Category Archives: Current show

“Arsenic and Old Lace” Runs from Nov 30 thru Dec 16

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Don’t forget to buy your tickets for “Arsenic & Old Lace,” the classic comedy with a dark twist, written by Joseph Kesselring and directed by Norman Gouveia. The cast is entering their final week of rehearsal for the production, which opens Friday, November 30 for a 3-weekend run ending Sunday, December 16.

The action in the play centers on the two elderly Brewster sisters, who have developed their own unique…ummm…”outreach” program to lonely older gentleman who may cross… their path. As their nephew Mortimer begins to unravel the mystery and plan his own future with his fiancée, Elaine, he also must deal with the humorous alternate reality of his brother Teddy and the much more disturbing antics of his menacing brother, Jonathan.

The play was a success on Broadway before being adapted as a film starring Cary Grant in 1944.

Performances are at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays, with matinees at 2 pm on Sundays.

You can buy reserved seat tickets at Runaway Art and Craft Studio at 311 NE Commercial in dowtown Salem or Books N Time at 210 N Water in downtown Silverton. You can also buy tickets at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance.

For further information or for group ticket sales, contact Michael Wood at (503)881-6270.

“Mayhem at the Faire” opens August 3

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New Murder Mystery Mayhem at the Faire opens 3-week run at Brush Creek on August 3

Brush Creek Playhouse continues it 2018 season with its annual teen and young adult show — yet another light-hearted mystery by Emily Wood and Michael Wood. This time the setting is a Renaissance Faire in a pleasant little mountain valley. The cast includes both vendors and guests – but at least one of their number is a killer! The authors say that this particular script is inspired by a combination of Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and . . . Scooby Doo!

The play, which is directed by Michael Wood, includes a cast aged 12 to 21. Wood says that his actors “bring a terrific amount of enthusiasm to their parts – they’re having a great time, and the audience will too!”

The show opens Friday, August 3 and runs through Sunday, August 19, with 3 performances each weekend. Tickets are available now for all nine shows – 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Reserved seat tickets are just $10 ($8 for children 12 and under, students, and seniors 60 and over) and are available at the following two ticket-selling locations:

Runaway Art & Craft Studio                               

311 Commercial NE, Salem                                      

(503)881-6270                                                           

Books-N-Time

210 N. Water, Suite B, Silverton

 (503)874-4311

The remaining tickets are available at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance. Contact Michael Wood at (503)508-3682 for group purchase or for further information.

Next up for 2016: “Accidentally Yours,” by Pauline Williams Snapp

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Brush Creek continues 2016 season with 1940s comic farce, Accidentally Yours, by Pauline Williams Snapp

To continue its 40th anniversary season, Brush Creek brings “a farcical, light-hearted and good-natured” comedy to stage. Accidentally Yours, by Pauline Williams Snapp, was first produced in 1949.

“We’ve set our production in a time and place that may never have really existed outside the confines of the class television sitcom,” said Director Michael Wood. “But at the same time every one of us knows these characters – as absurd as they can be at times, they are also very real, and they are timeless.”

The play centers on the household of Spencer and Gladys Mosby. Spencer is a small-town history professor who has had a bit of literary success, convincing Gladys that he is the next great American author. As the author describes the Mosbys, “the two are a lovable, child-like couple who believe in the unbelievable. Gladys believes that anything can happen; Spencer is resigned to the conviction that it usually does.” Their niece Vivienne sets her sights on a successful young author who visits the town, and his introduction to the household provides the spark that sets the hilarity . . . and confusion . . . in motion.

The performances run from Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 24, with performances at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets — $10 for adults and $8 for children, seniors and students with ID – will be available at Brush Creek’s two ticket locations: Books-N-Time on Water Street in downtown Silverton and Runaway Art & Craft Studio on Commercial Street in downtown Salem. They also can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before each performance. More information is also available by calling Michael Wood at 503-508-3682.

The playhouse is located at 11535 Silverton Road, the intersection of Silverton and Brush Creek Roads, between Silverton and Salem. In spite of the Silverton Road address, the theater’s parking lot is entered from Brush Creek Road.

“You Know I Don’t Love You” opens Friday, Sept 18

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Brush Creek’s 2015 teen/young adult show — a romantic comedy entitled “You Know I Don’t Love You” — opens in less than three weeks. In the show written by Emily Wood and Michael Wood, the 2005 Fighting Toucans from Aldous Huxley high school gather for their high school reunion. Old relationships flare and fizzle, while new relationships ignite, in this romantic comedy that helps more than one Toucan graduate realize that “you know I don’t love you” carries a variety of meanings.

The production opens on Friday, September 18 and runs thru Sunday, October 4, with shows at 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and a 2 pm matinee each Sunday. They are $10 for general admission, with $8 discounted tickets available to seniors 60 and over, children 12 and under, and students with ID. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Books N Time on Water in downtown Silverton or at Runaway Art and Craft Studio on Commercial in downtown Salem. They also are available 30 minutes before each performance begins at the theater, which is located at the intersection of Brush Creek and Silverton roads.

The production is appropriate for older children and unlikely to trouble young children, although there is a certain amount of conflict, mild language and sexual tension.

For more information, feel free to call Director Michael Wood at 503-508-3682.

The cast of You Know I Don’t Love You includes the following young people (ranging in age from 13 to 20):

Kate Allanach — Brooke Wexler
Lily Ark — Cierra Lawrence (2005 Huxley grad)
Jennifer Baumgartner — Kelsey Farrows (2005 Huxley grad)
Bradley Cock — Theo Faulkner (2005 Huxley grad)

Chase Cooley — Asher Lewis (2005 Huxley grad)

Holly Craig — Daniela Shaw
Tristan Craig — Colin Barbour (2005 Huxley grad)
Catie McCartey — Rosie Graven Barbour (2005 Huxley grad)
Amy Miller — Anna Slater (2005 Huxley grad)
Zachary Traeger — Kyle McNeil (2005 Huxley grad)

Emily Wood — Becca Conway (2005 Huxley grad and graduating class president)

 

“A Bench in the Sun” Continues Its Run until April 26

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The first weekend’s audiences loved A Bench in the Sun, the funny and poignant play about two lifelong elderly friends (except for a gap of 42 years) that spend their days bickering and reminiscing on the garden bench at their retirement home. Burt (played by Shannon Copeland) is a cynic who remains in his PJ’s all day so he does not have to undress for his frequent naps. A retired accountant, he has spent his life at one job, married to the same woman.  Harold (played by Norman Gouveia), is an eternal optimist, despite his three failed marriages, five failed businesses and children that won’t speak to him.

When the glamorous and famous movie star,  Adrienne Bliss (played by Candace Pressnall), moves in they find themselves vying for her affection and along the way discover that a friendship like theirs is even better than Tapioca pudding.

The show is directed by Sonja Persey and Assistant Director Gene Persey, Jr.

Remaining Play Dates: April 17-19, 24-26, 2015
Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm
Sundays Matinee at 2 pm

General Admission: $10.00
Seniors (60+), Students, Children (under 12): $8.00

The theater is located at 11535 Silverton Road (entry is off of Brush Creek Road). Tickets available at the door ½ hour before show or at our two ticket selling partners:

Runaway Art & Craft Studio                                    Books-N-Time
311 Commercial Street NE                                         210 N. Water Street, Suite B
Salem, OR 97301                                                       Silverton, OR 97381
503-881-6270                                                             503-874-4311

For more information call 503-508-3682 (Michael) or check us out on Facebook.

“Mystery of the Kitchen Table” Opens in November

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Tickets on sale for Brush Creek’s latest mystery thriller, to open in November

The Mystery of the Kitchen Table, a play that unfolds over nearly a century, will open at Brush Creek Playhouse Thursday, November 13 and run until Sunday, November 23. There will be five performances each weekend, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The play centers on the old Winthorpe mansion and its antique mahogany kitchen table. It opens with the violent death of beautiful Mary Winthorpe in 1921, which echoes down through the decades.  With the arrival of young Arthur Wilde in 2014, the mysteries of his new home begin to be revealed. As Arthur and his friends learn more about Winthorpe House and its past, they realize that the tragic events that began in 1921 have not yet fully run their course.

Brush Creek’s 2014 teen/young adult production, the play is directed by Michael Wood. “I have a cast that relies equally on veterans of our past shows and on actors appearing in the teen show for the first time,” Wood said. “These young people are working hard to bring their various characters to life. The audience is going to care about these people – and I guarantee that the play’s twists and turns will be good for a surprise or two along the way!”

Wood and his daughter Emily wrote the play, as they did last year’s The Time Traveler and 2011’s Christmas at the Blizzard: A Murder Mystery.

The performances will be at 7 pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets — $10 for adults and $8 for children, seniors and students with ID – are available at Brush Creek’s two ticket locations: Books-N-Time on Water Street in downtown Silverton and Runaway Art & Craft Studio on Commercial Street in downtown Salem. They also can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before each performance. More information is also available at www.brushcreekplayhouse.com or by calling Michael Wood at 503-508-3682.

The playhouse is located at 11535 Silverton Road, the intersection of Silverton and Brush Creek Roads, between Silverton and Salem. In spite of the Silverton Road address, the theater’s parking lot is entered from Brush Creek Road.

“Prunella” runs through August 24

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Brush Creek’s annual summer melodrama, Prunella in the Springs, continues to serve up the wild doings at the Marquam Saloon and Gamboling House through Sunday August 24.

Performances are 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. Tickets are $10 each ($8 for seniors 60 and over, children under 12, and students with ID) and can be purchased in advance at Runaway Art & Craft Studio on Commercial Street in downtown Salem or at Books-N-Time on Water Street in downtown Silverton. They also are available at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance.

And hey, Brush Creek now has A/C! Come check it out!

Contact Michael Wood at 503-508-3682 for more information.

“Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?” Runs Thru Sunday, June 22

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Brush Creek brings 1980s Broadway comedy to the local stage

Del Shores quirky family comedy, Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will? opened at Brush Creek Playhouse Friday, June 6 and will run until Sunday, June 22, with three performances each weekend.

The occasionally off-color comedy explores the relationships among a family that has grown apart but is brought together – in more ways than one – by the approaching death of the family patriarch. The various members of the Turnover family wants their father’s love – but they’ll settle for his money. The original play inspired a 1990 movie starring Beau Bridges, Tess Harper and Judge Reinhold, among others.

Brush Creek’s production is directed by BCP veteran Linda Zellner, who completed the children & youth production of The True Tale of Sleeping Beauty a few months ago. “Directing adults is a bit different from directing children,” she said. Her cast – like Brush Creek’s recent production of the female version of The Odd Couple, includes a mix of Brush Creek veterans and newcomers. Zellner loves the play’s humor, although she cautions that some of the language may be off-putting for parents of younger children.

The performances will be at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm Sundays. Tickets — $10 for adults and $8 for children, seniors and students with ID – will be available at Brush Creek’s two ticket locations: Books-N-Time on Water Street in downtown Silverton and Runaway Art & Craft Studio on Commercial Street in downtown Salem. They also can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before each performance. More information is also available by calling Michael Wood at 503-508-3682.

The playhouse is located at 11535 Silverton Road, the intersection of Silverton and Brush Creek Roads, between Silverton and Salem. In spite of the Silverton Road address, the theater’s parking lot is entered from Brush Creek Road.

The cast of the show is listed below:

Thia Evans                                           Sara Lee Turnover

Kim Garibay                                        Lurlene Turnover Rogers

Christine Stimson                                Mama Wheelis

Suzy Wilder                                         Evalita Turnover

Steven Falkenstein                              Harmony Rhodes

John Sams (June 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22)    Buford “Daddy” Turnover Michael Wood (June 13, 14, 15)

Richard Stimson                                  Orville Turnover

Kassandra Perkins                               Marlene Turnover

Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple – the Female Version comes to Brush Creek’s stage April 11-27

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Neil Simon’s 1980s reworking of his own classic play, The Odd Couple—the Female Version, provides will open at Brush Creek Playhouse beginning Friday, April 11 and run until Sunday, April 27, with three performances each weekend.

Norman Gouveia, Jr. directs the play, the third time the veteran director has put the show on during his decades long history with Brush Creek. Gouveia is excited by the cast he has assembled for this production, which he describes as a “wonderful mix” of talented newcomers and Brush Creek veterans. Gouveia notes that several of the cast are parents of young Brush Creek actors who appeared in the recent children & youth production of The True Tale of Sleeping Beauty.

“This play has been one of my favorites over the last 25 years,” Gouveia said, and he hopes to share that enjoyment with those who come to see the show.  “Neil Simon has had a golden touch with comedies. These six ladies and two men mine that gold throughout the play.”

The performances will be at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm Sundays. Tickets — $10 for adults and $8 for children, seniors and students with ID – will be available at Brush Creek’s two ticket locations: Books-N-Time on Water Street in downtown Silverton and Runaway Art & Craft Studio on Commercial Street in downtown Salem. They also can be purchased at the door 30 minutes before each performance. More information is also available by calling Michael Wood at 503-508-3682.

The playhouse is located at 11535 Silverton Road, the intersection of Silverton and Brush Creek Roads, between Silverton and Salem. In spite of the Silverton Road address, the parking lot is entered from Brush Creek Road. 

CAST LIST

Thia Evans                               Sylvie

Sharon Jensen-Messman        Vera

Raenna O’Connor                   Renee

Kelly Lazar                               Florence

Kassandra Perkins                   Olive

Shannon Copeland                  Manolo

Tavis Evans                              Jesus

Gwen Bergenstock                  Mickey

“The Time Traveler” opens November 8th

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Brush Creek Players bring a tale of time travel, suspense and romance to the stage with the opening of The Time Traveler on Friday, November 8. The annual teen/young adult show offers a fresh look at a timeless topic that has invited the attention of creative spirits from H.G. Wells to the team behind the BBC’s Doctor Who.

“The show is a touch of science fiction, a dollop of history, and a good bit of romance. At its heart, it is a love story that crosses the ages,” said Michael Wood, who directs the show he and his daughter Emily wrote. “The time traveler is a very serious-minded Englishwoman from the early 20st century who becomes the first to travel through the pages of history – she is joined on her travels by an exuberant 21st century American. And then she falls in love.”

Wood is directing his third teen and young adult show at Brush Creek. “This one offers some special challenges,” he said. “The last two years we put on a show that required only a single set. But when you travel from ancient Rome to Elizabethan England to the American Civil War, to name a few, both the set and the costumes demand a bit of extra creativity.”

The cast includes several young veterans of the Brush Creek stage. “I know we’ll have a great show,” Wood said. “I have watched some of these young people deliver on our stage in the children’s show again and again. And they are definitely up for the challenge!”

The show will open November 8 and run three weekends to close on November 24, with evening performances at 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 2 pm matinees on Sundays.

Tickets are $10 general admission, with discounted tickets available for students ($8) and children under 12 ($7) and seniors 60 and older ($7).  They can be purchased in advance at the following locations:

Books-N-Time                                                   Runaway Art & Craft Studio

210 N Water St. Suite B, Silverton 97381        311 Commercial Street NE, Salem 97301

(503) 874-4311                                                 (503) 881-6270

For further information, contact Michael Wood at 503-508-3682. You also can find “Brush Creek Playhouse” on Facebook.
Cast of The Time Traveler (in order of historical appearance)
at Brush Creek Playhouse, November 2013

Julia Caesaris Maria, played by Taylor Fisher

Aurelia Cotta, played by Lily Ark

Cleopatra VII Ptolemy, played by Taylor Fisher

Arsinoe (Cleopatra’s servant), played by Lily Ark

William Shakespeare, played by Matthew Biggs

Corporal Orville Gibbons, U.S. Cavalry, played by Teddy Biggs

Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer, U.S. Cavalry, played by Matthew Biggs

Edward Andrews, played by Matthew Biggs

Mrs. Foster (his landlady and housekeeper), played by Sarah Allanach

Katharine Andrews (his young daughter), played by Lily Ark

Katharine Andrews (as an adult), played by Emily Wood

Gerhardt Schmidt, played by Teddy Biggs

Peter Kinder, played by Sebastian Ward

Jessie Collins, played by Kate Allanach

Andy Collins, played by Taylor Fisher

Alex Christopher, played by Sarah Allanach