COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2019 | 9A
‘The King’ lives again in latest Opal theater production
Review
By Andrea Hummel
special to The Sentinel
Last year, audiences de-
lighted to the world premier
of “The King Who Wanted
a Whale,” a children’s book
by local author Hal Hol-
brook adapted as a stage
play at the Opal Center for
Arts and Education.
Now, local audiences
will have a chance to see
King Rupert and his min-
ions continue their antics
in “The King is Dead! The
King is Dead!” But this year
Holbrook has added music.
Holbrook is an accom-
plished musician, playing
both the banjo and the gui-
tar, and has been a member
of the group “Windy Ridge”
for several years. His com-
positions for this show are
catchy and entertaining, re-
peating rhymes and chorus-
es that make the audience
want to sing along.
Sometimes they do.
He accompanies the ac-
tors with live banjo and
guitar.
The funky little Opal
Center, located in a store-
front on Main Street, is the
ideal place to enjoy this play.
The characters wear sugges-
tions of animal costumes,
outfits that could have been
created by children from a
dress-up box or the Good-
will, but for this show they
do the job perfectly.
PHOTO BY ANDREA HUMMEL
Sometimes even the cast cracks up. Enjoying the moment are (from left) Dale Flynn (Royal Chef),
Elaine Slatore (Royal Chief Engineer), Betsy Smith (Royal Steward), Charles Mattoon (Narrator/
Bird) and Eliana Piltz (King Rupert’s Messenger Boy).
This is, after all, a show
that suspends reality and
takes the audience into the
world of a child’s imagina-
tion. The children dressed
as soldiers are brave and
well-prepared, the Royal
Steward (Betsy Smith) is
graceful and dignified and
the Royal Chief Engineer
(Elaine Slatore as an igua-
na) brings great energy to
the stage. Slatore, an expe-
rienced actress, brought her
usual level of professional-
ism.
Both the kings, King Ru-
pert (Paul von Rotz) and
King Winifred (Rick Whit-
ney) were appropriately
regal and stalwart. Even
though von Rotz was occa-
sionally fighting his ram’s
horns, his smile made it all
worthwhile.
This audience member
noticed a few particular-
ly memorable spots in the
show: Charles Mattoon’s
bird/narrator moved about
the stage with the grace
of a really big bird. His tie
Worship
Directory
DRAIN:
HOPE U.M.C.
131 W “A” St. Drain, OR
541-315-1617
Pastor: Lura Kidner-Miesen
Fellowship & Song: 11:30am
Potluck Lunch: 12:00pm
Worship: 12:30pm
COTTAGE GROVE:
6th & Gibbs Church of Christ
195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822
10:00am
Christian Education:
Pre-K through 5th
www.6thandgibbs.com
Calvary Baptist Church
77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290
Pastor: Riley Hendricks
Sunday School: 9:45am
Worship: 11:00am
The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm
Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm
Church of Christ
420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565
Sunday Service: 10:30am
Cottage Grove Bible Church
1200 East Quincy Avenue
541-942-4771
Pastor:Bob Singer
Worship 11am
Sunday School:9:45am
AWANA age 3-8th Grade,
Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm
www.cgbible.org
Cottage Grove Faith Center
33761 Row River Rd.
541-942-4851
Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett
www.cg4.tv
Full Childrenʼs Ministry available
Services: 9:00am & 10:45am
Delight Valley
Church of Christ
33087 Saginaw Rd. East
541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend
Two Services:
9am - Classic in the Chapel
10:30am - Contemporary in the
Auditorium
First Baptist Church
301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242
Pastor: David Chhangte
Sunday School 9:30am
Worship Service 11:00am
Youth Wednesday 6:30pm
cgfi rstbaptist.com
& Wellness
Seventh-day Adventist Church
820 South 10th Street
541-942-5213
Pastor: Kevin Miller
Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am
Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40
Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00
Hope Fellowship
United Pentecostal Church
100 S. Gateway Blvd.
541-942-2061
Pastor: Dave Bragg
Worship: 11:00am Sunday
Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday
www.hopefellowshipupc.com
“FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE”
Trinity Lutheran Church
6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373
Pastor: James L. Markus
Sunday School & Adult Education
9:15am
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur
5:00pm TLC Groups
tlccg.com
Living Faith Assembly
467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612
Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a
Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all ages
welcome)
Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades)
United Methodist Church
334 Washington • 541-942-3033
Pastor:Lura Kidner-Miesen
Worship: 10:30am
umcgrove.org
Non-Denominational
Church of Christ
1041 Pennoyer Ave
541-942-8928
Preacher: Tony Martin
Sunday Bible Study:10:00am
Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm
www.pennoyeravecoc.com
Old Time Gospel Fellowship
103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999
Pastor: Jim Edwards
Sunday Service: 10:00am
Join in Traditional Christian Worship
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
and St. Philip Benizi
Catholic Churches
1025. N. 19th St.
541-942-3420
Father John J. Boyle
Holy Mass:
Saturday Vigil – 5:30 PM
Sunday – 10:30 PM
For weekday and Holy Day of
Obligation schedule see website
OLPHCG.net
Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM
Saturdays or by appointment
St. Philip Benizi, Creswell
552 Holbrook Lane
Sunday 8:30 AM
“VICTORY” Country Church
913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913
Pastor: Barbara Dockery
Worship Service: 10:00am
Message: “WE BELIEVE IN
MIRACLES”
CRESWELL:
Creswell Presbyterian Church
75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419
Rev. Seth Wheeler
Adult Sunday School 9:15am
Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am
website www.creswellpres.org
A guide to local businesses committed to
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Counseling & Mental Health
South Lane Mental Health
Serving Cottage Grove Since 1988
• Outpatient Counseling for Children, Adults & Couples
• Psychiatric Medication Management
• Crisis Assistance
541-942-2850 • 541-942-3939 • www.slmh.org
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Worship
With Us!
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050
Rev. Lawrence Crumb
“Church with the fl ags.”
Worship: Sunday 10:30am
All Welcome
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would like to be a part of this directory,
contact us today!
S entinel
parts; Monica Venice, mul-
tiple parts; McKenzie Jarvis,
multiple parts; Ricky Oren-
dorff, multiple parts.
The projected back-
grounds along with min-
imal set pieces completed
the feeling of being inside
a children’s book. The audi-
ence was free to focus total-
ly on the actor’s expressions,
broad gestures and delight-
ful songs that were the heart
of this show.
The play, like all good
children’s stories, even came
with a moral: Be careful
about spreading rumors.
The Sound and Light op-
erator, Junior Rodriguez,
handled his responsibilities
smoothly even though he
Health, Happiness
First Presbyterian Church
3rd and Adams St
541-942-4479
Rev.: Karen Hill
Worship: 10:00am
Sunday School: 10:00am
fpcgrove.com
C ottage G rove
and his matching feather
boutonniere were a perfect
touch; the audience was
totally silent during King
Winifred’s (Rick Whitney)
poignant solo reflection
about his decision to go to
war, a clear sign they were
hanging on every note; and
King Rupert’s Messenger
Boy (Eliana Piltz) was de-
lightful with her song and
dance to “I Gotta Hurry.”
Rounding out the strong
cast under the direction of
Carmen Dowell were Dale
Flynn, the Royal Chef;
Raven Foraker, multiple
parts; Nyles Julien, multi-
ple parts; Zoe McCartney,
King Winifred’s Messenger
girl; June Smith, multiple
had learned a new system
very recently.
One of the most satis-
fying aspects of watch-
ing a show like this one is
knowing that the youngest
actors, the ones struggling
to maintain character and
keep their focus, are learn-
ing amazing theater lessons.
In five years these are the
actors and actresses who
will be taking the stage at
the Very Little Theatre and
the Cottage Theatre.
One great example of the
collaboration between the
author and the cast was the
song, “Better Than Caviar.”
Originally this song was to
be Brittany Dreier’s song
with the rest of the cast just
joining in on the “Better
Than Caviar” chorus line.
At one rehearsal, howev-
er, the entire cast was sing-
ing every word along with
Brittany. The author, the
director and the cast held
a vote and it was decided:
everybody would sing the
entire song.
Now that’s collaboration!
Additional performances
of “The King is Dead! The
King is Dead!” will be on
March 24, 25 and June 1 at 7
p.m. Matinee performances
will be May 26 and June 2 at
2:30 p.m.
General admission tick-
ets are $12 or $10 for stu-
dents and seniors.
Tickets are available at
www.brownpapertickets.
com and at The Crafty Mer-
cantile on West Main Street
next to the Opal Center or
at the door.
541-942-3325
116 N. 6th Street
Cottage Grove, OR
Lumineers
The Most Natural Veneer
(behind International Fitness)
541-942-7934
Dr. Shane Parsons
605 Jefferson Ave.
Cottage Grove
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
Emergency appts. available daily
New patients welcome
2 Hygienists available • Same friendly and caring staff
Please call for an appointment at 541-942-9171
Pharmacies
BI-MART Pharmacy
OPEN at 9am Mon. - Sat. • Convenient Walk-Up Window
100 Gateway Blvd. • 942-9107