Theatre Group at SBCC Announces New Slate of Shows, Starting with ‘Guys and Dolls’ in July

The longest-running theater organization in Santa Barbara (producing shows at SBCC since 1978, with direct historical ties to the Alhecama Theatre), the Theatre Group at SBCC recently announced its 2023-24 theater season, which begins in July with the classic musical Guys and Dolls.

Running July 12-29 at the Garvin Theatre on the Santa Barbara City College campus, Guys and Dolls (based on a Damon Runyon story) is a musical romantic comedy involving the unlikeliest of Manhattan pairings: a high-rolling gambler and a straitlaced puritanical missionary, a showgirl dreaming of settling down, and a craps game manager who will settle for anywhere to roll dice. A family-friendly show that is considered a musical classic, it features beloved songs such as “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “Luck Be a Lady.”

Next up, October 11-28 at the Garvin, is Emma, based on Jane Austen’s novel of the same name. This new adaptation of Austen’s classic novel, from playwright Kate Hamill, tells the story of a charming, witty, and independent-minded woman who believes that her greatest talent is as a matchmaker. Expect fast-paced action and a fresh feminist take on this oft-performed treasured classic.