Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The Ski Town Productions team has big plans ahead, including writing a third play in its life-in-a-ski-town series and reworking its first two efforts to make them road worthy.

"We are definitely taking another step. We are still growing," Ski Town Productions President Brian Harvey said.

Though the title and subject matter of a third play haven't been determined, Harvey said it would continue along the same lines of the first two.

It's expected to open in Steamboat Springs sometime next summer and another Steamboat Pirate promotional newspaper will be published a few weeks before the show.

Writers also are going back to work on the "24 in 24: A Day in the Life of a Ski Town" and "6 to 1: The Goods Are Odd" scripts this winter.

"We're trying to just tighten everything up to make a show that will be universally funny," Harvey said.

It's hoped that in March, "24 in 24" will reopen in Steamboat. It will be followed by another performance of "6 to 1" at the end of the ski season. So far, it looks like Levelz is the likely venue, Harvey said.

"The plan this summer is to then take them on road," he said.

The company is banking on residents in Vail, Aspen, Summit County and Crested Butte relating to the subject matter of the plays. The trick is to adequately promote the shows, as well as understanding the differences of each community. One way to do that is to hire actors in those areas to be in the plays, Harvey said.

He already has made some connections with community acting groups in a few markets.

In addition to that, the company wants to release an album of Ski Town Productions' songs. That CD would be given to radio stations with the hopes that the comedic songs would be played to help promote the shows.

"I would imagine that 'You Don't Lose Your Girlfriend, You Just Lose Your Turn' would be pretty popular," said Harvey, referring to a song from "6 to 1."

Harvey admitted there's much to do during the winter, especially without the company's co-owner, Doug Lockwood, being around. He recently moved from Steamboat to Ithaca, N.Y.

Lockwood has kept his status as co-owner with Harvey, as well as secretary-treasurer, and is expected to continue to be a big part of the work one way or another.

"I can see Doug coming back and helping out with these shows," Harvey said.

Lockwood's role as a director in "6 to 1" was essential to the quality of that production. It was hoped to top "24 and 24," which didn't have a director, and it did.

Ski Town Productions spawned from Lockwood and Harvey's weekly performance of the play "Greater Tuna," which ran at the Bear River Bar and Grill more than three years ago.

In March 2002, the company wrote "24 and 24," which portrayed a day in Steamboat Springs when 24 inches of snow fell. It was a big success, packing Levelz at each performance.

In September, the company followed up with "6 to 1," which poked fun at the men-to-women ratio in Steamboat. That production met with similar success but better showed the writing and acting prowess within the company.

The success of the productions has meant Harvey and Lockwood can pay the writers and actors a modest wage. Meanwhile, they are putting most of their personal profits back into the company. Though no one is quitting their day jobs, Harvey said things are coming along.

He said being able to go on the road without "losing our shirts" would be a positive step for the company.