Grand Rapids Players Bring Arsenic and Old Lace to the Reif Center

Many of us who live in northern MN feel a connection to the land.  Whether our ancestors were always here or they came from other countries, the place where our people were before us has many stories.  Will Weaver is the kind of author that creates stories out of these places.

Ten Thousand Things Theater Company's mission is to bring "lively, intelligent, professional theater to people with little access to the wealth of the arts."   This professional troupe takes shows to prisons, women's shelters, low income senior centers and other unexpected locales.   They weave thespian magic without fancy sets and involved lighting.

We spoke with Luverne Seifert, co-artistic director for Sod House Theater on the morning show today. He told us all about her organization's mission to take professional theater experiences to rural Minnesota in order to inspire person to person dialogue about community issues.

Each July, The Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork hosts the Stages Theater Company from Hopkins, MN .  Stages Theater Company’s content always focuses on children’s stories, fables or novels.   This weekend, Shrek The Musical takes the Edge Center stage.

Nathan Bergstedt is the playwright.  Sam Miltich composed the score.  The Ballad of Newton Badger came from a conversation after a production of Shakespeare in the Park a few years ago.  These two artists from Grand Rapids worked together and on their own to present a

The Oxcars are a celebration of regional theater in northern Minnesota.  Actors, directors, designers, choreographers, and theater lovers tip their hats to one another at this fun event commending the great talent in the Bemidji, Walker, Park Rapids region.  This year, the event happens Sunday, March 12 at teh American Legion in Walker, MN.  Happy hour starts at 3pm and the awards ceremony kicks off at 4pm.  Catie Belleveau has organized the event for the past four years and stopped by the KBXE studio to discuss the event and the importance of community theater.