(Graphic | Courtesy of Cascades Theatrical Company)
Cascades Theatrical Company has announced season 43 flex-passes, which are now on sale, and is excited to be back offering live theater for the new season. Do you still have some tickets in your account? Don’t worry, they’re waiting for you. Tickets no longer expire.
Revenge and Sorrow in Thebes
By Persephone Vandegrift
Directed by Marla Manning
JULY 16-25, 2021
Preview night July 15
First produced in Seattle in 2009 and nominated by the Seattle Weekly as one of the most memorable theatre events of that year, local award-winning screenwriter and playwright Persephone Vandegrift is thrilled to be able to remount her play, Revenge and Sorrow in Thebes, in her childhood hometown.
Revenge and Sorrow in Thebes is inspired by the original Greek tragedy, The Bacchae of Euripides. Set in ancient Greece, Thebes revisits the story of revenge by the infamous god, Dionysus, on a young, arrogant king and his family for a presumed insult. Thebes is a deeply human archetypal drama that explores the tyranny of ego (mortal and divine) and the struggle of the human condition to understand its connection to the material and spiritual world. Vandegrift’s reformulation does not stray far from the original story in The Bacchae, but what her interpretation does do is present us with a re-telling of the story through the addition of several new characters and an alternative ending which has never been explored before in previous adaptations.
“I’m honored to be directing Persephone Vandegrift’s play! She channeled her inner Euripides to create this adaptation,” states director Marla Manning. “It’s been wonderful directing a theatrical production after so long a layoff, collaborating with our very talented cast and crew; we greatly look forward to presenting theater to a live audience again.”
The Importance of Being Earnest
By Oscar Wilde
Directed by Emily Cady
September 3-19
Preview night September 2
In Oscar Wilde’s most famous and final play, wealthy and bored protagonists, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, court two women, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, pretending to be men named Ernest. Jack, who resides in the country, introduces a devious and unruly brother named Ernest who resides in the city so that he can be reckless in one place while also being arguably mature in another. Algernon pretends to have to check in on a pale and sickly fellow named Bunbury when he is introduced to responsibilities or events he does not desire to participate in. Eventually, upon hearing of Cecily Cardew, Jack’s ward, from Jack, he pretends to be Ernest as well. The show is full of dramatic, romantic proposals that are only thwarted by the womens’ claim that they must marry a man named Ernest. The comedy follows a common structure, often seen in Shakespearean comedies, of misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Set in the 1980’s.
“For while The Importance of Being Earnest might look like an elitist comedy of manners, it is a play that oozes subtext and that mocked the original audience by revealing all that they would have held dear (class, parentage, social standing, the privilege of the patriarchy) to be malleable, purloined and, in the final analysis, arbitrary.” — The Chicago Tribune
Cascades Teen Theatre Presents: The Theory of Relativity
Music and lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill
Directed by Justin Tilton
October 8-17
Audition workshop Friday, July 9
Auditions July 18
From Drama Desk Award nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill (The Story of My Life), The Theory of Relativity is a joyous and moving look about our surprisingly interconnected lives. Whether you’re allergic to cats, in love for the first or tenth time, a child of divorce, a germaphobe or simply a unique individual, audience members and actors alike are sure to find themselves in this fresh new musical.
Through a seemingly unrelated collection of songs, scenes and monologues, The Theory of Relativity introduces a compelling array of characters experiencing the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection.
“Take a Physics manual, blend it with the sound of The Book of Mormon, the hilariously nerdy references of The Big Bang Theory , a sprinkle of Chicago, few drops of Glee, bake it in a Broadway bowl, use all the originality you can have….That’s the successful recipe for the spectacular song cycle, The Theory of Relativity.” — Live Like Tom
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
October 22-31
Auditions August 23-23
Rarely does a film come along that stays in theaters longer than the first few months of release. Of course, most films aren’t The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a musical / comedy / science fiction / horror phenomenon that has continuously screened in select theaters for 45 years.
The cult classic follows the adventures of a young couple, Brad and Janet, who become trapped in a mysterious castle filled with eccentric characters as they travel through a town called Denton. At the heart of the castle is Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist of extraterrestrial origins who leads the mysterious Annual Transylvanian Convention.
The film will screen complete with a shadow cast, in which actors perform in front of the screen as the film plays. The shadow cast tradition is popular among cult movie enthusiasts, and will be performed by local actors.
*For Mature Audiences*
Miracle on 34th Street the Play
Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies.
Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street.
November 26-December 19
Preview November 24
Auditions September 12-13
“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story. By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.
“Wonderful script — touching, funny and inspiring. Fans of both film versions will enjoy this show! It is a heart-warming holiday production and a rousing courtroom drama all in one!” — Rebecca Burns, Chariho High School, Wood River Junction, R.I.
“A delightfully warm-hearted and family-friendly show which was enjoyed by our audiences, young and old alike!” — Alison Duncombe, ACTion Community Theatre, United Kingdom
“This play was easy to produce and provided many roles. All of my students were able to have lines. The modernization made it easier to costume.” — Donna Goetz, Mater Dei Catholic High School, Breese, Ill
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Rob Flanagan
January 14-30, 2022
Preview January 13, 2022
Auditions November 1-2, 2021
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, the passengers rely on detective Hercule Poirot to identify the murderer — in case he or she decides to strike again.
“Strikes the perfect balance of the cerebral and the comic. Get on board — it’s a great ride.” — Houstonian Magazine
“The fast-moving, powerful theatrical locomotive Murder on the Orient Express will get you to a better place, and slay you merrily en route.” – Hartford Courant
“Agatha Christie is not the bestselling novelist in history for nothing, and Ken Ludwig’s adaptation strikes the perfect balance of the cerebral and the comic. Get on board – it’s a great ride.” – Houstonian Magazine
“I felt myself leaning in with the entire audience when detective Poirot tells us he’s figured out who did it. What a climax! When the train whistle blows in the theater, all we need to do is sit down, shut up and enjoy.” — The Houston Chronicle
“A love letter to the original material, with a swift-moving script adaptation by Ken Ludwig… Everything you could want — broadly drawn characters, exotic settings and a spectacular murder with no shortage of suspects.” — BroadwayWorld
Mejaski Choreography and Productions Presents: Something Rotten!
Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten. Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Something Rotten was lauded by audience members and critics alike, receiving several Best Musical nominations and hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”
Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of Shakespeare, the Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.
Something Rotten features large song and dance numbers, and a wacky cast of over-the-top characters, each given his or her own special moment in the show to shine. Throughout its Broadway run, the musical received a show-stopping standing ovation from audiences… in the beginning of the first act! It’s become clear that “nothing’s as amazing as a musical,” so don’t miss your chance to bring this history-twisting tale to your stage.
Shakespeare in Hollywood
By Ken Ludwig
Directed by Sandy Silver
March 18-April 3, 2022
Preview March 17, 2022
It’s 1934, and Shakespeare’s most famous fairies, Oberon and Puck, have magically materialized on the Warner Bros. Hollywood set of Max Reinhardt’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Instantly smitten by the glitz and glamour of showbiz, the two are ushered onto the silver screen to play (who else?) themselves. With a little help from a feisty flower, blonde bombshells, movie moguls and arrogant “asses” are tossed into loopy love triangles, with raucous results. The mischievous magic of moviedom sparkles in this hilarious comic romp.
“Shakespeare in Hollywood will charm your socks off. It left me smiling in my Amtrak aisle seat all the way home to New York.” — The Wall Street Journal
“Shakespeare in Hollywood is so deliciously inventive, you’d swear Ludwig and the Bard were in cahoots. At once poignant and funny, literary and farcical, sophisticated and silly, political and fanciful, high-brow and low-brow… a delight!” — The Baltimore Sun
“Lights, camera, action — there’s plenty of it in Ken Ludwig’s fantastical farce … Ludwig has constructed an amazingly dense and layered romp [and] clearly had a ball fusing Shakespearean diction with the wisecracking verbal jousting that characterized pre-World War II comedies.” — The Boston Globe
“Mischief, mayhem and laughter abound as the Good Theater tackles this farcical notion in Ken Ludwig’s devilishly funny play Shakespeare in Hollywood…. There’s never a dull moment in this fun-filled piece.” — The Portland Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
Cascades 10 — One-Act Festival
April 22-24, 2022
Submissions due January 1, 2022
Cascades 10 is our annual festival of fresh new works by Pacific Northwest playwrights. These original ten-minute plays encourage the involvement of the community by bringing together local playwrights, directors, and actors.
Have a one-act to submit? Email your submission to cascades10@cascadestheatrical.org.
bare: a pop opera
Bare rings with the sounds of youthful repression and revolt. With a unique sung-through pop score, heart-pounding lyrics, and a cast of bright young characters, bare is a provocative, fresh and utterly honest look at the dangers of baring your soul, and the consequences of continuing to hide.
“The team of Jon Hartmere Jr. (book, lyrics) and Damon Intrabartolo (book, music) have wrought a magnificent, totally original contemporary musical extravaganza that explores the schism between youthful passion and theological dogma.” — Variety
“The show has been retooled for the It Gets Better era to tap into today’s raised consciousness about adolescent homophobia, stigmatization and bullying. It’s frequently touching and tender, scoring points for the conviction of its young cast.” — The New York Times
*For Mature Audiences*
ALL FLEX PASSES AND TICKETS GO ON SALE JULY 1
10-ticket, adult: $250
10-ticket, senior/student: $230
8-ticket, adult: $200
8-ticket, senior/student: $180.00
6-ticket, adult: $160.00
6-ticket, senior/student: $140.00
Get your Flex Pass here: app.arts-people.com/index.php?buy_pass=ctc