Theatre

​Penn & Teller to appear at Minnesota Renaissance Festival

August 13th, 2025

Alicia Underlee Nelson

alicia@hpr1.com

Penn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first performed 50 years ago.

Two afternoon shows are scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at 2 and 4 p.m. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

IF YOU GO:

Minnesota Renaissance Festival

Saturdays and Sundays August 16 - September 28

Plus…

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​‘River Adventures’ at Theatre B: a fun night for the family

July 15th, 2025

By John Showalter

john.d.showalter@gmail.com

Photo by Yvonne Denault

There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors on stage can be enthralling in a way the former can’t quite achieve. Since 2003, Moorhead’s Theatre B has been bringing a combination of both award-winning plays and new works to the stage for Fargo-Moorhead residents to enjoy. “River Adventures,”…

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​North Dakota play about mental health launches Midwest tour in August

July 1st, 2025

By Alicia Underlee Nelson

alicia@hpr1.com

A new one-act play inspired by patients buried in the cemetery at the North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown will tour festivals in Omaha, St. Louis and Indianapolis after shows at Central Lakes College in Brainerd August 1 and at Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks on August 3. North Dakota playwright Kathleen Coudle-King wrote the play, titled “There’s Something I Must Tell You,” over the course of two years, funded in part by grants from…

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​Act Up Theatre presents ‘The Sound of Music’

June 9th, 2025

By Alicia Underlee Nelson

alicia@hpr1.com

Act Up Theatre, in partnership with Minnesota State University Moorhead, will present “The Sound of Music” on June 10-14. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota State Moorhead’s Roland Dille Center for the Arts, located at 801 13 Street S. in Moorhead.

The beloved musical is directed by Craig Ellingson and features legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” as well as the familiar title…

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Fun and games with the Barker Brothers

February 15th, 2024

By John Showalter

john.d.showalter@gmail.com

High Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What better way to do so than playing the part of a fellow game show host quizzing them on the particulars of their craft?

High Plains Reader: Ladies and gentlemen and children of ages, welcome to another issue of High Plains Reader! Tonight our two contestants are…

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The PROM

April 27th, 2023

By Eric Dallman

ericd@hpr1.com

We recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us.

The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars as they travel to a conservative Indiana town to help a lesbian high school student, Emma, bring her girlfriend to the prom.

It's a musical comedy that features catchy songs, dance numbers, heartwarming moments, and comedic scenes that touch on the tough issue…

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DPRCA Continues Longstanding Theatre Tradition

July 20th, 2022

By Jessica M. Hawkes

jmhawkes84@gmail.com

It wasn’t long after the founding of the railroad and river town of New Rockford that entertainment venues started to put down their own roots. Its population bolstered by booms of nearby farmers taking advantage of the Homestead Act and itinerant workers building the Great Northern Railway Line to the west, the community teemed and fed the growth of dance halls, dining rooms, churches, bars, and, perhaps surprisingly, theatres.

In the days…

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​Selected Summer Events

June 15th, 2022

By Brittney Goodman 

goodmanbritg@gmail.com

June

June 16 – 17 - Footloose presented by Thompson Theater – Empire Arts Center – Grand Forks, ND

June 17 – Brothers Osborne with Caitlyn Smith – Bluestem Amphitheater – Moorhead, MN

June 18 – 3 – 11 pm - West Fargo Street Fair, The Yards on Sheyenne, West Fargo, ND

June 18 – Dia Del Taco – Outdoors at Fargo Brewing, Fargo,…

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​State of the Stages: Entertainment Venues in the Red River Valley

June 15th, 2022

By Brittney Goodman 

goodmanbritg@gmail.com

The High Plains Reader reached out to many owners, operators, managers, and caretakers of performance venues in our area to see the “state of the stages.” We talked about enduring and coming back from COVID, their missions and visions, and the outlook for summer events and beyond.

The central theme when asked about their purpose and mission is to bring entertainment, arts, and…

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Digital Dragathon

December 1st, 2020

By Kris Gruber

perriex1@gmail.com

Drag shows, for me, feel like a celebration of artistry, esthetic, music, and camaraderie. With a dash of confetti thrown in.

The local drag community is a close-knit family. Giving back to affiliated organizations and the community itself is an integral part of LGBTQ+ events in our area. When a fellow performer is in need, members are quick to step in and help in any way they can.

On December 12th, Sophie La Piff Cruz (Eric Hamley) and Nyxx (Andrew…

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