Get out there and have fun

The new non-profit Mammoth Lakes Arts Center opened its doors to the public for the first time on June 16 for the "Night of Art" fundraiser that brought the new non-profit performing arts space at least $10,000, according to Artistic Director Shira Dubrovner.

The highlight of the evening was a staged reading of Nagle Jackson's "A Hotel on Marvin Gardens," a play the Denver Post called a "delightful and intelligent comedy." The reading features television actors Sam Anderson ("Lost"), Donna Mills ("Knots Landing") and Robert Picardo ("Star Trek Voyager" and "China Beach"); it was directed by Jules Aaron (Public Theater in New York, Pasadena Playhouse), a winner of 18 Drama-Logue Awards.

The evening's festivities also included an unveiling of the new Mammoth Lakes Arts Center sign and the launch of Local Perspectives, a display of works by local artists curated by Laurel Stanford Manning. A silent auction and theatre seat sponsorship rounded out fundraising efforts.

The funds raised during this event will go toward future productions, including a youth theatre show planned for the fall. Artistic Director Shira Dubrovner is hard at work planning the next theatre season; some shows will be imported from Los Angeles and others produced locally. "I'm confident the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center is well on its way to providing a much needed cultural hub for the region," said Dubrovner.

Up next at the arts center: a Sierra Classic Theatre production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It," directed by Dubrovner.