Jon Mark Beilue: The next to lead ‘Texas’

WT’s Crandall becomes just eighth artistic director of outdoor musical

There was a time, maybe 25 years ago, when Stephen Crandall thought he would study biology and eventually go to medical school.

And then came the outdoor musical drama “Texas,” which changed his life in more ways than one. The show continues to be an anchor point for Crandall, who soon will step down as head of West Texas A&M University’s department of Art, Theatre and Dance.

“I was enamored with ‘Texas’ the first time I saw it,” Crandall said. “I was involved in the theater at Tascosa (High School in Amarillo), and that obviously fed my connection. There was something grand and majestic about it, and I just kind of loved it from the beginning.”

Crandall auditioned for the show in 1999 and landed the lead part of protagonist Calvin Armstrong, which he performed for three summers. Goodbye, biology major.

That first summer he met Leigh Anne Thomas, who played Rachel Tatum. By the summer of 2000, they were dating. Two years later, it was goodbye single life. In May 2002, they married.

And now the latest for Crandall in life’s twists and turns because of the outdoor musical, it’s goodbye department head.

In a Jan. 10 announcement from the Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle and the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, Crandall becomes just the eighth artistic director in the 56 years of “Texas.”

“Stephen is no stranger to the stage in this region, and his expertise both nationally and internationally speak for itself,” said Andrew Hay, himself the rather new executive director of the rather new CFTP. “But it is his continued leadership as a faculty member at WT, and the respect of his peers, which lends itself to his being the next artistic director of ‘Texas.’”

To do that, Crandall will step down as a department head, but will retain his position on faculty, a meaningful part of his professional career. There was some reluctance in letting go of a department head position – those don’t grow on academic trees – but it was necessary in the time costs of directing ‘Texas.’

Photo: Stephen Crandall (right, in shadow) helps acting major Taylor Pritchett record an on-camera test in his Acting for Film class Jan. 19.

Conversations with Hay and Crandall began in the fall semester and escalated in November. Hay was persistent. He believed he’d found his candidate. Crandall is a native of Amarillo who graduated from WT with a degree in theater performance and earned a master’s of fine arts from University of Nevada-Las Vegas where he also taught acting, voice and movement. He’s taught at WT since 2010 and will continue as a professor in the department even after stepping down as its leader.

“Being a department head and a faculty member initially provided some hurdles and challenges in that we were already in the middle of an academic year,” Crandall said. “I had to do some soul-searching.

“It’s my sixth year as a department head, and while it’s been good for me, I started to feel like maybe it’s time to do something different that I can lend my talents in a more esoteric way that’s a little closer to my background and own interests.”

Making changes while holding on to the traditional

In short, the new position gets Crandall closer and more frequently to the stage and the adrenaline rush of a performance – reasons he pursued the craft in the first place.

“’Texas’ is such a staple of this region since its inceptions in the 1960s,” he said. “It’s somewhat synonymous with the Panhandle and Palo Duro Canyon. It’s become a fabric of the Panhandle and this region has benefited from the long-running outdoor production that tells the story of settlers in the area.”

Photo: Stephen Crandall

Crandall, who also was “Texas” acting coach for a year, will have broad responsibilities in overseeing the artistic vision of all that goes into the outdoor musical. He will hire artistic and production staff, and auditions will begin soon across several states for the myriad of dancers and actors. In addition, the CFTP and TPHF have charged Crandall with expanding performance opportunities in the area that are centered around “Texas” and likely in concert with WT.

“Many people in the region have seen the show repeatedly, and it might be challenging to want to see it again and again,” Crandall said, “so there is opportunity for me to come in and evaluate and adjust while still making it a traditional experience. ‘Texas’ has a longstanding tradition that I hope continues for a much longer time, but as an artistic piece it must evolve to meet the audience to where it is now.”

That’s one of the primary challenges that awaits Crandall as it has for the most recent artistic directors. How does a director keep the traditional part of “Texas” that make it “Texas” while also providing some freshness and newness? What is too much? What is not enough? What is stale, and what is a staple?

“That’s what’s immediately in front of me,” he said. “How do I respect the things about the show that work and excite and drive attendance as well as what I can adjust from a directorial standpoint to help take the story forward or at least reinvigorate or enhance it? That’s the hard challenge ahead and would be for anybody.

“Dave Yirak (former artistic director) is a dear friend and led the production tirelessly for years. It’s humbling and little bit daunting to take over and say, ‘OK, let’s look at this and see where we’re at.’ But that’s one of the good things about leadership change. It allows for reflection and assessment. In some ways, it’s good to continue what we have, but what can we do that won’t upset the apple cart?

“My hope and strength as a director is to really look at – am I helping to tell the story in the best possible way and am I meeting the intention of the writers to celebrate some fictional history of the Texas Panhandle? Where can I hone it? My experience as a performer, I really have a love of not only the story but the struggles of the characters. So a balance between the story and entertainment and keeping all of those things working together, that’s my immediate aim.”

Crandall already feels a bit behind. Some of the main checkpoints, like audition planning and possible script changes, are usually done in the fall. Still, by late March, he hopes to get those hired and under contract with rehearsals starting in mid-May for the summer opening in June.

“It’s humbling to assume this position after a very few select number have led the production,” Crandall said. “To take the ebbs and flows of artistic vision and direction and being able to take the baton, so to speak, and carry it forward in the direction it needs to for the audience today, that’s exciting.”

Do you know of a student, faculty member, project, an alumnus or any other story idea for “WT: The Heart and Soul of the Texas Panhandle?” If so, email Jon Mark Beilue at jbeilue@wtamu.edu .