Sandy resident Megan Grassl noted that while she has lived in Sandy her whole life, she had never been to the Sandy Actors Theatre (SAT) until after college. And that
happened thanks to her mother, who submitted her name at the theater’s
booth at the Sandy Mountain Festival, leading to her taking on the job of
stage manager in the 2015 production of “Artichoke.”

This month, SAT will open “Rose Colored Glass,” by Sue Bigelow and Janice
Goldberg, serving as Grassl’s directorial debut.

The play is set in 1938 in a Chicago alley shared by a bar and a delicatessen,
as told in a series of flashbacks by a young girl at the time. The distrustful
widows who run the businesses eventually become friends as they try to bring
one’s nephew into the country and away from the horrors of Nazi Germany at
the time.

Grassl sees parallels between the apathy in America to join the war efforts at
the time to life today, particularly with attitudes towards people of different
religions and cultures.

“I hope they walk away thinking about what they see in terms of what is
going on now,” said Grassl, a graduate of Sandy High School and Oregon
State University. “Too often, people tend to forget about what happened in
the past, and the past is so important to learn.”

She added that while the show is not a “feel good piece,” it’s also not one full
of crying or anger over the world.

“It’s more like everyday life,” Grassl said, adding that at that point in time,
reports about the war were far and few between, with the prevailing notion in
America being to remain out of it. “And yet, Hitler was shaking up the world.”
SAT presents “Rose Colored Glass” from Friday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Feb.
18, at 39181 Proctor Blvd. (behind Ace Hardware). Show times are 7:30 p.m.
on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $18 general
admission and $15 for students and seniors (reservations are recommended).
For more information, or to make reservations call 503-668-6834 or visit
sandyactorstheatre.org.

Comedy continues at Wolfpack
Howard Bickle, founder of Sandy’s Wolf Pack Theater, wanted to put a smile
on the faces of his audience members for the holiday season. By all accounts,
his production of A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia” has hit the mark.

“It just means the world to me to do that,” he said.

The comedy offers the story of a couple, Greg and Kate, who move to
Manhattan and ends up taking in a dog Greg finds in the park. Unfortunately,
the dog, named Sylvia, threatens to come between the two, but also offers
the chance for the two to learn about what it takes to compromise.

In this play, Sylvia is portrayed by a human actor, and was played by Sarah
Jessica Parker in the Off-Broadway debut in 1995. For the Wolf Pack Theater,
Melissa Jean Swenson takes on the canine character.

“Every actor has their own unique skill set, and hers is a wonderfully truthful
performance, even playing a dog,” Bickle said. “It’s just such a cute show.”

He added that he has enjoyed the early productions of his fledgling theater,
with a focus on doing smaller shows of around four or five actors.

“It’s really highlighting the ensemble aspect of the theater,” Bickle said.

Bickle added that they are dedicating the show to Gurney, who passed away
last June.

The Wolf Pack Theater presents “Sylvia” through Sunday, Jan. 7, at 39570
Pioneer Blvd. in Sandy. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $18 for general admission and $15 for
students and seniors. Free admission is offered for law enforcement,
firefighters and veterans. For more information, visit
www.wolfpacktheater.com or call 541-722-2667.