Olympic Theatre Arts Center has unveiled its 2021-2022 theatrical season: “Stories of an Irrepressible Humanity,” featuring a full lineup of comedy, drama and music.
“Like everyone else, we had a lot of adapting to do during the pandemic,” said Pete Griffin, director of marketing.
“And while we didn’t want to dwell on it, we did want to find a way to celebrate our human capacity to adapt under trying times and sometimes even come out better for it.”
OTA’s five-show season consists of:
• A Facility for Living — a comedy by Katie Forgette, on stage Sept. 30- Oct. 17. A retired actor moves into a prison-turned-elder-care facility shortly after the demise of Medicare and discovers a community of inmates hell bent on bucking the dehumanizing system in which they have landed.
• A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play, adapted by Joe Landry, on stage Dec. 2-19. The play is based on the timeless Charles Dickens classic but told from the set of a 1940s radio broadcast. It’s an opportunity to relive a favorite holiday ghostly tale that reminds us how kindness and compassion make all the difference.
• Angel Street (Gaslight), a drama by Patrick Hamilton, on stage Feb. 10-27. This Victorian thriller tells a story of a young wife whose fragile mental state hangs in the balance between her potentially dangerous husband and an eccentric detective claiming to have the answers.
• Heroes vs. Villains: A Musical Revue, curated by OTA, on stage April 14- May 1. In this musical revue, OTA presents the best of heroes and the worst of villains.
• The Cover of Life, a comedy/drama by R.T. Robinson, on stage June 9-26. In 1943, three young wives are keeping the home fires burning while the men are off to war. The local story attracts the attention of Life Magazine. The Cover of Life is about the struggle for self worth, filled with Southern charm and poignant humor.
“This season is a celebration of all we’ve learned over the past year and a reminder that, through the power of storytelling, humanity keeps on going,” said Interim Executive Director Ginny Holladay.
“I am particularly excited to be directing Angel Street (Gaslight), with its timeless warnings of how easy it is to destroy someone through mental coercion, and how important it is to give power back to those who need it most.”
In keeping with the tradition of previous seasons, OTA has collaborated with local artists to help market the shows. This season’s artists are Suzan Noyes, Richard Workman, Ryoko Toyama, Sadie Baar and Jim Bradrick.
All five season productions will be performed on the Elaine and Robert Caldwell Main Stage for three weekends each, leaving the theatre’s historic Gathering Hall open for special events, classes and workshops.
“We’re looking forward to getting more music, story telling, artistic workshops and other engaging activities for the public into the Gathering Hall this season,” Griffin said.
“We’re also revamping our membership concept this year, adding invites to early script readings, select rehearsals and other open house-style opportunities. We’d like OTA members to feel more involved in the theatre, so we’re looking for more ways to get them ‘behind the curtain.’
“Membership is ownership at OTA, and we’d like our members to really know what they’re investing in.”
OTA’s 21-22 season rollout was held at the opening of the community theatre’s first New Works Showcase on Friday, celebrating the short works of local authors brought to the stage.
A short video introducing the season will be posted on the theatre’s website at OlympicTheatreArts.org and Facebook page.
For more information about season subscriptions, call 360-683-7326 or drop by the theatre office at 414 N. Sequim Ave. between 1-4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.
