THEATER NOTES : It’s Curtains for Productions as Some Local Troupes Face Crises : Two plays set to open this weekend are canceled. And opening night was closing night for a Simi company’s ‘Our Town.’

The local theater scene is undergoing an upheaval, with several companies facing at least temporary crises. Whether this thinning out proves healthy in the long run remains to be seen. But consider the following:

Two productions scheduled to open this weekend, “Barefoot in the Park” at the Ojai Arts Center and the Ventura County Actors Theater production of “Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh,” have been canceled. The California Shakespeare Company’s “Twelfth Night” has been moved back a week, now opening April 28. A new company, based in Simi Valley, announced, cast and rehearsed a production of “Our Town.” The show opened in February and played one night before closing its doors.

And the Plaza Players, now in its 47th year, pulled its announced slate of full-length plays, replacing them with a series of one-acts and performance pieces.

Though debuting last year with the funniest of the five local productions of “Nunsense!,” the Ventura County Actors Theater’s producers were frustrated, in part, because the company performs in a building in Oxnard’s Heritage Square that once was, and still often functions as, a church.

“Lots of weddings are held there,” artistic director Sean Moran told Theater Notes, “and we have to take down all of our scenery every time somebody wants to use the room. It’s just impractical.”

He was also held back, he says, by the number of other productions being held at nearly the same time and depleting the available pool of actors. “Everybody wants to be in (the Conejo Players’ upcoming) ‘Oklahoma!’ or (the Cabrillo Music Theatre’s upcoming) ‘Peter Pan,’ ” he said, “and nobody wants to do little theater.”

While Moran says he had a capable cast for his production of the revue of songs by humorist Allan Sherman, “I would have liked to have had a few more auditions.” As for alternate venues, Moran says that the Elite Theater Company, also located in Heritage Square, is too busy with its own productions, and that the rent charged by the Plaza Players--which has been looking for outsiders to use its space--is prohibitive.

“Plus, they have that theater next door,” Moran said, “and there’s no sound wall.” (More about that in the next item).

The Plaza Players have regrouped and announced a schedule of several upcoming productions. Opening Friday for a two-weekend run is the third edition of the locally topical “Live at the Livery,” with many members of the original troupe.

Ironically, the show is a presentation of The Performance Studio. The group recently moved directly next to Plaza Players, with sound leaking from one facility to the other causing no end of trouble and nobody willing (or financially able) to add soundproofing.

Perhaps you’ll hear them during the Plaza Players’ remaining announced productions: Jane Martin’s “Vital Signs” in May and early June, David Mamet’s retelling of the fairy tale “The Frog Prince” (the mind boggles) in early July, two one-act plays by local author George Pratt later in July, and in September “The Prince,” advertised as “a new electro-acoustic opera,” by locals Jeff Kaiser and Taylor Kasch.

The local Spanish-language group, Teatro de las Americas, will present Josi Luis Alonso de Santos’ “La Estanquera de Vallacas” for two weekends in June, with “subtitles” (they tell us) in English.

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The Santa Susana Repertory Company, Ventura County’s only professional group, says that its move to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza--beginning with last year’s “Man of La Mancha”--has proven quite successful.

“We wanted to sell 300 subscriptions last year,” artistic director Lane Davies said, “and sold 1,500. And we expect to double that, next year.”

The group, which had been performing in various locations in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, hasn’t found the move to the center’s 400-seat Forum Theatre--enormous by community theater standards--particularly intimidating. “It’s such a spectacular location,” Davies says, “that people are coming longer distances to see us than they would have for our earlier spaces.”

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And finally, the Santa Paula Theater Center, also looking to fill space between productions, has announced a series of performances in its Backstage Theater beginning Saturday, under the title “Coffeehouse Cabaret.” Announced acts include the Iron Mountain Boys bluegrass band on Saturday; magician Shawn McMaster on April 28; Ventura Area TheaterSports on April 29; John Wisda and his Solimar Cafe Revue, “An Evening of Music by Marvin Johnson and Bob Andrews,” and cabaret vocalist Betty Pattengale in May.

With luck, sound won’t leak into the adjacent main stage theater. Desserts and gourmet coffee are promised for each event; tickets will be $10, or $7.50 for students and seniors. Producer Gary Best promises poetry readings, comedy nights, an evening of Latin music and other diverse activities for the Coffeehouse. Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact him at 659-2934.