Fantasy to reality — Theater enthusiast couple bring ambitions to life with ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’

SANDPOINT — In two days’ time, the Panida Theater will become a fantasy land of talking animals, mythical beings and magic for the premier of a local production of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” 

Over the past several months, Connie and Stefan Kiehn, the couple behind Sandpoint startup Honey Pearl Productions, have been navigating a strange and unfamiliar world of their own — the process of casting, costuming and coordinating a 65-member theater production. 

“We make a pretty good team,” Connie said of the partnership. “We’re able to cover a lot of the production pieces with our own skills and backgrounds.” 

For Connie, who is directing the company’s debut stage show, those skills come from a lifetime as an actor in school productions and community theater. After graduating from college, she spent five years in the military and took a hiatus from acting. Shortly after moving to Sandpoint, Connie landed the lead role in Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre’s May 2024 production of “Legally Blonde.” 

“Legally Blonde” also marked Stefan’s introduction to the stage. When Connie heard the director was looking for more male tryouts, she encouraged him to audition; he went on to play Emmett Forrest, a Harvard teaching assistant who ultimately falls in love with Connie’s character Elle. 

The couple’s participation in the show lit a spark and encouraged them to take early steps toward creating a production of their own. The first task was to determine which play to show, and after some consideration, Connie landed on C.S. Lewis’ classic Narnia tale. 

“’The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ has mass appeal,” Connie said. “It has a little something for everybody.” 

The Kiehns are Christians; Connie noted that because the story is an allegory for the resurrection of Christ, it's well-suited for the Easter season. 

Connie added that because the play includes numerous fantasy elements, it forced the couple to go big with a large production that had the ability to become an ambitious and memorable first project. 

“I think that's what something like this requires in order to make an impression on people, is to come out swinging for the fences,” Connie said. 

Next up was the hurdle of assembling a cast as an unknown entity in the community. 

“I blasted the town with posters for auditions. I posted to every single Sandpoint group on Facebook. I emailed every pastor I could find,” Kiehn said. 

The effort paid off; so many candidates showed up to the auditions, Kiehn was forced to expand the cast to accommodate as many of them as possible. 

“The response has been incredible,” Kiehn said. “It’s more than I dreamed.” 

With the premise, cast and crew set, the couple could begin preparing to bring Narnia to life. Because Connie and Stefan funded the project themselves, the showrunners and participants had to come up with budget-friendly ways to develop the wardrobe and set pieces the story requires. 

Most of the costumes were manually assembled by production personnel working with small allowances. Connie’s mother built the White Witch’s sleigh using spare cedar planks left over from a home renovation. 

Stefan, who is serving as the show’s puppet master and graphic designer, used his art skills and consulted online guides to create homemade props that include a life-size horse body worn by an actor who plays a centaur. 

“I'm just the director. I herd the cats. I create schedules. I give some artistic direction,” Connie said. “When people come and they're blown away by the costumes, the sets, props, the lights — that's not me. That’s other people’s creativity come to life.”

When Connie and Stefan took the risk to fund the project, they agreed that it would be “one and done” if they didn’t recoup their costs through ticket proceeds. If the play was a success, they would pursue nonprofit status to create a more sustainable funding model for the future. 

So far, ticket sales have been promising; Connie said it looks like the play will break even, and the Kiehns may even be able to put some extra revenue toward their proposed next project — the musical, “1776.” 

For now, though, the focus is on delivering a series of shows that offer a captivating excursion through the wardrobe and into Narnia. 

“I just want the audience to feel delighted and entertained,” Connie said. “Maybe they're a little surprised by the production value, and they feel like that was money well spent.”