Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Summer Theatre Group Celebrates 55th Season

Theatre | May 30th, 2018

By Tayler Klimek
tklimek@cord.edu

If you’re a lover of musicals and looking for something to do this summer, the Straw Hat Players have got you covered. This professional summer stock theatre company is dedicating six weeks of their summer to bring you four musicals – a slight difference from the typical straight play and three musicals they’ve done in the past years. The box office is now open, so be sure to get your tickets for this exciting 55th anniversary of Straw Hat Players theatre shows.

For just six weeks, a group of young emerging theatre artists will dedicate their time to a rigorous schedule of rehearsing and building sets for four productions. Every single show is being touched upon every single day, and the artists involved will rotate between acting, tech and set construction. “Everyone who’s involved from the performance side is in rehearsals, but they all serve on technical support crews, they build the sets, they do everything,” said Craig Ellingson, professor and director of theatre at MSUM and director of the Straw Hat Players. “We work three sessions a day and will be touching a different show each session.”

For those who don’t know, the ‘Straw Hat’ in the group’s title is simply meant to distinguish it as a summer theatre company. “A straw hat is a typical summer hat for gentlemen and there are many straw hat programs or straw hat theaters around the nation, so straw hat just implies ‘summer,’” said Ellingson. “You know, men in the early 1900s typically wore hats, so their summer hats wouldn’t be something made out of flannel or wool; they were typically straw.” Delmar J. Hansen, for whom the theater is named after, started Straw Hat 55 years ago. “If my history is correct,” said Ellingson, “it was in Fergus Falls that they performed that first summer and then they came to the [MSUM] campus here and performed over in Weld Hall. Then after [the Hansen] building was built, they moved over here and we’ve been in the Center for the Arts ever since.”

Both the Hansen Theatre stage and Gaede stage will be used for the productions this summer. Starting the season off will be a comedic and relatable production to many, How to Talk Minnesotan. “This musical takes place at a lake resort, and many of the jokes and humor are aimed at this area of the country, which I think people will find pretty entertaining,” said Ellingson. The second show, All Hands on Deck!, will showcase some great music from the ‘30s and ‘40s, and will have several opportunities to see some dancing. The Last Five Years will be the third production this summer, a very engaging, more contemporary show. “This story depicts a failing relationship over the course of five years, but you see it from two different perspectives – the he-said/she-said,” said Ellingson. The story is told in reverse order – one person starting at the beginning of the relationship, and one starting at the end, which provides a very unique look into what a relationship is and how different people view the same thing. “There’s a lot of beautiful, captivating music too, so I think that will be a very interesting departure from the past several years of what we’ve offered during the summer,” said Ellingson. “I hope that a lot of younger people will come out and see that show as well.”

The Straw Hat Players will close out their celebratory season this year with Guys and Dolls, which some people consider to be one of the finest examples of musical comedy. “The score should be familiar to most, so people will be able to sing along with the tunes and then there’s wonderful opportunities for some very broad and over-the-top comedy, as far as characters are concerned,” said Ellingson. Attendees of the show should expect to see some great dancing in this final production of the summer.

For season tickets and tickets for individual shows, you may go to mnstate.edu/tickets, purchase by phone at (218) 477-2271, or stop by the MSUM Box Office in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts, Monday through Friday from noon to 4:00 p.m. Hansen Theatre and the Gaede stage are located in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts on the MSUM campus.

IF YOU GO 
All shows start at 7:30 p.m.

"How to Talk Minnesotan" | May 29 – June 1 | Hansen Theatre Stage

 "All Hands on Deck!" | June 5 – 8 | Gaede Stage

"The Last Five Years" | June 12 – 15 | Gaede Stage

"Guys and Dolls" | June 19 – 22 | Hansen Theatre Stage

Recently in:

MayFargo MarathonNow - May 20Youth run Thursday, 5K Friday night, 10K, half and full marathon, entertainment along route on Saturday. fargomarathon.comKids to Park DayMay 20Bring the kids to Theault Farm in Fargo for crafts,…

By John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comHuman rights is a subject that often comes up in the media. One has only to tune in to any of the major news broadcasters to hear heated debate and discussion regarding the treatment of…

Event by Moorhead Parks & Recreation and Swing Barrel Brewing Company, LLCW. H. Davy Memorial Park, 1st Ave & 8th St N, MoorheadTuesday, June 27, 5:30-8pmThe Gina Powers Band + Petting ZooHeather & Thistle Pipes and DrumsArt…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comOur opinion: Keep your chins up, class of 2023As the school year draws to a close, this seems to be the time of year when most editors offer up their best advice to the most recent graduating…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comCan Someone Tell Me Why Sneakers Sell for $1.5 to $2.2 Million a Pair? It has to be something other than quality. I shop for used books in thrift stores because I have discovered thick books given…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comSpring has finally sprung. It’s time to bounce out of the house and try a few new places to eat. Let’s explore what restaurants are trending on the Fargo-Moorhead Eats Facebook page. With nearly…

Event information provided by Morgan Thompson, Marketing and Sales Associate, FARGODOMEMThompson@fargodome.comIt’s the official kickoff of summer, and the return of the best BBQ around and look who’s going to be there! Getting…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comUntil I saw “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” I really thought the cinematic expression of the multiverse concept had peaked with the triumphant Best Picture Academy Award for…

Hjemkomst Center 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead  April 25, 3:30-7:30pmPaint a rock, make a stranger smile and be a part of the movement! Keep your rock or add it to the pile to be labeled, sealed and…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe 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…

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 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 Traci Sethre  traci.sethre@gmail.comAn integral piece of fencing is your mask. Its integrity keeps you safe. It’s typically painted black to hide your face…

By Ken and Alice Christiansonsubmit@hpr1.com HB 1332 is currently before the North Dakota legislature. The bill proposes to permit social workers to use a discredited treatment method to convert the sexual orientation of gay and…