December 2, 3, 4, 10, 11. Occidental Community Choir Winter Concerts 2022. Born around a bonfire in Occidental in the winter of 1978, OCC is pleased to present our Winter 2022 concert series Starry Starry Night . Under the inspired direction of Gage Purdy, we offer a unique blend of original, contemporary and classical songs – plus some poetry and theatrics – that speak to the wondrous, limitless journey we embark on as we turn our eyes, hearts and minds upwards to the stars. All concerts will be held at Occidental Center for the Arts, following current Sonoma County public health guidelines. Friday, Dec. 2 @ 7pm – Community First Night $10; Saturday, Dec. 3 @ 7 pm; Sunday Dec. 4 @ 3 pm;Saturday, Dec. 10 @ 7 pm; Sunday Dec. 11 @ 3 pm . There will be Christmas caroling half an hour before Saturday/Sunday concerts.Tickets are $25 . Kids 12 and under FREE. Available @ occidentalchoir/org.tickets, or at the door. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. Accessible to persons with disabilities.
Wednesday, November 30 at 7:30 pm. SEEKING THE LAST GAY MAN (BUSCANDO AL ULTIMO HOMBRE GAY) (Performed in Spanish with English subtitles) Hector Zavala stars in this bi-lingual solo show about the constant search for love, from the innocence of first love, to heartbreak, marriage and divorce. Digging through the layers of loneliness in all of us to find the acceptance hidden within. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the door. https://www.caltheatre.com/wednesdayweirdness Our menu includes food from Belly, and local beer, wine and signature cocktails. Accessible to patrons in wheelchairs. 528 7th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707-664-PLAY.
Cheryl King is producer of the Wednesday Weirdness performance series at The California, the latest new nightspot in Santa Rosa.
She recently interviewed Hector Zavala about his new solo show, Buscando al Último Hombre Gay (Seeking the Last Gay Man) prior to his upcoming performance at The California on November 30. Hector’s answers provide not only a great preview for the show, but also a thoughtful examination of many hot-button issues in current culture.
CK: First a question about the title – What does it mean? Who is doing the seeking? And who is the last gay man?
HZ: When I first wrote the show I wrote it based on the experiences of five of my closest friends and myself. We began talking about our recent break-ups and questioned what it meant to be in a relationship, what we gave up during our relationships and what we wanted from a relationship. After all, we all wanted the same thing, to be gay–happy. After several workshops and rewrites I came to the conclusion that I wanted to talk about the search for happiness. All of us humans want to be happy, gay. In this story, I take humanity as a whole as seeking that last moment of happiness.
CK: In your show you share some of your first experiences as a gay man – actually as a gay 16-year- old. At what point in your life were you aware that you were different, that you liked boys more than girls? How did that manifest itself?
HZ: I always knew I was different, I know it may sound/read cliche, but it’s the honest truth. I still feel different. But my complete awareness came after my coming out, which is a story I talk about in my show. I was “pushed out” of the closet after a night of romantic exploration with another young man my age. That night I knew I was different, I wasn’t gay, I didn’t know what that was, but I was pointed out as different.
As for my attraction to boys, I can say that I’ve always been attracted to both boys and girls. I wanted to be around girls all the time, play with them, dance with them… with boys, I felt my sexuality was more intrigued by them. Since I was very young. My first exploration was at the age of six with a boy my age.
CK: Your show compares the desire for sweetness and intimacy with the desire for sex. How do those two drives work together? How do they conflict?
HZ: Yes, my show also touches on the search for validation. Sex is a big motivation for acceptance and validation in the gay community and culture. In the story, this character is conflicted by his yearning for a love that is sweet and intimate, yearning for a successful romantic relationship, but as we all know, we do not have many positive examples of successful gay couples in media. So in his search, this character is trying very hard to fit to the standards of a community that has been outcast, ridiculed, and marginalized.
CK: Like many people in our culture, you seem to have reached out for the rebound relationship. Do you think there is a value to taking more time after the ending of a relationship to get on solid emotional ground before seeking out a new partner?
HZ: I truly believe that we all have our own journey and we each do the best we can in our search for happiness. A rebound relationship, for me, was the best thing that could happen after my separation.
Imagine believing in a fairy-tale idea of marriage, add the Catholic belief that “marriage is forever” imposed by a matriarchal family and words like “You wanted to get married; now suffer the consequences”. I felt like the worst human after deciding to leave my husband; I needed that human interaction I got from a rebound relationship.
CK: How can self-love heal the wounds of too-casual sex?
HZ: Self love allows for space to make decisions based on what the self truly wants. Sometimes he/she wants casual sex, sometimes he/she wants a burger. Casual sex with out self love can be fogged by the external search for validation and that’s where the troubles begin.
CK: You recently performed this show in Mexicali. What was your audience response there? Did you make any changes to the show based on that Mexican tour?
HZ: Well.. my first run was back in 2019. It was in English and I had a very limited budget. It was produced in the Bay Area and performed at the Marsh, SOMArts and the Queer Arts Fest in SF. For the Mexicali performance, which was part of my tour throughout Mexico, I was able to increase the production value with sets, costumes, props and original music, with the same budget I had in the Bay Area performances. I also translated into Spanish with the aid of a dramaturg and added a whole new concept to the piece by hiring an up-and-coming director in Mexico City.
Many people in the audience waited for me at the end of the show to hug me and talk to me about how the show spoke to and about them, both female and male. I had to go back and schedule three more shows.
CK: What do you see as the differences between how the Mexican culture treats homosexuals versus how they are treated in the US?
HZ: I’ve been a resident of the US since I was very young. I grew up in San Jose, CA with my mother, which is where I accepted my queerness. I saw Heklina in drag on TV on the Ricky Lake show at the age of 12. Queer folk were begining to take a space in media and the community. MTV released “My So-Called life”, a reality show, with a young gay Latinx man who had HIV. Space was being carved out in the US for folks like me. When I moved to Mexico to continue with my higher education, I was faced with a brick wall. I “had to hide” my gayness. Two of my dearest friends were un-a-lived for being gay. Three others were beaten and taken to the hospital. I can not compare, it would be unfair, because I can also say that Mexico has legalized same sex marriage in every state in the last two years.
CK: How can parents support their homosexual children’s life dreams and hopes in a world that still has difficulty accepting homosexuality?
HZ: How? I’m not a parent. Nor do I want to be. Lol. But maybe I can speak for what I wish I had. My father was such an understanding, trusting and playful Dad, he sadly was un-a-lived in a tragic accident. I think back on the Christmas before he passed. He asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted a boombox. He then said, “Are you sure, I know you get up late at night and use your mother’s sewing machine to make dresses for your sister’s dolls. Do you want your own? If you keep using your mother’s you may break it and she won’t be happy”.
Allow space for children to dream, imagine and play. Don’t judge. Life it’s just a game. We are all here to have fun and be happy.
CK: What message, if any, do you want your audiences to take with them after seeing Seeking The Last Gay Man?
HZ: Enjoy life. Life is but a series of stories we create in our mind. It’s much more fun when we play with others, live in the present with awareness and we share our experience and desires with our “cast members”.
Showtime is 7:30 pm. Tickets are $19-$22 at https://www.caltheatre.com/wednesdayweirdness
Saturday November 5 @ 7 pm. Sonoma County’s Got Talent! at Occidental Center for the Arts. Join us for our annual FUNdraiser
’Sonoma County’s Got Talent’! Cheer on the talented community members who will display their skills in varied genres and styles, while raising much needed funds to Keep the Arts in Our Hearts.Tickets are $25 General, $20 for OCA Members @ www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org; or at the door. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Fine refreshments for sale, Art Gallery open during intermission. Following current public health guidelines for optional indoor masking. Become an OCA Member and get free/discounted admission to all events. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. 707-874-9392.
Saturday October 29 @ 7 pm – 11 pm. Occidental Halloween Party with Thugz and Electric Tumbleweed! Get your tickets asap and join us for this fun and festive dance party celebrating Halloween in Occidental with two popular local bands. Suit Up! There’s a costume contest to boot! Doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $30 General/$25 for OCA Members at www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org; or at the door. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Fine refreshments for sale, art gallery open during intermission. Following current public health guidelines for optional indoor masking. Become an OCA Member and get free/discounted admission to all events. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. 707-874-9392. OCA is a non profit performing and fine arts organization with volunteer staffing.
Once upon a time, in a secluded Brazilian fishing village, there lived two young women, dependable Helena and her ambitious younger sister, Belmira. It is three days before Belmira’s wedding, a wedding Helena dreads. The groom should have been hers! During a fierce lightning storm, instead of a net of fish for the wedding banquet, the groom and his future father-in-law pull a handsome, well-dressed man with a bandaged head from the murky Amazon River. Where did the unconscious man come from? Assuming the man fell from his boat, the family tends to him in their home. The bride…Read more here
The River Bride November 3-20, 2022by Marisela Treviño-Ortaoriginal music by Nathan Rieblidirected by Marty PistoneThe River Bride is an emotionally riveting play that blends Brazilian folklore and modern poetic storytelling. It offers a vivid sensory experience underscored by original music in native rhythms.
Join us to celebrate 50 years of live theater. Our Gala features a fashion show of costumes from all fifty6th Street Playhouse seasons.
Just in time for Halloween, costumes, carefully curated from our wardrobe department and representing a show from each of our fifty seasons, could be yours. You were wowed when Dolly stepped into the spotlight in this gown.Hello Dolly, 1981You saw Grease and wanted to be a Pink Lady. Now’s your chance. With your partner in the Thunderbird costume, you’ll really “go together” at that up-coming Halloween party.
Grease, 2000
You are bidding on the trip to France…You’ll need something fabulous to wear at Versailles!
The Revolutionists, 2018
Costumes on auction will be modeled while you dine. Make them yours!
Our silent auction will be online and you will have the opportunity to bid on exciting items, including costumes, beginning on Monday, October 17th at 9am until 7:30pm on October 22nd. Winners will be announced at the Gala. Bidders do NOT have to be present to win. Please remember to bring a personal device to access our online auction live during the evening. The live auction will feature special items like trips to Hawaii and France, VIP experiences at local wineries, restaurants… and more!
What to Expect at the Golden Gala The Gala is an indoor/outdoor event. Dress accordingly.Guests are encouraged to come in costume! 5 – 5:30 pm: Arrive and enjoy signature cocktails and wine while you check in to the event and receive your swag bag and bidding paddle5:30 – 6 pm: Enjoy live music in the Monroe and view our fabulous silent auction items.6 – 7 pm: Your buffet-style seasonal dinner, provided by Sally’s Tomatoes, begins. You’ll dine at elegantly decorated outdoor tables under a beautiful tent with delicious wine and a special surprise. You will be entertained by live music during the costume fashion show. You will have a chance to bid on them during dinner!7 – 7:30 pm: Our Live Auction Starts! Get ready to stretch your arms and raise your paddles high for exciting items like a trip to France, a trip to Hawaii, a lifetime subscription to the playhouse and many morefabulous items.7:30 – 8:00 pm: Winners will be announced for our Silent Auction and then we will transition into the GK Hardt Theater for our featured entertainment of the night, The Bruthas.8:00 – 10:00 pm: The Bruthas will have you dancing in the aisles and entranced by their skillful and soulful performance. There will be a 20 minute intermission where you can refresh your beverage and grab a sweet treat in the lobby.10:00 – 10:30 pm: We bid you goodnight! Don’t forget to check out with our greeting tables to pay for your treasures won at the live or silent auctions.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts (“SebArts”) is hosting a classical tango concert on Friday, October 21 by three international women who bring ethnic and gender diversity to professional opportunities for women in the historically male-dominated tango genre and extend tango’s geographic reach beyond urban areas. The three women of “Las Almas,” Korean
Saturday October 15 @ 8 pm. Heartwood Crossing at Occidental Center for the Arts. Heartwood Crossing returns to OCA for an evening of amazing harmonies and uplifting, energizing music! Treat yourself to Americana at its finest. This talented local group is sure to include some of your favorite tunes, and thrill you with their originals. Heartwood Crossing is Emily Lois, Dan Ransford, Tim Sheehan, Dave Monterey, Jon Berger and Daniel Magee. Tickets to this event are $25 GA, $20 for OCA members at www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org; or at the door. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Fine refreshments for sale, art gallery open during intermission. Following current public health guidelines for optional indoor masking. Become an OCA Member and get free/discounted admission to all events! 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. OCA is a non profit performing and fine arts center staffed by volunteers.
Teresa Tudury at Occidental Center for the Arts. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the magnificently talented and witty comedic chanteuse Teresa Tudury, with special guests! Teresa is visiting from New Mexico and we’re thrilled to welcome her back to our stage. This performance will be in our outdoor amphitheater. Please bring your own seat cushion or low-back chair. Front row seating (chairs) available for patrons unable to maneuver the amphitheater stairs. OCA is wheelchair accessible. Fine refreshments for sale, art gallery open during intermission. This will be a sell out so get your tickets early ! @ www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. Tickets are $25 GA, $20 for OCA members. Become an OCA member for free and reduced event admission. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465. 707-874-