Plays

From the world of the "Roaring Twenties" comes the story of Roxie Hart, an aspiring performer who shoots her lover and tries to get her husband to take the rap. While in jail, Mrs. Hart meets a variety of murderesses on death row, including the famous Velma Kelly. Roxy and Velma vie for the spotlight and the headlines until they are finally joined as a duo in their pursuit of fame, fortune, and acquittal.
Chicago photos this page by Tania Legvold.

Catherine has spent much of her adult life caring for her father, a brilliant mathematician. Now that he has died, Catherine must learn to cope with great change, a challenging relationship with her sister, and a new romance with a former student of her father. Her life becomes more complicated with the discovery of a notebook that may contain a brilliant new mathematical proof. Has Catherine inherited her father's brilliance or his insanity?

Based on a long-popular children's book, The Phantom Tollbooth follows Milo on a journey into an imaginative land. Milo must fight foes like The Doldrums and the Demons of Ignorance to save Dictionopolis and Digitopolis. Aided by his companions Tock and The Humbug, Milo strives to rescue the Princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air. A engaging retelling of this very popular story, this play is a wonderful option for the entire family.

One of the best loved romances, Romeo and Juliet is a passionate story of young love. Though children of rival families, the famous lovers are willing to go to any length to be together. Join us for a beautiful outdoor summer show of romance and tragedy, kisses and clashes, balconies and battles.

Fifty years ago, a group of individuals in a town named Northfield came together to form a community arts organization and staged a production of Ah, Wilderness! This year's production is one way for us to thank those people who were integral in the forming of the Northfield Arts Guild, and to look back at a slice of our history as a community.

Ah, Wilderness! is a sweet remembrance of simpler days. The action takes place over the Independence Day weekend of 1906 in an idyllic small town. The play offers a tender retrospective portrait of small town family values, teen age growing pains and young love. Filled with interesting characters and relationships, this play is sure to please audiences today as well as it did fifty years ago.

Inspired by the Italian Christmas legend of Old Befana, Donata's Gift is a story of giving and redemption. Donata is an embittered and eccentric old woman accused of a terrible crime. A young orphan helps to show her and the community that there is a fresh beginning in generosity, love, and acceptance. Filled with music and dancing and well seasoned with humor, this play is a perfect addition to the holiday season.
Newly scored for chamber orchestra by the composer!

THE VERY SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL V

Call for plays:

The Northfield Arts Guild is proud to solicit submissions for its Fifth Annual Very Short Play Festival (VSPF V) to be held April 23 and 24, 2010. The Northfield Arts Guild Theater will host the festivals.

Submissions cannot exceed ten minutes in length when acted fully on stage. Your play can be two seconds long, or two minutes, or nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds; but it cannot exceed ten minutes.

Submissions can be complete short plays or stand-alone excerpts from longer works. Comedy, drama, interactive, musical, absurdist, monologue, any type, any subject matter will be considered.

Since you will be required to produce your selected play for stage, writers should live within the general southeastern Minnesota / Twin Cities area. If you are outside that geographical area, you may submit a play, but, if selected, you are still responsible for getting that play to Northfield, MN on April 23 or 24, 2010.

Writers of ANY AND ALL AGES are encouraged to submit their work.

Writers who have their plays chosen then must find their own actors and direct their play for performance. The winning youth plays will be performed on both Friday night, April 23 and possibly as a matinee on Saturday, April 24. The selected adult plays will perform on Saturday night only, April 24, 2010.

All technical elements of the play must be staged as minimalistically as possible; lighting, sound, sets and props should not be a significant factor in the action of the play.

Submission deadline is March 15, 2010.

Winning authors will be notified by e-mail on or before March 31, 2010.

Please direct electronic submissions to Brendon Etter: better@carleton.edu
(please send script as a plain text file or PDF if possible)
OR mail paper copies of your script to:
The Northfield Arts Guild
Attn: Very Short Play Festival V
304 Division Street
Northfield, MN 55057

The musical melodrama Jesse! was written for the Northfield Musical Theater (once a branch of the Northfield Arts Guild) in 1976. It has a special place in the hearts and minds of those who have been long volunteers and patrons of the Northfield Arts Guild Theater. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Northfield Arts Guild, the NAG Theater is pleased to stage a production of this historically significant play.

• Nat Miller . . . Brendon Etter
• Essie Miller . . . Linda Henderson
• Richard Miller . . . Mickey Morstad
• Arthur . . . Matt Roedler
• Mildred . . . Samantha Roback
• Tommy . . . Will Sheehy
• Sid . . . Rob Shanilec
• Lily . . . Felicia Peters
• McComber/Salesman . . . Michael Brenholt
• Muriel . . . Deon Haider
• Wint Selby . . . TBA
• Nora. . . Lila Weaver
• Bartender . . . Steve Dietrich

• Jesse . . . Jim Hanson
• Frank . . . Jim Stenglein
• Cindy . . . Pauline Jennings
• Zee . . . Ruth Sylte
• Ma Samuels . . . Kathy Doran-Norton
• Dr. Samuels . . . Bob Bruce
• Wagstaff . . . David Legvold
• Bob Ford . . . Nathan Kuhlman
• Conductor . . . Fred Stanley
• Teacher . . . Ruth Legvold
• Farmer . . . Noel Stratmoen
• Mail order bride . . . Kayla Burger
• Norwegian Lumberjack . . . Bob Gregerson
• Widow . . . Patsy Dew
• Kate . . . Myrna Johnson
• Townspeople . . . Lois Stratmoen, Lin Bruce, Chuck Sandstrom, Diane Kelly, Myrl Dahl, Paul Raadt, Dawn Knudtson, Sammy Pahr, Erin Legvold, Kathy Rush, Lucy Switzer, Becky DeMann, Bryanna Hanson

• Donata . . . Ruth Sylte
• Lucia . . . Scout Gregerson
• Niccolo . . . Erik Mandsager
• Alfredo . . . Charlie Black
• Antonio . . . Ben Wang
• Lino . . . Synneva Bratland
• Sister Roma . . . Myrna Mibus
• Sister Valeria . . . Sasha Middeldorp
• Constable . . . Tom Ett
• Orphans:
• Angelica . . . Vanessa Dimick
• Giulian . . . Zoe Webb
• Francesco . . . J.P. Sacha
• Marianna . . . Julia Hodel
• Constanza . . . Hannah Mahr
• Christina . . . Rose Mibus
• Carlo . . . Josie Luhman
• Maddalena . . . Ariana Beeby
• Giovanni . . . Christoph Hodel
• Alessandra . . . Emily Rhoades
• Villagers:
• Marcellina . . . Christina Schwietz
• Bettina . . . Melinda Emanuel
• Altea . . . Ann Etter
• Sofia . . . Michelle Olsen
• Anna . . . Louisa Lawler
• Maria . . . Esme Etter
• Bosco . . . Paul Seguin
• Bernardo . . . Jim Stenglein
• Marco . . . Jordan Ett
• Paolo . . . Tom Ett
• Giacomo . . . Patrick Walker
• Giuseppe . . . Brad Haugen

• Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri . . . Velma
• Christina Schwietz . . . Roxie
• Paul Seguin . . . Fred, Men�s Chorus
• Garrick Dietze . . . Amos
• Jessica Ekeren . . . Liz, Women�s Chorus
• Shari Setchell . . . Annie, Women�s Chorus
• Mary Hahn . . . June
• Ann Etter . . . Hunyak, Women�s Chorus
• Raelene Ostberg . . . Mona, Women�s Chorus
• Jaci Smith . . . Mama
• Nathan Kuhlman . . . Billy
• Steve Lawler . . . M.C., Mary Sunshine, Men�s Chorus
• Adam Andreasen . . . Men's Chorus
• Matt Drenth . . . Men's Chorus
• Tom Ett . . . Men's Chorus
• Kevin Ely . . . Men's Chorus
• Paul McGuire . . . Men's Chorus
• Christina Berget . . . Women's Chorus
• Jane Fenton . . . Women's Chorus
• Libby Glimsdal . . . Women's Chorus
• Bryanna Hanson . . . Women's Chorus
• Myrna Mibus . . . Women's Chorus
• Michelle Olsen . . . Women's Chorus
• Melody Pringle . . . Women's Chorus
• Teresa Schier . . . Women's Chorus

• Megan Proft . . . Catherine
• Peter Webb . . . Robert
• Amanda (Mandy) Everhart . . . Claire
• Mickey Morstad . . . Hal

If you sing in the shower . . . try it on stage. If you can swing a hammer . . . come help us build a set. The Arts Guild Theater is a community theater, and we rely on people like you! In addition to actors, singers, and dancers, we always need painters, carpenters, sewers, designers, musicians, light and sound operators, and ushers!

Let us know how we can help you share your skills and talents. If you'd like to get involved, e-mail us or call 645-8877 and let us know how you'd like to participate!

• Sarah Bardenwerper
• Charles Black
• Deb Clark
• Ann Etter (Board Liaison)
• Libby Glimsdal (Theater Program Coordinator)
• Joe Jorgensen
• Alissa Jorgensen
• Tim Komatsu
• Steve Lawler
• Lori Middeldorp
• Jeff Ostberg (Technical Coordinator)
• Melissa Pizarro
• Paul Seguin
• Jaci Smith