Theatre Productions

The Lord of the Springs

"A curious glass snow globe of sulphurous hot springs water leads four Hobbits on a quest, straight into a deadly battle between the forces of good and evil."

When Pagosa Pretenders Family Theatre began in 1994, the goal was to create a new style of theatre that was especially attractive to families — on stage, as well as in the audience.

That meant coming up with a process that was, first of all, fun for all ages and all experience levels, and also a process that allowed us to create roles and characters suited to the family members involved as actors.

The improvisational process we have come up with over the years, does a pretty good job of fulfilling those requirements. The process is a highly creative, cooperative experience for the actors. (Continued...)

Nearly all of the live theater that most Americans get to see is built around well-polished scripts perfected on the stages of New York or Los Angeles, and provides a wonderful experience for both audience and actors — but the production process of such shows is very much about duplicating a show that has been successful on hundreds of other stages. We sometimes forget that all of these highly popular plays were originally CREATED by writers and actors out of a simple spark of someone's idea. (Continued...)

Pagosa Pretenders Family Theatre and Artstream Cultural Resources are providing our community's families a chance to experience that creative process first hand, by involving them in the creation of an original, never-before-seen play — one that includes the words and ideas of all the participants.

It may not be a Broadway show, but it's definitely OUR show. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it!

--Mark Brown, Bill Hudson, Julie Reardon

"Seven Globes for the Iceland Springs under the sky, Three for Old Faithful in Yellowstone, Nine for the Everglades, doomed to die, One for the Pagosa Springs in its mountainy throne, In the lad of the Rockies, where no shadows lie, One Globe to rule them all, one Globe to find them, One Globe to bring them all into the Smell and bind them, in the land of the Rockies, where no shadows lie!" (Adapted by Rachel Jensen)

The fine "forked" and "feathered" warriors in their "armor." Photo by Clarissa Hudson

Over 100 actors were in the play, ages ranging from 5 to 70 years old with another 25 family members who volunteered as backstage and production crew. A live band played tunes from the 40s and 50s with new lyrics written by Bill Hudson and Mark Brown. Band members included: John Graves on piano and arrangements, Chris Pierce on bass, Jeff Burkett on guitar, Larry Elginer on trumpet, and Jesse Morris on drums.

The new lyrics sung to familiar tunes were written specifically for this play:

"Fuzzy Feet" (sung to the tune of "Ain't She Sweet" by Jack Yellen & Milton Ager)
"Journey Through the Mountain" (sung to the tune of "Sentimental Journey" by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer)
"Falling in Love Again" (sung to the tune of "Falling in Love Again" by Frederick Hollander & Sammy Lerner)
"Over There" (sung to the tune of "Over There" by Geroge M. Cohan)
"I Love Precious" (sung to the tune of "I Feel Pretty" by Leonard Berstein & Stephen Sondheim)
"We've Got a Hot Springs" (sung to the tune of "I Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin)

Actors included:
Jennifer Pitcher and daughter, Miah Pitcher, Matti Aiello, Hope, Harrison and Harvest Forman, "Smellum" puppeteers Emilie and Rachel Schur, Jane Schur, Julia Nell, Del Greer, Gage Lovett, Cela White, Jane Schur, Malinda Fultz, Claire Versaw, Jeff Laydon, Quinn Smith, Elliot Harwood, Joshua Harwood, Ashley Angell, Alexander Baeckmann-Elge, jordin Frey, Braden and Mitch Higby, Alyssa Laydon, Danielle, David and Lisa Prather, Alissa Snyder, Candy Fleming, Allison Hart, Kelly Crow, Shanti Johnson, Randi Andersen, Jessica Low, Natalia Clark, Thomas and Timothy Levonius, Will Smock Egan, Kelsea Anderson, Betsy Schur, Iimberly Rapp, Cate Smock, Rachel Montoya, Hannah Clark, Zach Brown, John Egan, Rosalind Marshall, Jefferson reardon, Kyle Kammolz, Reverand Don Ford, Emmi, Evan, Del and Addi Greer, Wesley Royston, Trace Gross, Devin Vining, Josh Jones, Dylan Burkesmith, Kallie Ray, Jonathan and Hayley Hudson, Kara Hollenbeck, Gary August, Belinda Cotton, Connie Wienpahl, Clarissa Hudson, Cristina Woodall, Sara Vining, Belinda Cotton, Del Greer, Roger Jensen, Will, Courtney and Trey Spears, Jessica Blum, Chanlor Humphrey, Sierra Bryson, Kallie Ray, Josh Jones, JordinFrey, Mark Brown, Chrissy Karas, Summer Pierce, John Porter, Sydney Satel, Dan and Sandy Gnos, Nomad, Kathryn and Buck Frisbee, Chris Nobles, Joe Quick, Robert Garcia, Adam Parnell, Will Candy, Wesley Riecker, Steven Hanning, Steven Davis, Garrett Stoll, Timothy Levonius, Dylan Koch, David Durkee

Special Thanks to:
The Pagosa Sun, KWUF, Pagosa Music Boosters, Michael DeWinter, Susan and Mike Garman, Carol Anderson, Jeff Laydon and Pagosa Photography, Jim Smith Realty, Pagosa Samurai Academy, Pagosa Springs Arts Council, San Juan Ballet Academy, Moonlight Books, Wolf Tracks Bokstore & Coffe Co., Chris Hinger, Pagosa Springs Junior High School, Sabine Baeckmann Elge, Methodist Thrift Store, Ann Graves, Lisa Hartley, Pagosa Springs High School Staff, Waynette Nell, Human Society Thrift Store, Ace Circle T Hardware, Bob & Shirley Hudson, Jeff Greer, Summit Ski & Sports, Stephen Tholberg, River Run Studio, Hudson Hudson, Ltd., McDonald's of Pagosa, Diamond Dave's Pawn Shop, Plaid Pony, Pagosa Fun Place

Thank you to all the family members of the many actors who volunteered for backstage and production crew! Thank you to the hard-working actors for sharing a great time creating a wonderful production!