Northwest Ten galloped onto the stage of Oregon Contemporary Theatre last weekend, featuring new works from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia playwrights.
Dale Light’s These, Our Mindless Hearts, directed in delightful soap-opera style by Geno Franco, crackles with fun Dallas/Dynasty-era tropes and features Kim Fairbairn and Patrick Purdue, who seem to relish the opportunity to chew the scenery.
The Quail, by Matthew Weaver and directed by Christopher McVay, investigates a 40-year marriage from different moments in time. Melanie Moser as Younger Jillian stands out for the complexity and emotional charge she develops, tempered by William Campbell as Nolan, who finds himself externally at-peace but internally reckoning.
Connie Bennett’s Rouge/Noir dips a quill into history, bouncing along a timeline from the invention of fairy tales to the 1970s to right now. Mark Larson as writer Charles Perrault swirls at the center. Directed by Inga Wilson, this ambitious piece asks more questions than it answers — about #MeToo, about consent, about our culture — which is likely the point.
Kate Danley’s Kings of the World, directed by Ty Potter, trains a light on two barflies who’ve had another of those kinda days in a string of those kinda days. Kali Kardas and Brittany Dorris exchange hilarious banter, and Dorris, in particular, excels at physical comedy.
Grand Canyon, by Scott Stolnack, digs into an everyday experience, scattering ashes, or trying to. Directed by Erica Towe, this piece features sympathetic and multi-dimensional performances from Hilary Ferguson as a Park Ranger and Paul Rhoden as the grief-stricken Sam.
Talk Time, by Clare McDonald, directed by Scott Frazier-Maskiell, connects to bigger, unknowable questions, through the heart and mind of a child. As young Isabel, Story Frazier-Maskiell offers the timing, delivery, cadence and confidence onstage of a seasoned veteran actor. Emma Resk does a great job matching Ms. Frazier-Maskiell’s skills.
Directed by Maggie Hadley, Here to Serve You, by Barbara Lindsay — and featuring Russell Dyball as a put-upon Ted and Blake Beardsley as too-chipper Tim — pits us all in a bad situation: middle-of-the-night layover at LAX. As Tina, Basia Brady offers little comfort in this screwball farce.
Throughout the performance, Eric Richardson on stand-up bass adds just the right vibe.
And if they gave out awards for “Best Play” at NW10, the award should go to Eric Braman’s Dirty Dishes, directed by Cullen Vance, featuring beautiful performances by Alex Dang and Benjamin Sanders. Lyrically written, with great characters, big action and brave direction, this play shines like the sun.
NW10 continues at 7:30 pm March 22-24, and 2 pm March 25. A talk-back with playwrights follows the Sunday matinee. Tickets are $15-18, available at octheatre.org or 541- 465-1506.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519