Red Lodge is seeing an increase in live theatre offerings. YPR’s Karl Lengel heard from Roman Theater Productions’ board member Craig Boleman and his wife Kass Prince.
Boleman directed the theatre’s production of The Savannah Sipping Society and Prince appeared as the character Marlafaye Mosley.
The couple met and built their theatre and entertainment origins in Texas, and were introduced to Red Lodge by a mutual friend. They have been there since 2021. The interview picks up with their interest in keeping active in live, local theatre.
They share some of the ups and downs of rehearsals, particularly in plays that feature multiple costume changes. Prince’s backstage expertise includes an extensive history in costumes, and she shares the challenges of “quick changes”, where an actor has a limited time to prepare and execute an offstage costume and/or character change.
The couple also acknowledge the deft work of the playwrights, Jones, Hope, Wooten. According to their website, Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, collectively known as Jones Hope Wooten, enjoy the reputation of being three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the United States. They specialize in writing laugh-out-loud comedies and creating vivid strong roles for women. Because of their commitment to and support of local theatres across the nation, they’ve built a following with legions of loyal fans and have been dubbed “America’s Playwrights.” Among them, they’ve written classic television, hit movies and off-Broadway comedy.
The Savannah Sipping Society is one of many opportunities Craig Bolenman and Kass Prince have had to work together - they share some thoughts on that occasional circumstance, and they close with a sneak peek at what live theatre Roman audiences might see soon.
The Roman Theater was opened in 1917 by Steve Roman. The 220-seat theater, which included a balcony, was remodeled in Art Moderne style in 1935. The interior has been remodeled and renovated several times since, but it retains much of its 1935 façade.
According to its website, The Roman Theater is Montana’s oldest, continuously-running moving picture theater. It is currently known for its film runs, events, and occasional live productions.
