THEATER -- Tom Titus

Just because you have a small theater doesn’t mean you can’t stretch

the dimensions with a little talent and a lot of imagination.

Take Costa Mesa’s Trilogy Playhouse. After two years in its limited

facilities in the Lab Anti-Mall shopping center, the resident company has

learned the art of up sizing. Shows like “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The

Secret Garden” and “Anne of Green Gables” gave the impression that the

theater was a good bit larger than it actually is.

Playhouse director Alicia Butler will be continuing to challenge

hercasts and set designer, James Mulligan, once the calendar turns to

2002.The Trilogy has announced a season composed of eight productions,

foureach under the banners of Family Theater and Adult Ensemble Theater.

Raising the curtain on the third season at the Trilogy will be a

family production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s popular musical “The Sound

of Music.” This fact-based story of a would-be nun who becomes governess,

then stepmother of an Austrian nobleman’s brood of sevenchildren, opens

Feb. 8 and plays through March 3.

Neil Simon’s madcap farce “Rumors,” about eight party guests who

fabricate an elaborate alibi for the absence of the host and hostess,

leads off the adult theater season, running from March 22 through April

14. This one calls for a two-level set and a number of doors, which

should keep Mulligan quite busy.

The family theater reopens for business June 28 with “Big River,”the

musical based on Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The

journey downthe Mississippi continues through July 21.

Another family show, “A Little Princess,” arrives at the TrilogyAug.

23 and runs through Sept. 8. It’ll be followed by the adulttheater’s

version of the musical mystery spoof “Something’s Afoot,”which will hold

forth from Oct. 4-27.

“Inspecting Carol,” a comedy built around a community theater group

mounting a production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” willclose

out the Trilogy season, playing from Nov. 29 through Dec. 15.Hopefully,

we’ll see it this time -- Orange Coast College had scheduled it for this

month, but replaced it with “Sand Mountain.”

The Trilogy also conducts drama workshops for young people in two age

groups, 6 to 10 and 10 through 14. Details regarding these aswell as

audition and ticket information may be obtained by calling thetheater at

(714) 957-3347.

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Estancia High School’s drama department, currently presenting Thornton

Wilder’s classic drama “Our Town,” has a special event plannedprior to

Friday’s performance.

Aiming at fostering community support, the cast and crew will

sponsoran “Our Town Chow Down” from 6 to 7 p.m. For a $5 donation,

visitorscan partake of a soup dinner catered by Mimi’s Cafe and, if they

choose,stick around to see the show at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for “Our Town” are on sale for $6 in advance or $8 at the

door. Call Estancia at (949) 515-6537 for more information.

* TOM TITUS writes about and reviews local theater for the Daily

Pilot. His stories appear Thursdays and Saturdays.