(PRWEB) July 19, 2018 -- If Julia Morgan could take visitors on a tour of the remarkable memoriam spaces she designed at the historic mortuary, they might feel they were inside a chambered nautilus. That’s how well-known actress Mara Purl felt during a pre-performance tour. “The nautilus is a central symbol for Julia’s work because it expresses the Golden Ratio, sometimes referred to as sacred geometry. It’s everywhere in this almost magical setting with its multitude of private, sacred spaces.”
“Becoming Julia Morgan” will be presented as a staged reading—with a full, professional cast, costumes, and theatrical sound effects. VIP receptions will be part of each of the three performances, and will include special gourmet delicacies from the Hearst Castle recipe book, as well as a brief talk on Sacred Geometry by Mara Purl. “There’s something intimate about a staged reading,” she reflected, “sharing the space with our audience in the gorgeous chapel Julia designed. People will feel they’ve stepped right into the middle of her richly complex life.”
Purl, who first performed the role last autumn in San Luis Obispo, is excited to bring the play to new audiences. “This is Julia-land,” the actress pointed out. “She grew up in Oakland, established her architectural practice in San Francisco, and built 700 buildings throughout California. Two of her most remarkable are so close by. One is the Berkeley City Club, and the other is Asilomar near Monterey. And right here in Oakland is this gem, the central portions of Chapel of the Chimes.”
Chapel of the Chimes, redesigned by Julia Morgan in 1928, is an Oakland Historical Landmark building and has long been considered one of the most beautiful historic buildings in all of California. With its natural stonework, polished marble, delicate sculptures, hand-painted murals and mosaic-tiles floors, it evokes Renaissance beauty and serenity as visitors explore its buildings and grounds.
“We found it just intriguing to wander through gardens, cloisters, alcoves, stair wells, courtyards with fountains, and private places to pray or meditate,” remarked Linda Wilson, director of the upcoming production, and student of Julia Morgan history. “We could see why some people consider this to be one of Julia’s master works.”
“When our director Linda Wilson and I first visited and were given a tour ourselves, we did feel the presence not only of her ideas, but of her reverence for loved ones, and the importance of creating and honoring the sense of legacy and infinity that attends the passing of those we love. In addition, we found it very moving to visit Julia’s own gravesite, in the beautiful cemetary adjacent to and overlooking Chapel of the Chimes. She and her whole family are buried there.”
“We feel we know Julia and her family very well by now,” echoed director Wilson. “Her parents, brothers and sister are all part of our show. We feel honored to bring all of them to life for our audiences.”
Not only is Chapel of the Chimes an architectural icon of Oakland, it’s also a hub of community activities, including Sunday morning yoga classes, and regular concerts as part of its Jazz at the Chimes series. “We are committed to offering special performances,” said General Manager David Madden. “Sharing these extraordinary spaces with the community is part of our core mission. When we heard about the play ‘Becoming Julia Morgan,’ we knew it would be a perfect fit here. Our entire staff is eager to welcome audiences to this remarkable production.”
“If we think history is irrelevant, nothing could be further fro the truth,” Purl remarked. “Julia Morgan was breaking glass ceilings even as she built them. She was such a key trail blazer that, frankly, female architects, and women in general would not be where we are today were it not for pioneers like her. She gave up having a personal life and devoted herself to her work. For her, ‘having it all’ meant designing, building, and also mentoring others with every fiber of her being.”
Mara Purl is also an author with a series of books set along the Central Coast. Her Milford-Haven novels and short stories began rocketing to the top of the Amazon and Barnes & Noble best-seller lists in 2011. As a performer, she’s well-known for co-starring in “Sea Marks” by Gardner McKay. She and Christopher Law first brought the play to the Pewter Plough Playhouse in 1984, and reprised their roles to sold-out houses in 2015. They’ve now co-starred in that play in six productions in California and Colorado.
When Purl was approached by Wilson about taking on the lead in “Julia,” she recommended Law for the role of Hearst. The director agreed, and Law was delighted. “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to portray someone who made such an indelible mark on the region. He was just as much an icon as Morgan, and together they created something amazing.” Morgan and Hearst were never romantically involved. But their professional friendship was of key importance to both of them, and lasted through decades. Purl and Law also enjoy a friendship that spans many years and always enjoy performing together.
The production also features veteran actor Dan Murry, adeptly portraying Morgan’s key mentors Bernard Maybeck and Professor Chaussemiche, as well as a descendant of Jerry Mac, a fictional character who worked hard to become Julia’s biographer. David Rosenblatt plays Jerry Mac, a Hearst reporter bristling with ambition, and possessing a keen insight into what makes Miss Morgan tick. Rosenblatt, who just co-starred in “The Murder Room” for the By the Sea Productions Theatre Company in Morro Bay, played Avery Morgan and Roman God Janus in last autumn’s production of “Becoming Julia Morgan,” and now assumes the second-lead role. Ailish Dermody, with Broadway and Television credits, will portray movie-star Marion Davies, close friend both to Julia and to Hearst; Roman Goddess Vesta, as well as Julia’s mother, Eliza Morgan. Sharee Hallman, a frequent presence on Central Coast stages, will portray four key people in Julia’s life: Phoebe Hearst, her benefactor; Cecile, her best friend in Paris; Elizabeth, her office assistant; and Irene, the wife of her would-be biographer whom Julia later mentors. Zachary Johnson, a SLO Little Theatre regular in both drama and comedy, takes over as Avery Morgan, Janus, Jake the Hearst gardener, and a hilarious French waiter.
Director Linda A. Wilson is a well-known director and performer in the San Luis Obispo region, with a thirty-year career including production at SLO REP, (SLO Little Theatre), PCPA (Pacific Conservatory for Performing Arts), PLOT, Canzona Women's Ensemble, and many others. A legacy member of The Monday Club, she has become an expert in Julia Morgan’s career, and loves bringing Belinda Taylor’s play to new audiences.
Belinda Taylor was a veteran journalist before penning her play, which pits a determined journalist against the equally determined and reclusive Morgan. The Sacramento Bee reported, “Like a Julia Morgan-designed building, the new play about California’s first female architect … is a beautiful and intelligently designed creation. And also like her buildings, it is pleasing to the senses, with fine attention to detail and outstanding craftsmanship.”
Mara Purl, who has appeared on stage and on-camera since childhood, played the recurring character “Darla Cook” on NBC’s “Days of Our Lives.” She then founded a production company and created “Milford-Haven U.S.A.”, a serial drama loosely based upon Cambria. The show, co-starring a well-known L.A. based cast including Erin Gray, Linda Purl, Ed Begley, Jr., Michael Horse, and several others, became the first American radio drama to air on BBC radio, where it enjoyed a following of 4.5 million listeners. Purl’s story later came to the attention of New York publishers, who began publishing her novel series in hardcover in 2011. Since then, Book one “What the heart Knows” and book two “Where the Heart Lives” have both become national best-sellers, as have her novellas, “When Hummers Dream” and “When Whales Watch.” and her latest, “When Otters Play”. Her Milford-Haven saga has won more than 30 book awards.
Mara has an on-line following of 17 million when she does her blog tours. She is a frequent guest on radio talk shows, and also speaks for the American Heart Association, for women’s organizations, for writers’ conferences and for colleges and universities. Mara and her books have a large following nationally and particularly in California. Along with her work as an author, speaker and performer, she consults on other authors’ book projects.
Tara Goff, Bellekeep Books, http://www.bellekeepbooks.com, +1 (719) 422-2929, [email protected]
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