When directors Dwayne and Ronda Craig set out to stage Bonnie and Clyde at The Colony High School, they had no idea that their students would be walking in the literal footsteps of original Broadway stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes.
But that鈥檚 exactly what happened when the Craigs discovered that the original physical production鈥攊ncluding the set, costumes, wigs, and props鈥攚ere being auctioned off by Dallas Summer Musicals last November. The two were able to purchase the multi-million dollar physical production for about $10,000, with the help of the school鈥檚 parent-funded booster club.
鈥淚 would say we have 90 percent of the show, down to the wedding ring that Laura Osnes wore as Bonnie. You can鈥檛 even imagine,鈥� Dwayne said.
鈥淭he auction house didn鈥檛 know what they were selling, or the magnitude of what they had,鈥� adds Ronda. 鈥淲e happened to be looking under a table and there was this laundry basket with all these gallon-sized bags in it. We started going through them, and it was all of the Bonnie and Clyde 飞颈驳蝉.鈥�
Also included were extra bolts of fabric and many of the original patterns used to build the costumes, designed by Tobin Ost (who also created the show鈥檚 scenic designs).
Student performers have said that they feel as though their dreams are within reach as they try on Ost鈥檚 costumes and walk around his original Broadway set. 鈥淚t feels like they鈥檙e on holy ground,鈥� Dwayne states. 鈥淏roadway is a big dream for many of them, and with Bonnie and Clyde, they can see it and they can feel it. They鈥檙e experiencing it in a way only few actors get to do. It鈥檚 put a whole new perspective on what they want to do with their lives and their careers.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a once in a lifetime experience,鈥� Ronda added.
Ost also sees a sense of fulfillment in his designs' journey from New York to Texas: 鈥淲e often think of Broadway as the pinnacle and something that鈥檚 hard to access, but with this production, the distance between Broadway and New York City and this high school in Texas is much less than we ever imagined. Broadway is comprised of people who come to New York from Texas鈥攁nd places all across the U.S. There鈥檚 something wonderful about it living on and it being bequeathed to a whole new generation.鈥�
Because Bonnie and Clyde is also part of Texas history, the school is setting up a museum in the lobby, featuring various costumes and other production elements from the physical production to deepen the audience鈥檚 experience and hit home the uniqueness of this production.
The school plans to keep the costumes and wigs for use in future productions, while the set will be sold to a local theatrical rental company who will rent out elements to other productions in the area.
Performances take place February 7鈥�11. For tickets and more information, visit .
