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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
December 1st, 2020
By Kris Gruber
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…
November 14th, 2020
By Kris Gruber
Eloise Breikjern has been the Executive Director of Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre since 2013. She will retire in December.
High Plains Reader spoke to her about the strength of her staff, the importance of the patrons, and the skills and creativity gleaned from working during COVID-19.
HIGH PLAINS READER: There must be countless special moments that you have experienced with your staff in your work with FMCT. Is there one that jumps to mind, that you can…
October 21st, 2020
By Sabrina Hornung
sabrina@hpr1.com
We’ve all taken a stroll through a haunted house this time of year but have you ever thought about taking a guided walk through a haunted park? Trollwood Park holds both a lot of history and a lot of mystery. Before it was home to Trollwood performing arts school it was home to the Cass County Hospital and Poor Farm was once the site of the county’s “pauper cemetery.” Close to 300 graves were moved to a different location in the 1990s, yet there…
October 7th, 2020
By Scott Ecker
notharrisonford@gmail.com
Like many artists the quarantine seemed like a great opportunity to finally get around to some writing. I mean what else was I going to do? Looking on the bright side of oblivion, I could at least be productive.
I did a fair amount of writing that I am happy with. But overall COVID hasn’t been a great motivator. Part of it is that there isn’t a safe way to interact with an audience. My background is in improv, which I believe was created to give…
October 7th, 2020
by Monika Browne-Ecker
monikabrowne4@gmail.com
Thinking back on February and the beginning of March, I recall conversations I had with my family here and outside of the US about the truthfulness of the news surrounding this new pandemic. Skepticism gave way to concern and real fear as the days went by with news stories from Italy and the death count they reported. COVID-19 became a reality in the middle of March as my colleague and I scrambled to pack our offices as fast and as best as…
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By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.com The business of Indian Hating is a lucrative one. It’s historically been designed to dehumanize Native people so that it’s easier to take their land. ‘Kill the Indian, save the man,”…
By Johnathan Campbell history@nd.gov Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d share three mysterious — and mildly creepy folktales — that have been shared about the Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site,…
Thursday, November 7, 8 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, FargoThe Minneapolis indie rock duo Bad Bad Hats hits the Fargo stage promoting their brand new, self-produced album titled “Bad Bad Hats.” Their name came from a song…
By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com As a political columnist, I know I should be writing an election preview for the issue of this paper that comes out just a couple weeks before what is being labeled, once again, as “the most…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill We Ever Recover from the Trump Virus of Universal Hate?Just a month ago, the primary doctor of 336 million U.S Americans,U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory on the mental…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…
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By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Local band Zero Place has been making quite a name for itself locally and regionally in the last few years. Despite getting its start during a time it seemed the whole world was coming to…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer-director Nicole Riegel’s sophomore feature “Dandelion” is now playing in theaters following a world premiere at South by Southwest in March. The movie stars KiKi Layne as the…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Ted Martin, retired educator and western North Dakota native, currently has his art on view at Mind Virus Counter-Culture Books and Media. The exhibition features Martin’s colorful ink drawings…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh 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…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
Rynn WillgohsJanuary 25, 1972-October 8, 2024 Rynn Azerial Willgohs, age 52, of Vantaa, Finland, died by suicide on October 8, 2024. Rynn became her true-self March 31, 2020. She immediately became a vocal and involved activist…
By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com Okay, so last month I promised you a woman President of the United States. So much for my predictability quotient. Lesson 1: Never promise something you can’t control. And nobody, not even…
