Two to grow on

Writer-director Jerry Montoya—who joined the B Street Theatre 14 years ago—scores an uncommon achievement this week: He has two new plays opening, almost simultaneously.

First, there’s his Family Series adaptation of Mary Shelley’s pioneering 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein, which opens February 20 and runs through March 20. Then a limited run of Montoya’s original comedy Love and Baseball, which runs February 25 through March 19.

The two projects have kept Montoya busy for weeks. SN&R recently caught him on the phone, only slightly out of breath.

As part of his broad duties as B Street’s associate producer, Montoya pens a new script annually for the theater’s Family Series. Montoya says he’s been wanting to do Frankenstein for years.

Montoya is also a devoted sports fan, and Love and Baseball reflects that. “It’s a romance about two very modern people who like baseball,” he says.

The protagonists are also attracted to each other and, as with any romance, things don’t always go as expected. “The beauty is in the unexpected moment, which can sometimes derail the best laid plans,” Montoya says. “Two people struggling to make this thing work—a game, and life, at the same time.”

Montoya not only wrote both scripts, he is directing Love and Baseball, and directed the first week of rehearsals for Frankenstein before turning the show over to colleague David Pierini.

“It’s fun having two shows happening at the same time,” Montoya says. “It’s like creative nirvana.”