First Nighters Swim at Scott's Following Premiere of Goldfish By Ann Conway
Talk about a social swim.
The scene at Scott's Seafood following the March 20 world premiere of John Kolvenbach's Goldfish on the Julianne Argyros Stage felt like a day at the beach, given its upbeat aqua-blue ambience and mouthwatering fare: crisp calamari, tender lime shrimp and flavorful smoked salmon. And more. Not to mention the decorative nods to the play's title, centerpieces of live goldfish swimming dizzyingly within clear bowls accented with sprouts of wheatgrass.
But it was the arrival of the king-fish himself, Kolvenbach, that had First Nighters jumping to their feet to applaud a play that Julia Argyros claimed was "one of the best I've ever seen at SCR." Suddenly, Scott's seemed like Sardi's as the hot playwright praised by London's Evening Standard for his "robust humor and bursts of poetric lyricism" wended his way through the happy swarm of theater buffs, who included play underwriter, Laurie Smits Staude.
The family drama about college-kids-in-love (played by Tasso Feldman and Kate Rylie) trying to keep their heads above water as they deal with the demands of off-center parents (Joan McMurtrey and Conor O'Farrell) had its beginnings at SCR last May when the SCR-commissioned work was read at the theater's annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. Directed by Loretta Greco, who staged the Festival reading, the play continues at SCR through April 5.
A party table
