Off Center Festival Off to a Great Start

The Car Plays © Steve Dawson

The Off Center Festival is giving Southern California music, dance and theater fans a lot to enjoy and to think about. The Car Plays has vehicles lined up on the Arts Plaza for series of 10-minute plays within the vehicles themselves – each with audiences of just two.

Doug Varone and Dancers in "Dressed" © Steve Dawson

Doug Varone and Dancers began their program discussing and demonstrating the creative process of their featured work in “Stripped” and return to perform the finished work in costumes and theater lighting for part two, “Dressed.” 

Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker © Steve Dawson

Belarus Free Theatre performed its politically powerful and thought-provoking Minsk, 2011: A Reply to Kathy Acker. This festival of innovative contemporary entertainment and culturally significant works continues January 28 through February 2 with indie bands Sea Wolf and The Donnies The Amys, Fleur Elise Noble’s 2 Dimensional Life of Her, Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s Word Becomes Flesh and more of The Car Plays. 

The Off Center Lounge © Steve Dawson

Every evening ends with audiences and artists gathering at the Off Center Lounge in Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge. 

Off We Go!

Before entertaining his own audience during the Center’s Off Center Festival on Saturday night, January 14, Reggie Watts cruised The Car Plays on the Center’s Arts Plaza. His performance in Founders Hall marked Reggie’s Center debut. The Car Plays will be back January 20 & 21 in what is now a sold-out run. You can still see the powerful play ReEntry January 18 -20, Ten Tiny Dances January 20 & 21 and Mexican Institute of Sound with opener Nancy Sanchez January 21. (Photos: Reggie Watts above and below)

Photos: Ten Tiny Dances above; Mexican Institute of Sound below