Stage West Community Theatre announces 17th season and audition calls
Published 1:30 am Monday, June 22, 2026
Stage West Community Theatre has announced its 17th season, which will feature four productions selected from nominations put forward by board members.
Among the plays to be performed are two written by Sarah Ruhl who received a MacArthur Fellowship and PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award: For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday and Eurydice.
“Our goal is always to build a season that inspires our volunteers, engages our audiences, and reflects the artistic range of our community,” Pam Nygaard, the outgoing president of Stage West, shared via email.
The holiday production You Better Watch Out and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks are described by Nygaard as offering “heart, humor, and strong roles for our local actors.”
Those who have attended Stage West Community Theatre productions will recognize the directors – Arlene Nissen and Lori Hardin – with a new addition, Naomi Watkins. Watkins, who performed in Hello, Dolly!, was featured in an earlier From the Wings column “Grays Harbor College students perform Our Place for spring drama.”
All productions will be held at the Ocean Shores Lions Club, 832 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW.
2026-2027 Season
You Better Watch Out – Directed by Arlene Nissen
Dec. 4-13, 2026
It’s Christmas Eve at the Willow Inn. The hosts Jenny and Tom are having Art, (Jenny’s father who’s still mourning the passing of his wife) see their bed and breakfast for the first time. There’s a snowstorm raging outside and three travelers are forced to lodge at the inn and wait it out. The Inn’s handyman learns a wonderful secret while they wait.
For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday – Directed by Arlene Nissen
February 19-28, 2027
When Ann thinks of her father, she immediately remembers playing Peter Pan in her hometown theater in Iowa, particularly when he used to bring her flowers after her performance. Her memory is jogged by the fact that she and her four siblings are in their father’s hospital room during his final moments. A loving look at a family’s view of death, life and the allure of never growing up.
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks – Directed by Lori Hardin
May 14-23, 2027
Lily, an aging but formidable retiree, hires Michael, an acerbic dance instructor, to give her dance lessons in her condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Antagonism between a gay man and the wife of a Southern Baptist minister gives way to profound compatibility as they swing dance, tango, foxtrot, and cha-cha while sharing barbs and intimacies along with the dance steps.
Eurydice – Directed by Director in Training Naomi Watkins, Mentored by Lori Hardin
July 30-August 8, 2027
Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, the play is a fresh look at a timeless love story.
Upcoming Performances
What the Constitution Means to Me – The Driftwood Players
June 26-27, July 3-4 at 7:30 p.m. June 28 and July 4 at 2 p.m.
What the Constitution Means to Me is a playful and incisive analysis of the U.S. Constitution that examines how this living document could evolve to fit modern day America. The piece is based on the experiences of fifteen-year-old Heidi Schreck, who put herself through college by giving speeches about the U.S. Constitution. Now, she resurrects her teenage self to trace the document’s profound impact on four generations of women.
Tickets are available at https://main.aberdeendriftwood.com/.
Imagine A Dragon – 7th Street Kids
July 10 and 11 at 7 p.m.
July 12 at 2 p.m.
The dragon is back in town! Well … not really. That’s the story a ragtag band of innkeepers make up, desperate to draw questing heroes to the struggling Dancing Dragon Inn. Soon the inn is full of unexpected guests, from an army of princesses out to prove their bravery, to a group of overwhelmed heroes trying to hold onto their fame. But what happens if they all discover the innkeepers’ dragon story is made up? Could there be more than one way to save the day? An epic folk-rock score brings magic to this funny, heartfelt fantasy musical.
The Spongebob Musical – Bishop Center for the Performing Arts
Based on the animated series by Stephen Hillenburg, this is a vibrant, contemporary Broadway musical featuring an eclectic score by legendary pop and rock artists such as Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, David Bowie, and so many others. This is a family-friendly show with humor geared toward both children and adults, so bring everyone to come see our local talent bring the bold, imaginative world of Bikini Bottom to life, right here on the Bishop Center stage
July 16-18 at 7:30 p.m.
July 18-19 at 6 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available at https://www.ghc.edu/bishop.
Beetlejuice JR. – 7th Street Kids
July 30-31, August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
August 2nd at 2 p.m.
The ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in Beetlejuice JR., the frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon. Lydia Deetz is a strange and unusual teenager, still grieving the loss of her mother and obsessed with the whole “being dead thing.” Lucky for Lydia, she and her father move to a new house haunted by a recently deceased couple and Beetlejuice, a delightful demon with a real zest for life. When Lydia calls on Beetlejuice to scare away anyone with a pulse, this double-crossing specter shows his true stripes, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.
Tickets are available at https://7thstreetkids.org/.
Audition Calls
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Auditions are on Thursday, July 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. at United Christian Church 300 West 1st St. Aberdeen
The performance will be held during the Renaissance Faire on Sept. 11-13.
The roles to file are 2 teenage/college age males, 2 teenage/college age females, 9 people of any age (1 female and 1 male at least), 2 males and 1 female over 30.
For questions, email kdemasters@yahoo.com.
You Better Watch Out
Auditions are on Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for 7 roles: 5 Male and 2 female roles, ages 20-70. Rehearsals will run October 12 through December 2. Performances will be on Dec. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13.
