Another take on Alice

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp recently inhabited the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll to mixed reviews. Christopher Hampton's theatrical adaptation of the famous children's story offers another take, at Chemeketa Community College May 13-22.

Gabrielle Brewer-Wallin directs the play "Alice's Adventures Under Ground" that brings to life Hampton's own emotional dreams that are found in Carroll's books.

The ninety-minute production highlights characters that embody the perception children have of adults as logically incomprehensible and overly sensitive.

Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $10; students and seniors pay $8.

For more information or to reserve tickets, call 503-399-6980.

Songs of a gambling man

Majestic Theater transforms its stage and transports the audience to New York City and Havana, Cuba as Corvallis Community Theatre presents, with song and dance, "Guys and Dolls."

Salvation Army girl Sarah Brown is essentially a pawn in a bet placed between Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson. Detroit, played by Tony DeMeo, is desperate to fund his floating craps game so he bets Masterson, played by Joseph Battrick, one thousand dollars that he won't be able to take Brown to Cuba.

While Sky is eventually able to convince Sarah to join him, Nathan battles with his fiancé of fourteen years, Adelaide, played by Nancy Beaudry. Meanwhile in Cuba, Sky ends up falling in love with Sarah and tries to reform his gambling ways. When he returns back to New York, he bets all the members of the floating craps game that if he wins his roll of the dice, they will all have to go to church and repent. If he loses, he will give them each a thousand dollars.

Director Richard Wagner presents this musical production May 14-30 with evening performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $13 for seniors and students. For more information, go to www.corvalliscommunitytheatre.org.

An affair to forget

Longtime Theatre West director Bonnie Ross offers up another Neil Simon script with the production of "Chapter Two" which runs May 6-29.

The semi-autobiographical play features George Schneider (Bryan Kirsch) as the protagonist - a recently widowed writer who is introduced to soap opera actress Jennie Malone (Cindy Martin) by his younger brother Leo (John Farrell), who wants George to start dating again. George, with memories of his first wife still at the forefront in his mind, is hesitant to enter a new relationship.

The subplot that develops becomes much more of a farce when Leo starts a fling with Jennie's sister Faye Medwick (Lindsey Neilson).

Performances begin at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62 and up) and $7 for students and children under 12.