900 North Center StreetCasper, WY 82601 (307) 234-0946
www.stageiiitheatre.org
Leviathan 99 at the Casper Planetarium
STAGE III COMMUNITY THEATRE and the CASPER PLANETARIUMCELEBRATE HALLOWEEN WITH RARE SCIENCE FICTION WORK
Stage III Community Theatre and the Casper Planetarium will present their 7th annual Theatre of the Mind production for Halloween. Leviathan 99 is a space-going version of Moby Dick, adapted by the dean of American science fiction authors, Ray Bradbury. Performances are October 29, 30, and 31at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. All shows are held at the Planetarium, which is also the outlet for advance tickets. Admission is $6 per person.
Although best known for his science fiction, Bradbury was also the screenwriter for the 1956 film version of Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck. After working on the filmscript, he was so fascinated by the story that he decided to adapt it to a science fiction setting. The result is the story of a spaceship captain obsessed with a giant white comet, Leviathan, which blinded him 30 years before. Convinced that the comet is returning on a collision course that will destroy the Earth, he sets out to intercept and destroy it. Bradbury wrote the story in two forms – a novella which he published, and a performance script which remained unpublished. The show has been performed only a few times since the early 1970’s.
Theatre of the Mind shows take audiences back to the days of live radio theatre – but they don’t have to rely entirely on their imaginations to envision the story. As actors speak from behind the dome, the Planetarium projects visual effects that suggest some of the key images. Student interns at the Planeterium have been working since early summer to create computer animations for the show. Live sound effects (“Foley”) and electronic sounds are also key elements of the performance.
The show is directed by Pat Greiner and features a cast of eight: Bob Price as the Captain, Troy Howe as Ishmael, Mike Baden as Quell, Dennis Rollins, Walter Hawn, and John Leader as the three ships mates, and Ron Richard and Lee Jones Mosser each playing several roles. LeAnna Crockett performs the Foley effects and Corryne Drake creates the electronic sound effects.
For tickets or information, call the Casper Planetrium at 577-0310. This production is funded in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. The show is approximately 80 minutes long, and is suitable for audiences of all ages.
Sherlock Holmes Returns!
A NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERYOPENS AT STAGE III
Stage III Community Theatre invites audiences to match wits with the great detective as they present Sherlock’s Veiled Secret, opening on Friday, November 6. Written by K.C. Brown, the show is a new Holmes mystery that provides plenty of twists and turns, while remaining true to the spirit of the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.
At the opening of the play, Holmes is living quietly in retirement, but cannot refuse one last case, an incident of blackmail. He summons a young sculptress, Violet Sheridan, to assist him. What secret could be so dark, so deadly, as to rouse the indomitable Sherlock Holmes from his peaceful retirement in Sussex? And what do the old detective and young sculptress have in common that they should work together on this case? The show is directed by Stephen Grothe, assisted by Kelly Delap. It features Jim Gunderson as Sherlock and Jessie Speck as Violet, the artist with a mysterious past. Mandy George, Pamela RW Kandt, Rebecca Albertson, Sterling Hurvell and Matthew Stairs round out the cast.
Sherlock’s Veiled Secret is sponsored by Hilltop National Bank and produced with support from the Wyoming Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Performances are November 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 15, at 2 p.m. The show is suitable for all ages. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for seniors and students, available in advance at Grant Street Grocery, Metro Coffee Company, and the Cadillac Cowgirl, and at the door beginning one hour before each performance.
