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| 2008 Benefit Poker Tournament a Huge Success! On May 31st in the Condor Room of the Pine Mountain Clubhouse, MARC hosted the Mountain Shakespeare Festival’s 2nd annual Poker Fundraiser. 35 players generously donated to the cause and played their hearts out for a chance to win the top prize of a World Series of Poker tournament seat. The tournament began at 2:00 with those famous words, “Shuffle up and Deal!” and the game began. The event was an unqualified success, exceeding all expectations and raising enough funds to cover the costs of the sets, lights, costumes and many other operating expenses for the summer season of plays. The Directors and Board of the Mountain Shakespeare Festival want to thank all who helped to make this possible including Poker Fundraiser Board Member in charge Bob Saberhagen, the staff of the Clubhouse and MARC for their unflagging support. And congratulations to our first place winner for 2008, Leigh Strother- Vien, may she go on to win the Main Event! 1st Place! Leigh Strother-Vien 2 - Eric Edgar 3 - Bruce Gordon 4 - Tony Deleeuw 5 - Charlie Rippe 6 - David Kjenaas 7 - Francis Hamit 8 - Kevin Lewis 9 - Steve Hoover 10 - Gary Biggerstaff 11 - Conrad Schwarm 12 - Troy Nelson 13 - Mike Gates |
| Leigh Strother-Vien, the Winner! |
Bakersfield Californian
Camille Gavin: Mountain Shakespeare Fest on the rise
by CAMILLE GAVIN, contributing columnist
e-mail: gavinarts@aol.com | Wednesday, Jun 25 2008 10:42 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 25 2008 10:42 AM
Some local residents may be surprised to learn, as I was, that a budding Shakespeare festival awaits them at the top of the
Grapevine and that it’s now in its third season. A few years ago I wrote a few lines about live theater performances in the Frazier
Park area but had no idea it’s grown into what is now called the Mountain Shakespeare Festival.
True, the festival is still in its formative stages, with performances on weekends only from July 5 to 27, outdoors at Pine
Mountain Club.
Even so, Peter Kjenaas, the artistic director, thinks it has the potential to become an attraction equal to that of the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore., which draws people from all over the country during its 10-month season. The director
is no stranger to Ashland, having spent three seasons there playing lead roles. He’s also got solid professional credits, with
memberships in the Dramatists Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Actors Equity Association.
Kjenaas believes Frazier Park itself could well be the biggest draw for a festival, given the beauty of its natural environment and
its location, only an hour’s drive from either Bakersfield or the northernmost communities of Los Angeles.
“We’re trying to get folks to see it as a great weekend getaway, a place where the whole family can have fun and breathe clean
air,” said Kjenaas, who has lived in the area for the past eight years. He and his wife, actress-teacher Michelle Morain, are the
parents of two children.
“We had been living this theatrical lifestyle — 15 days here, 15 days there — and we realized we couldn’t do that anymore,” he
said. “So we moved here in 2000, then we adopted twins from Bolivia, a boy and a girl.”
Many of those in the festival’s company live in the mountain community, including a number of Frazier Park High School
students. As for the more experienced actors, several involved in this summer’s productions — “Comedy of Errors” and “You
Can’t Take it With You” on alternating weekends — will be familiar to Bakersfield theatergoers.
One is Bob Kempf, who is directing “Comedy of Errors.” He has been involved with Bakersfield College’s Kern Shakespeare
Festival and has acted in and directed productions at other local venues.
Among the actors appearing are Roger Mathey, former manager of Spotlight Theatre; Don McClure, who played the lead role in
BC’s “Hamlet”; and Joe Mitchell, who was in the cast of “You Can’t Take it With You.” That show, written by George S. Kaufman
and Moss Hart, just finished a three-week run at Spotlight, and was directed by Kempf. Kjenaas, however, will direct the
Mountain Shakespeare Festival’s production of the play, which opens July 11.
Coupling an Elizabethan play with a 20th century comedy may seem a bit odd. But, says Kjenaas, they are linked by a common
thread.
“They are both about the uniting of very different worlds and the coming together of different walks of life,” he said.
Both, he added, have enjoyed a rich and successful production history.
Performances are on a thrust stage that has been added to the gazebo at Pine Mountain Club. Chair seating is provided.
Camille Gavin: Mountain Shakespeare Fest on the rise
by CAMILLE GAVIN, contributing columnist
e-mail: gavinarts@aol.com | Wednesday, Jun 25 2008 10:42 AM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jun 25 2008 10:42 AM
Some local residents may be surprised to learn, as I was, that a budding Shakespeare festival awaits them at the top of the
Grapevine and that it’s now in its third season. A few years ago I wrote a few lines about live theater performances in the Frazier
Park area but had no idea it’s grown into what is now called the Mountain Shakespeare Festival.
True, the festival is still in its formative stages, with performances on weekends only from July 5 to 27, outdoors at Pine
Mountain Club.
Even so, Peter Kjenaas, the artistic director, thinks it has the potential to become an attraction equal to that of the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore., which draws people from all over the country during its 10-month season. The director
is no stranger to Ashland, having spent three seasons there playing lead roles. He’s also got solid professional credits, with
memberships in the Dramatists Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and Actors Equity Association.
Kjenaas believes Frazier Park itself could well be the biggest draw for a festival, given the beauty of its natural environment and
its location, only an hour’s drive from either Bakersfield or the northernmost communities of Los Angeles.
“We’re trying to get folks to see it as a great weekend getaway, a place where the whole family can have fun and breathe clean
air,” said Kjenaas, who has lived in the area for the past eight years. He and his wife, actress-teacher Michelle Morain, are the
parents of two children.
“We had been living this theatrical lifestyle — 15 days here, 15 days there — and we realized we couldn’t do that anymore,” he
said. “So we moved here in 2000, then we adopted twins from Bolivia, a boy and a girl.”
Many of those in the festival’s company live in the mountain community, including a number of Frazier Park High School
students. As for the more experienced actors, several involved in this summer’s productions — “Comedy of Errors” and “You
Can’t Take it With You” on alternating weekends — will be familiar to Bakersfield theatergoers.
One is Bob Kempf, who is directing “Comedy of Errors.” He has been involved with Bakersfield College’s Kern Shakespeare
Festival and has acted in and directed productions at other local venues.
Among the actors appearing are Roger Mathey, former manager of Spotlight Theatre; Don McClure, who played the lead role in
BC’s “Hamlet”; and Joe Mitchell, who was in the cast of “You Can’t Take it With You.” That show, written by George S. Kaufman
and Moss Hart, just finished a three-week run at Spotlight, and was directed by Kempf. Kjenaas, however, will direct the
Mountain Shakespeare Festival’s production of the play, which opens July 11.
Coupling an Elizabethan play with a 20th century comedy may seem a bit odd. But, says Kjenaas, they are linked by a common
thread.
“They are both about the uniting of very different worlds and the coming together of different walks of life,” he said.
Both, he added, have enjoyed a rich and successful production history.
Performances are on a thrust stage that has been added to the gazebo at Pine Mountain Club. Chair seating is provided.
In Yonder Mountains
Written by AMY LYONS for the North Valley Community News
It's summertime and that means many theatres in the San Fernando Valley are dark, saving the next round of curtain
hoisting for the fall. But all is not lost for North Valley audiences hungry for quality summer stock fare. Nestled in the
mountainous region of Frazier Park, a one hour drive up the 5 freeway, sits the Mountain Shakespeare Festival (MSF), a
company that produces the Bard's scripts and other classic plays in an outdoor setting fit for warm weather lounging. The
festival's Northridge connection is co-founder Peter Kjenaas, president of Nancy Cartwright's Northridge-based Cartwright
Entertainment and SportsBlast (for those of you who are not aware, Nancy Cartwright is the Honorary Mayor of the North
Valley and the voice of Bart Simpson). Kjenaas refers to the theatrical undertaking as "my grand moonlighting project."
Kjenaas certainly has the chops for his Shakespearean side gig. He worked for three seasons at the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, playing some of the leading roles in the prestigious, Tony Award-winning, Ashland-based program.
He has also worked for the California Shakespeare Festival and the Kern Shakespeare Festival. He has a BA in theatre
from San Francisco State and has had several of his plays and an animated series produced.
"We are trying to create a professional festival with the vibrancy and viability of the Ashland festival," Kjenaas said. "We are
in such a beautiful location and there wasn't much theatre up here when I arrived." While Kjenaas has worked on camera
in commercials, television and film, his involvement in Shakespearean staging is exceedingly vast. In 2005, he directed a
production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre, then brought back the show in 2006,
adding a production of "Romeo and Juliet" in repertoire. These shows were the early seeds of MSF, which is now in its
third season. In a show of commitment to craft, Kjenaas runs Stage Coach, a Wednesday night class in Frazier Park that
helps theatrical actors, writers and directors hone their on-stage skills. He is also currently co-teaching a unit plan on
theatre arts with his wife, Michelle Morain, at Frazier Mountain High School.
But when July roles around, MSF takes center stage as productions get underway.
This year's bill includes two shows, Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" and Kaufman and Hart's "You Can't Take it
With You." Tickets cost a mere $5, the shows are up every weekend in July (on July 4 weekend, there are no showings of
"You Can't Take it With You"), and the setting is an outdoor gazebo in Pine Mountain Village, surrounded by majestic pine
trees.
The actors are mostly professionals, with some opportunities for young people and beginners. MSF managing director Kat
Fair is a teacher at Frazier Mountain High School with a vested interest in education. "Getting young people involved is an
important part of the festival," Kjenaas said.
It shouldn't be hard to get the whole family on board with a trip to MSF, as the surrounding community offers hiking, biking
and a wide array of activity for all ages. Cabins are available for rent and it's an easy drive from the North Valley.
If you're tired of the beach, but want to get away for a weekend during the dog days, why not head to the mountains for a
taste of outdoor drama? Kjenaas and crew invite you to "stay and breathe a while."
For more information about the Mountain Shakespeare Festival, visit www.mountainshakes.org.
Written by AMY LYONS for the North Valley Community News
It's summertime and that means many theatres in the San Fernando Valley are dark, saving the next round of curtain
hoisting for the fall. But all is not lost for North Valley audiences hungry for quality summer stock fare. Nestled in the
mountainous region of Frazier Park, a one hour drive up the 5 freeway, sits the Mountain Shakespeare Festival (MSF), a
company that produces the Bard's scripts and other classic plays in an outdoor setting fit for warm weather lounging. The
festival's Northridge connection is co-founder Peter Kjenaas, president of Nancy Cartwright's Northridge-based Cartwright
Entertainment and SportsBlast (for those of you who are not aware, Nancy Cartwright is the Honorary Mayor of the North
Valley and the voice of Bart Simpson). Kjenaas refers to the theatrical undertaking as "my grand moonlighting project."
Kjenaas certainly has the chops for his Shakespearean side gig. He worked for three seasons at the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival, playing some of the leading roles in the prestigious, Tony Award-winning, Ashland-based program.
He has also worked for the California Shakespeare Festival and the Kern Shakespeare Festival. He has a BA in theatre
from San Francisco State and has had several of his plays and an animated series produced.
"We are trying to create a professional festival with the vibrancy and viability of the Ashland festival," Kjenaas said. "We are
in such a beautiful location and there wasn't much theatre up here when I arrived." While Kjenaas has worked on camera
in commercials, television and film, his involvement in Shakespearean staging is exceedingly vast. In 2005, he directed a
production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre, then brought back the show in 2006,
adding a production of "Romeo and Juliet" in repertoire. These shows were the early seeds of MSF, which is now in its
third season. In a show of commitment to craft, Kjenaas runs Stage Coach, a Wednesday night class in Frazier Park that
helps theatrical actors, writers and directors hone their on-stage skills. He is also currently co-teaching a unit plan on
theatre arts with his wife, Michelle Morain, at Frazier Mountain High School.
But when July roles around, MSF takes center stage as productions get underway.
This year's bill includes two shows, Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" and Kaufman and Hart's "You Can't Take it
With You." Tickets cost a mere $5, the shows are up every weekend in July (on July 4 weekend, there are no showings of
"You Can't Take it With You"), and the setting is an outdoor gazebo in Pine Mountain Village, surrounded by majestic pine
trees.
The actors are mostly professionals, with some opportunities for young people and beginners. MSF managing director Kat
Fair is a teacher at Frazier Mountain High School with a vested interest in education. "Getting young people involved is an
important part of the festival," Kjenaas said.
It shouldn't be hard to get the whole family on board with a trip to MSF, as the surrounding community offers hiking, biking
and a wide array of activity for all ages. Cabins are available for rent and it's an easy drive from the North Valley.
If you're tired of the beach, but want to get away for a weekend during the dog days, why not head to the mountains for a
taste of outdoor drama? Kjenaas and crew invite you to "stay and breathe a while."
For more information about the Mountain Shakespeare Festival, visit www.mountainshakes.org.