An enthusiastic audience greeted the recent Missouri Western State University production of “American Story” in Colorado, with an invitation to return for repeat performances tied to the centennial of the historic events described in the musical.
Sarah Waters, senior music major from St. Joseph, said she’ll remember “the weight of the history in the room” as she and the rest of the cast performed at the Famous Performing Arts Center in Trinidad, Colo., near the site of the Ludlow Massacre described in “American Story.” The April 20, 1914 attack killed as many as 25 people, including women and children, and is seen as a pivotal moment in labor history. Waters played famed labor activist Mother Jones.
“The audience had known the history, lived it, been a part of it, and been influenced by it their entire lives, and you could feel that, see it in their faces as you stood there on stage,” Waters said. “I’ll never forget the moment when a woman walked up to me and said that I had brought Mother Jones to life, just as her mother had described her.”
“Our students commented that they felt they were part of history after the performance,” said Dr. Laurel Vartabedian, who wrote the books and lyrics. “The audience members stayed nearly an hour after the performance thanking our students for ‘bringing their story to life.’”
Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president and Laurel’s husband, directed the production. Dr. Susan Carter, director of vocal studies, was musical director.
The Chronicle-News in Trinidad published a photograph from the performance in its May 15 edition and a page-long positive review and color photograph in its weekend edition of May 17-19.
“The young people forming the cast of ‘American Story’ were very excited to be singing exactly where the folk opera took place and thrilled at the possibility of performing before some descendants of those very characters they portray,” wrote Cynthia Berresse Ploski. “We in the audience were equally thrilled to have them here, bringing to life in song and story a part of history that is very much still alive in our hearts.” Ploski also paid tribute to “the magnificence of the cast’s voices and their excellent characterization of their roles.”
Colorado’s governor recently appointed a Ludlow Centennial Commemoration Commission to plan events to increase public awareness of the historical event. A member of that commission has contacted Laurel Vartabedian about scheduling 2014 appearances in Trinidad as well as Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver.
The Trinidad performance was a fundraiser for the Southern Colorado Repertory Theater. SCRT executive director Harriet Vaugeois, expressed an interest in both further collaborations and future employment of Missouri Western students in the professional summer repertory theatre.
The performance in Trinidad was just part of the Colorado trip. The cast and crew also toured the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and entertained a gathering of Missouri Western alumni and friends at the Cherokee Ranch and Castle in Sedalia, Colo.
“I felt like visiting royalty being shown around the Denver Center,” Waters said. “Our guide was full of fascinating tidbits about performers, shows, mishaps and tales that don’t make it into the brochures. The alumni banquet was fun, too. We made some great connections with people there.”
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.