This June, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at Cal State Long Beach invites visitors to explore Japanese art and Japanese movement through a trio of hands-on programs.
The cultural offerings will begin on Sunday, June 7, with a free Japanese Ondo dancing workshop from 1 to 3 pm. Led by June Miyamoto Donovan of the Long Beach Japanese Cultural Center, the event will introduce participants to traditional Japanese folk dances often performed during community festivals and celebrations.
Reservations cover groups of up to six people, making it a great outing for families and friends interested in experiencing Japanese dance traditions firsthand.
The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus in 2019. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Cherry blossom trees are blooming at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus
in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
A Koi fish swims in the pond at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus
in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Cherry blossom trees are blooming at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus
in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Cherry blossom trees are blooming at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus
in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 9, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the Cal State Long Beach campus in 2019. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
If, instead, you’re looking for a visually fulfilling art experience, visit the garden from 4 to 5 p.m. June 18 for Art Days at the Garden, with a focus on watercolors.
Held on the third Thursday of each month, the self-guided art session encourages us to draw inspiration from the garden’s landscapes, koi ponds and seasonal blooms.
While some supplies will be available, participants are encouraged to bring their own watercolor materials.
Finally, on June 20, artist Kat McDowell will lead a three-hour Kintsugi Workshop, introducing participants to the centuries-old Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and gold-toned finishes.
This concept, known as “kintsugi,” teaches that broken things need not be discarded. They can be repaired, celebrated and made more beautiful because of — and not in spite of — their history.
McDowell teaches a modern approach using a non-toxic cashew-based urushi lacquer that is safer and faster-curing than traditional materials.
Participants will learn step-by-step techniques for transforming their broken ceramics into unique works of art while reflecting on the stories and experiences that shape their lives.
The workshop costs $150 and space is limited to maintain an intimate environment for creativity and conversation.
For more information about these three events and upcoming programs, head to apanesegarden.innosoftfusion.com/program.
Christmas horror
Christmas will come way early (and way weird) when The Garage Theatre opens its world premiere of “Elves 1989,” a stage parody of probably the most infamous holiday horror film ever made.
Running from June 12 to July 11, “Elves 1989” adapts Jeffrey Mandel’s cult screenplay into what promises to be another gleefully unhinged production from Long Beach’s home for the theatrically bizarre.
Directed by Diana Kaufmann, the show follows Kirsten, a young woman fed up with Christmas consumerism, her dead-end mall job and the general misery of the holiday season. Seeking some rebellion, she and her two friends perform a ritual in the woods to denounce Christmas.
Unfortunately, their harmless act of teenage defiance awakens none other than a deadly dark elf bent on world domination.
The original 1989 film has earned a cult following over the decades thanks to its bizarre plot, low-budget charm and willingness to swing for the fences. The Garage’s adaptation appears poised to embrace every bit of that chaotic energy.
Performances of this penultimate show of The Garage’s Theatre’s 2026 season will take place at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with no performance scheduled on July 4.
For more info on this strange holiday nightmare waiting in the middle of summer — as well as upcoming shows — check out thegaragetheatre.org/onstagenow.
‘The Revolutionists’
History’s most infamous period of political upheaval will get an irreverent makeover when International City Theatre presents “The Revolutionists,” Lauren Gunderson’s fast-paced comedy that opens Wednesday, June 10.
Set during the French Revolution, the play imagines an unlikely gathering of four remarkable women: playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, spy Marianne Angelle and Queen Marie Antoinette herself.
As the guillotine looms over Paris, these larger-than-life figures navigate friendship, politics and art in an inventive story that blends historical fact with contemporary humor.
Directed by Jamie Torcellini, “The Revolutionists” is equal parts comedy and commentary, an accessible yet smart work written by one of America’s most-produced playwrights today.
Note: if you’re wanting an historically accurate portrayal of the Reign of Terror, look elsewhere. Rather than presenting traditional history, “The Revolutionists” embraces anachronism and absurdity, creating a dreamlike version of the 1790s in France.
Most of all, though, it’s about four women determined to make their voices heard before they lose their heads. Performances run through June 28, with a post-show talkback featuring the cast scheduled for June 21.
Head to ictlongbeach.org/therevolutionists for tickets.