Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/Inland 360
Joe Kaufman, portraying Cord Elam, prepares to jump through his lasso during a dance number May 22 during a rehearsal for the Lewiston Civic Theatre production of "Oklahoma!" at the Normal Hill Campus in Lewiston, Idaho. Kaufman says he was roped into auditioning by his daughters, who are also in the cast. “It’s exciting to get to do something new — I’ve never been in a play like this before!”
“Oklahoma!”
Lewiston Civic Theatre
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays next Thursday through June 29.
Where: Former Lewiston High School auditorium, Normal Hill Campus, 1114 Ninth Ave.
Tickets: $12-$20 at lctheatre.org or by calling the box office at (208) 746-3401.
Guest director Dan Sharkey brings no less than Broadway experience to Lewiston Civic Theatre’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” but he was a newbie when he played Curley in college in 1982. It was the first show he ever did.
“I forgot how great it is, what a beautiful show it is,” Sharkey said before a recent rehearsal.
Now more mature, he said, he has a different understanding of the “patterns of love and life” he said are so strong in the show.
The story centers on Laurey, a farmer’s daughter, and Curley, a cowboy, who seem bound to be together from the beginning, but have to find their way there.
Their growth is mirrored in relationships throughout the play. Couples choose their life partners; Oklahoma Territory becomes a part of the United States.
“It’s really kind of a coming-of-age story for everybody,” Sharkey said.
Arthur H. Trickett-Wile/Inland 360
Guest director Dan Sharkey watches during a rehearsal for the Lewiston Civic Theatre production of "Oklahoma!"
That journey starts with the song “People Will Say We’re in Love.”
“I always just thought it was this beautiful ballad, but really it’s so deep,” Sharkey said.
As Laurey, played by Monica Evans, teases Curley, played by Micheal Keene, about how he likes her more than she likes him — and vice versa — “it becomes an emotional moment with underlying qualities of real love,” Sharkey said. “Allowing yourself to be vulnerable to someone else is what that song is about to me.”
He trimmed a bit of dialogue to streamline the show and removed some misogyny, he said, but audiences will experience the classic musical essentially as they remember.
Guest choreographer Becky Stout, of the Los Angeles area, spent three weeks in Lewiston getting things started, and has been “Zooming in” and relying on Lewiston Civic Theatre regular Abby Seward to carry out her vision for the dance numbers.
“She (Stout) really nailed the line of challenging people so they have to work on it, but not so much that they get discouraged,” Sharkey said.
It’s an exciting show, he said, with a cast of about three dozen and a 29-piece orchestra.
“It’s gonna be stellar.”
August Frank/Inland 360
Natalie Brooks plays the fiddler during a rehearsal at Venture Church in Moscow for APOD Productions’ coming performance of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
"Fiddler on the Roof"
APOD Productions
When: 7 p.m. June 13-14; 19-21 and 1:30 p.m. June 14-15 and 21.
Where: Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St., Moscow.
Tickets: $12-$22 adult and $8-$17 child at apodproductions.org/show-tickets.
Another classic musical opens next week, with Moscow-based APOD Productions’ “Fiddler on the Roof.”
The story follows the members of a Jewish family who ultimately are driven from their home in Russia during turn-of-the-19th-century pogroms.
The cast of 46 — ages 6 to 79 — brings the family and village members’ joys and struggles to life in a play that’s for all ages, APOD Executive Director Rebecca Payne said.
Mike Long, shown during a recent rehearsal, plays the rabbi in APOD Productions' coming performance of “Fiddler on the Roof."
“We really love this show,” Payne said. “It’s just such a timeless story, and it’s relatable at every stage of life.”
She said she remembers relating to the girls singing “Matchmaker,” and now, at 49, she’s moved by the family’s patriarch, Tevya, saying goodbye to his child and grandchild, unsure if he’ll see them again.
It was the first play she and her husband, Todd, did together back in college, she said, when they were just friends. The Paynes — he directs the show — founded APOD in 2010. Their daughter, Heidi Payne, choreographed this production.
Yenta, the matchmaker, is played by University of Idaho retiree Lauren Fins, reprising the role from multiple previous productions.
“She is Jewish, so she brings that to the role,” Rebecca Payne said.
A fun detail to watch for during the performance: The actors performing the famous bottle dance aren’t using any tricks — they’re actually balancing the bottles on their heads.
“They’re going to do it for real,” Payne said. “They’re determined. They’re doing a good job.”
August Frank/Inland 360
From left, Sandra Evenson, Marie Benson (obscured) and Paul Segren rehearse for Pullman Civic Theatre’s production of “Blithe Spirit,” opening June 13.
NOTE: This performance has been postponed until later this year.
“Blithe Spirit”
Pullman Civic Theatre
When: 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays June 13-15 and 20-22.
Where: Pullman Civic Theatre, 1220 NW Nye St.
Tickets: $20 at pullmancivictheatre.org/tickets/blithespirit and at the door.
Noël Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” satisfied Pullman Civic Theatre’s criteria for the first show of its first full season back since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We wanted to do something that was a classic that was funny and dynamic,” Pullman Civic Theatre board member Holly Greystone said. “We really wanted to push ourselves artistically.”
It also was a great fit, Greystone said, for the theater company’s stage, in the space above Rosauers.
“People really feel like they’re part of the show,” she said. “The stage comes right up to them.”
August Frank/Inland 360
Gretchen O’Connor plays the role of Madam Arcati in Pullman Civic Theatre's coming production of “Blithe Spirit."
There’s “a little bit of magic and mysticism” in the mix as a dead wife haunts her remarried husband, and Pullman Civic has a “wonderful, diverse group of people bringing the show to life,” Greystone said.
The show is the first of four planned for this season, and the nonprofit theater group has hopes of bringing back acting classes for children and adults as it continues its comeback. It’s currently raising money for technology improvements, including better lighting and updating its tech booth.
Auditions for the theater’s production of Roald Dahl’s “The Twits” are set for 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 440 NE Ash St. in Pullman.
Children of all experience levels are invited to audition, including first-time performers. Those with backgrounds in gymnastics or tumbling are encouraged to participate.
“It’s a fun, silly show filled with physical comedy and creative chaos — perfect for kids ready to jump into something magical and quirky,” Greystone said.
“right before I go.”
Moscow Community Theatre
When: 7 p.m. June 14.
Where: Inland Oasis, 730 W. Pullman Road, No. 3.
Tickets: $15 general or $10 seniors/students at moscowcommunitytheatre.org/tickets
The one-act show, written by television screenwriter and producer Stan Zimmerman, “brings to life the last words written in letters by individuals lost to suicide — including celebrities, veterans, kids that were bullied, LGBTQ and the clinically depressed — and those who have survived suicide attempts,” according to a Moscow Community Theatre news release.
The play, which debuted at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2015, now is performed nationwide to raise awareness for suicide prevention. It’s presented here in cooperation with Suicide Prevention of the Inland Northwest, or SPIN.
A presentation by a SPIN staff member will follow the show, and counselors will be present to answer questions and offer help.
“She Kills Monsters”
Gladish Players
When: 7 p.m. June 28 and 3 p.m. June 29 after debuting June 21 during Palouse AnimeFest (bit.ly/gladishanime).
Where: Gladish Community and Cultural Center, 115 NW State St. in Pullman.
Tickets: $12 for adults, $8 for ages 13-18 and free for students with ID at cftagladish.org/gladish-players.
Audiences can expect sword fights, five-headed dragons, cheerleader succubi — and maybe a dance battle to the death when The Gladish Players presents “She Kills Monsters” later this month.
Gladish office manager Nikoe Valentine, directing for the first time, said the show by Vietnamese playwright and screenwriter Qui Nguyen “has a lot of heart.”
“It’s about family and finding community and learning to reconnect with your past,” Valentine said. “And it’s a really important show, especially, for the LGBTQA community, especially in this political climate, that I think is important for us to be telling right now.”
The protagonist embarks on a quest to better understand her late sister after stumbling upon her Dungeons and Dragons notebook in the show, which is recommended for those 13 and older because of language, fantasy violence and thematic material.
Also this month:
Summer Musical Theatre Camp
Regional Theatre of the Palouse
Free weekly showcases on Fridays by summer camp participants, ages 8–17, at 122 N. Grand Ave. in Pullman.
June 20: “Stepping into the Spotlight”
June 27: “Wonderful World of Disney”
July 11: “Hollywood Premiere”
July 18: “Broadway Show Revue”
Information about participating: (509) 334-0750.
In-person auditions for RTOP’s 2025-26 main stage season are from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the theater. Virtual submissions are accepted year-round; a form is at rtoptheatre.org/productions/auditions.
Those auditioning should prepare 16-32 bars of a musical theater-style song.
Scheduled shows are “Annie,” Aug 14-24; “Man of La Mancha,” Oct. 16–26; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “A Grand Night for Singing,” Feb. 19-Mar 1, 2026; and “Into the Woods,” April 1-26, 2026.
Stone (she/her) can be reached at mstone@inland360.com.
