BY ALYSON SENA Palisadian-Post Staff Writer Christmas has arrived early this year, with the Santa Monica Theatre Guild’s production of Alan Ayckbourne’s British comedy ‘Absurd Person Singular.’ This entertaining and quirky kitchen farce, produced by Greg and Polly Petersen, may prematurely remind you of the tensions that accompany the holiday season, but it will keep you laughing from start to finish. The show runs through Saturday, October 9 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. ”Directed by Nikki Hevesy, the strong cast of six people share the comedic spotlight. Set in a northern suburb of London on three consecutive Christmas Eves in the late 1970s, the play unites three couples, unlikely friends, who reluctantly take turns hosting the traditional holiday party at their homes. ”All of the action the audience sees plays out in the kitchens, where characters congregate for drink, food and mainly refuge from awkward social situations, only to face more humiliating conversations and absurd mishaps. Three impressive sets designed by Barbara Kallir reflect the couples’ class distinctions and unique personalities. ”The flashy red and yellow kitchen of the Hopcrofts reveals their middle-class status and frenzied happiness, as Jane (Kat Harris) and Sidney (Sean Vincent Biggins) prepare for the arrival of their guests. A compulsive housewife, Jane would rather clean than socialize, but she repeatedly fails to satisfy both her husband’s domestic and social demands even though she trudges out in a rainstorm to buy tonic water for the gin-and-tonics. ”Once Sidney realizes his wife has gone out and returned in her most unflattering galoshes, slicker and hat, he conveniently locks her out in the rain for the night to salvage his own image in front of the upper-class bank manager, architect neighbor and their wives. Harris’ humorous portrayal of naive Jane, who squeals and sobs through her mistakes in true ‘I Love Lucy’ fashion (though she lacks Lucy’s cunning), is memorable. ”Act II, set in the Jacksons’ untidy flat, is easily the most entertaining while singularly disturbing act of the play. In the midst of telling his depressed wife that he is leaving her for another woman, Geoffrey Jackson (Jonathan Strait), an egocentric architect, remembers they are supposed to be hosting the annual party. ”When guests arrive moments later, the Jacksons’ rabid dog, George, restricts everyone to the kitchen, where the Hopcrofts set to cleaning and fixing appliances used by Eva Jackson (Susan Foley) in failed suicide attempts. The bank manager, Ronald Brewster-Wright (T.W. Omen), is electrocuted when he tries to be handy, and his alcoholic wife, Marion Brewster-Wright (Terra Shelman), revels in covering him with the Jacksons’ dirty laundry. ”While disheveled-looking Eva does not verbally say anything throughout the act, her bulging eyes, elaborate facial expressions and gestures speak volumes about her desperation and shocking inability to kill herself without its being fumbled by someone’s blind undoing. Foley gives a superb, believable performance as Eva, which culminates in her character leading a side-splitting chorus of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas.’ ”The last act initially lacks the comic steam of the first two, though the Brewster-Wrights are clearly incapable of throwing a party in their fashionable home given that Marion’s alcoholism has restricted her to the bedroom. When Marion emerges in her robe, she joins her stiff husband as well as the still unhappily married Jacksons in hiding from the Hopcrofts, who find their way in through an open back door. ”Of course, the annoyingly jolly and childish couple breathes life into the party with their introduction of a musical freeze-dancing game, in which the first person to move after the music stops is challenged with having to dance with a tea cozy on her head or an orange between his knees. ”The ridiculous image of a lonely and confused Ronald dancing with an apple under his chin and a spoon in his mouth reminds us that the tragic and the comic often go hand-in-hand. ‘Some people seem to have the hang of it, and some of us just aren’t so lucky,’ Ronald says about relationships. ”And it is when the lives of these vulnerable characters turn most absurd, as in this final dancing scene, that they are able to connect with each other, evoking multiple emotions at once from the audience. ” ”The stylish British 1970’s costumes by Anne Gesling are smashing, and the hair and makeup design by Krys Fehervari is complementary. In order to accomplish elaborate set changes, for the which production staff deserves loud applause, the show includes two intermissions. Sound design is by Stephan Jonas. ”’Absurd Person Singular’ runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., and one Saturday matinee September 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. Contact: 828-7519.

Gary Schwartz, a disciple of the founder of American improvisation, Viola Spolin, will teach a theater games master class at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., October 8 to10. In addition, the Spolin Players, including Schwartz, Palisadian Gail Matthius Wirth and other Hollywood professionals and special guests, will perform two improvisational shows, Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9 at 8 p.m. ”Spolin originated the first improv company in the country, the Second City players in Chicago. ‘She taught us to ‘follow the follower,” says Matthius, explaining that when two people improvise together, they each follow one another, with no one trying to be the leader. ‘It’s the discovery along the way of what the two minds are finding.’ ”The television show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ has popularized improvisation, but may have given people the impression that to improvise they have to be witty and clever. ‘It’s not about how quick a mind you have,’ says Schwartz, who is coming from his home in Washington to teach the class. ‘It’s about accessing your intuitive ability. In Spolin’s improvisation, students respond instantly when they’re totally involved, when they forget about judging themselves and stay in the moment.’ ”Schwartz met Spolin in 1977 when he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career and became her apprentice. ‘I had never heard of Viola Spolin and I dumbly found my way into the class of the woman who invented the whole thing.’ ”In the 1930s, Spolin used games to teach immigrant children English. ‘She learned that games are the best way to teach a skill, without the teacher having to demonstrate or teach by rote,’ Schwartz says. ‘She began to teach theater using those games.’ She went on to work with actors including Mike Nichols and Elaine May. ”Schwartz starts his teaching with traditional games such as tag. ‘We talk about why games are fun, what psychologically happens when you have fun. The players keep this spirit of fun in their theater games, responding intuitively. We have games in which we reflect each other’s emotions and speech, observational games and gibberish games’where you try to communicate without using English.’ ”The games help actors become spontaneous in their work. ‘They are about being present in the moment in a non-intellectual way, and not analyzing every move. Intuition is already there and knows what to do,’ Schwartz says. The games benefit non-actors too. ‘They lose their fear of being in front of groups, replacing anxiety with a willingness to try everything.’ ”Matthius has been doing improv since her days studying theater at Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She continued performing with improvisation groups as well as performing stand-up comedy when she moved to L.A. in 1979. She was a member of the first cast on ‘Saturday Night Live’ after the original players had left in 1980-1981. ‘A lot of the sketches were created during improvisation,’ Matthius says of SNL. ‘The writers would watch us do improv.’ ”She met up with the Spolin Players in 1986 and began to study with Viola Spolin. The players performed in Hollywood and at the Upfront in Santa Monica, went on a hiatus in the early ’90s and reunited in 2003 when member Dan Castallaneta (the voice of Homer Simpson) won a lifetime achievement award from Second City. ”’Improvisation you flexible, spontaneous and open to any and all variables that can happen on a TV and movie set,’ Matthius says. The group, playing together for 15 years, performs once a month at The Second City Studio Theater next to the Improv on Melrose. ”Matthius describes one of their games called ‘Who Am I?’ One person is sent out of the room and the audience suggests the name of a famous person. When the player comes back, the others interact with him until he is aware of who he is. ”The upcoming Palisades workshop is open to veteran improvisers who want to learn to expand creatively or those new to improvisation who want a solid foundation for the work. The cost is $250 and is limited to 20 players. It will take place Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Send $100 non-refundable deposit to: Intuitive Learning Systems, P.O. Box 1123, North Bend, WA 98045 or register online at www.spolin.com/workshops.html. ”Tickets to the evening shows are $15/$10 students. Contact the box office at 454-1970 for reservations.

Canyon Charter School will be jammin’ on Sunday, October 3, with a revival of the beloved community musical fest ‘Jammin’ In The Canyon.’ The concert begins at noon, so find a comfy spot on the grass and enjoy an afternoon of nearly a dozen eclectic artists, headlined by famed L.A. rocker David Crosby, as well as New Orleans jazz great Terence Blanchard. ”The benefit concert will help fund special programs at this public school. The money raised will enrich Canyon’s curriculum with bi-monthly art lessons, an instrumental music program, teaching assistants, a physical education coach and a state-of-the-art computer lab equipped with an instructor. ”The baseball diamond will be transformed into a gigantic stage. Actors Don Cheadle, Noah Wyle and Tom Wright will emcee the show. ”David Crosby, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, wrote the seminal 1960’s tune ‘For What It’s Worth,’ played in the Byrds and is legendary for his work with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young. Terence Blanchard was once described by Miles Davis as one of the most promising trumpet players of his generation. He has since emerged as a highly talented Grammy-nominated jazz musician and an award-winning film composer. ”Local favorites Venice recently played their folk surf rock jams at the Santa Monica Pier to a sold-out crowd. The group is made up of two sets of Lennon brothers, including the younger brothers of the Lennon Sisters. Lead vocalist Kipp Lennon’s son Roman is a first grader at Canyon. ”Paul Oscher’s harmonica work has accompanied blues legend Muddy Waters, and his set will take you back to a 1940’s juke joint. Groove to the beats of LA’s own ska rockers, The Untouchables. Fred Martin and The Levite Camp, a gospel choir, will add a spiritual element with their beautiful harmonies. Lowen & Navarro are slated to perform the many hits they have written for artists like Pat Benatar, The Four Tops and The Bangles. Tasha Taylor is a vibrant soul singer who belts out her funky compositions with a powerful voice. New Jersey-bred Seven and the Sun, recently signed to Atlantic, will play their infectious dance pop. ”Co-chair Lori Ekstrom fondly remembers Jammin’ back when her daughter Morgan was a kindergartner in 1999. ‘It was such a magical afternoon and a unique event,’ she says. The event disappeared, and now that Morgan is a fifth grader, Ekstrom wanted to breathe new life into it, ‘Principal Carol Henderson was also instrumental in bringing this event back.’ Fellow parent Bridgid Coulter and Ekstrom, both Booster Club vice presidents, devoted their busy summer to concert promoting and searching for corporate sponsors. T-Mobile, Americorp Funding, Inc. and www.inthecanyon.com have generously offered financial support. ”Picnic box lunches from Whole Foods can be ordered in advance and Domino’s pizza, fresh fruit and beverages will be available for purchase. Souvenir concert T- shirts will be on sale too. Tickets are tax deductible and the cost is $25 in advance, or $30 at the door for adults. Children 5-12 are $5, and children under 4 are free. The concert is expected to rock from noon to 4:30 p.m and Canyon Charter School is located at 421 Entrada Dr., just blocks from the beach. Contact: 285-8196 or go online to www.jammininthecanyon.org.

By Brook Dougherty My husband had an opportunity to teach in Paris this summer. Naturally, our daughter and I went along for a month. The apartment in the Marais was the size of a fitting room at Elyse Walker, but we got used to it. As gorgeous as it all was in Paris, what really excited me were the dogs. Since I couldn’t think of anything more boring than bringing home pictures of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre’I think we all have a vague idea of what these landmarks look like, we decided to aim our camera down, and get to work on ‘Louie Schmooie: The Dogs of Paris.’ I tried to learn how to say, ‘Excuse me, may I please take a picture of your dog?’ As it turns out, I do not speak fluent French, but am freakishly good at not-afraid-to-make-fool-of-myself, which worked almost as well. After 12 rolls of film, we concluded that French dogs are very, very different from American dogs. ”For one thing, Paris dogs have better table manners than most of the kids at Jacopo’s. They sit quietly on their person’s lap, gently resting their muzzles near a plate of chicken, never expecting that they will be offered any. Now if that had been our dog Blackie, she would have been on the table inhaling the chicken and anything else near her muzzle. ”Paris dogs are excellent shoppers. On our field trip to Chanel, we saw the most gorgeous women with the most gorgeous dogs. They were small and fluffy and not on leashes, and able to navigate around racks of clothes without peeing on the carpet. Paris dogs know how to wait outside a store, and they also know how to go to work. They sit on stalls at the markets, nestle in bags at department stores and work behind the counter at cheese shops without eating all the cheese. Paris dogs behave even if they are not on a leash. They walk behind their person through crowded sidewalks and do not gnash their teeth at other dogs. They do not leap nose first at strangers’ crotches, causing them to double over and pretend they suddenly have to lean down and examine their shoes. ”The only down side of Paris dogs, which isn’t really their fault, is the dog poop on the sidewalk and in the gutter. But they do have nice people who come around and take care of that. ” ”Paris breeds are different, also. At first, we thought there were a lot of mutts in Paris, but it turns out that there are a lot of Euro-breeds that aren’t common here. Lots of Jack Russells and funky variations on dachshunds. Boxers with non-clipped ears, and vineyard dogs that sleep in barrels. ”And then there was Marcel. He was the dog at a gift store near our apartment. A black and white French bulldog with bedroom eyes like Jack Nicholson’s, he peered up at me sleepily and I nearly lost my mind. I dropped to my knees and began to pet him. I felt a rush of guilt go through me, as if Blackie could see me, but I didn’t care. I was cheating on my dog, and it felt good. I came back day after day, one day buying soap, the next day buying candles. It didn’t matter what I spent, I just wanted to feel Marcel’s smooth coat and peer into his deep brown eyes. Finally, my daughter said, ‘Mom, the owner hates you. You keep taking pictures of his dog, and squeezing him.’ So I bought a rather expensive straw bag with leather handles. I thought that would buy me time. ”The night before we left Paris, I stopped by and said goodbye to Marcel. Of all the places we had been to, this was the saddest to leave. Marcel was there, and this time, he leapt into my arms, and for the first time, we kissed. On the lips. It was a moment. My daughter walked me the rest of the way home, holding me by the arm. Like all French affairs, this one had left me heartbroken. The next morning, I woke up early and walked down Rue St. Paul one final time. I glanced into the window of the gift shop, and there he was. My boy. I couldn’t bear to go in and say goodbye one more time, but it did my heart good to know that there he was lying on his chair, sleeping, and I could imagine him like that when I got back home. I walked the final block to our apartment, and for the first time in a month, stepped in a big pile of dog poop. It snapped me out of my Paris-is-the-best-place-on-earth mood. ”So we returned to L.A. with about 300 dog pictures, eager to see our Blackie again. Trouble was, when we arrived home, she didn’t recognize us, and was glued to our housesitter’s leg. After about a minute, she remembered and immediately peed on the floor. What a dog. What a great American dog.