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Bringing history to life
Published 7/11/2011 in Local News
West's Buffalo Jones musical premieres.
By SHAJIA AHMAD
sahmad@gctelegram.com
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Brad Nading/Telegram Finney County United Way executive director Consuelo Sandoval, right, hands out programs to patrons entering the Garden City Comunity College Pauline Joyce Fine Arts auditorium Saturday for the musical production "Dream Your Dream: The Buffalo Jones Story". The original show, by Duane West, provided proceeds from the performances to the local United Way.
Undeterred by a limited cast, crew, budget and time, the story of C.J. "Buffalo" Jones came alive on stage through music and motion.
The production of "Dream Your Dreams: The Buffalo Jones Story," an original musical written by longtime Garden City resident Duane West, made its debut this past weekend in front of well-attended crowds at the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts auditorium at Garden City Community College.
West, a former county attorney and city commissioner now retired, has been working on the production, including the composition of 24 songs that accompany the script, since the early 1990s.
His interest in Jones, an American frontiersman who helped found Garden City, was sparked from childhood, West has said. And his fascination with the man who is credited with having saved the American bison from extinction spurred West to pen the play.
Sitting in the audience before Sunday's matinee, the last of three performances, West credited the hard work of the all-volunteer cast and crew and all the people who have helped him along the way to make the play possible.
"It's been a wonderful experience to see it all come together. The cast and (director Phil Hoke) have done a marvelous job," West said. "I've been excited to tell the story of 'Buffalo' Jones. Saving a species from extension is an incredible feat, in addition to founding Garden City. ... What a momentous thing, if you think of all the people who have been born here, lived here, and all the things they've done and accomplished."
An hour or so before the start of Sunday's matinee, the 20-plus member cast, filling 44 roles in the production, warmed up their vocal chords in preparation for the upcoming show.
Hoke, director of theater and technical director at GCCC who took on West's production starting with auditions in early June, thanked the mostly amateur cast, age 6 to 60, for their dedication over the past few weeks and for putting together an "incredible" production in a limited amount of time.
"It's been an absolute pleasure to work with all of you," Hoke said Sunday.
Some, like Marc McClure, who played W. D. Fulton in the production, also one of Garden City's founders, said this was only his second time ever participating in a community play. He said he was "definitely pretty new to all this."
The 23-year-old general manager at Austin Pools said that over the past couple of weeks, he had been studying his lines as often as he could during his spare time. His favorite part, McClure admitted, has been the camaraderie that's grown among the cast and crew.
"Getting to know the cast and crew really well and all the work we've been doing going over lines, it's been great," he said. Others in the small cast agreed.
For Missy Allen, who played Mrs. Fulton, the play was very much a family affair.
Both her husband, City Manager Matt Allen, and father-in-law, Chuck, dedicated their time and energy over the last several weeks to memorize lines and rehearse scenes.
"(The best part) probably has been getting to know all the different people," Allen, whose character is credited with having named the town of Garden City thanks to an unknown passerby who complimented the founder's wife on her garden, said. "There's a lot of talent in Garden City, and it's been nice to get to know a different group of people."
The story of Jones, as told by West, borrows from history from the author Zane Gray, who immortalized Jones in his 1908 book "The Last of the Plainsmen."
The musical opens with a song from Gray, played by Garden City resident Rick Corbett, and takes the audience to an Illinois farmstead where the young Jones grew up, mostly chasing squirrels and with a special affection toward animals, according to West's script.
Nine-year-old Tucker Murray, who played a young "Buffalo" Jones in Saturday night's performance, said this was his first time in a community play.
Murray said Sunday his favorite part of being in the play was wearing his costume, especially his cowboy boots.
"And they make loud noises," the soon-to-be fifth-grader said, stomping his feet on the ground.
Twelve-year-old Brett Baldwin also played the same role as Murray during Sunday's performance.
"For me, it's the singing. I like singing," Baldwin said.
Twenty-year-old Larissa Hall, home for the summer from her studies at Kansas State University, said she, too, would miss the evening rehearsals. Hall, who said West was a family friend, played Mrs. Newby, one of Garden City's newest residents during its founding, and also played the role of Jones' youngest daughter.
"Everyone in the cast has been awesome," Hall said. "I've spent most of my evenings here, and it's been great. I'm actually going to miss it."
Proceeds from the production are benefitting the Finney County United Way. The production raised over $5,000 for the United Way, according to Consuelo Sandoval, the agency's director.
West said Sunday his next big endeavor is to open up the historical and educational stage musical to other audiences. The amateur playwright said he wants to market his play to communities outside Garden City, and possibly earn some money in doing so to help pay for some of the out-of-pocket costs he has incurred along the way.
"That way, they can send me some royalties to help pay the bills," West said and laughed.
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