Sopris Theatre Company (STC) of Colorado Mountain College-Spring Valley is gearing up for its 2024-2025 season.
Budding thespian Julia Whalen will celebrate her directorial debut with this season’s opening show, “The Sweetest Swing in Baseball,” written by Rebecca Gilman. The play follows the story of Dana Fielding, an artist battling personal demons and who ends up in a mental institution after a failed suicide attempt. Surprisingly, she finds enjoyment in the facility’s structure and plots to extend her involuntary stay by adopting the personality of Darryl Strawberry — a baseball player who lived a troubled life. That show will run from Oct.18 through 27.
Brad Moore, STC’s artistic director, expressed being drawn to the script because it deals with choice and consequence — a common thread in each show this season.
When discussing Whalen’s directorial debut, Moore said he’s excited to offer the opportunity to someone he can already tell will do a great job. “I think directing is something she will handle very well and I’m excited to see it unfold,” he stated.
Whalen has acted with the STC since 2022, first appearing in “Silent Sky.” Since then, she has developed great admiration for Moore and the theater community she has had the opportunity to work with.
“I was drawn to the play because of its unique exploration of identity and the fine line between sanity and insanity,” Whalen explained. “The way it uses baseball as a metaphor for self-preservation within a world that can be overwhelming resonated with me. It’s a story that speaks to the struggles we all face in maintaining our sense of self in a chaotic world.”
The company will revive its production of Lauren Gunderson’s “Natural Shocks” for one night only (Feb. 1) at The Wheeler Opera House. The production garnered three awards at this year’s Colorado Theatre Festival for outstanding sound design, “techtinabulation” (which recognizes a company’s teamwork and technical abilities), and Bostyn Elswick received the Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role award.
“My love for [Natural Shocks] grows whenever I pick it back up,” said Elswick. “It touches on many relevant and devastating issues we face in America … It’s great to keep playing with it.”
The third show of the season, “Bloomsday” by Steven Deitz, tells the story of Robert and Cait who met in Dublin, Ireland in their younger years. Robert returns to where they met 35 years prior and the audience follows their journey through time. That show runs from Feb. 7 through 16.
“It’s whimsical yet also moving. What’s interesting about ‘Bloomsday’ is there are four people in the cast, with two people playing each character 35 years apart,” explained Moore. “It’s an enigmatic piece with a beautiful ending and an interesting look into how we try to explain away the choices that we do or don’t make and how we go through them. It’s a piece about time travel, how we meet people and how they impact our lives.”
Finally, STC brings Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s 2014 musical “Bright Star” to its stage April 4 through 20. The script, based on a true story, is a haunting of the past as it follows Alice Murphy, a literary editor, reeling for a child once lost. Despite the heavy topics the show delves into, Moore said it has some very charming moments.
“It’s charming, fun and it’s got a nice message. I think the shows of the season have a lot of heart. Some are funnier and lighter than others, and some are heavy. Yet, they all give us a chance to look at ourselves, our society and our values which are important to us,” Moore concluded.
For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit www.coloradomtn.edu/campuses/spring-valley/cmc-theatre or call the box office at 970-947-8187.