Bloglander

What to see in local theater this weekend:

20 actors. 13 plays (each about 10 minutes long). 12 playwrights. 8 directors. Two hours of your time. Zero dollars of your money. “Hit and Run IV” at Auntie’s on Saturday at 2 pm.  Lots of bizarre premises and surreal situations. You’ll laugh a lot. It’s free. 838-0206 or here.  

Pirates at Soccer Practice: Little Jeremy Jacob is playing in his sandbox when a gang of pirates suddenly appear. They’re in need of a good digger to help them dig up a treasure chest. Sounds good to J.J. — as long as the nice pirates get him home in time for soccer practice. So off he goes on a grand adventure — though the pirates’ carelessness about bedtime stories and sharks proves a little disconcerting. Maybe J.J. would be better off staying with his parents after all. 

The Spokane Children’s Theatre production’s costumes and staging will aim at recreating several of David Shannon’s illustrations for Melinda Long’s 2003 book. Director Buddy Todd has been busy corralling all the buccaneers who serve Captain Braid Beard (Dennis Craig) in a chaotic musical number (“The Storm”), and Jeremy Jacob (Carter Martin) will sing “Pirates Never Tuck You In” while teetering atop a mountain of sleeping marauders. 

Spokane Children’s Theatre presents How I Became a Pirate • Sat-Sun, Oct. 9-10, at 1 pm; Sat, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, at 1 pm and 4 pm; Sun, Oct. 17, at 1 pm and 4 pm; Sun, Oct. 24, at 1 pm • Tickets: $12; $10, children • Spokane Masonic Center, Commandery Room • 1108 W. Riverside Ave. • Visit: spokanechildrenstheatre.org • Call: 328-4886 or (800) 325-SEAT

[ photo: Dennis Craig as Captain Braid Beard and Carter Martin as Jeremy Jacob in SCT’s How I Became a Pirate, running Oct. 9-24 at the Masonic Center in downtown Spokane ] ---

It’s like watching the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Brian Gunn is exceptional as the guy in horn-rims, and Yvonne Johnson directs so that you’ll feel like standing up next to the screaming bobby-soxers. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story continues through Oct. 24 at Spokane Civic Theatre; it’s on this weekend Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm. Students can get in for as little as ten bucks. 

Just three more chances for you to bone up on the singing version of Argentine political history from 75 years ago: It’s called Evita. (You may have heard of it.) She keeps telling us not to cry. We cry, anyway. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm; closes on Sun at 2 pm. Lake City Playhouse in CdA.

Improv comedy at the Blue Door:  It’s all made up on the spot, and when these quick-witted folks get in their groove, it can be very, very funny. All-ages shows on Fridays at 8 pm; a show with a more adult sensibility explodes onto the stage on Saturday nights at 9 pm. All in the funky Garland District, and all for about the price of a movie. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave., 747-7045 or here. 

This show is gonna wash Spokane right out of its hair after tomorrow night: Even if you’re not a Gleek and only want to see South Pacific as a historical curiosity .. .. this is as good a production as you will ever see in your lifetime. At the INB Center tonight at 8 pm, and Sat. at 2 pm and 8 pm. Preview is here. Giant-ass review is here. The basics are here. 

Also coming up:

Friday, Oct. 15:  Liza Minnelli at the INB Center and WWE Raw at the Arena, both at 8 pm — however are we supposed to decide? Because some of us, you know, are capable of appreciating the beauty of men in bikini briefs who break bottles over one another’s heads and .. .. wait, they did that in Cabaret, too. Anyway, it’s the Great American Songbook versus the Choke-Hold — and both make us squirm with delight.

Two Zags in Romeo and Juliet! Steven Gray as Tybalt and Kelly Olynyk as Abraham in G-Prep principal Kevin Connell’s production, in the Magnuson Theater at GU (east end of College Hall, formerly aka the Admin Bldg.) on Fri 22 Oct at 7:30 pm; Sat 23 Oct at 2 and 7:30; Thurs 28 Oct at 10 am and 7:30 pm; Fri 29 Oct. at 10 am; Sat 30 Oct at 8 pm; and on Halloween at 2 pm.  Write [email protected].