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A home on the stage By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings After finding winter quarters for its nascent theater organization, Oregon Stage Works is now looking for other accommodations - something with a little more elbow room. While no deals have been inked as yet, talks between the Oregon Stage Works board of directors and developer Allan Sandler have focused on the future of Sandler's A Street Marketplace and Pavilion. Val Corbridge (left), Bill Sauers, Peter Alzado and Jeanette Larson of Oregon Stage Works look over the A Street Marketplace Pavilion in Ashland as a possible production site. Ashland Daily Tidings/SEAN WOLFE "It's the biggest place anywhere," noted OSW's Artistic Director Peter Alzado. "There's still deal points to be looked at but we think we could do a lot of great work there." Alzado added that the company planned to continue its relationship with the Ashland Springs Hotel, which has hosted OSW's last several productions in one of its large halls, the Elfinwood Room dining room. While acknowledging that a deal is still in the talking stage, Sandler said he would be pleased to have performances in the Pavilion space at the Marketplace - a long-held dream of his. Sandler's A Street Pavilion has gone through fits and starts on its journey to being a space fit for performance. Noise ordinance concerns have kept the Pavilion vacant, and after recent meetings with city planning commissioners, Sandler declared he would scrap his plans to open the venue, and would instead fill it with retail space. Now Sandler says he plans to proceed with enclosing the sides of the Pavilion to offset noise concerns. About half of the space will be dedicated to performances, while the other half would be committed to retail space. OSW is also looking at space in the Science Works Hands-On Museum as a venue for educational work. Alzado spoke of the possibility of doing plays aimed at educating audiences about the science of theater, as well as plays that related to the lives of scientists and other discovery pioneers. "It would be exciting to get something started there," Alzado enthused. "We think we could do all kinds of productions - some aimed at kids, some aimed at other audiences. It's a real chance to make that kinds of subject matter come alive, and we see a lot of potential there. ScienceWorks Executive Director Sharon Javna said she hoped talks could be advanced in time to have the group do performances later this year. "They're preliminary discussions, but we're very excited about working with them. We see theater and all of science as being integrated - they're only separated in our minds. But we do hope to have them do performances here this summer, and we're talking about the potentials for a long-term relationship," Javna said. Alzado said both deals were not mutually exclusive. But both potential venues come as something of a relief. Since its formation following Alzado's ouster by the board of directors of Talent-based Actors' Theatre, OSW has never quite left the real estate market. Before finding lodging in the Elfinwood Room, OSW's board had been considering the old Cantwells' Building on Oak Street in Ashland. They had also been combing the industrial areas of Hersey Street, which is currently home to alternative theater group The Green Room. At one point, the board even brainstormed getting a vacant lot and pitching a bigtop. With two potential shots at less flimsy theater space in the offing, Alzado said he is thrilled. "It's been great - the level of support we're getting from the community, and everyone around town has been nothing but generous," he said. "And if we end up doing both, that's two different audiences we're going to reach. We'll be everywhere." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -