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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spotlight: As if on Q, de Lancie to assist Interplayers

John de Lancie, who played the meddlesome Q on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” is coming to Spokane in November to lend a hand to Interplayers Professional Theatre.

De Lancie will do two different programs, said Interplayers Artistic Director Reed McColm. On Nov. 16, de Lancie will participate in “A Q-and-A with Q,” in which audience members can pepper the actor with questions about his career on stage and screen. The next night, Nov. 17, de Lancie will present “Flying Without a Net: An Evening with John de Lancie.” This program is one that he has taught at colleges, including the University of California-Merced; it centers on the business of acting.

McColm first met de Lancie in 1990, while McColm was in graduate school at the University of Southern California. De Lancie had volunteered to direct some student-written plays, and McColm’s was one of them.

“The first time we met was on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise,” McColm said, as de Lancie was filming an episode of “TNG.” The pair read through the whole play on the set of the bridge, McColm added.

The two-night event is a fundraiser to support Interplayers.

“He’s doing this gratis and I’m very excited about it,” McColm said. “He’s eager to help.”

De Lancie’s résumé is extensive, beyond playing Q on “TNG” and two other “Star Trek” series, “Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager.” He’s had recurring roles in “Breaking Bad,” “Torchwood,” “Charmed” and “Stargate SG-1.” He played Eugene Bradford for several years on “Days of Our Lives” in the 1980s. He founded with Leonard Nimoy a company called “Alien Voices,” specializing in audio recordings of classic science-fiction works. Most recently, he’s been directing opera and voicing a character on “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” Really.

Tickets are on sale now through the Interplayers box office, (509) 455-7529, or TicketsWest, (800) 325-SEAT or www.ticketswest.com. Cost is $30 per night, or $50 for both.

Speaking of Interplayers

Interplayers is looking for volunteers. A “job fair” will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 26 at the theater, 174 S. Howard St., to give potential volunteers a look at the place and to answer questions about volunteer positions. People are needed to help with fundraising, office projects, receptions, ushering and other tasks.

Call (509) 455-7529 to reserve a space at the job fair.

Thinking ahead

The season at Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre is winding down, as its final production “Ragtime” concludes its run next weekend. Still, it’s never too early to be looking ahead.

The theater has announced three of the four shows it plans to stage next summer. They are:

“Big River” – This bluegrass-and-country-flavored adaptation of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” debuted on Broadway in 1985, and won Tony Awards for best musical, book, score and actor for Ron Richardson’s performance as Jim. This will mark the first time CST has mounted this production, and it is appropriate for all audiences.

“9 to 5” – Dolly Parton wrote the music and lyrics for this adaptation of her breakout movie hit. The story centers on three female office workers who get even with their sexist, egotistical, bigot of a boss. The musical, which carries a PG rating, will feature the hit title song, which Parton wrote for the 1980 movie and which went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

“The Music Man” – We’ve got trouble, friends, right here in the Lake City. Con man Harold Hill will try to bamboozle his way across the Schuler Performing Arts Center stage when CST stages this musical classic. CST last staged “The Music Man” in 1993.

A fourth play will be announced later.

“We work very hard to put together a well-rounded season,” said Roger Welch, CST artistic director, in a news release. “It’s such a complicated process, but I think we’ve really got something for everyone in our 2013 lineup.”

Early-bird season tickets are on sale now: $119 for adults and $109 for seniors. Flex passes are $122 and $136. Those prices are good until Nov. 15. For information, visit the box office, 880 W. Garden Ave., on the campus of North Idaho College, or call (208) 769-7780.

Symphony season around the corner

The Spokane Symphony will hold its free Labor Day concerts again this year. Performances will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 in Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park, and 6 p.m. Sept. 3 at Spokane’s Comstock Park.

The symphony’s opening night gala is set for Sept. 22. There’s still time for new subscribers to buy discounted Classics season tickets for 50 percent off. That deal is good until 5 p.m. Aug. 29. Tickets to the individual symphony concerts go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

For information and tickets, call the box office at (509) 624-1200 or visit www.spokanesymphony.org.>