by Mary Powell
Special to the Sequim Gazette
Olympic Theatre Arts has announced its 2016-2017 season and from the recent unveiling, it promises to be most entertaining.
Now in its 38th season, OTA offers five main stage and three second stage productions, beginning Sept. 9 with the 2015 Tony award-winning play, “Skylight” and ending in June 2017 with another Tony award-winning comedy, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”
On June 12, directors, board members and OTA members enjoyed a preview of what’s to come this season. Directors of each play presented a short overview of the work, sometimes reading from the script or engaging a few actors to perform a particular scene.
“We have quite a variety of plays,” Carol Willis told the audience before the presentation. “The group that reads manuscripts to decide the season worked long and hard to bring these productions to our audience.”
The 2016-2017 season’s main stage opener “Skylight” is by David Hare. “Skylight” will be directed by Angela Poynter, a familiar face at OTA as an actor and singer. The play runs from Sept. 9-15.
“Something’s Afoot,” by Robert Gerlach, Ed Linderman, David Vos and James McDonald, opens Oct. 28 and ends Nov. 13. It will be directed by Ron Graham, known for his portrayal of Sheridan Whiteside in last season’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” and the male half in “I Do, I Do!”
In January, again on the main stage, comes “The Importance of Being Earnest,” an Oscar Wilde play which will be directed by Anna Andersen who also directed “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” last season.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” runs from Jan. 27-Feb. 12, 2017. For an Oscar Wilde devotee, this one is not to be missed.
Spring begins with “Over the River and Through the Woods,” a comedic drama about the meaning of family. “Over the River and Through the Woods” is written by Joe DePietro, co-author of the musical “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” previously presented on the OTA stage, and will be directed by Roger Briggs. The play runs March 31-April 17, 2017.
The final main stage production is a hugely entertaining, madcap play by Christopher Durang entitled “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.” It runs June 9-25, 2017, and will be directed by Jim Guthrie, another well-known actor/director throughout the community.
Second stage season
The 2016-2017 second stage season includes three outstanding shows: “It’s A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play,” by Joe Landry; “Spoon River Anthology,” adapted from Edgar Lee Masters; and “The Gin Game,” by Donald L. Coburn. And just because these plays are billed as second stage certainly doesn’t mean they are any less well-crafted than the main stage productions.
Case in point: “It’s a Wonderful Life, a Live Radio Play,” features live actors on stage who deliver the lines from all the characters in the movie along with a crew of sound effect technicians and old-time commercials. The play, directed by Olivia Shea, runs from Dec. 8-11.
“Spoon River Anthology” concerns the residents of Spoon River, who reveal their secrets and perspectives from the grave. Yes, you read that right, from the grave. All told from the cast in splendid poetry, backed with Stephen Foster’s music, the play is adapted and directed by Merv Wingard and runs March 3-12, 2017.
The final second stage performance is another classic, “The Gin Game,” which poignantly explores the human dilemma as it is presented through the card game. Directed by Dimitri Gerasimenko, “The Gin Game” runs from May 12-21, 2017.
Tickets
The best way to enjoy this season is to be a season ticket subscriber, which gives the following benefits:
• A season ticket package gives top priority for seat locations, which may be renewed year after year.
• Enjoy the assurance of quality community entertainment planned into your schedule all year long.
• Prices are more than 15 percent lower than individual ticket prices.
There are several packages available and order forms may be downloaded from the OTA website. Orders will be processed at the theater box office open from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
For more information about the new season’s shows, visit www.olympictheatrearts.org.
