GUYS AND DOLLS - Saint Mary's University

book: Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows
music & lyrics: Frank Loesser
director: Dr. Gary Diomandes
music director: Judy Myers
choreographer: Christine Martin
scenic design: Kit Mayer
lighting design: Greg Freeman
costume design: Nadine Parkos
sound design: Brett Huus
cast: Aaron Henry, Carlos Villapando, Brian Pipal, Becca Kring, Jake Rivet. Ashley Curry, Katie Sapper, Mary Doctor, Rachel Stetenfeld, Ashley Von Arx, Lauren Salonek, Taylor Marshall-Miernicki, Amalia Santos, Saral Collova, Hannah Virlee, Andrew Russell, Shelby Clarke, Haylie MacComb, Kaeli Todd, Sarah Anderson, Sydney Wilkins, Phil Soulides, James Gilbertson, Aaron Pepple, Alex Akers, Sam Gibson
Colleen Morgan, Hannah Schwarze, Matthew Gorgone, Tom Conry, Keara Hannan, Billy Murphy, Lydia Monroe, Maggie Allexsaht, Theresa LaValla, Rebecca Garrigan, Jessica Drake, Rick Baustien. Andrew Russell, Alex Green, Allie Kriz, Bryan Moore, Molly Nocera, Joanna Mills, Serica Rowley, Ashley House-Mischke, Sarah Adams, Emily Casey-Hare, Mary Mieszala

A gambler in the 1950's makes a bet that he can pick up any woman.  Another gambler takes the bet and picks out the prim and proper leader of the local Salvation Army.  Hi-jinks ensue and someone falls in love for real.  All set to popular music.

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Saint Mary's University of Winona has been setting the bar high for college-level theatre and this is another example of the great showmanship of the students and faculty at the small university.

There are no surprises here.  This is a classic musical theatre production.  Lots of singing, dancing, and workable sets that keep the action flowing.  The performances are all top-notch.  Bryan Moore as Sky Masterson has just the right amount of cocky swagger and believable affection toward Keara Hannan as the sweet Sarah Brown, leader of the local Salvation Army.

Allie Kriz delivers just the right amount of over-the-top crazy as the love interest of gambler Nathan Detroit (Alex Green).

But surely it's the singing gamblers, Matthew Gorgone as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Tom Conry as Benny Southside, and Brian Pipal as Rusty Charlie, who keep the play engaging after hitting a homerun with their song "Fugue for Tinhorns."

A big part of producing a show like this is getting the casting just right, and Dr. Gary Diomandes seems to have done that quite well.  Everyone fits their role to a 'T' and it makes the show just a whole lot of fun.

It's probably too late to see this (the shows only run one weekend), but given the quality of this production it's worth your while to make sure you see whatever this university produces.

NOISES OFF - Winona State University

playwright: Michael Frayn
sorry no no playbill offered, so no information to share


A dreadful sex comedy titled Nothing On—it is the type of play in which young girls run about in their underwear, old men drop their trousers, and many doors continually open and shut.  Nothing On is set in "a delightful 16th-century posset  mill that has been converted to a modern dwelling for which renters are solicited; the fictional playwright is appropriately named Robin Housemonger. Each of the three acts of Noises Off contains a performance of the first act of Nothing On.

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This farce needs split-second timing and constant movement but failed to deliver.

There were moments that I was surprised that these were college students-- their timing was almost impeccable on occasion.  But then there were other times that they completely let their focus down and the performance was akin to bad community theatre.  And of course it was this inconsistency that brought the whole show down.

Some plays are written in such a way that you can't ruin them, and that stands mostly true here.  As long as you get the lines out, you are bound to get some laughs.  But if you can get them out with the right inflection and with the timing of the movement, you can bring the house down with laughter.  That didn't happen.

A good effort, but it feel short, even for a college production.

BLACK COMEDY -- Rochester Civic Theatre

playwright: Peter Shaffer
director: Greg Miller
scene designer: Greg Miller
lighting designer: Janet Roeder
costumer designer: Tom Lydeen
cast: Benjamin Parrish, Lindsay Beach, Doug Petty, Debbie Hill Fuehrer, Sean Lundberg, Brian Bedard, Christina Stier, Jonathan Allan 

A farce in which a theatrical gimmick is used -- when the power in an apartment goes off the stage is flooded with light and the audience watched the actors struggle to move around 'in the dark' and when a match is struck or a flashlight goes on, the theatrical lights dim on stage. The plot is simple ... an artist and his fiancee borrow some expensive furniture from a neighbor in order to impress an art collector. When the power goes out, the neighbor returns, the artist's former mistress shows up, and there is comic confusion over who is the art collector.

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I haven't been to the Rochester Civic Theatre in MANY years, but I really, REALLY wanted to see this play. I remember reading it shortly after it first came out and thought it was hysterical and would be a lot of fun to actually see staged.

 Unfortunately, this was not so much fun to see staged.

 I appreciate community theatre, I really do, and community theatre CAN be a tremendous experience. Unfortunately, this particular show was so hard to sit through, it was embarrassing.

 I had dragged a friend along, talking highly about the show for our hour drive, but we both sat in silence through most of the show. I did chuckle a couple of times -- thank you Peter Shaffer -- but mostly just wished I had gone by myself, instead of bringing a friend.

 Mostly I blame the direction here. The lack of pacing and not understanding where the conflicts were and how to build to them, had the actors floundering around, performing schtick rather than letting the play work for them.

 Farce is tricky, I understand. As an actor you WANT to just let go and be funny, but farce needs to be 'controlled' in order to be done right and get the best laughs. Individually, the performances were fine. Together, they didn't work, and the play didn't work.

TOTEM - Cirque du Soleil

senior artistic director: Sylvie Galarneau 
artistic director: Melanie Lalande 
Charlotte, NC

A theatrical, circus, acrobatic event.

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 This was my first time seeing a 'Cirque' show and I was not disappointed. Simply- the theatricality of this in incredibly high. From the exaggerated make-up to the fantastical lighting to the constant movement, Cirque du Soleil has found the way to reach an audience in today's short-attention-span world. Individually, some of the acts were a little boring (roller-skating on a big drum for instance), but as a package, this show definitely entertains.

25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE -- Saint Mary's University

Page Theatre
book: Rachel Sheinkin
music & lyrics: William Finn

The delightful shenanigans at a Spelling Bee.

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A wonderfully talented cast entertained a moderately full crowd.  Each performer was well suited to their roles and came through with a great performance.  The audience members who were brought on stage were not as talented.

I knew nothing of the show before hand, but was thoroughly delighted when done.

This school does very good work with their students.

POETRY OUT LOUD 2011 - Rushford-Peterson High School

Eight high school students recite Poetry Out Loud with hopes to move on to the next level of competition.

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I have enjoyed this event for a few years now.  These students do a good job of memorizing and reciting, with proper emotion, the intent of a number of poems.

DROPS & DRAMA 2010 - VALHALLA TO RAGNAROK: THE MYTHS & LANDS OF THE NORDIC GODS -- Theatre du Mississippi

Performed at the Masonic Lodge, Winona, MN
Director: Daryl Lanz
Writer: Daniel Munson
Cast: Judy Schmidt, Catherine Schmidt

100 year old, hand-painted drops, once used in Masonic rituals, are prominently displayed in this 30 minute production.  The mythology of the Scandinavians is used as a source for a thin plot to feature the drops.

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Perhaps a little too much information is provided in this short script.  It certainly provides a good amount of Norse mythology lesson, but not knowing much, it seems a bit of an overload.  The presentation of the material was okay, though a little dry.

Still, it seemed as effective a means as any to showcase these marvelous drops.

LIE, CHEAT AND GENUFLECT -- Rushford Area Society of the Arts

script: William Van Zandt and Jane Milmore
director: Beth McManimon
costumes: Nancy Svendsen & Maureen Pronschinske
lights: Blaire Pronschinske & Samara McManimon-Myers

A pair of down-on-their-luck brothers decide to steal the inheritance they think should be theirs from the cousin they haven't seen in twenty years.  An Avon Lady, a nun, an alcoholic house-keeper, a baby, a mobster, a bimbo, and a few others are the characters to tell the story.

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I've seen a great deal of bad community theatre, but this might possibly be the worst.

First, the script itself is typical community theatre fare ... somewhat farce, mistaken identities, and unrealistic characters making appearances.  This could be done moderately well, but it would unlikely be a long-well-remembered play.

Add, now, a cast of over-acting, mugging, unrealistic actors with absolutely no direction (how many times can you have a group of people standing in a straight line?!) and you've compounded the play's problems.  What this director doesn't seem to realize is that what is funny to a group during rehearsals often won't be funny when performed on stage.  And yet, it felt like everything ever chuckled at in rehearsal made it to the stage and fell flat.

Was the man dressed as a nun funny?  Yes.  Did he seem to think he was funnier than he really was?  Yes.Did he have potential?  Yes.  Did he have help?  It doesn't seem so.

This was painful to sit through.  I honestly don't know why I stayed for the second act -- the optimist in me ... that it had to get better!

The alcoholic, nymphomaniac housekeeper was a riot.  She was totally believable throughout and brought the energy level on stage up a couple of notches any time she appeared.

The stranger, 'Jane,' was also quite 'real' but could have used a director reminding her to stop acting from the waist all the time (she'd plant her legs and bend at the waist every time she delivered a line).

I suspect that there's a lot of theatre just like this happening all over the country and perhaps I've been fortunate to not have had to deal with this too often.  And now it's caught up to me with a vengeance.

Nice set.

PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE -- Commonweal Theatre Company

playwright: Steve Martin
director: Zach Curtis
set designer: Kit Mayer
light designer: Jason Underferth
costume designer: Jeffrey D. Stoltz
cast: Jerome Yorke; David Hennessey; Laura Depta; Hal Cropp; Sarah Kathryn Hawkins; Scott Dixon; Eric Bunge; Tim Sailer; Michael Van Schoik

Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso meet in a bar and discuss genius and talent.  Both men are on the verge of the greatest works.

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Hmm.

The play itself doesn't strike me as powerful ... not in the way that I think it's trying be, but this production doesn't help it along and it's hard to separate one from the other.

The 'minor' characters were good.  Strong.  Seemed to have a clear idea of their characters and their characters' roles in the play.  But the two leads, Bunge and Cropp as Picasso and Einstein, missed the mark.

Cropp's Einstein seemed much too focused on his accent.  Sounds trite, but that's what I walked away with.  So thick and hard to understand that I was constantly hearing people all around me asking the people around them, "What did he say?"  It's nice to be authentic, but if it's a distraction it doesn't serve the play.

Beyond the accent, the character didn't strike me as a brilliant mind, but rather a kook who got lucky.  Perhaps that's what Martin had in mind with the script, but I think it lacks drama.

Bunge's Picasso came across a little lighter than air.  He seemed to float around the room as if he were slightly above it, rather than crashing through it.  It was not an effeminate characterization, but it was also not a masculine characterization.  It was tepid.

What both characters lacked was passion.

I've been fortunate to know consummate artists (friend Steven Arnold was the protegee of Salvador Dali and world renowned photographer) and brilliant scientists (I've worked with Carl Sagan) and one thing that they have in common, something that I think Martin was getting at with the play, is passion.

The truly brilliant people in any field have an absolute passion for their work, and that passion shows even more when they are on the verge of something new.  The creations come from within and it wells and builds before it comes out.

That's where these two characters should have been.  But they weren't.  And for me, it let the play down.

SPRING VOCAL CONCERT -- Rushford-Peterson High School

Rushford-Peterson Elementary & High School Choir
directors: Diana Poppe & Burton Svendsen

DALE KOR: High School Choir
   "What a Wonderful World"
   "A Whole New World"
   "The Shoop Shoop Song"

KINDERGARTEN:
   "I'm a Nut"
   "Down by the Bay"
   "Going on a Picnic"
   "Rain"

GRADES 1,2, 3:
   "I Need a Vacation"
   "Are We There Yet?"
   "Gone Fishin'"
   "Hit the Beach"
   "A Letter From Camp"
   "Way Out In Left Field"

GRADES 4&5:
   "Hodie!"
   "Shine on Me"
   "Bee! I'm Expecting You"
   "O, Colored Earth"
   "John Henry"

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Another delightful evening of strong voices from a small town's school.

SPRING CONERT featuring the Rushford-Peterson Senior High School Band -- Rushford-Peterson High School

A band performance of a small town high school featuring:

"Miracles!" -- Lane M. Powell
"Sicilienne" -- Peirrie Lantier
"We Will Remember" -- Gary Fagan
"Menuett" -- Friedrich Kuhlau
"AFTERBURN" -- Randall Standridge
"Allegro" -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
"Canon" -- Johann Pachelbel
"Pictures at an Exhibition" -- Modest Moussorgsky
"Drum Check" -- Elliot A. Del Borgo
"Where the Sun Breaks Through the Mist" -- Michael Sweeney
"Russian Sailor's Dance" -- Reinhold Gliere

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Once again this small town band impresses with their talent.

Particularly outstanding where Pachelbel's "Canon" performed by a saxophone quartet, and "Drum Check."  Certainly this band, with a slight over-abundance of percussionists should be able to perform a song titled "Drum Check" but the rhythms were tricky and the syncopation was challenging.  Fortunately they seemed to thrive on the challenge.


A very delightful evening.

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND CONCERT -- Rushford-Peterson Middle School

A concert featuring first year 5th grade band students through 8th grade students, featuring:

5th Grade:

"African Dance Song" -- Douglas Bradley
"Bring On Da Band" -- Michael Sweeney
"Sakura ... traditional Japanese Folk Song" -- arr. Michael Story
"Overture" -- Peter Tschaikowsky

6th Grade:

"Rockero" -- Don Schaeffer
"An American Mosaic" -- arr. John Edmondson
"Hogan's Heroes March" -- Jerry Fielding, arr. John Edmondson
"Dixieland Dazzle" -- John Edmondson

7th and 8th Grade:

"Come Go With Me" -- C.E. Quick
"Pulsar (Concert March)" -- Eric Osterling
"Take Me Home Country Roads" -- Bill Danoff, John Denver
"We're Not Gonna Take It" -- D. Snider
"My Heart Will Go On" -- James Horner

6th, 7th and 8th Grade:

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" -- Hans Zimmer

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Another spectacular performance by a group of young students. These kids do an amazing job with some challenging pieces.

What's fun to note at a concert like this is the growth in talent.

HARVEY -- Fountain City Players

script: Mary Chase
director: Judee Brone
cast: Jessica Hosch, Karen Dulak, Carew Halleck, Beth Halleck, Lindsay Maus, Jamie Bautch, Rowdy Whitman, Tegan Blank, Jackie Beck, Ann Kohner
set, light, sound design: Jason Passow

The classic invisible rabbit comedy as performed by a small town community theatre.

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It seems rather odd that I've now seen Harvey twice in the last few months when I hadn't seen the play in such a long time before-hand.

The play is such that it is difficult to not do well.  It is written in such a way that it is going to be funny, and any actor even slightly competent will be funny talking to an invisible rabbit.

While the production values are typical for small community theatre, this production did well.  There were some interesting, unique aspects to the set which made it easy to change-over to a different set, and the actors did a fine job in all roles.

Particularly charming was Carew Halleck as Elwood P. Dowd.  He had a true, natural talent which made it seem as though he wasn't acting.  His conversations with Harvey were perfectly conversational and he treated all the other characters on stage as charmingly and calmly as he possibly could.

The direction was somewhat lacking, with characters wandering the stage and not looking as though they quite understood why they were moving or standing at any given time.

A fun production.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL -- Saint Mary's University School of the Arts

playwright: William Shakespeare
director: Judy Myers
scenic designer: Kit Mayer
costume designer: Janis Martin
lighting designer: Kirstin "Fluffy" Blake

One of Shakespeare's "problem" plays that, in the end, is not so all-well as it reunites an ill-suited couple.

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I'm always wary to attend a Shakespeare production, and doubly so when it's performed at a college.  Unfortunately, this production did nothing to allay my concerns.

The students worked admirably on a tough show, but there seemed to be no actor who could combine strong acting with the ability to know what they were talking about.  Either they knew what they were saying but were completely wooden or they had great flair and acting style but spoke as if they had no clue as to what they were saying.

One of the problems with college Shakespeare is that there are so many actors needed that it's unlikely that anyone can get a full cast of multi-talented actors.  While the leads might have a good grasp on what they are doing, the supporting actors, which so often drive the plot from one scene to another in Shakespeare, simply can't handle the work.

The best energy in the entire show was the curtain call, when the actors came out and danced and sang Beyonce's "Single Ladies".  Where was this energy during the play?  This is a sure sign that the cast simply did not know what they were doing on stage -- didn't understand the lines, didn't understand the motivations.

I've seen a few productions at this school and this, sadly, is one of my least favorites.

THE WIZARD OF OZ -- Triton High School

based on the book by L. Frank Baum
with Music and Lyrics of the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
background music by Herbert Stothart
director: John Schreiber
music director: Nan Winsell
designer: John Schreiber
choreography: Kim Jensch

The magical, fantasy story of a young girl who visits a new land (Oz) and meets wonderful friends and horrific enemies along the way.

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This was a slightly above-average high school production of a familiar musical.  In typical fashion, some students rose to the challenge and gave wonderful performances (the leads) and some seemed to be there because it was expected of them.

I was delighted to see in the program that the Jitterbug scene was going to be in this production, though it didn't live up too well to my expectations.  The students lacked a sense of believability and commitment to the scene.

My favorite portion of the performance was the scene in which the bridge rotated so that the wayfareres couldn't get across.  It was fun, funny, and well performed.

Overall, a delightful evening.

TALKING WITH... -- Valencia Academy Theatre

produced by Saint Mary's University of Minnesota School of the Arts
playwright: Jane Martin
director: Gary Diomandes
cast: students from Saint Mary's University
set designer: Tim Schmall
costume designer: Caitlin Murphy
lighting designer: Ben Jarrett

Eleven monologues by eleven different female characters.

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I will fully admit that I wasn't looking forward to an evening of eleven different monologues.  I expected it to be about as entertaining as an evening of clipping toe-nails.  I happily admit that I was wrong.  This was a splendid, well-performed, beautiful production.

The monologues themselves varied, creating a wonderful assortment.  Some of the performances were rather pedestrian but some were absolutely outstanding, keeping me tuned in to the entire evening.  The two strongest performances came from the character who was dressed as a character from the Oz books.  The costume was tremendously fabulous and the performance was appropriately edgy and touching.

(As a point of information...I no longer identify student performances in my blogs.)

But the most outstanding performance was the young lady in the monologue titled "Audition."  It was either the most brilliant piece of type-casting, or one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.  (I learned later, in speaking with the director, that this was not typical for the actress.)  Making the performance even more challenging, the actress had to deal with a live cat on the stage.  The combination of 'ditzy' and intensely wise was wonderfully played, leaving the audience to have to choose which one the character actually was.

The scenic and lighting elements were simple but effective.  Costuming was in line with the rest of the show (the Oz character costume was brilliant).

Overall...I'm glad to have gone, and it managed to force me to admit that my initial expectations were totally wrong.

Brilliant production.

2010 SECTION 1-A ONE-ACT PLAY FINALS -- Saint Mary's University

The top two winners of the various Sub-Sections compete for the ONE spot to perform at the State level.

Competing schools and their directors were:
Cannon Falls -- Joseph Burns
Kasson-Mantorville -- Melissa Ferris
Rushford-Peterson -- Forrest Musselman
Spring Grove -- Sarah J. Holland
St. Charles -- Theodore Derby
Stewartville -- Nick Johnson
Triton -- John Schreiber
Wabasha Kellog -- Cris Medina

Plays performed were:

"The Swimmer" by F. Xavier Hogan
"The Bald Soprano" by Eugene Ionesco
"All I Really Want to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"  by Robert Fulghum
"A Play With Words" by Peter Bloedel
"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" by Don Zolidis
"Deus Ex Machina" an original production
"Everyman in the Circus of Life" by Travis Tyre
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving


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A long day of high school drama.

I'd seen "The Swimmer" a couple of weekends earlier, and it hadn't improved much.  Some interesting concepts, but some strangely added sexual references did nothing for the play.

I love the play "The Bald Soprano" but this has to be the worst production I have ever seen.  Clumsy direction, sloppy set, challenging acting, and added lines not part of the original script.  Again, there was some interesting concept here, but I don't think it went far enough.

The production of "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" was remarkably wonderful.  It could easily have gone over-board and gotten 'sappy,' but it didn't.  The direction was incredibly clean, with perfect transitions between scenes.

Like "The Swimmer,"  I had already seen "A Play With Words."  The larger stage environment didn't help this production.  It's jokes and jabs needed a more intimate setting.

"The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" is gaining in popularity at high school play contests.  It allows for one or more really out-going students to shine.  Personally, I find it annoying.  This production was fair.  The one I saw one or two years ago was fantastic.

"Deus Ex Machina" was clearly the crowd favorite.  High energy and fast action really keeps the audience excited.  Story-wise it's ... well... "story?"

I'd also seen "Everyman in the Circus of Life" before.  I just don't like the play.  It's didactic and dull.  Given that, the cast did a fine job of moving through the morass of the dialog.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" had one of the nicest looks of the day, but the actual performance suffered from under-rehearsed acting and too much reliance on one boys 'evil' laugh.

My choices for the competition:

1st place-- "All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"
2nd place-- "Deus Ex Machina"

the absolutely shocking and asinine result:

1st place-- "The Swimmer"
2nd place-- "The Bald Soprano"

Clearly the judges have little to no training in theatre.

ALMOST, MAINE -- Viterbo University

produced by: The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
presented by Viterbo University NexStar season
playwright: John Cariani
director: Laura Gordon
cast: Steve Haggard, Elizabeth Ledo, Gerard Neugent, Deborah Staples

In a remote, 'almost' town in Maine, residents find themselves falling in (and out) of love.

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Disappointing.

Really, there isn't much more to say about this.  Perhaps my expectations were too high, but really, I went in to this knowing nothing other than that it had been a prize winner and was supposed to be funny and touching.  What I found was not a play, but a series of vignettes that relied WAY too much on a punch-line which was often a physical, literal interpretation of a metaphorical saying ("waiting for the other shoe to drop" would be the most obvious).

Was it amusing?  Yeah, sort of.

Was it touching?  Yeah, sort of.

Was it memorable?  No.

Was it worth the $35 a seat?  No.

2010 SECTION I-A ONE-ACT PLAY FINALS -- Saint Mary's University

Eight high schools that took first and second places at a previous competition face off for the chance to perform at the State level.

Schools (and directors) participating were:
Cannon Falls -- Joseph Burns
Kasson-Mantorville -- Melissa Ferris
Rushford-Peterson -- Forrest Musselman
Spring Grove -- Sarah J. Holland
St. Charles -- Theodore Derby
Stewartville -- Nick Johnson
Triton -- John Schreider
Wabasha-Kellogg -- Cris Medina

Judges were:
Theresa Luther-Dolan
Pat Sween
Mike Tillmann

Plays performed:
The Swimmer by F. Xavier Hogan
The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
A Play With Words by Peter Bloedel
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
Deus Ex Machina -- original production
Everyman In The Circus of Life by Travis Tyre
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, dramatized by Kathryn Schultz Miller

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The Swimmer was an interesting theatrical piece -- part theatre of the absurd, part philosophical treatise.  It was performed well, but the direction seemed to meander.

The Bald Soprano.  This is a much too popular high school piece that has been done extremely well recently.  Unfortunately, this was NOT done well.  My kudos to the director for trying something new and for a unique theme to the production, but I felt that the acting was sub-par and the theme not carried through particularly well.

All I Really Need to Know... was a fabulous production.  The direction was impeccable and the acting above par.  Only one scene was slightly less than perfect as an actress was hard to hear.  However, you could have heard a pin drop in the packed theatre as everyone there was leaning forward to hear what she was saying -- that's how caught up the audience was with the production.

A Play With Words was unremarkable.

The Brothers Grimm... is another play that has been done a little too much lately.  This production was slightly above average, but still lacked a cohesive, group perfromance.

Deus Ex Machina was a clear audience favorite.  A cast full of energy that never seemed to stop.  The story was somewhat hackneyed and contrived, but it was well directed and performed.

Everyman in the Circus of Life ... oh, what to say.  This play is just dull.  It has nothing to do with the actors or the director...it's just full of talk with little action.  Why would anyone want to perform it?  A tough play for a talented cast to overcome.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was another, unremarkable play.  At least one actor seemed to be completely lost on stage.  I hope, for his sake, that he had just joined the cast as a replacement.

My rating:
I had this as a tie for first place between All I Need to Know... and Deus Ex Machina and I would have given the edge to All I Need to Know...  Third place would have been a tie between The Swimmer and Everyman... based solely on the acting.  All else gets ranked as fifth place.

Actual winners (good grief!):
1st place: The Swimmer
2nd place: The Bald Soprano

The fact that these two directors have won this competition for the past eight years has nothing to do with it, right?

DEUS EX MACHINA -- Rushford-Peterson High School

playwright: Forrest Musselman
director: Forresst Musselman

High school students rehearse a play in this farcical comedy.

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A wonderful, high-energy production that prominently features a Coke machine.