It’s November 5, and already holiday bells are beginning to jingle in Oregon theaters. Whether the shows are coming too soon or not soon enough depends on your perspective. Among people who celebrate Christmas, some refuse to snip a single sprig of holly until after Thanksgiving, while others – especially those dispirited by polarizing politics – are eager to start decking the halls this year.

But can holiday decorations actually make you happy? Yes, according to a 2017 Independent article. “‘In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood,’” the article quoted Steve McKeown, a psychoanalyst. And that article was written before a little old thing called COVID-19 swept across the world.

If festive theater also makes people happier, you can get a head start with your holiday cheer this month at Lakewood Theatre, which is presenting A Christmas Story: the Musical, and at Portland Center Stage, where Liberace & Liza: Holiday at the Mansion is back at the Ellen Bye Studio.

And for audiences who are perfectly happy without holiday shows, thank you very much, 21ten Theatre is producing E.M. Lewis’s Dorothy’s Dictionary, and StageWorks, Ink is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its rock operetta Flash Ah-Ahhh! with an encore production of the comic-strip-inspired camp-fest.

Check out the listings below to find the kind of play that adds a jingle to your step.

A first for E.M. Lewis: “Dorothy’s Dictionary”

E.M. Lewis, the award-winning playwright renowned for her five-and-a-half-hour Antarctic epic Magellanica, which premiered at Artists Repertory Theatre in 2018, has always had a yen to write a “two-hander,” a play for just two characters. While she admires the “concentrated energy” of such plays, actually writing one herself was a different story, she said in a recent phone conversation. “I tried a couple of times and a third character snuck in, so this is my first real two-hander,” Lewis says, referring to Dorothy’s Dictionary, which will be making its West Coast premiere at Ted Rooney’s tiny 21ten Theatre this month.  

“I think Ted is doing a great job with a space that is so intimate, and I love my theater intimate,” Lewis says. “I like to be close enough to reach out and touch the story.”

In this case, her story is about Zan, a high school student who’s gotten into trouble and is forced to do community service for Dorothy, an ailing librarian. Finished right before the pandemic, Dorothy’s Dictionary is a play about an unlikely connection, a subject Lewis believes post-pandemic audiences are hungering for today.

“The polarization of our country is at a high roar,” she says. “I feel that is making us feel alone and separate from our neighbors and distrustful and disconnected.” It’s a breath of fresh air, then, to hear that Dorothy focuses on people who “don’t intend to go into each other’s orbit but are very enriched once they are, and their friendship becomes central to their lives.” 

Lewis’s personal connection to the play comes from more than one place. “I wasn’t a kid who got in trouble particularly when I was young, [but] I do certainly connect with some of Zan’s lostness and displaced feeling and not knowing where to put my emotions when I was about 14 or 15 years old.” Primarily though, she says the play “became a place to put my love for books and stories and libraries and the good work they do of matching people and books together.” Growing up on a farm in Monitor, Oregon, the nearest library was in Mt. Angel, and her library card was her “most prized possession,” she says. “I would check out the maximum number of books that they would let me each week, which was fourteen, by the way.”

Dorothy, the winner of the 2022 Portland Civic Theater Guild New Play Award, stars Kerie Darner and AC Campbell, and is 21ten’s fourth BareBones production, a program that presents absorbing shows without the frills of elaborate sets and props, making it easier to take plays on tour to libraries, schools, correctional facilities, and retirement communities throughout Oregon.   

While Lewis says Dorothy wanted to be a small play, she’s working on another piece of more epic proportions: a story that combines Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, and Artificial Intelligence. She’s especially grateful for the support of a six-year National Playwright Residency at Artists Repertory Theater from the Mellon Foundation, which allows her to work full-time on such projects. With two more years left in the residency, she says she has the freedom to “think big and to continue to ask the big questions – as a human being, as an American, as a person in the world – that are rattling around in my heart and soul.”

The prolific writer’s plays have humble roots. Ideas for new stories are perpetually popping up in her brain, and she’s constantly scribbling them down on sticky notes and the backs of envelopes before she forgets them. Her writing process, as she describes it, has echoes of Joseph Campbell’s metaphor of Arthurian knights who forge their paths through the deep forest without the aid of maps. “I don’t know the ending when I start a play. I’m going into the woods, seeing what will happen, if I can find the other side.” For Lewis, the surprises she finds along the way are exciting. “I sit down at my desk here on the farm in my little office, and I’m like, ‘Oh, where am I going to go today?’ and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.”

“Dorothy’s Dictionary” will be onstage at 21ten Theatre, Nov. 7- 24.

Ready to Rock: FLASH AH-AHHH!                                                                           

“At a time when Star Wars and its spin-offs have inspired special effects men to bust a gut making their interplanetary adventures look real, Flash Gordon is cheerfully willing to look as phony as it is,” Roger Ebert wrote about the 1980 camp classic movie, which starred none other than Max von Sydow and Topol (a.k.a. Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof). 

In 2014, Steve Coker, the artistic director of StageWorks, Ink, one-upped the movie, turning the story into a space operetta called Flash Ah-Ahhh! For this year’s 10th anniversary production, Illya deTorres is donning his deliciously silly, swooping blond wig again to reprise his role as Flash, a New York Jets football hero who must save planet Earth from destruction. With an onstage pillow fight, cheesy trick-or-treat-style costumes, and 17 Queen songs sung by the cast, including the “Flash Theme” and “We Will Rock You,” the play promises to rocket audiences away from the daily problems they face here on Earth.

“Flash Ah-Ahhh!” will be at the Chapel Theatre in Milwaukie, Nov. 8-23.

Dance, Ralphie, dance!: “A Christmas Story, The Musical”

This toe-tapping show at Lakewood Theatre in Lake Oswego promises to entertain whether or not you’re a fan of the 1983 movie, in which nine-year-old Ralphie Parker tries to persuade his family to give him a BB gun for Christmas. Nominated for three 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the story is originally from a 40-year-old radio script by Jean Shepherd, who wrote the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, which then inspired the movie and the musical. The latter features music and lyrics by Tony-and Oscar-winning Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) and a book by Joseph Robinette. Directed by Dennis Corwin, with assistant direction by Laura Hiszczynskyj, who is also the show’s choreographer.

“A Christmas Story, the Musical” will be at Lakewood Center for the Arts, Nov. 8–Dec. 15.

Come on, get happy: “Liberace & Liza: Holiday at the Mansion“

David Saffert and Jillian Snow are back as the sparkling Liberace & Liza. In 2023, Marty Hughley wrote for ArtsWatch, “Saffert and Snow portray their celebrity characters with a great balance of musical skill, comic chops and sincere affection that elevates the performances from impersonation into tribute.” Directed by Chip Miller and written by Snow and Saffert, the show is onstage at Portland Center Stage’s Ellyn Bye Studio Theatre, which will be transformed into the Moroccan Room, a glitzy party space in Liberace’s Las Vegas mansion.

“Liberace & Liza: Holiday at the Mansion” plays at Portland Center Stage Nov. 10-Dec. 22.

ALSO PLAYING IN NOVEMBER

Spirit Level, at Tigard’s Mask & Mirror, Nov. 1–17 

After famous crime writer Jack Cameron and his wife Susie drown in a boating accident, they entertain themselves by haunting  the country cottage where they lived and scaring away would-be tenants … until Simon, an aspiring crime writer, and Flic, his pregnant wife, move in. See Spirit Level at Mask & Mirror in Tigard.

Cat Kid Comic Club meets at Oregon Children’s Theatre, Nov. 1–17

Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog start a club to teach 21 baby frogs how to make their own comics, but chaos ensues when the frogs start bickering. The show, by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander — the writers of Dog Man: The Musical — promises to be a “madcap musical based on Dav Pilkey’s irreverently hilarious book series.” Besides live actors, Cat Kid features puppets designed and constructed by AchesonWalsh Studios. Directed and choreographed by Marlo Hunter, the musical runs about 60 minutes and is recommended for ages 6 and up. Cat Kid Comic Club will play at the Newmark Theatre.

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, at University of Portland, Nov. 13-24

With Greg Allen’s Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes), every night will be a different show. First, the audience picks the order in which scenes are performed, then the actors have to get through the whole performance before time runs out. Presented by the University of Portland, this excerpt from the ongoing devised show promises to be “an exercise in audience participation, stretching the bounds of theater, and letting loose.” Directed by Andy Christensen at Mago Hunt Theater.

Hadestown, at Eugene’s Hult Center, Nov. 15–17

Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards and the 2020 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, this love story weaves the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice with the myth of Hades, who abducted Persephone  and made her Queen of the Underworld. Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell wrote the show, and it’s directed by Rachel Chavkin. Hadestown, which is part of the Hult Center’s Broadway in Eugene program, is billed as “a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience.”

A reading of Mimetic Desire, at Twilight Theater, Nov. 16

This is the last new play this season in the Mikki Gillette Reader’s Theatre series, and the press for Mimetic Desire sounds intriguing … and as intricate as a Shakespearean comedy: “When trans man Alec woos the partners of his friends, trans woman Mia and trans man Danny — upending their college friend group — betrayal, envy and heartbreak swirl. The course of true love is anything but smooth in this tart, queer comedy.” One night only at Twilight Theater.

Alice By Heart, at Beaverton School District’s Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, Nov. 14-24

The musical Alice by Heart, written by Steven Sater, Duncan Sheik, and Jessie Nelson, is about a young girl in 1940 who hides in the London Underground during the Blitzkrieg of WW2. For solace, she turns to the memory of her favorite childhood story, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. More than 60 students are working together on this retelling of the classic story.

Ride the Cyclone – a concert performance at Pacific University, Nov. 16 & 17

Directed by Anne McKee Reed, the concert performance of Ride the Cyclone follows six members of a Canadian chamber choir who take a roller-coaster ride to the great beyond. When they find themselves in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites them to tell a story and win another chance at life. According to the press, this “gritty, comedic musical” asks what it means to live a well-lived life. With book, music and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.

Songs of Resilience: A Cygnet Salon Staged Reading, at 21ten Theatre, Nov. 18

Produced and directed by Louanne Moldovan, Cygnet Salon is offering what it calls a breath of air and a break from election angst. “We asked members of our Cygnet Salon cohort how they’re getting through this hard year,” a Cygnet press release states, “and each spoke of writings or poetry that inspired them to find and nurture their resilience.” As a result, the group is presenting readings of poetry by Mahogany L. Browne, Lucille Clifton, Louis Jenkins, Mary Oliver, Dorothy Parker and Walt Whitman, plus essays by Brian Doyle, and writings by what Cygnet Salon calls “other full-hearted word-crafters.” See it at 21ten Theatre.

Last chance to see these shows

The following plays are all running through Nov. 10:

—Amélie at Portland Playhouse. Read the ArtsWatch review here.

—Canciónes de la Familia at Milagro Theatre.

— Sweeney Todd at Twilight Theatre. According to Twilight, it’s their best-selling show ever.

— Gidion’s Knot at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland.

— The Event! at Artists Repertory Theatre. ArtsWatcher Darleen Ortega reviewed it here.

—Infinite Life by Third Rail at CoHo Theatre. Read the ArtsWatch review here.

Plus, Sweeney Todd at The Greenhouse Cabaret in Bend runs through Nov. 23.

Coming later in November: some non-holiday fare

Twelfth Night at Portland Center Stage, Nov. 24–Dec. 22

Waiting for Godot at Corrib Theatre, Nov. 29–Dec. 15

Little Shop of Horrors at triangle productions!, Nov. 29–Dec. 21

Christmas in late November

A Christmas Carol at Portland Playhouse, Nov. 26–Dec. 29

Broadway Rose’s Hallmark spoof Five Golden Rings, Nov. 27–Dec. 22

Passin Art’s Black Nativity, Nov. 29–Dec. 15

Stumptown Stages’ It’s a Wonderful Life, Nov. 29–Dec. 22

Rudolph at NW Children’s Theatre, Nov. 30–Dec. 29

Drama News

Experience Theatre Project Finds a permanent home in Beaverton

Experience Theatre Project has plans to turn an empty warehouse located in Beaverton into an arts hub. Besides using the space for their own works, such as the delightfully intimate The Importance of Being Earnest, in which audience members sat in the very parlor where Jack and Algie gobbled cucumber sandwiches, the group wants to welcome underrepresented artists and art groups that may not otherwise be able to afford to rent other venues.

The Experience Artspace will have an open house on January 4, 2025. More information about the new space and how artists can get involved will be on their website later this month.

Lincoln County Cultural Coalition offers grants

On November 15, 2024, Lincoln County Cultural Coalition (LCCC) will open applications for its 2025 grant cycle, funding programs that deliver arts, culture, heritage, and humanities to the residents of Lincoln County. Nonprofits, individuals, schools, and civic organizations throughout Lincoln County are encouraged to apply on their website. Applications are due by January 17, 2025. 

For the 2025 cycle, up to $2,000 will be awarded for each grant. Oregon Cultural Trust provides funding for these grants through annual taxpayer contributions through the state’s Cultural Tax Credit. LCCC will also be accepting applications for the Mark Sponenburgh Memorial Trust (SMT), with up to $3,500 awarded for each grant. 

Free Lincoln County grant application workshops Dec. 11 & 16

Led by experts from the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition, this free, informative session will step participants through the process of writing a successful grant proposal. Newcomers and seasoned grant writers welcome. The in-person workshop will take place at 11 a.m. December 11 at the LCSD Teaching & Learning Center in Newport. A Zoom version will also be offered at 5:30 p.m. December 16. Space for both workshops is limited, but you can reserve your free spot by registering online.