Sacramento State theatre and dance professor Doniel Soto wants his audience to see real living on stage, not just a depiction of life in his one-man show, “Scattered Bits and Pieces.”

Soto, scriptwriter of this production and founder of Abandon Productions at “The Space” on 2509 R Street, believes that the story of mental patient John Swanson highlights “the many truths of life that we share.”

Swanson interweaves a collection of song, dance, poetry and stories from his life prior to commitment at the mental health center. His performance helps the audience connect with the common symptoms of life and choices we make or avoid in coping with or falling to victim to the challenges. Storytelling emerges as a foundational element in theater to communicate the life experience.

Soto, between his class times, makes many unpredictable trips to the production house to fix a technical or staging glitch.

“If you become an individual who challenges yourself constantly, you discover that energy just comes,” he said.

At the age of nine, when he saw a sword fight on stage, Soto knew he wanted to be on stage one day. His journey has taken him from being the student in Sac State?s Theater and English departments, to teaching and starring in off-Broadway shows, including his last one-man show, “A Talk With the People.” His shows have traveled from Los Angeles to Europe and finally brought Soto back to Sacramento in 1999, where he returned to plan for “The Space” with friend and partner Dennis Wilkerson.

The amount of time and energy Soto expends on the advancement and improvement of the Abandon Productions shows his commitment to the life He passes this vision on to students that train and experiment in “The Space,” who seek excellence in their art form as they make discoveries in their work and themselves. Audience members also experience the realization of Wilkerson and Soto?s vision, as they enter into unique theater environments with each performance.

Soto invites audiences to watch John Swanson “share a moment with the audience from the outside.” Soto is one Professor who does not ask his students to do anything in his classes that he is not doing himself.

The show runs through March 23, tickets are $10. Call 737-2304 for tickets and information.