Silverton’s Brush Creek opens special Easter dramatic offering Friday, March 22
Brush Creek’s second show of the 2024 season is a special event focusing on the Biblical accounts surrounding the Easter Story. Witnesses: First Century Testimony to the Life of Jesus includes a series of dramatic monologues written and presented by Michael Wood.
These powerful stories present the story of the founding events of the Christian church, from the perspective of those who lived them. Wood first wrote his presentation of the apostle Simon Peter when he was a freshman in college and has performed it many scores of times over the intervening four decades. Another of the monologues, featuring the apostle Paul, uses the prolific letter-writer’s own words woven together into a unique presentation of Paul’s experience of the risen Christ. The third monologue focuses on several parables, told through the voice of Nathanael, one of Jesus’s earliest followers.
“Whether you are a committed Christian, a person seeking to better understand the message of the New Testament, or just someone who loves a good, dramatic story, these presentations have something for you,” Wood said. “Over the years, I have found that the best way to share my own faith is by returning to the church’s roots – from the very beginning, the faith was built around the telling of shared stories.”
The performances run from Friday, March 22, through Easter Sunday, March 31 – with performances at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm Sundays. Brush Creek is selling reserved seat tickets for this special event for just $6 each at https://our.show/bcp-witnesses. Tickets also can be purchased at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance. More information is also available at 503-508-3682 (voice or text). Information about the theater (and the ticket link) can be found at www.brushcreekplayhouse.com.
Brush Creek Playhouse is located between Silverton and Salem at 11535 Silverton Road NE, the intersection of Silverton Road and Brush Creek Road. The theater’s parking lot is entered from Brush Creek Road.
Performance Dates & Times
7 pm, March 22 7 pm, March 29 (Good Friday)
7 pm, March 23 7 pm, March 30
2 pm, March 24 (Palm Sunday) 2 pm, March 31 (Easter Sunday)
The Brush Creek Players are excited to close their 2024 season with Ebenezer: A Ghost Story of Christmas, written by Michael Wood and directed by Norman Gouveia, Jr. The play opens Friday, December 1 and runs for three weekends, with performances at 7 pm on Fridays & Saturdays and matinees at 2 pm on Sundays. The play is being produced by arrangement with Evander Dramatic Press.
Brush Creek is very happy to be presenting this new, family-friendly adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. The production includes all the usual characters, as well as a group of carolers serenading the characters — and the audience — throughout the show. The cast of 16 (not including the carolers!) includes both newcomers to our stage and Brush Creek stalwarts from past shows.
Reserved seat tickets are available now for just $10 (discounted to $8 for children under 12, students with ID, and seniors 60 and over). You can buy them at either of our ticket-selling partners.
Runaway Art & Craft Studio (cash or credit)
4675 Commercial SE (Cherry City Center)
Salem, OR 97302
503-881-6270
Closed Mondays
Books-N-Time (cash only)
210 N. Water, Suite B
Silverton, OR 97381
503-874-4311
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
You also can have tickets held to pick up at the door by contacting either location or by contacting Michael Wood (via voice or text) at 503-508-3682.
From the Author: Christmas Carol is truly timeless, and the story has as much to offer a modern audience as it did to its readers when it was published 180 years ago. Although it includes a twist or two of its own (not the least of which is the liberal use of classic Christmas Carols throughout the tale), Ebenezer–A Ghost Story of Christmas is a faithful retelling of the original story. Among many others in the cast, you will find Ebenezer Scrooge, his nephew Fred, his clerk Bob Cratchit, Bob’s wife Molly, and the Cratchit children — including the ailing but cheerful Tiny Tim! You will see his old boss Fezziwig and his deceased partner Marley, as well as his loving sister Fan and his childhood sweetheart Belle. And, of course, you will see the 3 Christmas spirits. But, most of all, you will experience the true spirit of Christmas, which infuses the entire tale!
Among the other business conducted at the October 2023 annual membership meeting, the Brush Creek Players elected a new slate of officers, who will begin their duties January 1, 2024. President Linda Zellner, having served two consecutive years, was not eligible to be reelected as President (the two-year limit applies to the offices of President and Vice President).
Lifetime Brush Creek member and long-time Brush Creek Treasurer (and former BCP President) was elected to serve as President.
Current at-large Board member (and Volunteer of the Year recipient) Howard Russell was elected to serve as Vice President.
Current Brush Creek Secretary (and former BCP President) Heidi Parsons was elected to serve a further year as Secretary.
Lifetime Brush Creek member and current Brush Creek President (who has previously served not only as BCP President, but also as Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) was elected to serve as Treasurer.
President Linda Zellner also recognized four different Brush Creek volunteers as “Volunteer of the Year”: Poppy Schell, Greg Kemp, Howard Russell, and Pam Russell.
The Board will be announcing the planned 2024 play schedule shortly.
Brush Creek Players will be holding the theater’s annual membership meeting at the Playhouse (11535 Silverton Road SE — the intersection of Brush Creek and Silverton Roads) at 4 pm on Sunday, October 15. The members will hear reports from the Board on the 2024 season, the financial status of the organization, and the 2023 painting project. In addition, the membership will elect the four executive officers for 2024 — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The meeting is expected to last less than an hour. All interested individuals are welcome to attend, although only currently active members are entitled to vote.
As the cast enters the final week of rehearsal, the Rustlers are preparing to exact their revenge in Brush Creek’s 2023 summer melodrama, The Rustler’s Revenge, by D. Chappelle. As always, there are villains, heroes, sidekicks and heroines! Come join the fun.
Brush Creek’s production, which is directed by Brush Creek stalwart Norman Gouveia, begins its three-weekend run on July 28, although the first Friday performance (July 28 at 7 pm) will be a “pay what you will” preview.
Performances will be at 7 pm Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm on Sundays, with the final performance on Sunday, August 13.
As always, reserved seat tickets are available from our two ticket-selling partners:
Tickets: $10 ($8 for children, students & seniors)
Runaway Art & Craft Studio (cash or credit)
4675 Commercial St SE (Cherry City Center) in South Salem
(503)881-3001
(Closed Mondays)
Books-N-Time (cash only)
210 N. Water, Suite B in downtown Silverton
(503)874-4311
(Variable hours at present — probably open as normal, but you may want to call first)
Both these businesses support Brush Creek by providing these services at no cost. So thank them for their support — and feel free to check out their merchandise while you’re in the store!
Check the Tickets tab above for the seating chart and other information.
Remaining tickets (at least 10) available at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance.
Contact Michael Wood at (503)508-3682 for more information.
The 2023 melodrama is The Rustler’s Revenge, written by D. Chapelle and directed by Norman Gouveia. The production will run from Friday, July 28 through Sunday, August 13 — but first we have to cast the villain, the hero, the sidekick, the heroine, and all the rest!
Auditions for this year’s melodrama will be held on June 4 at 5 pm and June 5 at 6 pm. Come join the fun!
All local teens and adults are invited to take part in Brush Creek’s newest adventure.
Beginning Friday, July 14 (7 pm), Brush Creek is launching an “Improv Workshop,” led by Brush Creek regular Ron Drake (and his “capable assistant,” Norman Gouveia). No previous experience necessary — come give it a try and learn the fun of improvisational comedy!
Unfortunately, Brush Creek was not able to successfully field a cast for May’s opening of Things My Mother Taught Me. We may give it another try next year.
But Brush Creek has two more offerings for 2023:
The Rustler’s Revenge, written by D. Chapelle and directed by Norman Gouveia, will run from Friday, July 28 through Sunday, August 13. Auditions for this year’s melodrama will be held on June 4 at 5 pm and June 5 at 6 pm. Come join the fun!
And the season will close with an original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic. Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, written by Emily Wood and Michael Wood and directed by Norman Gouveia, will run from Friday, December 1 through Sunday, December 17. Auditions for this marvelous “ghost story” — including roles that include singing Victorian Christmas Carols — will be held on September 24 at 1 pm and September 25 at 6 pm.
Brush Creek is very pleased to be able to bring The Bat to our stage — director Norman Gouveia and his cast are hard at work bringing this classic to the stage for its October opening. The show will include 3 performances each weekend from Friday, October 14 through Sunday, October 30, with performances at 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 pm on Sundays.
In this popular American mystery play, incident is piled on incident with skill and plausibility, and it is impossible to know who the real criminal is until the final curtain. This thriller revolves around Cornelia Van Gorder, a maiden lady of sixty, who rents the summer home of a banker reported killed in Colorado. She is warned that mysterious things are happening, but she refuses to move. Then it is discovered that a large sum is missing from the dead man’s bank, and it is suspected that, far from being dead, he stole the money, hid it in a secret chamber in his house and is only waiting for a chance to sneak back to get it. Four others are after the money: the bank cashier who is wrongfully accused of taking it, a detective engaged by Miss Van Gorder to clear up the mystery, a doctor friend and supposed confederate of the missing banker and The Bat, a notorious thief who has long eluded the police. This genuine thriller is guaranteed to divert any audience.
Reserved Seat Tickets are on sale now at our ticket-selling partners (whose support we greatly appreciate!)
Brush Creek’s prices have not increased in recent years — still just $10 ($8 for children, students & seniors)! You can buy tickets at either of our two ticket-selling partners:
Runaway Art & Craft Studio on South Commercial in Salem
Books-N-Time (cash only) on Water Street in downtown Silverton
Tickets also are available at the door beginning 30 minutes before each performance
You also can contact Michael Wood by voice or text at (503)508-3682 for information