South Coast Repertory and Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch, a popular southland soul-food restaurant, are offering a tasty and economical way to see August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Piano Lesson, which opens Oct. 22, for a five-week mainstage run, featuring Ted Lange, Victor Mack, Charlie Robinson, Ricco Ross, Kim Staunton, Terrilynn Towns, Al White and Myiedra Miles. The theatre and restaurant have teamed up for a $50 Travel Package on Oct. 23 that includes lunch at Aunt Kizzy's Marina del Rey location, transportation to the 2.30 PM matinee at SCR, a post-show meet-the-cast reception and return transportation arriving back at Aunt Kizzy's around 7 PM.
Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch is located at 4325 Glencoe in the Ralph's Shopping Center. Parking is available in the shopping center lot. Tickets must be purchased in advance. There will be no day-of tickets. Call (714) 708-5555.
The Piano Lesson continues through Nov. 21.
The world premiere of John Olive's The Summer Moon will take place on SCR's Second Stage Nov. 5, directed by Mark Rucker. The play was developed in the SCR's new-play laboratory. Greg Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita and John K. Linton star in this drama about the first Japanese car salesman in America.
Watanabe plays a young businessman sent to Long Beach Harbort in the late 50s by a Japanese auto company. Tomita plays a young Nisei (second-generation Japanese-American), Linton her estranged American husband, a former fighter pilot in WW II. The run is through Dec. 5, 1999.Olive's other plays include Standing On My Knees and Voice of the Prairie. He has also written fiction, journalism and screenplays.
SCR is located at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.
-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent