Ghost on the Oregon Coast At Dead Center of Cannon Beach Theater Comedy

Published 10/02/22 at 5:34 PM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Starting now, visitors to the north Oregon coast town of Cannon Beach will be asking “who – or what – is Nathaniel Coombes?” (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

You and one major character in the play Gramercy Ghost will be asking this as Cannon Beach's Coaster Theatre Playhouse has started running shows already, performing every weekend until October 29. Performances are 3:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 16.

Nancy Willard begins wondering about her new charge when she starts to care for Nathaniel after her landlady dies at 103 years old.

Nancy soon learns that she has been left something named Nathaniel Coombes in addition to her house. Nathaniel is the handsome ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier killed in 1776, who has been doomed to an earthbound existence for something he failed to do in the war. As a result of meeting her ghost, Nancy's life is turned upside-down, and mayhem results.

A ghost on the Oregon coast has never been so amusing.

Gramercy Ghost is directed by Deanna Duplechain and features Rhonda Warnack as Margaret Collins, Katherine Lacaze as Nancy Willard, Michael Murdoch as Parker Burnett, M. Duck as Augusta Ames, Marcus Liotta as Charlie Stewart, Sean Cooney as Nathaniel Coombes, Frank Jagodnik as Officer Morrison/Rocky, Cyndi Fisher as the Ambulance Driver/Irv, , Molly Oien as the Assistant Driver.

Tickets are $20 or $25; they can be purchased at the theatre box office (503-436-1242) or online at coastertheatre.com. The box office is open 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 12:30 p.m. to curtain on performance days.

The theatre company just celebrated 50 years.

Way back in 1972, in a little corner of the Oregon coast, a Portland patron of the arts named Maurie Clark purchased a somewhat dilapidated old building that had been a skating rink when it opened in the 1920s and later a silent movie house. After an extensive remodel, Cannon Beach's seminal Coaster Theatre Playhouse opened up.

Work began that February, with designer Ray Watkins looking to create something the local residents would aesthetically be comfortable with, “so we're using warm, Oregon woods.”

In 2001, the Oregon coast landmark became a not-for-profit company, and to this day still hosts important cultural events for Cannon Beach.

At this time, everyone must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter the Coaster Theatre on performance day. Face masks are optional but encouraged. The Coaster Theatre recommends visiting coastertheatre.com or contacting the box office closer to the performance for possible changes to the theatre’s COVID policy. MORE CANNON BEACH BELOW

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Above: Coaster Theatre in previous decades, courtesy Cannon Beach History Museum

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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