{"id":33696,"date":"2023-04-20T00:15:37","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T06:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/totah-welcomes-back-live-theater-continues-music-performances\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:12:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:12:48","slug":"totah-welcomes-back-live-theater-continues-music-performances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/totah-welcomes-back-live-theater-continues-music-performances\/","title":{"rendered":"Totah welcomes back live theater, continues music performances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Theater
Theater Ensemble Arts will return to the Totah Theatre with its production of Tracy Lett\u2019s \u201cAugust: Osage County,\u201d which opens Friday. (Courtesy Melanie Leeson)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The newly renovated Totah Theatre in downtown Farmington is open for business with events that include everything from movies and live theater to poetry readings and live music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve tried to have one movie or one event in there each month,\u201d said Randy West, supervisor of the Farmington Civic Center. He also manages the Totah.<\/p>\n

Live theater returns to the venue this weekend with Theater Ensemble Arts\u2019 performance of \u201cAugust: Osage County,\u201d by Tracy Letts, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the play in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family in the late 2000s. Dad\u2019s a drinker; Mom\u2019s a pill popper,\u201d said Joey Herring, who is directing the play. \u201cThree daughters come home, because dad has disappeared. Every one of them comes with a secret, which are revealed during the course of the play.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play was selected by Theater Ensemble Arts\u2019 script selection committee. \u201cWe read this show, and we felt like it was challenging and socially relevant. A contemporary show that really reflects our society in many ways today,\u201d Herring said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn \u2018August: Osage County,\u2019 there is a pattern of dysfunction that is passed down from generation to generation and how that pattern continues on or is somehow broken plays out on stage,\u201d Herring said, adding the cast is made up of new and seasoned actors. \u201cIt\u2019s a great cast and an emotional play. It\u2019s a challenge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Renovation
Renovation of the theater preserved as much of the original artwork and features as possible. (Courtesy Melanie Leeson)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cAugust: Osage County\u201d will be performed at Totah Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday,April 28 and 29, and at 2:30 p.m. April 30.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited to be in the space again. We will be the first theatrical production in it since it\u2019s been renovated,\u201d Herring said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent several years in there producing shows,\u201d Herring said. \u201cWe\u2019re happy to be partnering with the city on this.\u201d<\/p>\n

West said the city provides a special rate for nonprofit organizations, offering 50% off the rental fee. \u201cIt\u2019s just about the cheapest package you can get with the sound and lights,\u201d he said of the 280-seat theater.<\/p>\n

While Theater Ensemble Arts signed on to use the theater, The Sandstoners, a San Juan County-based Americana band, used the lobby for performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sandstoners went in there to create a speak-easy vibe in the building,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n

\"The
The intimate setting of the Totah Theatre lobby created a speak-easy feel for The Sandstoners\u2019 performances. (Courtesy The Sandstoners)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Sandstoners have played twice in the theater\u2019s lobby since it reopened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really impressed with the lobby. I thought it would be a good place for a small, intimate concert series,\u201d said Mike Easterling, a member of the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not another night of live music,\u201d Easterling said. \u201cIt\u2019s different every month. We make it really interactive. We have cocktail tables almost in our lap. It\u2019s dark. It\u2019s intimate. I find it more easy to connect with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sandstoners put on themed performances in the space. January\u2019s theme centered around Elvis\u2019 birthday, so the band learned Elvis songs and music \u201cadjacent\u201d to Elvis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t play a single Elvis song before we did this,\u201d Easterling said.<\/p>\n

The second show\u2019s theme focused on Valentine\u2019s Day and included songs of love and heartbreak. In March, the Sandstoners performed at the Farmington Civic Center and introduced the crowd to the band\u2019s original music.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople seem really hungry for something like this \u2013 not just another night of live music,\u201d Easterling said. \u201cWe were trying to do a different show every time we\u2019ve done this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sandstoners will return to the Totah Theatre lobby at 7 p.m. May 12 with \u201cSongs of the South\u201d \u2013 a celebration of southern songwriters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018August: Osage County\u2019 will be the first live theater performance since Totah reopened<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[363,1060,1047,559,910,3739],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-33696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-arts","tag-arts-entertainment","tag-film","tag-music","tag-theatre","tag-totah-theatre"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33696"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82306,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33696\/revisions\/82306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33696"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=33696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}