The Ojai Post

I met Lisa Kron in 1983. We were among fifteen aspiring actors fresh out of college, cast in a repertory company for a six-month tour of the United States. After six weeks of conservatory with the Julliard staff and intense rehearsals, we embarked on a bus & truck across the country with three shows: George M. Cohen's 'The Tavern,' Christopher Durang's 'A History of the American Film,' and a review from a writing team led by John Houseman called, 'El Grande de Coca Cola.' It is in this review that Lisa demonstrated the brilliant comedic skills that would bring her to the acclaim she enjoys today. I saw one of her first one-woman shows, 101 Humiliating Stories, years ago in New York. Since then she has had an number of successes, from being a member of the acclaimed comedy group, Five Lesbian Brothers to earning a Tony nomination for her play, 'Well.' We've not seen each other in almost 10 years and she's dying to know how the hell I wound up in Ojai!

For this conference Lisa has been partnered with Broadway composer, Jeanine Tesori. Jeanine has scored such Broadway musicals as the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change, Twelfth Night and Shrek the Musical among others. In addition to receiving numerous awards for excellence in the theater, she holds the distinguishing title of being the first woman composer to have two new musicals running concurrently on Broadway. Jeanine opened the conference with a symposium: The American Musical. Lisa and Jeanine are in residence adapting the acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel into a musical. Discussing the daunting task before them, Lisa and Jeanine were joined on stage by fellow conference writers, Stephen Belber, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, and David Wiener.

Thursday evening Lisa will perform in an evening of solo-performances that will include OPC favorites Steve Connell and Sekou (tha Misfit), Mozhan Marno, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph and another old friend and mentor and OPC regular, the incomparable Charlayne Woodard. Judging from what was presented at Tuesday night's symposium, Thursday evening is going to be something very special.
Leslie Carrara-Rudolph is an Emmy nominee puppeteer of Sesame Street who I cannot wait to see perform and it will be a joy to see Lisa on stage after all these years.

Play readings begin on Friday and continue through Sunday. Titles include; How To Write A New Book for the Bible: a play for an older actress by Bill Cain, Disk Rings a Bell by Stephen Belber; Extraordinary Chambers by David Wiener, Entertaining a Thought: The Imagination Project by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Lidless by Frances Ya_Chu Cowhig and Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Saturday is the Inaugural Family Theatre Day featuring a presentation from Kim Maxwell's OPC Youth Workshop.

I know it's a busy, beautiful time in Ojai but if you can make it to the conference this week, please do. For tickets and information call 805 640-0400 or visit www.ojaiplays.org.