Valley Center Stage presents ‘Off the Cuff’ with Gary Schwartz

Published 8:30 am Monday, August 29, 2016

Valley Center Stage presents “Off the Cuff” an evening with Gary Schwartz, in a retrospective of his eclectic career in a multi-media, interactive performance. The show will run at 7:30 p.m. for two nights only, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17, at Valley Center Stage 119 W. North Bend Way, North Bend.

Schwartz is an award-winning TV and film actor, director, improvisational acting coach and author. He will lead the audience in some theater games, talk with local playwright Jamie Gower and take questions about his career.

Special guests to appear include Kathy Roche-Zujko, Jamie Gower and John Chmaj.

Schwartz had an 18-year association with theater educator and author, Viola Spolin, famous for training the first improvisational theater troupe in the U.S. In 1988 he co-founded the Spolin Players improv troupe (www.spolinplayers.com), and is the only master teacher to be endorsed by both Spolin and her son, the original director of Second City, Paul Sills.

Originally from New York State, Schwartz began his career as a professional mime at age 13, performing with Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and other folk entertainers of the ’60’s. In the ’70’s and ’80’s he appeared in numerous film and television projects, including 65 episodes of the Emmy-winning TV series Zoobilee Zoo, with Ben Vereen.

The performance is a fundraiser to help promote Schwartz’s children’s novel, “The King of Average.”

For more information, visit www.valleycenterstage.org, and gary-schwartz.com.