“Raise Me Up,” Palisadian Lisa Phillips Visca’s joyful and touching tribute to her parents, Louis and Daphne Padula, capturing their eternal passion and the tragic ending to their classic love story, previews through March 22 at Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 Fourth St. The play officially opens on March 23 and runs until May 19.
Set in Staten Island, New York, in the early 1950s, the play reflects the postwar optimism of the younger generation of the era. At the same time, it shows the older generation and parents still anchored in the traditional ethnic, economic and religious divisions. These divisions mirror the uncertainty of today’s political and economic times where the younger generation is fighting its own battle to hold on to that same hope, to fulfill their dreams and to share their lives with a partner of their choosing.
The Padulas were struck by a pickup truck on the evening of April 2, 2004, while crossing Temescal Canyon Road on their way to Pierson Playhouse. Theatre Palisades season ticketholders, the couple were planning to attend the opening night of “Romantic Comedy.”
Visca grew up in Pacific Palisades and owned the skincare business Lilese on Via de la Paz.
She is now a writer, producer, director and script consultant for films, plays and TV. Theatre Palisades showcased her plays “Raise Me Up” and “Sophia.” Another play, “Turning Thirty,” was selected for the Palisades Playwrights Festival in 2011. Visca’s feature films have included suspense thrillers, romantic comedies and screwball comedies.
Santa Monica Playhouse Co-Artistic Director Chris DeCarlo directs. De Carlo has been acting, writing and directing in Los Angeles for more than 40 years, bringing to the stage over 250 world premieres and American premieres, including the critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Dostoevsky’s “Notes From Underground, Hard Laughs,” starring Sammy Shore and Ron Palillo. He has also directed four of Palisadian Jerry Mayer’s comedies.
For tickets ($25-$15), visit santamonicaplayhouse.com or call (310) 394-9779.
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