“Peter Pan” is the tale of a boy who never grows up and his adventures with Wendy Darling and her siblings, Captain Hook and his pirates, Tinkerbell and her fairies, and the Lost Boys, in fantastical Neverland.

The show promises to captivate audiences of all ages. The production illustrates MarLo Dance Studio’s continued commitment to presenting a blend of inspirational storytelling and choreography, (ballet, tap, contemporary, jazz and hip hop), inviting audiences to experience the magic of live dance performance in unforgettable ways.

The show will run two weekends, May 8, 9, 10, and May 15,16, 17. All performances are at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Reserve seating is $20 – $25 in advance or $27 at the door. Advance ticket sales begin April 8. To purchase online, visit MarLoDance.com, or call 706-550-1416 to purchase by phone.

The professionally staged production delivers everything audiences could want in Peter’s Neverland adventures, from lavish costumes and sets to eclectic music, not to mention memorable dancing by youth and adult students.

“It’s a show you won’t want to miss, the kind of family event that brings a community together,” said MarLo founder Maria Merriam.

The production’s 112 dancers hale from both Coos and Curry counties to be part of Bandon’s unique program that focuses on a classical ballet foundation with jazz, tap, contemporary and hip-hop genres made available to youth and adults. As a performing arts school, MarLo specializes in providing a studio dance education while giving students opportunities to express dance in theatrical story-telling projects, including recent sellout productions of, “The Wizard of Oz,” and “The Nutcracker.”

Produced by Maria Merriam with direction by Faith Slater, MarLo Dance Studio is celebrating the 26th anniversary season of serving the greater Bandon area. For general questions about the program, call 541-252-1394.

Cover art by Annetta Adams featuring Vivian Nighswonger as Tinkerbell, Chase Robison as Peter and Ashlyn Fisher as Wendy.

The free drive-through Flu Shot Clinic will be held in its usual location, in the graveled parking area adjacent to the main baseball field at Bandon City Park. Signs will be posted on 11th Street SW to clearly guide people.

This year, the hospital will offer both the high-dose vaccine for those 65 and over as well as the regular dose vaccine. In addition, COVID vaccine boosters will be available. It is safe to have both shots on the same day, according to medical professionals.

Supplies are limited, so those wishing to receive the vaccines are encouraged to come early and remain in their cars and medical staff will assist. For more information, visit SouthernCoos.org.

Which worked out just great with a son like me who knew it all. Well, not all of it. But a lot of it. Okay, not a lot, but some . . . ahh, who am I kidding? I didn’t know anything. None of us knew a thing. 

“No Matter What You Tell Me” is about a years-long journey of a son who liked to dig. Arguably in places he shouldn’t have been. I mean, we all know what our parents told us, right? “Mind your business.” 

I sometimes wonder if that would’ve been the better road. To have kept things buried. Maybe it wasn’t necessary for me to learn about that family member who chased a burglar down the street while completely naked and holding a lamp. 

Oh, well. No turning back now. 

Writer and actor Benjamin Boucvalt brings his play, “No Matter What You Tell Me,” to Bandon with performances at the Sprague Community Theater at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 16; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 17, presented by Bandon Playhouse and the Sprague Community Theater.

This dramatic comedy is hilarious, heartbreaking, and ever so hopeful. Told in the first person, this is a story of one secret that leads into another. A story that proves how family is fraught, never really what it appears, and, despite it all, so very necessary.

Admission is $20 per person, online or at the box office. Advance tickets are available at Tix.com. This play includes mature themes and is recommended for teen and adult audiences.

Most of Benjamin’s career has been spent on stage doing classical work. Both as a writer and actor, his passion for this is born out of his love for storytelling. Benjamin’s “No Matter What You Tell Me” was performed this summer in Las Vegas. After his stop here in Oregon, he’ll be headed to California, New York, Ohio, and Minnesota.

Benjamin is also a company member at Great River Shakespeare Festival. Notable performances include Orlando in “As You Like It,” Cassius in “Julius Caesar,” Oberon in “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Leontes in “Winter’s Tale,” and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet.” Other theater performances include the Asolo Repertory Theatre, Curtain Theatre, St. Petersburg Shakespeare Company, and the Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

Benjamin published his second book, “The Name Hennessy,” in 2024. He voices one of the main characters in the audiobook. The recording is a fully dramatized audiobook, with individual actors reading each character, all recorded together on stage. Benjamin is an active martial artist and does fight choreography for stage and film across the country. Find Benjamin on Instagram @boucvalt.

Tickets are available for individual performances, or purchase a fringe festival pass for all shows. Advance tickets are available online. Tickets will also be available at the box office during the festival. Visit our Bandon Fringe Festival page for show details and ticketing information.

Fringe festivals invite performing artists to showcase work in a range of genres. Bandon Playhouse president Rob Jones says diversity, in the programming and among the performers, is part of what makes Fringe Festivals unique.

“There’s room for everybody to participate,” said Jones, noting that emerging artists can try out new work in a supportive environment alongside more experienced performers.

In Bandon, the 2025 line-up offers 14 presentations by visiting and regional professional and amateur performers. Audience members can experience several original one act plays, such as “The Footbridge,” a dramatic piece written by award-winning playwright Jeanmarie Simpson for the Bandon festival; and the comedy “A Pirate Named Shirley,” written and directed by Bandon student Tyler Eickoff.

Enjoy local and touring musicians and dancers, such as singer-songwriter Lindsey Bellefeuille, and world music ensemble Malinka. Performance art presentations include a mixed-media staged reading from the new book by Susan Dimock; and a show with Bubble Man Louis Pearl, who has toured the globe making bubble magic on stage.

One Performer’s Story

Actor and writer Corrie Gant is one of those experienced performers who applied to the festival because she wanted an opportunity to present her one woman, one act play “Tales from the Kitchen Table.” Gant originally wrote and performed the play a handful of times in the late 1990s. Then, in 2024, she dusted off the script and tackled some significant revisions with the help of her friend, theater instructor Dr. Annie McGregor.

Gant recalls that, when she set out to write the play, she discovered she first needed time to reflect on what kind of story she wanted to tell. Then, in her meditation practice, the image of an older woman emerged.

“That part stuck,” said Gant, explaining that the old woman character, who promised to help Gant discover her true name, provided the genesis for her portrayal of nine archetypal female characters throughout history. The revised version of “Tales” got new opening and closing scenes. And, some of the original characters were replaced by characters leaning into dialogue from Moliere and William Shakespeare. Borrowing from classic monologues helped Gant step into female experiences that felt familiar but were not her own.

“The monologues added experiences from women in the world,” said Gant. “All the characters in the play really resonate with me now.”

Which is why she jumped at the opportunity to perform in the Bandon Fringe Festival. She performed the revised piece in four presentations in 2024, (produced by Dolphin Players and Bandon Playhouse), but felt like four performances wasn’t enough.

Small Town, Wonderful Theater

“From my perspective, I see the festival as an opportunity for local and visiting artists to perform and share their talents with the community within our wonderful theater,” said Christine Kingsbury, Community and Cultural Services Director for the City of Bandon.

Kingsbury noted that the festival also offers live theater entertainment to audience members with the option to attend one, or multiple events, allowing for varying ticket prices and scheduling. She added, “I am hopeful that the community will come and support the festival, and that it can be the first of an annual event.”

Rob Jones also hopes the festival will inspire ongoing enthusiasm for local performing arts and the Sprague Community Theater venue. Bandon Playhouse members are providing much-needed support for the festival through promotional work, back stage and front of house staffing.

The Bandon Fringe Festival is co-presented by the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse. Support for the 2025 Bandon Playhouse season comes from Bain Insurance Agency, Robert Miller Attorney at Law, Rogue Credit Union and Umpqua Bank, with a grant from the Coos County Cultural Coalition and revenue sharing from the City of Bandon. Learn more about the Bandon Playhouse community theater organization at BandonPlayhouse.org.

Images from top: Amazing Bubble Man courtesy of Louis Pearl, Malinka in concert courtesy of Malinka Music Collective, seascape photo courtesy of Susan Dimock, Corrie Gant photo by Robert Miller courtesy of Bandon Playhouse

Performances are June 27 and 28, 2025, at the Sprague Community Theater in Bandon, Oregon. This event is presented by the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse.

What is a Fringe Festival?

Fringe festivals invite performing artists to showcase new and emerging work in a range of genres from theater to dance, comedy and storytelling, and more. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest international fringe festival, started in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1947. And similar festivals, large and small, are staged around the world.

Why a Bandon Fringe Festival?

In 2024, the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse invited artists to a One Act Play Festival which culminated in a Gala evening featuring several short theatrical and movement performances and the one act play, “Tales from the Kitchen Table,” written and performed by Corrie Gant.

Participation and feedback from the 2024 event told us that artist and performers from around the south coast region wanted access to a performance festival with opportunities for a variety of presentations, including, but not limited to one act plays.

How can I get involved?

Individual performers and performing groups are invited to apply to participate. The application, along with your sample materials, helps us decide if the proposed work can be staged within the context of this festival.

There is no cost to apply. Original material is encouraged; and participants may be eligible to share in a portion of ticket sales for their performance. The application deadline is April 4, 2025.

Visit our Bandon Fringe Festival Page for complete application information.

I’m not a performer. How can I support the festival?

We hope that you will join us in attending festival events in June. If you would like to sponsor or support the event financially, please email Bandon Playhouse, thebandonplayhouse@gmail.com. If you would like to volunteer, please contact theater manager Stephanie Jones, events@bandon-or.gov.

Stay Tuned!

For announcements about the Bandon Fringe Festival, along with other events at the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Community Center, please Subscribe to Our Email List.

Bandon’s past and present collide in “Coquille River Anthology,” a new comedy-drama, premiering November 1, written by Neal Davis and presented by the Bandon Playhouse.

A sickly woman, cared for by her grandson, is visited by four ghosts from Bandon’s past. As they share their unique stories, they try to help her resolve her own life conflicts before it’s too late. Using actual historical narratives, “Coquille River Anthology” reveals lesser-known moments from Bandon’s exciting history that helped create a community that lasts beyond life.

This is the third play written by Neal Davis (“Murder at Two Mile,” “Bandon Burns!”) with the assistance of the Bandon Historical Society Museum. “Coquille River Anthology” is directed by Mike Dempsey and features actors Bobbi Neason, Corrie Gant, Nameer el-Kadi, Meara Stadelman, Amy Moss Strong, and Grant Goodwin.

Performances will be held at the Wheelhouse Restaurant, Gallery Room, at 125 Chicago Ave SE in downtown Bandon. Seating is limited and preordering tickets is recommended. Performances are November 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10. Friday and Saturday curtains are at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

The Wheelhouse Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner on all performance dates. Call 541-347-9331 for dining reservations.

For ticket information and sales to “Coquille River Anthology,” visit BandonPlayhouse.org.

Article contributed by Amy Moss Strong with photos by Geneva Miller for Bandon Playhouse.

Photographer Michael Miller begins with things like coral, a tomato, or even an ordinary screen door, and goes in close. The macro photograph is then manipulated to find a new and dynamic image that realizes his vision; he strives to find the beauty in unremarkable objects. The process is mysterious but surprising in its clarity. He seems to see what’s latent there, before he makes the photograph, and experiments with a wonderful freedom. His images are filled with light. Some compositions beg to be called surrealism, such as “Green Sphere.” I am so pleased to have Michael at Bandon Library Art Gallery for the first time.

The work in the cases harmonizes with Michael’s photograph. A selection of Ken Ayers’ sculptures return to the gallery. These bronzes all started with plant parts, but are not copies of them. Instead, Ken put disparate elements together—a leaf from this plant, a stem from another, seaweed, a pod, some twine, a bulb—to create otherworldly flowers and plants; plants that have more than a touch of the surreal about them. They are unnatural yet graceful, strange yet intriguing, and both familiar and unfamiliar simultaneously. They are beautiful.

The gallery is open during regular library hours, 1204 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park. For more information about the gallery, visit the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation website, Bandonlff.org.

Article courtesy of Tracy Hodson, photo by Michael Miller.

The free drive-through Flu Shot Clinic will be held in its usual location, in the graveled parking area adjacent to the main baseball field at Bandon City Park. Signs will be posted on 11th Street to clearly guide people.

This year, the hospital will offer both the high-dose vaccine for those 65 and over as well as the regular dose vaccine. In addition, COVID vaccine boosters will be available. It is safe to have both shots on the same day, according to medical professionals.

As usual, there are limited supplies, so those wishing to receive the vaccines are encouraged to come early and remain in their cars and medical staff will assist.

There is no charge for the vaccines but donations to the Southern Coos Health Foundation are encouraged and greatly appreciated. The Flu Shot Clinic is offered free to the public each year with funds raised by the Southern Coos Health Foundation from proceeds from the Golf for Health Classic and the Southern Coos Hospital Gift Shop. Volunteers will be available to take donations and provide people with information about the work done by the Foundation.

SCHHC welcomes volunteers for this event, especially licensed nurses or other medical professionals. If interested or for more information about the clinic, email Amanda Myers, RN at amyers@southerncoos.org or call 541-347-2426 ext. 194.

Article contributed by Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center.

Youth story time is 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays, with open play time for tots age zero to five on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., at the library.

Additional summer programs include–

Native American Innovation Exhibit – June 11 – 29 (BPL)

Magician Jeff Evans, June 28 @ 12 p.m. (Theater – Visit our Event Calendar for more details.)

Mosaic Making & Lecture, June 29 @ 2 p.m. (BPL)

Reptiles! presentation, July 3 @ 11 a.m. (Theater – Visit our Event Calendar for more details.)

Journey Under the Sea, July 12 @ 11:30 a.m. (BPL)

Fun with Washed Ashore, July 18 @ 11:30 (BPL)

Portable Planetarium, drop-in July 21, 1 – 3:30 p.m. (Bandon Fisheries Warehouse)

Art at the Library, July 25 @ 11:30 a.m. (BPL)

Sapphire Farms Storytime, Aug. 8 @ 11:30 a.m. (BPL)

Felting Workshop, Aug. 17 @ 4 p.m. (BPL – age 12 and older, call to register)

Teen Writers!, Aug. 22 @ 3 p.m. (BPL)

Tween Writers!, Aug. 29 @ 3 p.m. (BPL)

The Bandon Public Library is located in Bandon City Park, 1204 11th St. SW. The library is open 12 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Learn more at BandonLibrary.org.

Bridge fans have their choice of Open Bridge, from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, or Duplicate Bridge from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. If you’re a beginner or need to brush up, check out Friday’s lessons at 11:30 a.m.

Games of Choice (whatever the group wants to play) run from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday.

Cribbage games start at 5:15 p.m. Monday and run until 9 or 10 p.m.

Yazzi’s Chair Yoga is offered by donation at a.m. Mon/Wed/Fri. Mats are available. All ages and abilities are welcome for this one-hour class. Call 458-710-8946 for information.

If walking is more your speed, join Walking Buddies from 10 to 11 a.m. Tues/Thur. You can stay indoors on rainy days, or partner up for a one- to two-mile hike down to the beach or around the park. Dogs on leashes are welcome!

For a more aerobic workout, join the South Coast Folk Society for free monthly dance parties with live music. Call Paul at 541-404-8267 for details.

For moral support with your diet, sign up for Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), for a weigh-in and meeting 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Stop by the BSAC any time the “Open” sign is out, to work a jigsaw puzzle, borrow a book, play pool or corn-hole, or just chat. And the center is always in need of hosts and hostesses to keep the doors open, answer the phone, and talk to visitors. Call 541-347-4131 to find out more.