8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL December 9, 2015
Youth
powers CT's
Narnia
www.shoppelocal.biz
COMMUNITY
BRIEFS
Toys for Tots
Superb casting,
performances shine
throughout
BY JON STINNETT
The Cottage Grove Sentinel
‘
They must be having a blast.’
Such was my fi rst thought
concerning the young cast of the
Cottage Theatre’s production of
“The Lion, the Witch and the Ward-
robe” at the start of a second act
that featured more than one fi ght
scene, appearances by centaurs and
elves, beavers that talk and act like
humans and a warm, paternal and
wise lion.
It was easy to see the attraction
that the C.S. Lewis classic might
hold for the large cast of perform-
ers — young and old alike — who
brought the timeless tale to life for
the fi rst time in Cottage Grove Fri-
day night. But to dismiss the play
as mere fun is to ignore the obvious
hard work and undeniable talent —
especially of the play’s main pro-
tagonists — that took the produc-
tion far beyond mere child’s play.
According to the playbill, the
work for fi rst-time director Kory
Weimer, who did a magical job
with a large cast, included weapons
design and two weeks of weapons
camp, where the actors learned to
handle various weaponry onstage.
Fresh from his role as Jesus in
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” Weimer
shows his versatility and a new as-
pect to his talents that should prove
a major asset at the Cottage The-
atre.
Set in 1940, “The Lion, the Witch
courtesy photo
Aslan the Lion (Randall Brous) counsels Edmund (Jacksen
Lund), Lucy (Kenady Conforth), Peter (John Parker), and Su-
san (Megan Schneider) in CT's "The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe."
and the Wardrobe” is the fi rst book
in the “Chronicles of Narnia” series
and the most popular of Lewis’ pub-
lications. It tells the story of four
siblings — Lucy, Peter, Edmund
and Susan Pevensie, who are sent
to the English countryside to live
with a professor there and escape
the German bombing of London.
There, Lucy Pevensie discovers a
wardrobe that leads to a land called
Narnia, where it is always winter
(but never Christmas). There, she
and her siblings encounter fauns,
witches, centaurs, and eventually
Aslan, the rightful king of Narnia,
who enlists their help to fulfi ll a
prophesy about the coming of four
humans (sons of Adam and daugh-
ters of Eve) and defeat the White
Witch.
There is much to be said of per-
formances by many of the adults in
this production — Karen Snyder
and Charles Mattoon are lovable,
fun and often funny beavers; Janet
Whitlow is by turns seductive and
terrifying as the White Witch, and
Davis Smith plays a sneering, un-
compromising and completely evil
Fenris Ulf.
Still, as it no doubt should be,
the play is carried by the power of
its young cast, particularly the Pe-
vensie children: Kenady Conforth
as Lucy, Jacksen Lund as Edmond,
Megan Schneider as Susan and
John Parker as Peter. Conforth,
in particular, deserves credit for a
standout role that provides much
of the play’s emotion and heart
and ties its protagonists together in
a struggle that audiences can sup-
port. Also particularly endearing
was Schneider’s portrayal of Susan
Pevensie. Already Cottage Theatre
veterans, these are two performers
that showcase a bright future for
theater in this community.
“The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe” runs through Dec. 20 at
the Cottage Theatre. Tickets will be
hard to come by, and it’s diffi cult to
imagine any reaction except delight
for those who manage to secure a
seat.
On Sunday, Dec. 13 from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Toys
for Tots will be holding
its annual toy distribu-
tion in Cottage Grove for
those unable to travel to
Eugene. The event will
be held at the South Lane
Fire Station located at 233
Harrison Avenue.
The program is open to
parents who could use
help providing Christmas
gifts for their children
from birth to age 14, as
long as they are still living
at home.
Toys may be given to cus-
todial parents or guardians
only.
Two forms of ID are
required for each child.
Preferred documentation
includes a birth certifi cate
and a Social Security card.
Photo ID and proof of
address are also required
for the custodial parent or
guardian.
Grandparents or other
guardians must provide
documentation proving
they are fi nancially re-
sponsible for the care and
custody of the child.
Those with questions or
who need further infor-
mation can visit eugene-
or.toysfortots.org.
Magic
gathering
Delight in Cottage Grove
is hosting a Magic the
Gathering Grand Prix
Trial on Saturday, Dec.
12 beginning at noon. An
early-bird entry is $10,
with a $12 day-of entry
fee. The tournament will
be a standard format with
a top-eight prize payout
for 20-plus players or a
top four payout otherwise.
More details are available
at delightinthegrove.com.
Basketball drive
The CGHS leadership
students are running a coat
drive/canned food drive.
For the basketball game on
Dec. 11, they are offering
free admission to anyone
who donates a coat new or
used) and/or two cans of
food. Individuals who do-
nate both will receive free
admission and a ticket for
a one free popcorn.
Tree planting
The Cottage Grove Ur-
ban Forestry Committee
is urging all interested vol-
unteers to gather for a tree
planting at Bohemia Park
at 10th and Main Street on
Friday, Dec. 11 beginning
at 10 a.m.
LORANE COUNTRY NEWS
BY LIL THOMPSON
For the Sentinel
M
any Christmas holiday
events are coming up
plus other activities you won’t
want to miss:
This Friday, Dec. 11, is an-
other half-day art class. Come
enjoy holiday ornament and
candle-making with Alyssa
Shepherd. Call her at 541-556-
8151 or malyssa2@yahoo.com.
Adults are also welcome.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, the
Rural Arts Council’s soup din-
ner and movie will start at 6
p.m. The feature, Charlie Chap-
lin's "The Gold Rush," begins at
7:30 p.m.
Lorane Grange has its Annual
Christmas potluck dinner this
Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Grange
provides turkey, dressing, gravy,
ham, mashed potatoes and bev-
erages. Bring a side dish and/or
dessert. All are welcome!
Even with all those events,
there are more. The Applegate
Elementary Winter Program
is Tuesday, Dec. 15 beginning
with dinner at 5:30 p.m. fol-
lowed by the performance at 7
p.m. Guests are asked to bring
a can or box of food for those in
need in the District.
The Crow High School drama
class presents a winter program
of two fantastic short plays and
holiday carols. Come see “What,
No Santa?” and “A Cowboy
Christmas” in the CMHS Cafe-
torium. On Dec. 16, Applegate
students will enjoy the perfor-
mance from 9-10:30 a.m. On
Dec. 17, all Crow Middle/High
School students will see the
plays from 1:30-3:15 p.m. It
is FREE to all students. This
is open to the public both days.
Donations will gladly be accept-
ed for the Drama program, but
is otherwise no charge.
Check out the Angel Trees at
either CHS or Lorane Family
Store. Participants can take a
tag and help a child in the area
have a better Christmas. Contact
Marissa Cooper with any ques-
tions. With all these events at
the Grange this weekend, please
bring some non-perishable food
items for the Christmas Baskets
for those in need in the commu-
nity.
Meet the
DJ/Program Host
CG Hospital Auxiliary
CAMERON REITEN
CHRISTMAS GOODIES SALE
Homemade candies,
cookies, and goodies
December 11th
9am - 4pm
Community Center Lobby
700 E Gibbs Ave
Free Gift Wrapping
I was born in the small town of Valley City, North Dakota on December 21, of
1986. I moved to Oregon in 1994 when I was seven years old. I graduated from
Cottage Grove High School in 2005. In 2003 I came to KNND as an intern
in the news department. My eight week internship served to reinforce my
conviction that I wanted a career in radio. I was hired in 2005 aft er graduation
and have been working at the radio station since. I have numerous duties at
KNND, among them local news producer, host of the Rockin' Oldies Morning
Show, as well as the Round Up Classic Country and Western Hoedown,
(Monday and Th ursday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm) and the ever popular Swap and
Shop show. As of June of 2013, I am also now the proud owner of KNND,
and love the opportunity to carry on the tradition of service that has been the
hallmark of KNND.
321 Main Street
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Lobby Phone: 541.942.2468
Studio Line: 541.942.5548
Online requests: request@knnd.com
Douglas G. Maddess, DMD
Humane Society of Cottage Grove’s
5th Annual
Christmas Bazaar
FAMILY AND GENERAL DENTISTRY
Brightening Lives One Smile at a Time
American Legion Hall • 826 Main Street, CG
Friday, December 11th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, December 12th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Collectibles
Decorations
Christmas Cards
Lights
and Much More
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All Proceeds Help Animals in Our Community.
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See our new website:
douglasgmaddessdmd.com