Owner of Woodland theater back from yearlong hiatus
By Sue Vorenberg
Published: February 12, 2015, 4:00pm
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Photos courtesy of Darcie Elliott Photography
The musical comedy "Nunsense!" will run through the end of February at the Love Street Playhouse in Woodland.Photo Gallery
What: “Nunsense!” a musical play about the Little Sisters of Hoboken, who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters.
Where: Love Street Playhouse, 126 Love St., Woodland.
If you used to watch performances at Vancouver’s Blue Parrot Theater 23 years ago, you may sense something oddly familiar about the new Love Street Playhouse production of “Nunsense!”
That’s because the Woodland theater production, which begins this weekend and continues through the end of February, has the same director and two of the same actors as the old Blue Parrot Theater did back then.
“When Kim Dewey and Gayle Beacock heard I was doing this show, they were just really excited,” said director Tony Bump. “When you get a new cast, you can go at a show from a new direction. But it’s different for these gals, too, because they’re more than 20 years older now.”
The musical comedy, written by Dan Goggin in 1985, tells the story of a group of nuns trying to raise money. They need the funds to bury several sisters after their cook accidentally poisoned the soup and killed them.
“Most of the nuns are killed, but they don’t have the money to bury the last four,” Bump said. “So they’re holding a fundraiser in Woodland in a bingo hall.”
The whole theater will be decked out like a bingo hall, and those in the audience will be given bingo cards and can interact with the actors.
“The nuns will come into the audience before, after and during the show,” Bump said. “The fun thing about this musical is it’s a small cast — there’s five parts — and they’re all fairly equal.”
The other actors in the show are Ashley Hall, Corrie Graham and Lorraine Little.
The production also marks the return of Love Street Playhouse after a one-year hiatus. Melinda Leuthold, who owns the venue, said she decided to take a break last year so she could spend more time with her family.
“Before this, I was the only one directing and producing, and I have two young kids,” Leuthold said. “It took its toll after awhile. And it was a good time to take a break as well because my father was dying. It was multifaceted, taking a year off for mental health and caring for my loved ones.”
After her father died, she re-evaluated how she operates the theater. So the new four-show season will include help, as well as a variety of directors and crew members.
“It was such a difficult decision to shut it down, because this little theater is my passion, my heart,” Leuthold said. “It’s often my reason to get up in the morning. And I wasn’t sure if people would come back, but so far this show has been selling faster than any show we’ve had.”
Her decision to bring more people on board has her excited about the new season. And she’ll still be involved in all the shows in some capacity. She’s producing “Nunsense!” She’ll perform in the spring production of “On Golden Pond.” And she’ll direct the fall production of “Dial M for Murder.” She’ll also be involved in the theater’s Christmas show, which hasn’t been fully worked out yet.
“I’m glad I have a lot of people helping me this time around and I’m not doing it all myself anymore,” Leuthold said. “It’s just more balanced. And my kids appreciate it.”
What: "Nunsense!" a musical play about the Little Sisters of Hoboken, who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters.
Where: Love Street Playhouse, 126 Love St., Woodland.
Cost: $13-$16 through <a href="http://www.lovestreetplayhouse.com">www.lovestreetplayhouse.com</a>
Information: <a href="http://www.lovestreetplayhouse.com">www.lovestreetplayhouse.com</a> or call 360-907-9996.
Other performing groups may also end up renting the theater for their own productions, which will add more shows to the lineup, she added.
Bump said he’s excited to see the Love Street Playhouse return to the region, especially after the Slocum House Theater in Vancouver shut down in 2012, leaving the Magenta Theater as the city’s last standing venue.
“We’re back at it and it looks like it’s going to be a fun season,” Bump said. “The Love Street Playhouse, it’s such a cute theater. It’s tiny, but it’s really wonderful.”
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