To help keep our spirits lifted during these challenging times, we're reminiscing about Cottage Theatre's Top Ten Shows, revealing a new show in our countdown each Friday. These shows were your favorites, judging by the number of you who attended. Click on the image below to read the newsletter that reveals our 10th most popular show of all time.

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. 

###

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.

###

Our 2020 season opens on Friday, January 31 with Arsenic and Old Lace, Joseph Kesselring's 1939 comedy. Read all about it -- along with other CT news -- in the latest issue of our newsletter.

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.


###

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. 

###

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. 

###

For Immediate Release

December 9, 2019

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

Cottage Theatre awarded $75,000 grant by Oregon Community Foundation

Cottage Grove, OR — On Sunday, December 8, Oregon Community Foundation volunteer Jackie Lester presented Cottage Theatre (CT) with a $75,000 grant in support of the theatre's ACT III Theatre Expansion project. The presentation was made prior to the theatre's matinee performance of Lionel Bart's Oliver!, the final production of CT's 37th season, which continues on stage through December 22.

This grant will help Cottage Theatre remodel its facility to add 50 additional seats and make technical and safety improvements in the building. "We are extremely grateful for this generous investment by the Oregon Community Foundation," comments Cottage Theatre Executive Director Susan Goes. "The ACT III Project will enable CT to serve a larger audience, as well as improve the theatre-going experience for our patrons and volunteers. This is an exciting and ambitious project for a small organization like CT, and we deeply appreciate OCF's support of our efforts." 

The entire ACT III project is expected to cost approximately $2.5 million, with a target completion date of 2021. Cottage Theatre began work in the summer of 2019 by replacing its existing seats (which were more than 40 years old), repainting backstage spaces, and installing some fire sprinkler piping. The bulk of the planned improvements have been deferred until 2021 to allow CT time to raise additional funds after the cost of the project jumped unexpectedly from $1.5 to $2.5 million this past spring. Once the remodel is complete, the 50 added seats will allow CT to serve 4,000 more patrons each year.

This grant comes from the Fred W. Fields Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, which was established in 2012 with a $150 million gift from the estate of Fred W. Fields. The gift, given to support education and the arts, is the largest single gift in the history of Oregon Community Foundation. Born in Alexandria, Indiana, Fields studied engineering at Indiana University and Purdue University. After getting a job at the Coe Manufacturing Company in 1947, Fields worked his way up until he purchased the company in 1976. Fields headed the company until 2000, when he sold it and retired.

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) puts donated money to work in Oregon – more than $100 million in grants and scholarships support Oregonians annually. For nearly 45 years, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians.  Impactful giving — time, talent and resources from many generous Oregonians — creates measurable change.

The Foundation makes grants through an application process that involves local citizens in the review and evaluation of requests for funds. Application materials are available through the Foundation’s Portland office. Individuals or businesses interested in establishing a fund may contact the Eugene OCF office, 440 East Broadway, Suite 160, Eugene OR 97401, (541) 431-7099, or visit www.oregoncf.org.
​
Cottage Theatre, founded in 1982, is a community theatre that presents a year-round schedule of plays and musicals and offers summer theatre camps for children. CT is located at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove. For tickets or more information, call (541) 942-8001 or visit www.cottagetheatre.org.

###

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. 

###

For Immediate Release

September 12, 2019

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

Cottage Theatre re-opens its doors with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[Revised] on October 11

Cottage Grove, OR —  After being closed this summer for the first phase of its multi-year remodeling project, Cottage Theatre reopens to the public with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[Revised] in October. This zany, side-splitting romp through 37 plays in 97 minutes was written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield. The comedy runs from October 11 - 27, 2019.

Perfect for Shakespeare-lovers and Shakespeare-haters alike, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [Revised] is a high-speed, hysterical tour-de-force worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records. Three daring actors attempt to bring the entirety of Shakespeare's work to life on stage in one fell swoop. First premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1987, this play careens wildly through all the comedies, histories, and tragedies using only a trunkful of ridiculous props and costumes. 

Cottage Theatre's production of this preposterous masterwork is directed by Rachel Froom. Costume design by is by Rhonda Turnquist and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson, with scenic projections by Tony Rust and Rachel Froom, and props by Glenda Koyama. Cottage Theatre's daring actors are Chelsey Megli, Kory Weimer, and Blake Nelson.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [Revised] runs for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from October 11 - 27. 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. 

###