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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For Immediate Release

July 14, 2017

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

Cottage Theatre opens The Good Doctor on August 11

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre continues its 2017 season in August with The Good Doctor by Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov. This laugh-out-loud comedy features a collection of comical Russian tales infused with American wit. Cottage Theatre's production of The Good Doctor will run for three weekends from August 11 through August 27.

The Good Doctor blends the talents of two widely respected writers from different countries and centuries. American playwright Neil Simon dramatizes several short stories by Russian author Anton Chekhov in this amusing concoction, first produced on Broadway in 1973. The play consists of a series of sketches, narrated by a character called The Writer, who introduces the stories, comments on them, and occasionally plays a role in them. In one sketch a neurotic government clerk sneezes on a General during an opera performance, with spectacularly unfortunate results. In another, a crafty seducer sets his sights on a wedded woman, with the unwitting aid of her husband. Let us not forget the ridiculous tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. Animated by Simon’s rapid-fire one-liners and witty dialogue, the nine sketches illuminate Chekhov’s take on the human condition through stories that are droll, outlandish, and fun.

Cotttage Theatre's production of The Good Doctor is directed and designed by Kory Weimer, with costumes by Chris Carter, and lighting by Amanda Ferguson. The cast features Sophie Blades, Randall Brous, Tracy Nygard, Kathryn Pearson, Glenn Rust, Tony Rust, and Kory Weimer.

The Good Doctor runs for eleven performances at Cottage Theatre from August 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 (ages 6 - 18). Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and one hour before performances.


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​For Immediate Release

July 12, 2017


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


Family-friendly Melodrama at Cottage Theatre July 21-23

Cottage Grove, OR — The residents of Ol' Dorena need to be on their toes when a traveling hypnotist and Snake Oil purveyor comes to town! Dr. Amnesia Trance's Hypnotic Show...OR It's Mining Memories Down a Long, Dark Hole is a old-fashioned melodrama written especially for Cottage Theatre by local playwright Keith Kessler. The family-friendly production will run for three performances on July 21, 22, and 23 at Cottage Theatre.

This year's melodrama takes place in Ol' Dorena, where the citizens are in the midst of their Delightful Valley Days. Word comes that a Travelin’ Show is heading to town: Dr. Amnesia Trance’s Hypnotic Show. According to the Sherriff down in nearby Petticoat Junction, Dr. Amnesia hypnotizes people and forces them to do silly things like squawk like a chicken. She also peddles some “South American Snake Oil” that she claims will cure just about anything that ails you. The folks of Ol’ Dorena are looking forward to the excitement of a Travelin’ Show, but Dr. Amnesia has more on her mind than just entertainment. She’s heard a rumor of a long-lost hidden treasure and she’ll stop at nothing to get her hands on it!

Dr. Amnesia Trance's Hypnotic Show...OR It's Mining Memories Down a Long, Dark Hole features 27 young actors from Cottage Theatre's summer melodrama camp.  This show is appropriate for all ages and includes plenty of audience participation (in the form of booing and hissing and cheering) as well as an old-fashioned sing-along. In keeping with classic melodrama tradition, "Olios" (silly jokes which have nothing to do with the story) will also be performed. There will also be a pre-show performance showcasing some of the music and dance techniques taught during the two-week summer camp.
 
This year's melodrama is directed by Janet Rust, with music direction by Catricia Mayhue. The cast includes  Lafe Bennett, Shyla Browning, Kira Carver, Alexis Christie, Campbell Conforth, Hailey Cook, Hailey Daquilanto, Aiden Dickinson, Abigail Earlywine, AJ Earlywine, Kate Fairbairn, Rhea Florez,  Madisyn Froom, Claire Jenkins, Bryce Johnson, James Kelly, Aramara Caturegli Kent, Samantha Lind, Hannah Mathis, Connor Mayhue, Eliana Piltz, Darcy Rust, Grace Sisson, Elise Smith, Catelyn St. Clair,  Maia Wilhour, and Piper Youngmayr.
 
Performances are Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 at 7:00 pm; and Sunday, July 23 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $7 for all ages and all seating is reserved. Advance purchase is recommended.

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. Box Office hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and one hour before performances. 
  

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For Immediate Release

June 1, 2017

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

Cottage Theatre announces world premiere selected for 2018 season

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre is one of six community theatres nationwide chosen to present one of the winning scripts of the American Association of Community Theatre's 2018 NewPlayFest. Approximately 300 scripts from playwrights around the country were submitted for consideration in this bi-annual national festival. The scripts were vetted through a four-tiered review process and each producing theatre was involved in the final selection of the winning plays.

Cottage Theatre will present the world premiere of Treehouse, by Alabama playwright Joe Musso, as part of the theatre's 2018 season. Treehouse will run for three weekends from August 10 - 26, 2018, and will serve as the 4th production in Cottage Theatre's 2018 season. 

Treehouse is an intriguing contemporary drama revolving around Shakespeare's famous existential line, "To be or not to be, that is the question." Johnny and his pals Oliver and Ben could 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's insistence that he has the mind of a 53-year-old. 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 that he’s an old man in a teenager’s body, and conversations in the treehouse become increasingly peppered by the words of the Bard, Johnny grapples simultaneously with adolescence, love, and the mind's ability to heal from great loss. Through his budding friendship with Alana, Johnny comes to realize the life-affirming power of “the eternal summer that shall not fade.”

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, the HRC Showcase Theatre W. Keith Hedrick Playwriting Award, and the Gloria Ann Barnell Peter Playwright Competition. Most recently, his full-length play Absinthe was produced at the Morgan Opera House in Aurora, New York, in April 2017. His full-length play Conk and Bone was published in the 2012 Great Plains Theatre Conference Reader, and his ten-minute play The Rollercoaster of Love was published in Smith & Kraus' The Best 10-Minute Plays 2012. Many of his plays for young actors are published through Heuer Publishing and Brooklyn Publishers, and Applause Theatre & Cinema Books included his play Bam! Ka-Pow! in its anthology 25 Ten-Minute Plays for Teens. In addition to being one of the 2018 American Association of Community Theatre's NewPlayFest scripts, Treehouse has recently been named the winner of the 2017 Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award sponsored by the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance.

The other 2018 NewPlayFest producing theatres and winning scripts are as follows: County Seat Theatre Company in Cloquet, Minnesota, will produce Sweet by Denise Hinson; Elkhart Civic Theatre in Bristol, Indiana, will produce Finishing School by Elaine Liner; Lincoln Community Playhouse in Lincoln, Nebraska, will produce TBD (To Be Determined) by Paul Elliott; Stage III Community Theatre in Casper, Wyoming, will produce Eternity by Michael Cochran; and The Vortex Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will produce Mynx and Savage by Rebecca Gorman O'Neill. Additional information about the winning plays is available at www.aact.org/newplayfest-playwrights-2018.

Cottage Theatre's world premiere of Treehouse will be one of six productions in the theatre's 36th season. The rest of the theatre's 2018 season will be announced in late August.

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For Immediate Release

April 19, 2017

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


Cottage Theatre holds auditions May 20 & 21 for The Good Doctor

Cottage Grove, OR —Cottage Theatre will hold open auditions for the fourth production of its 2017 season, The Good Doctor, on Saturday, May 20 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, May 21 at 6:00 pm. No appointment is necessary. This comedy, which will run from August 11 - 27, will be directed by Kory Weimer.

The Good Doctor blends the talents of two widely respected writers from different countries and centuries. American playwright Neil Simon dramatizes several short stories by Russian author Anton Chekhov in this amusing concoction, first produced on Broadway in 1973. The play consists of a series of sketches, narrated by a character called The Writer, who introduces the stories, comments on them, and occasionally plays a role in them. In one sketch a neurotic government clerk sneezes on a General during an opera performance, with spectacularly unfortunate results. In another, a crafty seducer sets his sights on a wedded woman, with the unwitting aid of her husband. Let us not forget the ridiculous tale of a man who offers to drown himself for three rubles. Animated by Simon’s rapid-fire one-liners and witty dialogue, the sketches illuminate Chekhov’s take on the human condition through stories that are droll, outlandish, and fun.

Auditions for The  Good Doctor will consist of readings from the script. Roles are available for both men and women and the cast size is flexible. Further audition details are available at www.cottagetheatre.org, or by calling Cottage Theatre at 541-942-8001. 


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For Immediate Release

March 7, 2017

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

Cottage Theatre opens Curtains on April 7

Cottage Grove, OR -- Cottage Theatre continues its 35th season in April with Curtains, a musical comedy whodunit set in the 1950s. Curtains features music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the same creative team best known for the musicals Cabaret and Chicago. Curtains' book is by Rupert Holmes, based on the original book and concept by Peter Stone. Curtains will run for four weekends at Cottage Theatre from April 7 through April 30.

Curtains is a bright and brassy musical set in 1959 Boston, where the Colonial Theatre is hosting the pre-Broadway run of a new musical. The show could be a success were it not for the extremely untalented leading lady. Jessica Cranshaw is a triple threat: she cannot act, sing, or dance (or remember when to say her lines). When she mysteriously dies on stage during the opening night curtain call, the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter Lieutenant Frank Cioffi of the Boston Police, who arrives on the scene to investigate. He just happens to be a musical theatre fan! The lure of the theatre proves irresistible, and after an unexpected romance blooms for the stage-struck sleuth, he finds himself just as drawn to making the show a hit as he is in solving the murder. Can he crack the case, save the show, and get the girl before the curtain rises?

Cottage Theatre's production of Curtains is directed and choreographed by Janet Rust, with music direction by Chris Holt. Set design is by Tony Rust, costume design by Rhonda Turnquist, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The cast features Joel Ibanez as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, Sophie Blades as Niki Harris, Tracy Nygard as Georgia Hendricks, Kim Fairbairn as Carmen Bernstein, Mark VanBeever as Aaron Fox, Dale Flynn as Sidney Bernstein, Larry Brown as Christopher Belling, and Stefhani Anderson as Bambi Bernét. Rounding out the large cast are Josh Carlton, Chris Carter, Brittany Dreier, Ward Fairbairn, Amber Hagen, Jason Kirkendall, Jennifer Mandeville-Schulz, Lisa Mattiello, Kathryn Pearson, Shanti Rios, Earl Ruttencutter, Tim Singer, Karen Snyder, Natalie Tichenor, Alex VonderHaar, and Kory Weimer.

Curtains, which is the second show in Cottage Theatre's 2017 season, runs for fourteen performances at Cottage Theatre from April 7–30. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.There is not a performance on Easter Sunday, April 16.

Curtains 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. 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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