For Immediate Release

July 9, 2024

Contact: 
Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]

Cottage Theatre opens world-premiere drama Tennessee Wet Rub on August 9

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre continues its 2024 season with the world premiere of Tennessee Wet Rub, a mouthwatering drama about bias, bonding, and BBQ presented under the auspices of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) 2024 NewPlayFest. Written by Wisconin playwright Kim E. Ruyle, the play runs from August 9 - 25, 2024 at Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.

Tennessee Wet Rub was chosen for production from an entry pool of 300 scripts submitted for consideration to the bi-annual AACT NewPlayFest. The plays underwent a four-tiered peer review process prior to the winning scripts being selected. Cottage Theatre is one of six theatres in the country chosen to give one of the world premiere productions. The five other winning plays are being premiered by theatres in Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Nebraska.

In Tennessee Wet Rub, Hank and Bertha, a white couple in their sixties, are huddled in their rural BBQ joint as snow swirls outside. It is January 1951; the power is out and the worst blizzard in Tennessee history is keeping all the customers away. What better time to experiment with a new wet rub recipe? A startling knock at the door reveals Arleta, a shivering white teenager, and Dunk, her 20-year-old black fiancé; their car has slid into a nearby ditch. While the storm rages, values and compassion are put to the test, as Hank and Bertha wrestle with what to do with this law-breaking couple. The situation grows even more turbulent with the arrival of the Deputy Sheriff. Flavored with simmering tensions, and slowly simmering BBQ, Tennessee Wet Rub is a riveting drama spiced with unlikely bonds and shared passions.

Cottage Theatre's production of Tennessee Wet Rub is directed by Stanley Coleman, supported by Randall Brous as Stage Manager. Set Design is by Tony Rust, Costume Design by Kali McDonald-Kelley, and Lighting Design by Amanda Ferguson.The cast features Mark Allen as Hank Dunwiddie, Kim Fairbairn as Bertha Dunwiddie, Alana Merz as Arleta Easter, Clarence Miller as Dunk Freeman, and Lucas Wieckowski as the Deputy Sheriff.

Tennessee Wet Rub is on stage for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from August 9 - 25, 2024. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $29 for adults and $15 for youth. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 

Cottage Theatre, founded in 1982, produces a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring talented Lane County performers. The theatre also offers year-round educational programs for youth. A member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Cottage Theatre is one of just six theatres in the country selected to produce a world premiere as part of the AACT 2024 NewPlayFest. The theatre is known for its strong production values, in keeping with its mission of "engaging and enriching our community through the magic of live theatre."

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For Immediate Release

July 13, 2023

Contact: 
Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]

Cottage Theatre opens The Game's Afoot on August 11 for a three-weekend run

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre continues its 2023 season with a three-weekend run of Ken Ludwig's The Game's Afoot, an uproarious "Sherlock Holmes" whodunit. The play runs from August 11 - 27, 2023 at Cottage Theatre's recently-remodeled facility at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.

It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is murdered, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. After years of portraying Holmes on stage, Gillette is convinced he can track down the killer before the next victim appears. Who will find the murderer first? The pompous Holmes impersonator or the local constable Inspector Goring? Winner of the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery of the Year, The Game’s Afoot is a comical whodunit that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the surprise ending.

Cottage Theatre's production of The Game's Afoot is directed by Janet Rust. She has directed many highly successful productions at Cottage Theatre over the last fifteen years, including Oliver! in 2019 and Curtains in 2017. The Game's Afoot costume design is by Chris Carter, set design by Tony Rust, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The Assistant Director is Bil Morrill. The cast features Kory Weimer as William Gillette, Nikki Pagniano as Martha Gillette, Phil Dempsey as Felix Geisel, Tracy Brous as Madge Geisel, Seth Miller as Simon Bright, Darcy Rust as Aggie Wheeler, Moura Stewart as Inspector Goring, and Laurel Merz as Daria Chase. 

"I am a huge fan of Ken Ludwig's plays," comments director Janet Rust. "I directed his Moon Over Buffalo on the Cottage Theatre stage in 2014, and have been looking for an opportunity to bring another of his extremely funny scripts to life on stage ever since. If the audience laughs even half as much as I am at rehearsal every night, I will consider this production a resounding success!"

Playwright Ken Ludwig has had six shows on Broadway, seven in London's West End, and many of his works have become a standard part of the American repertoire. His 32 plays and musicals have been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages and are produced throughout the United States every night of the year. Lend Me a Tenor won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for 5 years and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. In addition, he has won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theater.  His plays have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins and Hal Holbrook. For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.

The Game's Afoot is on stage for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from August 11 - 27, 2023. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.
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Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $27 for adults and $15 for youth. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. This production is sponsored by Parsons Financial Advisors.
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Cottage Theatre, founded in 1982, produces a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring talented Lane County performers. The theatre also offers year-round educational programs for youth. A member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Cottage Theatre is one of just six theatres in the country selected to produce a world premiere as part of the AACT 2024 NewPlayFest. The theatre is known for its strong production values, in keeping with its mission of "engaging and enriching our community through the magic of live theatre."

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For Immediate Release
 
September 14, 2022
 
Contact: Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]
 
Cottage Theatre to present Into the Woods October 7 - 23

Cottage Theatre will present the musical Into the Woods from October 7 - 23, 2022. Into the Woods is a dark-and-haunting fractured fairytale with music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Winner of multiple awards for its 1987 Broadway and 2014 film versions, Into the Woods is the fourth production in Cottage Theatre's 2022 season, and will take place at the theatre’s newly-remodeled facility at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.

The plot of Into the Woods revolves around a Baker and his wife. When they learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the objects required to break the spell. Into the woods they go, swindling, lying to, and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins as a lively fractured fairytale becomes a moving lesson about the stories we tell our children.

Cottage Theatre's production of Into the Woods is directed and designed by Mark VanBeever, with Amber Hagen serving as Assistant Director, and Bil Morrill as Stage Manager. Choreography is by Lindy Lou Smith, lighting design by Amanda Ferguson, and costumes are by Amber Hagen, Lynne Schuepbach, and Rhonda Turnquist. 

The cast features Maya Burton as The Witch, Kory Weimer as Baker, Brittany Dreier as Baker's Wife, Jaclyn Beck as Cinderella, Audriahna Jones as Jack, Maddie Paige as Little Red Riding Hood, and Matthew Kelty as Narrator. Cinderella's Step Mother is played by Daniel Borson, and Step Sisters Florinda and Lucinda are played by Sophie Blades and Adelaide Grass. Nancy West plays Jack's Mother and Aislinn Mirsch plays Jack's best friend and cow, Milky White. Rapunzel is portrayed by Katie Kincaid, Rapunzel's Prince by Will DeHaven, and Cinderella's Prince by Sophie Mitchell. Other featured roles include Laurel Merz as Wolf, Jodi Arend as Steward, Quinn Branstetter as Grandmother, Alycia Culnane as Cinderella's Mother, and Bil Morrill as Cinderella's Father. An Ensemble will be interwoven throughout the story, adding movement to enhance the action. Ensemble actors include Anja Bartlog, Holland Holub, Sophia James, Willow Kelty, and Kathryn Noel.

Into the Woods is on stage for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from October 7-23, 2022. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $27 for adults and $15 for youth. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 

For Immediate Release
 
July 5, 2022
 
Contact: Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]
 
Cottage Theatre to give World Premiere in 2024 as part of national new play festival
 
Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre has been selected by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) as one of six theatres in the country to stage a world premiere play in 2024 as part of the AACT NewPlayFest. Community theatres throughout the United States competed for this coveted opportunity to be the first to produce a brand new work. Cottage Theatre will produce the premiere as part of its 2024 season.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be chosen for this honor," comments Cottage Theatre Executive Director Susan Goes. "This is Cottage Theatre's second time in the national spotlight, as we were also selected to participate in the 2018 cycle of this bi-annual festival. In 2018 we produced the world premiere of Treehouse by Alabama playwright Joe Musso. We had such a positive experience so we are extremely excited to be chosen a second time as a NewPlayFest Producing Theatre."

Over 300 scripts have been submitted for consideration in this round of the national festival. Each script will undergo a four-tier review process, leading to the selection of the six plays to be staged, one by each producing theatre. In addition to receiving full productions, the winning scripts will be published in an anthology by Dramatic Publishing Company. In January 2023, Cottage Theatre will receive twelve finalist scripts to read and review, and Cottage Theatre will be involved in the final determination of which play will be produced in Oregon. 

Also participating in this 2024 national festival will be Hickory Community Theatre (Hickory, North Carolina), Lincoln Community Playhouse (Lincoln, Nebraska), Stage Left Theater (Spokane, Washington), The Sauk (Jonesville, Michigan), and Verona Area Community Theater (Verona, Wisconsin.) The American Association of Community Theatre NewPlayFest began in 2014, and is made possible in part by a grant from the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation. 


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May 10, 2022


Cottage Theatre presents West Coast Premiere of ​Seeking Red June 10 - 26

Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre will present the West Coast Premiere of Seeking Red by Glenn B. Rust from June 10 – 26, 2022. This will be the second production in the theatre’s 2022 season, and will take place at the theatre’s newly-remodeled facility at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.

This gripping new drama about truth and identity revolves 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. This intriguing drama will cause you to question the “little white lies” we tell to protect those we love. 

Seeking Red is written by Glenn B. Rust, a playwright and producer who grew up doing theatre at Cottage Theatre. He has spent the last five years living in Chicago first receiving his Bachelor's of Arts in Playwriting from Columbia College Chicago (CCC), then working as the Technical Director for the longstanding playwrights' theatre Chicago Dramatists. Glenn has dedicated his career to the development of new work whether it be his own or his peers' by creating multiple new play festivals both in college and the professional theatre world. The show Seeking Red was originally performed as one of two selected plays for CCC's 2019 Playwriting Senior Showcase.

Cottage Theatre's production of Seeking Red is directed by Kory Weimer, with lighting design by Amanda Ferguson with assistance from Brittany Foley, costume design by Chris Carter, and set design by Tony Rust. The cast of six features Darcy Rust as Grey Rhodes and Tony Rust as Uncle Ty, along with Josh Carlton, Janet Rust, Blake Nelson, and Cydney King. This play is not recommended for children due to crimes discussed.

Seeking Red runs for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from June 10 - 26. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm. 

Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $27 for adults and $15 for youth (age 18 & under). All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. 


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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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