Albany Civic Theater – Albany, OR

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Albany Civic Theater • Albany, OR

Now in our 74th season

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Chapatti - Readers' Theater (Special Event)

by Christian O’Reilly

Directed by: Harriet Owen-Nixon

Performances: Mar. 25, 2023

Livestreaming tickets are available for Chapatti by clicking HERE.
Individual ticket: $15; Group tickets (2+ persons on a single device): $20
 

Lonely Dan is a dog lover who bumps into Betty, the proverbial cat lady at the Vet’s. Their lives are changed forever.  This is a touching Irish two-hander filled with many moments of laughter.  It is never too late for love.

Director

Harriet started her theater journey on stage at ACT almost 40 years ago. Since then she has directed and acted throughout the Willamette Valley. She appeared as Dolly in Hello Dolly, Maureen in Beauty Queen of Leenane, directed Fawlty Towers, I Am My Own Wife, and most recently, The Wolves at The Majestic Theatre. She lives in the wilds of Benton County with Dougal the Great Doodle, The Etta Cat, and one very tolerant human. She wants to give thanks to ACT for the years of support and for giving us this opportunity.

Director’s email: hamartithian@gmail.com

Cast of Characters

Dan: Rick Wallace
Betty: Charlotte Headrick

A Night of Drag-nificence (Special Event)

Hosted by: Nicole Onoscopi

Performance: Feb. 25, 2023

A livestream option has been added for this show. A limited number of free livestream tickets are now available by clicking HERE. Multiple people may watch from one device using one ticket. Please consider making a donation for the livestream by clicking HERE. All donations will go to the show’s performers.

Albany Civic Theater, in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation, is proud to present its first ever drag show, A Night of Drag-nificence. This show will be hosted by Nicole Onoscopi, a Portland area drag queen who earned the title of Miss Gay Oregon XLVIII for the 2021-2022 season. Nicole’s performances are humorous, uplifting and fun, and she often does a combination of live and lip-synching routines for her events. The night will follow Nicole and several other drag queens from across Oregon as they sing, dance, and enchant the audience to a variety of popular music. We look forward to seeing the wide range of talent that will be joining Nicole on the evening of February 25th, 2023.

Admission for this event is free! Please consider bringing some funds to tip the performers, and reserve your seat online ahead of time by clicking HERE.  We are recommending that this event is for audience members 13 years old or older because there may be some minor adult themes implied.

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) works with donors and volunteers to award grants and scholarships to every county in Oregon. From 2020 to 2021, OCF distributed more than $560 million, supporting more than 4,000 nonprofits and 6,000 students. With OCF, individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds that meet the needs of diverse communities statewide. Since its founding in 1973, OCF has distributed more than $2 billion toward advancing its mission to improve lives for all Oregonians. For more information, please visit: oregoncf.org. 

Silent Sky

by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by: Rus Roberts

Performances: Feb. 16, 17, 18, 19(m), 23, 24, 2023

On-demand streaming for Silent Sky will be available during the run of the show: Feb. 18 – 24.
Individual ticket: $15
Group ticket: $20 (2 or more people on single device)
To get tickets for streaming, go to tinyurl.com/act-silent-sky

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the performance dates have been changed.

The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.

Director

Rus Roberts appeared onstage at ACT as Van Helsing in Dracula, Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, Bob in Beyond Therapy, Duke Felmet in Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters, many roles for The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler, Lombard in And Then There Were None, Sir Wilfrid Robarts in Witness for the Prosecution,
and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew; he also directed Dog
Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, Children of a
Lesser God, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Deathtrap, and The
Vampyre, served as assistant director for Paradise Lost and
Found, and worked as crew and dialect coach for The 39 Steps.
He also appeared in Midsummer Arts’ Little Red Robin Hood, for
CCT in Bell, Book and Candle and Camping with Henry and Tom,
and as director for A Man For All Seasons; and at LBCC in A View
from the Bridge and The Agamemnon. He lives in Albany with his partner Johanna Spencer.

Director’s email: r.e.roberts67@gmail.com

Cast of Characters

Henrietta Leavitt: Gina Eslinger
Peter Shaw: JJ Halchishick
Annie Jump Cannon: Laura Davis
Margaret Leavitt: Joy Johnson
Williamina Fleming: Leslie Hogan

A Winter Showcase of Willamette Valley LGBTQ+ Choral Groups (Special Event)

Performance: Jan. 28, 2023 (at Linn-Benton Community College)

FREE Concert: an evening of choral music performed by three Willamette Valley-based LGBTQ+ choral groups – Soromundi: Lesbian Chorus of Eugene (formed in 1989), Confluence: The Willamette Valley LGBT Chorus (formed in 2000 and based in Salem), and the Eugene Gay Men’s Chorus (formed in 2018). Each chorus routinely performs concerts throughout the Willamette Valley multiple times a year. This special event marks the first joint appearance of these groups in the Albany community and will take place in the Russell Tripp Performance Center on the Linn Benton Community College campus in Albany on Saturday, January 28, at 7:30 p.m. Seating for this free concert is first-come, first served. Doors open at 7 pm.. Presented in partnership with Oregon Community Foundation.

The 72nd Annual Albany Civic Theater Holiday Telethon (Special Event)

Directed by: Michael Winder

Audition Dates: Nov. 1 – 2, 2022 (at 7:00 pm)

Performances: Dec. 9, 10(m at 2:00 pm), 10, 2022

Join us in celebrating the season and local theater with The 72nd Annual Albany Civic Theater Holiday Telethon! Featuring a cavalcade of local stars performing holiday favorites, in the variety show style of a classic Jerry Lewis telethon. Fun for the whole family!
 
Audition information:
The Holiday Telethon will be a collection of holiday-themed short acts in the 3-5 minute range each, all seamlessly segued between by the host. Essentially, a variety show. The acts may be songs, dances, short scenes from classic plays or films, or even juggling fire-breathing elves. (Note: Fire not permitted on stage. Or real elves.)
 
Auditioners should prepare 1-2 minutes of material from the holiday-themed piece you would perform in the actual show, or an equivalent piece that demonstrates your capabilities. You can audition individually or as part of a group, depending on the act.
 
The director is hoping for a mix of genuine holiday entertainment that would make Santa smile, and awesomely terrible kitsch that would make him wince. Maybe 2/3 genuine entertainment, 1/3 Gong Show nonsense, just to give you a feel for what you’re getting yourself into.
 
A note about the “awesomely terrible” material being requested: This is not a request for lazy garbage. If anything, the audition bar to clear is higher for these types of acts. The comedy should be carefully crafted and delivered, even as it looks bad or weird. If you choose this route, expect some additional constructive scrutiny in the audition process.
 
Since this show is a collection of separate bits, we will not have a traditional group rehearsal process. Performers, if chosen, will be expected to rehearse on their own, with periodic check-ins with the director, either in person or via the internet. We will all meet and rehearse in person during tech week, roughly Dec. 5-8.
 
For any questions about the show, your proposed piece, what constitutes “awesomely terrible,” or anything else, please contact the director, Michael Winder, at winder.michael@gmail.com.

Director

Michael Winder has performed and directed for various local community theater stages since 2011. His last ACT show was “The 39 Steps” in 2013. More recent productions include “Constellations,” “Sea Wall,” and “I Am My Own Wife.”

Director’s email: winder.michael@gmail.com

Cast of Characters

TBD

The Land of Misfit Toys: Family Friendly Holiday Fundraiser (Special Event)

Dec. 3 (at 1:30 pm), 2022

Get your FREE tickets now (and/or make a donation) to our holiday event The Land of Misfit Toys by clicking HERE.

This event is co-sponsored by the Albany Downtown Association

Contact

ACT Publicity Coordinator: ACTPublicity@albanycivic.org

Murder on the Orient Express

by Agatha Christie

Directed by: Josh Mitchell

Audition Dates: Aug. 22, 23, 24, 2022

Performances: Oct. 28, 29, Nov. 3, 4, 5, 6(m), 10, 11, 12, 2022

Famous detective Hercule Poirot is called back from Istanbul to London on urgent business. He intends to book a first-class compartment on the Orient Express, run by his former friend and colleague, Monsieur Bouc. The train is surprisingly full, but Bouc manages to secure Poirot a spot in the first-class cabin. While aboard the Orient Express, Poirot meets a host of peculiar characters: an aging Russian princess, her Swedish companion, a Hungarian countess, a Minnesota housewife, a Scottish colonel, an English governess, a French conductor, a disagreeable American businessman, and his anxious secretary. While aboard the train, the angry businessman, Samuel Ratchett, corners Poirot and demands Poirot to investigate a series of ominous letters that have been sent to Ratchett, threatening his life.

As a snowdrift halts the Orient Express in its tracks, Ratchett is found stabbed multiple times in his locked train compartment. Poirot is tasked by Monsieur Bouc to solve the murder, as the killer could still be in their midst. As Poirot investigates, conflicting clues and convoluted alibis lead him to dead ends. Over the course of 48 hours, will Poirot be able to solve the case of the Murder on the Orient Express?

Director

Josh Mitchell appeared in ACT’s All Together Now! as a vocalist,
Christmas Carol as Christmas Future and Fred, Too
Good to Say Goodbye as Dutch Van Dyke, The Three
Musketeers as Porthos, Shrek as Fourth Knight and Mad
Hatter, The Wizard of Oz in several roles, Avenue Q as
Trekkie Monster and the Newcomer, It’s a Wonderful
Life as George Bailey and The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer as Injun Joe. A real estate broker and toy store operator, he lives in Albany with his wife Holly and sons Quentin, Hudson, and Lincoln. He enjoys music, art, cooking, home remodeling, and playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Director’s email: joshmitchell.srr@gmail.com

Cast of Characters

Hercule Poirot: David Milner
Monsieur Bouc: Josh Anderson
Mary Debenham: Megan Forsyth
Hector MacQueen: Nic Anunsen
Countess Andrenyi: Diane Slamp
Princess Dragomiroff: Diane Cooper
Michel the Conductor: Jonathan McQuay
Greta Ohlsson: Lucy Elgin
Helen Hubbard: Christine Hanks
Colonel Arbuthnot: Nathan Greensweight
Samuel Ratchett: Josh Burlock
Head Waiter: Carly Munson

Moon Over Buffalo

by Ken Ludwig

Directed by: Colleen Franzoia & Shauna Kiefiuk

Auditions: July 11, 12, 13, 2022

Performances: Sep. 16, 17, 23, 24, 25(m), 29, 30, Oct. 1, 2022

In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s. At the moment, they’re playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York with five actors. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s dalliance with a young ingénue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, abetted by a visit from their daughter’s clueless fiancé and hilarious uncertainty about which play they’re actually performing, caused by Charlotte’s deaf, old stage-manager mother who hates every bone in George’s body.

 

Director

Colleen Franzoia joined ACT in 1987 as backstage crew. Since then she been involved in too many shows to count and has done almost everything both onstage and behind the scenes. Colleen made her directorial debut with 100 Lunches, A Gourmet Comedy. She also directed Bell, Book, and Candle. She lives in North Albany with her husband Jeff and their mini-doxy, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Shauna Kiefiuk has been involved with ACT since 2002. Previously, she has directed The Dinner Party, The Unexpected Guest, Rabbit Hole, The Butler Did It, The Odd Couple and Independence. Shauna has been onstage in several shows as well as musicals. She was the assistant director for Fat Pig, Hay Fever, The Game’s Afoot and A Little Piece of Heaven. Shauna also serves on the ACT Board.

Directors’ emails: ColleenFranzoia@comcast.net; (Shauna) theatregirl21@yahoo.com

Cast of Characters

George Hay: Adam Vester
Charlotte Hay: Kathie O’Brien
Ethel: Jackie Weiner
Rosalind: Jillian Alden
Howard: Conner Riley
Eileen: Joy Johnson
Paul: Dan Bushong
Richard: Luke Chicquaye

Disney's Frozen Jr. - ACT Summer Camp (Special Event)

Book by Jennifer Lee
Music & Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Directed by: Rebecca Douglas

Camp Dates: August 1-18, 2022

Performances: August 19, 20(m), 20, 26, 27(m), 27, 2022

The enchanting modern classic from Disney’s  Frozen Jr., is based on the 2018 Broadway musical, and brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life, onstage. The show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production.

A story of true love and acceptance between sisters, Frozen Jr. expands upon the emotional relationship and journey between Princesses Anna and Elsa. When faced with danger, the two discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. With a cast of beloved characters and loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, Frozen Jr. is sure to thaw even the coldest heart!

Director

Rebecca Douglas has been involved in community theater for thirty years! Some of her local credits include: ACT’s All Together Now!, Annie as Grace Ferrell, Big Fish as Josephine, Shrek as the Witch, Avenue Q as Lucy and Mrs. T., Thoroughly Modern Millie as Alice, Meet Me in St. Louis as Anna Smith, The Music Man as Eulalie Shinn, and Hello, Dolly! as Ernestina Money.  She also directed Seussical Jr., Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., The Wizard of Oz, Once on This Island Jr. and At First Sight, co-directed Matilda, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and served as vocal director for The Wizard of Oz, Man of La Mancha, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, as assistant director for Treasure Island and Excalibur! The Story of Young King Arthur and as administrative director/stage manager for Shakespeare for Kids. She also performed in On the Verge and Annie Get Your Gun at CCT, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein with Pipe Dream Theatre, Majestic Eight and The Little Mermaid with the Majestic Theatre.  She has also directed a number of shows for CCT and Majestic Education. She is the General Music Teacher at Albany Christian School. She is also the Music Director for the Adventures in Acting Camp at the Majestic Theatre.

Director’s email: rbbailey@hotmail.com

Cast of Characters

Elsa: Abby Hobson
Middle Elsa: Morgan Glenn
Young Elsa: Teagan Hearn
Anna: Becca Emry
Middle Anna: Nicki Ito
Young Anna: Piper Moss
Hans: Adam Keeling
Kristoff: August Slamp
Sven: Mia Fisk
Olaf: Jesse Leffler
King Agnarr: Kyra Arceneaux
Queen Iduna: Kate Clark
Pabbie: Zoey Warren
Bulda: Kai Wallace
Duke of Weselton: Gideon Vester
Oaken: Emily Hobson
Snow Chorus: Nora Howard, Kahaeli Hester, Sabina Berglund, Lokelani Halchishick, Wyatt Libby, Piper Moss
Ensemble: Hailee Neely, Ava Hawkinson, Phoebe Douglas, Alex Morgan, Peter Moss, Jace Hall, Carly Larsen, Emily Clark, Addison Bailey, Willow Granger, Rowan Boswell, Evelynn Daniels, Samantha Vester, Harlie Howard, Scarlett Hudson, Ivy Vaughn, Clyde Pendley, Harmony Schult, Madeline Schosha, Noarh Clark, Katie O’Brien, Elliot Glenn, Katie Conser, Jasmine Simanovicki

The Dinner Party

by Neil Simon

Directed by: Shauna Kiefiuk

Performances: June 3, 4, 10, 11, 12(m), 17, 18, 19(m), 23, 24, 25, 2022

The Dinner Party is the 31st play by Neil Simon. The action revolves around a French dinner party that is hilariously chaotic. Six people, who do not know one another, have been invited to dine in a fancy Parisian restaurant. There is an air of mystery in this comedic play, because the diners do not know why they have been brought together. As it turns out, the dinner is about their damaged relationships and whether or not they can reconcile.

Director

Shauna Kiefiuk has been involved with ACT since 2002. Previously, she has directed The Unexpected Guest, Rabbit Hole, The Butler Did It, The Odd Couple and Independence. Shauna has been onstage in several shows as well as musicals. She was the assistant director for Fat Pig, Hay Fever, The Game’s Afoot and A Little Piece of Heaven. Shauna also serves on the ACT Board.

Director’s email: theatregirl21@yahoo.com

 

Cast of Characters

Andre Bouville: Dan Bushong
Yvonne Fouchet: Jessica Habjan
Gabrielle Buonocelli: April Wilcox
Mariette Levieux: Cathey Clingman
Claude Pichon: Erik Esrael
Albert Donay: Adam Vester