As Close As I Can - Thunder River Theatre Company Stage Mag

As Close As I Can

at Thunder River Theatre Company


	Playwright/Performer Cassidy Willey
Directed by Renee Prince		Script Consultant Kristen Carlson

As Close As I Can is a true story of my family. The events happened right here in the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys. I am proud to call this area my home and am so grateful to share my story with my community, especially here at Thunder River Theatre Company, a place that I have long called an artistic home.

The initial seed for As Close As I Can was incubated with the 2019 Women’s Voices Project. Spaces like the Women’s Voices Project that support new writing and new work - especially by artists whose voices wouldn’t be heard otherwise - are absolutely crucial to the arts. The Women’s Voices Project empowered me to keep writing, trust my own voice, and believe in the importance of sharing my story.

Another gift of the Women’s Voices Project was the opportunity to deepen my collaborative relationships with two brilliant women: Renee Prince and Kristin Carlson. Renee and Kristin have been constant forces of strength, support, and love for me throughout the journey of developing As Close As I Can. The tears, joy, hugs, tough conversations, and passion for the work that we have shared have meant the world to me. I would not be on this stage today without Renee and Kristin. My heart bursts with love and gratitude for them.

Finally, thank you. Thank you for coming to the theatre to witness my story. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, especially my husband, Eric Lamb. My performances are dedicated to my parents, Bob and Michele Willey. They taught me grace, gratitude, humor, and the importance of community. I am honored to continue their legacy.

-Cassidy Willey

Who's Who

Cassidy Willey

Cast

Cassidy Willey

Creative Team

Renee Prince

DIRECTOR

Kristen Carlson

SCRIPT CONSULTANT and VOICE from the booth

Meet the Company

Cassidy Willey

Cassidy Willey (PLAYWRIGHT/PERFORMER) is a theatre artist, educator, writer, and mother. She has performed with several theatre and production companies in Colorado, primarily in the Roaring Fork Valley. Cassidy is a founding member of Consensual Improv. In addition to personal writing and theatre projects, Cassidy is currently a Program Developer and Lead Teaching Artist with VOICES. You can find her at cassidywilley.com or on Instagram @willey_writes.

Renee Prince

DIRECTOR

Renee Prince is the Executive Artistic Director of VOICES whose mission is to amplify unheard voices through the arts. Her favorite work is directing devised, community-based theater productions, and she is particularly passionate about physical theater. Renee has 24 years of experience as a producer, director, performer, and teaching artist with most of her work focused on rural mountain communities of the West. Currently, Renee’s work explores not only new plays, but new ways of making theater - with a primary goal of disrupting traditional power-structures that have for so long determined who gets to tell whose stories on stage and who has access to theater experiences.

Kristen Carlson

SCRIPT CONSULTANT and VOICE from the booth

Kristin (K.D.) Carlson is a theatre artist, poet, and fiction writer. She has been seen most recently on the TRTC stage as Emma in “Annapurna” and Hall in “Men On Boats.” Her play “Eudora’s Box” was first produced at TRTC, and her award-winning show “Unmarried in America” enjoyed a preview here prior to its regional debut.