Olympia Little Theater sticks with proven formula for new season

This season at Olympia Little Theatre, even what’s old is new.

The community theater is presenting a mix of classic and fresh works, including a staged reading of artistic manager and first-time playwright Kendra Malm’s “Life is Complicated.”

This time around, though, even the older plays — including one by Noël Coward — are new to the theater, which is unusual for a company founded in 1939 and fond of classic comedies.

“None of these plays have ever been performed on OLT’s stage before,” said Toni Holm, president of the theater’s board. “Usually, we’ll have one play at least that has been performed in the past.”

Keeping things fresh is a priority, said Malm, who took over as artistic manager last fall.

“I would like to do more modern comedies, mixed in with some lesser-known classics from the ’60s or before,” she said. “I don’t really want to do a lot of the things that everyone does, like Neil Simon. If we are going to do Neil Simon, we’ll do a Neil Simon play that no one else does.”

Malm said she wants to keep the theater on the same course it has long followed.

“I would like to see us continue with our strengths,” she said. “Our niche is the comedic, the lighter, more accessible pieces, rather than serious dramas or more avant-garde pieces.”

The theater’s 76th season opens Friday (Sept. 11) with just such a comedy: “Calendar Girls,” a theatrical version on the popular 2003 film, based on the true story of a group of British women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for a hospital.

The season has a bit of a theme that arose unintentionally, Holm said. Most of the shows have some connection to theater or show business. In the case of “Calendar Girls,” the actual women became international celebrities after releasing the calendar.

Here’s a look at the rest of the season, which includes two Pop-Up Plays or staged readings, a concept the theater introduced two years ago.

“Unwrap Your Candy”: This frightful Halloween treat by Doug Wright features four one-act thrillers, including one in which an unsuspecting audience, played by actors, gets involved in some frightening goings on.

“It’s deliciously disturbing,” Holm said. They’re not horror stories, but they are disturbing. It’s guaranteed to keep you awake at night.”

“The Game’s Afoot (or Holmes for the Holidays)”: A funny mystery, this play by Ken Ludwig follows the adventures of an actor best known for playing Sherlock Holmes. He invites fellow cast members to a party at his home and gets an unexpected opportunity to investigate a real mystery when one of the guests is stabbed.

“Circle Mirror Transformation”: This 2009 play by Annie Baker, who won a Pulitzer Prize for 2014’s “The Flick,” examines the relationships among the students in an adult creative drama class.

“Waiting in the Wings”: This will be a staged reading of the Coward classic that peeks into a retirement home for actresses, where the residents — all former stars — deal with dramas and jealousies.

“Blame it on Beckett”: This sharp comedy by John Morogiello is about a dramaturgy intern mired down by office politics and dreaming of improving the state of the theater.

“The Lion in Winter”: James Goldman’s drama about Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II approaches the royal family’s conflicts with a comedic tone. The play became the 1968 movie with Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins and Peter O’Toole.

“Life is Complicated”: Another staged reading. Malm wrote this play about a 40-something single woman whose life is turned upside down after her mother reveals a secret about her past.

“Other Desert Cities”: This Pulitzer-nominated 2011 drama by Jon Robin Baitz is about a family with Hollywood connections and conservative politics. When the family gathers for the holidays, one of the daughters announces that she plans to write a memoir about a tragic event in the family history.

This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 8:25 PM with the headline "Olympia Little Theater sticks with proven formula for new season."