Pictures Say A 1,000 Words: The Last Five Years

October 2019 at the Renaissance was intense. We had the very popular Sweeney Todd, the Mayoral Debate, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra's "Family Pops," and the Family Film: The Nightmare Before Christmas. Rounding it all out was the intensely personal and intimate production, The Last Five Years, in Theatre 166.

LastFiveYears_WebBanner

For those who may not know The Last Five Years, this musical has only two cast members: Cathy (portrayed by Matti-Lynn Chrisman) telling her story backward while Jamie (portrayed by Ryan Shreve) tells his story chronologically. These two 20-something New Yorkers fall in and out of love over the course of five years, and the characters only meet once throughout the musical (at their wedding in the middle of the show.) This emotionally powerful and intimate musical was a great triumph for both actors, as well as for Director Ryan Shealy.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Sprang Photography

Matti-Lynn Chrisman did an amazing job as Cathy. She portrayed both an innocence of a young woman in love and a strength to let it go. — Matti-Lynn Chrisman did an amazing job as Cathy. She portrayed both an innocence of a young woman in love with the strength to let it go.

Although the characters are on the stage at the same time, the amazing thing is they are not actually in the same timeline of life. — Although the characters are on the stage at the same time, the twist is they are not in the same timeline of life.

One of the coolest things about the set (designed by Jason Kaufman with the vision of Ryan Shealy) was the reuse of props. The "seat" in this picture is also used as a table and a door throughout the show.

Technical Director, Aaron Nicolas, and Assistant Technical Director, Justin Spaulding, did an extraordinary job setting the mood for each scene.

For audience members who remember what young love feels like, this show was a walk down memory lane.