Blog Posts - Festival Theatre | St. Croix Falls, WI

NEA Big Read, ArtReach Stillwater, and Festival Theatre Team Up!

3/28/2017

Actor Steven Czajkowski kneeling over the murder victim.

The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard is a lampoon on the murder mystery genre. Four suspects and one inspector are trapped at Muldoon Manor, while two critic watching from the audience comment, squabble, laugh, cry, and add to the wonderful theatre experience. At once funny and frightening, suspenseful yet full of obvious humor, it's a pleasure to watch.

This show is being performed in connection with ArtReach who received a grant from the NEA for the Big Read. The book they’ve chosen? The Maltese Falcon - another murder mystery. “ArtReach sees the NEA Big Read in the St. Croix Valley as an opportunity to create multi-disciplinary art programing around an incredible piece of literature,” says Heather Rutledge, ArtReach St. Croix executive director. “Theatre provides an opportunity for audiences to experience literature in alternative way.”

Director Rachel Kuhnle shares that the actors have found real joy embracing the dramatic side, but that only adds to the humor. "It's very funny for a murder mystery. Also, it's thrilling to be doing this show in our space at the Franklin Square Black Box - we're making the show fit the space in a way that puts our audience right in the middle of the action. I don't know of a Murder Mystery quite like this one - that's ever been done this way."

The Stillwater Trolley will be providing a free shuttle to the opening night performance of The Real Inspector Hound, on Saturday, April 8. The shuttle will depart from ArtReach St. Croix in Stillwater at 6:15pm with stops in Marine on St. Croix and Scandia. Reservations are required. To reserve your seat, please call ArtReach at 651-439-1465.

Free vignette performances of The Real Inspector Hound will also take place at River Falls Public Library and Bayport Public Library as part of NEA Big Read. Please note these will not be full performances.

Thursday, April 13 at 6:30pm

River Falls Public Library, 140 Union St., River Falls, WI

Saturday, April 22 at 1pm

Bayport Public Library, 582 N. 4th St., Bayport, MN

Opening night is April 8th and the show runs through April 30th. With limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

Exploring History and Empowering Our Youth

2/20/2017

Festival Theatre presents the first show in their Youth and Family Series, The Titanic Project. Shows run at the Franklin Square Black Box from March 10th-12th and then again from March 16th-19th. The Titanic Project is a devised show, that comes from the creative minds of young actors who have been working with the Festival Artistic Staff.

Artistic Director Jaclyn Johnston shared, “We’re devising a piece of theatre working with 26 youth from the area, where we research historical facts from that infamous voyage and then, using improv and creative movement, the youth are putting their touches on a show that will be unique only to Festival Theatre.”

"It’s really inspiring to watch the creative process. Our youth are used to being in youth and family shows - they’re always ready to dive into characters but asking them take ownership on the creation of the character has really opened them up”

Arts Education Director, Rachel Kuhnle led a workshop with the young actors on Saturday and spoke a little about the process and the goals:

"To get our creative juices flowing, we devised a movement piece based on rain. Everybody shared what came to their minds and we got answers ranging from "wet and loud” to "sad but boring” to "rain is like my tears" then we took all these feelings and words and as a group we came up with different ways to express rain with our bodies - we made a series of movements that became a piece.”

“I hope they leave thinking ‘we could do this ourselves, you know we could just make something up - we don’t have to wait for someone to create something for us, we can do this ourselves.’”

Come support the youth of the community and connect with this historical event in a new way. Tickets for The Titanic Project are $13.50 for adults and $8.50 for youth (5-25) and can be purchased here, by emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

December 22nd, 2016

12/22/2016

The holiday season is in full swing at Festival Theatre, and “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” will close this weekend with a special matinee on Christmas Eve. There only are four performances remaining of this heartwarming family show this Thursday, December 22nd at 2:00 and 7:30, Friday at 7:30 and Saturday at 2:00 at the Franklin Square Black Box in Downtown St. Croix Falls, WI.

Audiences have been raving about “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas”, Jody Hansen commented on Festival’s Facebook, “My daughter and I enjoyed this show very much!” She continued, “Definitely recommend to anybody looking for a heart touching, loving and humorous show!”

The youth cast has learned a lot from playing the Ingalls family. Elliana Naegelen plays Laura’s older sister Mary in the production, and she has enjoyed her new perspective on the Little House tales. “Through playing her older sister and watching Laura’s life from the back and inside, I’ve experienced it as almost being inside the book.” she shared, “filling this gap of her life between books for our viewers has been a blast.”

The final performances of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” are selling fast, and with limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

“The SantaLand Diaries” Opens this Friday

11/29/2016

After a successful opening of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas,” Festival Theatre is ready to open its second holiday show for the year. “The SantaLand Diaries,” Festival’s more sarcastic holiday show (adult content warning) will open on Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 pm. The opening night performance will be followed by an afterglow party sponsored by Marketplace Foods. Based on the writings of David Sedaris and adapted by Joe Mantello, “The SantaLand Diaries” is sponsored byLuhrs/Bjornson Artworks.

“The SantaLand Diaries” follows a young man as he becomes an elf in Macy’s SantaLand. At first he finds the job simply humiliating, but soon it becomes more than he can handle and he takes out his frustrations on unsuspecting parents and children. Rachel Kuhnle, the director of the production, considers "The SantaLand Diaries" to be a new holiday classic. “Whether you buy into the Santa Clause craziness or abhor it, love your job or hate your job, believe in the true meaning of Christmas or are merely living for the spiked eggnog, ‘SantaLand’ has laughs for everyone," said Kuhnle. She added, expressively "It is the perfect politically incorrect holiday nightcap for parents after the kids have gone to bed.”

“The SantaLand Diaries”, with its sarcastic remarks and sassy humor is running alongside the family oriented “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” at the Franklin Square Black Box in downtown St. Croix Falls. Tickets for both holiday shows are selling fast, and with limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailingfestivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

Festival Theatre’s Holiday Special Comes to Franklin Square

11/29/2016

This year will mark the 6th annual Festival Theatre Holiday Special. The event, which features a party and distinctive performance by Festival Theatre’s artists from the year, will take place starting at 6:30 pm on Sunday, December 11th at the Franklin Square Black Box in Downtown St. Croix Falls.

Seating will be limited to only 75 at the Franklin Square Black Box this year, and patrons are strongly encouraged to make reservations with the Box Office for this annual fundraiser. The smaller venue will have no effect on the celebrations, however, and the night is sure to feature music, sing-alongs, and improv comedy. Festival Artists have also promised teasers at the 2017 Theatre Series. Festival Theatre Co-Artistic Director Jaclyn Johnson said, “the Holiday Special has become a tradition for the core of the Festival family to gather, celebrate and make merry. There’s a whole lot of silliness, some spontaneous surprises, a lot of laughter and heartwarming cheer.” She added, “this fundraising event will help us prepare for the new year while we celebrate all the achievements of the past season.”

Come celebrate a year of hard work and great theatre-arts-making in the St. Croix Valley at the reception starting at 6:30 pm and the show at 7:30 pm on Sunday, December 11th. Seats for this fundraiser can be reserved through the box office by emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

“A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” Opening Weekend

11/22/2016

This weekend will mark the opening of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” at Festival Theatre in downtown St. Croix Falls. This homespun Christmas tale written by Laurie Brooks opens on Saturday, November 26th at 7:30 PM, and will be followed by an afterglow party sponsored by The Village Pizzeria in Dresser.

Per Wiger, who plays Pa in the show, is excited to bring these familiar characters to life. “I read the books as a kid and Pa Ingalls was something of a hero for me,” he shared, “so it really feels like coming full circle to go from playing him in my living room to playing him on stage.” Wiger also has enjoyed working with the local youth actors on this production, marveling at their talent and dedication to the show, “Honestly, I've met a number of professional actors that could learn something from these kids,” he noted.

This year Festival Theatre is offering two Christmas shows to satisfy anyone on both naughty and nice lists this holiday season. “A SantaLand Diaries” will open on Friday, December 2nd at 7:30 PM. Based on an essay by David Sedaris and adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello, this show is perfect for adults looking for a more sarcastic view of the holiday season. With only five performances, “The Santaland Diaries” features Seth Kaltwasser as Crumpet, a young man who becomes elf in Macy’s SantaLand on a dare. At first he finds the job simply humiliating, but soon it becomes more than he can handle and he takes out his frustrations on unsuspecting parents and children.

There are still a few seats left for the opening weekend of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas,” Saturday, November 26th at 7:30 PM and Sunday, November 27th at 2:00 PM. The Franklin Square Black Box has limited capacity, so patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible for all shows this holiday season. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

Local Youth Thrive with Festival Theatre

11/15/2016

The youth casts of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” have been hard at work for the last few weeks in preparation for opening night, Saturday, November 26th at 7:30 PM at the Franklin Square Black Box. This heartwarming tale, written by Laurie Brooks, is being directed by Festival Theatre’s Co-Artistic Director Seth Kaltwasser. Eight local youth actors are showcasing their talents for this production, growing as a team and as individuals. Theatre can help promote self confidence, collaboration, and empathy in youth.

Elliana Naegelen, a ninth grader from Dresser, plays Mary in the production. Since her first show with Festival Theatre in 2002, Elliana has made countless memories and friendships onstage. “all the artists have taught me about how much fun acting really is,” shared Elliana, “with the cheerful atmosphere and encouraging actors and directors, I have such an enjoyable time on stage!”

The reach of this show expands beyond the youth directly involved in the production of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas.” This year, Festival Theatre’s Student Matinee program will reach approximately 1,000 local youth from Taylors Falls, Grantsburg, Amery, North Branch and St. Croix Falls. This program enables local students to see live professional theatre with their classmates for only $5. This year Festival Theatre is bringing the show directly to Amery and North Branch schools to expand its accessibility. Elizabeth Albers, Festival’s Arts Education Coordinator is thrilled to bring the show on the road, “It is so exciting to be able to share our work with the community and our local students!”

Tickets for “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” are already selling fast, and with limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

“The SantaLand Diaries” in Rehearsal at Festival Theatre

11/15/2016

Seth Kaltwasser, Festival’s Co-Artistic Director, plays Crumpet in “The SantaLand Diaries”, opening December 2nd.

Festival Theatre is currently rehearsing two holiday shows for the winter season. Based on the writings of David Sedaris and adapted by Joe Mantello, “The SantaLand Diaries” opens on Friday, December 2nd and is a limited engagement with only 5 performances. “The SantaLand Diaries” chronicles a young man's stressful holiday profession as he becomes an elf in Macy’s SantaLand. He finds the job humiliating, but soon his torture becomes unbearable and he takes out his frustrations on the unsuspecting parents and children of SantaLand.

The show stars Seth Kaltwasser, Festival Theatre’s Co- Artistic Director, as Crumpet, the sarcastic and frustrated seasonal employee. Rachel Kuhnle, the director of the production, is excited to be working on this show. “David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers," Kuhnle shared, "and one of the best memoirists of our time." She went on, "Sedaris is known for his wry, caustic sense of humor, so it will be a great feat to turn Seth, one of the nicest guys in the world, into one of the snarkiest.”

Kuhnle considers "The SantaLand Diaries" to be a new holiday classic. “Whether you buy into the Santa Clause craziness or abhor it, love your job or hate your job, believe in the true meaning of Christmas or are merely living for the spiked eggnog, SantaLand has laughs for everyone," said Kuhnle. "It is the perfect politically incorrect holiday nightcap for parents after the kids have gone to bed.”
“The SantaLand Diaries”, with it’s sarcastic remarks and adult centered comedy is running alongside the family oriented “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” at the Franklin Square Black Box in downtown St. Croix Falls. Tickets for both holiday shows are selling fast, and with limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

“A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” in Rehearsal at Festival Theatre

11/3/2016

Back Row:Per Wiger, Elizabeth Albers, Ella Anderson, Elliana Naegelen, Zoe Allen, Alexis Slater Front Row: Addie Koenig, Josh Stirrat, Cade Anderson, Sherry Pearce, Megan Hankel

Rehearsals for Festival Theatre’s two holiday shows are already underway. This November 26th will mark the opening of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” by Laurie Brooks. While most performances take place at the Franklin Square Black Box in downtown St. Croix Falls, Wi, “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” will have a special public performance at the Amery High School Auditorium on December 20th at 7:00 PM.

The homespun tale of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” takes place in the few months that Laura Ingalls Wilder did not cover in her famous series. The Ingalls family moves to Burr Oak, Iowa after their crops were devastated by locusts. If things weren't bad enough, Ma tells Laura she must be nice to Johnny Steadman, "the worst boy in Iowa."

“I’m looking forward to being a jerk.” Josh Stirrat, one of the youth actors playing Johnny Steadman, shared, “itsounds kind of fun”. Luckily, Alexis Slater, who plays Laura opposite of Josh, is also looking forward to working on the Johnny Steadman scenes, “it’s very kids-poking-fun-at-each-other and it sounds really funny.”

Tickets for “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” are already selling fast, and with limited capacity in the Franklin Square Black Box, patrons are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailingfestivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387.

"A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas" Cast Announced

11/1/2016

After a sold out weekend of “On Golden Pond,” Festival Theatre is proud to announce the cast of “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” which will close out Festival Theatre’s season alongside “The Santaland Diaries” this winter. This heartwarming tale, written by Laurie Brooks, will be directed by Festival Theatre’s Co-Artistic Director Seth Kaltwasser. The show opens November 26th and closes with a special matinee performance on Saturday, December 24th.

After a full audition process, the production team is ready to announce the cast, “Auditions are always tough because there are so many talented youth in our community,” commented Elizabeth Albers, Festival’s Arts Education Coordinator, “ I wish there was a way for the Wilder family to have 50 kids!”

With two youth casts filling out this homespun masterpiece, eight local youth actors are showcasing their talents for this production. Alexis Slater from Grantsburg and Addie Koenig from Luck will play Laura Ingalls. Her sister Mary will be played by Elliana Naegelen from Dresser and Megan Hankel from St. Croix Falls. Zoe Allen from Frederic and Ella Anderson from St. Croix Falls round out the Ingalls family as Carrie, while Josh Stirrat from Luck and Cade Anderson from St. Croix Falls will portray Johnny Steadman, “the worst boy in Iowa.” The youth will be joined onstage by Elizabeth Albers as Ma Ingalls, Per Wiger as Pa Ingalls and Sherry Pearce as the kind and wealthy Mrs. Starr.

While most performances for “A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas” will take place at the Franklin Square Black Box in downtown St. Croix Falls, a special performance will take place at the Amery High School Auditorium at 7:00 pm on December 20th. Tickets for all shows are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students (ages 5-25) and can be purchased at FestivalTheatre.org, emailing festivaltheatreboxoffice@gmail.com or by calling the box office at 715-483-3387. Student matinee’s are filling up fast and are available and can be reserved by calling the box office. Festival Theatre is located in downtown St. Croix Falls, in the Franklin Square Black Box.