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Valley theatres gear up for new plays By Susan DeRosia Ashland Daily Tidings Ready or not, the season has begun. The opening tonight of Actors' Theatre's west coast premier of Tammy Ryan's 'The Music Lesson,' in Talent signals the beginning of what promises to be a very memorable year for theater in our end of the Rogue Valley. (For more about "The Music Lesson," see the story on Page 7.) This season promises world-premiers of new plays, great old classics and new theatrical venues to spice up the long list of over 40 plays and musicals scheduled for the 2003 season. Wade McCollum and Linda Parrett as the newlyweds in in happier years in OCT's 'The Last 5 Years." Photo by Christopher Briscoe In addition to Actors' Theatre's west coast premier, the Oregon Cabaret Theatre will kick off its 2003 season Friday night with the west coast premiere of a new musical, "The Last 5 Years" by Jason Robert Brown. Not your usual romantic musical with a wedding at the end, "The Last 5 Years" the man begins telling his story at the dawn of the relationship. The woman, begins her story at the end, five years later: in spite of the love and passion, something went wrong and the relationship is over. The wedding is the place where the two stories overlap and it occurs in the middle. An interesting beginning of a season for OCT which will include "The Bachelors," in March, "Pageant" in June, "My Way," in September and just in time for Christmas, a stage version of local Irishman Tomaseen Foley's much-loved, "A Parcel From America." Also beginning its season on Friday night is Actor's Community, which takes advantage of the directorial talents of Katherine Gosnell to tell a madcap romp of a story, a comedy called, "Moon Over Buffalo." The play centers on two fading stars of repertory theater in 1950s Buffalo. The couple has just lost their last chance for leads in a Frank Capra movie and chaos is about to descend on their lives. ACT's season will also include, "Visiting Mr. Green," in May, "ART," in September, and "Quilters," in December. As soon as these three performances settle in, on February 20, Oregon Stage Works will open its first full production in the newly-transformed Elfinwood Room at the Ashland Springs Hotel. OSW begins the season with a thoughtful classic set on the evening of July 4, 1944 - Lanford Wilson's, "Talley's Folly." Their season will also include "Lettuce and Lovage," in March. Also on the February 20, the SOU Theatre Department will "Winnie the Poo," followed the next week, with "House of Blue Leaves,"on February 27. The tale of an aging songwriter, it's full of wacky songs and wackier characters. On February 28, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival season begins. Ticket sales for the season have already been brisk, and no wonder, the season begins with "Romeo and Juliet" and No�l Coward's "Present Laughter" in the Angus Bowmer Theatre. Then David Edgar's world premiere two-play cycle, "Continental Divide," comprised of "Daughters of the Revolution" and "Mothers Against," will play in the Angus Bowmer Theatre and New Theatre, respectively. "Continental Divide," is a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. In a very interesting reciprocal trade agreement, he productions will continue at Berkeley Rep in November 2003. The rest of OSF's season will continue with the openings of a new translation, by OSF Artistic Director Emeritus Jerry Turner, of Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler." This will be the translation's world premier. Another premier for the season will be a new play by Nilo Cruz, "Lorca in a Green Dress." Also ahead in the season are August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson," Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," and John O'Keeffe's "Wild Oats." Two more Shakespeare plays, "Richard II" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" round out the season. In March artattack theatre ensemble's new theater will be finished and will open with "A Lion in Winter." After many delays, the ensemble will put on a week of parties and open houses to show off their newly (and ingeniously, I hear) -designed space in the former Cantwell's building (yes, it's about time to call it something else, I welcome suggestions). One the list for artattack's season are, "Be Aggressive," "Jeffrey," and "Wiping My Mother's Arse." On that note - let the plays begin! LINKS: REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. DAILY TIDINGS: Main | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -