~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
“A play about Bigfoot came randomly out of my head,” Greene County playwright Sarah Nicholson said about Bigfoot Monologues, which will premier this Saturday, with a repeat performance Sunday in Scranton.
“More than a year ago, Clay Ross wondered if I would write a 20-minute, one act play for the Community Players to do, possibly outside because of the pandemic. He wanted something family-friendly,” Nicholson said.
Ross is the president of the Community Players of Greene County.
“I’ve written plays and short stories for years but have never had a play produced. I began thinking how to make a play relevant to covid frustration,” she said.
“A friend and I were driving to Carroll one day and Bigfoot popped into my mind. We began riffing comedy related to it. If my friend laughed at something, I put it in the play. If she didn’t laugh, I threw it out.”
Nicholson explained the connection between cryptids, beings whose existence is documented in folklore and mythology but has not been scientifically proven or disproven, and the situation we have found ourselves in due to the pandemic.
Nicholson said people are frustrated sometimes at being isolated together. We’ve spent more time in nature, socially distancing, instead of in our regular habitats. We’ve infringed on the privacy of Bigfoot and his fellow cryptids, causing them frustration, too, according to Nicholson
Nicholson’s comedy, Bigfoot Monologues, directed by Nat Payan, brings out some positive feelings and increases understanding between humans and cryptids.
The cast includes Tim Pound as Bigfoot, with Mitchell Stevens, Linda Nichols, Josh Tuel, Corbin Tuel, Gavin Tuel, Autumn Stevens, Nat Payan and Bella Linberg.
“I didn’t go to the rehearsals,” Nicholson said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Nicholson was born and raised in Jefferson. She attended Iowa Central Community College in business and Buena Vista University in digital media and English. She is currently director of the Sierra Theater in Jefferson and an teacher associate at Greene County Middle School.
The premiere performance of Bigfoot Monologues will be Saturday, July 31, at the Rippey 150 plus 1Sesquicentennial celebration. It will be staged outdoors near the library at 2 pm. No admission will be charged but a free will donation is appreciated. The Community Players suggest patrons bring their own chairs.
The play will also be presented Sunday, Aug. 1, in Scranton, outside the Scranton Community Center, at 1 pm. The performance follows a fundraising lunch served by Scranton Betterment.
