T h E AT E R
Sandpoint Onstage’s production of “The Music Man” included clockwise from left: Benjamin Thompson as Professor Harold Hill, Director Deborah McShane, Kate Fox as librarian Marian Paroo, and Kate McAlister as Mrs. Paroo. Photos by MarieDoMinique VerDier
the show goes on
Theater scene racks up successes
W
hen the curtain went up on opening night of Sandpoint Onstage’s production of “The Music Man” this past summer, it kicked off the most ambitious community theater project in years – and cemented the reality of Sandpoint’s theater renaissance. “ ‘The Music Man’ – our first musical – sold out the Panida, upstairs and down, with people waiting outside, hoping to claim any no-show tickets,” said Teresa Pesce, who has held the reins at Sandpoint Onstage for five years now. “It was amazing and a little scary.” True, back in the glory days of Sandpoint theater, when the Unicorn Theatre Players were active from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, a full season of stage plays – including a musical – were on tap every year. But the theater scene went dormant until interest
seemed to resurface in 2010 and 2011. “I do think that we’re in our little renaissance phase right now,” said Deborah McShane, who directed Meredith Wilson’s award-winning play “The Music Man” and has been active in Sandpoint theater since Unicorn’s first performance in 1978. “It is kind of amazing in life how everything starts to cycle around. I think things are coming alive in Sandpoint in general: music-wise, business-wise. We have a whole lot of people interested in theater again.” That is evident not only considering productions by Sandpoint Onstage, but also with the proliferation of other groups and individuals who have gotten interested in live theater. Local playwright, musician and author Ben Olson wrote and produced two original plays in the past two years (“Death of a Small Town in the West” and “Sperm! WINTER 2013
By Zach Hagadone The Musical”), as well as Chris Herron, another young local writer, who wrote and directed his debut work, “Separate Checks,” produced by Sandpoint Onstage in early 2012. On top of those shows are those put on by 7B Productions, another startup group devoted to arts and entertainment – including, but not limited to, stage shows. Fronted by Robert Moore, Ron Ragone, Dion Nizzi and Madeleine Elliot, 7B Productions presented the hit radio play “It’s a Wonderful Life” in winter 2011, then went on to produce “The Lady with All the Answers,” based on the life of advice columnist Ann Landers, and “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” On tap are more productions, including “The Crucible,” “The Foreigner,” “The Odd Couple” and “Mary, Mary.” SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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