Petaluma’s Cinnabar Theater honored by SF Critics Circle

Cinnabar Theater scores 15 Critic’s Circle nominations: Petaluma’s tiny theater on the hill clearly made a huge impact with theater critics last year. Cinnabar Theater has earned fifteen nominations from the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics’ Circle. The awards themselves - given to theaters spanning the entire Bay Area - will be announced on Monday, March 27 at the Circle’s annual awards gala at the historic Victoria Theater in San Francisco. Cinnabar’s nominees include the company’s April 2016 production of the wartime drama “Time Stands Still,” nominated for best set design (Jesse Dreikosen), best director (Sheri Lee Miller), best featured actress (Ivy Rose Miller), best ensemble, and best overall pro-duction. Also named was the bittersweet wine-country musical “The Most Happy Fella,” earning noms for best musical direction (Mary Chun), best featured actress (Krista Wigle), best featured actor (Michael Van Why), best principal actress (Jennifer Mitchell), and best principal actor (Stephan Walsh), and the one-woman-show “Bad Dates,” nominated for best overall production along with performer Jenifer King and director Molly Noble. The Gala, hosted by comedian Johnny Steele, includes light snacks and two drinks with each $25 ticket. For more information visit www.sfbatcc.org.

Petaluma Valley Hospital to get new cancer-fighting tool: A community-wide effort to raise $550,000 in donations has successfully resulted in the purchase of a new 3D Tomosynthesis Mammography system, which is expected to be up and running at St. Joseph Health’s Petaluma Valley Hospital by this fall. As a result, oncologists at Petaluma Valley Hospital expect to see earlier detection of breast cancer, and significant reductions in “false positive diagnoses.” Fundraising is expected to commence soon on the hospital’s next effort, the acquisition of a surgical C-arm system, a valuable mobile imaging device used for a variety of complex surgeries. Information on donating to this effort can be found at www.stjoesonoma.org

Volunteers needed for Butter & Egg Parade: Plans are already being laid in place (no pun intended) for this year’s Butter & Eggs Day Parade on April 29. Butter & Egg Days bring 30,000 people to downtown Petaluma every year, from those who arrive in their Sunday best to those who show up dressed like chickens. Volunteers are needed as safety monitors, banner carriers, beer booth attendants, and live chicken-wranglers. Only kidding about that last one. All volunteers must attend a training meeting on Tuesday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Petaluma Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Drive. To sign up, locate the volunteer sign-up form at petalumadowntown.com, or contact, Kathy Fries at 769-0429.