10th Art Fest Has Old Favorites, New Ideas

THOUSAND OAKS —  Celebrating the Conejo Valley’s diverse array of cultural offerings, the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival highlights everything from Shakespeare performances to folk music concerts in this, its 10th anniversary year.

In earlier years, the festival, organized by the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission and the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, was held from Memorial Day to July 4. It now runs from the beginning of May to the end of July.

Its most popular events once again figure to be the free Memorial Day and Independence Day concerts in Conejo Community Park, as well as ArtWalk, an outdoor fine arts and crafts exhibition on June 7 and 8. But there are new events as well, including a June 21 Shakespeare festival at Cal Lutheran University.

“We have a really outstanding show here,” said organizer Helen Sargent of ArtWalk, which is also in its 10th year. “Many of the featured artists are award winners. The admission is free, the parking is free. What else can you ask for?”

ArtWalk is sponsored by the Conejo Valley Art Museum, which is currently without a home. The event has attracted as many as 15,000 people in past years, according to organizers, and takes place on the Exxon lawn at Hillcrest Drive and Wilbur Road. Artists from throughout California, as well as New Mexico and Oregon, have been selected to take part.

“It’s one of those shows where people of all walks of life can come and look, and buyers can come and buy,” said Maria Dessornes, director of the museum. “Also, we don’t have a facility to exhibit as a museum right now, so we use this as a fund-raiser, a catalyst for the museum.”

Margaret Travers, a former arts commissioner and member of the Arts Council’s steering committee, said festival organizers hope more people will take advantage of Thousand Oaks’ year-round arts offerings.

Travers designed this year’s colorful festival poster, which evokes images of painting, writing, music and drama. The poster, available for free at sites throughout Thousand Oaks, features a calendar of festival events on its flip side and is widely credited with luring many first-timers to local arts events.

“The idea of the arts festival was to focus the public’s attention on all the events that were already taking place, and it has worked,” Travers said. “What has also happened is that some groups, knowing the festival was going to happen, have decided to put on special events at this time of the year.”

Marjorie Berg, president of the Conejo Players Theatre, said the festival helps illustrate the artistic choices in the area.

Berg noted that, as part of the festival, local businesses sponsor flags promoting the event that are placed along major Thousand Oaks thoroughfares.

“It gives us a nudge, surely,” Berg said. “It gives people a reminder that we’re out there. It’s nice to be a part of the community, and the arts festival makes a strong statement that the Conejo Valley is home to many different arts organizations.”

The Conejo Players are putting on “Rashomon” on their main stage starting June 20, and weekend matinee performances of “Lips Together, Teeth Apart” starting June 29.

Actor Lane Davies, the artistic director of the Santa Susana Repertory Company, said the festival has given the theater group exposure that it could not have afforded to generate on its own.

On June 21, they are putting on an open-air performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as part of their first Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at Cal Lutheran University’s Kingsmen Park. Davies, best known for his role as the original Mason Capwell on the daytime soap opera “Santa Barbara,” will direct.

“It’s sort of a mini Shakespeare festival,” Davies said. “We figured as long as we were doing Shakespeare, we should go all out. There will be jugglers, minstrels, sword fights and other Renaissance-related activities.”

The Memorial Day concert, part of the Conejo Recreation and Park District’s Concerts in the Park series, will feature folk singer Livingston Taylor, brother of James Taylor. It is co-sponsored by the city and park district.

The Independence Day concert, sponsored by biotechnology firm Amgen Inc., features the Conejo Pops Orchestra and the Sherwood Singers. Both concerts will be held at Conejo Community Park, at Dover and Hendrix avenues. It is followed that night by a fireworks display, best viewed from The Oaks mall parking lot.

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Arts Festival Events

This year’s Thousand Oaks Arts Festival, the event’s 10th anniversary, again features free Memorial Day and Independence Day concerts at Conejo Community Park, along with new celebrations such as the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival at Cal Lutheran University. Here is a partial listing of festival highlights:

* Monday:

Memorial Day concert, featuring folk singer Livingston Taylor. 5 p.m. at Conejo Community Park, Dover and Hendrix avenues. Free. 381-2747.

* Friday:

Opening night of Conejo Valley Poetry Society’s Summer Festival 1997 series of poetry events. Features three poets, improvisational music and percussionists. 7 p.m. at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, 2331 Borchard Road. (800) 994-9220.

* June 1:

Jazz vocalist Bill Henderson in concert. 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Arts Plaza’s Forum Theatre. Tickets: $20. 583-8700.

* June 2:

Danca Brazil’s “Samba Jam,” a dance performance featuring lambada, samba and fuevo styles. Mondays, 8 to 9:30 p.m., through June at the Arts Council Center, 482 Greenmeadow Drive. Free. 447-3935.

* June 5:

California Gold Coast Watercolor Society annual Spring Competition Show. Through June 29 at Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, 2331 Borchard Road. Gallery hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Free. 498-4390.

* June 6 and 7:

“Curtain Up” spring concert by the Village Voices Chorale. 8 p.m. at the Civic Arts Plaza’s Forum Theatre. Tickets: $12. 583-8700.

* June 7:

“The Revenge of the Space Panda,” a Young Artists Ensemble Courtyard Theatre presentation. Matinees Saturdays and Sundays, 1 and 3 p.m., at the Arts Council Center, 482 Greenmeadow Drive. Tickets: $5. 381-2747.

Annual Rose Show. 1 to 4 p.m. at the Stagecoach Inn Museum, 51 S. Ventu Park Road. $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens, $1 for children. 498-9441 or 375-0931.

* June 7 and 8:

Tenth annual ArtWalk juried fine arts and crafts exhibition. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Exxon lawn at Hillcrest Drive and Wilbur Road. Free. 492-8778.

* June 13, 14 and 15:

“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” a musical based on TV’s “Schoolhouse Rock.” June 13 and 14, 8 p.m.; June 15, 4 and 7 p.m., at Arts Council Center, 482 Greenmeadow Drive. Tickets: $14 adults, $12 senior citizens and students, $9 children. 381-2747.

* June 20:

“Rashomon” 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through July 19 at Conejo Players Theatre, 351 S. Moorpark Road. Tickets: $12, $10 and $8. 495-3715.

* June 21:

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the inaugural production of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival. 7:30 p.m. at Cal Lutheran’s Kingsmen Park, 60 W. Olsen Road. Grounds open for picnics at 6 p.m. Free lawn seating or reserved seating for $20. (818) 991-8848.

* June 29:

“Lips Together, Teeth Apart,” a comedy by Terrance McNally. Matinees at 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through July 19 at Conejo Players Theatre, 351 S. Moorpark Road. Tickets $5 at the door. No reservations. 495-3715.

* July 4:

Independence Day concert featuring the Conejo Pops Orchestra and Sherwood Singers. 5 p.m. at Conejo Community Park, Dover and Hendrix avenues. Free. 381-2747.

Annual Fourth of July fireworks display. 9 p.m. Best viewed from The Oaks mall parking lot. 381-2747.