“Olympic Stages Showcase: An Evening of Community Theater” brings together three essential community art organizations for a special event on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Field Arts & Events Hall, 201 W. Front St., Port Angeles.
This collaborative event brings together the county’s three major theater organizations — Ghostlight Productions, Olympic Theatre Arts and the Port Angeles Community Players — for a night of comedy, drama and musical performances by some of the area’s most beloved actors.
The Olympic Stages Showcase event is free and open to the public, with a “pay what makes you happy” option. All donations received will be equally divided between Ghostlight Productions, Olympic Theatre Arts, Port Angeles Community Players and Field Arts & Events Hall.
Audiences will enjoy a preview of the upcoming theatrical season alongside highlights from recent productions as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how each organization brings theater to life during a meet and greet experience at Field Hall before the 7 p.m. show begins.
The event offers the perfect opportunity to revel in the diverse talents of our local performers while learning more about the organizations that have collectively supported community theater for decades.
Field Hall will open to the public at 5 p.m. prior to the performance to offer behind-the-scenes “making of” experiences and opportunities to meet with cast and crew members from each organization. Learn more about artistic opportunities on and off the stage, become a volunteer, or just meet and mingle with fellow live performance lovers. Theatrical attire encouraged.
The organizations
“This event is not only a showcase of talent but also of the strong community bonds we share in the arts,” said Mark Lorentzen, artistic director of Ghostlight Productions. “When our organizations collaborate, we create something even greater than the sum of our parts. We can’t wait to share the stage and remind our community how much we can accomplish together.”
Ghostlight Productions is the Olympic Peninsula’s Musical Theatre Company. Founded in 2015, they strive to bring professional caliber musical theater to the Olympic Peninsula and are currently working to reimagine and rebuild the historic Lincoln Theatre campus as another enhancement to the vibrant downtown Port Angeles landscape.
They are currently wrapping up their 2024 season with Stephen Sondheim’s chilling musical thriller, “Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” That show opens on Halloween night with a special opening performance, and runs through Nov. 9. For all information about “Sweeney Todd,” The Lincoln Renovation project and upcoming events, visit ghostlightwa.org.
“Theater cannot thrive without the community that it serves,” noted, Dave Herbelin, executive director of Olympic Theatre Arts.
“Theater cannot thrive without the community that it serves. Our supporters have always been the heart of our productions, and it’s through their involvement that we can continue to grow, evolve, and entertain for another hundred years.”
Olympic Theatre Arts (414 N. Sequim Ave.) recently wrapped production of “The Importance of Being Earnest”; upcoming events include the Out Loud Story Slam “Grand Slam Event” on Oct. 11th and Imagined Reality improv comedy on Oct. 12. OTA is currently preparing for “Night of the Living Dead,” set to stage Oct. 18-27. See olympictheatrearts.org.
“For over 70 years, Port Angeles Community Players have presented live shows where stories come to life and where our community can gather and connect,” noted Ken Winters, board president for the Port Angeles Community Players (PACP).
“With exciting new venues, creative collaborations, and our local audience’s help, we’ll continue creating that magic for years to come.”
Since 1952, the dedicated volunteers of the PACP have presented a variety of stage productions for the enjoyment of the community. Their production of “Almost Maine” premiered at the Port Angeles Community Playhouse, 1235 E. Lauridsen Blvd. on Sept. 27. See pacommunityplayers.org.
Field Arts & Events Hall opened in July 2023 with a mission to be “a home for arts and events that bring people together and strengthen our community.”
Representing the newest addition to the local arts landscape, Steve Raider-Ginsburg, executive director of Field Hall, added: “We’re thrilled to partner with these esteemed organizations. Together, we’re ushering in a new era for the arts in Clallam County—one where collaboration ensures the ongoing success of our vibrant cultural scene.”
Upcoming events at Field Hall include musical performances with Irish folk troupe Ko Tonga Cheol: Weaving Music in the New Ireland (Oct. 6) and Chilean singer-songwriter Nano Stern (Oct. 8), the latter of which is co-presented with Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts as part of an “In Harmony” series.
On Oct. 18, internationally acclaimed “musicians of silence” Mummenschanz will begin the American leg of their “50 Years” tour, celebrating five decades of comedic, heartwarming, and surprising mask theater. Additional upcoming events can be found at fieldhallevents.org/calendar.
