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2022 Morongo Basin Theatre Year in Review

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2022 saw a return to live in person performance for area theatres for their first full season post pandemic.

Theatre 29 brought “Murder on the Orient Express”, The cabaret “Almost Love”, “Rapunzel” and “MIS-CAST 2022” revue to close out the 2021 season. 2022 brought Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach”, “Puffs”, and the “Holly Jolly Holiday Hoopla” concert to bring the year to a close.

The community theatre captured 9 Desert Star Awards for their 2021 season, including “Outstanding Production of a Cabaret” for Almost Love. Groves Cabin Theatre in Morongo Valley re-opened for the first time since 2019 under the management of Abe Daniels, the creator of the “Joshua Tree Theatre Under the Stars” program which also fielded their “Spoon River Tonight” production this summer.

Groves produced “The Death of Bessie Smith” and “The Marriage Play” by Edward Albee beginning in October.

Thought Theatre hosted its first “Hi-Def Fringe Fest” in person since the pandemic, produced “The Thanksgiving Play” as part of Big Read Morongo Basin, as well as brought “You Are Now In Bedford Falls”, a improvised homage to “It’s a Wonderful Life” to the stage. The company founder, Miri Hunter, was also recognized by the DTL as Outstanding Director for last year’s “The DI ( C ) E Squad”.

Theatre is alive and well in our basin.

Charlie Thomas

Charlie Thomas is a local theatrical director, actor, producer, stage designer and playwright with over thirty-five years’ experience in both professional and non-professional live theatre, film, television, and radio. His pedigree includes most of the major theatrical companies in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin including Theatre 29, Hi-Desert Playhouse, Groves Cabin Theatre, Palm Canyon Theatre and College of the Desert, to name a very few. Charlie is an active member of the greater desert performing arts scene. He currently serves as Vice-President on the Theatre 29 board of directors. He also serves on the board of the Desert Theatre League, a live performance support organization that provides judging and awards for theatrical and dance excellence for over 39 organizations. He is also a founding panelist of the Alliance of Desert Theatres which formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to network with performing arts houses all over the desert for support and networking while the industry was shutdown. During his theatrical career, Charlie has won many Desert Theatre League performance awards as well as their “Sidney Harmon” award which recognizes honorees for exhibiting theatrical excellence. Charlie Thomas joined Z107.7 in April 2020 and has greatly come to enjoy the everchanging scope of the work. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to share his breadth of knowledge and experience as Z107.7’s Entertainment Reporter. He is grateful to be able to share news stories about the wide variety of arts our beautiful basin has to offer.


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Charlie Thomas is a local theatrical director, actor, producer, stage designer and playwright with over thirty-five years’ experience in both professional and non-professional live theatre, film, television, and radio. His pedigree includes most of the…

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