COLTON - Creativity and a supportive environment have been the forces behind nine years of successful productions for the Sunday Rock Legacy Project (SRLP) and its collaboration with the Grasse River Players (GRP). From mystery dinner theater productions to fully staged performances, members of the GRP have worked hard to make summer theatre in Colton the place to be.

Beginning in the first several years with stage directors Karen Wells and Kimberly Busch and musical directors Lorie Gruneisen and Barbara Burdick and technicians John Larrance and Jonathan Sleger, performers and stage crew members from Colton and surrounding areas have relished in the opportunity to present local musical theater.

Taking on the directing spotlight in recent years has been Elaine Kuracina, and working closely with Ms. Kuracina is technical wizard James Wildman. Both have been a part of the SRLP steering committee, and both have worked creatively to provide audiences and performers alike with fun and memorable experiences.

As Ms. Kuracina recalls, “When there was a call for a liaison between GRP and SRLP, I volunteered. I was excited to get involved with the likes of Ruth McWilliams and Mary Jane Watson. They were so enthusiastic about producing summer shows, doing the work for NYSCA grants, getting young people involved and building community.”

Having staged pre-show productions for a variety of audiences and murder mystery dinner theater to fundraise and sell tickets, Ms. Kuracina also rolled with the punches when the regular stage at Colton-Pierrepont Central School was closed for renovations.

Ms. Kuracina had no problem adjusting to stage settings that were not always ideal. “In I DO I DO, we used quilts as the stage scenery and put some of the audience on stage as 'theatre in the round." She also recalls when . . . “we transformed the C/P cafeteria into a theatre.”

Mr. Wildman joined the group at Ms. Kuracina’s behest. “The first project, for me, "Working," was unique in that we did not have a theatre to play in.... Elaine and I - (along) with the aid of the historical society - set the play in the old unused, at that time, firehouse, including the old fire truck that was housed in the building. We thought at the time it was a great fun space and the show proved to be well suited to the space.” Ms. Kuracina added, “A flatbed truck was where the actors were placed. We used an antique fire truck as 'the balcony.' (We) added audience chairs…(we) even added a tent for audience overflow.”

That kind of out-of-the box thinking proved very useful when the pandemic struck. Mr. Wildman remembered, “So in the spirit of "The Show Must Go On" we did a drive-in theatre to allow people to see a stage musical in the safety of their family cars.... all these adventures keep us excited to be a part of this community and the things we are able to pull out of a hat.”

Currently preparing for a tenth-year musical revue, Ms. Kuracina and Mr. Wildman are again using a unique space – the Russell Theatre - because the CPCS auditorium is unavailable this summer. Both directors are continuing to consider all the health and CDC requirements associated with live theatre, and both remain enthusiastic about their roles. Added to this year’s revue will be selections from the musical “GRASS” – written and composed as parts of a collaborative enterprise. The show itself will take place at the Russell Theatre and will be performed on Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m., Friday, July 30 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 31 at 2 p.m.

Ms. Kuracina looks forward to this summer’s live production. “I feel I have a cadre of talented, innovative, dedicated people that nurture and provide a scaffolding for my creativity. For that, I am so grateful. And. . . the people in this creative orbit - everyone on the SRLP board, everyone in our community theatre group, (and) two amazing technical theatre professionals - Jim Wildman, who worked Broadway and internationally, and John Larrance, professional theatre lighting engineer and teacher. And, everyone involved does it for the love of it. What a team!”

Mr. Wildman is in full agreement, “Local people who have a collection of remarkable talent have been able to provide a reflection of the history in different forms now for over ten years and in some respects give our community a big hug.... and at the same time allow us all to come together in a place of celebration and see what a great place the North Country is.”