Theatre Thursday: Tristram & Isolde

SPANISH FORK — Once upon a time, there was a king who tried to create peace among all the land. To merge the loyalties of neighboring kingdoms, he decides to marry a princess of a neighboring empire, by the name of Isolde. However, dark forces grow in his mind and the power of doubt crushes his confidence that she will fall in love with him. Out of this fear, he makes a decision that will alter all of the lives within his tangled web. 

A sorceress, played by Whitney Bradham, provides a magic potion that will help incite Isolde’s feelings to be more than just duty-bound. She loves being the powerful witch that gets the performance rolling. 

Bradham is taking a break from her normal role as director to portray this character. She has loved what it has taught her and how it has pushed her as a person. “Being in this role has taught me that I need to be super, super open to direction,” she said. 

“I’m used to being the one giving direction, so everytime I get directions, I need to be open to trying it.”

Bradham has definitely come to love the show. In speaking with her, she told me the songs have been stuck in her head for months.

“It’s an original show, so most of the people in the audience will have never seen or heard it. And the music is so infatuating. But I hope people walk away thinking that with all of the choices we make, there are consequences that we can’t control.”

Cobb & Company Theater Productions plan on creating an atmosphere where people can focus on the storyline instead of getting lost behind intricate designs.

Ruthie Higley, one of the co-founders of Cobb & Co. Theater, said one of the motivations for creating this company with her brother, John, was that it would be easier to produce their own work.

“This has developed into a desire to eventually create an environment that embraces the camaraderie of community theatre but has a higher quality of performances,” she said. 

Higley has pushed the boundaries of the medieval show. There are multiple song styles and genres as well as a contemporary take on an age-old story. By keeping the costumes modern with a fantastical feel, she hopes the audience can expand their minds for what can be produced on a stage.

“This show isn’t the traditional stone-cut castle adventure; it dives into its own world,” she said.
“I hope that they’ll see the major themes of goodness and integrity prevailing even while faced with great temptation and opposition.” 

Join the cast and crew of “Tristram and Isolde” on a magical adventure that will leave you thinking about the ripple effect your decisions have on everyone around you. By learning from King Mark you might be able to find your happily ever after.