Photo by Monique Schoenfeld, Town Crier
Kathy Gutto, left, and Barbara Cannon anchor the management and direction of the Bus Barn Stage Company in Los Altos.
Special to the Town Crier
When the curtain rises Sept. 30 for the Bus Barn Stage Company's fifth season, attendees will notice several positive changes.
One of the biggest changes is that the trailer housing the business office has been moved directly next to the theater. The trailer had originally been located on the site of the new History House education building.
Barbara Cannon, artistic director of the company, said there have been staff changes. Leslie Stahl, while continuing as marketing manager, will also take over production/publicity duties.
"We have a new office, new people and a new season of six plays. That's a lot for a small production company," Cannon said.
"We have always been in the black, and donations are growing every year," said Kathy Gutto, managing director. "We are looking for new areas to grow and we have a lot of new people showing up. Surrounding cities are beginning to notice us and the San Francisco Chronicle and Palo Alto papers are giving us good coverage," she said.
Both Gutto and Cannon feel the company is ready to take the next big step. They are trying to build community support through more awareness of what the Bus Barn means to the community.
"Expanding the Bus Barn beyond 99 seats is not what we mean by expanding. We would like to expand the programs that are produced by the Bus Barn Company," said Cannon. "At present, we produce six shows each year in a professional atmosphere with 17 performances of each production."
The season's first production is Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor," a humorous play about Russian author Anton Chekhov. The show starts Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 30.
One of the most popular yearly production is The Follies, a satirical musical on life and politics in Los Altos, produced and performed by Los Altos residents.
The 1999 Follies, produced by Vicki Reeder, is scheduled for Oct. 16. The show is a fund-raiser for the Bus Barn and the $50 ticket cost is tax deductible.
Reeder said, "We will be spoofing politics with a song called 'Silly Council,' a musical farce about the Los Altos Hills Council, and several musical skits about the Los Altos Council. Singing (is) by locals actors and musicians to the music from 'Camelot.' One song bemoans the fact there is only one woman on the Los Altos City Council. 'Where are the Council Girls of Yesterday,' is bound to bring lots of laughs," she said.
"It's a pleasant thought finding out how much the city of Los Altos supports the Bus Barn Stage Company," Cannon said, adding "I think every council member attends our productions."
Season and single tickets are available at the box office, or by calling 941-0551.