Community Calendar I
Princess Bride showing at:
museum? Inconceivablel
AA meetings resume
Avalon AA meetings are resum-
ing with appropriate COVID-19
precautions. Meetings will be
held on Monday, Tuesday, Friday
and Saturdays from 6 to 7 pm. at
the Singing Waters Community
Church, 349 Catalina St.
August 5-8
‘Fools’ by Neil Simon
The Avalon Community Players
are returning to the stage with
their production of “Fools” by
Neil Simon. The play, directed by
Sean Brannock, is a farce about
a town cursed by stupidity, and
will be performed at the Catalina
Casino Theater. Performances are
at 7 pm. Thur. Aug. 5 through
Saturday, Aug. 7, with a 4:30 pm.
performance on Sunday Aug. 8.
Tickets are $15. For advance
tickers call 310-595-6714. Tickets
will be available for purchased at
the door.
August
'First Friday Movie at
Museum
The Catalina Island Museum’s
First Friday movie for August is
The Princess Bride. Taking place
on the first Friday of every month
through November, the Museum
will screen popular films under
the stars in the outdoor Ackerman
Family Amphitheater.
For First Friday Films held July
through September, the Museum
will re-open at 7 pm. with screen-
ings at approximately 8 pm. after
sundown. During the fall months,
the Museum will re-open at 6 pm.
with screenings at approximately
6:45 pm. for First Friday Films
held in October and November. A
variety of movie snacks along with
wine and beer will be available for
purchase. Tickets to First Friday
Films are $12 per person and can
be purchased online at catalinamu-
seum.org/calendar.
Catalina Island Museum remains
committed to the health and well-
ness of Museum guests, employ-
ees, and the Surrounding commu-
nity. Enhanced safety measures
have been put in place including
increased frequency of cleaning
services and disinfecting all high-
touch surfaces, and the addition
of hand sanitizing stations. The
Museum encourages visitors to pre-
purchase tickets and to use credit or
debit cards for transactions.
August 10 and 12
Summer Beach Bingo
Bring your beach chair and
some friends to the South Beach
Lifeguard stand every Tuesday,
Thursday from 6 to 7 pm. Bingo
cards are $1 each and participants
‘ can win fun local prizes.
South Beach, Avalon, CA 90704
Info: 310-510-0220 ext. 230
Presented By: City of Avalon
Dates: June 15 Sept. 2
Recurrence: Recurring weekly
on Tuesday, Thursday
Location: South Beach Lifeguard
Stand
August 9 and 11
Movie Under the Stars
Descanso Beach Club
1 St. Catherine Way, Avalon, CA
90704
Watch a movie under the stars on
Catalina Island at Descanso Beach
Club on select summer evenings.
Calendar, Page
Courtesy Photo
Seasoned performers and newcomers of various ages are finding joy in
returning to the Casino Theater stage with “Fools.”
Players bring passion to performances
'Fools’ Cast, from
different back-
grounds, share love
of stage, I.
Bin-:0 APODACA’ “
"Actors are §fiming to the
“stage in Avalfii Live theater
is currently lighting up the
Famous Casino. Local players
are returning to their passion.
It may, or may not, actually be
career (yet?), but members of the
Avalon Players are putting their
hearts and souls in the produc-
tion of “Fools,” which opened
last night and runs through
Sunday.
Whether new, or seasoned per-
formers, director Sean Brannock
has assembled a dedicated group
of Thespians to bring the players
back to life. As island residents,
the players are likely known, and
loved, by many on the island.
Mary Schickling earned a bach-
elors in theater and worked as a
stand-up comic and actress for
25 years before re-locating to
Catalina in 1994.
Like a duck to water, she
found Brannock and joined his
circle of performers to put on
productions. A beautiful “artsy”
friendship was born, she said.
She’s performed in several pro-
ductions over the years and said
she has enjoyed them all. She
expects this show to be the same.
“It’s my pleasure and my joy
to be a member of the cast in this
wacky production,” Schickling
said.
In contrast to Schickling,
Andrew Quintana is a rela-
tive newcomer. His first the-
ater experience was here on the
island with the Avalon play-
ers, when he was cast in the
2019 production of “Joseph
and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat.” Visitors might find
Andrew taking them on a tour in
(in
his work as a tour driver for the
Catalina Island Company, but
they can witness new calling on
stage in “Fools.”
“Working with Avalon com-
munity Theater Players has been
a fantastic experience,” Quintana
said. .
Two members 'of the cast
spend their work hours in educa-
tion, Rich “Mr. Z” Zanelli, who
is the Director of Education for
the Catalina Island Conservancy.
He loves working in education,
but he has a passion for the-
ater. He’s lived on Catalina for
18 years and has performed in
more than 30 productions in his
lifetime.
“I enjoy performing because I
like to create over-the-top char-
acters that border on the outra—
geous,” Zanelli said.
Erica Minuto has been a
teacher at Avalon School for 25
years. She has done four produc-
tions with the Avalon players
since 2018. But her first expe-
rience came in the ‘80s, when
she performed in two Avalon
School productions, “Peter Pan”
and “The Wizard of Oz.” Playing
the Wicked Witch of the West is
still one of her favorite parts. She
loved being the villain, she said.
Minuto said she enjoys tak-
Fools, Page 13
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