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…
March 11th, 2020
by Dominic Erickson
This March, the Fargo Film Festival will celebrate its 20th year of entertaining die-hard cinephiles and casual moviegoers alike. The festival begins on March 17 and concludes March 21. The event is once again coordinated by Emily Beck, who has been Fargo Theatre Executive Director since 2011. All of the other organizers and committee members have been working around the clock and will once again get to see their hard work pay off.
For many, a highlight of the Fargo…
March 4th, 2020
by Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com
High Plains Reader spoke with the Executive Director of Theatre B, Carolyn Wintersteen, and Michael Robins, Director and Artistic Producing Director of Illusion Theatre about bringing the production of "The Pink Unicorn" to Fargo, and the play itself.
HIGH PLAINS READER: Can you tell me a bit about your role with Theatre B?
CAROLYN WINTERSTEEN: I am a co-founder and the Executive Director of Theatre B. My role has evolved over the years as the organization…
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By Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.eduHowes Township is frustrated with a court decision and a 2019 bill that lessened local control, giving it back to the state. Howes Township has been fighting the addition of a…
By Michael M. Miller michael.miller@ndsu.eduPhoto credit: Sabrina HornungIn May 2022, the Rauter family of Wisconsin visited the Germans from Russia Heritage…
Fargo City Hall, thru Sept. 30 Fargo City Hall, 225 4th St. N. …
By Faith Dixon Faithshieldsdixon@gmail.com Guest editorial: ‘I am here to create, make and sustain true change’Being an activist is my purpose,…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.com From Mansion or Hovel, We All End Up DeadWe are now living in the Divided States of America, which has been developing for more than 240 years. Economist Frederic Bastiat has come up with the main…
Well shiver me timbers. After weeks of sampling some of the finest drinks in F-M from more bars than we could shake a belaying pin at, the results of High Plains Reader’s 6th Annual Cocktail Showdown are in! For nine weeks,…
By Rick Gion rickgion@gmail.comIn this land of hotdish and ham, it used to be a real pain to find something satisfyingly spicy in the…
By Chris Larson cjlarson75@gmail.comDuring a short break in their Wheels of Soul Tour with Los Lobos and the Gabe Dixon Band, I had a chance to…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comMaking her English-language feature debut, Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczyńska fails to replicate the quality and originality of either of her previous two movies. Both “The Lure,” which…
By HPR Staffsabrina@hpr1.comTour the studios of some of F-M’s most popular artistsThe Fargo-Moorhead area’s largest art event, the Studio Crawl, is just around the corner—October 1 and 2. The members of the Fargo Moorhead…
By Jessica M. Hawkesjmhawkes84@gmail.comIt 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…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comCharlie Berens is a man of many hats. The creator of the “Manitowoc Minute” is a newsman, comedian, writer and musician. We had the opportunity to speak with the Wisconsin native about his new…
By Kris Gruberperriex1@gmail.comSpring is here (mostly), and our area is buzzing with people eager to get back out and about -- many newly vaccinated and feeling a bit safer. Partnering with Jade Events, Fargo Brewing is just…
By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
By Donna O’Shea submit@hpr1.comWith the back-to-school season in full swing, the start of this academic year may…
By Andrew Alexis Varvelmr.a.alexis.varvel@gmail.comWill our congressperson be Cara Mund or Kelly Armstrong?Back 75 years ago in 1947, American radio stations played the hit song “Feudin' and Fightin'.” Its refrain went,…
