Now in its 80th year, The Little Theatre of Walla Walla, 1130 E. Sumach St., has released its lineup for the 2024-2025 season.
Key on the lineup is the premiere of the Wine, Dine & Death fundraiser, a whodunnit taking place at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 in the Walla Walla Fairgrounds Pavilion, 363 Orchard St. Entry will not be allowed into the building once the show commences.
The interactive Sin City Slayer — A Vegas Murder Mystery is a brand new event for LTWW.
Tickets are $125 at ltww.org/. Seating is limited to 160. Dinner is being catered by TMACS with wines from Prospice Winery.
“ThefirstWine, Dine, & Death fundraising dinnerfor The Little Theatre of Walla Walla has been one of our largest projects to date and it has been really exciting to see it come together,” said Executive Director Martin Fortney.
More than 30 dedicated volunteers, who’ve been working on it since fall 2023, highlight the heart and spirit of the theater’s community and mission, he added.
“It’s inspiring to see how this event will not only contribute to immediate goals of the theater but also lay the groundwork for future expansions and accessibility improvements.
“Creating a unique annual event like this can become a cherished tradition,whichis really exciting for ourcommunity, by bringing people together and generating enthusiasm for both the theater and the arts.”
The “Cosmo Resort & Casino” setting for murder mystery dinner theater is set during the golden, glitzy era of 1950-1960s Las Vegas.
Attendees are encouraged to don period costumes:
For women, think the elegance of Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Angie Dickinson in co*cktail attire featuring pencil or bouffant circle skirts or dresses, often designed with portrait, halter or boat necklines.
For men, picture the Rat Pack’s Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Joey Bishop, who exuded cool in black, dark blue or brown three-piece business suits with skinny ties.
The guest list has quite a few characters played by LTWW cast members and some big-name celebrities. There will be a selection of silent-auction items on hand.
LTWW needs sponsors and volunteers for the event. Contactexecutive.director@ltww.org if interested in supporting the production or learning more.
The volunteer-driven, nonprofit produces four main stage shows per season and three children's theater outreach productions each summer.
“Our mission is to showcase the talents of local volunteers and to entertain and enrich our community by producing good plays done well,” Fortney noted in the latest issue of From the Wings electronic newsletter.
LTWW strives to present Broadway musicals, serious dramas, sophisticated comedies and children’s theater outreach experiences as well as workshops and training sessions, Fortney said.
“There is something and space for everyone. Our audiences and many volunteers are diverse in every way.
“Little Theatre was created in 1944 to serve as a place of opportunity for people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and skills to enjoy, participate in and learn about live theater from entry level and beyond.
“Our goal has always been and continues to be to act as a catalyst for community vitality and artistry as we serve our beloved Walla Walla Valley for many years to come,” Fortune said.
Season auditions and show dates are set, beginning with:
Auditions for “The Play That Goes Wrong,” are at 7 p.m. Aug. 20-21. It opens Oct. 25. The hilarious 1920s whodunnit unfolds on the opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” where things quickly go from bad to utterly disastrous. Characters include an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead and actors who trip over everything, including their lines.
“This is a wild, physical, funny and terrifyingly complicated production,” said LTWW Board member Kay Fenimore-Smith.
“The set is a major character in the play and the only way we felt somewhat comfortable taking this on is that we currently have a cadre of volunteers who are experienced in construction.”
Fenimore-Smith said the Kinsman Foundation is partially funding “The Play that Goes Wrong” with a grant specifically for the set, expected to be complex and expensive.
Auditions for “Guys & Dolls” will be 7 p.m. Oct. 29-30. The show opens on Jan. 31. The oddball romantic comedy is set in journalist-short story writer Damon Runyon's mythical New York City. Gambler Nathan Detroit tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Girlfriend, nightclub performer Adelaide, laments they've been engaged for 14 years. The plot takes the audience from Times Square to Havana, Cuba, and into New York City sewers.
Auditions for “The Father” will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 11-12. It opens April 4. AsAndrétries to make sense of his changing circ*mstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.It is a sobering, realistic family story and an unsentimental, emotionally intense look at the world from André’s perspective. The darkly humorous and deeply poignant play is about aging, dementia and love.
Auditions for “The Nerd” will be April 8-9 at 7 p.m. It opens May 30. Willum Cubbert, an aspiring young architect in Terre Haute, Indiana, has often told his friends about the debt he owes to Rick Steadman, a fellow ex-GI whom he has never met but who saved his life after he was seriously wounded in Vietnam. Promising to help Rick any way he can, Willum becomes alarmed when Rick shows up at his apartment. It’s apparent Rick is hopeless, bumbling, tactless, socially inept and unintelligent. His continued presence among Willum and his friends leads to one uproarious incident after another.
Two other special events are slated:
On Nov. 22-23, Tri-Cities acting troupe T-NADA will bring their radio version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to LTWW’s stage. Defined as “Theatre ... Not A Dying Art,” T-NADA explores human identity through the plays it produces and the community it serves. Made famous in film by Frank Capra, the troupe has performed the American Christmas classic on the Richland Players Stage numerous times and wanted to bring the show to Walla Walla.
Eric Herman and the Puppy Dogs will bring Magic Beans to LTWW Dec. 14-15, 21-22. It’s described as a “musical, theatrical, magical andbeanical experience” that appeals to all ages. It features a variety of songs and characters, acrobatic hula-hooping Hillia Hula and “wildly creative video projections and interlude scenes that range from the humorous to the existential.”
Reach out to LTWW at P.O. Box 39, Walla Walla, Washington, 99362, or online where the schedule, tickets and the newsletter are available.
The Save Your Seat Season Ticket package lets patrons choose their seats and show dates for all season productions at check out.
The Flex Pass Season Ticket package gives four tickets to use however patrons wish during the season. Reservations may be made when individual show tickets are released.
Individual show tickets go on sale 11 days before opening night.
The $70 season ticket packages, which include LTWW membership, will be available at the end of August.
Individual show tickets are $20, or $15 for students through college.
Retired editor/journalist Annie Charnley Eveland freelances the Etcetera column and stories for the Walla WallaUnion-Bulletin. Send contact name, daytime phone number, news and clear sharply focused photos as .jpg attachments to acereporter1979@gmail.com or call 509-386-7369.
Retired editor/journalist Annie Charnley Eveland freelances the Etcetera column and stories for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Send contact name, daytime phone number, news and clear sharply focused photos as .jpg attachments to acereporter1979@gmail.com or call 509-386-7369.
