Community Players to perform sequel
The Bigfork Community Players will perform the sequel to last year’s production, “Prairie Heart,” in this year’s new show, “West,” written by T. M. Sell.
Karen Kolar directed “Prairie Heart” and is the director for “West” as well.
The Bigfork Community Players is an amateur theater company that produces plays during the fall, winter and spring seasons in Bigfork.
The cast includes:
• Mariah McGarvey as Glenda
• Josh Ruebenson as George
• Scott Roskam as Ole
• Lee Princhard as Ingrid
• James LaFontaine as Harold
• Michele Shapero as Fancine
• Meghan Rogers as Sheila
• Barbara Langlois, Mary, Larry, Rachel, and Riley Whitney and Jules Fairfax as townspeople.
“West” continues the story of the Olson and Dokken families. It takes place in Minot, N.D. in 1914 and Missoula in 1925.
Olaf Olson’s daughter, Glenda, and Harold Dokken’s son, George, are married.
Although their marriage is fraught with challenges including the loss of their homestead, Glenda is an Olson through-and-through.
Her Norwegian work ethic brings the story to a heart-warming conclusion.
Mariah McGarvey, who played Ingrid Olson in “Prairie Heart,” plays Ingrid’s daughter Glenda this time.
The premise of the play is biographical, following an immigrant family loosely patterned after Sell’s family.
The play opens in the “Golden Age” of farming as the couple meets.
George is the son of a banker, played by Josh Ruebenson, and is working for Glenda’s parents.
The Roaring ‘20s didn’t touch these people, Kolar said.
They were doing well, but after WWI, prices of grain dropped precipitously, and this causes emotions of the play to become a “roller coaster,” with alcoholism, infidelity and suicide as topics.
Following the Saturday, April 20, performance, Dr. T.M. Sell, and his wife Nancy Warren, who wrote the music, will be in attendance and present a brief talk about the play.
A reception will follow in the lobby of the theater.
The director suggests this show carries a PG-13 rating because of some language and adult themes.
Show times are set for April 12-14 and 19-21, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts.
Tickets will be available at Bigfork Drug, The Kalispell Grand Hotel, online at bigforktheater.org and at the door.