Spoon River Anthology-Perspectives

Presented by Olympic Theatre Arts

At: Olympic Theatre Arts Gathering Hall, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Tickets: Available at box office, 1-5 p.m., Monday-Friday or online, olympictheatrearts.org.

For more information, call 683-7326

Showings: March 3-12, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The fictional characters of Spoon River will come to life in Olympic Theatre Arts’ presentation of “Spoon River Anthology-Perspectives,” directed and adapted by Sequim local Merv Wingard.

Wingard’s adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” features a series of small vignettes that portrays 36 characters from Masters’ anthology and includes songs by Stephen Foster.

Set in the fictional, small Midwestern town of Spoon River, Wingard chose characters for their relevance today. His adaptation is not the usual play with a beginning, middle and end but instead features a series of biographical sketches from Masters’ anthology arranged around general themes such as human relationships, war, religion, personality and fate.

“The characters in Spoon River challenge our tendency to exclude other people because they are different,” Wingard said.

“It forces one to sympathize with human differences-creating new perspectives.”

Wingard has lived in Sequim for the past three years and has worked his way up the theatrical ladder from roles in Readers Theatre + to working backstage at Olympic Theatre Arts. Most recently, he played a butler in “Something’s Afoot” and Dr. Chasuble in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Starring in her first Olympic Theatre Arts performance, Lorra Cornetet said this play was the first opportunity she has had to be involved in the community theater. She has come to love the play and the poetry behind it all. “It’s just beautiful and the stories are sad, funny and about life,” she said.

“It’s got a nice balance of melancholy and the celebration of life.”

Cornetet will play four different characters during her performance, her favorite being Russian Sonia who is full of joy and had a bohemian life that appealed to Cornetet.

“I feel as though I’m getting to know all the characters of this selection of Spoon River,” she added.

For regular performer Josh Sutcliffe, Masters’ “Spoon River Anthology” is a nostalgic memory of his childhood. He remembers reading the anthology from his parents’ bookshelf and enjoyed learning about all the characters. Sutcliffe will play five separate characters throughout his performance.

“One of them has a contentious relationship with his wife and it’s a very bitter and angry one that’s a lot of fun to do,” Sutcliffe said as he laughed about the thought of his character Ollie McGee.

“A lot of the more serious emotions are fun to play.”

Sutcliffe believes the audience will enjoy the different issues and themes this performance illustrates. “I think one thing the audience will enjoy the most is the sort of complex issues that are brought up in a very simple and direct way.”

“Spoon River Anthology-Perspectives” opens March 3 and runs through March 12. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office or online at olympictheatrearts.org. For more information, call the box office between 1-5 p.m., Monday-Friday at 683-7326.