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  • ART AND LIT
    • ART
    • LITERATURE
      • POETRY
        • ROOTED IN POETRY
      • FICTION
        • SHORT STORIES
        • THE RED SEDAN by CHANCE MOON
      • BOOK REVIEWS
    • MUSIC
      • LAKE COUNTY MUSIC GUIDE
      • LOCAL MUSICIANS
    • THEATER
  • FOOD AND DRINK
    • RESTAURANTS AND BARS
    • WINERIES
  • HISTORY
    • LAKE COUNTY HISTORY by GENE PALENO
    • LAKE COUNTY TIME MACHINE
    • LOCAL HISTORY
  • COLUMNS
    • HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
    • EDITORIALS
    • THE NEIGHBOR YOU NEVER KNEW
    • COMMUNITY NEWS
    • ROOTED IN POETRY
    • STRESSLESS CAMPING
    • WITTER SPRINGS CHRONICLES by GENE PALENO
    • WINDOW ON LAKE COUNTY
    • FEATURED LAKE COUNTY BUSINESSES
    • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
    • OBITUARIES
  • CALENDARS
    • THE BIG CALENDAR
    • THE PARTY CALENDAR
  • PRESS RELEASES
BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
December 17, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

Backstage Lake County: Holiday Theatre is Happening!

Hello theatre fans! Boy, have I missed having theatrical events in the county to share with you. They have been too few and far between. But, things are looking up. The theatre company I belong to will be presenting A Virtual Christmas Carol and that is the topic of this month’s column. And, the book club over at Minnie Cannon Elementary has been working on a radio adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I hope to bring you more information about that in my January column. In the meantime, should you hear of any group or individual in the county that is finding a way to present creative endeavors, I urge you to give them my email address so that I may shine a spotlight on their productions right here in this column. I can be reached at StageStruq@mchsi.com
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
July 23, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

Backstage Lake County: Shakespeare at the Lake is Back!

Shakespeare at the Lake is back! The joint venture between Mendocino College and the Lake County Theatre Company will be moving forward with their 5th season though not in the same manner as originally envisioned. This year’s production, Romeo & Juliet, will be presented online. Normally, Shakespeare at the Lake takes place at Library Park in Lakeport and Austin Park in Clearlake with beautiful Clear Lake as the back drop. However, nothing about 2020 has been normal. Theatres all over the world have gone dark due to COVID-19. Many theatres may never reopen. But, for one director, postponing was not an option.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
June 8, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

Backstage Lake County: Local Schools Face Massive Budget Shortfall – Act Now to Create Change

There’s a lot going on in the world right now so it’s easy to miss important things going on in our own backyards. Our own 2020-2021 School Budgets, for example. Right now, there is a lot of speculation about what the next school year will look like in the COVID-19 era. Parents are worried about their kids having to wear masks all day. Will the kids be able to attend full-time or will they partake in distant learning? And, if they don’t go to school every day, who’s going to watch them and how will parents be able to pay for that? Good questions all. What’s not getting much attention, though, are the budget shortfalls due to COVID-19. We went into COVID-19 with a state budget surplus in California. Now, just a few short months later, we are facing a deficit. There were some great things that were in the original budget, now the state has cut many planned healthcare expansions and slashed funding for schools. The timing could not be worse. The Middletown Unified School District alone is being asked to find ways to cut over one million dollars from an already sparse budget. They are contemplating doing away with bus services for all except Special Ed for an estimated savings of $427,000. They are seriously considering cutting athletics, drama, choir, and band. All of these choices, by the way, would result in loss of jobs. And, there are long term consequences to making these cuts that go well beyond just this year.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
April 8, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

Backstage Lake County: 70 Ways to Keep the Family Entertained on Your Staycation

Normally, this column is all about theatre, but it’s a little hard to do that when all the schools and local theatre groups have had to cancel or postpone their productions. I could write about the heartache and logistical issues that come with postponing a show. However, between all the fires, and PSPSs, and now sheltering in place, I think we’ve had enough bad news and negativity to last us a while. So, this month’s column will focus on ways to keep ourselves and our families engaged and entertained. After all, isn’t that what theatre is all about?
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
March 3, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

Backstage Lake County

When I was asked to write this theatre column I worried that I would struggle to find things to write about. I have since come to realize that theatre is happening everywhere, you just have to know where to look. Case in point, the Clearlake Highschool (CLHS) Drama Club.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
February 12, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

BACKSTAGE LAKE COUNTY: ALICE IN PANTOLAND

Finding a venue for a theatre company without a home can be challenging. As can trying to bring theatre to all while based in a county with a lake set right in the middle of it. Such are the challenges that face the Lake County Theatre Company (LCTC). The company tries to bridge the gap by staging its shows at venues for rent in Lakeport and in Clearlake. Last year, a collaboration between LCTC and Mendocino College Lake Center brought Shakespeare at the Lake to Clearlake.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
January 8, 2020  |  By Charise Reynolds

BACKSTAGE LAKE COUNTY

As a parent and a performer, I was very excited last year when I learned that someone was putting on a children’s theatre camp in Hidden Valley. I’m always looking for things to keep my child occupied over the summer break and what could be better than sharing my passion with him, and so close to home! That someone turned out to be Stepheny Moore Johnson.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
December 11, 2019  |  By Charise Reynolds

LAKE COUNTY PREPARES FOR THE NUTCRACKER

Every year I say that I am going to take my son to Santa Rosa or to San Francisco to see the Nutcracker.  And, every year something else comes up that makes it impractical or inconvenient to make the drive.  Well, I’m happy to report that this year, I have an in-county solution. Jeanette Marchais, […]
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
December 4, 2019  |  By Charise Reynolds

BACKSTAGE LAKE COUNTY: FAMILY CHRISTMAS STORY TIME – FREE EVENT

If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend or next, look no farther! The Lake County Theatre Company (LCTC) is presenting dramatic readings of some Christmas classics under the title Family Christmas Story Time.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
November 6, 2019  |  By Charise Reynolds

BACKSTAGE LAKE COUNTY: MEET KIM GREEN

Great theatre does not begin and end upon the stage. For every great performance, there are years of hard work and dedication. As any athlete will tell you, if you want to perform well, you must train.
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BACK STAGE LAKE COUNTY 1
September 5, 2019  |  By Charise Reynolds

BACKSTAGE LAKE COUNTY: CHICAGO

The Lake County Theatre Company (LCTC) and the Mendocino College Lake Center jointly produce two shows each year.  In July and August they present Shakespeare at the Lake followed by a musical in October and November.  Last year’s musical was supposed to have been Chicago, but due to the National Touring production, the rights to […]
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