Valley Repertory Staging ‘Later Life’

A. R. Gurney, one of America’s favorite playwrights, returns to local stages this weekend with the Valley Repertory Theatre’s “Later Life.”

Did I say one of America’s favorite playwrights? He seems to be Spokane’s favorite playwright, bar none, at least by sheer number of productions.

Not only is he the author of the canine comedy “Sylvia,” which just closed at Interplayers, but he is also the author of the following, all of which have had Spokane runs in the ‘90s: “Love Letters,” “The Cocktail Hour,” “The Dining Room,” “The Old Boy,” “What I Did Last Summer,” “Another Antigone” and “Richard Cory.”

“Later Life” fits comfortably in the Gurney mold. It’s about a man and a woman who met while in their 20s.

Now, 30 years later, they meet at a party and attempt to renew their acquaintance.

Jodine Watson and Bruce Arnold play the two main characters.

The 10 other guests in the party are all played by two actors, Kathie Doyle-Lipe and Ron Varela.

The Valley Repertory Theatre, the Valley’s only community theater, has been undergoing some rough financial times lately.

However, it made enough money off its last show to pay the rent and to stage this production.

“Later Life” opens Friday and continues through May 24. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m., and Thursday shows are at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for students. Call 927-6878 for reservations.

The Valley Rep is located on the southwest corner of Sprague and Pines.

SFCC’s Original Drama Festival

Three one-act plays, written and produced by Spokane Falls Community College drama students, will debut Friday night at the SFCC Playhouse, Building 5, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive.

The plays are:

“Living Rooms,” written and directed by Matthew Ahrens, a romantic comedy about marriage and fidelity.

“Buffet of Life,” written and directed by Nicole Hicks and Christopher Ervin, about life’s milestones.

“Hour of Truth,” written and directed by Dimitri Arbascauskas, a Hitchcock-style thriller about a radio talk-show host stalked by a listener.

It runs Friday and Saturday and continues May 16-17. Curtain time is 8 p.m.

All performances are free and open to the public.

Members of the audience will be selected to adjudicate the plays and performances.

, DataTimes