Journey to the past with "Anastasia"

Both actors and audiences will embark on a "journey to the past" with this weekend's production of "Anastasia" at Western Wyoming Community College. 

The large musical is a "huge undertaking," according to Director Stephen Cramer, and bringing it to life has been "quite a project." 

Cramer, who is an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Western, has been wanting to do a large-scale show for the theater department. His ultimate bucket-list show to produce and direct would be "Les Miserables," which he starred in on Broadway. Unfortunately, the rights aren't available. But as Cramer considered other musicals, he landed on "Anastasia," which is a musical he's seen performed and a show that he enjoys. He also believed it would be a good opportunity for the college to appeal to and collaborate even more with the community. 

With a large cast of approximately 40 people, Cramer knew that Western's theater program wouldn't be able to do the show on their own. So, they reached out to Rock Springs High School to officially collaborate on the production, as well as to the rest of the community to help make it happen. Over half of the cast for "Anastasia" is made up of high schoolers from Rock Springs, and they are joined by others, including two smaller children and one Green River High School student. 

"They're really talented kids," Cramer said of all the younger members of the production. 

He added that all the high schoolers seem eager to learn as they work alongside the college's theater students and faculty, especially since many of them haven't worked with professionals before. The high schoolers also have a chance to perform in lead roles as they are working as understudies and covers for this production, and will be the main performers for one of the student matinees.  

"They're excited about this production, which is fantastic," Cramer added of the students. 

The college students are enjoying the production as well, and doing well with it, according to Cramer. With some new students in lead roles, and other students like Green River native Timmy Golightly both acting in this show and helping produce the previous show, there have been some new challenges for the theater department and its students. However, Cramer pointed out that both the high schoolers and college students have risen to any challenge they've been presented with. 

Star photo by Hannah Romero

Vlad (played by Raif Nettik, left), Anya (played by Abigail Archer, center) and Dmitri (played by Timmy Golightly, right) work together to help Anya remember her past.

The majority of the difficulties involved with the production have fallen on the director and other crew members, Cramer admitted. When working with such a big cast, figuring out logistics like rehearsal schedules can be challenging and lead to even more time spent on the production. Still, Cramer has a strong team helping him address challenges as they come up. 

Many of those helping with this musical are familiar friends in the Western theater department. Stage Manager Jake Webb is a theater program alumnus who now teaches theater for RSHS. Rick Matlock is another Western alumnus who is helping with tech details for the show. And Set and Light Designer Paul Yates has designed previous large musicals at Western like "Chicago" and "Urinetown." 

Anthony Romeo-Adcock, the new theater faculty member, has also been helping with the show, primarily as the choreographer. With the official title of Assistant Professor in Musical Theater with an Emphasis in Dance, Romeo-Adcock has focused on the dancing in this production, which is a crucial element in the story that is present throughout the show. 

"Anthony has been a huge help," Cramer said, adding that he's enjoyed working with Romeo-Adcock and having such a strong collaborator for the show. 

Another crucial crew member that Cramer particularly highlighted is Costume Designer Ivy Kropf. Kropf has helped with costumes for previous Western productions, including the last show, "The Marvelous Wonderettes." Between the two shows, Kropf has been working for the theater department throughout the entire fall, Cramer noted.  

Costumes are an especially important part of "Anastasia," which takes place in Russia in the early 1900s, and has characters ranging from poor beggars on the street to military officials to the noble Romanov family. To bring this world to life, Kropf has created many of the costumes herself, sometimes using donated and even antique fabrics. 

"These costumes are gorgeous," Cramer said, pointing out that the costuming for this show is "a lot," but that Kropf took the challenge head on, with incredible results. 

From the costumes to the dancing to the beautiful music to the talented acting, Cramer is excited about how the show has come together, and he is hopeful that audiences will enjoy it. He noted that at the beginning of the week, the theater department had already sold over 100 seats for opening night, which doesn't usually happen since most people tend to buy their tickets at the door. 

"I think there's a buzz around the show," Cramer said. 

For those who come to the show because they are fans of the 1997 animated film, Cramer pointed out that the stage musical makes several major changes, but also keeps many of the same songs and will have main recognizable moments throughout. For everyone, Cramer hopes they will enjoy the production and the story's themes about hope, closure, and redemption. 

"The past is always present" is the main thought Cramer has had as he's reflected on the show's themes. The past impacts each of the main characters, all of whom are seeking some sort of closure. The story is based on the true events of Russian history and the Romanov dynasty, which is history that Cramer finds fascinating. There also were multiple people who came forward to present themselves as the lost princess Anastasia during the time period, which the story addresses in a way that ultimately remains vague while being perhaps more hopeful than history itself. 

Ultimately, through the play itself and the work and collaboration that have gone into making it happen, Cramer hopes "Anastasia" will be an event that the whole community can be excited about. 

"Anastasia" opens tonight and will have performances at 7:30 p.m. November 14, 15 and 16, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, November 16. Tickets are $13 for adults or $8 for youth and seniors and are available online or at the door.