Song List

Act one

Prologue: Once Upon a December

The Last Dance of the Romanovs

A Rumor in St. Petersburg

In My Dreams

The Rumors Never End

Learn to Do It

Learn to Do It (Reprise)

The Neva Flows

The Neva Flows (Reprise)

My Petersburg

Once Upon a December

A Secret She Kept

Stay, I Pray You

We'll Go From There

Traveling Sequence / Still

Journey to the Past

Act Two

Paris Holds the Key

Paris Holds the Key (Reprise)

Close the door

Land of Yesterday

The Countess and the Common Man

Land of Yesterday (Reprise)

A Nightmare

In a Crowd of Thousands

Arriving at the Ballet / Meant to Be

Quartet at the Ballet

Everything to Win

Once Upon a December (Reprise)

The Press Conference

Everything to Win (Reprise)

Still / The Neva Flows (Reprise)

Finale

Sponsors

Cast

Student Leadership & Crew

Pit Orchestra

Liam Barrett - Flute, Piccolo, Trombone

Maya Caputo - Trumpet

Jackson Dean - Trombone

Nicholas Dore - Percussion

Asha Garner - Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone

Morgan Huffman - Violin

Spencer Kitchens - Violin

James Kovacs - Trumpet

Charli Lawler - Violin

Nina Low - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet

Masen Odell - Violin

Zane Piveral-Brooks - Flute

Sophiya Quigley - Drums

Elijah Winner - Keyboard

Savannah Wriglesworth - Alto Saxophone

Meet the Company

Suzie Matlock*

Anya/Anastasia

Suzie Matlock is a Senior this year at Poudre High School and has been involved in multiple of the PHS productions. Some of her favorite roles include Janis in Mean Girls, Yvette in Clue, and Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong! She is so excited for what this year has to offer for her, and would like to give all the love to her family and friends for their endless support.

Calen Clapp*

Dmitry

Calen Clapp, a Junior attending Poudre High School, is honored to perform in this production of Anastasia as Dimitri . He has enjoyed participating in a variety of roles in past musicals such as Mean Girls, Matilda and Mama Mia. He is thankful for having a talented cast to work with, and is excited to take on such a role.

Lennon Shipton*

Vlad Popov

Lennon Shipton is a Sophomore here at Poudre High School, and he is incredibly excited to share this wonderful show with you all. Some of his previous shows here at Poudre include Mean Girls and The Thirteen Clocks, where he played Kevin G. and Prince Zorn respectively. He would like to thank the rest of this amazing company for the work they've done to make this show the best it could be.

Marlie Clark*

Dowager Empress

Marlie Clark is a Senior who has been apart of Poudre Theatre since her Sophomore year. Marlie has been apart of The 13 Clocks, Play that Goes Wrong, Mean Girls, and various other Poudre Theatre productions. Marlie would like to thank the incredible company of Anastasia, her parents, and friends for their endless support. Marlie has absolutely loved being apart of this company and hopes you love the show as much as she does!

Harper Skjerseth*

Countess Lily

Harper is thrilled to be part of her ninth production with Poudre Theatre. Some of her favorite roles include Ms. Norbury in Mean Girls and Taylor in The Play That Goes Wrong. She is incredibly proud of this company’s dedication and thanks her friends and family for their constant support.

Ethan Boggs

Gleb Vaganov

Ethan loves to perform, and is fulfilled by theatre. He has been in Alice in Wonderland (CLPMS) as the King of Hearts, Troy Bolton in High School Musical (Divabee Academy), and is now on his 3rd show at PHS. His peers have shown support through all he does, and so has his family. He loves the arts and can't wait to share them with an audience!

Ayla Chinn

Tsarina Alexandra/Ensemble

This is Ayla’s second musical theater production at PHS and she is excited to have the opportunity to portray the tsarina in Anastasia. Ayla caught the theater bug at a young age and has had the honor to play multiple roles including Davey in Newsies (Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies Youth Theater Camp) and, ensemble in Mean Girls (PHS), She’d like to thank her mom and dad, as well as Mr. Lonowski and Mr. Smith for all of their support and advice.

Landan Hawks

Tsar Nicholas II/Ensmeble

Anastasia will be Landan's second production with Poudre Theatre, Mean Girls being his theatre deflower. Landan spends his time in the ceramic studio throwing epic ceramic vessels! Landan is a junior in his journey at Poudre High and would like to thank his family and himself for their ongoing motivation.

Zoe Mozer*

Olga Romanov/Ensemble

Zoe is a senior at Poudre High School. She started theater as a junior and was in the productions Mean Girls and The 13 clocks. She is in two of the auditioned choirs, as well as PHS cheer and Poudre's swim and dive team. She would like to thank all of the people who have encouraged her to do many things and helped her to work hard while doing them.

Emma Goodman

Tatiana Romanov/Ensemble

This is Emma‘s first performance at PHS as a freshman. She loved doing this with her fellow cast! She has prior experience in out-of-school plays. She is very excited to be part of this production and hopes that you enjoy the show.

Alexia Francel

Maria Romanov/Ensemble

Lexi Is a sophomore and plays the role of Maria Romanov/ensemble. This is her second production with Poudre Theatre and this is by far her favorite show she has been in. She would like to thank her friends for encouraging her to join theatre and her family for all the support they have given her.

Sam Alexander

Alexei Romanov

Emery Shufflebarger

Young Anya

Emery is 11 years old and in sixth grade at TMHS. She loves musical theatre and has enjoyed performing in Descendants (Evie), Willy Wonka (Violet Beauregarde), Annie (Annie), Schoolhouse Rock Live, The Most Epic Birthday Party Ever, and Finding Nemo, among others. Her other interests include ballet, piano, clarinet, singing, and skiing. Emery would like to thank all her friends and family who have supported her passion for theatre!

Jon Quass

Count Ipolitov/Drunk 1/Gorlinsky/Sergei/Ensemble

Jon is thrilled to be in his first performance at Poudre High School. Jon's favorite roles include Marlin in Finding Nemo, Joe in School House Rock, Mr. Bucket in Willy Wonka, and Paul in A Chorus Line. Jon would like to thank his parents for supporting him throughout his theatre journey. He would also like to thank his incredible teachers at NoCo Theatrix for guiding and supporting him for the several year he has performed there.

David Harris

Count Leopold/Drunk 2/Policeman 1/Ensemble

David Harris is excited to be in the cast of Anastasia. David is a IB - Freshmen here at Poudre High school. He is best known for the absolute goofball that he is.

Aurelia Zweygardt

Murfa/Countess Gregory/Ensemble

Aurelia Zweygardt is a sophomore at Poudre High. She is so excited to be in her third full length production. Aurelia was previously featured in Mean Girls as ensemble, and was in technical crew for The Play That Goes Wrong. She would like to thank her parents for being flexible with production schedules, and Sonic fast food for being a go-to post rehearsal.

Brooklyn Wilkes*

Dunya/Ensemble

This is Brooklyn’s 8th show with Poudre, and she is so excited to be back for Anastasia! Some of Brooklyn’s previous credits include Rachel in Mean Girls, costume crew for Matilda and The 13 Clocks, and technical crew for Clue, Almost Maine and Mamma Mia. She thanks her friends and family for their support and hopes you enjoy the show!

Karen Newman*

Paulina/Ensemble

This is Karen’s last musical performing at Poudre High School. She has previously been seen in The Little Mermaid the Musical, Puffs, Romeo & Juliet, Matilda the Musical, Mean Girls the Musical, The 13 Clocks, and now Anastasia. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her throughout her acting roles and work in costuming.

Sky Smith

Black Marketeer 1/Ensemble

This is Sky’s first production at Poudre HS. She was previously ensemble in her middle school production of Descendants. Sky is so grateful for her friends and family that have helped and supported her through this experience, and can’t wait for her next production!

Bella Gammage

Black Marketeer 2/Ensemble

Bella Gammage is a freshmen at Poudre High School and she is 14 years old. She was born in Gillette, Wyoming to Meriah and Dave Gammage. Growing up in a very musical household, musical theatre has always been an area she's wanted to explore. This has been an amazing opportunity for her. Throughout the process she's been so grateful to have met so many amazing people, and to have found a new love for theatre. This has become one of her passions and a way to express herself. She is very exited to participate in future productions, and highly encourages you to come see them.

Charlee Reisenweber

Black Marketeer 3/Policeman 2/Ensemble

This is Charlee's first production at PHS and they are so excited to be up on stage performing. Charlee, who plays roles in Ensemble is extremely proud to have been on this journey with this company. She first found her love of Theatre through her mother and since then has performed as Katherine in The Taming Of The Shrew and as Ensemble in The Devil With Three Golden Hairs. Charlee would like to thank their family and friends for their endless support. They have loved being apart of this process and hopes you enjoy the show!

Berlin Beadle

Ensemble

Berlin Beadle is a freshman here at PHS. She enjoys singing and acting in her free time. She has loved being a part of Anastasia and wants to thank her family and friends for all the support they give her.

Milla Pickett

Drunk 3/Ensemble

Milla is a Senior and this is her final production with PHS Theatre. She is incredibly grateful for the experience this company has given her, and for the support given by her friends and family and hopes you enjoy the show.

Avery Hicks

Drunk 4/Ensemble

Avery is a freshman at Poudre High School and this is her first year in Poudre Theatre. She has previously acted in other shows and is very excited to do her first musical ever with Poudre. She wants to thank her family and friends for their support.

Madeline Paige

USSR Official 1/Ensemble

Madeline Paige is a 10th grade student at Poudre High School, she was in Annie Jr. at Lesher Middle School 3 years ago and recently was in the crew for the production of Mean Girls at Poudre High School. She has been dancing since she was 2 and was in multiple dance recitals as a child. She is so excited for the production of Anastasia here at Poudre. She would like to thank her parents, younger brother, and extended family for supporting her! Enjoy the show!

Emmie Jackson

USSR Official 2/Ensemble

As her third show at Poudre and first production on the stage, Emmie is very excited to be working with such a talented company. She would like to thank her friends and family for their support. She can't wait to experience more shows!

Josephine Beck*

Female Officer/Comrade 3/Ensemble

Josephine is a senior this year and is joining Poudre Theatre for her ninth show. She is very excited to graduate this may, but is still sad to say goodbye to this program and Poudre High School. She can’t wait to share this show with you. This is one of her last productions and she is beyond grateful to everyone who has supported her during this journey. Thank you for watching her grow as a person and a performer, she can’t wait for what comes next.

Paige White

Ballerina

Bailey Zamora

Ballerina

Harriet Marcus-Bause

Ballerina

Lucia Cruz-Rodenbeck*

Student Director

Lucia is thrilled to be participating in her 9th show at Poudre High School, and her 3rd show as Assistant Director. She would like to thank her friends and family for their constant love and support.

Laurie Lindsey*

Stage Manager

This is Laurie’s 9th show here at Poudre. They have also Stage Managed last years spring production of The 13 Clocks and they were the Student Technical Director for the Play that Goes Wrong last winter. They have also had a love for props when working on past shows. Laurie would like to thank their friends, family, and the past seniors from this theatre company. They hope everyone has a great time and enjoys the show!

Sara Ogden*

Student Technical Director / ASM

This is Sara's 7th production she has been a part of at Poudre and she is so excited to be the Student Technical Director. This new experience is very different from her last years as the Prop head for The 13 Clocks and The Play That Goes Wrong and a part of the prop crew for many other shows, however she is loving every second of it. She is thrilled for everyone to see this wonderful show!

Izzy Johnson*

Painting Head / ASM

This is Izzy's 7th show for poudre theatre and 3rd show as paint head, and she can't wait to do even more.

Birdie Fry*

Marketing Head / House Manager

This is Birdie's 6th show at Poudre and her first time being marketing head. She is so excited to continue her theatre journey this year with such an amazing company!

Skylar Lamoreaux*

Properties Head / Front of house

This will be Skylar's 7th show, a horrifying prospect truly but a showcase of him commiting to something for once. Being Prop Head for the first time was daunting, as he was torn away from construction in favor of digging in the trash for proper 1920 props. Being their senior year, they're hoping to go 3 for 3 in being on Tech for the 2024-25 year.

Michael Abramowitz*

Properties Assistant / Front of house

Michael Abramowitz is a junior at PHS and has been dong theatre since freshmen year. Some past shows Michael has done Include Mean Girls High school Version and The Play That Goes Wrong. Michael would like to thank his friends and family for the endless support to pursue theatre.

Maia Shaddeau*

Co-Projection and Sound Head / Board op

This is Maia's 5th show with Poudre Theater and 4th being apart of sound crew. She is the Sound Head for Anastasia, and can't wait for you to see the show!

Gwyneth Parker

Co-Projection and Sound Head / Board op

Gwyneth is an IB sophomore and this is their fourth show at Poudre. They have been on technical crew for all four shows and they enjoy listening to music outside of school.

MJ Scott-Donegan*

Lighting Head / Board op

This is MJ’s 6th show with Poudre. He was happy to take on the roles of Lighting Designer and Lighting head. He’s happy to show lighting to new people and has loved the new challenge of designing. He’s so grateful for all of the returning juniors and seniors and the new and invigorated freshmen and sophomores.

Juelz Martin*

Lighting Crew / Spot light op

Langston Ziegler

Lighting Crew / Spot light op

This is Langston's first show at Poudre High School. He is really exited to venture more towards the lighting parts of technical theatre, specifically with the design aspect. Previously being Crew-Head at Lincoln Middle School, he is learning and adapting to the changes in the technical theatre process in a High school scenario.

Gibson Wessel

Deck Boss

This is Gib's fourth show at Poudre high school, and he is excited to continue working with the company until he graduates this upcoming May. His previous work includes Mean Girls, The Play that Goes Wrong, and Thirteen Clocks.

Carter Larsen*

Costume Lead

This is Carter's fourth show with Poudre High School. He is so thankful for all the amazing memories and friends he has made along the way. Carter specifically wants to give a shout out to his costuming director, Mrs. Kari, and his parents, for all that they have done for him and the dreams they have made come true!

Alexandra Belda

Costume Crew

Alex has been doing costuming since freshman year and has enjoyed being a costume lead and sewing the costumes for Anastasia.

Camryn Erickson

Costume Crew

This is Camryn’s first show at PHS as a costumer. She is very excited to come back and participate in more shows in the future, and would like to try acting as well as costuming. She would like to thank her friends for being such a great support system because they are also involved in the show, and her family for being available for all the after school craziness. Camryn would also like to thank Mrs. Kari for taking her and her friends as freshman under her wing and showing them how fun costuming can be!

Emily Sherpa

Costume Crew

This is Emily's second time working for the costume crew, as she has previously worked for Mean girls the musical (2023) . She would like to thank Mrs. Kari for endless feedback and support during the production, along with the other costume crew members for being productive and helpful throughout the production.

Kyrie Wilbourn

Costume Crew

Kyrie has always found costumes and intricate designs a fascinating part of theatre and Anastasia was a perfect start! She has had past opportunities and learning experiences in theatre and can’t wait for this show! Kyrie would love to shoutout Ms Kari and her costuming leader, Carter Larsen, for guiding her through the obstacles and enjoyments of costuming. She has loved the challenges of this play and hope you enjoy the show!

Leyton Dellemonache

Costume Crew

Lily Vanzant*

Costume Crew

Maisie Rhoda

Costume Crew

Phin Gomez

Costume Crew

This is Phin's first ever time participating in a theater production. Phin has been sewing for years and has made many cosplays. Phin learned from their Nana, and sewing has always filled them with joy so they were very excited to costume for one of their favorite plays.

Regan McIver

Costume Crew

Rory Chandler

Costume Crew

This is Rory's first production and she is glad to be a part of this experience and gain new skills. She is grateful for her parents for dealing with a crazy schedule, Ms. Kari for helping and supporting her, and her sister for generally being awesome.

Sebastian Fuentes

Costume Crew

Sebastian has worked on and loved the costuming crew for 4 productions at Poudre, being The Little Mermaid (2021), Matilda (2022), The Thirteen Clocks (2024), and now Anastasia (2024). He would like to thank his family for their support, his friends for their companionship, and especially Ms. Kari for her support, help, and kindness. He is looking forward to make the most of his final year in the costuming!

Willow Conant

Costume Crew

This is Willow's third show at Poudre High School, and she is so excited for their hard work to pay off with this amazing musical. She costumed for her last two shows, Mean Girls and The 13 Clocks. They had heard about the program from friends, then, eventually, found a home in Poudre theatre. They hope you enjoy the show!

Wren Orion

Costume Crew

This is Wren's first time costuming for a production at Poudre.

Mira Reilmann

Shift Crew / Construction Crew

Mira Reilmann is a freshman, working in theatre for the first time. She has never got the chance to try theatre and has always admired it. Mira has a passion for the arts and building with things, with a good amount of experience using tools. She wants to thank her family, pets, as well as new and old friends for inspiring her to try something new. Mira has worked in this company for a short amount of time, but she loves everything theatre has brought to her life and hopes you enjoy the show as much as she does!

Riley Juniper

Shift Crew / Construction Crew

Riley is a junior at PHS, and this is Riley's first production. Riley has always loved construction and putting things together.

Emily Hertzog

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

Kenya Caruth

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

Kenya is a Freshman and this is her first production. Kenya is extremely proud to be a part of the production of Anastasia. She would like to thank her family and friends for all of their support. Kenya has loved being part of this production, and hopes that you enjoy the show!

Marlow Walker

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

This is Marlow's third show with Poudre High School's Theater Company, and his second show on technical crew. His previous theatrical involvement includes playing the role Michael Wormwood in Matilda, and being apart of the technical crew for Almost Maine. Marlow has thoroughly enjoyed working on Anastasia and hopes that everybody watching finds it as amusing as he does.

Mennah Elhemri

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

Mennah Elhemri is thrilled to be part of the technical crew for the very first time. She has had a fantastic experience working in theater and hopes to continue this journey with many more shows to come. Mennah would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support. She has loved being part of the show and hopes you enjoy it!

Natalie Thinnes

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

Natalie is a part of crew and has helped build and paint the set. She has worked on two shows previously, Wellington Middle High School's Radium Girls and Clue (High School Addition). Natalie has had so much fun working on this show and hopes you enjoy it as much as she has.

Sylvia Talbert

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

This is Sylvia's first show and is so excited for what's to come!

Victoria Levick

Shift Crew / Paint Crew

Anastasia is Victoria's first show, and it has helped her find a new passion for theater. She's loved working on this show, because she has built relationships with people she never thought she would. The whole cast is like a family and she loves the community she's been working with. As of now Victoria is planning on working on our next two shows, Anatomy of Gray, and Six, which she would highly encourage you to see!

Z (Zinnia) Poor

Shift Crew / Technical Crew

Z is a freshman at Poudre High School, coming from Lesher Middle School. He's in the IB pathway at Poudre and has done props for several shows: Annie Jr. (Lesher MS), Dracula (Canyon Concert Ballet), the Wizard of Oz (CCB), and Sleeping Beauty (CCB), as well as painting sets for Annie Jr. (Lesher MS) and the Music Man Jr. (Lesher MS). This is Z's first production at Poudre, hopefully of many. He hopes you enjoy the show as much as he enjoyed working on it!

Brody Beck

Front of house / Technical Crew

Sammy Thompson

Front of house / Construction Crew

Chloe Shaddeau

Construction Crew

This is Chloe's first production at Poudre High School and she is so excited to do more. She helped put on Romeo & Juliet at her middle school. She has loved being part of this company and hopes to do more shows with Poudre.

Special Thanks

Thank You

to the following individuals and businesses whose support
and generosity make our productions possible.

and all the families and friends whose patience, flexibility and support make it all possible!

Costume Snippets

Well, We knew “Anastasia” was going to be a big costume show…..but we are still reeling by HOW big! Costumes from 1906 Russian royalty, the Russian revolution years, and ending in 1927 Paris. All very specific timelines, and all adding up to one hundred twenty-something costumes!

But our stalwart and heroic costume crew took it all on. They have spent every free hour (my gratitude to them, and to you, patient parents!) working to find and build believable costumes for our characters and eras. 

Our resources are very limited, but we are always up for the challenge of “making something from nothing”, We have unearthed many happy discoveries down in the labyrinth of our costume stock and fabric shelves!

Many of the costumes are found pieces, and a few rare surviving treasures are actual vintage garments and accessories from the 1920’s. 

Thanks to inspiration from our stack of 1920’s fashion books, and other favorite online sources, the costume crew faced the challenge of reworking some of our existing costumes. It’s tempting for our young crew to just put things together that look good, but I was a broken record with my mantra: “Go back to the research!”. The drop waistlines of the 1980’s mirrored some of the silhouettes from the 1920’s, so we repurposed looks where we could. 

Erte, a rather astonishing designer from the era, became a favorite inspirational muse of the costume crew—and we often looked at a plain dress and asked, “….what can we do to Erte this?”

And then, as this magical, talented, hilarious crew often does, they researched, built, constructed, measured and draped!  Their sewing skills resulted in the exquisite Russian royalty gowns, and many of the lovely velvet dresses in the second act. 

To say I am proud of these extraordinary young people is such an understatement! They are my absolute heroes.

My thanks, appreciation, and absolute awe to my dear friend and colleague Joel Smith, to Laura Lenczycki for her hard work and positivity with the technical crew, to Bennet Stucky for his talent and time, to Avery Rudman for pulling us together, to Sierra LaRue our wonderful choreographer, and to David Lonowski our music director.

Thank you also to our valued student assistants Laurie, and Lucia. You’re just amazing.

As always, much gratitude to my patient husband and family, who encourage and believe in me while I disappear into the depths of the costume basement for weeks at a time.

Please enjoy this beautiful show!

Kari Armstrong

Costume director

Costume Snippets and Wishlist

Wishlist:

Plastic storage bins all sizes

Art paint brushes, craft supplies, acrylic craft paints

Rit Dyes (powder & liquid, regular and synthetic)

Old Sheets/muslin

Black sharpie markers all sizes 

Glue guns/glue sticks

Buttons, notions, large snaps, thread, Velcro

Fabric Scissors

Fabric—velvet, drapery, brocades (1 yard or more)

Prom/bridesmaids gowns

Crinolines/petticoats

Vintage clothing (pre-1970) gloves, hats, shoes, jewelry, slips

Gift cards for: JoAnnes, Michaels, Life of the Party

Zippered Garment bags

Windex cleaning spray/spray cleaner/wipes

Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate chips

Special Thanks from Kari Armstrong

Katie George

Lindsay Shipton

Sewing Guild of Northern Colorado 

Parent donations

Shop Talk

As I reflect on this incredible journey from the past that Anastasia has been, I can’t help but think of how I felt at the start of this show. It was my first time as sole “supervising adult" for the technical side of the show (missed having you around Alec) and it made me question who I am, if I can really do this? Quickly I realized that I am never truly alone in this endeavor. The collaboration from Mr. Smith and Ms. Kari has been invaluable, so thank you. And my family, with their unwavering support of my doing crazy things in my little free time, thank you.

However, the real thanks of this production lies in our remarkable technical crew—a group of passionate individuals who infused our work with their creativity and tenacity. From our seasoned veterans who patiently taught the new recruits the ropes to those experiencing this world for the first time, every person was willing to dive in, try new things, and grapple with the challenges of redoing and refiguring it all. This is why we call it "performing arts." If I could hand them a blueprint or a detailed timeline with how-to videos, I would, but the reality is that there is an art form to what we do. The intricacies of painting, designing, and even the simple act of building a frame for the set require more than just instructions; they require heart and imagination. It is truly witnessing artists to see students do what they do at a crew call.

I am immensely proud of the hard work our students have put in, tirelessly absorbing my feedback and transforming it into something beautiful. Their creativity shone through the art nouveau style accents and the Russian influences we incorporated, all of which came together under the guiding Gen-Z-esk motto of this show: "is it giving bridge?" Each individual truly bridged the gap from tech selection back in September to the performance you will witness tonight. They are “giving bridge” with all their hearts.

Most of all, heartfelt thank you goes out to the heads of the various technical areas and our student technical director, Sara. Your experience and collaborative spirit during our crew calls have been invaluable. You brought not only your skills but also an incredible attitude of figuring it out alongside me, engaging in the creative process and conversation rather than simply following a map. This production carries your artistic fingerprints, from the design and styling choices to the mood that envelops the stage. It is this collaboration that has made the show extraordinary, because you are extraordinary people. Thank you for your dedication and for making the magic of theatre all the more magical. In the words of the Dowger Empress, you're secretly my favorite.

And thank you audience for coming to see this incredible production of Anastasia, I hope you enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed bringing it to life.

~Laura Lenczycki, Technical Director

Director's Note

I remember sailing from Florida to Louisiana with my father. We sailed west along the Intracoastal Waterway, following a string of buoys laid there by the Army Corps of Engineers a century before. The red buoys are spaced such that once you pass one, you sail blind for a mile or two until you can spot the next one on the horizon, with only your compass and your eyes to guide you in the right direction. In that mile, you have to trust your tools, your skills, and yourself. Did that trip come off without a hitch? Of course not: you have to screw it up a few times if you want good stories to tell later. We had to get towed off a sandbar in Mobile Bay and there was a scary, last-minute, feet-to-meters conversion that still says we should have run the top of the mast right into the Lake Pontratrain bridge (my failure with the metric system may have saved that ship that day). Point is, at some point you have to replace your fear with trust, and your comfort with wonder, and your safety with adventure. You have to set out to sea, replace the old world with the new. That to me is the story of Anastasia.

We’ve been talking a lot on this show about bridging the gap between fear and love. That’s really hard to do, especially right now. But like it or not, we are going to wake up in the next few days, weeks, months, in a new world. Like Anya, we have to find our own way, and trust that we are going in the right direction. Maybe there are buoys out there to keep us on the path, to keep us off the bars and reefs, but we aren’t always going to be able to see them. The students in this company jumped aboard seven weeks ago; they were scared and excited and didn’t really know where they were going to end up. They weren’t sure if they had the skills to navigate it. Their journey has been one of growing and learning and listening and trusting each other. It has been about stepping off and confronting that part that doesn’t trust. It has been about choosing love over fear, even when fear is so much louder and love is hard to see off, in the distance. And, wow, how they have sailed!

It has been such a privilege to cruise along with them. I want to thank the seniors who have led the way and steered the ship. They have taught the underclassmen more than they know. It has been an honor to work with them for these last few years and I will be sad when they head off on their next adventures, but proud. A huge thank you to the cast and crew for trusting, learning, and building this amazing production. Everything wonderful and magical in this production is because of them (if there is anything you don’t like, that’s the part I did).

You cannot sail without a capable crew, and as always, I am so indebted to the wonderful professionals and artists I get to work and play with. Thank you to Bennett, David, and Brandon for sharing your songs. Thank you to Sierra and Avery for showing this old dog new and wonderful tricks. As always, thank you to Kari Armstrong for inspiration, friendship, encouragement, and sock-monkey torture. And thank you to Laura for building a shop of imagination and trust, even when trusting me seems a risky bet, at best. Happy Birthday, Gramma!

My wife Melanie and my children, Jackson and Taryn, keep me on an even keel (the boating metaphor has gotten pretty old by now). Anyway, I love you. My father is on a different voyage right now, and there are no channel markers. I know you don’t remember it now, but thank you for that sailing trip, Dad. That adventure, and this production, will both be in my heart forever.

JS

October 2024

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February 2025

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More info and tickets at www.poudretheatre org.

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