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RIFLE UTE THEATER
Thursday April 7 - Friday April 8
Saturday April 9
Thursday April 7 - Friday April 8
Saturday April 9
RIFLE TICKETS CLICK HERE
GRAND JUCNTION - AVALON THEATER
Saturday May 21 @ 6:00 pm
ASPEN - WHEELER OPERA HOUSE
Saturday June 4 @ 6:00 PM
TARZAN - Spring 2016
About Tarzan
An infant boy, shipwrecked in the early 20th century with his parents off the west coast of Africa, is left alone after the boy’s parents are killed by a leopard. A nurturing gorilla named Kala, whose own infant is carried off by the same leopard, finds the boy and takes care of him as her own child.
This does not sit well with Kerchak, her mate and leader of the tribe, who warns that the boy is different from them and will lead to trouble and grief. Nonetheless, Kala raises Tarzan until Kerchak expels him from the community for fashioning a spear that Kerchak believes is to harm gorillas.
Years pass, and the young adult Tarzan finds himself attracted to a young English naturalist, Jane Porter, exploring the African jungle with her father and a mercenary guide named Clayton. Intrigued by the ape-man as well as by the gorillas, previously unseen by Europeans, Jane unwittingly leads Tarzan into a trap set by Clayton to bring chained gorillas back to England.
This does not sit well with Kerchak, her mate and leader of the tribe, who warns that the boy is different from them and will lead to trouble and grief. Nonetheless, Kala raises Tarzan until Kerchak expels him from the community for fashioning a spear that Kerchak believes is to harm gorillas.
Years pass, and the young adult Tarzan finds himself attracted to a young English naturalist, Jane Porter, exploring the African jungle with her father and a mercenary guide named Clayton. Intrigued by the ape-man as well as by the gorillas, previously unseen by Europeans, Jane unwittingly leads Tarzan into a trap set by Clayton to bring chained gorillas back to England.
Executive Sponsors
New Ute Theater Society Members are offered 10% tickets for this show. If you are not a member make sure to get registered asap.
Home Security for the Roaring Fork Valley
Supporting Sponsors
Special Thanks to:
CITY MARKET - NEW CASTLE
VITAMIN COTTAGE
THOR'S BURRITOS
RIFLE LIBRARY
SET PRODUCTION - STEVAN RODRIGEZ and JARROD MAJKUT
HOUSE MANAGER -
SOUND MANAGER - MELISSA SCHUSTER
LIGHT MANAGER - MELISSA SCHUSTER
PHOTOGRAPHER -
VIDEOGRAPHY - RIFLE TV
TECH CREW MEMBERS
VITAMIN COTTAGE
THOR'S BURRITOS
RIFLE LIBRARY
SET PRODUCTION - STEVAN RODRIGEZ and JARROD MAJKUT
HOUSE MANAGER -
SOUND MANAGER - MELISSA SCHUSTER
LIGHT MANAGER - MELISSA SCHUSTER
PHOTOGRAPHER -
VIDEOGRAPHY - RIFLE TV
TECH CREW MEMBERS
MUSIC DIRECTOR/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR -Melissa Schuster
STAGE MANAGER - Sarah Burke
Sarah is a sixteen year old Junior at Liberty Classical Academy. This is her fifth play and first time as stage manager. Her first experience in theatre was with her school where she danced in the ensemble in Guys and Dolls. She soon discovered many more musicals, fell in love with all things theater, and developed an enormous appreciation for both the exaggerations and subtlety of fine acting. Her acting was short lived, however, as she found a passion for backstage production. It may seem tedious repeating the same thing over and over again but in the heat of the moment she can't be drawn away.
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CAST
Tarzan / Director - Brett Lark
Brett grew up acting in the Roaring Fork valley. From Sussical the Musical to Peter Pan, Brett has worked in a miriam of theatrical pieces. His favorite parts to play are of the noble hero and the loyal friend. Brett enjoys staying active and looks forward to making acting more apart of his life. His family Amanda, wife, and Tehya, his daughter of five are very important to him and Brett enjoys including them in his endeavors. With a passion for performance and a high level of enthusiasm we look forward to more theatrical and film work brought to our area of the Western Slope.
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Jane - Hattie Rensberry
"Tarzan" will be Hattie's fourteenth production over her four years of acting thus far. As a senior at Rifle High School, she will be attending the University of Northern Colorado in the fall, hopefully for musical theater or graphic design. She is also heavily involved in choir and the IB Program in school, along with spending quality time with family and friends. She would like to thank her mom, who has always been her biggest supporter and her biggest fan, and the rest of her family who has done their best to understand her incessant babble about stage directions, purpose, and theater in general. She believes that the arts are incredibly important, and makes it a large part of her life to encourage people to involve themselves in the arts.
"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."- Victor Hugo. |
Young Tarzan - Meric Robinson
Meric is a clever, well mannered, charismatic kindergartener. He was born in Aspen and raised in Rifle. He is always eager to learn with exceptional listening skills and follow through. Meric has appeared in on camera roles and print advertisements such as The Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals and Dr. On Demand App. His current interests are Soo Bahk Doo, Breakdancing, Singing, Acting & Modeling. He is an animal lover and is continously involved with the Rifle Animal Shelter, fostering kittens and volunteering while having five dogs and one cat of his own. Meric is excited for his first theatrical performance in the role of Young Tarzan.
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Young Terk - Ryland Moore
Ryland is eleven years old. He love's to cook, sing, act, and have fun! Ryland is so excited to be in a play with a speaking part. When he was at his first audition for this play, he was so nervous, but he knew he had to have courage and faith in himself and God. His biggest fear was being in front of people he didn't know. When Ryland saw the cast list he was overjoyed that his name was on it. Ryland thanks his mom, his sister, his dad, and Brett the director of the play. Ryland is so happy to be in the play and is excited to perform for the audience.
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Prof. Porter - Ian Chaney
My name is Ian Chaney. I am a 14 year old living in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I have done lots of voice over acting for radio commercials, but my first big play was just a couple years ago with Defiances, Beauty and the Beast. This show was what really got me into musical performance and acting, and I hope to continue it for years to come!
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Clayton - Scott Elmore
Scott began action in middle school in the eighth grade when he decided to audition for the school musical, The Music Man. He has been performing ever since. Scott was raised in Glenwood Springs where he still resides and is currently studying theatre at Colorado Mountain College at the Spring Valley campus. Between CMC's Sopris Theatre Company and The Glenwood High School's musicals Scott is no stranger to being on stage. Scott has landed roles in many shows including: The Miracle Worker, The Real Inspector Hound, The Glorious Ones, The Rimers, of Eldritch, Young Frankenstein, Grease, Kismet, Back to the 80s, and most recently in Tarzan the Musical.
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Kerchak - Jarrod Majkut
Jarrod was born in Glenwood and grew up in Rifle. While obtaining his associate of arts degree in theatre from Colorado Mountain College he had the pleasure of performing in many productions, most notably: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "I love you, you're perfect, now change," and "Amadeus." The opportunity to be a part of this production of "Tarzan" has him swinging from the vines! Two worlds, one family!
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Kala - Anna Bagley
Anna Bagley enjoyed theatre during high school and college and is excited to be back on stage in this production. She and her husband, Danny, moved to Colorado three years ago from Iowa, by way of Michigan. Anna is currently serving as director of music at Rifle United Methodist-Presbyterian Church. She continues her role at home as "mama monkey" to her two boys, Mike and Nate.
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Terk - Brooklyn MooreBrooklyn loves to sing and act, and she is absolutely marveled to be able to perform with adults! She has been on stage since she was 4 years old, and has her mother to thank for that! (thanks mom!) Tarzan will be her 19th on-stage performance. Brooklyn is currently moving on to the second round of her local talent show "Stars of Tomorrow". She is also just finishing up Grand Valley High School's spring musical "Bye Bye Birdie", and will be auditioning for the middle school play "I Wish" at the conclusion of Tarzan. Brooklyn loves playing volleyball, doing art, and most of all working with kids. Whether its teaching kids about God, reading to them, or even just talking to them about how their day went! She would like to thank Brett, Sarah, and Melissa for making theater in the Grand Valley possible!
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Tarzan's Mother - Noelle Gingrinch
Noelle Gingrich is a Colorado native, that has enjoyed the theater long before she ever set foot on a stage. She was a chorus member in her very first production, at the age of five, for the Missoula Children's Theater Cinderella. She participated in her local summer musical programs, and also her high school drama club. Noelle attended the University of Sioux Falls, where she not only received her BA in music education, but also had the privilege of playing Hodel in the Fiddler on the Roof production, as well as many other little skits. Most recently Noelle has enjoyed acting in the Defiance Theaters productions of Beauty and the Beast, as the Enchantress and a chorus member in Les Miserables. When not performing, Noelle enjoys her time at home being a wife and mom, and also sharing her love of music with her private piano and voice students. She would like to thank her husband Daryl, and their children, Ian and Klara, for supporting her in these acting endeavors, her mom for putting her in that very first show, and paying for years of lessons, and all those "extras" in her life that help her keep things afloat when things get busy. I couldn't do this life without any of you. Enjoy the show.
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Snipes - Christopher Merino
Christopher is born in Aspen but raised in Rifle. Musical theatre is not a profession that he is pursuing, although he does enjoy it as a hobby. His main goal is to go to college to study Music Production and Business. He is in high school band and choir, was in one high school production called Shrek The Musical, plays soccer and wrestles, and he is a member of a first generation program called Upward Bound. Chris is pleased to be in Tarzan and hopes to be in more in the mere future.
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Leopard / Ensemble - Mindy Gross
Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Mindy Gross came to Colorado eight years ago. She started theater her Freshmen year and is now a senior at Rifle High School. She has been in 7 productions the past 4 years. She is currently in drama club and assisting in the production of "And Then There Were None." Mindy dreams of becoming part of theater after graduation.
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Ensemble - Caitlyn Peed
Caitlyn Peed was born in Denver and raised in Rifle. She has always loved preforming arts and has been involved in 7 productions. She has also been involved in choir programs since 5th grade. She is a Sophomore at Rifle High School and is dabbling in writing her own play. She enjoys reading, writing, and drawing, and is an aspiring doctor. She hopes to never give up on drama and to be apart of community theatre for as long as it will have her. While this will be her 8th production, this is her first production outside of a school, and she excited to work with new people.
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Ensemble - Lou White
Lou White grew up in Ponca City, OK where she conquered her first role as a young child being Puck in a Midsummer Night's Dream. Lou caught the acting bug from there and has been in numerous productions ever since that day throughout grade school, junior high, high school, and college. Lou was a very familiar face in the annual Passion Play each Easter playing various roles. Her last performance was in Lever Action in April 2014.
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Gorilla - Kaiden Matlock
Hi, my name is Kaiden Matlock, I'm an 11 year old currently living in New Castle, CO - originally from Seattle, WA. We moved here 2.5 years ago and I really like living in the mountains. Since moving here, I have become a pretty good skier. I practiced karate (American Martial Arts) when in WA and left there as a blue belt. I love acting and hope to make it in the big leagues someday. I am very excited to be apart of the Tarzan cast.
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