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Performances for this month

(does not include auditions or special events – see This Week’s Events below or the calendar page for full listing)

Encore Performing Arts Center
by Kenny Chumbley A new adaption of a Charles Dicken’s early short story, “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,”.  This story was later to be developed into Dicken’s famous “A Christmas Carol”. At a party at which the guest of honor is Mr. Pickwick, he tells the story of a local sexton (gravedigger), an angry man by the name of Gabriel Grub, who years before was nabbed by a band of goblins on a Christmas Eve. Taking him to their subterranean cavern, the goblins leader explains to Grub that they kidnapped him to give him a Christmas gift; namely, a chance, a final chance to redeem his wasted life. To accomplish this, they present him with an enchanted three-page picture book; one page for his past, one for his present, and one for his passing. (“Think of [the book] as a mirror. You don’t look at a mirror to look at a mirror, you look at a mirror to look at yourself. This book will help you see yourself for who you really are!”). The book forces Grub to revisit painful episodes in his life whereby we learn how abuse he suffered as a child has contributed to the struggles he’s had as an adult. We also learn how he attained a “touch of redemption” in spite of his past.
Marion Ross Performing Arts Center
Wed, December 11, 2024 07:30 PM
book by David Ives & Paul Blake music by Irving Berlin directed by Gordy Handeland Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards, including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
The Barn Theatre
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Julian Wiles
directed by Sonja Madsen

Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man, a lost cat named Tutti Frutti and a Christmas hog named Buster and you’ve got the recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening of holiday cheer. Into this world comes Jamie, a kid who has run away from home and come as far as his money will take him. At first, he thinks this town’s inhabitants are “nuttier than fruitcakes,” but soon he comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation.
Rocori High School
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Joseph Robinette
music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts-an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others.
Prairie Arts Center
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:00 PM
Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies.
Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story.
By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.
Encore Performing Arts Center
by Kenny Chumbley A new adaption of a Charles Dicken’s early short story, “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,”.  This story was later to be developed into Dicken’s famous “A Christmas Carol”. At a party at which the guest of honor is Mr. Pickwick, he tells the story of a local sexton (gravedigger), an angry man by the name of Gabriel Grub, who years before was nabbed by a band of goblins on a Christmas Eve. Taking him to their subterranean cavern, the goblins leader explains to Grub that they kidnapped him to give him a Christmas gift; namely, a chance, a final chance to redeem his wasted life. To accomplish this, they present him with an enchanted three-page picture book; one page for his past, one for his present, and one for his passing. (“Think of [the book] as a mirror. You don’t look at a mirror to look at a mirror, you look at a mirror to look at yourself. This book will help you see yourself for who you really are!”). The book forces Grub to revisit painful episodes in his life whereby we learn how abuse he suffered as a child has contributed to the struggles he’s had as an adult. We also learn how he attained a “touch of redemption” in spite of his past.
Andria Theatre
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Terrence McNally music by Terrence McNally lyrics by Lynn Ahrens This dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:30 PM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Marion Ross Performing Arts Center
Thu, December 12, 2024 07:30 PM
book by David Ives & Paul Blake music by Irving Berlin directed by Gordy Handeland Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards, including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.
Dassel History Center
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
by Stuart Ross Once upon a time, there were four guys (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie) who discovered that they shared a love for music and then got together to become their idols – The Four Freshman, The Hi-Lo’s and The Crew Cuts. Rehearsing in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company, they became “Forever Plaid”. On the way to their first big gig, the “Plaids” are broadsided by a school bus and killed instantly. It is at the moment when their careers and lives end that the story of Forever Plaid begins….
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
The Barn Theatre
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Julian Wiles
directed by Sonja Madsen

Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man, a lost cat named Tutti Frutti and a Christmas hog named Buster and you’ve got the recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening of holiday cheer. Into this world comes Jamie, a kid who has run away from home and come as far as his money will take him. At first, he thinks this town’s inhabitants are “nuttier than fruitcakes,” but soon he comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation.
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 6:00 pm Curtain @ 7:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Rocori High School
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Joseph Robinette
music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts-an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others.
Mankato Playhouse
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Prairie Arts Center
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies.
Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story.
By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.
Encore Performing Arts Center
by Kenny Chumbley A new adaption of a Charles Dicken’s early short story, “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,”.  This story was later to be developed into Dicken’s famous “A Christmas Carol”. At a party at which the guest of honor is Mr. Pickwick, he tells the story of a local sexton (gravedigger), an angry man by the name of Gabriel Grub, who years before was nabbed by a band of goblins on a Christmas Eve. Taking him to their subterranean cavern, the goblins leader explains to Grub that they kidnapped him to give him a Christmas gift; namely, a chance, a final chance to redeem his wasted life. To accomplish this, they present him with an enchanted three-page picture book; one page for his past, one for his present, and one for his passing. (“Think of [the book] as a mirror. You don’t look at a mirror to look at a mirror, you look at a mirror to look at yourself. This book will help you see yourself for who you really are!”). The book forces Grub to revisit painful episodes in his life whereby we learn how abuse he suffered as a child has contributed to the struggles he’s had as an adult. We also learn how he attained a “touch of redemption” in spite of his past.
Andria Theatre
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Terrence McNally music by Terrence McNally lyrics by Lynn Ahrens This dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
Theatre in the Round
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:30 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Marion Ross Performing Arts Center
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:30 PM
book by David Ives & Paul Blake music by Irving Berlin directed by Gordy Handeland Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards, including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Fri, December 13, 2024 07:30 PM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Sat, December 14, 2024 01:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Rocori High School
Sat, December 14, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Joseph Robinette
music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts-an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others.
Prairie Arts Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 02:00 PM
Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies.
Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story.
By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 02:00 PM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Delano United Methodist Church
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
Book by Tom Zeigler Directed by Jack Neveaux Grace, a feisty 90 year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. Her volunteer hospice worker, Glorie, is a Harvard MBA recently transplanted to this rural backwater from New York. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. As she attempts to care for and comfort the cantankerous Grace, the sophisticated Glorie gains new perspectives on values and life’s highs and lows. Starring Virginia Haggart as Grace, and Nancy Lipinski as Gloria. The play will be performed at Riverwood Covenant Church on December 7th at 7:00 pm and December 8 at 2:00 pm; Delano United Methodist Church on December 14 @7pm and Dec 15 at 2pm; Delano Senior Center on December 19 @10am and 7pm; Zion Lutheran Church on December 21 @7pm. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted. This production is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. [caption id="attachment_7791" align="alignnone" width="157"]Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo[/caption] This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This activity made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delano Foundation.
Dassel History Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
by Stuart Ross Once upon a time, there were four guys (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie) who discovered that they shared a love for music and then got together to become their idols – The Four Freshman, The Hi-Lo’s and The Crew Cuts. Rehearsing in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company, they became “Forever Plaid”. On the way to their first big gig, the “Plaids” are broadsided by a school bus and killed instantly. It is at the moment when their careers and lives end that the story of Forever Plaid begins….
The Barn Theatre
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Julian Wiles
directed by Sonja Madsen

Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man, a lost cat named Tutti Frutti and a Christmas hog named Buster and you’ve got the recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening of holiday cheer. Into this world comes Jamie, a kid who has run away from home and come as far as his money will take him. At first, he thinks this town’s inhabitants are “nuttier than fruitcakes,” but soon he comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Rocori High School
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Joseph Robinette
music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts-an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others.
Mankato Playhouse
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 6:00 pm Curtain @ 7:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Prairie Arts Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies.
Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about, really.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday story.
By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy’s customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl’s belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.
Encore Performing Arts Center
by Kenny Chumbley A new adaption of a Charles Dicken’s early short story, “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,”.  This story was later to be developed into Dicken’s famous “A Christmas Carol”. At a party at which the guest of honor is Mr. Pickwick, he tells the story of a local sexton (gravedigger), an angry man by the name of Gabriel Grub, who years before was nabbed by a band of goblins on a Christmas Eve. Taking him to their subterranean cavern, the goblins leader explains to Grub that they kidnapped him to give him a Christmas gift; namely, a chance, a final chance to redeem his wasted life. To accomplish this, they present him with an enchanted three-page picture book; one page for his past, one for his present, and one for his passing. (“Think of [the book] as a mirror. You don’t look at a mirror to look at a mirror, you look at a mirror to look at yourself. This book will help you see yourself for who you really are!”). The book forces Grub to revisit painful episodes in his life whereby we learn how abuse he suffered as a child has contributed to the struggles he’s had as an adult. We also learn how he attained a “touch of redemption” in spite of his past.
Andria Theatre
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Terrence McNally music by Terrence McNally lyrics by Lynn Ahrens This dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
Marion Ross Performing Arts Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:30 PM
book by David Ives & Paul Blake music by Irving Berlin directed by Gordy Handeland Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former army commander. With a dazzling score featuring well-known standards, including “Blue Skies,” “I Love A Piano,” “How Deep Is the Ocean,” and the perennial title song, White Christmas is an uplifting, wholesome musical that will delight audiences of all ages.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:30 PM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Theatre in the Round
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:30 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Northfield Arts Guild Theatre
Sat, December 14, 2024 07:30 PM
The first half of the show is filled with Holiday music from three different and fabulously talented groups…it’s a surprise…for now 🙂 Christmas Thieves: Uh oh…the pro actors from England can’t do the radio show (lutefisk is involved…), who will save the day? A very Minnesota-style type of unique set-up for a hilarious comedy.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Sun, December 15, 2024 01:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Northfield Arts Guild Theatre
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
The first half of the show is filled with Holiday music from three different and fabulously talented groups…it’s a surprise…for now 🙂 Christmas Thieves: Uh oh…the pro actors from England can’t do the radio show (lutefisk is involved…), who will save the day? A very Minnesota-style type of unique set-up for a hilarious comedy.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Delano United Methodist Church
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
Book by Tom Zeigler Directed by Jack Neveaux Grace, a feisty 90 year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. Her volunteer hospice worker, Glorie, is a Harvard MBA recently transplanted to this rural backwater from New York. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. As she attempts to care for and comfort the cantankerous Grace, the sophisticated Glorie gains new perspectives on values and life’s highs and lows. Starring Virginia Haggart as Grace, and Nancy Lipinski as Gloria. The play will be performed at Riverwood Covenant Church on December 7th at 7:00 pm and December 8 at 2:00 pm; Delano United Methodist Church on December 14 @7pm and Dec 15 at 2pm; Delano Senior Center on December 19 @10am and 7pm; Zion Lutheran Church on December 21 @7pm. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted. This production is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. [caption id="attachment_7791" align="alignnone" width="157"]Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo[/caption] This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This activity made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delano Foundation.
Theatre in the Round
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Dassel History Center
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
by Stuart Ross Once upon a time, there were four guys (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie) who discovered that they shared a love for music and then got together to become their idols – The Four Freshman, The Hi-Lo’s and The Crew Cuts. Rehearsing in the basement of Smudge’s family’s plumbing supply company, they became “Forever Plaid”. On the way to their first big gig, the “Plaids” are broadsided by a school bus and killed instantly. It is at the moment when their careers and lives end that the story of Forever Plaid begins….
The Barn Theatre
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Julian Wiles
directed by Sonja Madsen

Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man, a lost cat named Tutti Frutti and a Christmas hog named Buster and you’ve got the recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening of holiday cheer. Into this world comes Jamie, a kid who has run away from home and come as far as his money will take him. At first, he thinks this town’s inhabitants are “nuttier than fruitcakes,” but soon he comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation.
Rocori High School
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Joseph Robinette
music & lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts-an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others.
Mankato Playhouse
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 1:00 pm Curtain @ 2:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Encore Performing Arts Center
by Kenny Chumbley A new adaption of a Charles Dicken’s early short story, “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton,”.  This story was later to be developed into Dicken’s famous “A Christmas Carol”. At a party at which the guest of honor is Mr. Pickwick, he tells the story of a local sexton (gravedigger), an angry man by the name of Gabriel Grub, who years before was nabbed by a band of goblins on a Christmas Eve. Taking him to their subterranean cavern, the goblins leader explains to Grub that they kidnapped him to give him a Christmas gift; namely, a chance, a final chance to redeem his wasted life. To accomplish this, they present him with an enchanted three-page picture book; one page for his past, one for his present, and one for his passing. (“Think of [the book] as a mirror. You don’t look at a mirror to look at a mirror, you look at a mirror to look at yourself. This book will help you see yourself for who you really are!”). The book forces Grub to revisit painful episodes in his life whereby we learn how abuse he suffered as a child has contributed to the struggles he’s had as an adult. We also learn how he attained a “touch of redemption” in spite of his past.
Andria Theatre
Sun, December 15, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Terrence McNally music by Terrence McNally lyrics by Lynn Ahrens This dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Mon, December 16, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Hanifl Performing Arts Center
Tue, December 17, 2024 10:00 AM
story by Charles Dickens adapted by Kivan Kirk The classic story you know and love returns to Lakeshore for the first time in over 60 years! The arrival of several spirits on Christmas Eve offers the old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, a chance at redemption. Will he be able to learn to keep Christmas in his heart? Gather your family and friends to celebrate the season as this holiday favorite comes to Lakeshore in our own adaptation.
Delano Senior Center
Thu, December 19, 2024 10:00 AM
Book by Tom Zeigler Directed by Jack Neveaux Grace, a feisty 90 year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. Her volunteer hospice worker, Glorie, is a Harvard MBA recently transplanted to this rural backwater from New York. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. As she attempts to care for and comfort the cantankerous Grace, the sophisticated Glorie gains new perspectives on values and life’s highs and lows. Starring Virginia Haggart as Grace, and Nancy Lipinski as Gloria. The play will be performed at Riverwood Covenant Church on December 7th at 7:00 pm and December 8 at 2:00 pm; Delano United Methodist Church on December 14 @7pm and Dec 15 at 2pm; Delano Senior Center on December 19 @10am and 7pm; Zion Lutheran Church on December 21 @7pm. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted. This production is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. [caption id="attachment_7791" align="alignnone" width="157"]Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo[/caption] This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This activity made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delano Foundation.
Delano Senior Center
Thu, December 19, 2024 07:00 PM
Book by Tom Zeigler Directed by Jack Neveaux Grace, a feisty 90 year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. Her volunteer hospice worker, Glorie, is a Harvard MBA recently transplanted to this rural backwater from New York. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. As she attempts to care for and comfort the cantankerous Grace, the sophisticated Glorie gains new perspectives on values and life’s highs and lows. Starring Virginia Haggart as Grace, and Nancy Lipinski as Gloria. The play will be performed at Riverwood Covenant Church on December 7th at 7:00 pm and December 8 at 2:00 pm; Delano United Methodist Church on December 14 @7pm and Dec 15 at 2pm; Delano Senior Center on December 19 @10am and 7pm; Zion Lutheran Church on December 21 @7pm. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted. This production is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. [caption id="attachment_7791" align="alignnone" width="157"]Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo[/caption] This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This activity made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delano Foundation.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Thu, December 19, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Mankato Playhouse
Thu, December 19, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Fri, December 20, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 6:00 pm Curtain @ 7:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Mankato Playhouse
Fri, December 20, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Theatre in the Round
Fri, December 20, 2024 07:30 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Sat, December 21, 2024 01:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Zion Lutheran Church
Sat, December 21, 2024 07:00 PM
Book by Tom Zeigler Directed by Jack Neveaux Grace, a feisty 90 year-old cancer patient, has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her beloved homestead cottage to die alone. Her volunteer hospice worker, Glorie, is a Harvard MBA recently transplanted to this rural backwater from New York. Glorie is tense, unhappy and guilt-ridden, her only child having been killed in an auto accident when she was driving. As she attempts to care for and comfort the cantankerous Grace, the sophisticated Glorie gains new perspectives on values and life’s highs and lows. Starring Virginia Haggart as Grace, and Nancy Lipinski as Gloria. The play will be performed at Riverwood Covenant Church on December 7th at 7:00 pm and December 8 at 2:00 pm; Delano United Methodist Church on December 14 @7pm and Dec 15 at 2pm; Delano Senior Center on December 19 @10am and 7pm; Zion Lutheran Church on December 21 @7pm. Admission is free. Free will donations will be accepted. This production is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. [caption id="attachment_7791" align="alignnone" width="157"]Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo Clean Water, Land & Legacy logo[/caption] This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. This activity made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delano Foundation.
Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts
Sat, December 21, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse music by Richard Rodgers lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. A tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 6:00 pm Curtain @ 7:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Mankato Playhouse
Sat, December 21, 2024 07:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”
Theatre in the Round
Sat, December 21, 2024 07:30 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Theatre in the Round
Sun, December 22, 2024 02:00 PM
by Agatha Christie Directed by Mary Cutler In this classic whodunit, the line between friend and foe blurs on a foggy night. When his car breaks down, Michael Starkwedder looks for shelter in a nearby house and stumbles upon a man shot dead with his wife standing over him, holding the gun. Unconvinced by the woman’s dazed confession, Starkwedder decides to help, stepping blindly into a tangled web of lies and family secrets.
Wadena VFW
book & lyrics by Phil Olson music by Paul Olson Dinner @ 1:00 pm Curtain @ 2:00 pm It’s Christmas Eve in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota and cantankerous bar owner Gunner Johnson gets in an argument with his wife, Clara, tells her he’s skipping Christmas, he storms out of the bar, goes snowmobiling across the lake, falls through the ice and goes into a coma. He comes back in his dream where he’s visited by folk legend, Sven Yorgensen, who plays the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Sven takes Gunner (Scrooge) on a journey similar to that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol only very different. Will Gunner come out of his coma and find redemption with Clara at The Bunyan?
Mankato Playhouse
Sun, December 22, 2024 02:00 PM
book by Micheal Carlton, James Fitzgerald, John K. Alvarez “Instead of performing Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told. This includes Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung. ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ is a comedy that takes a humorous look at holiday traditions and classics. It features many seasonal characters, including Santa Claus, Rudolph, and the Grinch. A madcap romp through the holiday season!”

The Minnesota Association of Community Theatres (MACT) is a statewide, volunteer run organization. We hold meetings, workshops, festivals and other events throughout the state of Minnesota.

 MACT operates on a two year cycle.  In even numbered years we put on FAST*Fest, a non-adjudicated festival of 20-minute plays.  In odd numbered years we produce MACT*Fest, which is an adjudicated festival of 60-minute plays which is part of the AACTFest cycle.  Along with the performances at our festivals there are workshops and networking events.

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