Full Season Planned at CSUN’s New Theater

At least one part of the Cal State Northridge campus was untouched by the ’94 earthquake. At the time of the quake, construction had begun on CSUN’s new Performing Arts Center, and the contractors were able, without any problems, to complete the building on schedule.

Dave Pier, managing director of the center, came on board a year ago, and after having the the new venue equipped with state-of-the-art computerized lighting and sound equipment, was able to open the space to the public on a tentative basis in February. This fall, said Pier, the center begins its first full year of scheduled programming.

Pier describes the space as a 500-seat theater with good acoustics and good sight lines because “of the pretty good rake of the seats.”

“So you’re not looking through the back of someone’s head.”

In addition to a full lineup of programs involving music and dance, the center will present a number of purely theatrical events. Although CSUN’s theater department has used the space, and will continue to do so off and on, many of the theatrical events will be brought in from outside. The popular “El Grande de Coca Cola” recently played there, and upcoming productions include “Curiouser and Curiouser” with the National Theatre of the Deaf, and a production that was created at CSUN but will be performing at the center for the first time next month. This Vietnamese-American Cup O’ Noodles production, which has been touring the States, is called “Laughter From the Children of War.” There are also family programs in the schedule under the heading Kid’s Kollage, including Eth-Noh-Tec’s “The Asian Story Bag.”

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On Friday, the first Kid’s Kollage event takes place at the Performing Arts Center with the appearance of the rambunctious Blue Palm, the comedy, dance and theater duo Tom Crocker and Jackie Planeix. Their current show, aimed at a young audience, is a mix of fairy tales with the intriguing title “Blue Palm Startles Little Red Riding Hood, Eats Hansel ‘N’ Gretel, and Dances With Sleeping Beauty.”

The principals of Blue Palm share a common, rather special approach to entertainment. Perhaps that is because they are married and share a common background--having met as students at Mudra, an interdisciplinary performing arts school in Brussels. They then joined the company of famed French choreographer Maurice Bejart, went on a series of world tours, and began to evolve their own theatrical form.

While with Bejart, Planeix, a Parisian, acted at Paris’ La Comedie Francaise. Meanwhile, Crocker, a Californian, played drums at the Kremlin. This might give an indication of the team’s versatility.

“That’s what led us into our own projects,” Crocker said. Blue Palm actually began in Switzerland, shot off to Paris, and finally made L.A. home base.

“We really were involved in trying to mix text and movement in a way that we were happy with, particularly comedy and movement,” said Planeix, by way of explaining the evolution of their artist approach.

“We started with adult material,” Crocker said. “And if we do spend a lot of time in the children’s arena, it’s because we have a lot of youthful energy. We dedicate ourselves to intelligent play. What we like is playfulness.”

The concept for their current show is certainly playful. There are 10 versions of “Red Riding Hood,” the discovery that Gretel’s uncle is Sigmund Freud, an interpretation--with dance and boxing--of Sleeping Beauty and her Prince after their marriage. This is not the stuff of heavy drama.

Blue Palm has been described as Mike Nichols and Elaine May doing a kids’ show--adult wit with whipped cream.

* “Blue Palm Startles Little Red Riding Hood, Eats Hansel ‘N’ Gretel, and Dances With Sleeping Beauty,”Performing Arts Center, CSUN, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Friday only; 7 p.m.; $6-$8; (818) 677-2488.

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Pushing the Envelope: The third annual Artistic Directors’ Awards (ADA) were presented Monday night at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The ADAs are the annual show of appreciation for actors, directors, writers and designers from the Valley Theatre League, a consortium of live theaters in the San Fernando Valley.

In addition to a Lifetime Achievement Award to Group Repertory Theatre artistic director Lonny Chapman, which was presented by Dennis Weaver, awards were given for outstanding contributions by league members during the past year.

In the production category, eight shows were honored. Actors Alley had three recipients, “Classical Sweets,” “3 by Tenn” and “Marvin and Mel.” “Homefires,” at the Road Theatre, also received an award, along with Two Roads Theatre’s “Matty,” Actors Workout Studio’s “Prelude to a Kiss,” Theatre East’s “My Lady Vaudeville,” and a revival of “Gigi” at Woodland Hills Community Theatre.

Actors honored in various categories for leading performances were Bill Hunt in “A Man for All Seasons” at the Gene Bua Theatre, Joel Stoffer for “The Boys Next Door” at Alliance Repertory, Tamara Zook for “Dream House” at the Road Theatre, Annie Talbot in “And the Derelicts Cheered” at American Renegade Theatre, Dailey Pike in “The Drunk” at Chandler Studio, Ilene Graff in “You and Me” at Ampersand Theatre Group, and Ginger Pauley for “Gigi.”

For supporting performances, the following actors received awards: Carl Strano for Actors Alley’s “Portrait of a Madonna,” Jay Gerber for “Beau Jest” at Theatre East, Karen Davenport in “The Long Good-bye” at Actors Alley, Jacquelin Wright in “Eastern Standard” at the Gene Bua, John Beckman for “The Drunk,” and Nance Crawford for “Gigi.”

Ensemble performance awards were presented to the casts of Alliance Rep’s “The Adjustment,” Road Theatre’s “Homefires,” and Actors Workout’s “Prelude to a Kiss.”

Direction awards went to Taylor Gilbert and Ken Sawyer for “Homefires,” Pamela Hall for “Prelude to a Kiss,” and Jon Berry for “Gigi.” Alan Palmer received a choreography award for “Songs the Girls Sang” at Ovations. Both Curtis Jerome, for “Songs the Girls Sang,” and Diane Radke, for “Gigi,” received honors for musical direction.

ADAs were also presented in various categories from children’s theater and playwriting to stage managing and technical design.