99 Impossible Things set for at The Eclectic Company Theatre

Harold's an inventor. An invention is something that seems impossible until it is made. While coming up with the next great invention, one can contemplate a large number of possibilities----as many as 99 impossible things, in fact.

He's one of the habitues of the local Magic Bean Coffee Shop. Both the people who work there and the people who buy the coffee are dreamers. Some are coping with loss. Some are dealing with frustration. Several have unusual coping mechanisms: They're accompanied by beings who do not (or at least should not) exist in the real world---an imaginary friend, a guardian angel, a human-sized sea monkey. The humans, at least, appear to be running in place. Then one day, a stranger moves into the neighborhood and jolts the coffee-house regulars out of their complacent existences, much like a blast of caffeinated brew. She has some serious problems of her own, but no matter. She's set life back into motion at the Magic Bean, and things will begin (finally) to change.

As the playwright states, "Sometimes our greatest pains can help make our most impossible dreams a reality."

Chelsea Sutton is the writer and director of this new comedy-drama. A graduate of the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara, her plays have been produced by The Eclectic Company Theatre, The Looking Glass Theatre (NY), Monstrous Little Productions, The Car Play Project at Westmont College, and the UCSB New Plays Festival. Her directing credits include "Twelve Angry Men," "All in the Timing," "Alice in Wonderland," "Modern Love," "Sally Spectre The Musical," "The Bad Habit," and "The Last Sacrament of Belle." Most recently, she directed the critically acclaimed "Traveling Carnival Freakshow," which she also co-wrote.

Her cast for "99 Impossible Things" includes Ashleigh Boiros, Jason Britt, Tiffany Cole, RJ Farrington, Mason Hallberg, Geoff James, Jillian Easton, Jessica Lightfoot and Barbara Scolaro.

Assistant director: Questa Gleason. Set design: Bryan Forrest. Lighting design: Rebecca Bonebrake. Costume design: Virginia VandenBerg. Sound design: Sean Kozma. Stage manager: Katie Witkowski.

A portion of the box-office proceeds will be donated to City of Hope for breast cancer and leukemia research and treatment.