'Sylvia' the first production for new troupe

The Stumptown Players didn’t form because of a lack of theater opportunities in the Flathead Valley.

“It’s amazing how much theater we do have around here,” said Helen Hanson, director of the players’ first production. “I just think we could use a little more.”

The Stumptown Players open with “Sylvia,” a comedy by A.R. Gurney about a man, his wife, and Sylvia, a canine newcomer to the family.

The show stars Jim Mohn as the husband, Alicia Blake as Sylvia and Michelle Keener as the wife, with Tony Hernandez, Carla Chapin and Nicki Corne.

“Sylvia” will run at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish Aug. 11-14 and 18-21 at 8 p.m. each night. The show will be cabaret-style, with beer, wine and snacks available.

 Hanson said the fact that the O’Shaughnessy Center offers no theater in the summer was partly what prompted her to take the leap with a new company.

Though summer productions exist in other spaces, such as the Alpine Theatre Project at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center or the Bigfork Summer Playhouse, those groups don’t offer opportunities for even for the most experienced local actors.

Hanson herself has a professional background as an actress and her husband, Anker, also has acted professionally. He is not in the cast of “Sylvia,” but has been doing much of the set construction.

“Everyone involved with the company has been working round the clock,” Hanson said. “It’s mind-boggling how everyone has bent over backwards, particularly in summer when everyone kind of goes on vacation, even if you live here.”

Gil Jordan, executive director of the Museum at Central School, doesn’t have a role in “Sylvia,” but is part of the founding board of the Stumptown Players. The formation of the company drew him back to theater after a 25-year absence, as he was a director, actor and technical worker for a large civic theater in Southern California before moving to the Flathead Valley in 1985.

“I’ve just been an adviser on the founder’s committee and contributed what I know about how to promote events and make theater happen,” he said. “In this group there’s a wide variety of knowledge and experience and I think that’s why it’s going to be a success.

“I’m quite confident the show will be outstanding; we have a great cast and director and a good script.”

No one can say where the Stumptown Players will go next, as it’s all dependent on the outcome of this first show.

“This is our first toe in the water,” Hanson said. “It depends on how successful we are whether we do more in the winter; if we come out with our heads above water we’ve got plans ahead. This is our first baby out.”

“Sylvia” is recommended for adults and teens, featuring cabaret-style seating with beer, wine and snacks. Tickets are $18 and are available at the door or by calling 871-6447.