Soren Santos

Port Costa – August 23

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll bring O Best Beloved to Port Costa, CA on Saturday, August 23 at 1:00pm at the corner of Erskine Street and Canyon Lake Drive. Mark your calendars!

Idyllic, right? Gorgeous aerial shot by Lewis Stewart for the Port Costa Conservation Society

Picnic lunches will be available for sale from the Bull Valley Roadhouse, who have created a special picnic menu for us. Pre-order lunch online starting July 28 or purchase at the show while supplies last.

Picnic options include Muffaletta Sandwiches on focaccia (veggie or meaty), Fried Chicken Sandwiches with spicy aioli (there’s also a kids’ version without the spice), and sides like Fruit Salad, Cole Slaw or Potato Salad. Delish! Drinks including fresh lemonade, Mexican Coke, and beer and wine will be for sale at the show. And while you can purchase lunch last-minute at the show, we do recommend pre-ordering online.

Our performance in Port Costa is going to be super special! Not only is August 23 the birthday of our own Marlene Yarosh, but you’ll not want to miss the chance to explore this sweet little town. Once a busy wheat-shipping port, Port Costa is now home to about 200 people, a great dive bar with a phenomenal beer list, a fabulous Victorian-era hotel, the delicious Bull Valley Roadhouse, and Wendy Addison’s whimsical Theatre of Dreams.

Here’s a photo of Joan & Rebecca in the hills above Port Costa this past July 4, when we went hiking with Marlene & Soren before checking out the fireworks above the Carquinez Strait.

So where is Port Costa? Just a 40-minute drive from San Francisco, and just a hop and a skip from other spots in the East Bay. Find it on our Summer Tour map!

Were Kipling to have visited Port Costa, perhaps there’d be a Just-So Story about this guy, immortalized at the Warehouse Cafe.

Want to make it a weekend adventure? We highly recommend a hike after the show, staying overnight at The Burlington Hotel, and brunching Sunday morning at the Bull Valley Roadhouse. Perfection!

Many thanks are due to Soren and Marlene, as well as the Port Costa locals who have welcomed us with open arms and helped make this performance happen — Dee, Jeff, Veronica & Tuala — thank you!

For a full listing of our confirmed summer 2014 performances, check out our Tour Schedule. And for more info on seeing a show, please read our F.A.Q.

At yesterday’s rehearsal we had a special guest, Soren Santos, an actor and theatremaker who is also an associate producer for O Best Beloved. One of his specialties is physical partner work, and he was super helpful coaching Sam B and Juliana on the fantastic duo animals they’ve come up with–and helped them create a couple more. Some of Soren’s credits include the American premiere of Maurice at New Conservatory Theatre Center (Maurice), the professional west coast premiere of Orlando at TheatreFIRST (Marmaduke and Ensemble), and the world premiere adaptation of Jane Eyre with Counter-Balance Theater (St. John and Ensemble). Soren is currently associated with Counter-Balance Theater and foolsFURY Ensemble. When not on stage, he can be found co-teaching Foundations of Flight, an ongoing acting/movement workshop with fellow Counter-Balance company member Anika Solveig. Visit Soren on the web at www.sorensantos.com and catch him in Mugwumpin’s Super:Anti:Reluctant July 10-12.

Rehearsal collage! Featuring Nquong (Sam Jackson) in his bath in the blue gums, Uncle Giraffe (Sam Bertken and Juliana Frick), and the ensemble with Mdme. Directrix. Photo by Soren Santos.