WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Feb. 3, 2015 — College senior projects combine skills with creativity to demonstrate what a college student has learned over the years. For West Liberty University interdisciplinary major Liz Richter her performance project offers a perfect blend of acting and music.
“The Last Five Years” will be presented at the Strand Theatre, Moundsville, at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13 and 14 and at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 15.
It stars Richter and Dale Sampson in an emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their twenties, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years, making it perfect entertainment for Valentine Day weekend.
Under the coordination of the Independent Theatre Collective, Richter’s husband Jeremy F. Richter is directing the show and Jana Jarrett is the producer.
Liz Richter will graduate from West Liberty University in May 2015 with an interdisciplinary degree with an emphasis in theatre and music. Her background includes performances, course work and symposiums at Ithaca College, Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposia in Italy and Marshall University.
“The Last Five Years has always been a favorite of mine,” explained Richter. “The challenge of the piece, vocally and theatrically, requires a maturity that I’ve crafted throughout my educational career.”
Joining her in this two-hander by Tony Award winner, Jason Robert Brown, is long-time friend, Dale Sampson. Sampson, a Glen Dale native, was recently heralded for his performances in the 2014 New York Musical Festival.
“I believe this piece to be beautifully unique, entertaining, and honest,” Sampson said from his Manhattan apartment. “Given that, the location, and the people involved in this performance, this is an ideal opportunity to do what I love.”
The show’s unconventional structure consists of Cathy (Richter), the woman, telling her story backwards while Jamie (Sampson), the man, tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
The musical won Drama Desk Awards for the music and the lyrics after the Off-Broadway premiere in 2002. This production is directed by Jeremy Richter, and marks the first local collaboration from the trio since 2008.
“We’ve had conversations about working on this musical together for years,” said the director. “Thankfully, Liz, her advisors at West Liberty University, and Jana Jarrett of the Strand gave us the opportunity to put it altogether.”
Tickets are available online via brownpapertickets.com and at the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce.
The Strand Theatre is located at 811-5th Street, Moundsville, W.Va., please call the Chamber of Commerce at 304-845-2773 for more information.