Theatre 29’s first production of the 2013 season is the classic thriller “Deathtrap,” by Ira Levin, author of “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Stepford Wives,” and “The Boys from Brazil.”

Sidney Bruhl needs a killer idea. Once the toast of Broadway, his plays were masterpieces of the murder genre, but it’s been years since his last hit. When Bruhl receives a script to die for from unknown playwright Clifford Anderson, he sees a lethal opportunity and invites Anderson to his isolated home. Directed by Theatre 29 veteran Butch Pelfry, the plot bends, spirals, and spins totally out of control as Bruhl and Anderson match wits in this suspenseful nail-biter that provides thrills and spontaneous laughter.

The opening night performance of “Deathtrap” on January 11 is a fundraising gala for Soroptimist International of Twentynine Palms. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the curtain rising at 7 p.m. The evening will feature appetizers and desserts made by SI members, with a silent auction concluding during intermission. Tickets to the opening night gala are $25 each and are available from any Soroptimist or at the Flower Garden in Twentynine Palms. Proceeds from the evening will benefit SI scholarships and service projects. For more information, call Tanya Stuckey at 760-265-2552, Dee Foster at 760-362-4057, or Pat Sanford at 760-333-8995.

“Deathtrap” runs for five weekends, January 11 through February 9. After opening night, performances will be 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees on January 19th and February 2nd.  Tickets are $12 for general admission; $10 for seniors and military; and $8 for students with ID. Season tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Theatre 29 box office at 760-361-4151, or online at <http://www.theatre29.org/>www.Theatre29.org. Theatre 29 is located at 73637 Sullivan Road in Twentynine Palms.

Theatre 29 and Directors Gary Daigneault and Ed Will have announced the audition date for the second show of the 2013 season, The Broadway classic “Gypsy”, a musical fable suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee.

While early Theatre season announcements featured the Musical “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying”, The licensing Company suspended the rights to accommodate a travelling show in Southern California and the Musical “Gypsy has been substituted.

“Gypsy” is the ultimate story about an aggressive stage mother. Join Rose, June and Louise in their trip across the United States during the 1920’s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born. Jule Styne’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics include, “Let Me Entertain You”, “Some People”, “You’ll Never Get Away from Me”, “If Momma Was Married”, “All I Need Is the Girl”, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”, “You Gotta Get A Gimmick” and “Together Wherever We Go”. “Gypsy” is a gripping story of one of the most frightening aspects of show business.

This will be the thirteenth musical in thirteen years directed by the Daigneault-Will team. Daigneault takes the artistic director task, while Will serves as the shows music Director. Local audiences have come to know the team as always producing, high quality, well-produced big cast shows.

Open auditions for “Gypsy” will be held Monday, January 14, at 6:00 pm, at Theatre 29, 73637 Sullivan Road (across from Barr Lumber) in the City of Twentynine Palms.

Daigneault and Will are looking for a cast of up to 35, with many roles open for both Adult and younger performers from ages of 12 and older.

“Gypsy” will run for twelve performances over five weekends from March 8th, though April 6th, 2013. Performances are at 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Two Sunday Matinees will be offered at 2:30 pm on March 17th and 31st.

As the date approaches audition “sides” will be posted on the Theatre 29 website at <http://www.theatre29.org/>www.theatre29.org.

Tickets for “Gypsy” are available for $12.00 Regular admission, $10.00 for Seniors and Military, and $8.00 for students with ID and children under 12. (The show has some mature themes).

Season tickets for the entire 2013 season of 6 theatrical productions and the “Halloween Haunt”  are now available, $68.00 for General Admission, $56.00 for Seniors and Military, and $46.00 for students with ID and children under 12.

To purchase tickets call the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151 or online at <http://www.theatre29.org/>www.theatre29.org.

 Theatre 29 is an all-volunteer 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization which operates year round.

[easyembed field=”code1″]

An unknown gunman has shot dead two people after opening fire in an Oregon mall full of holiday shoppers. Police say the assailant took his own life following the attack.

Clackamas County sheriff’s Lt. James Rhodes said two people were fatally shot and a young woman сritically wounded at the Clackamas Town Center in Clackamas, Oregon, on Tuesday afternoon.

The injured victim was taken to hospital by helicopter and her condition remains serious.

The gunmen yelled out “I am the shooter”  before firing up to 60 shots from what witnesses said was an assault-style rifle. The attacker appeared to be a tall and slender teenager wearing all black camouflage with a white hockey mask, KATU television station has quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

Hundreds of shoppers were evacuated from the mall when the gunman opened fire in the food court around 3.30 pm local time. Many hid behind counters or in nearby shops.

“We heard people running back here screaming, yelling ‘911’,” Kayla Sprint, who was at the mall for a job interview told AP. Sprint took cover in the back room of a store.

Read the whole story and more photos…

Facebook has once again made changes to its privacy policy, despite nearly 600,000 users voting to reject the proposed changes. The social network is now loosening privacy restrictions while making settings easier to navigate.

The Internet giant last week asked users to weigh in on some of its proposed policy changes, but in the end disregarded the input. Facebook last week sent an e-mail to users telling them they could vote on the changes, but would only consider the input if 300 million users, or 30 percent of all Facebook users, participated in the poll before Dec. 10.

With just five days to vote, about 600,000 casted votes in opposition to the changes, but Facebook went ahead and began unveiling them anyway on Wednesday. Less than 80,000 users voted in support of the proposed documents.

The Internet giant proudly announced that it is making privacy settings easier to navigate by placing a “shortcut” to access the settings in the top-right hand corner of the website and making these settings easier to navigate.

But while some settings may now be less confusing, users will also lose some of their privacy protections altogether. A user’s ability to hide from the site’s search will be “retired”, Facebook director of Privacy Shortcuts Sam Lessin told the New York Times.

Read the whole story…