The show is based on the collection of folktales called “One Thousand and One Nights” which circulated orally for centuries before being written down. The earliest known manuscript was written in 13th century Syria or Egypt, with the first English translation published in 1706. They encompass several different cultures including Indian, Chinese and Persian. Disney’s movie, “Aladdin,” is one of the tales included in the full collection.
The play is set in Persia about 500 A.D. within a grand Persian Palace designed by the Thespian Troupe head coach Kalyn Krotz and built by Merlin Hitt, the Thespian Troupe members and dedicated parents donating their time and talents. The play is set in the kingdom of the great King Shahrayar. His first wife was unfaithful to him and broke his heart so he made an edict that every night he would take a new wife and, in the morning, would have her beheaded so she wouldn’t have a chance to be unfaithful. The Vizier’s daughter convinces him to wed her to the King to save other women from death. On their wedding night she tells a story but before she can finish the story and sun rises. In order to hear the end of the story, Shaharayer can’t behead her, so he agrees to delay her execution until the next day – and so the challenge begins to keep telling stories to save her neck each day.
In the play there are several characters of the court, servants, merchants, musicians and dancers. All of them are pulled into the stories to act them out before the King. The youngest actress is seven and plays the Prince and the oldest actors are the three seniors of the Troupe, Damion Bohndorf, Lillian Fuentes and Rory Winter.
“I really love the atmosphere we’ve created. The colors, textures, the feel,” Fuentes explained. “It’s a love story with comedy, adventure, suspense, lots of variety.”
The Troupe is hoping to raise funds to send the cast and crew of “Gracie and the Galapanzas” to International Theatre Festival this summer in Indiana. The show was chosen at State Thespian Festival last December to represent Wyoming at Internationals, but the costs involved are steep. Any financial support would be appreciated by the troupe.
The actors are mostly onstage the whole time so there is a lot happening with everyone thinking the same thing, “how long can she keep this up?” Although there is talk of beheading and similar dire events, it is done very cartoonish, so the show is appropriate for all ages. Bring the whole family for a night at the theatre. Check out production progress on the Facebook page for Wheatland Thespian Troupe 605.
