The Wyoming Theater Festival is an immersive theater experience connecting playwrights, players and community in fostering the evolution of new and revitalized theatrical works
Alice Formerly of Wonderland
By Mark Saltzman
Directed by Kent Nicholson
Based on true events
It’s about Alice. Yes, THAT Alice — Alice Liddell, who, as a child, was the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s immortal story. Now Alice is in her teen years, living at Oxford where her father serves as a Dean. History tells us that in 1871, Prince Leopold, youngest son of Queen Victoria, enrolled in Oxford and was enchanted by the famous and beautiful Alice. This romantic comedy tells the tale of the Prince’s courtship of Alice and the Queen’s furious objections. All is accompanied by well-known songs of the era and a few glimpses of the creatures of Alice’s Wonderland.
Show dates and times: Monday, July 18 at 7:00, Wednesday, July 20 at 2:00, Thursday, July 21 at 7:00, Saturday, July 23 at 2:00, Sunday, July 24 at 7:00, Wednesday, July 27 at 2:00, and Friday, July 29 at 7:00. All performances will be held in The Mars Theater.
Cast of Thousands
The Songs of Craig Carnelia
Book & Concept by Eric Michael Gillett and Arthur Masella
Directed by Arthur Masella
Starring Eric Michael Gillett
The cast of this show may not number in four figures, but all of the characters are remarkably brought to musical life by one single performer: Eric Michael Gillett. With songs heartfelt, comic and passionate, Eric evokes a variety of people from many walks of life — A cowboy, a not-so-average housewife, a spouse in a dissolving marriage, another rejoicing in a newlywed nest. Young boys dream of snow days off from school while a retiree scrambles to fill his day. A performer on stage and television, Eric presented an earlier version of “Cast of Thousands” in the cabarets of Manhattan, where the New York Times wrote “The verb ‘sings’ is really inadequate to evoke the acute empathy with which Eric Michael Gillett transformed theatre songs by Craig Carnelia into live experience. Not only do you see the world through the characters’ eyes, but you also feel it through their nervous systems.” Craig Carnelia, the show’s songwriter, is known for his Broadway hits “Is There Life After High School?” and “Working”.
Show dates and times: Monday, July 18 at 2:00, Tuesday, July 19 at 7:00, Thursday, July 21 at 2:00, Friday, July 22 at 7:00, Sunday, July 24 at 2:00, Tuesday, July 26 at 7:00, and Saturday, July 30 at 2:00. All performances will be held in The Mars Theater.
East of Heart Mountain
By Edward Allan Baker
Directed by Giovanna Sardelli
Sheridan, Wyoming is the setting of East of Heart Mountain, a two act drama about Cora Reed a recluse who created a stir during WW II. Following a personal tragedy, Cora finds solace listening to her son’s short wave radio. She inadvertently picks up the signal of a Japanese radio program broadcasting the voices of captured U.S. soldiers. Obsessed, Cora listens day and night, writing down the words she hears from the P.O.W’s and conveying those messages to the families of those soldiers. Cora’s efforts provoke displeasure in the U.S. War Department and objections from her husband, a government employee. Yet Cora defies the male powers that encroach upon her and succeeds in giving hope to the families of the captured soldiers.
Show dates and times: Tuesday, July 19 at 2:00, Wednesday, July 20 at 7:00, Friday, July 22 at 2:00, Saturday, July 23 at 7:00, Tuesday, July 26 at 2:00, Wednesday, July 27 at 7:00, and Friday, July 29 at 2:00. All performances will be held in The Mars Theater.
Ring of Fire – The Music of Johnny Cash
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by William Meade
Orchestrations by Steven Bishop and Jeff Lisenby
Directed by Brian Russell
It’s a joy-and-heartache musical celebration of The Man in Black with two dozen of his greatest hits, including “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues.” A gifted cast will take audiences on the musical journey that was the life of Cash, from the cotton fields of Arkansas to the Grand Ol’ Opry — a journey through his legendary romance with June Carter, through his struggles and successes, rowdiness and redemption. Crowd-pleasing and foot-stomping, particularly when the title song is sung, this show has connected thousands of fans with the spirit of the man and created enthusiastic new audiences for the American legend named Johnny Cash.
Show dates and times: Thursday, July 21 at 8:00 ∗ Friday, July 22 at 8:00 ∗ Saturday, July 23 at 3:00 and 8:00 ∗ Sunday, July 24 at 3:00 ∗ Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 ∗ Friday, July 29 at 8:00 ∗ Saturday, July 30 at 3:00 and 8:00 ∗ and Sunday, July 31 at 3:00. All performances will be held in The WYO Theater (main stage).
Adults $40 ∗ Seniors & Military $35 ∗ Students $20
