SAN JUAN experience
We are born to sing and celebrate the arts. It begins with the natural
rhythms of our heartbeat, pulse and breath. Even a baby’s cries have been found to resonate with the same sounds and basic intervals found in Western music. In fact, the arts are such powerful fuel for the soul that they have the
power to elevate or lower one’s heart rate and even change ways of think- ing and produce positive moods and optimism. With a medley of music and arts-related events and venues offered
MUSIC AND THE ARTS
BY ROBYN WYMAN-DILL
year-round, San Juan Capistrano is a thriving center for enjoyment and celebration of the many outlets of human expression. Teater, visual arts, jazz, country, folk, rock, and even mariachi—there’s a place for it all and more. Happy feet are always tapping to the beat and hands are continually clapping in appreciation within this culturally rich community. Music Under the Stars
concerts in the Mission San Juan Capistrano
courtyard, the annual Battle of the Mariachis, free San Juan Summer Nites concerts in the Historic Town Center Park or any of a host of Multicul- tural musical arts programs at the Michael Graves-designed library all provide a myriad of opportunities to delight in music. Te Community Center is also home to the Ballet Folklorico dance
school, which trains children and teens in a variety of traditional Mexican folk dances. Te troupe performs at many events in the city, including the Swallows Day Parade, St. Joseph’s Day at the Mission and the Battle of the Mariachis which is celebrating its 10th year in 2014. Now in its seventh year and free to the public, the homegrown Second
Saturday Art and Antiques Fair (held on the second Saturday of the month in the downtown area from March through December) features 40 to 50 artists, all residing within a 15-mile radius of town. “We see art as being of real value to the community,” said Second
Saturday founder Randi Peshkin. “It helps to showcase our town and our local talent with many of the galleries in town now featuring artists who appeared in our shows.” Te city is also home to a stellar theatrical arts center, the Camino Real
Playhouse, which is going strong aſter 25 seasons. “We do open auditions and get submissions from actors outside of Or-
ange County, particularly Los Angeles, but find we draw the highest vol- ume of our talent locally—as much as 20 percent higher than the average,” said Tom Scott, the Camino Real Playhouse founder. “My favorite stories are made when a poised, 20-something-year-old comes in and asks me if I remember them. Turns out it’s one of our students who took classes and performed here at age 10 or 11 and has gone on to earn a theatre arts degree and is now teaching.” Besides producing six plays on the main stage and four on an alternate
stage each season, the playhouse hosts a full schedule of special events annually. Te playhouse’s popular ShowOff! International Playwriting Festival
in January brings in over 300 submissions from as far away as Russia, the British Isles and Australia. Comedy Night draws established Los Angeles- based comedians along with performers from Orange County. Two of four Shakespearean Festival plays are performed outdoors in Historic Town Center Park. Voice training, photography and acting classes are also offered. San Juan’s art scene is as vibrant and flourishing as the multi-cultural
population, making the city a great destination for enjoying some of the world’s best works of creative skill and imagination.
visitsjc.com | San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Business Directory & Visitor Guide | 19
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