Best Local Theater Company

1. Very Little Theatre, 2350 Hilyard St., 541-344-7751, TheVlt.com.

2. Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, 541-465-1506, OCTheatre.org.

3. Actors Cabaret of Eugene, 996 Willamette St., 541-683-4368, ActorsCabaret.org.

On Sept. 29, the cast of The Mousetrap took its final bow, concluding a run that spanned three weekends. With that, the venerable Very Little Theatre reached an important milestone.

The Mousetrap was VLT’s 500th production, a landmark achievement that has its roots in 1929, when Eugene theater enthusiasts gathered with the idea of joining the “Little Theatre Movement” that was growing nationally. On May 16, 1929, that group performed You and I by Philip Barry at the Heilig Theatre, a vaudeville house in Eugene at the time, and VLT has been running strong ever since, this year winning Best Local Theater Company as voted by EW readers.

VLT moved to its current home in the early 1950s, and while there have been some cosmetic changes in recent years — think the additions of No Script Society improv group, Minority Voices Theatre and Illioo Native Theatre as well as physical renovations during the pandemic — the long-running house still aims to move audiences in an intimate setting. That, says Adrienne West, VLT’s general manager, is intentional.

“Live theater is as close as we can come to making magic,” West says. “The theater is a safe place to have emotions.”

So take a bow, VLT. EW readers have responded with a standing ovation. They love you. “The future for us is bright,” West adds. — Dan Buckwalter

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