A ghostly, mind-bending romance in Cannon Beach

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, September 28, 2022

A poster for “Gramercy Ghost,” billed as “a ghostly romantic comedy” at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach.

Inheriting a house from one’s elderly landlady may seem like an unexpected boon, but when it includes a resident ghost, not so.

Such is the premise for the play, “Gramercy Ghost,” ready to open Friday at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach.

Set in 1951 and billed as a romantic comedy, one can anticipate entertaining complications as the new homeowner, Nancy Willard, finds herself distracted with three love interests, a dashing Revolutionary War soldier ghost and two handsome (live) suitors.

“What a fun production with a wonderful cast,” Deanna Duplechain, debuting in her first directorial opportunity at the theater, said. “It’s a period piece set within a period piece as ghosts appear from the 1700s in a 1950s setting.”

Duplechain notes that it’s interesting, for a period piece, that the script is rather modern. “The author introduces Nancy as an editor working in a publishing firm in New York City, a job rare for a young woman in the 1950s,” she said. “He also left some characters purposefully gender nonspecific, so I could cast women in some otherwise traditionally male roles. I even have one actress playing two different characters, both a man and a woman,” she added.

Even though the play marks Duplechain’s first directing foray in Cannon Beach, she has had a long and varied career in the theater, having been involved on the East Coast scene.

Realizing that opportunities writing and directing for women in theater were difficult, she became a founding artistic director of the Women’s Workshop in New York.

“After several years in New York, one day I was walking down the street and thought, ‘how nice it would be to have a house, a yard, a car, or even my own washing machine,’” laughs Duplechain, recalling the moment. “I loved New York. It was exciting and exhilarating, but it was time I moved on.”

She then moved west to Las Vegas, where she helped to create the Nevada Theatre Company. Then, after eight years and many productions, Deanna felt it was time to move on again.

“I adore the theater, but it can be all-consuming and I find it exciting to do other things,” Duplechain said. “I write poetry and short stories and found it healthy and good to take a break, to try different things.”

Moving on is nothing new for Duplechain, having grown up in a military family. “We lived in Eugene, so I was always comfortable in Oregon,” she recalled. “Throughout the years I would return to visit. I’d seen a few productions at the Coaster and about four years ago I considered theater again and said to myself, ‘That’s where I want to be.’ Everything’s fallen into place and here I am.”

Outside of the theater scene, Duplechain is also the development coordinator at Cannon Beach History Center & Museum.

She finds the play compelling because of historic developments in the era. “The 1950s was a time when psychiatry and interest in the mind was expanding,” she said. “The ghost becomes a vehicle unsettling, yet guiding Nancy, at first calling into question her own sanity.”

“It’s exciting to revive the play as part of the theater’s 50th anniversary celebration. I adore the cast and I never get tired of watching them,” Duplechain said. “It’s just a lovely ensemble and the play is so much fun.”

‘Gramercy Ghost’

Coaster Theatre Playhouse, 108 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach

7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29

Admission is $20 to $25. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test must be shown to enter the theatre the day of the performance. Masks are optional but encouraged

www.coastertheatre.com

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