The bittersweet poetry of Tennessee Williams casts a spell in The Glass Menagerie, the fourth production in theSanta Cruz Shakespeare 2024 season.
What a pleasure it is to finally have one of my longstanding wishes come true and see a play by one of Americaโs most distinguished and controversial playwrights produced by this company. An early work strongly based upon the playwrightโs own troubled youth, Menagerie is a perfect place to start. But hopefully this companyโs affair with Williams will continue.
The work earns its reputation by leaving an emotional echo that continues long after the lights have gone down. Much of the enchantment must be credited to Charles Pasternak, as skilled a director as he is actor. His light touch with this script is matched by his ability to supercharge the powerful tensions that electrify his actors. Bravo to all.
Repertory casts its spell once again. Tom, played by the agile Will Block, introduces the characters, including himself, his mother Amanda (Marion Adler), sister Laura (Allie Pratt) and “a gentleman callerโ (Charles Pasternak). That symbolic gentleman caller is โthe long-delayed but always expected something that we live for.โ Thanks to the nimble performance by Block, we are able to occupy his narrative overview as well as his entrapment in a life shared with two lonely, abandoned women. Underscoring everything is Tennessee Williamsโ love letter to those who are, as he says, different. Despite the misty chill of opening night, the audience hung on every moment of the SCS castโs plunge into familiar dreams in a heartbreaking scenario.
Deception, illusion and longing perfume the poignant moments of the play. Living in the past, and worn down by disappointment, mother Amanda eternally replays her giddy girlhood as a belle in the deep south.
In seclusion forced by her awkward limp, Laura lives in a timeless present of music played on the old phonograph and a collection of tiny glass animals that she endlessly polishes, rearranges and cares for.
As the playwrightโs surrogate, Tom alone lives for the future, the future he canโt wait to escape into, the future that will take him away from this cramped tenement, and a meaningless job in a shoemakers warehouse. Tired of escaping into Hollywood movie adventures, he wants to live a real adventure.
When Tom invites a work friend, Jim, home for dinner, his motherโs obsessive fantasies for Lauraโs future spin into high gear. Fussing and reminiscing, preening and nagging, Marion Adlerโs Amanda practically levitates with excitement over the prospect of her daughter finally enjoying some attention that she herself craves. This explosion of pent-up longing, her characterโs desperate anticipationโa gorgeous eruption of emotionsโleft the audience breathless.
Williams lets his own character explode in stunning tour de force. Unable to endure his motherโs hovering, relentless criticism, Tom unleashes a cascade of truth-telling sarcasm about what he really does with his evenings. Block is a powerhouse in this pivotal revelation, channeling Tennessee Williamsโ own sense of helpless rage over his literary aspirations.
As the gentleman caller, director Pasternak orchestrates a delicate exchange of dreams, coaxing the painfully shy Laura into smiles, even laughter. Here Allie Prattโs Laura drifts in and out of internal reverie and lucidity. So many colors appear in her characterization of the sweet, troubled Laura. It is an appealing performance and a tribute to both actor and director. Their scene dancing together by candlelight conjures real magic, a moment as timeless as Lauraโs fragile glass animals. The final moments embody great theater.
Watching this taut production in the Grove, at night, heightened the intimacy this play requires. And the illusion was polished by the seamless production team. Scenic design by Michael Schweikardt was punctuated by the impeccable costumes of B. Modern, the magical lighting of Marcella Barbeau and Luke Shepherdโs sweet nostalgic sound work. Together they have given the quartet of players a setting that takes us back 80 years into the world Tennessee Williams recalled with poetโs eye and the heartache of a misfit artist. This great artwork is about the people for whom we sacrifice, and the point at which we can sacrifice no longer. Tom can leave his stultifying life but he canโt escape the past, and those he loved and abandoned.
The Glass Menagerie is a haunting play, performed with insight. Such a bold move on the part of Santa Cruz Shakespeare, expanding itself into a longer, richer season. We are incredibly lucky. Here is professional work, enchanting and provocative, performed in a eucalyptus grove in a small community on a northern California Riviera. Donโt even think about taking for granted the presence of this evolving theater company.
The Glass Menagerie, directed by Charles Pasternak, Santa Cruz Shakespeare Grove, DeLaveaga Park, through Sept. 28. Full-moon performance 7pm on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
An evening of powerful poetry and a new anthology of work by Latino poetsโplenty of reason for celebration next week. Organized by Circulo de Poetas & Writers, the eventโtitled Bringing the National and Local Togetherโoffers a panel of word artists celebrating the publication of the Library of Americaโs new anthology, Latino Poetry.
Through readings and in conversation Latino poetsโtwo national and two localโwill explore a wide range of issues from ancestry and identity, to voice, resistance, family and community.
“The event is free and open to the public as a way of outreach to the greater Santa Cruz community,” explains Adela Najarro, executive director of the Circulo. โCabrillo College has set up daily events in honor ofnationwide Hispanic Serving Institution week. This is the major evening event.โ
Bringing their deep experience and reputations to headline the eveningโs discussion will be acclaimed American Book Award winner Lorna Dee Cervantes and Blas Falconer, a professor in the graduate program at San Diego State University.
Cervantes earned her PhD at UCSCโs History of Consciousness program, and has deep roots in the Santa Cruz writing community. Cervantes and Falconer will be joined by Cabrillo instructor Vicky Baรฑales and local poet Christopher Rendon, for readings and a conversation moderated by poet and Circulo Director Najarro.
Cervantes is a haunting presence in this anthology, even in so much good company. Like those of so many of her fellow writers, her words in Visions of Mexico While at a Writing Symposium in Port Townsend, Washington bite as much as they dance:
โ … there are songs in my head I could sing you songs that could drone away all the Mariachi bands you thought you ever heard songs that could tell you what I know or have learned from my people but for thatย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย I need words …โ
The important new anthology of Latino poetry includes work from the historical record dating back to the 1600s, and moves on through to the present documenting the power and English language diaspora of Latino poetry. The beautifully edited and printed 650-page book offers text in English and Spanish on facing pages where relevant.
Latino poetry has woven a rich tapestry for nearly five centuries, and while recognition of this powerful work has grown in recent years,the questions confronted by Latino poetsโquestions of exile and belonging, language and identity, struggle and solidarity, labor and landscapeโcontinue to gain urgency.
Panelists will read their work and selections from Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology and then answer questions posed by the moderator. Questions will explore one or more of the eight core humanities themes: ancestry & identity, language, voice & resistance, first & second homes, family & community, music & performance, labor, and eco-consciousness.
Using a round-robin format, the โnationalโ and โlocalโ poets will share the stage and their insights into Latino poetry. The event will be repeated on April 5, 2025, from 1 to 4pm, at the Watsonville Public Library with a different set of panelists.
Latino Poetry: Bringing the National and Local Together takes place Sept 12 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College. Free.
My middle school drama teacher, Mr. Guilford. He was always very supportive of me when I was little, because I was very shy, and he helped me come out of my shell. โAdria Coulson, 17, Student
JAKE
I had a cool substitute teacher, Mr. Jumper. He told us to smoke weed before class one time, and we just watched South Park in the morning, it was an early class, like 7:30 in the morning. That was pretty funny. โJake Elliott, 35, K&D Landscaping, Watsonville
BRI
Iโm going to say the emotion of grief is my best teacher. Itโs constantly changing my life. It ebbs and flows. It teaches me to be present, and that peace is not the absence of suffering, itโs the acceptance. โBri Bierbaum, 30, Yoga/Dance Studio Manager
MAX
Mr. Rubin, my math teacher. He taught me about putting money into retirement and investing now to buy a house. He changed my life and taught me economical things even though it had nothing to do with the class. โMax Moore, 18, Student
SOLVAY
My fourth grade teacher, Miss Levy. I was advanced in math and English, so she made assignments just for me. I would also hang out with her outside of school. She was always there for me, especially when I was little. โSolvay Medford, 18, Student
RICHARD
I met a little Italian guy back in the 80s โ Lou Barbara. He knew all about Alpha waves, magnetics, and bio-magnetism, and he taught me everything. From him, I became a magnetic therapist. โRichard Romano, 74, Magnet Therapist
Election season is upon us and in a little less than two months county residents will vote in two supervisor runoff elections. Back in March, the District 2 and District 5 seats were not claimed since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, triggering the runoff during the Nov. 5 general election.
The District 5 seat long held by Bruce McPherson will be contested between Christopher Bradford and Monica Martinez, two political newcomers. McPherson will not run for reelection. Bradford is small business owner and community organizer, while Martinez is the CEO of Encompass Community Services. Martinez led with 46.43% of the vote to Bradfordโs 21.41% in the primary election.
GT will be featuring candidates running for the countyโs important races, and this week itโs their turn to make their case to District 5 voters. We submitted questions to the candidates and their responses are published below. Some responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q&A: Christopher Bradford
Why are you running for the 5th District Supervisor seat?
After losing my home in the CZU fire, I experienced firsthand how difficult it is to have an adversarial government instead of a supportive one. Advocating for my family and community while attempting to rebuild made me aware of the many deficits people experience in the 5th District when looking for fair treatment and support from county government.
I have spoken to and connected deeply with folk from all walks of the community, and so many feel unseen. I am running so that everyone has a voice, not just the connected or wealthy. Our area is desperate for actual change; we donโt want the powers-that-be putting someone in that seat. I can bring collaborative and creative solutions to the table and have no one to answer to except the voters.
What experience do you bring that will help you best represent the district?
Iโve got the experience we need to plan for the future of our district and not repeat the past. Iโve managed large businesses with multimillion-dollar budgets, and have been treasurer/board member for Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council. Iโve had to solve problems, keep businesses profitable, and take care of both staff and investors. Iโve had to be innovative, creative and disciplined in order to make sure the bottom line is squared away. Iโve had to deal with the government as a businessperson as well as a constituent; Iโve directly experienced what people are dealing with and that experience matters. In a time when budgets are contracting, needs expanding and technology rapidly advancing, we need a smart, technical-minded person with a history of creating solutions on that board representing us.
What are some of the most pressing issues for District 5 and how will you work to address them?
Roads and infrastructure: The state of roads can be a matter of life-or-death in an emergency situation. With zero dollars in the budget for roads next year we are going to have to come up with creative solutions.
Fire recovery and disaster preparedness: We are only 12% rebuilt from the CZU fire four years later. It affects those that lost their homes, drives the cost of living up for area residents and means fewer property taxes. I am committed to working with staff and fellow supervisors on changing this โCulture of Noโ in our county offices to support rebuilding and get our community to engage with the county so that our neighbors are safer. The lessons we learn from the rebuilding of homes lost during the CZU can be used to improve services for everyone.
Fire mitigation: I want to work on fire abatement strategies to make our communities safer and more insurable. I already do this as a board member of the Fire Safe Council, but the supervisor position will allow me to do much more.
Cost of Living: Itโs becoming more difficult for folks in the 5th District to make ends meet. I plan on generating community programs that reduce that pressure. Things like child care co-ops; community gardens; increased funding for organizations like the Mountain Resource Center; and a pro-building stance to increase housing and drive down rents and housing costs.
Why should District 5 elect you as supervisor instead of your opponent?
While we may share common goals, my approach offers a fresh perspective. As someone who understands but isnโt entrenched in the countyโs processes, I bring an outsiderโs creativity combined with practical knowledge. Iโm committed to finding innovative solutions to our complex challenges, free from the constraints of establishment politics. My campaign has showcased my accessibility and engagementโqualities Iโll continue to bring as your 5th District supervisor.
Q&A: Monica Martinez
Why are you running for the 5th District Supervisor seat?
Iโm running for 5th District supervisor because Iโve lived through the same challenges our community has faced in recent years: the pandemic, the CZU fire, and devastating winter storms. Iโm raising my children here, and I want them to grow up in a thriving, resilient community. Unfortunately, Iโve seen county government fall short in rebuilding homes and maintaining essential infrastructure like roads, power, water, and broadband. I want to change that. With my leadership experience, Iโll work to accelerate recovery, strengthen disaster resilience, and ensure every voice in the 5th District is heard. We deserve better representation and results.
What experience do you bring that will help you best represent the district?
As a lifelong public servant, Iโve dedicated my career to ensuring public resources reach those who need them most. I began by supporting homeless women on Skid Row in Los Angeles, then became executive director of Housing Matters in Santa Cruz, where I launched the successful 180/180 initiative, housing 180 vulnerable individuals. For the past ten years, Iโve served as CEO of Encompass Community Services, managing a $35 million budget and leading 400 staff to deliver vital behavioral health, early childhood, and housing services. My track record equips me to provide strong, effective representation for District 5 residents.
What are some of the most pressing issues for District 5 and how will you work to address them?
Disaster recovery is crucial for District 5. Over the past four years, weโve faced immense challenges, from the pandemic to the CZU Lightning Complex Fire and the 2022-2023 winter storms. Itโs unacceptable that only 15% of the 911 homes lost in the fire have been rebuilt. Iโll work to streamline the rebuilding process, improve coordination with public and private agencies, and ensure residents receive the resources they need when disaster strikes.
Aging infrastructure is another critical issue. As supervisor, Iโll fight for our district to receive its fair share of resources for long-term projects that improve roads, water systems and broadband connectivity. Reliable broadband and cellular service, especially in rural areas, is essentialโnot just for daily life but for emergency communication. Iโll also prioritize creating safe routes to schools, expanding pedestrian access, and enhancing sustainable, affordable transit options.
Affordable housing is a pressing issue across the Central Coast, and our district is no exception. We must preserve our existing housing stock, expedite repairs, and focus on a sustainable housing ecosystem that includes affordability, workforce housing, and transit-oriented development. We also need evidence-driven strategies to prevent homelessness and support our most vulnerable residents in maintaining stable housing.
Why should District 5 elect you as supervisor instead of your opponent?
With nearly 15 years of public service experience in Santa Cruz County, I have the expertise and relationships to deliver immediate results for District 5. The challenges we faceโlike disaster recovery, infrastructure improvements, and affordable housingโdemand someone who can act quickly and effectively, not someone who needs time to learn the job.
Iโve worked closely with the county, understanding its strengths and weaknesses, and I know how to leverage public funds to improve disaster preparedness, safety, and infrastructure. As Supervisor, Iโll ensure that District 5 receives the resources and attention it deserves, while preparing for future challenges.
My proven leadership has earned endorsements from across the county, including elected officials, the California Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood, SEIU 521, and numerous labor organizations. These endorsements are a testament to my ability to collaborate, solve problems, and deliver real results for our community.
The 5th District deserves an experienced leader with a deep understanding of its unique needs and a commitment to accelerating recovery, strengthening resilience, and improving the quality of life for all residents. Iโm ready to serve and deliver on day one.
My wife, Julie, says West Cliff Drive is her favorite place to walk because it is so easy: โYou just park your car and start walking and listen to the waves crash against the rocks.โ That is a magic feature of the walk, to see and feel and hear that point where the sea meets the land, where the rocks throw the waves into the air, each eruption of spray forming a unique water pattern, every plume as unique as a snowflake.
Sacred Steps
From the wharf, past the Lighthouse, past the world-famous Steamer Lane surfing spot and up to Natural Bridges is about 2 and ยฝ miles. Writing a 1,000-word column about this West Cliff walk to explain what this bit of coastline means to Santa Cruz is like taking a stroll from Saint Peterโs Square to the Sistine Chapel to write 1,000 words about its importance to the Holy See. For the spirit of Santa Cruz, this land is no less sacred.
From the wharf to Natural Bridges is roughly 5,000 steps for most, and every step lands on thousands of years of blood, sweat and tears to save this sacred place. When we take those steps, something deep in our bodies can feel the spirit that moved the stewards of this precious coastland, from the Awaswas people who lived here for 12,000 years to the current Coastal Commission, in its never-ending struggle to keep investors from buying and destroying this holy place. To quote fabled, former Coastal Commission Director Peter Douglas, โThe coast is never saved.โ
Santa Cruz Wharf to Lighthouse Beach
Tourists donโt get it. They canโt. I think itโs fine that vacationers are drawn to this walk for no other reason that it is among the most beautiful places on earth. The Santa Cruz Wharf is 2,745 feet long, the longest pier on the West Coast, and as I walk out to the end of the wharf, Iโm charmed to hear families speak in exotic languages from around the world.
At the end of the wharf, I lean against the railing and smile at the young couple next to me with big cameras hanging from their necks. The young man points at the city of Monterey across the bay, barely visible in the mist, and asks me, โIs that Hawaii?โ
You may have to live here to get it, but walking along West Cliff Drive from the Santa Cruz wharf to Natural Bridges State Park is a good place to start. Out and back on the wharf is over a mile, but it is a way to let the wind fill your hair and your sails.
The wharf does have some of the nicest restaurants in Santa Cruz and tourist trap shops abound with virtually everything manufactured in China stamped with the name Santa Cruz. Walking the wharf is probably the clearest view youโll get of the entire Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Walk back inland toward the roundabout at Front Street and you can drop down off the wharf and get a short beach walk in on the north end of Cowell Beach. You can get to the West Cliff Drive sidewalk on paths around the Dream Inn.
The world-renowned surfing hot spot, Steamer Lane. PHOTO: Richard Stockton
The sidewalk will take you past marine cliff fauna where you can watch the ever-present surfers ride the waves of the world-famous Steamer Lane. This is where Jack OโNeill developed the modern surfing wetsuit (the water is cold). The path reaches its furthermost point out into Monterey Bay just before it takes a sharp right turn to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Check out the photographs and exhibits that chronicle over 100 years of surfing history. Itโs open from noon to 5pm, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Santa Cruz Lighthouse and Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. PHOTO: Richard Stockton
Just past the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum to the left of the path is Lighthouse Field State Beach. Inland is Lighthouse Field, the site of the Herculean effort to rescue this 37-acre parcel from developers. There are paths throughout the field where you are free to walk; dogs are allowed on-leash only.
Bring Your Binoculars
The West Cliff Drive path runs along the cliffs with huge boulders breaking the crashing waves apart, and you can always see marine or bird life on the rocks. Monterey Bay is known as the โSerengeti of the Seaโโa diverse ecosystem that plays host to 34 species of marine mammals, more than 180 species of seabirds and shorebirds, over 525 species of fishes, and innumerable invertebrates. Use your binoculars to spot whales, sharks, sea otters, sealions, seals and countless species of birds.
If you want more beach, you can drop down into Mitchell Cove Beach, more protected than Santa Cruz Beach. The path continues along the rugged, rocky West Cliff to your left and the mansion beach houses inland and culminates in a parking lot. You can walk down ramps into yet another stunning stretch of sand, Natural Bridges State Beach. There is an electric bike rental station at the corner of Swanton Boulevard and West Cliff Drive.
At the corner of Swanton Boulevard and West Cliff Drive, you can rent an electric bike for $7 for each 30 minutes. The BCycle bikeshare system has more than 80 parking stations in Santa Cruz. Visit SantaCruz.org.
A Place to Dream
Santa Cruz is a place people dream of, and the more you learn about it the more you understand that it was created from peopleโs dreams. There may be some dreams in life youโll have to deleteโno one will ever perfectly fold a fitted sheetโbut if you walk West Cliff Drive your mind will open simply from the walking.
Breathe in the ocean air and you can forget who you are. Walk far enough and your brain will stop, and that is when hope slips in. In Santa Cruz you can decide to leap without a net, to give your dreams a try, and if that net does not appear, then you will learn how to fly.
Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley sent a clear message last week during an early morning press conference: Santa Cruz will not take on other citiesโ unhoused populations. Accompanied by city and county officials, Keeley convened the media to unveil a new ordinance that makes the unannounced drop off of unhoused individuals within the city by other jurisdictions illegal.
Less than a week later, the ordinance was voted into law by the Santa Cruz City Council during a Sep. 10 meeting. Unhoused drop offs of that type are now a misdemeanor.
The move came in response to an incident on June 27 in which a disabled unhoused person was allegedly driven to and dropped off in Santa Cruz by police officers from the city of Hanford, located about 30 miles south of Fresno in Kings County. The individual, whom officials are only referring to as โPerson Doe,โ had no connection to the area and told them they were brought to Santa Cruz against their will.
Keeley said while local officials will work with other jurisdictions to help settle unhoused people with ties to the community here, Hanford officials did not reach out to the city before deciding to offload Person Doe with all their belongings at the Armory shelter.
Person Doe also alleged in a subsequent interview with city staff that the two officers who transported them suggested Santa Cruz because itโs โlaid back and tolerant of people experiencing homelessness.โ The officers added that โthey are anti-homeless in Hanford,โ according to a city staff report.
โOur expectation is that, programmatically, we communicate with each other. We don’t dump homeless people in somebody elseโs community. We donโt expect that in our community,โ Keeley said at the Sep. 5 press conference.
Hanford Police and the cityโs mayor did not engage with Santa Cruz officials after the initial incident and went silent, according to Keeley.
Homelessness Response Manager Larry Imwalle reiterated Keeleyโs sentiments at the press conference.
โThe Hanford PDโs conduct was not only irresponsible, but it was also inhumane, placing undue strain on local homeless services that we provide to other people experiencing homelessness in the city, and creating challenges to the individuals that donโt have support. Simply, this is not how we do things in Santa Cruz,โ Imwalle said.
The ordinance reads as follows:
โNo law enforcement officer, agent, or employee of a county, of another city, or of any other governmental entity, when acting in their official capacity, shall transport and drop-off an individual on public property, or private property that is accessible to the public, within the City of Santa Cruz, when the person being transported and dropped off lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.โ
A companion resolution also directs the SCPD to add a โprohibition of unsanctioned transport of homeless personsโ policy to its manual. Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante was on hand to echo Keeley and Imwalle.
โThe actions that we experienced by the city of Hanford and the Hanford Police Department do not align with the values of our community here in Santa Cruz and, as it has been expressed, this is not how we do things in our community,โ Escalante said.
Good Times made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Hanford city officials for a response to the allegations. Among those contacted were Hanford Mayor Travis Paden and Hanford Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston.
However, the city did put out a statement addressing the situation on the same day of the Santa Cruz press conference.
โOn June 27, officers of the Hanford Police Department transported an individual
experiencing homelessness to the City of Santa Cruz at the individualโs sole request. At no
point in time did Hanford Police Department officers suggest, encourage or coerce the
individual to go to the City of Santa Cruz. Any claims of this nature are flat-out false,โ read the Sept. 5 release, in part.
โIt should be noted that Hanford Police Chief Stephanie Huddleston has previously
explained this series of events to Santa Cruzโs Police Chief. We strongly disagree with the
City of Santa Cruzโs assessment that the City of Hanford is moving its homeless problem
โelsewhere,โโ it went on to say.
Hanford Police also said the decision to transport the individual was made after they refused to seek out homeless services in the area.
Good Times reached out to Kings Community Action OrganizationโKings Countyโs leading nonprofit providing homeless servicesโfor comment on the situation but did not receive a response.
Brian T. Johnson, Community Relations Manager for Hanford, told Good Times in an email on Sep. 5 that the cityโs actions are being mischaracterized.
โIโll add that we take issue with the words โdumpโ and โdumping.โ As stated in our response, our officers provided a service at the request of the individual. [They were] not dumped,โ Johnson wrote.
In Santa Cruz County, the Homeward Bound program regularly helps unhoused individuals to connect with family members or other support and offers transportation to reach them. That means helping people leave the area or arrive here, depending on the situation. Hanford officials did not reach out to any local service providers and the city does not appear to have a similar program.
Santa Cruz County District District 3 Supervisor Justin Cummings was also present at the Sept. 5 press conference and said that he would work with his colleagues on the board of supervisors to bring an ordinance similar to the city of Santa Cruzโs proposal forward.
โI think this gives us an opportunity to really dive into how we prevent this from happening and really put forward some consequences for when other jurisdictions do that,โ Cummings said.
During the Sep. 10 council meeting, Keeley had the support of the dias, including council member Sandy Brown.
โWe are against forced displacement, thatโs why I think this is so important,โ Brown said.
The Santa Cruz Symphony kicks off a new year of shimmering music next week. And hereโs why you should care. A lot. Thereโs more than one ingenious local angle in the programming.
With one eye on well-loved classics and another on artistic talent closer to home, the Santa Cruz Symphonyโs 2024-25 season kicks off Sept. 21-22 with new music composer Mason Batesโ electrifying Philharmonia Fantastique and Johannes Brahmsโ majestic Symphony No. 1, as well as a brand-new arrangement of Ceremonial Music for full orchestra by renowned local composer Martin Gaskell.
The season is, once again, programmed by Music Director Daniel Stewart. โThis is one of the great privileges and responsibilities of being a music director,โ Stewart happily admits. โAnd especially in an organization of this size, because we do have more artistic leeway, you know. We can be more flexible in programming; we can find things a little closer to when theyโre going to happen and move quickly when opportunities arise.โ
Stewart enjoys the challenge.
โItโs a fun artistic position to be in. In the end, Iโve had the great joy of essentially creating an overall arc within a season of arcs through each individual program, and trying to keep the stylistic and geographic and historical diversity very, very consistent throughout. I want each concert to offer opportunities for breathtaking emotional content and things that can change a personโs life in many ways. To experience the wonder of old favorites and discovery in the new.โ
Known to Santa Cruz culturati thanks to his frequent residencies in seasons past, composer Mason Bates is a master at balancing the musical high wire. At the edge of the leading edge, his piece is loaded with sensory pyrotechnics and electronic hijinks.
INSPIRED BY THE BARD In March, Charles Pasternak will set the stage for a program of music devoted to Shakespeare. PHOTO: Santa Cruz Shakespeare
A 25-minute concerto for orchestra and animated film, Philharmonia Fantastique explores the connection between creativity and technology. Working through the distinctive sections of the orchestra, this vibrant musical guide provides a mesmerizing opportunity to lean into the textures and colors of each instrument. (The animated version is a collaboration between Mason Bates, Oscar-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom and animation director Jim Capobianco.)
Balancing out the program with a reference to the Western canon is Brahmsโ first symphonyโa gorgeous 19th-century masterwork.
Catching up with Martin Gaskell, who moonlights as a UCSC lecturer in astronomy, we found out more about this transposition of Ceremonial Music, originally scored for brass and organ. โMaking an arrangement for full orchestra was indeed a special challenge,โ he admitted. โOne can take advantage of sounds in an orchestra that cannot be reproduced by an organ. These factors result in the orchestral version of Ceremonial Music having a far different feel.โ
The composer explains that the piece was originally written for a friendโs wedding, โa wedding that was going to take place in the large chapel of a seminary. Ceremonies tend to occur in special places.โ Well known to many local music groups who have performed his music over the years, Gaskell is looking forward to having his work performed by the Symphony. โI have the advantage of knowing what the Civic Auditorium acoustics are like, what the orchestra and audience setup is like, how the orchestra sounds, and who many of the players will be. Daniel Stewart is a great conductor, better than many conductors of leading orchestras. Always extremely well prepared. Iโve got no anxieties about the concert.โ
The seasonโs second concert, โAdaptations,โ starts off Nov. 2โ3 with the world premiere of Spin by Cabrillo College music instructor and composer Josef Sekon. Known as a keyboard specialist who founded the St. John Aptos Keyboard Series, Sekon confesses that he has wanted to compose more orchestral work. And the result is Spin, a work showcasing his restless musical imagination. The late music writer Scott MacClelland once described Sekonโs composing style as โwhirling and rotating passages in dialogue.โ And Sekon agrees. โTextures of various sizes, shapes and colors are my musical goal. Rapid continuous passages, controlled dynamics and glissandi will create the whirling and rotating. The ending promises to be a unique adventure.โ
FRESH SOUNDS November brings the world premiere of โSpinโ by Cabrillo College music instructor and composer Josef Sekon. PHOTO: Rebecca Barnes
In addition to Sekonโs premiere work, the concert features Antonรญn Dvoลรกkโs Symphony No. 8 paired with the virtuosity of Santa Cruz Symphony Artist in Residence and Concertmaster Nancy Zhou performing Erich Korngoldโs radiant Violin Concerto, a canonical work for violin and orchestra. Those familiar with Dvoลรกkโs haunting New World Symphony will be entranced by this joyful musical description of the natural world, inspired by the folk music of the composerโs native Bohemia.
And before you know it, the winter holidays will be here. On Dec. 14โ15 the Holiday Pops Concert will offer the justly popular Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the centerpiece to an event rich in Yuletide offerings. Starting with A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson, Maestro Stewart will lead the Symphony orchestra in Polonaise from Christmas Eve by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, then the gorgeous Fantasia on Greensleeves by legendary British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. And many more delightful musical adventures of the season.
Always an exciting moment on the Symphony calendar is the โFamily Concertโ on March 2. Finessed once again by soloist and Master of Ceremonies Omari Tau, the program includes Sergei Prokofievโs Peter and the Wolf, plus youth-centric selections performed in collaboration with community partners. This concert is sure to engage imaginations of all ages.
The season draws toward a close with two concerts of very special interest to local music and theater lovers. โSymphonic Shakespeareโ on March 29-30 offers something to appeal to theater lovers. Fresh from the triumph of his first directorial season, Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Charles Pasternak will be on hand to set the stage, so to speak, for a program of music devoted to Shakespeare.
โIโm looking very forward to Santa Cruz Shakespeareโs first collaboration with the Santa Cruz Symphony (though certainly not the last!). A few actors and I will be doing some scenes from Midsummer Nightโs Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and the Scottish play [Macbeth] to go along with Danielโs gorgeous choices in Shakespeare-inspired music. Our work will take place mostly in the symphonic margins, but I am excited for one opportunity where Iโll be doing text while the symphony plays.โ
The collaboration between theater and music is one that was the rule, rather than the exception, in Shakespeareโs day. In the case of this concert, music and words have been programmed for mutual enhancement.
Maestro Stewart is keen on diversifying participants in his programming. Hence the presence of Charles Pasternak on the March concert program. โThis was a concept that I had already articulated to the board my very first year,โ Stewart recalls. โSo 10 years ago, I was intent on a collaboration with [Santa Cruz] Shakespeare, which is an absolutely fantastic community. Santa Cruz has such wealth, incredible artistic programs, and Shakespeare was certainly among the forefront.
โIโve invited Paul Whitworth, Iโve known Mike Ryan, and now Charles Pasternak, and we actually featured both Paul and Mike in our Peter and the Wolf programs,โ Stewart explains. โWeโll showcase the incredible musical treatments of Shakespeareโs works by some of the greatest composers. You could create a whole festival around his plays. As long as we were doing this, we wanted to feature some of the all-time classics, the Tchaikovsky and one new one by Anna Clyne. It is a real pleasure to work with Charles. I saw his HamletโI was so stunned by it.โ
From Felix Mendelssohn comes A Midsummer Nightโs Dream and from exciting new music composer Anna Clyneโanother artist well-known to Santa Cruz audiences for her bold and innovative orchestral impressionismโcomes a dramatic musical study of the Bardโs Macbeth titled Sound and Fury. The program concludes with the Fantasy Overture from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskyโs Romeo and Juliet. Expect to be enthralled.
The Symphonyโs classical season finale on May 3โ4 offers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozartโs incomparable Requiem, featuring the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus, directed by choral legend Cheryl Anderson and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera. Preceding Mozartโs monumental creation for voices and orchestra will be Stewartโs arrangement of Overture to Dancer in the Dark by Bjรถrk. Yes, I know, exciting. But perhaps even more so will be a world premiere of music composed by Stewart.
โIt will be a piece for orchestra, orchestra and some other surprising elements, which Iโm going to keep as surprises,โ he explains. โItโs a 20-minute work for symphonyโthere will be some special guest collaborationโand itโs about representing what itโs like to be alive at this moment. I think the best thing that great art tends to do is a very direct reflection of the moment in which we live, through the prism of art. And so what Iโm most focused on in this particular one is how you make people feel and find balance in the harmony and harmonization where you donโt expect it. Right now weโre involved in this great moment of change, with technology, and with large language models and neural networks.
โIโm very interested in this new intersection of culture and technology and how it relates to our wonderful traditions of music making and of community making. One of the great things that we represent as an orchestra is unity from diversity, that incredible computation of harmony in society and the great cooperative potential of all of us. And so when the world we grew up in no longer exists, this is something that I hope to create optimism about. And also Iโm very keen always in my work to make something thatโs fun, equally fun for the musicians, exciting, thrilling for the audiences, as well as a very honest representation of things. But itโs by no means so serious and foreign that itโs not also instantly enjoyable. Thatโs a tall order, of course, but thatโs always the bar that we want to set for ourselves.โ
LOCAL COMPOSER Martin Gaskell knows the Civicโs acoustics well and is looking forward to having his work performed there. PHOTO: Contributed
Will he be nervous about presenting his new work in public? Maestro Stewart contends that heโs always so caught up in the minutiae, the details of memorizing the scores, rehearsing, โpursuing all those details that thatโs all I can think about, and thereโs simply no time for any nervousness. I know so many great artists talk about that particular trait, you know, being with them their entire lives. So thereโs no telling what different performers will be feeling.โ
About the Mozart Requiem, whichโfull disclosure, I have sung this music with conductor Stewart and the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorusโthe music director agrees: โIโm so looking forward to returning to the Mozart here for many good reasons, especially that itโs one of the great, great works of art. It represents so much in the history of music by one of the greatest artists who ever lived. But in addition to all that I relish the fact that it was performed the first season of my first year with the Symphony ten years ago. And so it was my first collaboration with Cheryl Anderson. Since she plans to retire after that concert, itโs going to be just so emotional for me.โ
The wildly popular Spring Pops Concert on June 7 will once again offer music themes from the great John Williams. Expect to hum along, but quietly, to new selections from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and many more favorites from the cinematic soundtrack superstar. And before the concert, do not miss the street party, starting at 5pm in front of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. No doubt about it. The Santa Cruz Symphonyโs upcoming 2024-25 concert lineup is one of the top reasons why we live in Santa Cruz. Season tickets are a good idea. Visit santa cruz symphony.org.
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History knows that art doesnโt only belong in museums and galleries. In 2022, MAH organized the first biennial CommonGround, a 10-day, multi-site festival of exhibits, installations and performances that took place in and around the museum, as well as off-site, namely the Evergreen Cemetery and Davenport Jail. This yearโs CommonGround offers a similar schedule of mostly free art and art-inspired events at the museum and other spaces throughout Santa Cruz County.
โOur executive director, Robb Woulfe, was really interested in creating spaces of connection outside of the museum,โ says Museum Director of Exhibitions and Programs Marla Novo. โItโs something that the MAH has always been interested in, but he kind of took it to another level, having a biennial that is in multiple places throughout Santa Cruz.โ
For โThe Pyramidsโ (Cowell Beach), for example, local land artist Jim Denevan and his son Brighton will create a sand drawing thatโs also a community collaboration. Volunteers interested in taking part can sign up on MAHโs website. Denevan is famous for making his sand and ice drawings all over the world. (His art was featured on iconic streetwear brand Stussyโs 2020 collection.) M.K. Contemporary Art will simultaneously display the Denevansโ aerial photography and videos as part of its โShelter from the Stormโ exhibit.
In โWatermarks of the Last Chinatownโ (740 Front St., Downtown), artists Huy Truong and Susana Ruiz and author and UC Santa Cruz professor Karen Tei Yamashita will explore in an โaugmented reality experienceโ the history of the last Chinatown, which was destroyed by a flood in 1955. There were several Chinatown neighborhoods in Santa Cruz between 1862 and the 1950s. A virtual exhibit of the same name currently at MAH incorporates historical photographs, documents, films and interviews with community members.
โFathoming: Among Whales and Wallsโ (Davenport Jail) will feature artists Alicia Escott, Angela Willetts and Victoria Perenyi discussing โthe mysterious world of whalesโ and โecological grief and joy.โ Itโs a nod to Davenportโs migrating whales, and the two-cell jail-turned-museum, which was built in 1914 and only used twice.
The museum, along with Amah Mutsun Tribal Chairman Valentin Lopez, will celebrate the opening of its new โKincentricity Gardenโ (MAH), an native plants garden and community space, which took three years to build in collaboration with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.
While CommonGroundโs goal is to highlight local art, the festival also engages with national and international artists. Bahamian N.Y.-based Tavares Strachan will be on hand for his โI Belong Hereโ (MAH), a neon sculpture of text thatโs part of the museumโs โYoung, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art,โ a new exhibit of mostly recent works by artists of African descent. Another new exhibit at MAH, โOf Love and Revelation: Learning Photography from the Land,โ will also be on view.
Australian artist Craig Walsh will present โMonumentsโ (Evergreen Cemetery), his long-running, outdoor video, which projects and animates peopleโs faces onto trees and monuments at night. Walsh will project portraits of Luna HighJohn-Bey, Jim Lorenzana and George Ow, Jr.โa real estate developer and resident of the last Chinatownโwhich will honor ancestors buried in the cemetery.
โThe event is about connecting people with stories and spaces that have to do with our landscape and really honoring the natural beauty that is Santa Cruz,โ Novo says. โBut itโs also uncovering stories about Santa Cruz that you might not know. Itโs a beautiful blend of site- specific work and landscape, and how we interact with them and our relationship to them.โ
CommonGround runs Sept. 13โ22 at MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. The museum is open Thursday-Sunday; $8-$10. Events at other locations are free. santacruzmah.org/commonground
Caption for second photo:
TIME AND TIDE Local land artist Jim Denevan and his son Brighton will create a sand drawing at Cowell Beach that will be akin to his work at San Gregorio Beach ast year. PHOTO: Peter Hinson
Sin Nombre is a refreshingly tight-knit ensemble of seven, or eight, or nine folks who crisscross genres, change up instruments, bring in impromptu guests, improvise at every show, and make the audience feel like they were invited to a private party. And all while they blow everyone away with their musicality, stretching from jam-band moments and โ70s-tinged folk harmonies to a fiddle riff layered over soulful keys and Afro beats.
Among the rotating members of the band are Emilio Rios (guitar), Frankie Carsonie (guitar), Clarabel Moes (fiddle and vocals), Lily Akers (mandolin and vocals), Ashwin Suseendran (keyboard, trumpet, vocals), Adi Biacs (bass guitar) and Nick Quijano (drums).
The two guitarists seamlessly transition between lead and rhythm, accompanied by a bass guitarist, an on-point drummer and a keyboardist/trumpet player whoโs also a Ph.D. fellow in ethnomusicology at UCSC. The two lead singers mesmerize with their soulful timbre and textures, interchanging verses or converging with beautiful harmonies.
Having started singing in a family band at 7, Clarabel Moes has a natural stage presence. She traces her musical roots back to that band, which she describes as โbasically an elaborate scheme to get us into music festivals as a family.
โIt was really fun and thatโs how I kind of got introduced to the idea of jamming,โ she explains.
Clarabel, Lily and Frankieโone of the bandโs core two guitaristsโare housemates, but their connection was first made through music. โI was playing at a backyard house show in the summer in Santa Cruz, opening for his old band. It was one of those magical little spotsโฆI heard him play, and he heard me play with my band, and thatโs how we met,โ Clarabel recalls.
Says Frankie: โWeโd like to say Sin Nombre is an ongoing conversationโฆweโre just coming to it as we go. Sometimes weโll get into a random EDM jam, and sometimes weโll get into a funk-afro jam.โ
Always leaving room for improvisation, they take turns having solos, sometimes switching up instruments with another band member. Musician friends or other artists on the lineup can pop up onstage.
Bassist Adi credits Frankie as the driving force behind Sin Nombre’s inception. โHe was the groupโs glue person, and the driving force initially. He was the one who said, โThis is going to be sickโ and got it going.โโ Frankie’s musical journey led him from Columbus, Ohio, to Santa Cruz, where he orchestrated the band’s formation through serendipitous encounters and impromptu jam sessions.
โSometimes there could be 20 to 30 musicians rotating outโฆand there was always a potluck,โ Frankie reminisces about sessions at the beautiful riverside ranch home that he and several other band members share as housemates.
From these loose rehearsals grew a deeper connection. โOne special river jam night, you could tell everyone was listeningโฆeveryone was locked in, and we were all meshing. We had played two or three songs that night, and I texted everyone later that week. It was like nine of usโand everyone pulled up at that house to play again, with that specific sound in mind. And literally that day, while we were playing, we got a text saying, โHey, do you guys want to play at a private party?โ Frankie recalls.
Needing to come up with a name on the fly, they adopted Sin Nombre, which means โwithout a nameโ inspired by a street sign they had seen while traveling in Pescadero, Mexico.
Sin Nombre has released music that can be found on Spotify and other online sources. With plans to release an EP, they will now go through an albumโs worth of material to structure their free-flow jams into a more refined form of songs.
As to their genre, says Frankie, โItโs kind of P-Funk style, like in Parliament land, where weโre doing whatever we wantโฆwhatever that may be at the moment. You know, Sin Nombre is sin genre.โ
Sin Nombre plays Sept. 14 with support by opener Mild Universe and Flat Sun Society. Doors at 7pm; music at 8pm. Tickets are $17. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton; feltonmusichall.com.
For those looking for a modern-day version of the Doors with the swagger of indie rock greats like the Strokes, consider the Growlers. The band, which started in the beach town of Dana Point in 2006 and later migrated to Costa Mesa, are progenitors of Beach Goth, widely described as a style of music that โsomehow combines surf, pop, rock and beat.โ
Dating back to 2012, the band organized the annual Beach Goth festival, which featured bands representing a variety of genres. A lawsuit with Noise Group (owner of the festivalโs venue) over the Beach Goth trademark led to the 2017 festival taking place at the LA Waterfront under the name the Growlers Six and involving such heavyweights as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, and the Butthole Surfers.
Though the band is no more, they released seven albums, a handful of EPs and a number of singles during their run. Songwriter-singer Brooks Nielsen is out on tour, with a stop Tuesday at the Catalyst. Good Times caught up with Brooks on the road.
Good Times: Youโve been touring promoting the Growlersโ Chinese Fountain, and all the shows have been selling out. Why that album as your first choice?
Brooks Nielsen: The short answer is that itโs the 10-year anniversary of the albumโs release, but really, itโs something Iโve always talked about doing. Now that Iโve got a band that shares the love, challenge and excitement of putting a show like this together. Iโve got really special fans who I believe appreciate the extra work we do to make each and every show unique. There are many Growlers recordings, plus a healthy arsenal of solo material to choose from, and that makes it both fun and exciting for the band as well as the fans.
Will you ever do the same with Hung at Heart or Hot Tropics?
I donโt think I need to wait for an anniversary to do another album in full. The response to playing the Growlersโ Chinese Fountain live has been overwhelming. Once more, I know another full album show would also be worth doing. Both of those albums you mentioned are on the shortlist.
One Match Left was a wonderful solo record. How was the recording process?
Recording One Match Left was a life-changing experience. Michael Andrews, who produced the album, is heaven-sent. I sent Michael more than one hundred song ideas and he listened to them all. He understood the real value and importance of making my first solo album. We worked on song selections together and improved upon the songs. Michael put together an all-star band for me to record with. Guys like Robert Walter on keys and Joey Waronker on drums. They came in having never heard my music before. We worked from a complete blank canvas in that respect. It was a very raw and genuine approach. Weโd listen to a songโs demo a couple of times and then track it. A few takes later weโd have the foundation and weโd go from there. It was a very different recording experience for me, yet in the best possible way. Also. and for the first time, I was able to relinquish some control over my songs. Throughout the recording process, I was surrounded by smart professionals who love music and, most importantly, believed in me. Iโm very grateful for the experience.
Do you still talk with your former bandmates? Any chance of a reunion and a big Beach Goth gathering?
The Growlers is my baby. Blood sweat and tears. It was a warehouse-living, school-bus-driving, soup-kitchen-eating grind, and it was a hell of a ride. Iโm very proud of the years spent in that band and Iโm continuing to keep the spirit alive in every bit of what Iโm doing today. There will be a day when I resurrect The Growlers.
Where did your musicians come from? Any notable bands from Southern California?
It took some serious work to assemble this band. There were many days of auditions with a lot of talented musicians. Itโs difficult to make the decision on who will be able to handle the workload, the road and to be a good hang and a responsible human. Iโm very blessed to have landed the band that I have. They are fearless and hilarious and Iโm proud to call them brothers. These are serious musicians who are always bettering themselves, both in and out of this band. Theyโre always playing, always gigging. Deen and Cole play several nights a week out in the LA jazz scene and they are able to bring that sensibility to my songs and to what weโre doing in this band. They bring a new sense of cool, improvisation and freshness to the music and Iโve been really enjoying that part of it for a change. Itโs a great feeling to know that Iโm in good hands.
Brooks Nielsen plays at 7pm on Sept. 17 at the Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Ages 16 and over are welcome. Tickets are $32/adv, $37/door. catalystclub.com
Name your most memorable teacher?
My middle school drama teacher, Mr. Guilford. He was always very supportive of me when I was little, because I was very shy, and he helped me come out of my shell.โAdria Coulson, 17, Student
I had a cool substitute teacher, Mr. Jumper. He told us to smoke weed before class one time, and we just...
Election season is upon us and in a little less than two months county residents will vote in two supervisor runoff elections. Back in March, the District 2 and District 5 seats were not claimed since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, triggering the runoff during the Nov. 5 general election.
The District 5 seat long held...
Sin Nombre is a refreshingly tight-knit ensemble of seven, or eight, or nine folks who ...make the audience feel like they were invited to a private party.
