CLAIRE VOYANT 'Soars' to Avo Playhouse 5/7

Carlsbad playwright, Steven Oberman, is launching the world premiere of his new comedy, "Claire Voyant," in Vista this May. The play is a comic-book spoof about psychic superheroes, and runs May 7 through 17 at the Avo Playhouse, located at 303 Main Street, Vista. Performance times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm.

Ticket information and sales are available through the VisTix Ticket Office at 760-724-2110 or online at www.vistixonline.com. Ticket prices are $15-$20, with a $12 preview performance on Wednesday, May 6.

Set in San Francisco of 1975 and featuring a cast of characters worthy of the funny pages, "Claire Voyant" follows the adventures and misadventures of Claire, a clairvoyant, as she struggles with her abilities. She finds herself caught between psychic identical twins, one who is super evil while the other fights for justice. Claire must face her own fears and doubts in order to save the day, in true superhero fashion.

"Claire Voyant" marks the debut of a full-length play by Oberman, who first became interested in playwrighting as a student at UCSD, where his one-act play, "Triple Take," was produced at the Undergraduate Arts Festival. More recently, he has written several educational-themed short plays and skits for TAFFE, the non-profit organization he founded in 2006, which utilizes theatre as a teaching tool. In the interim, he has combined business with pleasure by making a career out of marketing for the performing arts. He is currently the Marketing Coordinator for Moonlight Stage Productions, a position he has held on and off since 1994.

For "Claire Voyant," Oberman has enlisted the talents of former Moonlight Stage Productions Managing Director Jim Strait to direct. Besides "The Boys Next Door" at the Avo Playhouse, Strait has directed several San Diego productions as well as acted in Moonlight shows and on most of San Diego's stages. Now residing in Rancho Mirage, he has directed numerous plays for The Thorny Theater and has performed at the Palm Canyon Theater, the La Quinta Playhouse, the Villa Resort, and directed and performed for the Palm Springs Playwright's Circle.

Starring as Claire is déja bleu ginsberg, who is joined by Jacob Caltrider, Julie Clemmons, Grace Delaney, Paul Rossi, and Cuz Todd. Members of the creative team include N. Dixon Fish for scenic design, Roslyn Lehman for costume design, Ashley Jenks for lighting design, sound designer Jeff Polunas, and Sue Givens will be the stage manager.

"Claire Voyant" is produced by Theatre Arts for Fun Education (TAFFE), which is a non-profit organization, based in Carlsbad, that not only brings theatre to local schools as an educational tool, but also produces live theatrical productions as a way to educate and entertain. For more information about TAFFE, call Steven Oberman at 760-268-0169.

TAFFE, 945 Begonia Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92011