Durango’s artist in residence, Mona Wood-Patterson is no mere player

 

DURANGO, Colo. –“All the world’s a stage – And all the men and women merely players.”

William Shakespeare’s line from “As You Like It” at once evokes the wonder, the challenges and the often harsh realities of the theatre. Indeed, theatre is a world reserved for a select few who have the talent, drive, vision and strength to stick to it. Those would be a few descriptors of Mona Wood-Patterson.

Folks unfamiliar with Wood-Patterson’s name or reputation have never had opportunity, or seized the opportunity when it came ‘round, to experience one of her productions. No, she’s not the leading lady seeking fame in the footlights – though her mother began nurturing her stage talents at age three. Wood-Patterson is a director, and since arriving in Durango in the late ‘70s to attend Fort Lewis College, has had a hand in “dramatically” broadening the range of theatre experiences available in the area.

“I love the opportunity that we have here – the creative opportunity,” said Wood-Patterson who was hired to head up the Durango High School Theatre Department in 1989, and co-founded Merely Players, a non-profit theatre production company currently presenting the light-hearted musical “Dames at Sea” at the Henry Strater Theatre. “Most high schools don’t have a trained theatre professional. I’m like an artist in residence there.”

In addition to her degree in English from Fort Lewis, Wood-Patterson earned a master’s in theatre from Florida State University, where she also taught theatre history. She has directed nearly 100 plays, and been instrumental in organizations such as Durango Lively Arts, Durango Repertoire Theatre and Durango Shakespeare Festival. She was also a Fulbright scholarship recipient, which took her to Wath-upon-Dearne, England to teach – of course – theatre.

“I wanted the family stability,” she said of not heading to Broadway with her expertise. “And this is a career in the theatre. It doesn’t matter where you are. Plus, it’s a steady gig, and I’m not out there begging for work.”

She is indeed a teacher in her soul, and by her own admission, “loves kids” and enjoys introducing them to her artistic passion.

“The classes that Mona teaches, the advanced classes, you can see those kids as they go through, they just get better,” said Charles Ford, her husband and creative partner in all their theatrical adventures. “She has units on all kinds of things from Shakespeare, to voice, to different acting styles. They’re learning academically and practicing in the classroom… It’s not like they act in a show and do nothing and in six months they’re better. You won’t be unless you’ve been studying. Even the best actors continue to work on their craft and improve.”

And Wood-Patterson does inspire her students to excel in the profession. When she and Henry Strater Theatre Manager Sophie Parrott had decided on “Dames at Sea” as the summer show, she looked first to cast her former students in the roles. The six players – Adam Fontana, Elizabeth Gray, Jessica Jane Hagemeister, Austin Hohnke, Landon Newton and Leah Nikula – are all DHS graduates.

“Something we have been committed to since we started with Merely Players is trying to keep local talent, but at the same time, it’s not a community theater. We’re not interested in doing community theater. We want people who are that step above and who are on that professional path,” she said.

“I don’t have to go out and go to national auditions, because these kids rank right up there,” she continued, acknowledging that the actors are no longer “kids,” and that they continue to invest time and money to make the most of their gifts. “It gives them a chance to get a credit on their resume, and gives me a chance to work with them again.”

Wood-Patterson is quick to credit her local theatrical successes to her entire production “team,” which, in addition to Ford (technical director and set designer, and puppeteer) includes JoAnn Nevils (costume designer), Tom Kyser (music director), Denise Hagemeister (choreographer) and Jill Langoni (music director).

“We know and trust each other, and when you have that, you can push so much further,” said Wood-Patterson. “We’ve never had a disagreement. We’ve never had an ego problem. We all want to make good art, and there’s none of the pandering to each other’s idiosyncrasies. We just do it.”

In turn, this has allowed for a secure and positive artistic learning environment for the students. Ego fits and misbehavior aren’t tolerated on any level.

“They don’t see it from the top, so they don’t do it from the bottom,” said Wood-Patterson. “So when they come back to work with us years later at Merely Players, they still have this ethic…We don’t believe that good art is made out of angst and melancholy. We believe that creativity is a natural state of humans. We are very God-centered people. We believe that it’s a spiritual step to creativity, that the whole world is in a perpetual state of creativity, and getting in synch with that enables us to create and have the burst of ideas.”

While the high school and Merely Players provide varied opportunities, Wood-Patterson and Ford are stretching their creative talents forming Imaginary Friends, an occasional theatre company that will stage a new play entitled “Neglect” in September. Wood-Patterson saw it staged in Washington DC and contacted the playwright for the rights to produce it in Durango.

“I just loved the play, but it’s something I couldn’t do at the high school because there is only a cast of two, and one of them is an older woman, and it’s important that she truly is,” said Wood-Patterson who has cast local artist and actress Maureen May in the role. Landon Newton will play the younger man.

“Imaginary Friends is about getting some new theatre experiences, so we haven’t found a space yet,” she continued. “But the idea of ‘Neglect’ is to do it in a ‘found’ space, so I don’t want to do it in a theater. I want to do it in a warehouse or an empty building.”

Imaginary Friends’ first offering was a children’s musical written by Wood-Patterson, “The 12 Dancing Princesses,” staged originally at the Durango Arts Center. She and Ford have “packaged” the production (script, music, sound effects, stage design), and are offering it to other small arts organizations and middle schools.

With “Dames at Sea” up and running, and “Neglect” well underway, Wood-Patterson is looking ahead to the school year. She has identified the musical for the year, “A Christmas Carol,” and her students will select the additional dramatic offerings to be staged.

“The high school has enabled me to explore creatively, within the boundaries of what is appropriate for high school students, and I have been able to do such a variety,” said Wood-Patterson. “So it’s pushed me forward as an artist because I’m working at it all the time… It’s a good fit, but it’s not the end either. It’s all preparation for the next steps in life that we all have. So I’ll be a director at DHS until I feel it’s time to move on.”

“Dames at Sea” will continue at the Henry Strater Theatre through Labor Day. To reserve tickets ($20-$30), call 970.375.7160 or visit www.henrystratertheatre.com. Learn more about Merely Players at www.merelyplayers.us.