A lifetime in two acts

The Covey Center’s latest musical, Polly, is a family affair. The one-woman musical was written by Cedar Hills composer and playwright Steven Kapp Perry for his wife, Johanne Frechette Perry, about his great-great-great grandmother.

Polly encompasses one woman’s entire lifetime of memories in two acts. The musical is based on the life of Polly Matilda Merrill Colton, who is the only character needed to tell the story.

The plot is about the true story of the Merrill family’s conversion to the Mormon church, and subsequent exodus across the plains. The family then settles in Provo to experience the cricket infestation; a classic vignette of Utahan history. There are more trials and experiences included in the story, which can be expected of any personal story from that period in Utah’s history.

According to Steven Kapp Perry, “The story takes place during the pioneer era, but Polly’s story is the timeless human struggle to reconcile faith with the experiences of our lives, fighting through the day-to-day and ordinary to the larger vision.”

Polly premiered to standing-room-only crowds at BYU and has since been performed over 120 times, touring to every corner of the U.S.

Johanne Frechette Perry’s performance comfortably navigates a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. From a humorous song about the trials of milking a cow to a lullaby to a lost child, Perry carries the production with ease.

More Info

Where: Covey Center for the Arts’ Brinton
Black Box Theatre

When: Jan. 29-Feb. 21 every Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $10. Purchase at the Covey Center ticket office at 425 W. Center St. in Provo, by calling 801-852-7007, or by visiting
www.CoveyCenter.org