The show goes on

In August 2003, playwright Richard Broadhurst teamed up with actor and director Anthony De Fonte on a project titled Inside. Broadhurst wrote the script—a parable of sorts about three young men, each with a troubled past involving violence and the law. The men wake up in a place they don’t recognize, accompanied by a mysterious fourth character who speaks only Spanish. Broadhurst based his script in part on his work with young men in the California Department of the Youth Authority, where he taught classes in writing and acting for several years. De Fonte directed the show.The production had a brief run at the Guild Theater in Oak Park, followed by a lively performance before 400 students at Sacramento High School. De Fonte and Broadhurst had plans to launch a new local group, the Willowgate Theatre Company, to tour that production and present other works.

Alas, De Fonte was struck down in 2004 by a fatal heart attack before those plans were realized. Broadhurst has decided to press ahead with the Willowgate Theatre Company, however. He has established a nonprofit entity with the goal of raising $20,000 to get the ball rolling.

“I want to do another extended showcase in the spring and invite people from school boards and the state Department of Education and the Legislature,” Broadhurst told SN&R last week. “Then, we plan to take the show to middle schools and high schools in the fall and use it as an educational tool.”

Broadhurst currently is looking for backers for the project. Call (916) 451-3439 for more information.