Original stage shows open at two Sonoma County theaters

Two original shows open this weekend at live theater companies in Sonoma County, one based on the experiences of a Iraq War veteran and the other written by a well-known member of the winery community.

The Raven Players will premiere “Quicksand Tango,” written by Tony Sciullo, who works as VIP Liaison and tour leader at Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg, at 8 p.m. Friday, May 8, at the Raven Theater in Windsor.

The Imaginists, Santa Rosa’s experimental ensemble theater, will host “Tea,” a series of performances and discussions led by Aaron Hughes of Santa Rosa, stemming from his memories of military service in Kuwait and Iraq. It also opens at 8 p.m. Friday, May 8.

Sciullo’s “Quicksand Tango,” the winner of this year’s “ScripTease” playwriting contest held by the Raven Theater, is a love story, set in the author’s native Pittsburgh and written in 2002 while he was a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University.

The plot centers on a man who finds the woman of his dreams, only to discover she’s married to his best friend. The show runs through May 24 at the Raven Theater, 195 Windsor Road, Windsor. Admission: $10-$20. Information: raventheater.org.

At the Imaginists, the three-weekend run of “Tea” will feature guests including local veterans, activists and Chicago-based artist and “Tea” project collaborator Amber Ginsburgh of Chicago.

Hughes developed the “Tea” project in 2009 after returning to Iraq as a civilian in 2009 and experiencing tea prepared in the Iraqi tradition. He had been originally been deployed to the region in 2003.

Performing “Tea” from Okinawa, Japan, to Beirut, Lebanon, Hughes has welcomed new participants each time. The story begins with a guard at the Guantanamo Detention Camp fascinated by drawings carved by detainees on Styrofoam cups, leading to a variety of narratives.

“Tea” will run through May 23 at the Imaginists, 461 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa. Seating is limited to 25 for each performance. Donations welcome. Information: theimaginists.com. You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com.