'Sideways The Play' Premieres In Los Angeles

Rick Bayless isn't the only foodie or wino to jump on stage. This weekend, Sideways the Play premieres in Los Angeles to give Californians and pinot lovers a taste of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Based on Rex Pickett's novel — and the award-winning film adaptation by Jack Payne — the play is based on the two central characters, Miles and Jack, and their quest through wine country before Jack's impending marriage. Said Pickett in a press release, he was at first hesitant for a stage adaptation, but said that the Ruskin Stage Theatre had him convinced otherwise. "This team at the Ruskin was so passionate about theater, so certain that Sideways based on my novel — not the film — would lend itself to the stage, that this time the development process became truly rewarding," he said. 

Pickett also wrote on his blog that the play displays the true humanity of the characters, based on his friend Roy Gittens and himself circa 1998: "..That's what, I believe, the play, based on my novel, not on the film, celebrates: our foibles, our frailties, our attempts to produce light out of the darkness, comedy out of the despair; in short, the humanness in all of us."

If that didn't have you convinced, the Ruskin Stage Theatre will also offer pinot pairings from the area — Sonoma Coast Vineyard, Carlton Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and more. Learn more from the theater's web site.