PERFORMANCE ART | By Catherine Ann Jones

Ojai Arts Exchange

A Little Piece of New York Refinement Right Here in Ojai

Happy that at a certain age and after a long career in New York Theatre and Hollywood films as actor, playwright, and screenwriter, I embraced village life by moving to Ojai, CA. Although I’ve often described Ojai as ‘a small town without small town people’, Ojai can become a sleepy village in the evenings. Not anymore!

Bernie Larsen and Cassidy Linder have brought New York night life here. This year, they opened the Ojai Arts Exchange.

Now Ojai is hopping and the place to go each weekend for theatre. Freud’s Oracle the play last weekend and last night Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco & vocalist Isaac Korner taking us down memory lane with Sinatra pop tunes to a standing only sell-out crowd. Then Sunday evenings at 7 p.m., they offer movies as upcoming on June 10, Matter of Heart, a superb documentary on Carl Gustav Jung.

During the day, you can find dance classes & Tai Chi. Upstairs is a “Class A” Recording Studio expertly run by Bernie Larsen. Performing my new play, Freud’s Oracle, at Ojai Arts Exchange reminded me of early days performing in Manhattan’s cabaret or off-Broadway theatres in Greenwich Village or Soho. Now we are lucky to have a bit of New York in Ojai!

Check it out by signing up for the mailing list: ojaiartsexchange.com or dropping by on weekends, Ojai Arts Underground Exchange, 1016 W. Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023. It’s the coolest new place in town!

CATHERINE ANN JONES is an award winning author, screen writer and writing consultant. After earning a living from acting in NY, Catherine grew disenchanted with the roles of women in new plays so she decided to write her own. Well known for authoring Heal Yourself with Writing, and Calamity Jane, Jones recently released “Freud’s Oracle” a play based on the life of H.D. which she recently showcased in Ojai, California.