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Joel Beers
Writer
Contributing Writer
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Join date: Nov 22, 2024
About
Joel Beers focuses on theater and cultural events in and around Orange County. He was the OC Weekly theater critic for the full life of that publication. He has also written for LA Weekly, American Theatre Magazine, Southland Golf, the Daily Journal, Reuters, and the Riverside Press-Enterprise,Daily Pilot and San Gabriel Valley Tribune newspapers, as well as formerly serving as the adviser for the student newspaper at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Beers is a playwright whose work has been produced at theaters in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
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Theater & Culture
Posts (41)
Mar 11, 2026 ∙ 7 min
From Simon to ‘The Shark’: Laguna Playhouse Launches Its Reinvention
The Evolution of Laguna Playhouse, Part 2: With a fiscal crisis narrowly averted, Orange County’s oldest theater is transitioning into a more audience-focused, cost-conscious, and community-connected institution. "The Shark is Broken," now playing at Laguna Playhouse, is a behind-the-scenes look at the dysfunctional filming of the movie "Jaws," with actors portraying the actors who portrayed the film's three main characters. From left: Gildart Jackson, Will Block and Adam Poole. Photo...
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Feb 25, 2026 ∙ 7 min
Making a Deal: How a $500,000 Rescue is Reshaping Laguna Playhouse
The Evolution of Laguna Playhouse, Part 1: Beyond the city council vote lies a complicated lease amendment, new access for nonprofits and hard financial trade-offs for the historic Laguna Beach theater. Laguna Playhouse. Photo by Heide Janssen, Culture OC This is PART ONE in a two-part series about the evolution of Laguna Playhouse. To read PART TWO, go to: From Simon to ‘The Shark’: Laguna Playhouse Launches Its Reinvention Adelle Adkins was new to Laguna Beach when she was hired as...
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Jan 30, 2026 ∙ 7 min
‘Once’ Twice: Two Local Theaters Stage Musical at the Same Time – and Neither Is Worried
Chance Theater and Electric Company Theatre open the actor-musician musical this weekend. LEFT: Wesley Chavez as Guy and Mercy Thornton as Girl are the two leads in the Electric Theatre Company's production of "Once." Photo courtesy of ECT/ Jon Blea . RIGHT: Emma Laird as Girl and Morgan Hollingsworth as Guy in “Once” at Chance Theater. Photo courtesy of Chance Theatre/Doug Catiller How much does Callie Prendiville Johnson love the musical “Once”? Its most famous song, “ Falling Slowly ,”...
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Jan 16, 2026 ∙ 7 min
Who’s Afraid of Repertory?
From ‘Woolf’ to ‘ Carnage, ’ South Coast Repertory and two actors tackle a marathon challenge. Brian Vaughn and Kim Martin-Cotten in rehearsal for South Coast Repertory's 2026 production of “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza, directed by Marco Barricelli. Photo courtesy of SCR/Jon White Sure, ballet and other dancers exert massive physical effort. But when it comes to other types of artistic creation, it’s not exactly bullfighting. Orchestra members sit. Painters stand at easels. And acting?...
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Jan 12, 2026 ∙ 9 min
Where the Tracks Meet the Tide: San Clemente’s Scenic Views and Fragile Tracks
From century-old homes to cliffside landslides, the small beach town offers unrivaled coastal views – but reaching them by train is increasingly a test of patience at Orange County's southernmost Metrolink stop. This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what makes each stop worth the stop. The San Clemente Pier train station is served by Amtrak daily and Metrolink on weekends. Photo by Joel Beers, Culture OC It began as a dream that quickly went bust. While...
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Dec 29, 2025 ∙ 11 min
San Juan Capistrano’s Metrolink Station Honors the Past, But is Firmly in the Present
This old town station is portal a to Orange County history and one of its most thriving culinary scenes. This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what makes each stop worth the stop. The San Juan Capistrano train station was built in 1894 and was influenced by the architecture of Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Colonial Revival style in vogue at the time. Photo by Joel Beers, Culture OC With Metrolink fully invested in rebranding from a commuter rail network into...
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Dec 15, 2025 ∙ 12 min
Blimp Hangars, a Spectrum Spectacle and Orange County’s Most Notorious Tradition
Tustin, Irvine and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink stations don’t have it all, but they have a lot to see and do in the surrounding areas . This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what makes each stop worth the stop. Combining the Tustin and Irvine Metrolink stations in this installment of Culture OC’s exploration of the 11 Orange County stations on the Metrolink OC Line and their surrounding environs makes sense for several reasons: Only seven minutes separate...
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Dec 1, 2025 ∙ 11 min
The Santa Ana Stop: Your Launchpad to the County’s Most Layered Downtown
Built as a grand gateway in 1985, the Santa Ana station still anchors a city shaped by history, political power and cultural expression – making it the OC Line’s most revealing stop. This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what what makes each stop worth the stop. A five-story tower crowns the main building of the Santa Ana's train station. Photo by Joel Beers, Culture OC This series breaking down the 11 stops along Metrolink’s OC Line isn’t a popularity contest....
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Nov 19, 2025 ∙ 7 min
New Era, New Energy: Fullerton Museum Center Reopens After Major Renovation
A long-awaited grant is funding the Fullerton Museum Center’s renovation, which salutes its past and points to its future. LEFT: Workers finish up repairs on the interior of the museum. RIGHT: The museum will open with an exhibition of work by John van Hamersveld, whose career has spanned surf culture iconography, psychedelic art, some 300 rock and other album covers, posters, commercial and editorial illustration and public art installations. Photos courtesy of Fullerton Museum Center If a...
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Nov 17, 2025 ∙ 10 min
Hi-Tech & History: Anaheim and Orange Metrolink Stations Exhibit Vastly Different Vibes
Two stations, two worlds – Anaheim’s soaring, high-tech hub still waits for a neighborhood, while Orange’s modest depot thrives amid Old Town’s charm. This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what what makes each stop worth the stop. LEFT: Anaheim's ARTIC Station. Photo by Joel Beers, Culture OC. LIGHT: The depot in Orange. Screenshot courtesy of Google Street View/ Map data: Google, Maxar Technologies Both Anaheim and Orange share passenger rail histories that...
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Nov 3, 2025 ∙ 9 min
Fullerton’s Metrolink Station Is the City’s Past, Present and Pulse
Where historic depots meet bustling streets, Fullerton’s station connects the city’s rail-born roots with its constantly renewing downtown. This story is a part of our series OC by Metrolink , discovering what what makes each stop worth the stop. The Fullerton Transportation Center received an $800,000 state grant used to restore the historic depot. It includes fresh painting, new lighting and signage, and restoration of the pedestrian bridge, including a new public mural comprised of 16...
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Oct 29, 2025 ∙ 7 min
Guided by the Light: The Wayward Artist Theater is Reborn in an Irvine Church
Orange County’s most adventurous theater company finds a new home and is presenting “The Christians,” a provocative choice for the religious venue. Kelly Franett (left) as Pastor Paul and Max Lund as Associate Pastor Joshua are part of the cast of Lucas Hnath's 2016 Obie-Award winning play "The Christians," about a megachurch that faces a schism after its lead pastor announces he no longer believes in hell. The Wayward Artist production opens at the Irvine United Congregational Church. Photo...
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