My wife and I enjoyed the Pentacle Theatre's production of George Orwell's 1984. I found it thought provoking, and the cast and crew are certainly the hardest working community theatre volunteers anywhere, bar none. We held season tickets for several years, but gave them up when, for whatever reason, the theatre company seemed to trend towards bitter or dark topics. (It has been 14-years since Nunsense ... and I am still offended!) Now, we review the Pentacle's season when it is announced, and buy single tickets to the productions we would like to see ... generally joyful comedies or musicals. This works best for us. I am looking forward to the Savannah Sipping Society and Little Shop of Horrors productions. They will be great! Cheers to the premier community theatre in Oregon! Five Stars. read more

Pentacle Theatre - Pentacle Theatre's production of George Orwell's 1984. - Performing Arts Near Me - Salem, Oregon

We have received no information in our confirmation e-mail at the purchase of our tickets regarding a need to have a booster shot (no exception) to attend a play. We're fully vaccinated. When we arrived to the entrance (out of town) was rudely asked to leave the premises stating that they do not assure us that we can even get a refund for our tickets that we paid for our whole family. To say that we're truly disappointed, upset, disgusted is an understatement. We will never return, sponsor or recommend this theatre to anyone! read more

I believe this place has the best of intentions staff are nice but there is miscommunication amongst them, a lady on the phone verified if no reservation was placed and the theatre wasn't full accommodations would be made for wheelchairs when we arrived there was no access visible for wheelchairs until a performer saw me and a co worker and showed us into a spot by the exit door, 5 minutes later after the segment we were escorted out nicely I may add and told we could not sit there and no chairs could be pulled for the wheelchairs, this place is meant for the able bodied not much access for wheelchairs or visible clear signs aside from parking, overall not a great experience but would go again if we RSVP cause our individuals were quite disappointed they had to leave, please improve accessibility and communications skills amongst staffing. read more

I appreciate businesses that are transparent. Pentacle Theatre is not one of them. During the checkout or in the confirmation email or on the tickets there was no information on COVID booster shot requirements. At the entrance we were turned away because our vaccination cards did not have a booster shots. The person was very condescending and stated that the confirmation email had this information. It did not, I checked it three times. When I asked about refund we were ridiculed. Stay away from this place and I hope to get at least the refund. And I am all for business being able to choose how they want to use vaccination requirement as long as they are transparent and not discriminative like Pentacle Theatre is. read more

This place is clearly a local treasure. Please also read Jane S.'s review that precedes my own. Well done. I rarely go to a theatre. Really did not know what to expect. My girlfriend suggested we do something different. And it was. Very much so. I love the building. The seating and stage allow you to be very intimate with the production and participants. The price was right but you better plan in advance. We went to see Legally Blonde. What a pleasure to watch and a memorable experience. I got the opportunity to meet Tom Hewitt who I understand is one of the pillars of the volunteer acting force. What a talent. Also met Robert Salberg who clearly is able to translate his energy and enthusiasm into the production as director. All the participants did a great job. Keep up the good work read more

Location: middle of nowhere. Setting: personal, small venue that makes every patron feel a part of the show. The seating wraps around the stage like a half moon. The seats were incredibly comfortable. Performance: these are amateur and volunteer casts and crews, but with that being said the last show I went to (Lend Me A Tenor) was fantastically put on. Several outstanding performances. Price: moderate, I believe I paid 19 dollars a ticket. read more

Some of the negative reviews here make me think y'all have never seen a community theater company before. Yes, the quality of the performances at the Pentacle tends to be highly variable. That's because the actors, directors, techies, etc. are volunteers working day jobs. Everything you see is a labor of love, and labors of love have a tendency to turn into soppy messes. It's the risk you take when you buy a ticket - you might see something awesome, or you might see something lousy, or you might see something that looks like an art school drop-out self-combusted all over the stage. The only certainty is that you'll see something that a lot of people worked really hard on. That's just what local theater is like. No, the productions are not above criticism. If John E.'s description of Pentacle's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (which doesn't seem to be up here anymore) is accurate and they really did do a homeless-themed staging of the play, then yes, please criticize that play. That really does sound problematic, and not because it's a "modern dress" version of the Bard. I didn't see it, so I don't know. Anyone who's been to enough Pentacle productions has been to at least one that just didn't work. Maybe the right members of the local talent pool didn't sign up, or the director's instincts weren't the best. Maybe all the techies had colds. But then you go to the next one, and it's a different sort of play altogether put on by a different set of people, and you give it a chance. If you don't come into the experience with your cynicism on your sleeve, you'll probably enjoy it or at least get some satisfaction from seeing your friends, relatives, and neighbors put on a show. If you're expecting consistency from your theater experience, spend a few hundred bucks to squint at touring companies at the Keller Auditorium. And hey, local Yelpers: learn the difference between being a critic and being hyper-critical. Having high standards doesn't mean you have to be a cynical asshole about everything. Read your Ebert. read more

The scenery to this place is magnificent. You drive out of town and up a steep hill to find a parking lot in the middle of the woods. From the parking lot you cannot even see the Theater. You wander down a path wondering if you are going the right way or heading to a serial killer's cabin. And there before you you see a glimpse of the building, you keep walking and the building grows larger but still seems too small to be a theater. And then you step on to the Theaters beautiful wooden deck and walk around the building looking down on a small meadow with a little creek running through it. You just inhale the fresh clean air and enjoy it for a moment. After the initial awe of the beauty you realize your supposed to be watching a play, you turn around to figure out where your supposed to go in this weirdly designed building. The seating is upstairs and like others have said is half wrapped around the stage like a crescent moon. The weird thing is the lobby, concessions and bathrooms are outside, down the stairs and back into the building underneath. As to those who complain about all the same actors, you work with what you got when I doubt they get paid anything or very little. I came and saw Urinetown. The name of the play sounded horrendous and I probably wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been given tickets. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the acting overall was decent and the play itself had a interesting concept. Since I have never been to Broadway or seen a show on the Vegas strip but am used to Local High School plays and a few artsy shows in Portland, I had no problem with it. I would come back and watch another play here anytime, even if it's just for the beautiful scenery outside of the building and the small tight knit family like atmosphere of the stage and the actors who are doing what they love, out of love for acting. read more

My husband and I were sooo disappointed in "The Aliens" that, along with our friends, we left at intermission. It was just trash--no story line at all. I can only assume that the Pentacle Organizers want to continue to produce plays and to sell season tickets, yes??? By producing this play, they seemingly don't know their Salem audience. We are season ticket holders and will think twice about next year's purchase. We are happy to push our boundaries and happy to see state of the art productions, but give us plays with story lines, with interesting characters, with a message! Interestingly, Pentacle Theater offered tickets at Buy-One-Get One-Free for anyone under 35--guess they were anticipating lots of available seats! read more

So the husband and I had tickets for Spamalot for 08/18/2017. We had never been to the place before even though we only live 25 miles away and do enjoy going out. The theatre was lovely, the prices were appropriate and the choice of entertainment was good. Then it all fell apart. The folks who staff the place are clearly more concerned with each other then they are with answering questions. They simper and twill at each other and completely ignore the ticket holders. I had to ask three different staff where the bathrooms were and each one just waved in the general direction and then turned back to their conversations. We might give it another chance but then again we might not. Not happy ticket holders us. read more

First to review?? My lord. I was expecting one hundred five star reviews for this place. OK, the location itself isn't bad...as the theatre is pretty nice. It's location is set amidst a sea of tall trees. It's quiet and tranquil. And once you enter...the seating is comfortable and rather roomy for a theatre. BUT THEN THE SHOW BEGINS. But let me preface...since my partner is a theater nut -- he's dragged me to a bunch of plays over the years. I'm not big into theater, but I can recognize good theater when I see it... and this place is the worst of them all. How Salem continues to support this is beyond me. How can they tolerate this bad of acting?? And the place keeps recycling the same old actors over and over and over again. I mean, come on...mix it up a bit with different people...as I'm sure there are better actors in the area. Gosh! So I've seen like a 1/2 dozen plays here...and I've only semi-enjoyed one...The Cat and The Hat...last year...but even that starred a very gay cat and the hat. I'm gay myself so I know VERY gay when I see it as well. But that production was nice...besides the strangely gay cat. But all other productions have seriously been HORRENDOUS. No excuses. The plays themselves do not deserve this kind of treatment. Seriously. Don't waste your money here...even if it is like 100 years old and a Salem tradition. The place seems like its run by people that have run it for years...and haven't left the woods in awhile to notice that there are good actors out there. Seriously. OMG. read more

I have to say I agree with Kyle R. when he said, "the place keeps recycling the same old actors over and over and over again." Although, I have seen some pretty good shows here, they do have a tendency to cast the same people over and over again. I bet they would have even better shows if they used more new people in their casts and quit casting only friends as the leads. A truly good director should be able to work with different people and still be able to put forth a quality show one who feels they must use the same people over and over in order to create a good show is not a good director. I have been to many community theaters throughout the country and this one uses the same people in their shows more than the others I have seen. I feel they should refer to themselves as a theater co-op instead of trying to pretend that all will be considered for parts when, in all reality, the shows are probably pre-cast before auditions. read more