All photos by GANT photographer Arielle Pelton.
CLEARFIELD – Are you ready to rock?
The Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre Inc. is, and they’re inviting the community to join them for the first show of the 2016 season, an extremely ambitious venture for CAST when it debuts Rock of Ages on stage this weekend.
According to Mason Strouse, director of communications at CAST, this musical journey came about after hard work by community members to revitalize CAST and to continue to be a center for arts in Clearfield.
Strouse noted in September a new board and leadership at CAST started making changes, beginning with reaching out to the community to pull the theater out of debt. The property was in danger of being sold at tax sale, he said.
He said the community stepped up and the board was able to pay off the old debt, although there is still a mortgage and some other current debt to be paid. As a thank you to the community, CAST wanted to start the year with a big show.
“It’s a huge undertaking!” Strouse said, adding that CAST was one of the first community theaters to be granted permission to put on this production.
As a result, extensive work was done to update the electrical system and the stage, including installing a new lighting system. He said 90 percent of the show is music and or dancing with rock from the 1980’s, and they needed actors and musicians with the talent and stamina to do the show.
In all there are 20 cast members, and most are on stage during the majority of the show, or back stage helping each other with quick costume changes as it is a fast-paced show. There is a production crew of about six to eight people and a “rock band” of six, Strouse said.
The director is Shawn Inlow with Gayle Gearhart as artistic director at CAST.
The show is based around the music of different artists of the 1980’s. It is the story of a rocker whose star is fading, as the pop music of the 1980’s is becoming more dominant.
Strouse cautioned that it isn’t a show for kids, as there is some adult content. He said if it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG 13.
The show runs this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. A new feature this year is sign language interpretation for the Sunday show. Strouse said there is a large deaf community in the area and many are planning to come and experience the show thanks to volunteers who will sign.
Next week the show will run Thursday through Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The cost is $12 for adults and $10 for students and tickets can be purchased at the box office or via the Web site, www.clearfieldarts.org. Questions can be directed to the office between 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at 814-765-4474.
Strouse also emphasized that CAST still needs the community to support the theater and all the programs available and encourages everyone to come out and see what is going on and visit the Web site, as well.