Community Theaters Ready To Slug It Out
Here’s a promising theatrical heavyweight bout on Sunday: The best community theater production in Oregon vs. the best community theater production in Washington.
It’s the regional finals of the American Association of Community Theatre national competition, to be staged at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Spokane Civic Theatre’s main stage, 1020 N. Howard.
CAST, a troupe from Hood River, Ore., will present “Clara,” by Arthur Miller, which won the Oregon competition.
The Civic Theatre will then present its state winner, “Mama Drama,” by Leslie Ayvasian, Christine Farrell, Donna Daley, Rita Nachtmann and Ann Sachs. This show has been cut down to a one-act show from its original full-length production at the Civic.
The two one-act plays will be judged by adjudicator Ron Ziegler, executive director of the Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa, and the current president of the American Association of Community Theater. The winning play will go to the national competition in Grand Rapids, Mich., in June.
The public is encouraged to attend. Tickets are $10 at the door.
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’
The Whitworth College Theatre presents the Joseph Kesselring classic “Arsenic and Old Lace,” about two of the sweetest little old lady murderers you ever saw.
They like to put aged bachelors out of their misery with a little arsenic in their elderberry wine. The play inspired the 1944 Cary Grant movie.
Rick Hornor, associate professor of theatre, is the director.
The show opens tonight at 8 p.m. and continues Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The show is in the Cowles Memorial Auditorium on the Whitworth campus.
Tickets cost $5 for adults and $4 for students with I.D. Tickets are available at the door or by calling 466-3225.
‘Murder at the Howard Johnson’s Motor Inn’
The Spokane Community College Players present a suspense-comedy, “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s Motor Inn,” about an ill-starred love triangle in a motel.
SCC drama instructor Rolland L. Heiss is the director.
It runs Monday, Tuesday and next Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m., with an additional 1:30 p.m. matinee on Tuesday. A dinner theater production will be offered May 2, with dinner at 5:30 p.m. and curtain at 8 p.m.
Tickets for all shows are $4 at the door, except the dinner theater show which costs $25. Reservations are required for the dinner show; call 533-7283.
, DataTimes