New Village Arts Reschedules World Premiere Of DESERT ROCK GARDEN

New Village Arts (NVA), North County’s cultural hub, announced today that it has rescheduled the world premiere of DESERT ROCK GARDEN and the Final Draft New Play Festival and that both will take place at NVA’s home theatre in Carlsbad not at the Oceanside Theatre Company as originally planned. The company has informed current ticket holders that they will be contacted directly by the box office to arrange exchanges as needed.

DESERT ROCK GARDEN previews will take place February 11-18, with opening night on February 19 and close March 13. The Final Draft New Play Festival will take place April 1-3.

“In addition to all of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Village Arts is also working around the plans for our building renovation,” says Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner. “Construction was slated to begin in January but was postponed until April, so we decided to present the World Premiere of DESERT ROCK GARDEN and the Final Draft New Play Festival in our home theatre.“

Desert Rock Garden

Written by Roy Sekigahama, DESERT ROCK GARDEN is a fictionalized historical story about a young orphan and a Japanese immigrant who forge a friendship in the Topaz War Relocation Center in 1943, revealing the inherent human ability to transform nothing — loneliness and barren desert — into something long-lasting and precious.

“I wrote DESERT ROCK GARDEN  as part of the 2019 New Village Arts’ Final Draft New Play Festival, and I am grateful to NVA for helping launch the world premiere of the full play this year,” said Sekigahama. “The story is a memory play about belonging, family, and creating something beautiful out of nothing, and I hope it brings attention to the history of Japanese incarceration camps in the United States.”

Opening night on February 19 will feature a commemoration to mark the 80th Anniversary of Executive Order 9066 resulting in the forced removal of 120,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry to incarceration camps across America. New Village Arts received its first grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of this thrilling new work, which is also supported by the California Civil Liberties Program and the City of Carlsbad
Cultural Arts Office.

Schedule
Previews: February 11-18
Opening Night: February 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Performances: February 20-March 13

Sponsors
National Endowment for the Arts
California Libraries Civil Liberties Program
City of Carlsbad Cultural Arts Office
Randy Pabst and Kathy Hagenbach

Final Draft New Play Festival

Produced by Farah Dinga, the Final Draft New Play Festival held April 1-3 will feature 10 never before seen plays written by talented local playwrights, as well as delicious craft beers.

“This type of festival is rare in San Diego, and it’s an exciting opportunity to uplift local emerging playwrights and their stories,” said Festival Producer Farah Dinga. “Representing our community responsibly and accurately was really important to me, so we sought a diverse play selection committee of incredible artists who value and understand the importance of recognizing diversity in our community. These values were ever-present in the selection of our line-up this year, and we are honored to help fill some of the gaps in representation and narrative in the San Diego theatre scene.”

Saturday features a one-act and full length play, and the festival concludes Sunday with another one-act and full-length play. Festival passes for all virtual viewings are available for $30.

Sponsors
Festival Producer: Farah Dinga
Festival  Sponsors: Don & Becky Sciglimpaglia
Sponsors for The Forgotten Beasts and Weird(o): Bill & Judy Garrett
Beer Sponsor: Pure Project

Location
New Village Arts
2787 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008

Ticket information:
Click here!
(760) 433-3245

New Village Arts 20th Anniversary Season 2021–22

*Location(s) pending COVID guidelines; check website for most updated information

DESERT ROCK GARDEN
WORLD PREMIERE PLAY
February 11-March 13, 2022
New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad
Written by Roy Sekigahama
Directed by Yari Cervas

INTO THE WOODS
STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S TWISTED FAIRY TALES
Co-production with Oceanside Theatre Company
March 26–May 1, 2022
Oceanside Theatre Company at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside
Written by Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine
Directed by Kristianne Kurner

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
CLASSIC MUSICAL THEATRE
*POSTPONED UNTIL 2023
Screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed
Directed by AJ Knox

Performance Days and Times
New this season! Select Wednesday matinees at 2PM
Thursdays: 7:30PM (not available for performances at Oceanside Theatre Company)
Fridays: 8PM
Saturdays: 2PM and 7:30PM
Sundays: 2PM and select Sundays at 7PM

Tickets and Subscriptions
Single tickets for the 2021–22 season are $30–$59, or $27 for previews.
Season Passes for all four shows are $175. Discounts are available for seniors, military, and students, and for groups of ten or more.

COVID Safety Protocols

Audience safety is our primary concern. All NVA staff, performers, ushers, crew, and volunteers are fully vaccinated. Throughout this season all guests need to have a photo ID and either their physical CDC vaccination card, a picture of their vaccination card, or a digital vaccination record, until further notice. There must be at least 14 days elapsed from the date of the second dose for Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Any unvaccinated person must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours of the performance date. Masks are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, for all indoor performances,
events and activities.

About New Village Arts

Celebrating 20 years of award-winning professional theatre, thrilling and unique visual arts, and thriving education and outreach programs, New Village Arts (NVA) has truly become the cultural hub of North County San Diego.

NVA attracts more than 20,000 patrons each year to experience professional theatre, currently presented in the heart of Carlsbad Village. In addition to full seasons of plays and musicals featuring some of the best artistic talent in Southern California, NVA hosts talkback discussions and other supplementary events designed to create conversation and cultivate community. NVA offers robust theatre programs in partnership with local schools and strongly believes that theatre and arts experiences should be accessible to ALL people, becoming a recognized leader in equity, diversity, and inclusion in San Diego. NVA has been fortunate to receive support from the City of Carlsbad and other local businesses, who recognize the importance of a resident professional theatre company as a crucial component of an inclusive and creative community. In turn NVA prioritizes serving its community by presenting works that respect its diversity, engaging every citizen with relevant and inspiring stories.

New Village Arts is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization listed under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS.

See you there, San Diego!

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