The Tri-State Homeschool Drama Troupe will present the musical version of “Narnia,” based on C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, at the Platteville Municipal Building auditorium Nov. 6–8.
The performance will feature 48 students and recent graduates of Tri-State Homeschool, with actors ranging from Dodgeville to Dubuque to Fennimore. The troupe has been performing for 18 years, but this is its first musical. The troupe has been practicing more than once a week since August to learn the music and choreography of the show.
“Narnia” is directed by Susan Cramer of Platteville. Cramer has acted in many musicals, including four UW–Platteville Heartland Festival productions, but this is her first foray into directing.
“I wanted to direct a musical with a great story that the kids would love, and ‘Narnia’ fit the bill, said Kramer. “Several years ago I saw this musical version with my daughter, and the songs have stayed with me.”
Jacquie Schmaedick of Darlington has directed most of the past troupe productions and serves as the musical director for “Narnia.”
The entire production has been a community effort with numerous local businesses sponsoring the show. Homeschooling families have filled key positions on the production team, offering their talents in costuming, technical expertise, set design, music, and marketing. Many hours of musical accompaniment during rehearsals fell to homeschooling parents. Students helped design T-shirts and posters for the event, and 20 took part in an engineering methods class formed around the design of the Narnia set. The students learned drawing and modeling methods to design the set, and then participated in building it.
UW–Platteville Theatre Department students and staff have provided advice and help with painting and preparing the final set.
Performances will be held Nov. 6–8 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance from cast members and at the Driftless Market in Platteville, reserved on a will-call basis by emailing ticketsfornarnia@gmail.com or purchased for general admission at the door. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
