For Immediate Release


June 8, 2018

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre welcomes visiting playwright June 25

Cottage Grove, OR — On Monday, June 25 at 6:00 pm, Cottage Theatre is hosting a special "Meet the Playwright" event in preparation for a world premiere production later this summer.

In August, Cottage Theatre will stage the world premiere of Treehouse by Alabama playwright Joe Musso. The theatre is one of just six theatres in the nation selected to produce one of the winning scripts of the American Association of Community Theatre’s 2018 NewPlayFest. Musso's Treehouse was selected as a winner from a pool of 300 script submissions.

Thanks to a grant from the Lane County Cultural Coalition, Musso will travel to Oregon in June to work with the cast of Treehouse. In conjunction with this visit, the theatre is holding a "Meet the Playwright" event to introduce Musso and his work to the community.

The informal hour-long event will include a welcome reception, a Question & Answer session with the playwright, and a presentation of Musso's 10-minute comedy The Rollercoaster of Love. The short play is directed by Alan Beck and features actors Kory Weimer and Nicole Trobaugh. "This is a unique opportunity for people to meet an accomplished playwright and learn more about the craft of bringing a story to life on the stage," comments Cottage Theatre Executive Director Susan Goes. "We are very excited that Joe Musso is willing to travel from Birmingham to share his work with our community."

The "Meet the Playwright" event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited so tickets are required. Tickets to June 25 event are available at www.cottagetheatre.org or by calling 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release

April 19, 2018


Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre holds auditions for world premiere play

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions on May 19 at 4:00 pm and May 20 at 6:00 pm for Treehouse, a drama by Alabama playwright Joe Musso. This production, which will be on stage at Cottage Theatre August 10 - 26, is a world premiere of one of the six winning scripts in the American Association of Community Theatre's 2018 NewPlayFest. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove, and no appointment is necessary. The play is directed by Tara Wibrew. 

The plot of Treehouse revolves around Shakespeare's existential line, "To be or not to be, that is the question." Johnny and his pals would be typical 17-year-old boys, hanging out in Johnny’s treehouse and dreaming of talking to the beautiful Alana, were it not for Johnny insisting he is a 53-year-old man trapped in a teenage body. Johnny’s mom is a little worried. Out-of-the-blue her son is suddenly pulling straight A’s, keeping his room immaculate, and reading Shakespeare. As Johnny persists in his claim, and conversations in the treehouse become increasingly peppered by the words of the Bard, Johnny grapples with adolescence, love, and the mind's ability to heal from great loss. Through his budding friendship with Alana, Johnny discovers the life-affirming power of the eternal summer that shall not fade. At times poignant, at times humorous, Treehouse is a compelling drama that bridges the gap between adolescence and adulthood in beautifully unexpected ways.

Playwright Joe Musso lives in Birmingham, Alabama. His plays have been presented in numerous theatres and have won several awards, including the Great Plains Theatre Conference Holland New Voices Award, the MTWorks Excellence in Playwriting Award, and the Gloria Ann Barnell Peter Playwright Competition. In addition to being a 2018 NewPlayFest winner, Treehouse was named the winner of the 2017 Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award sponsored by the College of Charleston. Treehouse also was the winner of Center Stage South Carolina 15th Annual New Play Festival, where the play received a reading last fall. Thanks to a grant from the Lane County Cultural Coalition, the playwright will travel twice to Oregon this summer: in June to work with Cottage Theatre’s Treehouse cast, and again in August to attend the world premiere.
 
Roles are available for 3 men (age 16 - 20s) and 3 women (age 16 - 40s) and auditions will consist of readings from the script. Copies of the play may be checked out from the Cottage Theatre office in advance of auditions. Additional audition details and a character breakdown are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release


March 6, 2018

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre opens Legally Blonde on April 6 

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre will be full of pink this spring as the theatre presents the second show of its 2018 season, Legally Blonde, the musical comedy of love, law, and everything pink. Legally Blonde is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the hit movie of the same name. The stage adaptation features music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and book by Heather Hach. Legally Blonde is the second show of Cottage Theatre's 2018 season, and the first of three musicals to be presented this year. Cottage Theatre's production of Legally Blonde runs for four weekends from April 6 - 29.

Thanks to the movie, the plot of Legally Blonde is familiar to many: It's spring semester at UCLA and Delta Nu sorority president Elle Woods has it all. That is, until her seemingly picture-perfect boyfriend Warner dumps her to move across the country and pursue his calling at Harvard Law. Positive that she can win him back, Elle follows him to law school in an effort to save their relationship. Though at first she faces opposition from her classmates, she soon befriends Paulette, a lovelorn sassy hairstylist, and Emmett, a devoted law student. With their help, along with hard work, perseverance, and a little bend and snap, Elle proves to herself and everyone that she is far more than just another bubbly blonde. 

Cottage Theatre's production of Legally Blonde is directed by Madison Baker, with music direction by Mark VanBeever and Keri Davis, and choreography by Katey Kephart. Set design is by by Janet Whitlow and Tony Rust, with costume design by Chris Carter, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The cast features Autumn Carter as Elle Woods, Peter Wickliffe as Emmett Forrest, Tracy Nygard as Paulette Buonofuonte, Joel Ibáñez as Warner Huntington III, Ward Fairbairn as Professor Callahan, Melissa Miller as Vivienne Kensington, and Nicole Garibay as Brooke Wyndham. They are joined on stage by more than 20 others in supporting and ensemble roles.

Legally Blonde runs for fifteen performances at Cottage Theatre from April 6 - 29. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org, by phone at 541-942-8001, or in person at the Cottage Theatre Box Office, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth (18 & under). Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and one hour before performances. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 


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For Immediate Release

February 9, 2018


Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre holds auditions March 3 & 4 for The Crucible 

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions for The Crucible by Arthur Miller on March 3 at 1:00 pm & March 4 at 6:00 pm. A large cast of women and men is needed, ages 12 - 60+. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove, and no appointment is necessary. The Crucible is the third production in Cottage Theatre's 2018 season. The play will run for three weekends, June 8 - 24, and is directed by Joel Ibáñez .

Arthur Miller’s powerful play The Crucible, written in response to the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, is a partially fictionalized dramatization of the 1692 Salem witch trials. In the play, several young girls and a servant play in the woods, conjuring — or attempting to conjure — spirits from the dead. Rumors of witchcraft quickly spread through the town. Rather than suffer severe punishment for their actions, the girls accuse other inhabitants of Salem of practicing witchcraft. This desperate, dangerous, and childish finger-pointing results in mass paranoia and an atmosphere of fear in which everyone is a potential witch. With neighbor pitted against neighbor, a self-perpetuating cycle of distrust, accusation, arrest, and conviction emerges. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, The Crucible reminds us how intolerance and hysteria can intersect and tear a community apart.

Auditioners for The Crucible should prepare a 90-second dramatic monologue from a published play written between 1930 and today. Monologues will be performed in a closed group style of five auditioners per group. The auditions will also include readings from the script. Additional audition details and a character breakdown are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release


Januarary 3, 2018

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre opens 2018 season with Noises Off

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre kicks off its 2018 season in February with Noises Off, an outrageous, door-slamming, backstage farce written in 1982 by English playwright Michael Frayn. Noises Off is the first of six shows in the theatre's 2018 season, which consists of three musicals and three plays, including a world premiere drama in August as part of the American Association of Community Theatre's 2018 NewPlayFest. Cottage Theatre's production of Noises Off runs for three weekends from February 2 - 18.  

Called “the funniest farce ever written” by the New York Post, Noises Off portrays a manic menagerie of itinerant actors presenting a farce called Nothing’s On. With the players’ susceptibility to out-of-control egos, memory loss, and passionate affairs, every performance is a high-risk adventure. This play-within-a-play follows the touring troupe’s production through three stages: the disastrous technical rehearsal, a matinee a month later (as seen from backstage), and a performance towards the end of the debilitating ten-week run. On stage, it’s a whirlwind of slamming doors, missed cues, dropped lines, and dropped trousers. Backstage, it’s a chaotic maelstrom of love triangles and trampled egos, and there’s no one without an axe to grind . . . or swing. Brimming with slapstick humor – and flying sardines! – Noises Off is the quintessential backstage farce.

Cottage Theatre's production of Noises Off is directed and designed by Tony Rust, with costumes by Melissa Cooper and lighting by Amanda Ferguson. The ensemble cast consists of Nikki Pagniano, Phil Dempsey, Autumn Carter, Kory Weimer, Sophie Blades, Mark Allen, Josh Carlton, Melissa Miller, and Ward Fairbairn.

Noises Off runs for eleven performances at Cottage Theatre from February 2 - 18. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org, by phone at 541-942-8001, or in person at the Cottage Theatre Box Office, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth (18 & under). Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and one hour before performances. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 


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For Immediate Release

December 14, 2017


Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre holds auditions January 6 & 7 for Legally Blonde

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions for Legally Blonde, the second production of its 2018 season, on January 6 & 7 at 4:00 pm. This musical comedy will run for four weekends in April 2018, and will be directed by Madison Baker. A large cast of both women and men is needed, ages 16+. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove, and no appointment is necessary.

Based on the novel and hit movie of the same name, Legally Blonde is an upbeat, feel-good musical that explodes on the stage with memorable songs and dynamic dances. It's spring semester at UCLA and Delta Nu sorority president Elle Woods has it all. That is, until her seemingly picture-perfect boyfriend Warner dumps her to move across the country and pursue his calling at Harvard Law. Positive that she can win him back, Elle follows him to law school in an effort to save their relationship. Though at first she faces opposition from her classmates, she soon befriends Paulette, a lovelorn sassy hairstylist, and Emmett, a devoted law student. With their help, along with hard work, perseverance, and a little bend and snap, Elle proves to herself and everyone that she is far more than just another bubbly blonde. 

Legally Blonde auditioners should come prepared to sing 16-32 bars of music and dressed to dance. An accompanist will be provided; please bring sheet music. Additional audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release


November 14, 2017

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre opens Seussical December 1

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre finishes its 2017 season in December with Seussical, a musical extravanza based on the works of Dr. Seuss. Seussical premiered on Broadway in 2000 and was co-conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Eric Idle. The show features music by Stephen Flaherty with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Cottage Theatre's production of Seussical runs for four weekends from December 1 - 23.

Fun for the whole family, Seussical features some of everyone's favorite Dr. Seuss characters. The Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who hears a faint noise coming from a speck of dust on a clover. He commits to protect the invisible Whos who live there, including Jojo, an imaginative Who child who is always getting into trouble for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he shield the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant in this musical journey through the Jungle of Nool to Solla Sollew.

Cottage Theatre's production of Seussical is directed by Keith Kessler, with music direction by Gabe Dickinson, and choreography by Janet Rust assisted by Madison Baker. The set design is by Janet Whitlow, with costumes by Chris Carter, and lighting by Amanda Ferguson. The cast features Tony Rust as The Cat in the Hat, Mark VanBeever as Horton the Elephant, Darcy Rust as Jojo, Autumn Carter as Mayzie LaBird, Madison Baker as Gertrude McFuzz, and Angela Pearson as Sour Kangaroo. Rounding out the cast of 35 are Stefhani Anderson, Anja Bartlog, Emily Bly, Timothy Bouwhuis, Hailey Bull,  Kyle Carillo-Enders, Jeff Carter, Kira Carver, Cari Cramer, Aiden Dickinson, Anwen Dickinson, Brittany Dreier, Jim Goes, Susan Goes, Zoe Goings, Amber Hagen, Joel Ibáñez, Audriahna Jones, Jennifer Mandeville-Schulz, Samuel Pearson, Eliana Piltz, Shanti Rios, Janet Rust, Elise Smith, Natalie Tichenor, Cameron Tunnell, Maia Wilhour, and Nicole Wilhour.

Seussical runs for fourteen performances at Cottage Theatre from December 1 - 23. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm, with a special 2:30 matinee performance on Saturday, December 23. 

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org, by phone at 541-942-8001, or in person at the Cottage Theatre Box Office, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth (ages 6 - 18). Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and one hour before performances. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 


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For Immediate Release

October 5, 2017


Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre holds auditions November 5 for Noises Off

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions for Noises Off, the first production of its 2018 season, on Sunday, November 5 at 1:00 pm. This farce-within-a-farce is written by Michael Frayn and will be directed by Tony Rust. A cast of 5 men and 4 women is needed. The play will run three for weekends February 2 - 18, 2018. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove.

Called “the funniest farce ever written” by the New York Post, Noises Off portrays a manic menagerie of itinerant actors presenting a farce called Nothing’s On. With the players’ susceptibility to out-of-control egos, memory loss, and passionate affairs, every performance is a high-risk adventure. This play-within-a-play follows the touring troupe’s production through three stages: the disastrous technical rehearsal, a matinee a month later (as seen from backstage), and a performance towards the end of the debilitating ten-week run. On stage, it’s a whirlwind of slamming doors, missed cues, dropped lines, and dropped trousers. Backstage, it’s a chaotic maelstrom of love triangles and trampled egos, and there’s no one without an axe to grind . . . or swing. Brimming with slapstick humor — and flying sardines! — Noises Off is the quintessential backstage farce.

Interested actors should prepare a short comedic monologue and be prepared to read from the script. Additional audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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​For Immediate Release

August 22, 2017

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre holds auditions September 16 & 17 for Seussical

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions for Seussical, the final production of its 2017 season, on September 16 & 17. Auditions for adults and high school students age 14+ will be held on Saturday, September 16 at 6:00 pm. Auditions for children ages 8 - 13 will be held on Sunday, September 17 at 2:00 pm. This musical based on the stories and characters of Dr. Seuss will run four weekends from December 1 - 23. Seussical is directed by Keith Kessler. A large cast is needed and no audition appointment is necessary. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove.

Fun for the whole family, Seussical is a magical, musical extravaganza featuring all of the favorite Dr. Seuss characters. The Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the Elephant, who hears a faint noise coming from a speck of dust on a clover. He commits to protect the invisible Whos who live there, including Jojo, an imaginative Who child who is always getting into trouble for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he shield the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant in this musical journey through the Jungle of Nool to Solla Sollew.

Interested actors should come ready to sing 16-32 bars of the song of their choice and bring sheet music for the provided accompanist. Auditioners should also come dressed and ready to move, as there will be a dance audition for all potential cast members. Additional audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release

August 22, 2017

Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director, 541-942-8001


Cottage Theatre announces 2018 season

Cottage Grove, OR — On August 16, before an invited audience of donors and advertisers, Cottage Theatre announced its 2018 season. The community theatre's 36th season will begin in February 2018 and include three musicals and three plays, including a world premiere drama.

Cottage Theatre's 2018 season begins in February with Noises Off, a hilarious farce-within-a-farce written by Michael Frayn. Noises Off, called "the funniest farce ever written" by the New York Post, will be directed by Tony Rust and run for three weekends from February 2 - 18, 2018.

April 2018 brings Legally Blonde, a musical comedy stage adaptation of the 2001 movie of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon. Legally Blonde features music & lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin, and book by Heather Hach. It is based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. Madison Baker will direct Cottage Theatre's production, which runs for four weekends April 6 - 29, 2018.

Arthur Miller's classic drama The Crucible will be the third production in the theatre's 2018 season. This 1953 drama, written at the height of McCarthyism, is a fictionalized dramatization of the Salem Witch trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. Joel Ibanez will direct this production, which runs for three weekends June 8 - 24, 2018.

In August 2018, Cottage Theatre will present the world premiere of Treehouse by Alabama playwright Joe Musso. This contemporary drama is one of the six winners of the American Association of Community Theatre's 2018 NewPlayFest, selected from over 300 submissions nationwide. Cottage Theatre is one of just six community theatres in the country selected to produce one of the winning scripts. Other world premieres in the 2018 NewPlayFest will be offered in Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Tara Wibrew will direct Cottage Theatre's production of Treehouse, which will run for three weekends August 10 - 26, 2018.

The theatre's 2018 season continues in October with Shrek the Musical. Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig, Shrek the Musical features book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, and music by Jeanine Tesori. This family-friendly fairytale adventure will be directed by Keith Kessler and will run for four weekends October 5 - 28, 2018.

Cottage Theatre's 2018 season will end with a production of the world's longest-running musical. The Fantasticks, which opened in New York in 1960 and ran continuously there until June 2017, is a romantic parable about a boy, a girl, and a wall. The musical features book and lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt, including the well-known song "Try to Remember." Cottage Theatre's production of The Fantasticks will be directed by Kory Weimer and will run for three weekends from November 30 - December 16, 2018.

Cottage Theatre is a volunteer-centered community theatre and all auditions are open to any interested actors. Auditions for Noises Off will be Sunday, November 5. Audition dates for the rest of the 2018 shows will be set at a later date.

2018 Season tickets go on sale October 1, 2017 to current subscribers only, and then November 1 to the general public. Season tickets represent up to a 30% discount over the cost of individual show tickets and special discounts are also offered for seniors (age 60+) and youth. 

Cottage Theatre's current 35th anniversary season continues through December, with productions of the musicals Jekyll & Hyde October 6 - 29, 2017 and Seussical December 1 - 23, 2017.

For more information visit www.cottagetheatre.org or contact Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001.


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