Farces and classic musicals

COEUR d'ALENE - The Lake City Playhouse announced the shows of its 2013-14 season this week, offering a host of farces and classic musicals that should bring more theater lovers back into the fold, predicted Executive Artistic Director George Green.

And, ideally, keep ticket sales on the rise, he added.

"We continually see people come through the door who say, 'I haven't been here in 10 years,'" Green said. "Those folks who haven't been here in 10 years, we want them to come more regularly."

The Coeur d'Alene community theater's next season kicks off in July. Many will recognize the acclaimed titles on the schedule, Green said, like opening show "Damn Yankees" and closing "Guys and Dolls."

There's a common denominator there, Green said: Both shows have jaunty songs, lively dance numbers and diverting plots that appeal to audience members of single and double-digit ages.

"The musicals being presented are much lighter fare than the ones we've had this season," Green said.

The musical "Little Women," scheduled for January 2014, follows the same train of upbeat melodies with endearing message, he said.

He lauded the pre-season opener "Bat Boy," an Edward-Scissorhands-ish comedy/horror story about a half-boy, half-bat who tries fitting into a West Virginia town.

"It's a fantastic show. It's interesting, to say the least," Green said.

Other shows were also picked to lift audiences' moods, Green said, like farces "Christmas Belles" and "Lend Me a Tenor." Written by Ken Ludwig, Green said, "Lend Me a Tenor" offers all the raucous chase scenes of a farce on a simple scale.

"It's very fast moving, what you typically see in farces, people in and out of doors quickly," Green said with a chuckle." But it's a very small cast, so it's a very manageable production for us."

Seats will likely fill quickly next May for the famous dark comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace," depicting a pair of doting, elderly women who specialize in putting old gentlemen out of their misery.

It's a recognized favorite that hasn't appeared on local stages in years, Green said.

"One of the biggest challenges with a lot of theaters is finding comedies that aren't constantly overdone," he said. "Because ('Arsenic and Old Lace') is one of those chestnut title plays, it seems like the right time to do it."

"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" is also slated for next spring, a show with an amusing plot covered pretty well in the title.

To balance the lighter fare, Green has scheduled the drama "Wit" to run from next February to March, he added.

Set in a hospital room, the award-winning play portrays an English professor reflecting on her life and profession after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, he said.

"The story 'Wit' is exceptional," Green said. "It's a very moving production."

Lake City Playhouse saw ticket sales continue to rise this past year, he said. The 2010-11 season boasted 400 season ticket holders, compared to 60 the season before, he said.

"We want 500 season ticket holders next year," Green said.

The playhouse continues improving its infrastructure, he added, with plans for upgraded sound and lighting systems, as well as renovated bathrooms.

Ticket prices will be set and tickets will be available on Jan. 28, he said. For information on pricing and shows, call the box office at 667-1323.

The playhouse will soon be offering a 10-year season pass package for $1,000, Green added, which will protect participants from inevitable ticket price hikes.

Beyond that, big plans are always in the works for the local stage, he added.

"For many years, the playhouse was in the position of, 'We need to figure out how to survive,'" Green said. "Now we're in the position, 'What more can we bring to the community?'"