Cottage Theatre stages classic musical of hard times.

Byline: The Register-Guard

A Depression-based musical, two flavors of Shakespeare, a dazzling Tom Stoppard comedy and more await audiences on area stages this weekend.

Opening this week

Annie

Cottage Theatre

Friday through April 26

Ten-year-old Abigail Howell stars in the title role of the musical "Annie," which opens Friday at Cottage Theatre in Cottage Grove.

Did the folks at Cottage Theatre, who booked this show at least a year and a half ago, know something about the economy the rest of us didn't?

The 1977 Broadway musical is based on the comic strip adventures of an orphan girl making her way through the Great Depression. It features such songs as "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover."

Cottage Theatre's production is directed by Marcee Long and features Paul Von Rotz (as Oliver Warbucks), Nikki Pagniano (Miss Hannigan), Laura Hiszczynskyj (Grace Farrell), Ken McClintock (Rooster), Dianna Howell (Lily), and Dylan Ferguson (Franklin Delano Roosevelt).

PeJay, a 10-year-old golden retriever, will play Sandy. Appearing as orphans will be Delia Ferguson, Irene Ferguson, Anna Haugen, Rachel Istudor, Libby Ladd, Chloe Leczel, Ariel Long, Alayna Pearson and Katherine Spriggs.

Rounding out the cast are Emily Creighton, Kim Dorr, Molly Dorr, Chris Ferguson, Eve Hannah, Hal Holbrook, Madeline Howell, Ron Judd, Dave Kessler, Michael Long, Hannah Miller, Kelly Moon, Angela Pearson, Amy Rowles, Rob Rudeen, Kaitlyn Sage, Haley Washington and Janet Whitlow.

The show begins at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays through April 26 - except there will be no matinee on Easter Sunday, April 12.

All shows are at the Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove. Tickets are $19, $17 for seniors and students; call 942-8001 or go to www.cottagetheatre.org.

Arcadia

Lane Community College

Friday through April 18

Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" is a fast-paced comedy that often leaves viewers searching for a script after they see the show the first time, in hopes of finally getting all the jokes.

The story takes the audience back and forth through time, via poetry, chaos theory and landscaping.

Mary Unruh directs a student production at the Lane Community College Blue Door Theatre, 4000 E. 30th Ave.

Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and April 9-11 and 16-18; a matinee begins at 2 p.m. April 12.

Tickets are $10, $8 dollars for students and seniors; call 463-5761 for reservations, which are recommended at the small venue.

Free the Northwest 10!

Lord Leebrick Theatre

Friday through Sunday

Take a half-dozen local playwrights, throw in a theater company dedicated to nurturing new theater, and the result lands on stage this weekend at Lord Leebrick.

Free the Northwest 10! is a festival of new 10-minute plays that opens Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon, offering not only performances but discussions with playwrights, actors and directors following each performance.

The plays are "Performing Monks" by Dorothy Velasco, directed by Mary Fjelstad; "Incubus" by Richard Leinaweaver, directed by Corey Ennis; "A Wilderness of Monkeys" by Connie Bennett, directed by Fred Gorelick; "The Magician" by Elena Hartwell, directed by Elena Hartwell; "Bring Me the Head of Dufresne Fish" by Paul Calandrino, directed by Richard Leinaweaver; "The Finger" by Kato Buss, directed by Richard Leinaweaver; and "Neverland" by Kim Kelly, directed by Fred Gorelick.

Ensemble members include Ellen Chace, Callie Coles, Larry George, Zoe Grobart, Richard Leebrick, Bruce Lundy, Rebecca Nachison, Marla Norton, Dan Pegoda and Tom Wilson.

Curtain time is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 for students, at 465-1506.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

HomeSource Advanced?Shakespeare Troupe

Friday through April 10

William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," staged by HomeSource, a resource center for home-schooling families.

The show is directed by Janet Steiger Carr and features performances by Kevin Shunk (as King Oberon), Natalie Plumb (Queen Titania), Zach Ropp (Puck) and James Hershiser (Bottom). Others in the cast are Maeve O'Connell, Christian Nilsen, Levi Raymond, Jessamyn Van Den Elzen, Bridgett Johnson-Elliott, Danielle Thaxton, Sarah Dahl, Katie Hart, Tyanna Hose, Alayna Biersdorff, Heather McDonald, Kaitlyn Moore, Austin Sahagun, Liam O'Connell, Nick Knight-Meigs and Rayna Viles.

Curtain is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Eugene Bible College, 2155 Bailey Hill Road, and at 8 p.m. April 10 at the Churchill High School Auditorium, 1850 Bailey Hill Road.

Tickets at both venues are $3 at the door.

The United States of America

Newport Performing Arts Center

Friday through April 18

"The United States of America," which opens Friday at the Newport Performing Arts Center, is a musical comedy based on the 1961 comedy album by Stan Freberg.

Director Morgan Locklear says he was a big fan of Freberg's album when he was a child; Freberg's parody imagines Christopher Columbus sailing to Miami Beach; Gen. George Washington picking out the right boat to cross the Delaware River; and Abraham Lincoln discussing stand-up comedy with his psychologist.

Heading up the cast are Stephan Atkins (as Columbus and Washington) and Justin Atkins (Thomas Jefferson, Mayor Pennypacker and Peter Tishman). The cast also includes Jeanie Davenport, Danny Roberson, J.J. Hendricks, Josh Behn, Nikki Atkins, Hanna Kamikawa, Robert Keller, Karlia Burtness, Kyle Burtness, Ted Rich, Susanna Hiltman-Rich and Jeff Orn.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and April 10-11 and 17-18. Matinees begin at 2 p.m. April 12 and April 19 at the center, 777 W. Olive St., Newport.

Tickets are $13, $10 for students and seniors; call (541) 265-ARTS.

Romeo & Juliet Hip Hopera

Springfield High School

Tonight through Saturday

"Romeo & Juliet Hip Hopera" opens tonight and runs Friday and Saturday in a student production by the Springfield Acting Ensemble at the Springfield High School Studio Theater, 875 Seventh St., Springfield.

Jill Plumb directs the show, which combines Shakespeare's language with a modern setting, hip-hop narration and four original dances choreographed by Sarah Bixby.

The story follows Shakespeare's tragic love story between Romeo (Alex Graham) and Juliet (Nikki Haines) amid the ancient feud between their two families.

Leading the Capulets is Tybalt, the temperamental Prince of Cats, played by Alec Crisman. Standing in his way are Mercutio and Benvolio (Shenea Davis and Kelsey Gardiepy). Ethan Findal is the rapper narrator.

Also featured are Jimmie Berguin, Kate Kimball, Andrew Luke, Jaysper Maricle, Sammi May, Lanie Owens, Hannah Roberts, Courtney Stalker, Rebecca Wooldridge, Kelsey Howe, Angie Knight, Mariah Lussi, Katie Peters and Andrya Spiry, Katie Besio, Amanda Gonzalez Merrill and Cristian Rosales.

Tickets are $5. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended; call 517-9028.