Welcome to the first post in our ongoing "spotlight" series! In our efforts to show our community why we love our little theatre group so much, we decided to showcase our members and ask them about their Stage Company experience. We will be featuring our regular players, familiar faces, beloved crew, and MORE throughout this series. First up, our treasured Tracy Tarpley!
Name: Tracy Tarpley
Occupation: Office manager for a staffing company
Time with StageCo: 10 years
Tracy has truly run the gamut when it comes to a show. If you can name it, she has done it (and masterfully, might we add). She has performed on stage, directed two productions, is a seasoned stage manager, and is a Jill of All Trades when it comes to set construction/design, tech, and hair/makeup. Let's take a look at her resume!
First, let's check out her expertise behind the scenes:
Director: Haint and A Christmas Carol
Assistant Director: Of Mice and Men
Stage Manager: Alice in Wonderland, Cabaret, A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas, A Seussified Christmas Carol, and Romeo & Juliet
Stage Crew: All the Great Books (Abridged)
Her work onstage includes (and yes, there's MUCH more):
The Wizard of Oz- The Wicked Witch of the West
It's a Wonderful Life- Bank Examiner
Crimes of the Heart- Babe
Little Women- Marmie
Anne of Green Gables- Marilla
Sure Thing (and Other Plays)- Waitress
Miracle on 34th Street- Doris Walker
(*We'll see her onstage again in March 2019 as Bella Lamb, a theatre producer, in Rehearsal for Murder!)
And now, a brief interview:
Q: What do you enjoy most about being part of Stage Company? A: The camaraderie with the other members. We are like one big family.
Q: Why did you decided to join us? A: I was new to town, and was looking to meet people. I had come from a community theatre in a previous town.
Q: Do you have any favorite Stage Company memories?
A: I was stage managing for Alice in Wonderland and the door got stuck and wouldn't come down from the ceiling. I made a rushed decision and sent two extras out onstage to mime being a door!
In The Wizard of Oz, I was playing the Wicked Witch and the trap door got stuck so I couldn't melt! One of the actors climbed under the stage and kicked the mechanism and suddenly I "melted" super fast and rolled out laughing under the stage!
Q: What are some of the challenges of community theatre? A: As a director or crew member, finding enough people to help backstage as crew and finding people to help with the tech booths can be difficult. As an actor, learning the lines is the hardest.
Q: What are some roles or positions you would like to try in the future with the Stage Company? A: I'd like to play Mercy in Haint and try running the sound booth. I would also NEVER like to direct again! Ha!
Thanks for your time, Tracy!
We hope you've enjoyed our first spotlight post. We'll be posting more regularly with more spotlights, updates, and fun bits throughout the year, so keep checking back with us!