Open auditions for Agatha Christie’s “Mousetrap” on April 22 & 23

Come join Brush Creek’s production of the world’s longest-running play! Having opened in London in the fall of 1952, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie has been in continuous production for more than seven decades. And this finely crafted dramatic mystery is coming to the Brush Creek stage!

We are holding open auditions at the following dates and times:

6 pm Monday, April 22

6 pm Tuesday, April 23

The show will perform three weekends, opening Friday, June 7, and closing Sunday, June 23. Interested actors of all experience levels are encouraged to audition either or both dates. No preparation is needed to audition — the director will rely on cold readings from the script (and perhaps other exercises) to cast the following characters:

Mollie Ralston: the wife of Giles Ralston, Mollie is the young owner of Monkswell Manor, a Victorian era estate that has recently been converted into a guest house.

Giles Ralston: Mollie’s husband of one year, Giles is the co-host of Monkswell Manor.

Christopher Wren: A flighty, obviously neurotic young man, Chrisopher Wren is a guest at Monkswell Manor.

Mrs. Boyle: Stern and generally unpleasant, Mrs. Boyle is a guest at Monkswell Manor.

Major Metcalf: A typical retired British military officer, Major Metcalf is a guest at Monkswell Manor.

Miss Casewell: Miss Casewell, another guest at Monkswell Manor, remains mysteriously aloof from the other guests.

Mr. Paravicini: An unexpected guest at Monkswell Manor, Mr. Paravicini is there only because his car became stuck in a snowbank during a terrible blizzard.

Detective Sergeant Trotter: A late arriving guest at Monkswell Manor, Detective Trotter is trying to establish a relationship between any of the guests and a recent murder at another location.

Summary of Play from Publisher:

After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. This record-breaking murder mystery features a brilliant surprise finish from Dame Agatha Christie, the foremost mystery writer of her time.

You can reach Director Norman Gouveia with any questions by e-mail at NormanJr1@msn.com or by voice or text at (503)871-6788.

 

“Witnesses: First Century Testimony to the Life of Jesus” runs 2 weekends beginning Friday, March 22

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)

Auditions for Brush Creek’s “Miscast” Cabaret 3/7, 3/10, 3/11

Brush Creek Players are inviting any interested actors, singers, dancers, and musicians for our new “cabaret” performance.
Director Russell Olivera, Jr. will be casting “Miscast: Twisted Broadway, Cabaret & More! 2024” at the following open auditions:
Thursday March 7, 2024 @ 6pm To 8pm
Sunday March 10, 2024 @ 5pm to 7pm
Monday March 11, 2024 @ 4pm to 6pm
All auditions will be held at Brush Creek Playhouse, which is located at 11535 Silverton Rd NE, Silverton, Oregon 97380 (intersection of Brush Creek and Silverton Roads).
We need male, female, and mixed ensembles of actors, singers, dancers, etc.
We also are seeking musicians, including a piano/keyboard player, acoustic guitarist, musicians, And we are actively recruiting lighting and stage crew/hands.
Brush Creek is committed to celebrating diversity and community theater on our stage and in our audiences. We welcome all ages, genders, races, abilities, orientations, and beliefs – theater is for everyone!
Please Prepare as many as these as you can for your audition:
~ A 1 minute Broadway style song & a 1 minute song of your choice & style (see *note below).
~ A 1 minute monologue or dramatic reading.
~ A 1 minute dance if your a dancer.
~A 1 minute selection on your musical instrument if you play an instrument.
All roles are open. *Bring your own boombox, player, speaker and track, CD, MP3, etc. for your music. Or be prepared to perform it a cappella.
Please submit theater resume/experience list & head shot if you have them (though it’s not mandatory)
If you have any questions or if you need a different audition time or date, please call or text…
…Russell Olivera Jr. (Director)
(415) 845-5242 (Text or Leave Message)
or
…Jennifer Abell (Assistant Director)
(971) 382-6389 (Text or Leave Message)

“Jack & the Beanstalk” opens 3-weekend run March 1

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The Brush Creek Players are opening the 2024 season with Jack & the Beanstalk, written by Michael Wood and Em Wood and directed by Linda Zellner. Our annual children & youth production opens Friday, March 1, and will run for three weekends, with performances at 7 pm on Fridays & Saturdays and matinees at 2 pm on Sundays. The final weekend of the run also includes a 2 pm Saturday matinee on March 16. The play is being produced by arrangement with Evander Dramatic Press.

Reserved seat tickets can be purchased at the show’s ticketing website https://our.show/bcp-beanstalk (yes, that’s a brand-new feature at Brush Creek!) for just $12 ($10 for children, seniors 60 and over, and students).

Performances
Fri. Mar 1st 2024, 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar 2nd 2024, 7:00 pm
Sun. Mar 3rd 2024, 2:00 pm
Fri. Mar 8th 2024, 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar 9th 2024, 7:00 pm
Sun. Mar 10th 2024, 2:00 pm
Fri. Mar 15th 2024, 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar 16th 2024, 2:00 pm
Sat. Mar 16th 2024, 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar 17th 2024, 2:00 pm

About the Play!
This is the second time that Jack and his adventures have graced the Brush Creek stage, and we are very excited to once again host this collection of marvelous characters. The story itself is hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, of years old, but our play is a fresh and particularly entertaining take on the story.

You will see Jack, his mother, the Peddler, and the Giant, of course. But you will
also see mysterious fairies, a princess, and the giant’s wife – as well as three helpful gnomes who help Jack on his adventures (although he often doubts that they are quite as “helpful” as they believe they are).

Although at times Jack’s tale is presented as a “message” tale, complete with one or more “morals of the story,” the present play is best viewed as a traditional farce, a humorous tale written with no real purpose beyond the enjoyment of those involved, whether the actors, the audience, or a reader.

Come, join the adventure, and enjoy the ride!

 

If you have questions about the production or need to discuss group ticket purchases of 8 or more, please contact Michael Wood (via voice or text) at 503-508-3682.

“Ebenezer” opens 3-weekend run December 1

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!