STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Alpenglow was settling over the foothills of the Wood River Valley as the Ring family walked across the stage of The Liberty Theatre and climbed into a high-speed space tram slated to take them home from Mt. Foreverest.

As the wind whipped at the top of the mountain, Mrs. Ring, played by Molly Goodyear, begged her husband, played by Tony Barriatua, to take the family, including their son played by Nick Smith, somewhere warmer next year.

No more visiting the coldest exoplanet observed to date! she said emphatically.

Mopheads Andrew Schier and Lauren Duncan drive the space tram home from the exoplanet for Tony Barriatua and Molly Goodyear’s family vacation.

As they bicker back and forth, Mophead 2 played by Lauren Duncan, looks at Mophead 1.

“Zib, zab, zoob zoob zilly epsi long indi ab.”

“Do not be confused,” Mophead 1 played by Andrew Schiers told his companion. “It is common among Earthling-adjacent species to combat verbally when on what they call…vacation.”

“From what is it are they vacating?

Curtis Hopfenbeck recites Shakespeare lines that the Bard would undoubtedly cringe at.

“It is hard to say for it is chiefly illusionary. They are still themselves only now in a location different from one of typical cohabitation. They pay exorbitant sums of capital to vacate typical premises to exercise frustration upon one another elsewhere,” he replied.

“How do you know of such behavior?” Mophead 2 asked.

“Sir David Attenborough,” Mophead 1 replied. “They will be concluding soon,” he added. “Look. The youngling sheds tears. This bodily release of fluids should indicate soon they will reach a point of reconciliation.”

Fifty Wood River Valley youth and adult had shown up at 7 p.m. the evening before to take part in The Liberty Theatre Company’s second annual 24 Hour Theatre Festival.

“Ooh, I like the way you hold that club, Jerry,” Page Klune tells Dan Parke as Karen Nelsen and Alex Taylor look on.

They divided into groups and each group wrote a play, practiced lines and gathered props to present it 24 hours later to an audience that snapped up every seat in the theater.

Naomi McDougall Jones, artistic director of The Liberty Theater Company, told the audience that participants snatched all the spots in a few days.

“Just know what incredibly brave actors these are,”  she said, noting that each group had been assigned a veteran actor to help guide them.

In addition to the Interstellar Family Vacation, Sue Bailey wrote a script about a couple women on a road trip to Vegas who picked up a carful of eccentric characters along the way, including a man who broke out his accordion at regular intervals and a women brandishing a sock of potatoes.

A road trip to Vegas turns a little cringe-worthy, thanks to the addition of hitchhikers.

“You can never go wrong with a potato—that’s what I say,” the potato lugging woman exclaimed.

Twelve-year-old Mykala McCann was one of the stars of “The Old Curiosity Shop,” along with Will Hemmings and others, while Karen Nelsen, Paige Klune and Alex Taylor fawned over a golf pro played by chiropractor Dan Parke.

Four women introduced the audience to “The Botched Bachelorette Party,” which included a mix-up with underwear. And Curtis Hopfenbeck was among four taking part in a mishmash of Shakespeare, featuring such immortal lines as:

“O Romeo, O Romeo, why dost though always talk like a walking poetry book?” and

“To drink or not to drink—what a silly question.”

“I’ve done Shakespeare before, but this is a whole new ball game,” said Hopfenbeck.

Those taking the stage relished the opportunity.

“I haven’t been on stage for a long time so this was a great opportunity,” said Barriatua.

Dan Parke said he acted 30 years ago with Laughing Stock Theater, then took time off as he got married and raised a family.

“This is my first time back, and it’s so much fun. I’m ready to do it again,” he said.

Goodyear agreed. “I acted in high school. The last thing I was in was ‘Seussical the Musical,’ ” she said, noting she had gotten her costume for the Interstellar Family Vacation from that play. “This was so much fun.”

The Liberty Theatre Company finished the evening off with an improvised entry of their own—a “Theater is My Life” game show in which they introduced their upcoming play season.

The 2024-25 season lineup consists of

“Waitress: The Musical”—June 27-July 12

“Where Did We Sit on the Bus?”—Oct. 2-18

“To Be Revealed”—a commissioned adaptation of a Mexican or Peruvian children’s folk story that has yet to be written—Dec. 11-14

“The Importance of Being Earnest—Feb. 5-21

24 Hour Theatre Festival—April 5.

“I think I’ll need a premium pack,” said Chris Carwithen, the game show contestant as he reviewed the lineup.

Learn more about this season’s lineup in Eye on Sun Valley’s April 7 story, “The Liberty Theatre Company Unveils New Season of Plays,” at https://eyeonsunvalley.com/Story_Reader/12714/The-Liberty-Theatre-Company-Unveils-New-Season-of-Plays/.