San Diego Actors Theatre Presents 'The Zoo Story'

From SDAT: A park bench at the charming Pioneer Park in Mission Hills is the “Central Park” setting for San Diego Actors Theatre’s (SDAT) upcoming site-specific production of The Zoo Story by three time Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright, Edward Albee. Of note - the year 2018 will mark the sixtieth anniversary of The Zoo Story. Weekend performances run from October 28th through November 12th (Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. matinees).

The Zoo Story is Produced and Directed by SDAT Founder/Artistic Director Patricia Elmore Costa, starring Byron LaDue as Jerry and Fred Harlow as Peter.

Written in 1958, The Zoo Story achieved instant acclaim for the “recognizable humanity of its characters” (Green, 2004) and for its themes of daily despair beneath the surface of middle-class life. The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, miscommunication and dehumanization in a commercial world.

PATRICIA ELMORE COSTA, one of the two first female Artistic Directors in San Diego, directed The Zoo Story while an undergrad student of theatre in her university directing class. “Although the subject matter may be complex and difficult; I see a lot of humor in Albee’s play and we are exploring that along with the angst of this existential gem.” - Patricia Elmore Costa

SAN DIEGO ACTORS THEATRE is a non-profit professional arts organization incorporated in 1985 by Founder & Artistic Director, Patricia Elmore Costa who has been its driving force directing, producing and performing along with many of San Diego’s finest actors in main stage productions and site-specific theatre projects. Ms Elmore Costa has directed staged readings for the past fifteen years at diverse venues throughout the city and county of San Diego (Downtown San Diego, Del Mar, La Jolla, Liberty Station, Balboa Park, Mission Hills) as well as traditional theatres (Bowery Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Moxie Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, the 6th Avenue Playhouse and 6th and Penn Theatre). Most recently she continues to direct Sunday Staged Readings in its third season at La Jolla Riford Library. She received KPBS Radio’s Best Director award for Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

Ms. Elmore Costa is finishing up her Masters of Arts, Communications (San Diego State University) and her B.A. and B.M.A. in Theatre and Communications (Western Illinois University, USC, and UCSD). She teaches Communication Studies at San Diego City College. In 2009, she wrote the original script Fiancee in a Box, inspired by the 2007 filmLars and the Real Girl,. Fiancee in a Box debuted in 2009 at the groundbreaking, engaging and interactive Dive In Theatre at L’Auberge Del Mar Lap Pool and was featured by the late Larry Himmel of KFMB Channel 8.

For thirty-two years - The San Diego Actors Theatre has provided the San Diego community with professional, high quality, critically-acclaimed productions and projects with San Diego top theatre artists that challenge the intellect with important social messages as well as being provocative, enlightening, uplifting and entertaining. More information athttp://sdactorstheatre.net/.

Image Courtesy of SDAT