Jilted women hire hitmen in ‘dark’ Coaster comedy
Published 12:45 am Thursday, May 15, 2025
Sara Spangler, left, and Cyndi Fisher play two women who scheme to hire hitmen to take out their boyfriends in “The Norwegians,” a dark comedy which opens at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach May 17. Patrick Webb
Sara Spangler, left, plays Olive, a character who tries to restrain Minnesotan hitmen Gus and Tor (Ryan Hull and John Hoff) when they attack the wrong person, her friend Betty played by Cyndi Fisher, in a scene from “The Norwegians,” a dark comedy which opens at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach May 17. Patrick Webb
Texas line dancing takes on a whole new flavor in wintry Minnesota with some antler headgear in a scene from “The Norwegians” at the Coaster Theatre. Watched by pretend cowboy Ryan Hull, are Sara Spangler, left, and Cyndi Fisher. Patrick Webb
Minnesota hitmen Gus and Tor (Ryan Hull, left, and John Hoff) try to intimidate Olive, played by Sara Spangler. She and her friend Betty are jilted by their boyfriends and their initial solution is revenge — by hiring the hitmen to remove their problems. Patrick Webb
CANNON BEACH — It is billed as “a dark, bitter comedy with some really nice hit men.”
“The Norwegians” is the latest play in the 2005 season at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach.
The show highlights what happens when two women, from Texas and Kentucky, link up with unsuitable men in Minnesota. When both relationships go sour, they seek to hire hit men to whack their ex-boyfriends.
As they ponder on being jilted, and the pain it caused them, one character exclaims, “Why can’t I just be happy? Why is that so hard?”
The cast consists of Cyndi Fisher, Sara Spangler, John Hoff and Ryan Hull; Nancy Watkins was recruited as understudy.
Director Deanna Duplechain flew in her former graduate school colleague Monica Blaze Leavitt to help her cast work on Norwegian, Texas and Kentucky accents. Leavitt also led workshops with North Coast theater troupes.
“I think they were grateful for the instruction,” Duplechain said, noting that the Midwest Norwegian voice is tricky because a speaker can lapse into sounds more akin to Irish. “It is kind of musical to hear all the dialects together.”
Duplechain herself has Norwegian heritage and had enjoyed the play when she viewed an early production. It had begun as a short 24-hour write-and-stage-a-play challenge in 2015 then expanded into a full script. An Off-Off-Broadway production ran for a year and caused the New York Times to write, “This profane, playfully dark comedy is often hysterical.”
Reunion
During the covid shutdown, the author, C. Denby Swanson, streamlined it. She had been in Austin at the same time as Duplechain years ago, and their paths had crossed. On a recent trip to Texas, they reunited for lunch and the Cannon Beach director asked about the play’s intent. “She refused to explain it,” Duplechain laughed. “She just said, ‘Have at it.’”
Hull is enjoying doing just that. He appreciated the voice tutoring from Leavitt for his goofy hitman character Gus. “When you first start out, it’s daunting, but then you watch ‘Fargo’ and there it is!” he laughed. “You don’t want to be stereotypical, and with that professional help with nuances you have the confidence to lay it on then take it back a bit.”
The Coaster show opens May 16 and runs through June 7. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and $35, available online at https://coastertheatre.com, at the theater box office or by calling (503) 436-1242. Parents are cautioned that the play may be unsuitable for children under 14 because of its adult language and mature themes.
Cindy Carr, who has an authentic Kentucky accent, is the stage manager, Sondra Gomez is again doing costumes and Mick Alderman has built the set and designed the lighting. Other backstage helpers are Sam Dinkowitz, on sound and projections, Juan Lira has painted the scenery, and Tod Adamson has pitched in where needed; Duplechain also designed the set.
The director’s challenges — in addition to the accents — have included keeping momentum going with 24 scenes, including flashbacks, as well as a dance. “The cast is doing a great job,” she said.
As for potential audience responses, Duplechain expects them to be mixed. “It is a very dark comedy and it has some absurdity to it,” she said. “I think reactions will be differing.”
“The Norwegians”
A dark comedy by C. Denby Swanson, directed by Deanna Duplechain
Coaster Theatre Playhouse, 108 N. Hemlock St., Cannon Beach
7:30 p.m. May 16-17, 23-25, 29-31, June 5-7.
Tickets: $35 or $30, online at https://coastertheatre.com, at the box office or call (503) 436-1242.
