For Immediate Release

June 17, 2020

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


Local Theatres Team-Up for a Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project Reading of Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids by Vincent Terrell Durham
Livestreamed reading on Friday, June 19, 2020 at 7:00 pm

EUGENE, OREGON – Several area theatres join forces to present a reading of Vincent Terrell Durham’s bold new play, Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids. Local collaborators include Cottage Theatre, Lane Community College Theatre Department, Oregon Contemporary Theatre (OCT), Minority Voices Theatre and Very Little Theatre (VLT). The event will be livestreamed on Friday, June 19 at 7:00 pm and will be available for free on Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube. 

On Friday, Juneteenth, (June 19th), local artists stand with the Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project and dozens of theatre communities across the nation to respond to our current moment—the civil uprising that has come as a reaction to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others before them—with simultaneous, free presentations of Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids by Vincent Terrell Durham. Stanley Coleman will direct a local reading, featuring actors from throughout the area.

A liberal white couple open the doors of their renovated Harlem brownstone to host a cocktail party for a Black Lives Matter activist, his gay white lover, a sistah named Shemeka and the mother of a slain 12-year-old black boy. A night of cocktails and conversation spark emotional debates ranging from under-weight polar bears, Lana Turner, saving the planet, gentrification, racial identity and protecting the lives of black boys. With a perfect blend of wit, pathos and humor, the play speaks to some of the most pressing subjects of our time—gentrification, white fragility, the Black Lives Matter movement, and police violence against Black bodies. 

Content warning: intended for mature audiences, this play include discussions and representations of racism and police violence. The startling and powerful ending drives home the emotions of our world today.

Vincent Terrell Durham (Playwright) is a scriptwriter, author and poet who first honed his storytelling skills as a stand-up comic in clubs across the country. His plays include The Fertile River, Vol. 1, A Post Racial America, and Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids, among others. Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids was co-commissioned and developed by PlayGround and Planet Earth Arts and is a 2019 NNPN National Showcase of New Plays finalist.

The Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project was launched by San Francisco Bay theatre artist Aldo Billingslea to center Black theatre artists and new voices, address systemic racism in the theatre industry and help raise much needed funds in support of Black Theatres around the country.

Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids will be available online for one night only, Friday, June 19, at 7:00 pm. Audiences can access the event on Zoom, or via Cottage Theatre’s website. The event is free, with donations encouraged to the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Fund for Black Theatres in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.cottagetheatre.org/juneteenth-project.

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​For Immediate Release

April 24, 2020

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

Cottage Theatre summer camps cancelled due to COVID-19

Cottage Grove, OR —  Cottage Theatre has announced the cancellation of all 2020 summer theatre camps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Based on the current guidance we are getting from state and public health officials, it seems extremely unlikely that the social distance guidelines will be lifted to the extent needed to safely hold our planned camps in June and July," said Executive Director Susan Goes. "We not only need to consider the safety of the participants themselves, but also that of their families and friends. The closing performances of our summer camps typically attract audiences ranging from 75 to 150. While we know that cancelling is the right decision to make under the present circumstances, we will definitely miss working with our community's talented young performers this summer!"
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Cottage Theatre's popular summer youth program began more than a decade ago and normally includes three camps geared for children ages 5 - 8, 9 - 11, and 12 - 14. The theatre's main season productions are also on hiatus due to the current pandemic.

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For Immediate Release

March 6, 2020

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

Mamma Mia opens April 3 at Cottage Theatre

Cottage Grove, OR —  Cottage Theatre continues its 2020 season with the hit musical Mamma Mia. Told through a collection of ABBA’s greatest hits, Mamma Mia is a worldwide musical phenomenon that ran fourteen years on Broadway from 2001 through 2015. With music and lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, and some songs with Stig Anderson, the musical was originally conceived by Judy Craymer and features a book by British playwright Catherine Johnson. Cottage Theatre's production opens April 3 for a four-weekend run in Cottage Grove.

Mamma Mia tells the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. As her wedding approaches, Sophie snoops through her mother’s old diaries for clues to her father’s identity. Much to her surprise, the diaries reveal three possible dads! Undaunted, Sophie invites Sam, Bill, and Harry to her wedding, without telling either her mother or fiancé that she has done so. When the three unsuspecting men arrive on the island they last visited 20 years ago, chaos erupts and Sophie still doesn’t have a clue about who should rightfully walk her down the aisle. Told through a collection of ABBA’s greatest hits, Mamma Mia is an insanely wild ride to “I do, I do, I do!”

Cottage Theatre's production of Mamma Mia is directed and designed by Tony Rust, with music direction by Keri Davis, and choreography by Janet Rust. Chris Carter serves as costume designer and Amanda Ferguson as lighting designer. The cast features Kassi McGregor as Sophie, Tracy Nygard as her mother Donna, and Phil Dempsey, John Wilson, and Sydney Crapser as the three possible fathers. Other featured roles include Zach Hammond as Sky, Jennifer Mandeville-Schulz as Tanya, Janet Rust as Rosie, Trinity Riddell as Ali, Stefhani Anderson as Lisa, Matt Arscott as Pepper, Cameron Tunnell as Eddie, and Tom Perkins as Father Alexandrios. A vocal and dance ensemble and live band round out the creative team.

Mamma Mia runs for four weekends at Cottage Theatre from April 3  - 26. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm. There will not be a performance on Easter Sunday April 12.

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 (age 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 28, 2020

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

Cottage Theatre holds auditions for West Coast Premiere of Seeking Red

Cottage Grove, OR —  Cottage Theatre will hold open auditions on March 15 at 6:00 pm for the West Coast premiere of a gripping new drama about truth and identity. Seeking Red, written by Chicago playwright Glenn B. Rust and directed by Kory Weimer, will be the third production in Cottage Theatre's 2020 season, running for three weekends June 5 - 21. Auditions will be held at the theatre, located at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.

Seeking Red centers around a young woman named Grey Rhodes. Grey has been raised by her Uncle Ty ever since she was a baby, when her single mother was run over by a semi-truck — or so Grey has been told. Now in her early twenties, she works as an intern at The Seattle Times, where she’s assigned to work on a story about the “Innocence Project.” She interviews Cecil, who was recently released from prison after DNA evidence proved him innocent of the murder of his two younger sisters. As Grey learns more about Cecil’s ordeal, she is struck by inconsistencies in her uncle’s account of her mother’s death. She begins to wonder if there is far more to her mother’s story than she knows. Seeking Red is an exciting new script from a playwright who grew up at Cottage Theatre. This intriguing drama will cause you to question the “little white lies” we tell to protect those we love.

Roles are available for 5 to 8 actors, and the audition will consist of readings from the script. No appointment is necessary. Character descriptions and further audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org.

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For Immediate Release

January 23, 2020

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

Cottage Theatre holds auditions for Mamma Mia on February 9 & 10 

Cottage Grove, OR —  Cottage Theatre is holding auditions for its spring musical, Mamma Mia, on Sunday February 9 & Monday February 10 starting at 6:30 pm. Auditioners need only to come to one of those dates and no appointment is necessary. Auditions will be held at the theatre, located at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove. Mamma Mia will have a four-weekend run from April 3 - 26, and will be directed by Tony Rust.

With music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the story of Mamma Mia is told through a collection of ABBA's greatest hits. The plot centers around Sophie, who is engaged to be married, and is planning her dream wedding on the Greek island Kalokairi. There is just one problem, she does not have a father to walk her down the aisle. In order to find out who her mystery dad is, Sophie snoops through her mother’s old diaries for clues to her father’s identity. Much to her surprise, the diaries reveal three possible dads! Undaunted, Sophie invites Sam, Bill, and Harry to her wedding, without telling either her mother or fiancé that she has done so. When the three unsuspecting men arrive on the island for the nuptials, chaos erupts and Sophie still doesn’t know who should rightfully walk her down the aisle. 

A large cast of over 20 women and men (late teens through fifties) is needed for Cottage Theatre's production. Those interested in auditioning should prepare a short selection (around 24 bars) of either an 80s pop song or ABBA song, and come ready to sing karaoke in pairs or trios, and read from the script. Additional audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org.


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For Immediate Release

January 2, 2020


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

Cottage Theatre opens its 2020 season January 31 with Arsenic and Old Lace

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre kicks off its 38th season with a tale of merry mayhem and murderous aunts. Joseph Kesselring's classic play Arsenic and Old Lace opens the theatre's 2020 season with a three weekend run beginning January 31.

Abby and Martha Brewster are charming spinster sisters who lovingly care for their eccentric nephew Teddy, who believes himself to be President Theodore Roosevelt. The sisters give generously to local causes, and serve homemade biscuits and jam whenever Reverend Harper comes to tea. So their nephew Mortimer is flabbergasted to discover that the cellar is filled with a dozen deceased gentlemen who “benefitted” from his aunts’ peculiar brand of end-of-life charity. Arsenic and Old Lace premiered in 1939 and still ranks among the best-selling Broadway plays of all time. 

Cottage Theatre's production of Arsenic and Old Lace is directed by Keith Kessler, with set design by Tony Rust, costume design by Rhonda Turnquist, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. Nikki Pagniano and Marcee Shriver Long lead the cast as Abby and Martha Brewster, along with Kory Weimer, Dale Flynn, and Earl Ruttencutter as their three Brewster nephews. Rounding out the ensemble are Josh Coon, Dylan Skye Kennedy, John Vaughan Lemhouse, Blake Nelson, Garrhett Nelson, James Scoggins, and Ashlee Winkler. 

Arsenic and Old Lace runs for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from January 31 - February 16, 2020. 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 (age 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.

Founded in 1982 in Cottage Grove, Cottage Theatre presents a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring the finest Lane County talent. Its 38th season also includes Mamma Mia; Seeking Red (West Coast Premiere); You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and Elf the Musical. 

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For Immediate Release

December 27, 2019

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

Cottage Theatre holds new script contest for summer youth production

Cottage Grove, OR —  January 31 is the deadline for local writers to submit entries to Cottage Theatre's first new script contest. The theatre is seeking a playwright collaborator to help craft its 2020 summer youth production.

For more than a decade, Cottage Theatre has provided a unique opportunity for local youth to participate in a summer theatre camp where they learn singing, dancing, and acting. This has been accomplished through technique classes, where students learn the craft of those three major elements of theatre, coupled with producing a full-length production with lights, costumes, props, etc.

Since 2007, Cottage Theatre's summer youth production has been an original melodrama written by Cottage Grove resident Keith Kessler. But since Kessler is directing both Arsenic and Old Lace and Elf the Musical for Cottage Theatre in 2020 it seemed like the perfect opportunity to let others take a crack at writing an original script for CT's talented 12 to 14-year old performers.

Scripts are to be approximately 40-50 pages, with roles for 25 young actors. Further details and submission requirements may be found on the theatre's website at www.cottagetheatre.org/new-script-contest or by calling 541-942-8001. The winning playwright will receive an honorarium of $500 as well as tickets to the July 2020 production. 

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For Immediate Release

November 6, 2019

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

Cottage Theatre finishes 2019 Season with Oliver!

Cottage Grove, OR —  Cottage Theatre brings its 2019 Season to a close with the endearing classic musical Oliver! The multi-generational production will run for three weekends beginning December 6.

Join young Oliver Twist as he navigates the Victorian London underworld, searching for a home, a family, and — most importantly — for love. This award-winning musical, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, springs to life with some of the most memorable characters ever to hit the stage. Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker, then escapes to find acceptance amongst a band of pickpockets led by the conniving Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow, takes him in. Fagin, fearing the safety of his hideout, has Oliver kidnapped, threatening the boy’s chances of discovering the true love of a family. With spirited songs like “Food, Glorious Food,” and “Consider Yourself,” Oliver! is widely hailed as a theatrical masterpiece.

Cottage Theatre's production of Oliver! is is directed and choreographed by Janet Rust, with musical direction by Mark VanBeever. Costume design is by Chris Carter, set design by Tony Rust, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The musical features Audriahna Jones in the title role, along with Matthew Michaels as the Artful Dodger, Tony Rust as Fagin, Kory Weimer as Bill Sykes, Tracy Nygard as Nancy, John Wilson as Mr. Bumble, and Trinity Riddell as Widow Corney. They are joined on stage by a large supporting cast of orphans, pickpockets, and townspeople.

Oliver! runs for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from December 6 - 22.
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 (age 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


August 21, 2019

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


​Cottage Theatre announces 2020 Season

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre has just announced its 2020 season, which will include both blockbuster titles and brand new shows, including one West Coast premiere. "In choosing each year's programming, we seek to include a wide range of material that will appeal to a broad audience," comments Executive Director Susan Goes. "Our 2020 season was selected based on director submissions: we had proposals for more than 30 plays from 14 different directors! Finding the six shows that will fit best together is always a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle!" 

Cottage Theatre opens its 38th season in January 2020 with Arsenic and Old Lace, a 1939 play by Joseph Kesselring, which still ranks as one of the best-selling Broadway plays of all time. This tale of merry mayhem and murderous aunts runs from January 31 - February 15, 2020 and will be directed by Keith Kessler.

Next up in the 2020 season is the seductively fun musical sensation, Mamma Mia! Told through a collection of ABBA's greatest hits, this story of an unforgettable Greek Island wedding (complete with three fathers-of-the bride!) will be on stage from April 3 - 26, 2020. This musical will be directed by Tony Rust.

Following on the success of the theatre's 2018 World Premiere of Treehouse, Cottage Theatre is proud to continue to champion new works in 2020 with the West Coast Premiere of Seeking Red by Glenn B. Rust. This gripping new drama about truth and identity is written by a young Chicago playwright who grew up at Cottage Theatre. Seeking Red, directed by Kory Weimer, will run for three weekends from June 5 - 21, 2020.

Cottage Theatre's August 2020 production is a perennial audience favorite: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. This playful medley of beloved comic characters, with book and music by Clark Gesner, is based on Charles Schulz's endearing Peanuts comic strip. This family-friendly musical will run August 14 - 30, 2020, directed by Janet Rust.

Next in the 2020 lineup is The Hunchback of Notre Dame, based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by Peter Parnell. This powerful musical of obsession and redemption is playing October 2 - 25, 2020, directed by Tony Rust.

For the grand finale to its 2020 season, Cottage Theatre is thrilled to present Elf the Musical, based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum, with book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. This sparkly holiday jingle is a hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy that follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to find his true identity. This holiday production will be directed by Keith Kessler and run for three weekends from December 4 - 20, 2020.

Season tickets to Cottage Theatre's 2020 season go on sale November 1, with current season ticket holders having the option to renew their seats beginning October 1. Season tickets, which represent a savings of up to 30% over individual tickets, range in price from $126 to $84 depending upon the package chosen. Single tickets to individual shows go on sale one month prior to each show's opening night, and are $25 for adults and $15 for youth (age 6 - 18).

Meanwhile Cottage Theatre has two productions remaining in its current 2019 season. The theatre will reopen in October following a brief closure this summer for the first phase of a remodeling project. "This summer we said goodbye to our old blue seats," states Goes, "and we've just learned that they were even older than we thought. Our new seating manufacturer told us that the company which made those seats went out of business back in 1976!" Cottage Theatre is installing brand new seats in September, and will eventually expand its auditorium to add 50 additional seats during the second phase of its remodel.

The next play in the 2019 season is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[Revised], running October 11 - 27. This zany, side-splitting romp through 37 plays in 97 minutes is a preposterous masterwork that will appeal to both Shakespeare lovers and haters alike. Tickets go on sale September 11.

Closing out the 2019 season is Lionel Bart's Oliver!, the endearing classic musical about a lovable orphan. Widely hailed as a theatrical masterpiece, and featuring a large inter-generational cast, Oliver! will be on stage December 6 - 22, 2019. Tickets for this holiday season production are on sale starting November 6.

Once on sale, Cottage Theatre tickets are available for purchase 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. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended.

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For Immediate Release

August 16, 2019

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

Cottage Theatre holds auditions for Oliver!

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will hold auditions on September 14 and 15 for Oliver!, the final production of the theatre's 2019 season. Auditions for children ages 7 - 14 will be held both Saturday and Sunday starting at 3:00 pm. Auditions for adults (ages 15+) will begin at 6:30 pm both days. Interested actors need only attend one of the audition dates. Auditions will take place at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, in Cottage Grove, and no appointment is necessary.

Oliver!, the award-winning musical based on the novel by Charles Dickens, springs to life with some of the most memorable characters ever to hit the stage. Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker, then escapes to find acceptance amongst a band of pickpockets led by the conniving Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow, takes him in. Fagin, fearing the safety of his hideout, has Oliver kidnapped, threatening the boy’s chances of discovering the true love of a family. With spirited songs like “Food, Glorious Food,” and “Consider Yourself,” Oliver! is widely hailed as a theatrical masterpiece.
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Cottage Theatre's production of Oliver! runs for three weekends, from December 6 - 22, 2019. The show will be directed and choreographed by Janet Rust, with music direction by Mark VanBeever.

Interested actors are asked to prepare 16-20 bars of a song of their choice (not from this show) and bring sheet music for the accompanist. The auditions will also include a short dance segment and readings 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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