Cuckoos and mockingbirds. Bob Fosse and Ingmar Bergman. William Shakespeare and Steve Martin. Make no mistake — 2003 is shaping up to be a very interesting year on stages across Eugene.
Students need look no further than the University itself. Currently, the Arena Theatre’s Second Season is rehearsing Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” slated to run Jan. 15 to Jan. 25. The award-winning comedy tells the story of an imaginary meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein.
Though University Theatre Development Director Joe Gilg describes the coming year as “business as usual,” the season will bring special events and landmark presentations.
For instance, “Ship of Fools,” a show devised by students and faculty marks the University’s 1,000th production. The play will run at the Robinson Theatre from May 30 to June 1.

The fall staging of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” will run in conjunction with the University’s Ken Kesey Symposium in November.
The University also will continue its annual Mad Ducklings Series, a collection of plays for children performed at outdoor venues throughout summer.
Beyond the University, Willamette Repertory Theatre artistic director Kirk Boyd said he is especially excited about the possibilities.
“There’s no art form that can speak to the human heart the way theater does,” Boyd said. “We have the opportunity to reach people visually, emotionally, and intellectually.”
Continuing its first season as a
resident company of the Hult Center, the Willamette Repertory Theatre will present “To Kill A Mockingbird” from Jan. 29 to Feb. 16. The play offers a unique experience for local theater-goers.

Boyd said the stage version of Harper Lee’s classic novel was approved by the author in 1971. However, she stipulated the production not be staged in New York — the reclusive author lives in the city and wanted to avoid attention. Boyd said the limited exposure ultimately hurt the otherwise well-received production.
In addition, the company will offer “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” a popular comedy that started as a small production on the fair circuit and eventually reached London and New York stages. This show will run from May 14 to June 1.
Very Little Theatre publicity director Scott Barkhurst is preparing for the celebration of the theater’s landmark 75th anniversary season. The season officially begins this fall, and Barkhurst refers to it as a “retrospective year” — a series of successful productions from the theater’s past.
Until then, Barkhurst, who describes the venue as primarily mainstream, said he is looking forward to the edgier plays planned for the coming months.
“The next few shows reach a a little further out of our comfort zone,” Barkhurst said.
The schedule includes “The House of Blue Leaves,” a dark comedy set in the 1960s that won the New York and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for the Best American Play in 1971. The show begins its run Friday and continues through Jan. 25.
For theater-goers craving higher profile productions with national touring companies, the Hult Center usually delivers. The coming year includes productions of “Fosse,” a dance celebration of the legendary choreographer/director and “Saturday Night Fever,” a stage version of the 1977 film featuring the music of the Bee-Gees.
Check out Ingmar Bergman’s “Nora” at the Lord Leebrick Theatre for a more cerebral experience. This modern version of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” runs from Feb. 5 to March 6.
Finally, in its 24th year, the Actor’s Cabaret of Eugene continues its popularity with the upcoming “Ruthless! The Musical,” a dark comedy about a child star wannabe who unleashes her anger after failing to land the part of Pippi Longstocking in a school play. The show begins Jan. 24.
These listings only skim the surface, of course, but they offer a glimpse of the possibilities. Reserve those front row seats while you can.