general want to move on? It stuck with me. But the truth is that every show I do is never finished in my mind. You do a lot of work, and at some point you have to commit to things and set it and move on. But even when I come back during performances after opening night, I think I wish I had done this or that. That’s part of the creative process of theater, because it changes night to night and you constantly get new ideas. But this is the first opportunity in the 55 shows I’ve directed to go back and revisit. I’m very interested because the first tine we did it, it was hilarious. But some of the things weren’t as grounded as I would have liked them to be. We still want the comedy, because it is a farce – and it’s funny to see these powerful guys act all prissy. But now I’m pushing 50, and I’m more interested in digging into the relationships and having the comedy come out of that. As far as the cast, it’s been great to come back six years later after they’ve all done so many shows, and quite a few together. The actors have their own existing relationships. To watch that translate onto the stage is fantastic. What else has changed? What did you learn in the meantime? I’ve learned a lot more about these individuals as people. I know them so much better. I’ve kept reading and following over the years. It feels like they are more present to me as people; they’ve come more to life for me than the first time around. And just the weight of it all. Selznick was a memo writer, he was dictating all the time, even during the play. He actually sent one memo to Vivian Leigh about her acting that weighed half a pound and took 10 days for her to respond to. Imagine that in the age of cell phones and texting. I was just reading recently how GWTW to this day is second in popularity all time to the Bible. All these details have brought them more alive. And I see even more their continued influence on what filmmaking has become. I have to point out that the play received mixed reviews when it ran in New York in the 2000s, including an absolute pan from The New York Times, and even your earlier production didn’t receive only raves, though the criticism I read was about the play, not the acting or direction. How do you account for that? I thought about it when I read that there were negative reviews. The play looks easier than it is. It’s not light comedy. I didn’t see that production in New York – I’ve never actually seen anyone else’s – so I’m not sure what they reacted to. There are some sequences where the serious subjects get in the way – things about racism, 25 August – 1 September 2016
and artists’ social responsibility – and that can be a hard balance to get through. But it’s not meant to be Noel Coward-style wit. It’s meant to be zany and off the wall. That might not be to everybody’s taste. When we started the re-mount, I realized I never read my own reviews from 2010, and I decided not to now. Because we’re approaching it with fresh eyes, and I didn’t want to be influenced by what we did before beyond my own memories.
100% Leased downtown Mixed-Use space For saLe ▶ 212 cottage grove ave., santa BarBara
So what do you want audiences to take away? It’s the entire experience. The overarching thing is what it takes to create a piece of art. You’ll laugh all the way through, pause to think a few times, laugh some more, and at the end of the show, you understand that these artists got together and created this amazing work, and you just saw a peek into that process.
Offered at $2,795,000 | 5.1% CAP This ±7,005 SF, mixed-use office/retail building in downtown Santa Barbara is offered at $2,795,000 or $399/SF and a 5.1% CAP rate. The New England Craftsman-style building with apartments on the 2nd floor and ample parking sits walking distance to State Street, in close proximity to the beach with easy access to the 101 Freeway.
(Rubicon Theatre’s Moonlight and Magnolias previews WednesdayFriday, opens on Saturday, September 3, and runs through September 18 at Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura. Tickets cost $20-$54. Call 667-2900 or visit www.rubicontheatre. org.)
5 Q’s about In the Heights
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is a huge sensation on Broadway, winner of 11 Tony Awards earlier this year (after being nominated for a record 16). But before the young playwright created the modern musical about American founding father Alexander Hamilton, he wrote the music and lyrics for In the Heights, a universal drama about chasing your dreams and finding your true home set in New York City’s vibrant Washington Heights community. The groundbreaking show – which also won the Tony for Best Musical – gets its area premiere through PCPA, which moves its production to Solvang’s Festival Theater this weekend. We talked with director Michael Jenkinson. Q. This is the first area production. Can you give us a quick synopsis of the story? A. Gosh, only a thin veneer. There are so many subplots, which are part of the appeal. It is Miranda’s love letter to his community, because he’s from Washington Heights. The essence is what happens when someone in the neighborhood wins lottery money, and the choice of how to use it. Will it get to the hands of the people who most need it? It starts one way, then everything shifts and changes by the second act. And there are two love
ENTERTAINMENT Page 274
Austin Herlihy
Steve Brown
Chris Parker
805.879.9633
805.879.9607
805.879.9642
BRE 01518112
BRE 00461986
BRE 01887788
Contact Listing Agents for Details about this Outstanding Investment Opportunity
The Radius Team. Monumental Results. Every Time. 2 0 5 E . C a r r i l l o s t. s u i t E 1 0 0 | s a n ta B a r B a r a C a 9 3 1 0 1 8 0 5 . 9 6 5 . 5 5 0 0 | r a d i u s g r o u p. C o m
GERALD S. THEDE
June 30, 1928 – August 7, 2016
J
erry Thede passed away peacefully August 7, 2016 in Santa Barbara from complications of Parkinson’s Disease after a decades’ long battle. He was a devoted family man, a truly generous and loyal friend, and a professional of the highest integrity, compassion, and skill. He just wanted to be thought of as a “good man”. Born in the small town of Dinuba, California, to Harry C. Thede and Nell Sewell Thede, Jerry was three when the family moved to the nearby metropolis of Madera where Jerry lived through high school. Jerry and his older brother Bob (who died in 2007) were the first members of the family to attend college. Both attended Stanford University and Stanford Law School. Jerry was awarded his BA “with distinction” in 1950. Having commenced law school in his senior year, he graduated from Stanford Law School in 1952 and was elected to the Order of the Coif, a national honorary scholastic society that invites the top 10% of each graduating class to membership. Also in this class were future U.S. Supreme Court Justices William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O’Connor. Upon graduation, Jerry accepted a position with the Santa Barbara law firm of Price, Postel and Parma, which traces its history back to 1852. He practiced mainly in the area of estate planning and administration, and retired as the firm’s senior partner in 1998. Jerry is survived by his wife, the former April Ravelle, whom he married in 1966 and with whom he was fortunate to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary earlier this year. He was the father by a former marriage of two sons – Eric, who was killed while attending the University of Oregon in 1976, and Jeff, who is also an estate planning attorney, practicing in Portland, Oregon. Jeff is married to Jan, and they are the parents of Justine (a third generation estate planning attorney working with her dad in Portland) and Carsten (who works in advertising in San Francisco). Over the years, Jerry supported many nonprofit organizations by serving on the boards of Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Association for Old Age Care, Montecito Retirement Associates (Casa Dorinda), Foundation for Santa Barbara City College, Music Academy of the West and Rotary Club. Lastly, he was an outstanding mentor for a child through the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. As a man with many interests, Jerry was an instrument-rated pilot and flew on many tours with the Aviation Country Club of California and was a member of the Santa Barbara Club, Birnam Wood Golf Club and La Cumbre Golf and Country Club. There will be a celebration of Jerry’s life from 4 to 6 pm on Sunday, September 18, 2016, at the Santa Barbara Club, 1105 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara. Contributions in Jerry’s memory may be made to Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, 632 East Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara 93103. Arrangements entrusted to Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapels.
If you’re compiling a list of redundancies, you may add “soaking wet” and “basic fundamentals”
MONTECITO JOURNAL
23