Friday, March 29, 2024
 
Click HERE to sign up to receive Eye On Sun Valley's Daily News Email
 
Liberty Theatre Company ‘Together Again’
Loading
   
Sunday, August 1, 2021
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

They wanted to introduce themselves to the community. And the founding members of the new Liberty Theatre Company found the perfect way to do that—through original skits and song.

Eight actors who are picking up where Company of Fools left off recently staged a delightful evening of entertainment at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden where they offered cute monologues about how they had gotten into theater, along with corresponding songs made popular by the likes of John Denver and Bread.

For Chris Carwithen, it was the beat of “76 Trombones” that set forth his path.

“The person doing it was my Dad—he was ‘The Music Man,’ ” he said. “I began to imagine that I could do that. I finally got to share the stage with my Dad in ‘Sugar.’ Now, many years later, I find that same feeling in theater on Hailey’s Main Street, and I hope to pass that joy onto my son and maybe one day he’ll pass it on, too.”

Company of Fools, which had racked up such honors as the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 24 years, was left hanging when Artistic Director Scott Palmer left for Crested Butte in August 2020, nearly five months after the pandemic had shuttered theaters.

The theater company and Sun Valley Museum of Art agreed to revert to two independent 501c3 arts organizations after seven years of joint programming. And several actors who had starred in Company of Fools productions formed a new group with a new name under the leadership of Melodie Taylor-Mauldin.

Taylor-Mauldin described for the audience how she was studying law in college when her father pointed out that she was spending all her time acting and singing.

“I was in my third year and I thought about it and decided that my passion was music and theater. My father knew me and he steered me towards my passion,” she said, “There was a lot of dance and arts and theater in my home. I guess I always knew what my path would be.”

She recounted how she caught the performing bug strutting to John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” while wearing a Donny Osmond T-shirt on a Fourth of July float. Told to tone it down, she  turned it on.

“I didn’t understand the concept of toning down. I thought performing was reaching down in my heart.”

Andrew Alburger said he saw the Broadway show “Pippen” with its original cast as a high school junior.

“And I knew I wanted to be on the other side of the audience,” he said. “I followed Rusty Wilson, the co-founder of Company of Fools to Hailey to do ‘Sideman.’ It was an eight-week commitment and I’ve been here 20 years. I finally found my corner of the sky. I’ve worked with Broadway-caliber sets that take your breath away, and people who challenged me to raise the bar. Their love of theater and commitment to keeping it in Hailey feeds my soul.”

Aly Wepplo came to Hailey to perform in the Company of Fools’ ‘Spitfire Grill” in 2007. She and fellow actor David Janeski fell in love with each other and with the place and surprised friends by getting married in a cast party at the Reinheimer Ranch.

The two have performed in theater and they’ve performed in cabaret settings, including this weekend’s Field Daze shows where they performed such songs as “Cupid” as The Beverly Lovers, a harmonic counterpart to The Everly Brothers.

“This is the family I’ve chosen,” she said gesturing towards those seated around her. “And the emotions we bring to the stage is real because the relationships we have with each other is real.”

Tess Makena brought her talents as a keyboard artist and violinist to the show. She described herself as “the scrawniest girl you’ve ever seen” when she was cast at 10 in a Christmas pageant.

“The audience was a sea of smiling faces. They made me feel I was part of something bigger than myself,” she said. “I felt more like myself performing as a character onstage than I felt off stage. And my high school drama coach believed in me, told me, ‘You should make a living at this.’ ”

John Mauldin said his love for music was formulated when his mother sang to him for 24 hours straight to keep him from crying after he was injured as a toddler. He saw “Die Fledermaus” while eating cereal and was transfixed. But he cut short a career in opera because he missed his family when on the road.

“I was director of entertainment for Sun Valley Resort for five years and I was so impressed with the talent here,” said Mauldin. “I have such confidence in the Liberty Theatre Company adding to that legacy.”

David Janeski described the pain of the past months under the pandemic:

“We were doing what we loved most in the world and the lights went out. Our art form is about connection. Who would’ve thought there would come a time when we couldn’t connect with one another?!”

“What if this were the end of our story?” Wepplo asked the audience. “And, what if we start a new story and you come with us?

The production—"Together Again”—was created to answer such questions as: Who are the artists who are running this new company?  What do they believe is important? and How do they plan to support  our community? Carwithen said.

The show itself was crafted to show off the unique and varied talents that make up this new company and this cast of familiar faces,” he added. “More than anything we simply wanted to connect with our audiences in very meaningful, human ways. After being gone from the stage for so long there was a desire to rekindle those audience relationships and to rebuild with a community that we miss and adore.”

The new company plans to continue Company of Fools’ tradition of introducing theater in the schools in the vein of Stages of Wonder. They also plan to teach adult education classes this coming fall.

They plan to present public shows of “Together Again” Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20 and 21, as part of Field Daze at Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road. In October they will perform an original show with an autumnal theme, followed by a holiday show in December. Their first season will culminate with a Grand Opening Show in March 22.

WHAT ABOUT THE LIBERTY THEATER?

When Sun Valley Museum of Art chose to return to its roots of visual arts and education, it offered to give The Liberty Theatre to the new theater company. The theater needs a new roof.

The new theater company is trying to determine whether funding can be secured to restore the facility to make it fully operational. Those interested in discussing the restoration are encouraged to call  208-582-8388 or email info@libertytheatrecompany.org.

Those who would like to keep abreast of future developments are invited to visit www.libertytheatrecompany.org or Facebook (The Liberty Theatre Company.)

~  Today's Topics ~


Local Bands Offer New Perspective on Who's a Local

Can You Ski on Water? It’s Pond Skim Time

Jake Adicoff Wins Overall World Cup Championship while Other Skiers Do Well in SuperTour Finals
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Website problems? Contact:
Michael Hobbs
General Manager /Webmaster
Mike@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
Got a story? Contact:
Karen Bossick
Editor in Chief
(208) 578-2111
Karen@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
 
Advertising /Marketing /Public Relations
Leisa Hollister
Chief Marketing Officer
(208) 450-9993
leisahollister@gmail.com
 
Brandi Huizar
Account Executive
(208) 329-2050
brandi@eyeonsunvalley.com
 
 
ABOUT US
EyeOnSunValley.com is the largest online daily news media service in The Wood River Valley, publishing 7 days a week. Our website publication features current news articles, feature stories, local sports articles and video content articles. The Eye On Sun Valley Show is a weekly primetime television show focusing on highlighted news stories of the week airing Monday-Sunday, COX Channel 13. See our interactive Kiosks around town throughout the Wood River Valley!
 
info@eyeonsunvalley.com      Press Releases only
 
P: 208.720.8212
P.O. Box 1453 Ketchum, ID  83340
LOGIN

© Copyright 2023 Eye on Sun Valley