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What’s for Dessert Theatre?
The dramedy ‘The Porch’
ASTORIA — Sex, come-
dy and heartbreak are the
elements of the American
Association of University
Women’s production of “The
Porch” by Jack Neary.
Performances are held 7
p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, and 7
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. This
year’s production has returned
to its home: the Presbyteri-
an Fellowship Hall, at the
northeast corner of Harrison
and 11th streets, with new
handicapped access.
This is AAUW’s annual
Dessert Theatre Scholarship
fundraiser.
The two-act show takes
place in Eastern Massa-
chusetts during Labor Day
Weekend 2004.
It is a comedy; it is a
drama. It is about people like
you and people you know. All
action occurs on a front porch.
Five friends discuss ev-
erything: sex, sports, scan-
dals, shared tragedies, love,
enduring friendships, long
marriages, family dynamics
and historical events such as
SUBMITTED PHOTO
“The Porch” cast (from left): Slab (Robert) Slabinski, Meredith
Reiley, Gigi Chadwick, Sheila Shaffer, Frank Jagodnik
the Bill Clinton and Monica
Lewinsky liaison.
Tickets are discounted Fri-
day for $12, which includes
homemade cookies. On Sat-
urday, tickets are $15, which
includes the reinstated famous
Dessert Theatre (only on Sat-
urday). Tickets are available
from AAUW members and at
the door. For more informa-
tion, call 503-325-7969.
The play, directed by Susi
Brown, stars Meri Reiley,
Sheila Shaffer, Gigi Chad-
wick, Slab Slabinski and
Frank Jagodnik.
Neary’s plays have been
produced in the U.S. and Can-
ada. In 2006, his play “Jerry
Finnegan’s Sister” toured
France, and his romantic
comedy “First Night” was
produced off-Broadway.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
ALIENS INVADE CLATSKANIE!
Steve The Pretty Good
casts a spell in Raymond
CLATSKANIE — The most
notorious radio show in
history, “The War of the
Worlds,” will be performed
1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at
the Birkenfeld Theatre in
Clatskanie (75 S. Nehalem
St.).
The show will be done
in classic 1938 radio style,
including live sound effects.
Written by Howard Koch
(“Casablanca”), the program
was originally broadcast on
Orson Welles’ radio show,
“The Mercury Theatre on
the Air.” The Martian inva-
sion was presented in such a
realistic style that many lis-
teners — who were already
tense about the prospect of
RAYMOND, WASH. — Steve
Hamilton brings his magic
act to Raymond in two
performances the weekend
before Halloween — one
for kids, another for adults
— both held at the historic
Raymond Theatre (323
Third St.).
Steve The Pretty Good,
as he’s known in magic,
appears 7 p.m. Saturday,
Oct. 28, in a family-friend-
ly ‘Hocus Pocus’ event
aimed at adults. Tickets are
$10, payable at the door.
Friends of the Raymond
Theatre sponsors this
event. Proceeds benefit the
theater.
Saturday’s event will
SUBMITTED PHOTO
An actor performs the radio
broadcast of “The War of the
Worlds”
war in Europe — thought
it was real. The original
performance is known as
“the night that panicked
America.”
Sponsored by the
Clatskanie Arts Commis-
sion, this performance will
be Stageworks Northwest
Theatre’s first production in
Clatskanie.
Tickets are $15 for adults,
$13 for seniors 60 and
older and students, $10 for
children. Buy tickets online
at clatskaniearts.org or by
calling 503-728-3403.
The show will also be
performed at Stageworks’
home theater in Longview,
Washington. For more infor-
mation about the Longview
shows and the organization,
visit stageworksnorthwest.
org.
also feature “Goodies to
Go,” namely, fall baked
goods: cupcakes, pumpkin
rolls, pumpkin breads,
apple pies and more.
Then, at 2 p.m. Sun-
day, Oct. 29, Steve brings
kid-level comedy to a
Sunday Afternoon Live for
Youth event. Tickets are
$5; children must bring a
responsible adult.
Kids can model their
favorite Halloween cos-
tumes, too, during a cos-
tume contest at the event.
Born in Canada, Ham-
ilton’s family moved to
Seattle, where he attended
school, joined the Marine
Corps, got married and had
two kids, became a fire-
fighter/paramedic, then fell
under the spell of comedy
magic. He put together
a small show and hit the
streets as a busker, honing
his sleight of hand and
entertaining anyone who
would stop to watch.
Creating a larger show,
he began performing at lo-
cal fairs, eventually bring-
ing his show across the
country, even around the
world.
Friends of the Raymond
Theatre is a new organi-
zation whose goal is to
preserve, maintain and im-
prove the theater by raising
awareness and funds.