Art Center Theater presents: Israel Horovitz's "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard" Coleman Auditorium Gualala Arts Center
Fri,   July 21, 7:00 p.m. - Gala Opening* Sat,  July 22, 7:00 p.m. Sun, July 23, 2:00 p.m.   Fri,   July 28, 7:00 p.m. Sat,  July 29, 7:00 p.m. Sun, July 30, 2:00 p.m.

A grouchy old man and a vindictive housekeeper - what do they have in common? At first glance, there is not much. But the play, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, shows that their differences come from a common base - humanity. Part comedy, part drama, this summer production is a must see.

"Nothing is inevitable," goes the old saying, "except death and taxes." In Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, playwright Israel Horovitz adds "regret" to that list. In the bleak New England winter, an imperious old Jacob Brackish shuffles around his house lamenting his mistakes and lost opportunities. "Memories can cripple you," he says, "turn you into stone."

Similarly afflicted is his new housekeeper, Kathleen Hogan, a middle-age widow seething with resentment underneath her mousy demeanor. They are seemingly mismatched. He's a Jewish bachelor with no family, a Harvard-educated Ph.D., and retired high school teacher. She's a blue-collar Irish Catholic with a passel of relatives. However, the odd-couple relationship reveals their connections in this rueful, and often amusing, look at the popular habit of second-guessing one's mistakes.

Directed by Lynne Atkins, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard is a play in miniature. Except for the voice of a classicalmusic DJ (Dave Badger), the entire cast consists of Jim Riley as Brackish and Kathye Hitt as Hogan. However their skillful pas de deux evokes the personalities of the past that peoples the cast with many characters.

Horovitz has been a successful playwright since the 1960s. He also founded a theater company in Gloucester, his hometown, where he tutored many fledgling writers. His mentoring provided a seed for this play - the study of impact teachers make on their students. Many works have addressed the subject, but Park Your Car... asks a deeper question. How do specific events and general circumstances affect a person's life? Jacob wonders if he had any effect as a teacher, while people in Kathleen's world blame his harsh rigidity for their misfortunes.

A gentle, introspective play, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard is powered by personality. This thoughtful, touching piece is also potent, funny, and resonates after the final scene.

Tickets are $15, and doors open 30 minutes before show, except for the
*Gala Opening, Friday, July 21, when tickets are $25, and doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Gualala Arts Center is located at 46501 Gualala Road in Gualala, and is open from 9 am to 4 pm weekdays, and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information.