As far as powerhouse couples go, Larry and Lucy Weidner take center stage. Literally. The couple has been married since 1989, and in addition to their own separate careers, have been working together ever since.

With more than 30 years experience behind them, they are working together one last time on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat before they retire from theater. Lucy is directing the play, and Larry is directing lighting.

“As far as I know, they were on the Ark, and have been doing plays ever since,” Gary Schuster, director of Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, says of the couple. Schuster has known the Weidners for nine years, and in that time has experienced the magnitude of the couple’s creativity. “As a couple, they work really well. Lucy does musicals, and Larry does whatever she does, plus other projects.”

Jim Worthley, a former director and actor, and his wife, Karin, a former director, agree with Schuster. “Lucy and Larry were always wonderful to work with, in their respective specialties and as a couple. They were both very generous and flexible with their time and efforts with the theater.”

The Worthleys recall many memories with the Weidners over the years. Jim worked with Lucy in her very first show, South Pacific, in 1976. He was also director of the first showing the Menomonie Theatre Guild did of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a play Lucy then acted in. “Now she’s directing it herself,” Jim explained.

Lucy’s impressive career began back in 1975. Since then, she has acted, choreographed, directed, and held numerous positions on the MTG board. She even helped install the first air conditioning system!

No matter the position, Lucy always seemed to fit the role. “She was great at everything; a wonderful dancer and singer,” Karin Worthley recalls from working with Lucy.

“As a director, she will sell out every single performance because she’s just so good at it,” Schuster added. “She’s a no-nonsense woman who will tell you what she thinks.”

     Lucy recalled her experiences with the MTG, balancing full-time work and a directing career. “Looking back, I don’t know how I did it. Really. But I really believe in the Menomonie Theatre Guild and the creative process that allows them to present shows. It brings a lot of people into a volunteer organization.”

 Larry’s career, though shorter than his wife’s, is also quite notable. Along with serving on the MTG board with Lucy, “He’s a true techie. He can build you a car from scratch, but he can’t act,” Schuster explains. “If he ever needs something, he goes back to his shop and builds it.”

 Larry speaks very humbly of his own career, as well as his work with Lucy. “One year, I took over being tech director in Nuncrackers in 2000, and I’ve been her tech director ever since.”

 Lucy recognizes the advantages of having a tech-savvy husband. “He has a wonderful creative eye and tells me what he likes to see. Usually, I take his advice.”

 But Larry sums up the couple’s careers the best.

 “We’re pretty compatible. She has her own thing about directing, and I don’t know the first thing about it. She has a little bit of an eye for lighting, and technically I know how to do it. We compliment each other.”

    Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs from Feb. 26-March 8 at Mabel Tainter Theater, 205 E Main St., Menomonie. Showtimes are at 2 pm and 7:30 pm (check our calendar for specific dates). Tickets are $18 for adults and $17 seniors/students. Call 235-0001 Ext. 100 or visit www.mabeltainter.com for tickets and more information.