Novem ber 16, 2005
FOCUS
in ^ '^ o r t l a n h (©bseruer
page C3
New Theatre
Group at
Firehouse
Presents Tony award-winning
‘Urinetown the Musical'
Stumptown Stages, Portland’s
newest professional not-for-profit
musical theatre company, presents
the regional theatre prem iere
Urinetown the Musical, a Tony
Award winning play.
Performances will be held at the
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Cen
ter, 5340 N. Interstate Ave., from
Thursday, Nov. 17 through Dec. 18.
Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursdays
through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on
Sundays with a special Vi price stu
dent matinee on Saturday Nov. 26
at 2 pm. No performance is sched
uled on Thanksgiving Day.
All general admission tickets are
$25 and can be purchased by call
ing the Stumptown Stages box of
fice at 503-381-8686 or on-line at
www.stumptownstages.com
Stumptown Stages was formed
by artistic director and Portland
native Kirk Mouser and Sunset
High School drama teacher and
Drammy award winning actorGary
Cash.
Mouser, a working professional
actor, director and producer in New
York City for the last 20 years dis
covered a local need for a smaller
not-for-profit musical theatre com
pany that could concentrate on
smaller, original musicals with a
social message.
The play Urinetown the Musi
cal centers around a terrible water
shortage which has crippled a
Gotham-like town. In a mad at
tempt to regulate water consump
tion, the government has out
lawed the use of private toilets.
Brian Bartley and Joy Fischer star in Urinetown the Musical, a regional premier of a Tony Award
winning play at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center in north Portland.
The citizenry must use public,
pay-for-use amenities owned and
operated by the corrupt and iron-
fistedCaldwell B.Cladwell, played
by Corey Brunish. Complete with executives (James Peppers, Brian
a paid-off policeman Lockstock Rooney, Isaac Lamb, Joseph Klei),
(Wade Willis) and Barrel (Shawn the privilege to pee is expensive,
Rogers), and corrupt politicians and draining and dangerous.
Tears o f J o y presents a Cinderellaf(>r A ll A ges
Clarice is one of the puppets in
rich costumes in the Tears of Joy
Theatre production of Cinderella.
Tears of Joy Theatre presents
Cinderella on Saturday, Nov. 19
and Saturday, Nov. 26 at 11 a.m.
and on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
and 4 p.m. at Winningstad The
atre, 1111 S.W. Broadway.
All ages will enjoy the styl
ized puppets in rich costum es
as they dance and swirl in an
original musical based on the
classic fairy tale.
Mark LaPierre wrote the pro
duction and lyrics for both Tears
of Joy Theatre and his daughter
more than six years ago. He chose
to adapt the Charles Perrault ver
sion, the same one Disney used,
although LaPierre’s adaptation
turned out quite differently.
The puppet design by Mary
Robinette Kowal is rem iniscent
o f paper dolls. Fashion trends
are an underlying them e in the
p la y , a n d b e s t see n w hen
C inderella shows up at the ball
in an Em pire-style gown with
no corset.
One of the most well-known
folktales, Cinderella and its uni
versal tale of the human heart has
appealed to young and old for
centuries.
Tickets at $12-$ 15 are avail
able by calling 360-695-0477 or
503-248-0557.