Imagine sitting in front of a fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa in a cozy reprieve from a blustery blizzard happening outside – quietly trying to make peace with the plans that Mother Nature forced you to change. At Town Hall Theatre’s world premiere of “Snowbound,” the audience bears witness to a collective of high schoolers who couldn’t be more different, a teacher and a bus driver pushing their way into a seemingly abandoned home after the winter storm forced them off the road.
 
    Richard Perez, the artistic director at Town Hall Theatre co-wrote “Snowbound” with Kimberly Ridgeway, in part, because he wanted to offer something a little different this holiday season.

    “We both got tired of seeing the same old thing,” Perez says. “We wanted to come up with something a little different that was a little more open to other people’s experiences.” 

    The crew in “Snowbound” is on their way to the Quiz Bowl in 1992. It turns out that in spite of the students being on the same team, they know very little about each other. Among them is a homecoming queen who surprises everyone when she lights the fire, her rival who believes she should’ve been a young man whose story is rooted in childhood immigration, a shy girl who joined the team in hopes of making friends and a teen boy who might have a crush on his teammate in spite of being terrified to do anything about it. In the pre-cell phone era, with only an FM radio to give the stranded travelers weather updates, “Snowbound” could be a metaphor for life that demands that we slow down, be present and accept the fact that things rarely go according to plan. 

    The Town Hall Theatre, like most theatres, is still recovering from the pandemic and hopes to lure community members back inside to partake in the shared experience of theatre in a homey-atmosphere that also offers up snacks, hot holiday-themed drinks, wine and beer that can be enjoyed inside the theatre. “We’re really committed to telling a diverse swath of stories that you don’t always get to see in this area,” Perez says. “We’re proud of that and we love engaging with the community to tell the stories they’re interested in.” 

    Lafayette resident KIrk Dakis says the play took him to a good place – literally and figuratively as he sipped his hot cocoa topped with a bed of whipped cream, traveling down fairytale lane. “I felt like I was in a blizzard and the cast made me feel like I was in the cabin with them. I had such a good time that I’m considering going again and bringing a friend or two.” 

    “Snowbound” will play at the Town Hall Theatre (3535 School Street in Lafayette) Thursday through Saturday, with the last showing on Dec. 20. For tickets or information, visit https://www.townhalltheatre.com/snowbound