Three sisters from “Nunsense” are joined by additional Bandon Playhouse performers in a shameless plug for upcoming performances of “Nunsense,” “Frankenstein” and “Old Befana.” And, the Playhouse youth core say goodbye to the meme 6-7 in iambic pentameter!

Show time is 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 25.

Admission $9.00

This performance is part of the 2026 Bandon Fringe Festival. All performances are at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park.

Tickets are available for individual performances, or purchase a Fringe Festival Pass for all shows. Advance tickets are available online at Tix.com. Tickets are also available at the box office during the festival.

The Bandon Fringe Festival is presented by the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse. Learn more about the Bandon Playhouse community theater organization at BandonPlayhouse.org.

Tickets are available for individual performances, or purchase a fringe festival pass for all shows. Tickets are available online and available at the box office during the festival. Seating is assigned for all shows, so advance ticket purchase is encouraged. Visit BandonEvents.org/Bandon-Fringe-Festival for show details and ticketing information.

The festival had a robust start in 2025 with professional and emerging artists showcasing work in a variety of genres, and the 2026 festival follows suit.

An eclectic show list is a hallmark of Fringe festivals around the world. So, audiences can share a range of emotions, from heartfelt introspection, to laugh-out-loud humor, to edge-of-your-seat suspense.

The 2026 Bandon Fringe line-up features several original one-act plays, including “Hick to Hamlet,” written and performed by Ty Boice; “Self Possessed,” written and performed by Tyler Eickhoff; and “Murder at Two Mile: A True Bandon Mystery,” written by Neal Davis and performed by Gaels Readers Theater. Author and storyteller Naomi Ulsted will share “Glamour Shots” from her collection of creative nonfiction.

Henrik Bothe will entertain audiences with his physical comedy act “The Henrik Maneuver.” Live music sessions include singer-songwriter Janessa Gabrielle, the Tidal Troubadors, and Danitza Galvan and guests. Bandon Open Stage will present a variety show of music, poetry and art. And, members of Bandon Playhouse will get the festival started with two sets: a preview of upcoming productions playfully titled “Goodbye to 6-7 in Iambic Pentameter” and “What Did Shakespeare Say?,” a selection of Shakespeare scenes directed by Sandra Heinzmann.

Between performances, audiences can grab a bite or a beverage. In-house refreshments will be available Thursday and Friday with a complimentary ice cream social for ticket holders on Sunday. Local food and beverage trucks serving on Saturday and Sunday are Angelina’s Mexican, B&B Burgers and Thirst Trap.

Behind the Scenes, Bringing Local History to the Stage

Bandon, Oregon, residents were shocked in 1923 by the sudden death of a healthy, young wife and mother named Ebba Covell. As details of the event unfolded, the murder at Ebba’s Two Mile Lane residence captivated newspaper editors and readers throughout the country.

The Gaels Readers Theater will present a newly revised rendition of “Murder at Two Mile: A True Bandon Mystery” in the closing act of the 2026 Bandon Fringe Festival. The one-act play is written and directed by playwright and Gaels member Neal Davis.

The Gaels Readers Theater group was formed in 2017 by local writers and performers looking to explore original stage pieces in affordably priced productions that would appeal to a broad audience base, explained Davis. The group’s first production, written by Davis, was “Bandon Burns!,” adapted from a collection of survivor accounts of the catastrophic 1936 Bandon fire. The Gaels planned three performances in the Sprague Room of the Bandon Public Library, then added an encore performance when all shows were sold out and many would-be attendees were turned away.

The popularity of the show convinced the Gaels and Davis that local history is a fascinating topic for local and visiting audiences, so Davis went looking for more inspiration at the Bandon History Museum, where he found enthusiastic support from museum staff and volunteers.

“Murder at Two Mile” debuted in 2018. The primary source material for the script was historic news coverage from multiple publications.

“Using the different slants from various sources helped with the characterization of the people involved in this particular crime,” said Davis.

Anticipating the 2026 Fringe Festival, Gaels member Corrie Gant invited the readers theater group to consider applying to perform in the festival. After some discussion, Davis agreed to direct a revised rendition of “Murder at Two Mile.”

The script revisions reflect source material discovered since the play’s debut. With the new information, Davis says that the pivotal characters of the detective and the perpetrator are presented with more nuanced dimension than the first draft. And, he was able to highlight details beyond the facts of the crime to also share a story of individual and family resilience.

The cast for the 2026 Bandon Fringe Festival includes actors with a range of professional and community theater experience, including original Gaels members Corrie Gant, Amy Moss Strong, and Mike Dempsey, joined by Nameer El-Kadi and Grant Goodwin.

“We love what the Fringe Festival is trying to do,” said Davis. “To provide options to stage a show at little expense in a great venue, the Sprague Theater, and provide audiences with a buffet of performances to choose from.”

Support for Performing Arts

The Bandon Fringe Festival is co-presented by the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse. Along with event coordination by Sprague Community Theater manager Stephanie Jones, Bandon Playhouse members are providing much-needed support for the festival through promotional work, backstage and front of house staffing.

Support for the 2026 Bandon Playhouse season comes from Bain Insurance Agency, Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation, Robert Miller Attorney at Law, and Sharon and Wade Troxell, with a grant from the Coos County Cultural Coalition and state revenue sharing funds from the City of Bandon. Learn how to get involved and support the Bandon Playhouse community theater organization at BandonPlayhouse.org.

The Sprague Community Theater is owned and managed by the City of Bandon with support from the Bandon Arts Council. All public spaces in the theater are ADA accessible and assistive listening devices are available at the box office. Find information about charitable support for the Sprague Community Theater at BandonEvents.org/Support.

Article and images courtesy of Bandon Playhouse and festival performers. “Murder at Two Mile” cast from left, Mike Dempsey, Corrie Gant, Nameer El-Kadi, Amy Moss Strong, Grant Goodwin.

Written, directed, and narrated by versatile filmmaker, playwright, and songwriter Scott Fivelson, the 1-hour, 35-minute fictional mockumentary takes a humorous and heartwarming look at the life of a once revered, but now largely forgotten, cinematic “legend.”

“There’s so much in this film,” Fivelson said. “Comedy. Nostalgia. Lots of nostalgia. I think Stallone would say it has heart. If he saw it. It’s a Hollywood biopic, a tribute, a thank-you to what this town has been. This could be a glorious place again and it shouldn’t be anything else. By the end of the movie, Lawrence Pressman essentially says, ‘Let’s bring it back.’”

‘Spinal Tap’ Meets ‘Citizen Kane’

Described by its creator as “part ‘Spinal Tap,’ part ‘Sunset Blvd,’ and part ‘That’s Entertainment!,’” Near Myth retells the history of American cinema through chronicling the life of Oskar Knight — a fictional director who supposedly emigrated from Germany, like many of the early great directors, and embraced every era of Tinseltown.
To bring this meticulous time capsule to life, Fivelson spent years, between other projects, gathering locations, archival photos, and costumes spanning from 1900 to the present. Because it was an independent film, he notes, “It wasn’t a schedule. It was a lifestyle.”

The late, great chameleon actor Lenny Von Dohlen (“Twin Peaks,” “Tender Mercies,” “Electric Dreams”) stars as Oskar Knight. Von Dohlen was chosen both for his uncanny physical resemblance to the character concept and his rare gift for period portrayal. Especially notable in the latter regard was Von Dohlen’s performance in the American Playhouse episode, “Under the Biltmore Clock.”

“Working with Lenny Von Dohlen was a dream,” Fivelson shared. “None of us can wrap our minds around the fact that Lenny isn’t with us anymore, but he is living on through this film. He jumped right into it — he’d even send me emails written in a German accent.”

The film also features an eclectic “cavalcade of stars” from throughout the decades of Hollywood history who share their memories of the director. The ensemble cast includes Academy Award winner Margaret O’Brien, International Emmy winner David Suchet, Joaquim de Almeida, Julianna Guill, Rudolf Martin, Lawrence Pressman, Kristina Anapau, Maya Stange, Jon Provost (Timmy from the classic TV show “Lassie”), and Noel Neill (the original Lois Lane in “Superman”).

Observes Fivelson, “The huge cast made it feel like it was in the tradition of the great studio days. Plus, Oskar Knight was quite the popular gent in his day. He really got around.”

From Chicago to the Coast

So has Fivelson. Hailing from Chicago, “land of Michael Mann’s Thief, the Sox, and the Cubbies,” he ultimately came to California. His screenwriting credits include the music-biz dramedy “American Reel,” starring David Carradine as singer-songwriter James Lee Springer, British actor Michael Maloney (“Henry V,” “The Crown”), and Mariel Hemingway (“Personal Best,” “The Contender”).

“3 Holes and a Smoking Gun” earned Fivelson best screenwriter honors at the 2014 Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles. He is also a widely published satirist, novelist, and playwright with the novel “Tuxes,” new sci-fi novel “Author of the Week and the Strong,” and one-act mysteries “Dial L for Latch-Key,” “Leading the Witness,” and the scientific thriller “Phoenix,” which have debuted from London to the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Currently, Fivelson is developing a slate of new film projects, including baseball movie “The Change-Up Kid” and the noir-ish action/thriller “Epitaph.” He is slated to collaborate with director David Barrett (“Fire with Fire,” “Blue Bloods,” “Mad Men”), producer Jason Loughridge, and casting director/producer Delaney Blanton.

Fivelson gives a special thanks to cinematographer, editor, and producer on “Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story,” Dave Corwin Polcino, whose hyphenate dedication to the film made his efforts a standout. Additionally, says Fivelson, “I thank everybody on the movie. It was a moment in time.”

He would also like to thank Edward Norton, though Norton had nothing to do with the film. “Maybe he’ll reach out and ask why I’m thanking him,” smiles Fivelson. “Huge talent. I’d like to meet him.”

Those fascinated by Hollywood history and the days when movies were Movies can now watch “Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story” streaming on Amazon Prime in the U.S., the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, courtesy of Bounty Films. Meanwhile, Near Myth continues to appear in theaters around the country, and Fivelson observes that a movie about the movies is just naturally made to be seen on cinema screens.

“Since the end of the pandemic, it keeps getting booked in theaters in the U.S. and Germany, so why not Oregon?” Fivelson says. “I’m excited about the Oregon showing. If I come to Bandon for the screening, I’ll probably chopper in like Tom Cruise – but not that much like Tom Cruise. I won’t be hanging from the chopper.”

Then, on a more serious note, Fivelson added, “A few more words of appreciation. I want to thank Stephanie Jones and the Sprague Community Theater for bringing Oskar Knight to Bandon. Oskar would have liked it here.”

Event Details

Catch “Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story” at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 19, at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St SW, Bandon. Admission is just $5, and concessions will be available for purchase.

“People are saying Near Myth is quite unique, a one-of-a-kind film. And I do think it’s true,” said Fivelson. “It was sort of a chance to do a time capsule about what I wanted to say about Hollywood’s history and the people who’ve come and gone.

“Every spring, I hold out hope that the Academy will finally, graciously, give Oskar Knight not an honorary Oscar, but a Late Oscar. It could happen,” Fivelson quipped.

As for whether Oskar Knight ever finally wins the elusive Oscar in “Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story,” Fivelson keeps the mystery alive, musing, “It is as much of a cliffhanger to the audience, as it was to Oskar. Well, maybe more for Oskar.”

Article by Amy Moss Strong. Images courtesy of Scott Fivelson. Check out the movie trailer on YouTube.

“Self Possessed” is a one act comedy written and performed by Tyler Eickhoff. Tyler’s work includes the one act play “A Pirate Named Shirley,” which had its debut performance at the 2025 Bandon Fringe Festival.

Showtime is 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28.

Admission $11.50

This performance is part of the 2026 Bandon Fringe Festival. All performances are at the Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, in Bandon City Park.

Tickets are available for individual performances, or purchase a Fringe Festival Pass for all shows. Advance tickets are available online at Tix.com. Tickets are also available at the box office during the festival.

The Bandon Fringe Festival is presented by the Sprague Community Theater and Bandon Playhouse. Learn more about the Bandon Playhouse community theater organization at BandonPlayhouse.org.

All performances are at the Sprague Community Theater. Visit our Bandon Fringe Festival page for more information.

Auditions are Saturday, May 9, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Sprague Community Theater with callbacks on May 16.

Those auditioning for stage roles are invited to prepare 16 bars of an up-tempo musical theater piece, or a pop/country song. There will also be a small dance audition. Remember to wear comfortable clothing and shoes to dance in.

“Nunsense!” It’s Habit Forming! A hilarious farce about a convent of Nuns staging a fundraiser to enable them to bury the last four nuns of their order who were accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (child of God). The Little Sisters of Hoboken (well, what’s left of them) put on this riotous revue packed with hilarious, show-stopping song and dance numbers, and it always proves to be a crowd favorite.

Rehearsals for the show begin in June. Performances are two weekends, August 7, 8, 9, and 14,15,16, 2026.

Bandon Playhouse has provided the best in community theater, from classic plays and musicals to premiere works by new playwrights, since 1976. For more information, visit BandonPlayhouse.org.

The cast also features Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd and David Krumholtz, directed by John Pasquin. The movie is rated PG, 1 hour and 37 minutes.

Show time is 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, at the Sprague Community Theater. Admission is $5. Concessions are also available for purchase.

Additional voice actors include Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi and James Coburn, directed by Pete Docter. The movie is rated G, 1 hour and 32 minutes.

This 25th anniversary movies showing starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Sprague Community Theater. Admission is $5. Concessions are also available for purchase.

Stay after the movie for a talk-back session with stage and screen actor Nameer El-Kadi, whose many credits include the role of “Ape Suit Performer” in “George of the Jungle.”

The movie also features Leslie Mann, Thomas Haden Church, Richard Roundtree and John Cleese, directed by Sam Weisman. The movie is rated PG, 1 hour and 32 minutes.

Show time is 7 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at the Sprague Community Theater. Admission is $5. Concessions are also available for purchase.

The academy award winning 1964 Disney musical also stars Dick Van Dyke, Glynis Johns, David Tomlinson and Ed Wynn, directed by Robert Stevenson. The movie is rated G, 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Show time is 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24, at the Sprague Community Theater. Admission is $5. Concessions are also available for purchase.