A six-foot long Asian snakehead fish puppet. Singing, gargling zebra mussels. What more can you ask for? Both will be making appearances at North Coast Theatre's grand opening of their new home in the south wing of the historic Oliver House April 11 and 12.

The NCT has been pushing the envelope with Ohio-centric experimental theater since 1994. Performing in nontraditional venues like libraries and the Toledo Museum of Art, NCT tears down the old barrier between stage and audience as the actors move through the crowd. Founding Artistic Director and award-winning playwright Christine Child collaborates with visual and musical artists to create work that defies any one genre. Comic and surreal, her work makes you laugh while simultaneously addressing important local and environmental issues.

For the opening, North Coast Theatre will be performing "Erie Invaders," a three-part music/theater cycle created by Child and her longtime collaborator, composer David Jex. "Erie Invaders" consists of three short plays: "Song of the Zebra Mussel," "Round Goby Rules," and "Frankenfish."

Founding NCT member Nora Warejko designed, built, and wears "Franky," the aforementioned gigantic Lake Erie invading fish. The story — Franky is weary of moving west on his own steam and wants to buy a car. "Erie Invaders" will be performed twice on Friday, April 11 (7:30 and 9:00 pm), and at 7:30 on Saturday, April 12. The Oliver House restaurants will be providing refreshments, including some Moroccan Meatballs that taste remarkable.

The South Wing of the Oliver House actually houses a three part artistic collaboration — North Coast Theatre, Blue Heron Gallery, and M.J. Erard Fine Art.

Oliver House owner Pat Appold conjured the idea for using the South Wing as a space for theater and art. "Restoring this part of the building has been a goal since we purchased the building in 1990." Appold said. "The mission of the South Wing is to enrich the local community through the combined presentation of contemporary visual arts and experimental theater focused on Northwestern Ohio. The primary goal of the Blue Heron Gallery. . . is to complement ongoing experimental theatrical presentations by the North Coast Theatre."

Mary Jane Erard is a self taught artist and Director of the Blue Heron Gallery and M.J. Erard Fine Art. In the past eight years, she's won more than 25 awards for her pastel paintings, developing an assured vision and style in her impressionistic landscapes. Her exhibit "Ohio Fields: Landscapes in Pastel" runs through May 23.

Elsewhere in the Oliver House south wing stands MJ Erard Fine Art, the personal gallery space featuring a rotating display of Erard's constantly evolving work. Child was struck by Erard's work from the first time she saw it displayed at Space 237.

"I always felt that if I could paint, I'd paint the light here in this region of the country. Mary Jane really does paint the light here as she paints the landscapes. I introduced Mary Jane to Pat when we began to think about the gallery space." Child and Erard planned the first season in the south wing so that the plays NCT performs relate to the art exhibited on the walls.

"We want to create a lively relationship between the actors, the audience, and the art," Child said.