The Greenhouse Cabaret is unlike any other performance venue in Bend.

The theater, which opened last October, housed a five-week-long drag competition last month, and Friday, founder John Kish will launch the venue’s second production with the premiere of “The Old Man and The Old Moon,” created by Pigpen Theatre Co.

The theater is limited to 75 seats, inviting an intimate experience with the focus placed on the actors, direction and script, rather than the set. It shares a wall with Somewhere That’s Green, Kish’s plant shop with rows upon rows of thriving house plants.

A touch of whimsy

The lobby of Greenhouse Cabaret is an extension of the plant shop, with a touch more Victorian influence and whimsy. Kish, director the musical, is still adding finishing touches to the space, including a forest green ticket booth with touches of gold he and his father built by hand.

Kish envisions beautifying the exterior of the gray brick building of the two businesses with a marquee and another mural. Opposite the ticket booth in the lobby is a bookshelf decorated with crystals, old books, scientific measuring tools and a few animal skulls.

The distinctive space is only the beginning of Kish’s vision to elevate Bend’s theater scene.

Semi-professional theater

While the vast majority of Bend theater involves unpaid talent, Kish made the decision to pay actors , thus establishing Greenhouse as a semi-professional theater.

“As a paid artist, you tend to show up more and work harder,” Kish said.

He hopes to raise the bar for theater in Bend with paid talent, additional performances and off-Broadway shows. While most theaters shy away from lesser-known plays and musicals, the size of Kish’s venue allows him to experiment, with less financial risk.

Pull Quote

“As a paid artist, you tend to show up more and work harder.”

Kish first met the members Pigpen Theatre Co. in New York circa 2010. It was after the seven members had graduated college and were performing live folk music. Pigpen Theatre Co. is best known for storyteller theater, in which everything is performed by the actors on stage. There are no scene changes, no stagehands and no music pit.

A mythical tale

“The Old Man and The Old Moon” is a mythical tale in the style of storyteller theater. Each actor is singing, dancing, and playing an instrument while moving props around the stage. Actors create a lot of the sound effects simply using their mouths.

The storyline follows an old man who has been the sole caretaker of the moon, refilling it with light every day for as long as he can remember. But when his wife, the old woman, leaves to chase after adventure, he abandons his post, embarking on an epic journey to find her that takes him inside the belly of a fish, up in a hot air balloon and amid a civil war fought on a ship.

License to be creative

While popular musicals permit directors from taking artistic liberties, the script of “The Old Man” encourages creative freedom.

“They literally say in parentheses, ‘insert theatrical improvisation here,’’ Kish said.

Kish embraced the challenge, making decisions on where to use shadow play, physical acting or props.

“We basically had to block the entire thing for ourselves, which I love, because it’s a challenge. Instead of duplicating what has been done, we’re just creating,” Kish said.

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Sold-out performances

The Greenhouse Cabaret’s premiere production, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” was so well-received Kish extended the run until it was no longer physically possible for him to perform — he got bone bruising from repeatedly dropping down on the stage — and the band had to move on to other commitments.

The second-to-last show had an 80-person waitlist — just over the number of seats in the theater — and the finale had a 50-person waitlist.

With “The Old Man,” Kish is striving for the same level of quality as “Hedwig.” Even if the public is unfamiliar with the show, Kish hopes audiences will purchase a ticket anyway, trusting in the full experience offered at the venue.

Friday’s premiere opens with a gala and live concert by an Irish band. After the show, there’ll be a talkback between the cast and audience members with a champagne reception.

What: “The Old Man & the Old Moon”

When: 7:30 Friday-Sunday; additional performances 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday till May 14 and Friday through Sunday up until the finale on Saturday, June 3 

Where: The Greenhouse Cabaret, 1017 NE Second St., Bend

Cost: $40, $50 front row or pay what you can

Contact: 541-699-2840, thegreenhousecabaret.com