Playfest '25!
2025-11-22 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Carl Cherry Center, Fourth and Guadalupe, Carmel, CA, 93921, United States
Playfest ’25! is Soapbox Stageworks’s third annual ten-minute play celebration!
This year, we have six brand new plays to be performed:

“The Productive Cough” by David Kosky — An absurd comedy about a patient’s allergy to news that creates unusual side effects that an MD diagnoses as psychosomatic.
“Meet Me in Paris” by Kacie Devaney — When Judy tells her husband, Marty, that she wants a radical change in their forty-year marriage, the discussion doesn’t go as planned.
“Proxima B” by Robert Paul Moreira — A brilliant Latina astrophysicist yearns for her colleagues’ recognition, but instead gains the attention of a person she wished she’d never met.
“Days of Separation” by Gordon M. Bolar — When a cynical actress and her theatre-critic husband attempt to discuss their impending divorce, a secret is revealed.
“Sacramental Blocks” by Karen Devaney — A dark comedy about Catarina, an Italian woman in Sonoma, California trying to save the family vineyard during Prohibition.
“I’ll Be Seeing You” by Donald Luftus — It’s 1944, and Joey wants his girl Jenny to wait for him before shipping off to Europe. But is she ready to commit?

Come celebrate with us on Saturday, November 22nd at 7pm. Tickets are $35, available at soapboxstageworks.org

Along Came Betty
2025-12-07 14:00 - 16:30
Jazz At The Cherry is pleased to bring back Along Came Betty for another traditional December jazz treat. Join us Sunday, December 7th, for some great music, wine and light fare–all included in the ticket price. Doors open at 1:30pm; performance begins at 2:00pm. Tickets are $45, available online at eventbrite.com.
Spark up your holiday spirit with some of the best bebob and straight-ahead jazz on the West Coast. Along Came Betty will delight you with their rich harmonized sax and trumpet, backed by the classic piano, bass and drums rhythm section.
This group of highly talented musicians (Bill Spencer, piano; Brian Stock, trumpet and flugelhorn; Paul Tarantino, saxophone; Pete Lips, bass; Patrick Tregenza, drums) has performed at many local and national jazz venues, including the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Big Sur Jazz Festival. Since 1998, they have been celebrating the spirit of hard-bop, a seminal movement of 50s and 60s jazz.
Sponsored by Robert Evans and Michele Littell

Make Merry at The Cherry
2025-12-12 17:00 - 19:00
Make Merry at The Cherry: (With Wine!)
The Cherry Center invites you to Make Merry at the Cherry on Friday, December 12th, from 5-7pm.
Our holiday open house will feature a chance drawing for a wine wheelbarrow filled with a large collection of fine wines, reasonably-priced art by noted local artists, wine poured by Scheid Vineyards, and seasonal goodies. The event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by: CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)

A Book Party in Three Acts - Reception and Reading From Tom Parks' New Memoir
2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:00
“I didn’t really know who I was until I reached 60. I did not want to live the unexamined life. And so, I examined. The results are pending.” from Tom Parks’ new memoir, “A Life Backstage”
A Book Party in Three Acts
Friends and fans of Carmel’s most popular and prolific playwright, Tom Parks, are invited to The Carl Cherry Theater on Sunday, December 14th, from 2 – 4 pm for a reception and reading from his new memoir, “A Life Backstage.”
ACT I: Grab a glass of wine and a copy of Tom’s book in the Cherry gallery.
ACT II: Listen to a few of Tom’s actor/ friends read from his book in the Cherry theater.
ACT III: Return to the Cherry gallery for a food and wine reception.
The event is free. To reserve your seat for the reading, use this Eventbrite Link.

New Year's with The Cherry Trio
2026-01-01 15:00 - 16:30
Join The Cherry Trio — Elizabeth Gaver (baroque violin), Penny Hanna (viol), and Michael Peterson (harpsichord) — to ring in the New Year with music from seventeenth century France and Germany!
The trio will perform the third “Piece de Clavecin en Concerts” of Rameau – a suite of French dance movements for the harpsichord accompanied by violin and viol. In addition, they will play trio sonatas by Krieger and Buxtehude, both with solo melody lines for the viol as well as the violin. The program also includes pieces by Abel for solo viol, a solo for harpsichord, and traditional Norwegian dances dating from the 18th century.
Thursday, January 1st at 3pm. Tickets are $40, available on Eventbrite.com.
Please join us after the concert for a reception.

Almost True Stories: New Works by Donald Lee Andrews and Rick Soto
2026-01-16 - 2026-02-21
“Almost True Stories: New Works by Donald Lee Andrews and Rick Soto” opens January 16th with an artist’s reception from 5 to 7 pm. The reception offers a unique opportunity for the community to meet the artists, discuss the inspirations behind the collection, and experience the energy of the local art community firsthand. This event is free and open to the public.
The exhibit showcases a vibrant collection of new paintings that bridge the gap between individual identity and shared artistic brotherhood. Attendees can expect a diverse array of works that highlight Rick Soto’s signature approach alongside the distinct, evocative style of Donald Lee Andrews. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4pm or by appointment. The exhibit will close Saturday, February 21st.
This exhibit is sponsored by Kyler Engineering and Lorna Pierce.

Jazz at The Cherry: Julie Capili and Friends
2026-01-18 14:00 - 16:00
To kick off our 2026 concert season with elegance and energy, Jazz at the Cherry is thrilled to welcome local jazz vocalist Julie Capili to our stage. Julie’s subtle phrasing and exquisite vocal control radiate both creativity and playfulness, bringing a joyful sense of exploration to every song she sings. Influenced by a wide range of artists — from Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald to Eva Cassidy and Tori Amos — she draws from many traditions while forging a style uniquely her own.
While her voice may recall echoes of the great singers of the past, Julie brings a personal touch and emotional depth to each performance, delivering her music with the grace, soul, and spirit of jazz’s legendary women. She’ll be joined by three of the Monterey Bay area’s finest jazz musicians: Bill Spencer on piano, Pete Lips on bass, and Ben Herod on saxophone. Together, they promise an enchanted afternoon of timeless, joyful jazz.
Sunday, January 18th, at 2pm. Doors open at 1:30pm for wine and light fare included in the $45 ticket price. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.com.

SECOND SHOW - Bruce Forman & Paul Contos Performing "A Letter to Duke"
2026-02-15 17:00 - 19:00
SECOND SHOW ADDED!
Guitarist Bruce Forman and saxophonist Paul Contos join forces in this joyful, swinging tribute to one of jazz’s most revered icons: Duke Ellington.
A legendary bandleader, composer, and pianist, Duke Ellington is widely regarded as jazz royalty — and through their inspired interpretations of his timeless music, Bruce Forman and Paul Contos remind us why. Both artists have worked with members of the Ellington orchestra and will share some fun “insider” stories and personal reflections that bring the Duke’s legacy to life. With deep musical chemistry, storytelling flair, and a heartfelt reverence for Ellington’s genius, Bruce and Paul promise an afternoon that’s as illuminating as it is entertaining.
Don’t miss this unforgettable afternoon of jazz at its finest — a heartfelt tribute to one of America’s greatest musical voices.
SOLD OUT: Sunday, February 15th, at 2pm. (Doors will open at 1:30pm for wine and light fare included in the ticket price)
SECOND SHOW ADDED – February 15th at 5pm. (Doors will open at 4:30pm for wine and light fare included in the ticket price) Tickets are $45, and can be purchased on Eventbrite.com.

About the Artists
Bruce Forman began his musical journey on piano before picking up the guitar at age thirteen. After relocating to San Francisco in 1971, he became a fixture on the Bay Area jazz scene, performing with artists such as Eddie Duran, Vince Lateano, Ray Brown, George Cables, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and Woody Shaw. He was a regular at the Monterey Jazz Festival and gained national attention while touring with Richie Cole from 1978 to 1982. His 1992 album Forman on the Job reached #14 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. Bruce has also contributed to several Clint Eastwood film scores, including Million Dollar Baby.
Paul Contos has been a vital figure in West Coast jazz for nearly five decades, both as a performer and educator. He has served as Director of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and the Monterey County All-Stars, and is a longtime Saxophone Clinician for the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Education Program. Paul has shared the stage with jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Wayne Shorter, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Regina Carter, and Christian McBride. Contos is in his 17th year conducting the SF JAZZ All-Stars Orchestra in San Francisco.

2026 Thinking Out Loud Regional Art Competition
2026-03-07 - 2026-03-28
The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts is proud to announce Thinking Out Loud 2026, a regional art competition that challenges high school students to create works inspired by their lives. Each year, students from across Monterey County are invited to display their artwork across a wide range of media for exhibition in our gallery.
Thinking Out Loud will open with a reception for the student artists on Saturday, March 7th, from 2-4pm. The event is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4pm or by appointment. The exhibit will close Saturday, March 28th.

Established in 1948, the mission of the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts is to enhance the quality and diversity of artistic, educational and cultural programs in Monterey County by encouraging public programs and interactions between artists and the community.
Thinking Out Loud is made possible, in part, through a grant from the Arts Council for Monterey County, Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and funds from:
Carmel Woman’s Club
Carmel-by-the-Sea Rotary
Community Foundation for Monterey County
Dion and Judith Dow
Gibson Family Foundation
Mitchell Family Charitable Fund
Pebble Beach Company Foundation
Yellow Brick Road Benefit Store

Pictured: “The Neighborhood” – Regan Takashima, York School
First Place, 2025 Thinking Out Loud Art Competition
