Film/Theatre

Sunriver Stars Community Theater

Celebrates Ten Years with Oz!

Tickets are now on sale for the Sunriver Stars Community Theater (SSCT) highly anticipated, all-ages production of Oz! The dazzling musical based on the book by L. Frank Baum will take place October 14-16 at The Door Three Rivers. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for children 18 and under.

The production is the final of the Stars tenth anniversary season, which was preceded by The Odd Couple (Female Version), a Ukraine benefit show and STARS Kids Drama Camp. During the camp, children learned parts and songs for the show and were invited to join the adult cast. The exciting rendition of the well-loved classic celebrates how far the community theater has come, as well as its continued efforts to bring performing arts to local youth and bridge the gap between young and old.

“Ten years ago we had nothing but a passion for live theater — look at us now,” said SSCT Founder and Artistic Director Victoria Kristy. “We have stages, lighting and sound equipment, costumes and props and most importantly, a loyal family of talented performers, directors and supporters who continue to ‘reach for the stars’.”

Kristy and husband, Alan Zalewski, grew from Sunriver vacationers to “snowbirds,” and soon realized there was one thing missing from the idyllic town, a community theater. Kristy had spent more than 40 years directing children’s theater in Arizona, California and Washington — it just wouldn’t feel like home until she had a creative outlet, and thus, in 2012 Sunriver Stars Community Theater was born.

“Community Theater plays an important role in regions where people are often separated by distance,” said Susan Evans Inman, an SSCT board member who has been acting with the group since inception. “Here, in Deschutes County, the Sunriver Stars are giving actors and their audiences a chance to enjoy and learn from the magical world of theater.”

Inman is especially excited to be part of the quartet of female muscle in the show, playing Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

“She is a kind, wise, thoughtful, patient, helpful, but strong woman — I’d like to be like her,” Inman said.

Oz will get a feminine touch being played by Joyce Tittle, while Iva Lent will cackle for the Wicked Witch of the West, and according to Director Kristy, she was made for this role. Rounding out the main female characters will be vocal coach and SSCT newcomer, Rae White, as Dorothy.

“Besides the privilege of playing this iconic character comes a rare connection to her personality traits — I’m thrilled to find how much Dorothy feels like an extension of myself,” White said. “She describes herself as small and meek and growing up, there were some who regarded those traits I naturally exhibited as hindrances. However, as I’ve grown to embrace them, I now feel as Dorothy does — that gentleness and compassion are strengths; that bravery doesn’t depend on stature. And that sometimes, you have to fight for confidence.”

Having just moved to the area, White

Poster courtesy of Sunriver Stars Community Theater

has rekindled a passion for theater and is thankful to be part of a cast with so many like-minded individuals.

“What better way could there be to make new friends,” she said. “They brought me in and made me feel appreciated, just as the citizens of Oz did for Dorothy when she found herself in a new place!”

The musical tells a familiar story from the timeless Wizard of Oz tale, with a few not so well-known characters and scenes. A cyclone carries Dorothy and Toto to the magical land of Oz. When Dorothy’s house squashes the Wicked Witch of the East, she is ecstatically thanked by the liberated munchkins and given permission to wear the witch’s powerful slippers. From there, Baum’s lovable characters — rubberlegged Scarecrow (Dave Schmerber), Tin Woodsman (Doug Griffin) and Cowardly Lion (Ron Pugh) — join Dorothy on a fantastical journey to meet the great Oz. Pugh’s real life dog, Kenda, will take on the role of Toto.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit sunriverstars.org

Greenhouse Musicals

Local Plant Shop Doubles as Performing Arts Venue

by NOAH NELSON — A&E Feature Writer

The local plant shop Somewhere That’s Green has announced a new addition to their business, with hopes of adding some art and culture to Bend’s Central District. The shop will soon be unveiling a stage that can accommodate a handful of actors and an audience of 55 to 75 people.

“A lot has to happen before our premiere show,” said Store Owner John Kish. “Lights, sounds, everything. But, it’s coming together and we are excited to show people something new.”

The stage and each performance are fully contained within the plant shop, including a theater lobby, an old-fashioned ticket booth, a green room for the performers to prepare themselves and even plans for a bar to serve a variety of libations as guests arrive for shows. The stage itself, while small, helps create a very cozy and personal feeling for each performance. “Most people, when they think of an amazing theatrical experience, don’t think of Broadway. As cool as it is, it always feels like you’re watching a TV because it is so big,” John said. “There is something intimate and very genuine about small pocket theaters.”

Above the stage, there is a mural painted on the ceiling featuring stars and the Zodiac wheel all painted in a dark navy blue with gold accents. All together, John has created a very unique setting in Bend that invokes feelings of both comfort and wonder.

Many additions to the theater area in Somewhere That’s Green were provided by the community, one way or another, “Those shelves used to be at Spork, those mirrors used to belong to a tattoo parlor, and someone even donated that grand piano,” John said.

A plant shop opening up a theater stage might sound like an interesting business combination when it arrives out of the blue, but this was actually John’s original plan all along. “My original plan back in New York was to create a theater/plant shop/cafe, all rolled into one,” he said. “In Bend in 2018, I realized starting with the plant shop would be the most realistic way to get the business going from nothing, the most stable.”

After growing the plant shop for the last few years, John feels ready for this expansion, and feels like the community is ready, too. Bend’s Central District, where the plant shop lives, has seen recent efforts for improvement. From plans to add lampposts and sidewalks to increase the walkability of the district to designated future development as mixed use to help create vibrant and diverse areas, the Central District should see some pretty big changes in the next decade.

John sees this growth as a welcome change, and as something that he can help out with. “We would love to have a walkable district, filled with amazing food, drinks and spaces for the performing arts,” he said. “Imagine being able to walk around here like it’s First Friday, hit a happy hour and then go catch a local performance. I think we’ll get there, Bend will get there, and I’m excited to be helping that happen from the ground level.”

Somewhere That’s Green and any of their future theater or cafe plans are, at their very core, inclusive to everyone. John envisions the stage being filled with theater performances, drag shows, musical numbers, BIPOC creatives and more. “I’ve already had queer artists from around the country reach out to me about renting the space, and honestly im just amazed that they’ve even heard of us,” said John. “But at the same time, it is incredibly exciting.”

With many interested performers, John now has the job of deciding which art forms will dominate the stage, “Obviously we all love music, but there is just so much of that in Bend. Pretty much every venue you can think of mostly just plays music.” he said. “We want to include music, but we really want to focus on the underrepresented arts.” In the future, guests can expect to find the odd musical performance at this stage, but should mostly expect theatrical performances, musicals and drag performances. When music does arrive, it most likely won’t be the typical country/folk/rock you find in most breweries, but instead something more intimate like a jazz performance. At the top of his priority list, John wants to ensure that every performance is as high-quality as possible, “In these first few years, we really have to build up this repertoire of shows and experiences, and we have to go into it with the plan to only showcase top notch performances.” At its core, John believes in the Somewhere That’s Green Theater space because he believes in Bend. He believes in the talented and diverse individuals who live here, he believes the city will follow through with the Central District improvements, and he believes that the people of Bend are itching for something different. The premiere performance will take place on October 21, and tickets are already on sale. John and a talented troupe of performers are taking on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a rock-musical written by John Cameron Mitchell. The lively and funny musical will also cover heavier topics, while instilling in audience members that it is always important to be true to yourself. somewheregreen.com

Photos courtesy of Somewhere That’s Green Theater

Annual IndieWomen

Party & Festival Preview

Photos courtesy of BendFilm

Two Twisted Sisters Return with Tapestry of the Arts

After two years in seclusion, those two mysterious and reclusive arts impresarios — Two Twisted Sisters — are back with all new show featuring a cast of over thirty of Bend’s most exciting talent.

Tapestry of the Arts, a co-production of Cascades Theatrical Company will play October 27, 28, 29 and 30 at CTC’s theater in downtown Bend. And according to the sisters, it’ll be a show to remember with drama, music, comedy and a few surprises. “You miss this one and you’ll live to regret it,” the two sisters stated with confidence.

“We were on quite a roll until that damn virus bowled us over,” the sister who identifies herself as the elder, reported. “We had that Stone in the Water movie, storytelling shows and other projects in the stew pot. Then the COVID came to town, and we just holed up like scared jackrabbits at hunting season. Except hunting season went on two years!”

“But now we’re back with a star-studded show guaranteed to please young and old,” the younger proclaimed. “Tapestry of the Arts is the brainchild of one of our favorite performers, Mary Kilpatrick,” the older added. “Once we heard what she had in mind we jumped on it like white on rice!”

“That woman may not be as young as she used to be,” the younger sister explained, “but she’s got enough drive to last a hundred years. And this show is the proof of that. Mary has put together one acts, dance, music and comedy for a night the likes of which this town hasn’t seen, since, well, the plague closed the place down.”

Theater-goers will arrive to find CTC transformed into a fine arts gallery, complete with live music, art work and refreshments.

The show begins promptly at 7:30pm with Laura Lee Coffman’s hilarious one act play, Hen Party. Sara Freedman’s Hooked follows, a captivating drama about two sisters with a big problem. “Nothing like the two of us,” the older Twisted Sister noted. Next, Bend’s mistress of movement, Michelle Majesky, takes center stage with a troupe of dancers, to perform numbers, from Cabaret and Chicago.

In Their First Date, another piece by the prolific Ms. Coffman, two people meet and very little goes right. The program continues with a special musical guest. “We always like to spring a couple surprises in our shows,” the younger sister explained. “You can’t tell people everything. You need an element of mystery to keep stuff lively.”

Dan Cohen, described by the sisters as “a compulsive over achiever,” is next, with a story of teenage angst and agony called How I Got to the Senior Prom.

A harrowing drama, written by Howard Schor and directed by Mary Kilpatrick closes the evening. Paul’s Bed, based on an event from the director’s life in New York during the 80s, involves a circle of artists who gather to visit one of their own at a fateful moment in his young life. “We both agree that this one’s gonna have folks riveted to their seats,” the sisters predict.

“People have been sitting in front of their TVs way too long” the older sister commented. “Tapestry of the Arts is just the right tonic for that.”

“I totally agree,” the younger chimed in. “Enough with the TV. Except I have to admit, I kinda liked that Kid Game show. Or was that Squid Game? We spent so many hours holed up with the TV it’s all sort of smushed together.”

While the sisters welcome all ages, they advise parents that some material may not be suitable for small children. “Bring ‘em at your own risk,” the younger warns. “But don’t expect us to take responsibility if they go off on a crying jag.”

Tapestry of the Arts plays Thursday, October 27 through Saturday October 29 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 30 at 2pm.

Tickets available at CascadesTheatrical.org. facebook.com/twotwistedsistersproductions