Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2015)
10A • July 3, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Behind the scenes at the Coaster Theatre How should the actor playing a bum lean against a trash can? By Nancy McCarthy Cannon Beach Gazette Only two weeks before opening night for the sum- mer season, the Coaster Theatre Playhouse is abuzz with activity. Summer is different at the Coaster than other times of the year because two plays are performed at the same time. This year, “It Could Be Any One of Us,” a British comedy murder mystery, opened June 12 and will run until Sept. 5. ”Little Shop of Horrors,” a musical, opened June 19 and closes Sept. 6. While behind-the-scenes activity goes on all year at the small theater, which is staging seven shows in 2015, the sum- mer season is subtly frantic. Rehearsals for both shows began in March, and with just two weeks to go before open- ing night, the directors, actors and set and light designers ¿QHWXQHGHDFKSOD\ During an evening re- hearsal for “Little Shop of Horrors,” director Patrick Lathrop (who also is the Coaster’s executive director), worked with two actors to perfect a tricky tango while the three women in the “girls group” harmonized on a song. “Little Shop of Horrors” is about a blood-loving plant named Audrey 2 and the love story of a nerd, Seymour, and a tawdry girl, Audrey, who work LQD6NLG5RZÀRULVW¶VVKRS The nine cast members live in Cannon Beach or Sea- side and work in other jobs during the day. Some have formal eduction in theater; all of them have acted in past productions. Before opening night ar- rived, numerous details had to be sorted out. It’s not enough to nail the dialogue, the songs and the dances. During this rehearsal, Lathrop went over his notes: How should the ac- tor playing a bum lean against a trash can? Who will close the curtain after act one? Are all the props ready to go, and KRZGRWKHFRVWXPHV¿W" “The thing we have to con- sider for summer is the length of the run,” Lathrop said. “The costumes and props have to last throughout the play.” The actors — all volun- teers — also must be commit- ted to a long run, but Lathrop has worked with them in oth- er plays over the past several years and isn’t concerned. “They’re very passionate about what they do,” he said. 7KH\ DOVR PXVW EH ÀH[- ible. With two plays being produced at the same time and other events taking up theater space, the directors alternate their rehearsals in the theater or, when they can’t use the stage, they go else- ZKHUH²RQWKHVHFRQGÀRRU of the U.S. Bank Building or at Tolovana Hall or even in a small apartment behind the theater known affectionately as the “Buddha.” At only 10 days to go be- fore “One of Us” opened, the six cast members had pegged their characters and their Brit- ish accents. They were “off book”; they knew their lines and didn’t need their scripts. It was time for the play’s director, Ryan Hull, to tweak the small stuff: He assigned an actor to create the “crash” behind the curtain before another actor screamed. He reminded everyone to pro- nounce their words clearly. He changed the way one character entered a scene. But even that close to open- ing night, Hull still encour- PHOTO BY NANCY MCCARTHY A chorus, much like the “girls groups” of the 1950s, moves the story along in “Little Shop of Horrors.” They are, from left, Aly Hanson playing Chiffon; Amanda Payne, who is Ronnette; and Cindy Karr as Crystal. aged the actors to take chances by experimenting with their characters’ personalities. “I still like seeing people trying new things,” Hull said. “We’re still working through things and seeing how they look.” The directors and actors weren’t the only people on a timetable. After consulting with Lathrop and Hull, light- ing designer Mick Alderman set the lights for both pro- ductions and programmed the light cues on the theater’s light board in the control booth. Two or three volun- teers work the lights and sound all summer. Meanwhile, Krista Guen- ther also did double duty by helping to design and build the stage sets for both plays. Her challenge: Build a set that could act as a backdrop for 1950s New York Skid Row one night and become the drawing room of a Victorian mansion in rural England the next night. With rehearsals at the the- ater nearly every night for three months, Guenther had to work when the actors weren’t on stage. She would come in mid- morning, clean up at 4:45 p.m., then return at 9:30 p.m. and work until midnight. “I like working at night,” she said. Before she started with the Coaster late last year, Guen- ther said she had no idea how much work went into each production. “There are so many tal- ented people who can do so many things,” she said. “It’s GH¿QLWHO\FRPPXQLW\WKHDWHU where everybody does every- thing.” ABOVE LEFT: Krista Guenther paints the set of “It Could Be Any One Of Us.” Guenther was involved in designing both stage sets for the two plays running this summer at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse. ABOVE RIGHT: Seymour Krelborn, played by Todd Payne, urges a plant he has named Audrey 2 to bloom during a rehearsal of “Little Shop of Hor- rors.” All his blood, toil and trouble brings Seymour success, at a price. PHOTOS BY NANCY MCCARTHY Ca n n on Be a ch ’s La rge s t Se le ction of Ore gon a n d W a s h in gton W in e ! PHOTO BY NANCY MCCARTHY Ryan Hull, director of “It Could Be Any One Of Us,” gives a few notes following a rehearsal. Hull records his notes on his phone, then plays them back. With him is Gretchen Koekstre, who plays Amy Polegate, the daughter in the play. D on’t m iss a n issue! U P C O M IN G TA STIN G S Ju ly 3 Ju ly 4 Ju ly 11 Ju ly 18 Ju ly 25 Aug 1 Sh ack H ou rs D aily • 11am to 5:30pm Tastin g R oom H ou rs Satu rd ays • 1 to 5pm • • • • • • S okol B losser Pud d ing R iver J S cott C ellars S even of H earts D ’A nu W aines K ram er V ineyard s “Best W ine Sh op on th e O regon Coa st.” - W ine Ju lia 124 N. He m lock, Ca n n on Be a ch 503 .43 6 .1100 - w w w .b e a ch w in e .com Accepting New Patients David Kaba, MD, PhD is an Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) specialist with additional training in allergy and sleep medicine. Su bscribe to the Toda y. N ow on ly $1.44/ issu e $3 9/year 5 03 -3 25 -3 211 circu latio n @ can n o n b e ach g aze tte .co m PE Tubes Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy Nasal & Sinus Surgery Hearing & Balance Loss Allergies Voice and Swallowing Problems Tumors of the Head & Neck To make an appointment, call: (503) 815-2292 Tillamook Medical Plaza 1100 Third Street, Tillamook, Oregon TillamookRegionalMC.org