Olympic Theatre Arts, Sequim, officially unveiled its 2017-2018 theater season at a special event held for members and season ticket subscribers on June 11. Season ticket subscriptions are now on sale to the public until Aug. 1 when single ticket seats will be available. Order forms are available online or at the theater box office at 414 N. Sequim Ave.
This season’s offering boasts four Main Stage productions, three Second Stage productions and three special events for a total of 10 shows in the “All In” package. The shows are as follows, in chronological order:
• “Strictly No Elephants” is a special event that will open the season this year on Sept. 1. It is an original musical written for the OTA children’s theater group. The book and lyrics are by Lisa Mantchev, an OTA instructor, and Glenn Dallas with music and lyrics by local composer and arranger Linda Dowdell. The play uses imaginative puppetry as a stage tool to tell this heart-warming, award-winning story about inclusion.
• “The Explorers Club,” written by Nell Benjamin and opening on Oct. 20, is a farcical comedy about a turn-of-the-century London Club deliberating over whether or not to admit a woman.
• “Holiday Variety Show,” adapted by Jerry L. Stewart and directed by Cathy Marshall and Karen Pritchard, will combine music and stories of the season for a festive holiday production in mid-December.
• “The Nutcracker Ballet,” a special event held the week after the “Holiday Variety Show,” will build on the festive spirit of the yuletide with an original adaptation of the classic ballet by Sequim Ballet director Laurel Herrera and performed by her very accomplished troupe of young dancers.
• “Tuesdays with Morrie,” written by Jeffery Hatcher and Mitch Albom and directed by Britni Alleman, is a Second Stage production opening Jan. 19. It is a play based on the bestselling memoir by the same name, a heartwarming story about the important lessons life teaches.
• “Time Stands Still,” a Main Stage drama written by Donald Margulies and directed by Josh Sutcliff, will open on Feb. 9. This Tony award nominee takes a look at the lives and minds of those who serve our country in times of war and after.
• “Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Love Poems” will be another special event on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day only, directed by Rich Hendricksen to celebrate the holiday of love.
• “Starting Here Starting Now,” a musical revue with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr., music by David Shire and directed by Charlotte Carroll, will open on the Second Stage on March 16. This Grammy Award nominee examines love and all of its different facets.
• “The Tin Woman,” by Sean Grennan and directed by Jim Guthrie, is the Main Stage spring show opening April 20. It is a comedy/drama based on a true story about a heart transplant recipient and her second chance at life.
• “Leaving Iowa,” by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, will finish out the season and kick off the summer opening June 15. Director Debbie Embree will take us on an uproarious adventure all about the classic family vacation.
“We are very excited about the upcoming season,” said Carol Willis, OTA executive director. “We feel that we have a good balance of live theater that works to fulfill our mission — to entertain, educate and inspire community involvement through experiences in the arts. We hope to see you at the theater!”
For more information, visit www.olympictheatrearts.org or contact the theater business office at 683-7326 from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
