Actor and playwright Christopher Durang writes comedy — satire, dark comedy, parody and absurdist. The Idyllwild Actors Theatre next presents a full stage, al fresco celebration of 12 of Durang’s shorter pieces, called “Durang Durang, a Blissfully Silly Collection of Plays.”

Durang’s play titles often capture his particular fascination with the gothic and goofy, the giddy and glorious such as early cabaret pieces at Yale with co-author Albert Innaurato, “I Don’t Generally Like Poetry But Have You Read ‘Trees?’” and “The Life Story of Mitzi Gaynor” and, with Wendy Wasserstein, “When Dinah Shore Ruled the World.” At Yale, again with co-author Innaurato, Durang launched his first professional production, “The Idiots Karamazov,” starring then-student Meryl Streep.

In 1980, Durang’s one-act play “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You” ran Off Broadway to rave reviews and earned him an Obie Award (the Off Broadway equivalent of a Tony) for best play. In the 1980s, Durang, again showing his delight for turning the familiar on end, wrote an original screenplay for Warner Brothers called “The Nun Who Shot Liberty Valence.” In 2013, Durang won a Tony and Drama Desk Award for Best Play and Outstanding Play respectively, for his Chekhov riff “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

By now you get the picture or the plays-on-words you are likely to experience by attending IAT’s “Durang Durang” on Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25, under the stars in the garden of the Rainbow Inn.

Directed by American Film Institute grad Ken Luber, “Durang Durang” stars Michelle Marsh, Jeri Greene, Preston Sparks, Jeannette Rogers, Christina Lee Nordella, Jacob Teel, Mark Rogers, Barbara Rayliss and Suzanne Avalon. Luber, a recipient of the Inland Theatre League award for directing, promises the audience an evening of intelligent and enjoyable theater by a great contemporary comedic playwright.

IAT founder and producer Avalon touted having outdoor, summer theater evening productions as a welcome new addition to the Idyllwild entertainment scene. “I’m really excited to have this as a new venue, the Rainbow Inn stage and garden,” she said.

Curtain time on both Friday and Saturday, July 24 and 25 is 8 p.m. There is a reception prior to each performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students and are available at the door and online at www.idyllwildactorstheatre.com. For other questions, call 951-692-9553.

Photos of the goings on in Idyllwild last week.

By Sally Hedberg
Special to the Town Crier

    If you are a movie buff, a TV watcher, reader of books or just an Elvis aficionado you won’t want to miss Michael Dante’s author talk and book signing at the Idyllwild Library. Branch Librarian Shannon Ng has a series of events planned all around his previous famous visit in Idyllwild filming “Kid Galahad.” The making of this movie starring Elvis Presley put Idyllwild on the map in 1962. Michael was one of the actors who struck up a friendship with Elvis during this film.

The first event will be the showing of the classic film “Kid Galahad” at 11 a.m. in the library. The film’s story is about a shrewd gambler who wants to use a boxing champ, played by Elvis, as his pawn and it’s up to Elvis to show him what winning is all about. Following the movie at 1 p.m., Michael will give a presentation with a question-and-answer session and share many stories about Elvis and his own experiences as an actor. Following the presentation, Shannon will hand out maps prepared by the Idyllwild Area Historical Society. These self-guided maps show all the filming locations. IAHS has a permanent display, including pictures and the original poster.

Michael is very recognizable and it’s no wonder. During his career, he appeared in 30 films and 150 TV shows while under contract with three major studios. Besides appearing in many Westerns, he appeared in the TV shows “Get Smart,” “Bonanza,” “Perry Mason,” “Maverick” and “Gunsmoke,” just to name a few.  He won the Golden Globe of Westerns and many other awards for his movies. He was awarded the Southern California Motion Picture Council Award for the “Best of the Best” in the Performing Arts.

He lives is Rancho Mirage with his wife Mary Jane where he is very active in many charity events. He will be a special guest at the yearly Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas Aug. 6 to 9. He was cast as a Capelian chieftain on “Star Trek” and worked on many episodes. He also will be a special guest at the 60th anniversary of “Gunsmoke” in Dodge City, Kansas, Sept. 25 to 28.

Michael will sign his new autobiography, “Michael Dante — From Hollywood to Michael Dante Way,” and will have personal autographed photos with Elvis, both for sale. The Idyllwild Library is located at 54401 Village Center Drive, Idyllwild. The event is free and open to the public.

The Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers, Arizona imports, are award-winning practitioners of Western music — the music of the American West, composed by and about the people who worked and settled the western United States and Canada.

The five-piece group appears next, Thursday, July 23, for Ken Dahleen’s Idyllwild Summer Concert Series. Directly related musically to English, Scottish and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates life on the open range — the loneliness, the beauty, the challenges, the freedom and the heartaches.

Named 2012 Western Music Group of the Year by the Western Music Association, the Rustlers are led by songwriter, vocalist and bass player Marvin O’Dell. O’Dell, a retired Baptist minister, stressed their evening of everything from cowboy classics and Western swing to cowboy gospel and patriotic tributes will be family friendly. In honor of Herb Jeffries, the band will perform O’Dell’s tribute to Jeffries, “The Bronze Buckaroo.” “He had wanted to record with us, but his health was failing and it didn’t work out,” remembered O’Dell.

Reflecting the genesis of Western music and the ranch houses where the music was originally performed, the Rhythm Rustlers are a string band, with strong vocal harmonies. Joining O’Dell are Jean Sudbury on fiddle, award-winning guitarist and vocalist Dan McCorison, with Gale Rogers and Audrey Pett joining on vocals.

O’Dell said the Rustlers would keep the tempos lively and throw in an occasional cowboy waltz for those whose tastes run to sweet and sentimental. Otto Gray, an early cowboy band leader, believed all Western music tempos came from the gait of a cowpony — a walk, a trot or a lope — and that the richly harmonious singing also was very improvisational, reflecting the freedom of the open range.

So if your ears and hearts hanker for cowboy sentiment found in standards like “Cool Water,” “Back in the Saddle Again,” “Red River Valley” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” put your arm around your fellow or gal, break open a beverage and reminisce about those days and nights spent among the tumbleweeds, cacti and cattle — in a time when things were simpler and sweeter.

On the other hand, if dancin’ is your thing, break out your boots, your steps, your glides and moves, and find your place on the dance floor. It will be crowded.

RHRR takes the stage at 7 p.m. Locals Roger Dutton and Friends open for the Rhythm Rustlers at 6 p.m.

The budget for the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series is financed through sponsorships and donations. As of this writing, $16,828 of the $31,000 budget has been raised. Anyone wishing to become a sponsor of the series may contact Ken Dahleen at 951-659-2229. Water and ice sales at the concert venue are donated to help fund the series.

For more information about the Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers, visit www.redhotrhythmrustlers.com or www.musikode.com.

Photos from the Lemon Lily Festival.