New plays don’t arrive fully formed, they’re discovered and shaped on local stages.
That’s the spirit behind the Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s newly expanded New Works Festival, rolling out across three weekends in May, June, and September.
It’s a rare invitation to watch stories in their early stages, before they become the productions everyone claims they “wish they’d seen first.”
Kicking things off the weekend of May 15 are three sharply different works in tone, although each one digs into memory, identity, and history.
Robert Weibezahl’s “Hold On” (on show May 15 at 8 p.m. and May 17 at 1 p.m.) unfolds during a high school reunion, but not where the action is supposed to be.
Instead, in a quiet classroom down the hall, a chance encounter between a former rock star and the friend she barely remembers becomes a slow excavation of shared history.
Memory takes a more technological and unsettling turn in Michael J. M. Cañas’ “A Wire In Mind” (on show May 16 at 2 p.m. and May 17 at 8 p.m.). As a family grapples with a father’s decline into Alzheimer’s, their daughter attempts to preserve him through a home surveillance system.
But when documentation becomes manipulation, the line between care and control blurs.
Finally, in Darren Andrew Nash’s “Ludlow Massacre” (on show May 16 at 8 p.m. and May 17 at 4 p.m.), history itself becomes the battleground when a reporter gets entangled in one of America’s most violent labor conflicts.
For tickets to these three new plays on offer next weekend, head to lbshakespeare.org.
Crafting
Drop in for an afternoon of “Cool Crafts” at Rancho Los Alamitos on Thursday, May 14, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Free and open to all ages, the program invites participants to listen to stories, explore their surroundings, and turn this inspiration into something tangible.
The Rancho Los Alamitos entrance, looking west along East Bixby Hill Road. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Grunion/SCNG)
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The Rancho Los Alamitos entrance, looking west along East Bixby Hill Road. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Grunion/SCNG)
Each session of crafts at Rancho Los Alamitos draws from the natural and cultural environment of the Rancho, with hands-on projects that change month to month.
For example, one visit might center on local plants or wildlife, another on the layered history of the land itself.
No reservations needed for “Cool Crafts.” Head to rancholosalamitos.org for directions and for information on other upcoming events.
Bamboo Club
If your ideal summer afternoon involves live music, a drink in hand, and the hum of a grooving crowd, this one’s built for you.
The Bamboo Club will kick off its seasonal outdoor series with “Live at the Bamboo Club” next Saturday, May 16, turning its space into an open-air stage from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The series will run every third Saturday through September, but this first lineup sets the tone with a mix of surfy, psychedelic, and garage sounds.
Leading the bill are Healing Gems, known for their hazy grooves that feel tailor-made for golden hour. They’re joined by Witch Crimes, bringing a sharper, energetic edge, alongside Los Pakalolos, whose sound blends vintage surf with Latin rhythms.
Rounding out the show is King Flamingo, adding their own spin to the summer day’s mix.
Between sets, DJs will keep things moving with vinyl selections.
Doors open at 2 p.m., with tickets priced at $15 in advance. For tickets, go to bambooclublb.com.