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The Western Stage announces its exciting 2005 season!

The Western Stage celebrates the continuation of its 30^th Anniversary with the announcement of its spectacular 2005 Season! In The Studio Theater - Arsenic & Old Lace, John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, The Waiting Room and The Cherry Orchard; On the Mainstage - Anything Goes, Bat Boy The Musical, Victor Villasenor’s Rain of Gold and Wind in the Willows. By donating and becoming a Friend of The Western Stage you ensure yourself first choice in seat selection! Call the box office at 755-6816 for more information, or visit the website at westernstage.com. Season subscriptions are still available! (99 Word PSA)

Titles and dates are subject to change.

The Western Stage continues its 30^th Anniversary Celebration with its exciting 2005 Season of theatre for everyone! An 8-show season filled with familiar favorites and challenging new plays that will intrigue and entertain you with universal themes, relevant topics, and great fun!

We will open our 2005 Season in The Studio Theater with Arsenic & Old Lace,

by Joseph Kesselring (June 3 – July 2) - A hilarious, madcap black comedy with murderous aunts, elderberry wine, and unfortunate victims! One of the most hilarious and enduring comedies in American theatre.

Anything Goes by Cole Porter (July 16 – August 6) will open on the Mainstage. A de-licious, de-lightful, and de-lovely screwball musical comedy! An evening of dance, romance, mismatched lovers, mistaken identities, and the de-wonderful music of Cole Porter. It’s the top!

A newly developed revival of our original world premiere, John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, adapted by J. R. Hall will take place from August 5 - 28 in The Studio Theater. The lives, loves and unbelievable humanity of the unforgettable characters that haunt the alleys and back streets of Monterey’s legendary Cannery Row return to The Western Stage.

Bat Boy The Musical, Story and Book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe descends upon the Mainstage in September (3 – 24). Don’t miss the music! The romance! The pointy ears! Ripped from the headlines of The Weekly World News comes a classic love story with a serious bite. No bats were harmed during the making of this musical . . .

The 2005 season continues in The Studio Theater with The Waiting Room by Lisa Loomer (September 23 – October 16) - A challenging play from one of America’s hottest new playwrights! Three women from different centuries meet in a doctor’s waiting room. A dark comedy about the timeless quest for beauty—and its cost. A terrifically moving, wild ride through issues of gender and the state of the American health care system.

The most recent version of Victor Villaseñor’s Rain of Gold, adapted by Michael Roddy and Maria Elizabeth Malagamba Roddy will return to the mainstage from October 22 – November 5. Don’t miss the much-anticipated homecoming of The Western Stage’s sweeping adaptation! Victor Villasenor’s epic tale of his family’s rich heritage in Mexico and eventful immigration to America is a history familiar to millions of California immigrants. An unforgettable theatrical event!

Anton Chekov’s final masterpiece, The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Robert Brustein, based on a translation by George Calderon, will round out the Studio Theater’s season from November 11 – December 11. As the old world gives way to the new, the Gaev family faces bankruptcy and the loss of their estate, including their greatest asset, the cherry orchard. A classic from the canon of dramatic literature.

The unforgettable characters from Kenneth Grahame’s beloved classic will spring to life in the sparkling musical adaptation of Wind in the Willows by Alan Bennett, with lyrics and music by Jeremy Sams. This joyful, magical musical about the delicate balance among all living things and the surpassing value of friendship will light up the Mainstage from December 2 - 17. A show for the entire family – filled with plenty of heart and warmth for the holiday season!

Don’t miss The Western Stage’s 2005 Season – theatre for everyone. Consider joining the Friends of the Western Stage and be one of the first in line for your choice of seats to this spectacular new season! Subscription packages are still available. Donate online NOW at westernstage.com or call 831-770-6181 to discuss a donation package, tax deduction and season tickets.

Dawn Flood, Publicist

Titles and dates are subject to change.