This week's theater calendar is a mix of community and college productions.
"OKLAHOMA!," the landmark Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, opens Thursday and continues through Nov. 1 in the Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 S. 900 East.
Bradford Garrison is directing. The cast includes Brittani Jensen Cavaness as Laurey, Jake Andersen as Curly, Maxine Summers as Aunt Eller, Russell Adams as Jud Fry, Al Saunders as Will Parker, Tia Callister as Ado Annie and Keith Callister as Ali Hakim.
Except for opening night, all performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. Curtain is 7:30 p.m. There is also one Saturday matinee, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and students and $6 for children (572-4144 or www.drapertheatre.org).
"MASQUE OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST," adapted for the stage by Michael Brill and directed by Owen Richardson, will have nine public performances at the Children's Theatre of Salt Lake, 638 S. State, between Friday and Oct. 16. There will also be several weekday matinees for school field trips from Oct. 4-June 27.
The cast includes Marion Strobell as Beauty, Steve Nichol as the Beast, Owen Richardson as Merchant (Beauty's father) and Logan Young as the Bank Solicitor, with Amy Richardson and Emily Holmgren as Beauty's two wicked sisters, Dispeppsia and Haughtense.
Public performances are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9 (532-6000 or www.childrenstheatresl.com).
The Children's Theatre of Salt Lake recently received a $15,000 donation from Mervyn's, earmarked for CTSL's innovative reading program, which motivates youths in the community to take an active interest in reading. The theater offers half-price daytime school matinees of productions based on popular children's books. Over the past 16 years, the program has reached more than 250,000 Wasatch Front children.
Due to popular demand, the company has also scheduled additional public performances of its most recent production, "Where the Wild Things Are" on Oct. 22-23.
"DRACULA," adapted for the stage from Bram Stoker's classic horror tale by Collin Kreuzer, is being presented Friday through Oct. 30 by the Academy Theatre Company, 3188 S. 400 East, South Salt Lake. The cast includes Kruezer in the title role and Kimberly Cooper as Lucy Westenra.
The theater company focuses on "family entertainment," but suggests that parents should use caution when bringing young children to this production due to its subject matter. While warning that the tale is calculated to "make your blood run cold," if patrons have any left to spare the company is joining with the Red Cross to host a blood drive on Oct. 16. All donors will receive a free ticket to the production.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children, students and senior citizens (898-2728).
COVENANT COMMUNICATIONS is hosting a "murder-mystery dinner" featuring nine of its mystery-fiction authors — one of whom may end up being a "dead body" at the affair. It's scheduled for Friday in the Orem Friendship Center, 93 N. 400 East, beginning with a book-signing by the writers from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and the audience-participation dinner at 7 p.m. Patrons should anticipate "something like a live version of the game Clue." Only one person knows who the culprit is — and that's the murderer.
Authors attending include Betsy Brannon Green, Clair Poulson, Jennie Hansen, Sian Ann Bessey, Kerry Blair, J. Michael Hunter, Michele Ashman Bell, Amy Maida Wadsworth and Robinson Wells.
Tickets ($17 per person) can be purchased in advance at Seagull Book & Tape stores in Spanish Fork, Orem and American Fork. They can also be ordered directly from the publisher (801-756-1041, Ext. 167). Due to the catered dinner involved, all reservations must be made by no later than Wednesday.
"AGAMEMNON,"University of Utah's touring Classical Greek Theatre Festival production, plays Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Weber State University's Austad Auditorium, Ogden. Tickets are $8.50 for adults and $5.50 for students and youths. A free preshow lecture by dramaturge Jim Svendsen, "Everything You Need to Know to Understand Agamemnon," will be presented at 6:30 p.m. in the adjacent Allred Theater (626-8500 or 1-800-978-8457).
"CRAZY FOR YOU," Ken Ludwig's 1992 Tony Award-winning musical based on music by George and Ira Gershwin, plays Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Ogden Amphitheater. All tickets are $5 and are available at the gate. The theater is located in the downtown municipal gardens, at the corner of Washington Blvd. and 25th Street.
"SEE HOW THEY RUN," Philip King's madcap British farce, plays Thursday through Oct. 9 in the Auditorium Theatre at Southern Utah University, Cedar City.
Richard Bugg is directing. The cast includes Michelle Caldiero as Miss Skillon, Jed Rudd as Rev. Toop, Elijah Eskelsen as Sgt. Towers, Jake Corn as Rev. Humphrey and Lillian Castillo as Ida.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $6 for SUU faculty/staff and $3 for students (435-586-7878).
"AN EVENING WITH EVE ENSLER," a one-woman show featuring the controversial author, playwright and social activist, kicks off the 2004-05 season for the Park City Performing Arts Foundation in the Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City.
Ensler is best known for her off Broadway play "The Vagina Monologues." She is about to open a new play next month on Broadway in the Booth Theatre, "The Good Body," a solo work that apparently extends her very "adult" repertoire to additional female body parts. It's been described as an examination of "why women the world over feel pressured and compelled to alter the way they look to fit into society."
There are no details, but the Park City performance is likely to contain some offensive material. The performance is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$30 (435-655-3114).
E-mail: ivan@desnews.com