What ghost around comes around
The Lincoln City Playhouse stays in high spirits with its latest production.
By Sabine Wilson
For the TODAY
The Lincoln City Playhouse is back at it again with its third play in three months.
After its successful production of “Alyse in Wonderland: Steampunk Style,” followed by the self-explanatory “40 Plays in 40 Minutes,” the theater company is now taking on a different challenge with “The Ghosts of Detention” by D.M. Larson, a fun, time-traveling play about a group of young adults who get in trouble at their high school and have to do time in detention.
“I feel that this play is a little bit more serious than the other plays that we have done in the past,” said Karen Bonelli Sanquist, founder and executive artistic director.
“The script takes place in the 1980s but the students from detention end up performing a 1920s play within the play. There is a lot of comedy and excellent monologues throughout the script. There are even songs in the play.”
The show will be performed at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on Thursday, June 24, and Saturday, June 26.
The Lincoln City Playhouse is an inclusive place, accepting primarily children from all walks of life and even, for this production, kids of “any age.”
“For the summer I was looking for plays that any of our actors could participate in,” Bonelli Sanquist said. “We were able to invite some adults to audition for this one.”
Bonelli Sanquist was also mindful of choosing a play that would be as inclusive as possible for anyone who auditioned.
“I was looking for plays that have a cast list that can have a small or large cast depending on how many actors auditioned,” she said. “We would never turn away anyone who came here to try out.”
While the pandemic put the company’s plans on hold for a while, members maintained their close ties with one another and could not wait to jump back in.
“When we had to shut down, it was sad for the kids... I would get messages from them asking ‘When are we going to start?’” Bonelli Sanquist said. “We are a family and that’s what made me miss them so much during quarantine. Theater creates the feeling like you belong.”
To prepare for their roles, cast members are doing their due diligence by studying the time periods that the play focuses on in addition to collecting all the pieces that truly make a production come to life. But the payoff is well worth the hard work for the committed actors.
“We are all learning about history from the 1980s and the 1920s,” Bonelli Sanquist said. “The most challenging part of the production is getting all the costumes and props together without going over budget. But the most rewarding part is how excited the actors are, starting from our first read-through all the way up to closing night.”
While the shows always bring happiness and fun to actors and audience members, participation from the community is always deeply appreciated.
“There is a lot that goes into each show — from auditions, costumes, props, sets and so much more,” Bonelli Sanquist said. “Working on this with a small number of volunteers is one of the difficult things. I try to reach out to our community to ask for help when we need it for things like costumes and props because it is so much easier to borrow items than to have to spend our budget for each play.”
With endless talent, passion and drive, the Lincoln City Playhouse’s resilience can seemingly conquer any road block.
“These kids are amazing and with each show, they prove how important it is being together as a group,” Bonelli Sanqiust said. “With each production, we have our core group of actors but we always have new ones that join our family.”
For more information about this production or to donate, go to the “Lincoln City Playhouse for Youth” page on Facebook or call 503-913-6876.
Performances will take place on Thursday, June 24, at 6:30 pm and Saturday, June 26, at 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for kids aged five to 18 and free for kids four and under. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org.