary director, I enjoy the collaborative effort. You have the support and resources of 20, 30 people and their perspective and vision and love and caring for the show to come out as best as it possibly can." – Jonathan Josephson

Fan favorite: "I think they're doing a wonderful job. They are very creative, they have wonderful programming, great variety." Gabriella Rollins, Yorba Linda Arts Alliance director

Fun fact: The summer's production of "Hair" was poised to be the No. 1 show in the Chance Theater's history.

3. LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE

BEST FRIENDLY BUSINESS
ANAHEIM: THE CHANCE THEATER

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Chance Theater's Artistic Director Helms Shows at SCR and East West Players
by Broadway World

[ Link to Broadway World ]

September 18, 2009

Chance Theater's Founding Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen is working on two projects at major regional theater companies photo by Mark Rightmire

The Chance Theater's Founding Artistic Director, Oanh Nguyen, will be the director and associate director of two major premieres at two very highly regarded regional theatres.

Nguyen will serve as the Associate Director for the world premiere of Julie Marie Myatt's The Happy Ones at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa September 27 - October 18, 2009, and will direct the west coast premiere of Kenneth Lin's Po Boy Tango November 5 - December 6, 2009 at East West Players in Los Angeles.

"These productions are a great opportunity for me to get to work with new artists and explore new ways of making theater. I would not have these opportunities if it wasn't for the strength of the Resident Company at the Chance as well as our amazing full-time staff," said Nguyen.

Earlier this year, Nguyen directed acclaimed productions of Wayne Lemon's Jesus Hates Me and Tony Award-winner Mark Hollmann's new musical The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat and a critically-acclaimed staging of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at the Chance as well as staged readings of Year One at East West Players and The Happy Ones at SCR. He also served as assistant director for An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf at The Laguna Playhouse.

"We are very pleased to have Oanh working on our production of Julie Marie Myatt's The Happy Ones, which is an SCR commission and world premiere," says SCR Artistic Director Martin Benson. "When we decided to do a rehearsed workshop production for our New Scripts program, we thought of Oanh because of his background as the son of Vietnamese parents and his knowledge of that culture and because of the excellence of his work on two Chance Theater productions I had seen. The workshop proved very successful and we decided to produce the play in our regular season."

"I took on the assignment of directing the full production but Oanh's contribution on the reading had proved invaluable," adds Benson. "So, we created the position (never before used at SCR) of Associate Director. The relationship has proved very successful and Oanh has participated in all aspects of developing the play and the production with me, from casting to design to helping refine the script itself. Much of what will appear onstage is based on Oanh's contributions. Based on this, we have also asked him to direct a reading of Adeline Yen Ma's Falling Leaves, which will be presented as part of the Carnegie Hall-China festival."

"Oanh Nguyen is one of the up and coming directors on the American theatre scene, so we're thrilled to have Oanh Nguyen directing Po Boy Tango as part of the East West Players 44th Anniversary Season," says Artistic Director Tim Wang.

"I first met Oanh at the National Asian American Theater conference held in Los Angeles at East West Players," recalls Wang. "When I heard he was the artistic director of the Chance Theater, which was doing incredible work and capturing great headlines in the press in this very competitive market, it made me wonder how EWP could utilize his talent, particularly with him being Asian American. As an Asian American artistic director, Oanh possesses not only the vision for a stellar production but the sensitivity required when dealing with cultural references. And with EWP's audience being 60% Asian, the latter part weighs heavily on the 'truth' of a production. While he possesses the ability to direct any show of the world theatre canon, it is his unique perspective as an Asian American director that sets him apart from the rest of the pack."

Performance & Ticket Information
September 27 - October 18, 2009
South Coast Repertory, Julianne Argyros Stage
World Premiere
The Happy Ones
By Julie Marie Myatt
Directed by Martin Benson
Associate Directed by Oanh Nguyen

Orange County, California, 1975. For Walter Wells, it's the happiest place on earth. He has a beautiful wife. Two great kids. A house with a pool. Contentment. Until fate strikes a devastating blow, leaving Walter with no reason to put the pieces of his life back together. He resists attempts to help, especially the unexpected-and unwanted-offer from a Vietnamese refugee named Bao Ngo, who bears his own sadness. Then, across a cultural divide, Walter and Bao find a game to share, a song, a meal and then a way back in this uplifting-and surprisingly funny-new play by a rising star in American theatre.

Tickets: $20-$65
www.scr.org

November 5 - December 6, 2009
East West Players at the David Henry Hwang Stage
West Coast Premiere
Po Boy Tango
By Kenneth Lin
Directed by Oanh Nguyen

Shark Fin Soup. Drunken Crab. Black Feather Chicken. Po Mama's Chinese cuisine evokes the joy of cooking and her son, Richie Po has the palette to prove it. When Po Mama dies and passes her secrets onto him, he reunites wit Gloria B, a "Soul Food" chef in the making. Together they use Po Mama's TV cooking tapes to discover a deeper understanding of food, culture and the recipe for friendship.

Tickets: $12-$35
www.eastwestplayers.org

More about Oanh Nguyen
Oanh co-founded the Chance Theater in 1999, where he is currently Artistic Director. He was awarded the Outstanding Artist Award by Arts Orange County and is a recipient of the TCG Nathan Cummings Young Leaders of Color fellowship. Oanh is on the board of Network of Ensemble Theaters and a proud member of SSDC, SAG and AFTRA. Nguyen recently directed a staged reading of The Happy Ones by Julie Marie Myatt at South Coast Repertory and will be the associate director of the world premiere at SCR this fall. He also directed the staged reading of Year Zero by Michael Golamco at East West Players. Oanh recently served as the assistant director of An Empty Plate in the Café du Boeuf at Laguna Playhouse, and directed the professional premiere of The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat by Tony Award-winner Mark Hollmann for the Chance. Other directing credits include: Three Days of Rain (O.C. Register's Top Ten of 2002 and Best Directors of 2002), Bash, Lee Miller: The Angel and The Fiend (commissioned by the Getty Museum), Goodnight Children Everywhere (Nominated for 6 O.C. Weekly Awards, including Best Production and Best Director), Tape, Closer Than Ever (L.A. Times Critic's Choice), Porcelain (2006 GLAAD Media Award Nomination - Outstanding L.A. Production, Back Stage Critic's Pick, O.C. Register's Top Ten of 2005, Nominated for 3 O.C. Weekly Awards, including Best Production and Best Director), Cabaret (Back Stage Critic's Pick), Into The Woods (Back Stage Critic's Pick), The Laramie Project, Jesus Hates Me, Inventing Van Gogh, Frozen, The Last Five Years, Sunday in the Park with George, Assassins, and Rabbit Hole (Back Stage Critic's Pick).

About The Chance Theater
Founded in 1999, the Chance Theater is proud to be one of the leading ensemble-based theatre companies in Southern California. The Chance was voted "Best Theater Group" by MyFoxLA and "Best Small Theater" by Orange Coast Magazine, was a recipient of the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's (LADCC) Polly Warfield Award for Excellence, and received a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Los Angeles Theater. A vital component of the Chance Theater's mission has always been to intimately present personally meaningful, uniquely engaging stories that promote dialogue within our community and provide a visceral experience for theatergoers. As a constituent member of Theater Communications Group (TCG), Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), and the Los Angeles Stage Alliance (LASA), the Chance continues to bring national attention to Southern California theater.

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Arts Orange County's Arts Awards
by Donna Bruce, Orange County Register

[ Link to OC Register ]

September 30, 2009

Chance Theater Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen is presented the "Outstanding Arts Organization" award by David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director of SCR photo by Arts OC

Attending Arts Orange County's annual Arts Awards honoring the artists, arts organizations and arts philanthropists for their extraordinary contributions to the community is always a heartwarming affair. This year, rather than being held at a hotel, a different approach was taken, which featured a hosted dinner for 112 guests at Leatherby's Café Rouge at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for the event's honorees and underwriters, while the awards presentation and extraordinary live entertainment for 350 guests was held in a cabaret setting at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Samueli Theater. From this attendee's perspective, it worked extremely well and hopefully will become a tradition. ...

The Outstanding Arts Organization was presented to The Chance Theater, celebrating its 10th anniversary, and presented by David Emmes, co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of the renowned South Coast Repertory Theatre. The Anaheim-based theater "produces a wide range of works – from edgy plays to musical revivals to works for family audiences – and operates a youth program that has attracted significant support," Emmes said of the little theater that could. Accepting was Chance Theater's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen.

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Chance Theater Presents Two Theatrical Treats for the Hoidays; One Naughty and One Nice
by BroadwayWorld.com

[ Link to BroadwayWorld.com ]

September 30, 2009

Resident Company Member Alex Bueno as Comet in Chance's 2008 production of The Eight: Reindeer Monologues photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

The Chance Theater made its Christmas list and checked it twice, so get ready for something naughty and something nice when the Chance presents a pair of holiday-themed plays beginning November 20 and running through December 27.

Up first is Little Women: The Broadway Musical, a tune-filled adaptation of the classic novel that's suitable for all ages. Returning for its 6th annual production is The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, an outrageous adult look at life as one of Santa's reindeer after an outrageous controversy breaks out at the North Pole.

"Little Women is the Tony nominated musical that is the second play in our series of family literature offerings that will be performed during the holidays," explains Chance Theater managing director Casey Long, who will also be directing the show. "Our audiences really enjoyed our staging of Anne of Green Gables for the past two years, and we're looking forward to offering another classic tale that will be perfect for the entire family during the holiday season."

"I'm also happy to bring back an audience favorite, The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, for its 6th annual production," adds Long, who also performs in the play each year. "It's a funny, in-your-face adult show, and one that is proving to be a popular perennial holiday play."

November 20 - December 27
LITTLE WOMEN: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Based on the book by Louisa May Alcott
Book by Allan Knee
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein
Directed by Casey Long
Associate Directed by Tanae Beyer
Musical Direction by Mike Wilkins
Choreographed by Jessie McLean

Six generations have read the story...this one will sing it!
Fans of Chance productions of Anne of Green Gables will fall in love with Little Women: The Musical. The play follows the saga of the four March sisters and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Massachusetts while the father is serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War.

Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
Saturday matinees at 3 pm
Sundays at 2 pm & 7 pm (Nov. 22 at 5 pm)
Thursdays Dec. 3, 10 & 17 at 8 pm

Tickets: $22 - $35

December 1 - 19
THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES
Written by Jeff Goode
Directed by Oanh Nguyen

A Chance un-holiday tradition is back for its 6th year! Our favorite team of reindeer still have plenty to say. Accusations, rumors and all-out attacks are flying fast and furious around Santa's toyshop this holiday season. Go behind the tinsel and hear the truth about Santa straight from the eight reindeer who know him best. When a doe says "No", she means "No Way, Sucka!"

Performances:
Fridays & Saturdays at 11 pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 8 pm

Tickets: $20 - $30

TICKET INFORMATION (714) 777-3033
www.chancetheater.org

Theatre Address
5552 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

ABOUT THE CHANCE THEATER
Recently named "Outstanding Arts Organization" for the second time by Arts Orange County, the Chance is proud to be wrapping up its Mainstage Series of Season 11 as one of the leading ensemble based theatre companies in Southern California. Voted "Best Theater Group" by MyFoxLA for two years in a row and "Best Small Theater" by Orange Coast Magazine, and a recipient of the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's (LADCC) Polly Warfield Award for Excellence, a vital component of the Chance Theater's mission has always been to intimately present personally meaningful, uniquely engaging stories that promote dialogue within our community and provide a visceral experience for theatergoers. As a constituent member of Theater Communications Group (TCG), Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), and the Los Angeles Stage Alliance (LASA), the Chance continues to bring national attention to Southern California theater through its recent achievements, which include a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Los Angeles Theater.

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BEST OF 2009: Best Theater Programming
by OC Weekly

[ Link to OC Weeky ]

October 9, 2009

Resident Company Members Chance Dean and Jennifer Ruckman in a scene from 2009 Season opener, Jesus Hates Me photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

The Chance Theater's 2009 season began with a show called Jesus Hates Me, set at the Blood of the Lamb miniature-golf course, and it'll end with the perennial alternative-Christmas show The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. In between, there was the premiere of a new musical, a revival of that evergreen hippie spectacle Hair and a production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. That's variety, folks, and it's the scope of the Chance's programming that has helped elevate this Anaheim Hills company into the vanguard of Orange County's storefront-theater scene. Whether tackling highly complicated musicals such as the Stephen Sondheim magnum opus Sunday In the Park With George, staging intense contemporary plays such as David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole, or working with Holocaust survivors and students at a New York City high school near Ground Zero, you can always count on the Chance to mix it up.

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2008-2009 Ovation Award Nominees
by David Ng, Los Angeles Times

[ Link to LA Times ]

October 19, 2009

The acting ensemble of HAIR, which received five Ovation Award nominations, including Best Musical photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

Recognizing excellence in Los Angeles-area theater, the L.A. Stage Alliance announced its Ovation Award nominations for the 2008-09 season this evening.

In all, there are a total of 186 nominations for 66 productions presented by 48 companies, according to the L.A. Stage Alliance.

The Ovations, which were first held in 1989, are voted on by L.A. theater professionals who are selected each season by the Ovation Awards Review Committee through an application process.

This year marks the debut of a new category: best season, which recognizes companies that have produced shows of consistently high quality throughout the voting season of Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. The nominees for this category are the Fountain Theatre, the Geffen Playhouse, the Rubicon Theatre Company, the Chance Theater and the Troubadour Theater Company. The Ovation Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place Jan. 11 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Chance Theater was nominated in the following categories:

BEST SEASON

The Chance Theater
Fountain Theatre
Geffen Playhouse
Rubicon Theatre Company
Troubadour Theater Company

PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL - INTIMATE THEATER

HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
The Chance Theater

Divorce! The Musical
Split Up Productions

Joe’s Garage
Open Fist Theatre Company

Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical
Havok Theatre Company

Life Could Be a Dream
David Elzer Production

DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Oanh Nguyen
HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
The Chance Theater

Matt Walker
Alice in One Hit Wonderland 2: Through the Looking Glass
Troubadour Theater Company

Matt Walker
As U2 Like It
Troubadour Theater Company

Rick Sparks
Divorce! The Musical
Split Up Productions

Nick DeGruccio
Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical
Havok Theatre Company

Jeffrey Polk
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
El Portal Theatre

Jon Lawrence Rivera
The Last Five Years
East West Players

CHOREOGRAPHER

Kelly Todd
HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
The Chance Theater

Jon Engstrom
42nd Street
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Nadine Ellis, Ameenah Kaplan & Christine Lakin
Alice in One Hit Wonderland 2: Through the Looking Glass
Troubadour Theater Company

Ameenah Kaplan
Altar Boyz
Celebration Theatre

Christine Lakin
As U2 Like It
Troubadour Theater Company

Ken Roht
Ken Roht’s Calendar Girl Competition
Bootleg Theater

Lee Martino
Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical
Havok Theatre Company

COSTUME DESIGN - INTIMATE THEATRE

Erika C. Miller
HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
The Chance Theater

Jeffrey Schoenberg
Bach at Leipzig
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

Martine Granby
Joe’s Garage
Open Fist Theatre Company

Ann Closs-Farley
Ken Roht’s Calendar Girl Competition
Bootleg Theater

Ann Closs-Farley
Land of the Tigers
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

A. Jeffrey Schoenberg
Light Up The Sky
Open Fist Theatre Company

Catherine Glover
Who Lives?
Renal Support Network

SCENIC DESIGN - INTIMATE THEATRE

Christopher Scott Murillo
HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
The Chance Theater

Jeff McLaughlin
A Skull in Connemara
Theatre Tribe

Desma Murphy
Dracula
NoHo Arts Center Ensemble

Leonard Ogden
Eternal Equinox
Grove Theater Center

David Harwell
Rantoul And Die
Elephant Stageworks

John Iacovelli
Stick Fly
The Matrix Theatre Company

Will Pellegrini
Who Lives?
Renal Support Network

Click here for a complete list of nominees.

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Chance Theater Receives 6 Ovation Nods; HAIR Celebrated
by Broadway World

[ Link to Broadway World ]

October 23, 2009

The acting ensemble of HAIR, which received five Ovation Award nominations, including Best Musical photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

The Chance Theater has received six 2009 Ovation Award nominations from Los Angeles Stage Alliance: five nominations for HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, and one nomination for Best Season, a new category whose other nominees include Geffen Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre Company, Troubadour Theater Company, and Fountain Theatre. They are the only theater from Orange Country to receive recognition by the awards committee.

The five nominations for HAIR include Production of a Musical (Intimate Theatre), Direction of a Musical (Oanh Nguyen), Choreography (Kelly Todd), Costume Design (Erika C. Miller), and Scenic Design (Christopher Scott Murillo).

"These six nominations are quite meaningful to us," said Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen. "They are a firm recognition of not just the work that we put onstage during the 2008/2009 season, but a culmination of the work the Chance has been doing for eleven years. This is the first season that we were eligible for Ovation Awards and we could not be more humbled and honored by the response from our professional peers."

"The Chance is the only OC theater nominated for an Ovation Award this year," notes Managing Director Casey Long. "And to be nominated in The category of Best Season - an award that spans the numerous eligible theatres ranging in budget size from our small organization to theatres 20 times our size - is especially gratifying. It's a testament to our tireless and talented resident ensemble, brilliant artists, and our entire family of supporters."

The Ovation Awards were established in 1989 to celebrate artistic excellence in theatre production, design and performance, and to bring attention to the Greater L.A. theatre community on a local, state and national level. The Ovation Awards are distinct from other Los Angeles theatre awards, and virtually all other theatre awards in the United States, by being 100% peer-judged by active theatre professionals in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Ovation Awards season runs from Sept 1 to Aug 31 each year, and culminates in a black-tie awards ceremony to be held on January 11, 2010 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, home of the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. The curtain will go up at 7:30pm. More info on the ceremony can be found at www.LAStageBlog.com/ovation-awards.

Recently named "Outstanding Arts Organization" for the second time in five years by Arts Orange County, the Chance is proud to be one of the leading ensemble based theatre companies in Southern California. Voted "Best Theater Group" by MyFoxLA for two years in a row and "Best Small Theater" by Orange Coast Magazine, the Chance is a recipient of the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's (LADCC) Polly Warfield Award for Excellence. Founded in 1999, the Chance Theater's mission has always been to intimately present personally meaningful, uniquely engaging stories that promote dialogue within our community and provide a visceral experience for theatergoers. As a constituent member of Theater Communications Group (TCG), Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), and the Los Angeles Stage Alliance (LASA), the Chance continues to bring national attention to the Southern California and Orange County theater scene through its recent achievements, which include a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Los Angeles Theater and six 2009 Ovation Award nominations.

For more information visit chancetheater.com

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Chance Theater Announces Its 2010 Season
by Janet Thielke, LA STAGE BLOG

[ Link to LA Stage Blog ]

November 10, 2009

A scene from the Chance's production of The Seagull photo by Doug Catiller, True Image Studio

Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen and Managing Director Casey Long are pleased to announce Chance Theater’s 2010 Season.

The four-play Mainstage Series and two-play Holiday Series comprise the award-winning intimate theater’s 12th year of presenting dynamic theatrical productions in Orange County. The season includes exciting premieres, Tony Award-winning musicals and dramas, and the third installment of Chance Theater’s family literature series.

Launching the Mainstage series is Stephen Sondheim’s musical Merrily We Roll Along (January 29 - March 7), followed by the Southern California premiere of Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter by Julie Marie Myatt (April 16 - May 16). Our TBA Broadway Musical (which will be officially announced on March 1, 2010) runs July 2 - August 8, while the Orange County premiere of Edward Albee’s Tony Award-winning play The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? will close the Mainstage series (September 24 - October 24).

The Holiday series consists of the Chance favorite The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (seventh anniversary production) and a musical version of The Secret Garden (third installment of the Chance Theater’s literature series).

“I think this season is one of the most exciting in our 12-year history,” says Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen. “The Orange County premiere of Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, two intimate stagings of award-winning Broadway musicals, and the Southern California premiere of one of Julie Marie Myatt’s newest show - Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter - make for an exhilarating and diverse line-up that audiences have come to expect from the Chance.”

Nguyen recently worked with Myatt on the staged reading and fully staged productions of The Happy Ones at South Coast Repertory, and it was through this working relationship that Myatt decided to grant the Jenny Sutter rights to the Chance. “I really enjoyed collaborating with Julie on Happy Ones, and our entire company is excited about tackling a fresh script from one of the country’s hottest new playwrights, and one that is so relevant in today’s tumultuous culture,” noted Nguyen.

These six productions are just the start of the expansive list of events that will be produced by the theater’s six person-staff, 30-member resident company of artists, and core group of volunteers.

“We have plans to bring in new performers for our guest artist series, another benefit concert, as well as many other special events,” says Managing Director Casey Long. “More information will be posted on our website throughout the year.” Tickets & Contact Info

Single ticket prices range from $22-45. Season subscriptions are also available. Visit the website for details at www.chancetheater.com.

The Chance Theater
5552 E. La Palma Ave
Anaheim Hills, CA 92807
www.chancetheater.com

Box Office: (714) 777-3033

About The Chance Theater
Recently nominated for six Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards (including Best Season), and named “Outstanding Arts Organization” for the second time in five years by Arts Orange County, the Chance is proud to be one of the leading ensemble based theatre companies in Southern California. Voted “Best Theater Group” by MyFoxLA for two years in a row and “Best Small Theater” by Orange Coast Magazine, the Chance is a recipient of the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s (LADCC) Polly Warfield Award for Excellence. Founded in 1999, the Chance Theater’s mission has always been to intimately present personally meaningful, uniquely engaging stories that promote dialogue within our community and provide a visceral experience for theatergoers. As a constituent member of Theater Communications Group (TCG), Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), and the Los Angeles Stage Alliance (LASA), the Chance continues to bring national attention to the Southern California and Orange County theater scene through its recent achievements, which includes a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Los Angeles Theater.

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South Coast Rep to host a small guest production for first time
by Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times

[ Link to Los Angeles Times ]

December 3, 2009

The entrance to South Coast Repertory, who will be hosting the Chance's production of Jesus Hates Me in February 2010

For the first time, at least since its long-ago scuffling days when it would sometimes take on boarders to help pay the rent at its old quarters in a converted discount store, South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa is opening its house to an outside production by another Orange County theater.

The Chance Theater, a small company in Anaheim Hills, will bring its staging of "Jesus Hates Me," an offbeat comedy-drama mix by Wayne Lemon, to SCR's 99-seat Nicholas Studio for six performances over two weekends, Feb. 26-28 and March 5-7, 2010.

David Emmes, South Coast's producing artistic director, sees the run as a "pilot project" that could lead to further imports of shows mounted by the county's small theaters.

It's "an alternative effort," aimed at helping the local small-theater scene and providing a venue for "works that fall outside the range of our normal presentations," Emmes said. "It's broadening opportunities for adventurous theatergoers to get a taste of something different."

The Chance produced the West Coast premiere of "Jesus Hates Me" early this year, winning plaudits from Times reviewer David C. Nichols. The show's seriocomic portrayal of a young man's search for independence and self-knowledge is set at the Blood of the Lamb Miniature Golf Course in south central Texas, where a crucified Jesus hangs above the 17th hole.

The "irreverent dramedy about the search for meaning may offend as often as it convulses, but it's certainly vivid," Nichols wrote, praising the "detailed direction" of Chance artistic director Oanh Nguyen, the "superbly evocative set," "an impressive design effort...and the wonderful cast" that enacted a story that "is both wildly inappropriate and keenly idiomatic." The overall effect, he wrote, was like "a putting match between Del Shores and Larry McMurtry refereed by Ricky Gervais."

The same cast, crew and director will re-stage the play at South Coast.

The Chance's path intersected with SCR's during the initial run of "Jesus Hates Me," when Nguyen took on another assignment: directing a staged reading of Julie Marie Myatt's "The Happy Ones" at South Coast. When SCR went on to produce the Myatt drama's recent premiere, Nguyen returned as assistant director to South Coast Repertory's artistic director, Martin Benson. Last month, Nguyen again directed at SCR, overseeing a staged reading of Adeline Yen Mah's "Falling Leaves."

Nguyen arrived in Orange County as a toddler in 1975 after his family, headed by an officer in the South Vietnamese navy, barely escaped during the fall of Saigon. He founded the Chance in 1999 with a group of friends. The theater's wide-ranging approach has encompassed Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, musicals both familiar and little-seen, and an assortment of contemporary plays, new works and classics.

For the remounting of "Jesus Hates Me," South Coast Repertory is providing the Nicholas Studio rent-free, Emmes said, and all box office proceeds will go to the Chance, except for what's expected to be a small amount to cover any costs South Coast incurs.

If the experiment turns into a series, Emmes said, South Coast will play the host but not become involved as a co-producer, because that would bring its contract with Actors' Equity into play, leading to much higher production costs. The 99-seat plan under which members of the stage actors' union are allowed to perform in small Los Angeles theaters for wages far below union scale -- on the supposition that exposure in the entertainment mecca can lead to well-paid gigs -- does not apply in Orange County. Consequently, productions at such well-established small companies as the Chance and Fullerton's Hunger Artists Theatre Company, Stagestheatre and Maverick Theater are typically off-limits to Equity members.

In Los Angeles, Center Theatre Group has partnered on mainstage productions with smaller companies such as North Hollywood's Deaf West Theatre and the Robey Theatre Company, and the Pasadena Playhouse has provided a home for the Furious Theatre Company at its Carrie Hamilton Theatre. Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company has a Visiting Company Initiative that invites other Chicago theaters to use its performance spaces. Emmes said examples like those helped prompt SCR's experiment.

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Ovation Nominee Profile: Christopher Scott Murillo
by Doug Clayton, LA STAGE BLOG

[ Link to LA STAGE BLOG ]

December 9, 2009

Ovation Award nominee, and Chance Resident Company Member, Christopher Scott Murillo

Christopher Scott Murillo is a 2008/2009 Ovation Award Nominee for Scenic Design - Intimate Theatre for his work in HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at The Chance Theater.

As an Ovation Award Nominee, LA Stage asked Christopher the following questions:

What was the moment that first inspired you to pursue working in the theatre?

Thinking back, the moment that eventually inspired me to pursue a career in theatre was as a young child seeing plays and musicals with my family. I was always intrigued by how artists could create so many different atmospheres and evoke so many emotions in a theatrical space. It wasn’t until I went to college that I decided to seriously pursue a career in theatre- which, it is a decision I will never regret.

What do you feel made the production you were nominated for particularly successful, either overall or for you specifically?
The success of “HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” was the result of many many hours of hard work and collaboration. The thing that probably made it most successful were the cooperation and complete collaboration among not only the actors, but by all of the creative staff. Of course, having a very clear artistic vision from our director, Oanh Nguyen helped to make this piece “in tune” on all levels. It is by far, a stand out in my career (being that I am a very young designer).

What project or projects are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on an upcoming production of “Merrily We Roll Along” by Stephen Sondheim opening at the Chance Theater in Anaheim HIlls in late January 2010. I am the set designer on this production.

What do you love most about theatre in Los Angeles?
Theatre in Los Angeles is great because there is a huge variety of theatre on many levels- Los Angeles, as a major city, offers many different cultural collaborations for Theater as well as the traditional Broadway style shows, touring productions, opera, etc. The opportunities to see and be exposed to a wide variety of theatre is a wonderful resource to have- a resource that helps me grow as an artist and designer.

What’s your dream project?
My dream project would be to design a set for a Cirque du Soleil show. I admire the wide variety of creativity and talent that goes into their productions. They truly utilize the power of the imagination and suspension of disbelief to create artistically beautiful and impressive productions. Their work is a true collaboration of all of the arts on stage.

Biography:
Christopher Scott Murillo is a graduate from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (2007). Over the course of his career, he has designed sets, costumes and props for a wide variety of theatrical productions. He is a resident designer with the Chance Theater Company in Anaheim Hills, Ca. Since graduating from UCLA, he has worked with many southern California theater companies, including, Long Beach Opera, The Chance Theater, East West Players, UCLA Opera, The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, and Opera Pacific. His work was also been featured at the Las Floristas Charity Ball held at the Beverly Hills Hotel this past May, which raised funds for the Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center. This past year he was awarded a Chancie Award for Best Scenic Design (Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol) for the Chance Theater 2008 Season. He is currently looking to pursue a Masters Degree in Theater. This will be Christopher’s first Ovation Nomination and is humbled and honored to be nominated- Thank you LA Stage Alliance. He would also like to thank everyone who experienced Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at The Chance Theater this past summer. Lastly, he would like to thank his family, friends, and fellow theatrical colleagues for their continued support.

For a full list of Ovation nominees, or for information about the Ovation Awards Ceremony on January 11th, click here!

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OC Theatre 101: The best of 2009
by Jordan R. Young, Examiner.com

[ Link to Examiner.com ]

December 27, 2009

Amber J. Snead (front) is named one of the Best Supporting Actresses of 2009 for her performance in Hair

Try as I might, I was unable to see every stage production in Orange County this year. However, I did manage to take in more than 50 shows in OC, including dance theatre—not to mention some 17 in LA and a handful in New York and Chicago. Not too surprisingly, it’s been nearly a year since I set foot in a cineplex to see a current film release; from what I’ve heard, I haven’t missed much.

OC theatre has come a long way in the past decade, with some exceptional work being done in small storefront venues. It’s worth remembering that Laguna Playhouse was born in a living room, and South Coast Rep set up shop in a converted hardware store long before anyone dreamed of national recognition.

REVIVAL
Hair, Chance Theater

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amber J. Snead, Hair, Chance Theater

SUPPORTING ACTOR
David LaMarr, Hair, Chance Theater

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2009 in theater and dance: the good, the bad, the ugly
by Paul Hodgins, Orange County Register

[ Link to OCRegister.com ]

December 31, 2009

Our August production of Hair was called "arguably the best musical in O.C. this year" by Paul Hodgins

I hate Top Ten lists, don’t you? They have such a sense of dull, dutiful obligation about them.

And I’m a wimp when it comes to making hard decisions, thereby leaving out lots of worthy shows and performances. Those sad early-January phone calls and e-mails from the Neglected Ones are too much. Don’t make me choose!

As I’ve done in recent years, I’m going to mix it up a bit and get all random on you. I’ll attack 2009 month by glorious month:

August was also the month when Chance Theater’s lively and heartfelt production of “Hair” opened — arguably the best musical in O.C. this year.

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