Performing Artists Tackle Community Grief Head On

Lander has experienced multiple climbing- and outdoor-related tragedies over the years, which have contributed to a shared sense of unresolved grief among many in the community. The COVID-19 pandemic—with its swift shutdown of in-person schooling and many beloved businesses, its devastating death toll on Fremont County’s most vulnerable residents, and the prolonged stress it caused among healthcare professionals—brought yet more trauma and grief, with no clear path of reckoning. Two locals with Communal Pancake, a volunteer performing arts company in Lander, wanted to help. The actors and Fremont County locals understood the power of community theater to help individuals and whole communities reflect on shared experiences and begin to heal. Funding from LOR helped Communal Pancake host a staged production of Molly Jones’ one-act play Chomolungma—a topical theatrical piece that addressed emerging mental health issues in the community. Communal Pancake also facilitated a follow-up dialogue.

This project was fiscally sponsored by the Lander Community Foundation.

Impact

The production reached 140 people in-person and at least 236 people virtually. It was well-received; multiple attendees reached out to an on-site mental health counselor. Media coverage led to Communal Pancake being asked to produce the piece in Sheridan, Wyoming.