The daily Astorian., November 14, 2019, Page 11, Image 11

hailey hoffman/The astorian
The orphans in ‘Annie’ live a ‘hard knock life.’
hailey hoffman/The astorian
The ‘Annie’ cast ranges 70 years in age, from ages 6 to 76.
Continued from Page 10
“It really is a family time in Can-
non Beach,” Patrick Lathrop, the Coast-
er’s executive director and play director,
said. “And with all the kids in the show, it
enhances that whole sense.”
With 28 cast members ranging in age
from 6 to 76 years old, the community is
well represented. Some, including one of
the two girls playing Annie, are new to the
Coaster. Others are longtime veterans.
“It’s such a traditional time for the com-
munity to come to the theater,” Cathey
Ryan, who plays Mrs. Hannigan, the
orphanage’s supervisor, said. “We don’t
have any family here locally, so it gives me
the holiday spirit.”
Based on the popular comic strip by Har-
old Gray, “Annie” features little orphan
Annie whose parents abandoned her on the
doorstep of a New York City orphanage
in the 1930s. She is determined to find her
parents, and her search includes meeting
President Franklin Roosevelt and – despite
efforts by Miss Hannigan and others to cash
in on a reward – finding a home with bil-
lionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.
Practice makes perfect
There’s a lot that goes into this musi-
cal besides learning lines, including dances
to trip through and songs (such as the most
well-known, “Tomorrow”) to harmonize on.
“Dealing with all those different person-
alities and different needs and different lev-
els of experience – trying to make all that
work is challenging,” Lathrop said.
But according to the cast, Lathrop is
holding his own. “He’s an excellent herder
of cats,” Ryan said.
IF YOU GO
“annie”
7:30 p.m. Fridays and saturdays through
dec. 22; 3 p.m. sundays dec. 1 and 22
Coaster Theatre Playhouse, 108 N. hem-
lock st., Cannon beach
Tickets $20-$25
Tickets are available 1 to 5 p.m. Wednes-
day through saturday and 1 p.m. to
curtain on performance days at the box
office. order tickets at coastertheatre.com
or 503-436-1242.
But this year, Lathrop also will be train-
ing a local labradoodle that plays Sandy, the
dog Annie finds on the street. It’s Sandy’s
first stage appearance, and the first animal
Lathrop has ever directed – he’s never sure
where the dog will wander.
“Sandy will be an improv every night,”
Lathrop said. “They say never work with
kids and dogs. I’ve worked with kids all my
life, and I enjoy working with children. I’ve
never worked with a pet, never worked with
a live animal,” Lathrop said.
“When she comes out, she’ll have the
‘ahh’ factor,” he said. “But who knows
what she’s going to do?”
Beyond the stage
The best thing about being in the Coast-
er’s holiday play, said Alona Whisenhunt,
who plays Annie, is that there are new peo-
ple to meet in the large cast.
While Whisenhunt has been in two pre-
vious holiday plays, Hadassah Davis is new
hailey hoffman/The astorian
Both girls play Annie and share the star role in the musical.
to the Coaster and to Cannon Beach.
“I’ve never really acted before,” Davis
said. “I’ve done small things, but this is
a very great experience for me, because I
think it’s what I love to do.”
While they delve into the script, the
actors are asked to consider their “back sto-
ries,” their relationships and histories.
Most of the audience will be familiar
with Annie and will have certain expecta-
tions, said David Sweeney, a veteran of 60
Coaster plays. Although it is a small com-
munity theater, the Coaster is dedicated to
following the community’s holiday tradi-
tion, he said.
“I think we will meet their expectations
because we’re doing a good job,” Sweeny
said, “given our circumstances.”
Thursday, November 14, 2019 // 11