Putting the ‘odd’ in audience
After a one-week postponement, audiences are now invited to enjoy “A Night in the Theatre,” presented by Lincoln City’s Theatre West.
Wes Ryan directs this Lawrence Casier comedy about two couples looking for entertainment who discover some secrets about each other along the way.
Margaret and Stanley Locker and their friends, Donna and Walter Pace, are at the theater for their weekly dose of culture. This week's ordeal is “Hamlet.” After they seat themselves, with some confusion, we are privy to their incessant and hilarious chatter about themselves, their children, a dead friend and even occasionally Shakespeare's play.
Secrets emerge and friendships unravel amid the audience’s laughter. You might even recognize these rude playgoers as the obnoxious people who sometimes sit behind you.
The cast is John MacDonald as Walter Pace, Julie Starr as Donna Pace, Dave Jones as Stanley Locker and Jan Coloccia as Margaret Locker. Alice Luchau backs up Ryan as assistant director.
Making his debut on the Jack Coyne stage, MacDonald has lived in the community for close to 10 years. And though his only experience in theater is a semester of stagecraft in high school, he kept the role-playing spirit alive for many years playing Dungeons and Dragons.
He is dedicating this performance to his friend Jon Gaston, who recently passed away. He, too, was a performer, providing various voices, accents and other character details in a years-long Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
Another debut performer in the play, Starr has been a resident of the Lincoln City area since 1993. With no prior experience on stage, she makes her acting debut while her husband of four years, James Hash, takes on his first role at Theatre West as stage manager.
“A Night at the Theatre” is for mature audiences only due to the subject matter and language.
Performances will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, with one matinée at 2 pm on Sunday, March 24. Theatre West is located at 3536 SE Hwy. 101, Lincoln City.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors aged 60 and older. For more information, go to theatrewest.com or call 541-994-5663.