Festival Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Season

By Jaclyn Johnson, Artistic Director

Another season came and went, and with it a huge milestone for Festival Theatre.  A marker that celebrates many successes.  The success of live performing arts becoming a part of our cultural landscape in St. Croix Falls.  The success of hosting countless artists, guests, community members and friends in the incredible historic Civic Auditorium as we shared stories, music, conversation and history.  The success of achieving the past, practicing the present and dreaming the future for this hard-working, arts-making organization.  So many people contributed to the past twenty-five years, and every single one of them made next season possible.  Thank you all for helping us turn 25!  

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary Season at Festival Theatre, we knew we would need a lineup that would pay homage to the years before us, build upon what we do well, and make memories that will last another twenty-five years.  What we have landed upon is a season that is exciting, fresh, challenging and engaging.  

Our June Theatre Series season opener will be the sci-fi smash musical Little Shop of Horrors. From Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (the composer of Disney's "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid," and "Tangled") this classic from 1982 has been a hit on and off Broadway, and a film version made Hollywood sing in 1986.  Delighting audiences all over the world for over 30 years, this rock musical will have you engulfed in fun.  

We will continue our trend of producing theatre in our downstairs Elbow Room with the fast-paced, hilarious Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. This bit of comic gold features three overachieving actors attempting to perform renditions of all thirty-seven of Shakespeare’s plays in just ninety-seven minutes.  Witty and physical, it is sure to leave audiences aching from laughter, be they Shakespeare lovers, haters or know-nothing-ers alike.

With all the fun we will be having early in the season, our next production will break the trend, but will not turn down the heat.  A Streetcar Named Desire will be our third production in the summer rotating repertory.  One of American theatre's best loved plays from the dramatic artistry of Tennessee Williams, this play centers on one of theatre's most iconic women, the fading Southern belle, Blanche DuBois.  Adored all over the world by theatre artists and audiences for nearly seventy years, this Pulitzer Prize (1948) winning drama will win, while breaking, your heart.  

With our Fall production, we return to fun and comedy, but do not shy away from a challenge.  Noises Off by Micheal Frayn takes all the things that are funny about trying to produce theatre, and turns them into a hilarious farce of a farce.  It demands a rotating set that allows the audience to see "backstage" during a run of the seemingly doomed-from-the-start touring production of "Nothing On."  A show that celebrates everything that can, and will, go wrong in the theatre, this show is a hilarious look behind the scenes of the rehearsal and performance process.  So, get in on the joke, and get ready to laugh your faces off, with Noises Off.

And then for some holiday cheer.  We will again be reimagining the amazing script adapted by James L. Walker of the story from the treasured mind of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.   Originally an oral performance by Dickens himself, this holiday "ghost story" has been delighting audiences for almost two centuries, adapted into many films, television shows, stories and other performances.  A Christmas Carol was last produced at Festival Theatre in 2010, my first year as an arts administrator with the company.  It's a joy to be able to revisit this script with our audiences in our 25th Anniversary Season.  

The Theatre Action Group and I hope that you are as excited as we are about the upcoming shows.  From Little Shop of Horrors to A Christmas Carol, we look forward to celebrating with you all season long.  Thank you for being part of Festival Theatre's past, present, and future.   

This past weekend, Festival Theatre's holiday production of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates had its dazzling opening, complete with a packed house and a Saturday night Afterglow after-party that featured live music from Frederic High School's Bell Choir and food from Dresser's Village Pizzeria.  Now, the cast and crew of Hans Brinker look forward to sharing this insightful story with public audiences and school groups throughout the month, until its final show on December 28th.

The story by Mary Mapes Dodge and adapted by James L. Walker is set in early 19th century Holland. As the show opens, the father has fallen from the dikes in a storm and for ten years sat insensible in the Brinker home, leaving the mother and the two children struggling to make ends meet. Neighborhood children mock the Brinker children’s poverty. The industrious and honorable young Hans yearns to participate in December’s great ice-skating race on the Canal. He and his younger sister, Gretel, have little chance of winning on their handmade wooden skates, but with a little hope and hard work, Hans aims to purchase a set of steel skates that will aid him in chasing down the illustrious prize.  But Hans' and Gretel's father has fallen very ill, and the tenacious young man must first find a way to have his father seen and helped by the famous surgeon, Dr. Boekman.

This story is neither quaint nor outdated. Poverty remains a reality all around us. When illness or disabilities are present within the household, the percentage of children who live with hunger insecurity increases dramatically. The Brinker family, proud and stoic, makes the best of their life in spite of the odds. Director Ed Moersfelder adds, "On paper, this show is about hope, dignity, compassion, love and honor.  With the innocence and exuberance of our two amazing youth casts, plus the expertise and nuance of our guest and community artists, the show becomes a poignant reminder of the fragility, and beauty, of being human."

The role of Hans Brinker is played by guest artist Jerry Kurek (shown above). Joining Kurek in the cast are professional and community artists Kathryn Cesarz as Annie, Deanna Davis as Dame Brinker, Bob Fedderly as Raff Brinker, Sherry Pearce as Dame Van Gleck, and Paul Steffens as Dr. Boekman.

The two casts of youth actors are each scheduled to perform in fourteen shows, and individuals sharing a role provide coverage for each other when necessary. The Red Cast is comprised of Zoe Allen, Kelsey Cooper, Britta Dueholm, Sidrah Edwards, Brita Gallagher, Liam Gallagher, Lucy Herman, Katie Herrick, Andrew Lewis, Christopher Lewis and Elliana Naegelen. The Green Cast is Ella Anderson, Nicholas Borne, Anneka Cress, Jade Fehlen, Megan Hankel, Allie Nelson, Catelyn Rice, Stephen Rice, Abby Ruona, Claire Scharfenberg and Josh Stirrat.

Festival Theatre is holding a fundraising raffle during the run of “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.” Items in the raffle include tickets to a Minnesota Wild hockey game, a Wild Mountain family four-pack, and a 2015 Flex Pass to Festival Theatre's 25th Anniversary Season. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20, and will be available at every show through December 28th. Winners will be drawn during the talkback session after the matinee on the 28th.

Single tickets for “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” are $26 for adults, and $13.50 for our expanded youth category of ages 5 to 25.  Ticket packages are sold as Flex Passes, and offer significant savings on six or ten seat bundles. 2014 Flex Passes are still available and 2015 Flex Passes are now on sale.

Reservations are recommended and can be made by clicking HERE, by calling the box office at 715-483-3387 or emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com. Festival Theatre is located in downtown St. Croix Falls, inside the beautifully decorated Civic Auditorium at 210 North Washington Street.

Thank you, Frederic High School Bell Choir - under the direction of Pat Anderson - for performing before and after our opening show Saturday night! Beautiful music of the season! Also, a big shout out to Village Pizzeria for sponsoring the appetizers for our Afterglow party. We love collaborating with our local communities to offer such wonderful experiences for our patrons.

Remember to check out our exciting raffle during the run of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates. Items in the raffle include tickets to a Minnesota Wild hockey game, a Wild Mountain family four-pack, and a 2015 Flex Pass to Festival Theatre's 25th Anniversary Season. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20, and will be available at every show, through December 28th.