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Updated
7/18/04
Best Kept Arts & Entertainment Secrets
The Chance Theater
Anaheim Hills
If you’ve driven
through Anaheim Hills and passed Imperial Highway and La Palma
Avenue, then you may have driven right by one of the best
kept arts and entertainment secrets in Orange County. Since
1999, The Chance Theater has been creating an impassioned
selection of theatre productions ranging from contemporary
off-Broadway hits to hard-hitting commentaries and innovative
interpretations of the classics to progressive original works
by emerging playwrights. Since its inception, the press has
recognized the Chance through accolades, awards, and numerous
“Best of” lists for its high quality productions.
More importantly, the continual satisfaction of returning
audience members proves that the theatre created by the Chance
is not to be missed.
The Chance Theater is home to the Chance Theatre Company,
a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose primary focus
is to produce stimulating drama in innovative ways and to
be a catalyst for personal transformation. Jocelyn A. Brown,
the Chance’s Public Relations Director, asserts that
“the Chance strives for theatre that captures the heart
and the imagination, establishing a powerful current between
artist and audience. There is an intelligent, lively, inquisitive
Orange County theatre audience that responds to rich ideas,
startling language and compelling visuals. Our audience and
artists alike desire to experience moments of chance and discovery
produced on stage. Only through risk shall the extraordinary
moments of chance be found…”.
Recent highlights from the Chance’s 2003 season include
OC Weekly Theater Awards for Best Director and Best Supporting
Performance for a collection of Samuel Beckett’s one-acts
titled ”That Which Remains” and critical acclaim
for the performance and direction of “The Fantasticks”,
the longest running musical off-Broadway. In addition, the
Chance was commissioned by the Getty Museum to produce the
moving biographical play “Lee Miller: The Angel and
The Fiend” to coincide with an exhibition of the photographer’s
work which was later brought to Orange County for a limited
engagement.
“…the Chance group proves
theatre is thriving”
-- Melinda Schupman, Back Stage West
"... bringing passion to the craft of live theater"
-- Eric Marchese, O.C. Register
"the Chance has emerged as a prolific little theater..."
-- Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times
The Chance recently moved into new digs at 5552 E. La Palma
Avenue, an end unit at the front of an industrial park that
the Chance called home for nearly five years. The larger space
- some 3,000 square feet – possesses a much larger lobby
and a house of 1,500 square feet. This is a true black box
with a full capacity of 100 seats. Intriguingly, the space
allows for a flexible seating arrangement; the seating configuration
can shift from thrust, to proscenium, to arena, to whatever
is conceived by the director and designers for each production.
The Chance Theater’s 2004 repertory season
productions include: Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard"
(running through Feb. 15); Tony Kushner’s adaptation
of “The Illusion” (running through Feb. 15); Gilbert
and Sullivan's "The Yeomen of the Guard" (starting
March 5); the Chance Theatre Company’s improv show “The
Lord of the Screen: The Fellowship of the Pen – The
Improv-ical” (starting March 13); Richard Nelson's "Goodnight
Children Everywhere" (starting May 7); Sophocles’
“Oedipus at Colonus” (starting May 14); the festival
of original works, First Chance Fest (starting July 2); the
Sondheim and Furth musical "Company" (starting Sept.
3); Stephen Belber's "Tape" (starting Sept. 10);
the stage version of the Frank Capra holiday classic "It's
a Wonderful Life" (starting Nov. 12); and Jeff Goode's
"The Eight Reindeer Monologues" (starting Nov. 19).
Season passes are available for the avid theatre-goer. The
deluxe pass of $135, “The Full Monty”, provides
admission to the entire season. At $75, the "As You Like
It" pass allows one to create a customized season by
selecting any six shows.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to partake in an
evening or afternoon at the Chance, it is highly recommended.
The theater is located at 5552 E. La Palma Avenue, Anaheim
Hills. The company's box-office phone number is (714) 777-3033.
Check out the Chance’s website at www.chancetheater.com.
Come see why The Chance Theater is "one
of the best small theaters in Orange County"! -- Daniel
Bernstein, AOL Digital City
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