California Stage

The Short Center Repertory Interviews

We put together brief interviews with Director James C.Anderson and some of the actors involved with the show. These interviews share the excitement of working on the production. These interviews are available in both text and video format.

James C. Anderson [watch or read interview]

Robert Maciejewski [watch or read interview]

Andrea Michaels [watch or read interview]

Crom Saunders [watch or read interview]

Short Center Repertory in Sacramento Appearance

  The Short Center Repertory will present 4 by David Ives at California Stage, 1725 25th St.(25th and R Streets) beginning May 11th until May 27th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.  Short Center Rep is a Sacramento-based company of adult actors with developmental disabilities that has gained a national reputation for innovative theatre. Space is limited. For reservations call 916 451 5822.   Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for people with disabilities, seniors, children, SARTA members.  All performances will be American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted.

 "4 by David Ives is an evening of comedy sketches presenting four wildly different views of love and relationships," said Short Center Repertory Artistic Director James C. Anderson.  "These are plays about young moderns in love.  It's very sophisticated writing, very funny lines, very New York.  That's unusual for us, but in other ways it is typical of the plays we choose to do.  People with developmental disabilities in love and relationship?  Yes, like all the rest of us!  That's what our company has been about from the beginning, challenging stereotypes and opening up the borders between 'us' and 'them'. In this engagement we are joined by excellent guest actors, one of whom is deaf and one of whom is blind, the audience will cross even more boundaries--laughing all the while, we hope."

 Crom Saunders, an exceptionally talented deaf actor who has appeared on stages from San Francisco to Sacramento City College, is one of two special guest artists to appear with Short Center Repertory.  He plays the principal role in the sketch Degas, C'est Moi, performing in American Sign Language and voice-acted by veteran Rep actor, Robert Maciejewski, with the company in all the supporting roles.  Saunders, who has performed at Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco, has appeared locally in major roles in Equus and Translations at Sacramento City Theatre and in Ma Hicks at California Stage. 

 The other special guest artist is Regina Brink from the Sacramento Society for the Blind, who appeared in the episode "More Than Meets the Eye" in the long-running CBS series, Lassie.  She is also an accomplished vocalist and is currently preparing a CD of original music. The sketch Sure Thing features Brink and veteran company member Brian Hillebert, who has appeared in major roles in The Cripple of Innishman at the Thistle Dew Theatre, Walls with Interact and Twilight, Los Angeles at Celebration Arts. 

 The program is completed with two more sketches.  Dr. Fritz or the Forces of Light will feature company members Ted Yeager and Brenan Wever, who played Helen Keller in the company's much-acclaimed tour of The Miracle Worker.  Time Flies features Maciejewski, Andrea Michaels and David Cravey.

 Since 1988 Short Center Repertory has toured extensively presenting over eighteen productions, including their own take on such modern classics as A Christmas Carol, The Miracle Worker, Samuel Beckett's Endgame and Bertolt Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan.  They have performed at The Seattle Fringe Festival, The San Francisco FringeFestival, The Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, the National Arts and Disability TheatreShowcase and the International Arts and Soul Festival.  Locally they have presented performances at Sacramento Theatre Company, Celebration Arts, and California Stage.  Local performances are supported in part by a grant from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

 Seating is limited so reservations are highly recommended,
916 451 5822. All performances will be American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted.