March will be a month of creativity in Downtown Santa Monica, as locals and out of towners alike will be contributing their unique voices to the Santa Monica Playhouse.
At the Playhouse from now through March 30 is the Binge Free Festival, part of the theater’s mission to provide accessible and affordable theater community-wide. As the name suggests, the wide range of performances have been free of charge since the festival’s beginnings in 2016.
Since that start, the festival has expanded from a one-week program highlighting the Playhouse’s in-house productions, to a five-week affair with nearly 30 events to choose from. Shows range from concerts and productions to comedy and public workshops, something Playhouse Co-Artistic Director Evelyn Rudie said was bringing something for everyone.
“There is something (in) at least one of those shows, or more, (that) speaks directly to someone in the community, telling them they’re not alone … they don’t really give advice, but they give you another way of looking at things,” Rudie said.
This is true in the amount of perspectives brought to the Playhouse stage, such as the one-woman show on March 16 entitled “Mulatto Math,” in which Monique DeBose shares stories exploring race, family and identity. Other shows cover topics like beauty standards, as well as Jewish culture (such as the world premiere first look of “Jewish for Dinner” on March 23).
To make sure audiences get the best of each subject matter, the Playhouse has a selection committee made up of community members, professional actors, members of youth groups and other locals. If submitted shows for the festival tackle similar subjects, the committee will pick the best one based on prior reviews, where else the production has been shown, and how effective the narrative thrust (or what Rudie calls “the meat of the show”) is.
Other shows of note include Sunday’s “PSA: Pelvic Service Announcement,” a solo production by Amy Veltman about her body that received the Best Musical Comedy Award at the United Solo festival Off-Broadway in New York City. Another intriguing experience is “The Anti ‘Yogi’” on March 9, with Mayuri Bhandari investigating “absurdities of Western Yoga culture.” Most in-person productions include post-show Q&A opportunities for the audience.
Along with shows, the Binge Free Festival has intriguing workshop opportunities, including a Bollywood Dance Workshop (for ages 16 and up) on March 27. Another workshop is being led by TEDx speaker Jannica Olin, called “How to Fall (a little bit more) In Love With Yourself,” a space for audiences to connect and be vulnerable with each other.
For those that can’t get to the Playhouse, several selections will be live streams for virtual audiences. A full list of events for the Binge Free Festival is available atsantamonicaplayhouse.com.
