Sandy Harper is an admitted pack rat.
The walls and shelves of her downtown Anchorage condominium are filled with pictures, books and articles — many documenting a decades-long career in the arts.
Harper, 85, who founded Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse with her husband Jerry in 1992, didn't have to go too far when she decided to create a book on the legendary theater.
Published earlier this year, “The Little Theatre that Could and Did†is an exhaustive account of the hundreds of productions the theater hosted. Not only does the book give detailed accounts of each show directly from the participants, it often provides deep background information and recalls cultural impact.
Harper said the book was initially conceived to honor the accomplishments of Jerry, who died in 2005.
“It sort of was a legacy to him, because he was so gifted and extraordinary, and he did make an impact in the theater in Alaska,†Harper said. “So that was my original motivation. And then it was just fun to stroll down memory lane.â€
The first section of the book, fittingly, is broken up into three acts. The first act covers the biographical histories of the Harpers before they arrived in Alaska.
The second act covers the early years of Cyrano's, which formed in 1987 as a cafe and bookstore. It quickly evolved into a hub flush with events that traversed the local landscape of music, fine arts, theater and film.
“It evolved into what we called a cultural mini-mall,†Harper said.
The final act covers the launch of the playhouse and Cyrano's Theater Company.
The addition of “Off Center†in the title is a nod to atypical spirit of the theater, which was originally called “Eccentric Theater.â€
Despite Alaska facing a tumultuous financial period emerging from the 1980s, Harper said the theater was a major catalyst for creativity in the era.
“We weren't concerned so much with monetary things,†she said. “We just wanted to do what we love to do.â€
A bulk of the book covers Cyrano's productions in deep detail, with more than 300 pages of both text and visuals.
The section includes excerpts of reviews, notes from playwrights, directors and artistic directors and even some special surprises.
The 2003 production of “Dinner With Friends†includes a recipe for the lemon-almond-polenta cake that the characters share in the play.
While renowned worldwide playwrights penned several of their productions, a great many of the plays were written locally and covered Alaska figures and issues.
“Growing up Native in Alaska,†adapted from a book by A. J. McClanahan, was a collaboration between Cyrano's and the Alaska Native Heritage Center that included interviews with young Native leaders.
“War,†written by Cyrano's resident playwright Dick Reichman, was developed through the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez and Cyrano's Playwrights series before hitting the stage.
Reichman also penned “The Ticket,†which centered on an imaginary meeting between former Govs. Jay Hammond and Wally Hickel.
Deep in detail, the book took five years for Harper to produce. But she enjoyed being able to look back through her many boxes of notes, playbills and other documents.
“I like to write, and I was a researcher before I was a producer,†she said.
Using a concept of a coffee table art book, Harper self-published independently and Rick Miller assisted with the graphics and layout.
“I could not have done the book without him,†she said.
In 2017, Cyrano's moved from its location at Fourth Avenue and D Street, taking over the former Out North Contemporary Art House building in East Anchorage.
But regardless of location, Cyrano's has played a vital role in the development of Alaska's arts and culture.
“It's always been active and alive,†Harper said.
