My Life in Theater: Fiddler on the Roof 1988?

I portrayed the part of the rich butcher, who is jilted in love.  I helped sing the song L'chaim as I became engaged to Tevye's daughter.  However it was not to be.  Blain Pierce portrayed Tevye.  He is so talented.  It was a fun experience.  Singing "Anatevka" with the cast at the end was very moving, as everyone had to move on.

Nels was the professional theater teacher at Utah State Extension

Not sure but I think Nels did the artwork

Sky View people may remember Wendy as Wendy Wardle

I look good with a beard, Cllint works wonders on sets

Chris is now drama teacher at Uintah High School, Lianne was very talented

Wayne wrote the music for Star of Justice

My History in Theater: Star of Justice

I was in the very first two years of the Outlaw Trail Festival.  Both years we portrayed "Star of Justice" with a few changes.  The first year I sang the cows and sheep song, but the second year this was a women's song, and I sang the hat song.  The first year I was a "good guy" and the second year I portrayed two parts, an outlaw, Bob Meeks, and a towns person.  These pictures are from the Vernal Express the second year.

That is me behind the fire with a mustache

Jake (Phil Walton) and Sadie's (Karen Bullock's) hands

Sheriff Pope and Kate (Dennis Hatch and Marci Dyck)

 My recording of their song, at least as I remember it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyzSzZ78Duo

That's me again on the right of the square as we sing "Star of Justice"

Chris Mikesell as Butch Cassidy

 The second year I was in charge of the fires.  I had to light the campfire.  It had chemicals to become a big fire quickly.  We also had a blanket in a bucket of water for the end of the scene and to douse the fire.  I Was also in charge of lighting the torches for the mob, lynching scene.
The show was directed by Nels Carlson.  http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/05/nels-carlson.html It was written by Sheila Wheeler and music by Wayne and Julie Millet.  The executive director was Alta Winward

 I had a couple of important parts.  As I town person I had a fight with Doug Griffin, blaming him for taking my hat.  Right after the fight I sang the song, "A Man Without a Hat."  I use to be so winded from the fight, the singing would give me a head ache.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvnTB7zCfnQ (A Man Without a Hat)
My other important part was holding the horses for the bank robbery, and singing "Brother's Keeper" around the camp fire as we schemed.

It was a fun outdoor production.  We had guns, and learned the hard way, blanks are not totally safe.  We had horses and wagons.  I was never one for riding horses, but I did for the theater.  I rode quite a bit getting use to the horse.  Chris Piner, who played Sundance, talked about making the horses go fast with a good kick with the spurs.  It was a scene where he and Butch robbed the Montpelier Bank.  I held the horses for them while they went in. They come out for our get-away.  I used the spurs.  I did this only once, because I almost fell off the horse.  My horse would follow theirs going fast anyway.

Nels Carlson

I was looking at the Obits in the USU Alumni magazine, and noticed Nels Carlson had passed away.  Nels was Mr. Theater at the USU extension in the Uintah Basin.  He knew everything about theater, from the technical aspect, to the acting to the producing.  http://obitsutah.com/show_obit.php?id=3845  http://www.ubstandard.com/stories/Carlson-remembered-for-service-to-others,8658

I first met Nels when I was in the USU production of "Man of la Mancha." Nels, in addition to being the producer, portrayed the captain of the guard.  He was always such a professional.  He introduced the idea of staying in character and saying "line" when you need your line.  That was a good method to memorize the lines, but also to build the character of your role.

I did several more productions with Nels.  He was the director of the "Star of Justice" for the first years of the Outlaw Trail Festival.  He took a script that had never been produced before, and turned it into a show.  He also designed and put together the stage and scenery.  I still have a picture of the scene as he designed it, which hangs in me bedroom.

I helped Nels with building set.  I was the person that didn't know what he was doing, that Nels would show how to do a few things.  My worse experience with Nels was when I was taking down lights, and dropped one from the apple picker.  It broke the lens, but Nels didn't yell at me.  I did enough yelling at myself. 

He shared with me a movie script he had written.  It was written in the movie kind of a way and told the story of a man with cancer, who is "kidnapped" by his friend, a Native American to go see the grandfather, medicine man who could cure him.  It had the traditional chase scenes and everything, and finally getting to where they needed to be.

On one occasion we had a church social, and Nels came and did a one-man show.  Nels sang "Paper Dream" from "Saturday's Warrior."  This was one of his favorite songs.  He also did a scene from Shakespeare, I think "Macbeth" of a crazy door keeper.  I can still hear him, "Knock, knock, knock."