Community News

Love/Sick at Playhouse

Playwright John Cariani writes about love, but not traditional forever-after-love but the kind that starts out well and then the people get to know one another. The stories engage all combinations of genders and human conditions. Cariani tells the stories in Love/Sick with wit, insight and in the aisles of a grocery supercenter at the Long Beach Playhouse June 9 to July 7.

“I love the set for this show,” said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse’s executive director. “All of us have walked the aisles of this store and all of us know what it’s like to fall in love and to fall back out of love. In this play that happens in the aisles of the supercenter store.”

Director Shinshin Yuder Tsai describes relationships as structures built brick by brick without the benefit of pages of instruction. He notes that in Love/Sick, the audience visits nine different relationships which, together, form an overall picture. He says what makes this show interesting is that it’s not content to stop at the happy endings but seeks to answer the question of what happens after happily-ever-after.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling (562) 494-1014, option 1.

Writers Club Meeting

The California Writers Club of Long Beach is holding its free monthly meeting on Saturday, June 9, in the community room at the Ruth Bach Neighborhood Library, 4055 Bellflower Blvd.

The meeting is 3-5 p.m. with networking starting at 2:30. The June speaker is Janet Simcic, who will talk about “Turning My Travel into Fiction.” Simcic, who leads small tours to Italy, writes both fiction and nonfiction. Some of her book titles include The Man at the Rialto Bridge and A Chick’s Guide to Italy.

California Writer’s Club is a non-profit 501(C)(3) educational organization. For more information, please see www.calwriterslongbeach.org, info@calwriterslongbeach.org.

The California Writers Club was founded in 1909 and has 1800 members and 22 chapters statewide. The club’s mission: To educate writers of all abilities in the craft of writing and the marketing of their work.

Novel Reading

An author reading and book signing will take place on Sunday, June 10, 3-4:30 p.m. at Gatsby Books, 5535 E. Spring St.

A reading from “The Second Mrs. Price,” a new novel from Long Beach-based Lagoon House Press, will be followed by a Q&A and discussion. Written by Los Angeles author Toni Fuhrman, the book is an exploration of intimacy and obsession within the context of strong family ties.

Singer Auditions

The Long Beach Chorale, looking ahead to its second appearance at Carnegie Hall, encourages talented singers to audition for its 2018-19 season.

Auditions will be held by appointment during the month of August; rehearsals take place on Monday nights in the Belmont Shore area. Prospective members are invited to contact the chorus by calling (562) 427-1931 or emailing lbchorale@gmail.com for information or to schedule an audition. Singers in all voice parts are welcomed; the ability to read music is required. Auditions are brief, informal and non-threatening.

The LBC joined other singers to perform Kirke Mechem’s Songs of the Slave under Rubenstein’s direction at Carnegie Hall in June 2017, and have been invited back to perform Haydn’s Mass in Time of War in June 2019. The ensemble’s season will also include a Long Beach performance of the Haydn Mass and a holiday celebration.

Summer Movie Nights

The Friends of Signal Hill Library will host a DVD Media Sale on Friday, June 15, noon to 4 p.m. on the Signal Hill Library Patio. 1780 E. Hill St., Signal Hill. (behind construction fence & basketball courts). Over 1,000 DVDs will be on sale for very low prices.

Choose from Action, adventure, classics, comedy, horror, kung-fu, martial arts, romance and more. Popular audio books on tape too. All proceeds benefit the summer reading program. For more info call Cecilia Fidora at (562) 494-1013.

Father’s Day Celebration

Celebrate Father’s Day at Cafe Sevilla on Sunday, June 17. Treat dad to a nine-course Father’s Day Brunch menu from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $29.50 per person; kids 12 and under can enjoy six courses for $20.

The menu includes favorites such as Pan Seared Salmon, 7-Hour Braised Short Ribs and a Lemon Tart for Dessert. Chef Miguel will also be preparing his famous Meat Paella Rupestre. Plus, all day, dads will receive a complimentary lobster tail on their Meat Paella Rupestre. After 1 p.m., the dinner menu will also be available.

 For reservations, call (562) 495-1111. For more information or to view a menu, visit http://www.cafesevilla.com/long-beach/promotions.

Summer Music Camps

Grace First Presbyterian Church has been a center of musical activity for quite some time, with the Music at the Point Concert Series and a host of programs. But in the summer, the focus of musical activity are the two music summer camps held at the campus: School of Rock and Summer Choir Camp.

To register for either camp, visit www.gracefirst.org/register and follow the instructions for each camp. The camps are both held at Grace First Presbyterian, 3955 Studebaker Rd. For more information contact Stan DeWitt at (562) 972-3324, or stan.gracefirst@gmail.com.

Pet Preparedness

The City of Long Beach will celebrate pet preparedness in June with a variety of outreach and educational activities for pet owners. Pet Preparedness Month encourages residents to incorporate the needs of their pets in family emergency plans, including providing pet supplies in emergency go-kits and registering pets with Long Beach Animal Care Services so they can be more easily identified if they are separated from the family during a disaster.

During the month of June, the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications in collaboration with other city departments, will conduct outreach to residents, which will include:

What Goes in Your Pet’s Emergency Kit Facebook Live – This event will be hosted on Monday, June 11, at 12:30 p.m. on the City of Long Beach Facebook Page and will provide information on items to include in a pet’s emergency kit and other pet-related disaster preparedness topics will be shared.

Scavenger Hunt: On Friday, June 15, residents will have a chance to pick up free pet preparedness items that can be used in their pets’ emergency kits. Prize packs will be hidden around the city.

For more information about pet preparedness visit: www.longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness.