Time is running out for the costumes at Children''s Experimental Theater and Staff Players Repertory Company.

"The problem is," says CET/SPRC founder and director Marcia Hovick, "that for many years we''ve been storing things in the basement of a school--38 years of costumes and scenery from our traveling shows--and now it''s been decided by the powers-that-be in the community that it isn''t safe. So, we have ''til the middle of July to find another place to store things."

With the loss of the space, Hovick and company are currently looking for a new home for their theatrical treasures. Although they had not been required to pay rent at the undisclosed school location, Hovick realizes her organization may have to find money to rent another place.

"We don''t have a lot of bread to spread around," says Hovick, "but we may need to spend something. We''re willing to listen to any sort of interesting proposition. As a poor theater, we have to keep everything that we have so we can continue to provide free performances to 25,000 school children."

Hovick says the costume closet doesn''t have to be particularly elaborate--just big. "We need at least a thousand square feet. And enough light so we can see what''s there. We don''t need water or heat. Anything that''s dry, fairly clean and secure is all right."

Hovick points out that people don''t have to be total angels when it comes to providing either the space or financial donations to pay for one. "We''re extremely nonprofit and therefore donations are deductible on income taxes," says Hovick.

If you know of some reasonably priced storage space (preferably on the ground floor), call Marcia Hovick at 624-1531.

Anyone involved with creating theater in MoCo should be interested in exploring the Monterey County Theater Alliance''s website (http://www.jps.net/ pblum/mcta). In addition to listing schedules of currently running shows, there are annual schedules for local theaters, listings of auditions and other theater opportunities (from ushering to acting), links to local theaters with websites, and links to other topics of interest. It''s well-worth checking out. cw

Opening

Peace Tales Wednesday, 7pm. Drama. The Third Studio of Monterey presents 18 folk tales about conflict and the timeless struggle for peace, in a 50-minute original production aimed at teens and adults. Show repeats at three other area libraries over the next two weeks. Carmel Valley Library, 65 West Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley. 373-4389. One night only.

Closing

Oklahoma! Thursday & Friday, 8pm. Musical Comedy. A cast of 50 sings and dances its way through one of the most famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Filled with overalls and sunshine and cowboys and corn (or is it wheat?), Oklahoma! features hit numbers including the title song (at last, your chance to learn the rest of the words) and "Surrey With the Fringe on Top." It''s been done before and will be done again, but it''s a sure-fire crowd-pleaser for the entire family. The Forest Theater, Mountain View and Santa Rita streets, Carmel. 626-1681. $15/general; $10/seniors. Through: 7/3.

Side by Side by Sondheim Friday, 8pm; Sunday, 7pm; special Independence Day show Saturday, 10pm. Musical Revue. Director Sid Cato returns to the Monterey Peninsula for this paean to Stephen Sondheim. The play covers the celebrated composer/dramatist''s early works with songs from such shows as West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and others. In addition to directing, Cato makes a rare local on-stage appearance with the rest of his cast: Maryann Schaupp Rousseau, John Daniel, Carey Sheffield, and Carl Palme. Often performed on large stages, the relatively small confines of the Hoffman Playhouse should add a refreshing degree of intimacy. This show marks the opening of Unicorn Theater''s ''98-''99 season. Hoffman Avenue Playhouse, 320 Hoffman Ave., Monterey. 649-0259. $15/general/general; $12/children; $12/seniors. Through: 7/5.

Now Playing

Always...Patsy Cline Friday & Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. Musical Revue. The Western Stage Cabaret turns into the Grand Ole Opry for a musical tribute to country singer Patsy Cline, who died tragically in a plane crash in 1963. Told through the eyes of her longtime pen-pal Louise Seger, this show features a live band and more than 20 of Cline''s greatest hits, including "I Fall to Pieces" and "Crazy." It''s billed as an "intimate and uplifting look at the life of country music''s most beloved singer;" if you''re a Patsy fan, this should be a pleasing, tune-filled evening. Ticket office opens two hours before performance. Western Stage Cabaret Theater, in the Salinas Women''s Club, 215 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. 755-6816/375-2111. $18/general; $10/children; $16/seniors. Through: 8/2.

Cyrano Friday & Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 5pm. Comedic Drama. This popular French dramatic comedy, the tale of an 18th-century swordsman and poet cursed with an embarrassingly large proboscis, receives a new British translation that irons out some previous English-language wrinkles and restores a lot of the original comedy. Starring roles are filled by three longtime PacRep veterans: John Rousseau as Cyrano; Julie Hughett as Roxanne, the beautiful woman he dares not love; and John Farmanesh-Bocca as Christian, a young soldier who woos Roxanne with poetry penned (and secretly declaimed) by the big-hearted Cyrano. Some good performances, crisp staging by director Stephen Moorer and fine visuals make this a good choice, despite a certain lack of passion among the main characters. Pacific Repertory Theater, in the Golden Bough, Monte Verde Street between 8th and 9th avenues, Carmel. 622-0100. $15/general; $10/children; $10/seniors. Through: 7/19.

Monterey Bay TheatreFest Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Free outdoor plays. Pacific Repertory Company brings its 15th annual festival of free street theater to Monterey''s Custom House Plaza. Pared down from previous years, this year''s offering includes three wacky fairy tales, as re-told by PacRep veteran John Rousseau and his street troupers, daily at 11am; The Human Chess Game, an energetic improv filled with live battles between human "chess pieces," daily at 1pm; and Actors in the Adobes, dramatic re-enactments of key moments in early Monterey history, 3pm in the Memory Garden. The plays are fun, but the entire outdoor experience of TheatreFest that is its real charm: street theater for the whole family, for free, with the beautiful backdrop of Monterey Bay. Custom House Plaza, behind the Doubletree Hotel, Monterey. 622-0700. Free. Through: 7/19.

Mr. Whatnot Friday & Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. Comedy. A madcap comedy penned by Alan Aykbourn, Mr. Whatnot traces the efforts of Mint, a silent piano tuner, as he pursues the noble-born Amanda through hill and dale, fighting off rival suitors and engaging in a series of misadventures. With Michael Lojkovic in the lead role--a local actor known for great comic timing--and a cast including Patrick McEvoy, Philip Pearce, Sarah Matterson and Kate McEldowney, the evening is sure to bring lots of laughs. Directed by Ramie Wikdahl. MPC Main Stage, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey. 646-4213. $11/general; $8/students, seniors; $5/children. Through: 7/12.

Sylvia Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:30pm. Comedic Drama. Playwright AR Gurney offers up this hilarious, yet wise look at marriage through the eyes of Sylvia, a stray dog brought home by a disgruntled husband, who soon sinks his hopes and dreams into the loveable pooch. All four performances are stellar: LA actress April Burton is marvelously engaging as the streetwise pup, Barbara Anderson and Todd Lueders go right for the heart as a longtime couple facing mid-life crisis and John Farmenesh will have you in stitches in three gender-crossing cameo roles. When you find yourself sobbing along with the dog as she waits by her window for her owner''s return, you ''ll know they''ve sucked you in. This show is a real treat. Pacific Repertory Theater, at the Circle Theater in the Golden Bough, Casanova Street between 8th and 9th avenues, Carmel. 622-0100. $15/general; $8/children; seniors. Through: 7/25.

The Drunkard Friday & Saturday, 8pm. Melodrama. Classic melodrama about the evils of drink. California''s First Theater, Scott and Pacific streets, Monterey. 375-4916. Through: 7/30.