(Arnolds Park)– The Okoboji Summer Theatre unveiled its schedule of production for the upcoming season as part of this past weekend’s Winter Games events.
RuthAnn Burke of Stephens College, which owns and operates the facility, made the announcement Saturday following an omelet fundraiser for the theatre which is put on annually by the Okoboji Summer Theatre Association. Burke says the theatre probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that group…(click here for comment.) “It’s hard to express. But they are just our eyes and our ears off season. They’re our strongest supporters. They have been there since the beginning. Many of them have family legacy ties to the original deeds for the property and they have been there as a support to Stephens College and all the students. When we come up here they just embrace all of us on the property with open arms. They do several activities with us. They’re engaged and they come and help us as ushers and all kinds of fundraising to support the things we need including scholarships and sponsoring shows and they’re just there for us. And we express our deepest gratitude for all they do for us.”
The upcoming season opens June 11th with a farce titled “Don’t Dress For Dinner”. Other productions for the coming season include, in the order in which they’ll appear, a comedic drama titled “Circle Mirror Transformation”; “BINGO”…an audience participation play; “Angel Street”, a thriller; “My Way…a Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra”; “I Hate Hamlet”…a comedy; “The Importance of Being Ernest”…a comedy; “The 39 Steps”; and the season will conclude with a musical titled “The Drousy Chaperone”.
Dan Schultz, Artistic Director for Okoboji Summer Theatre, says they were very careful again this year to select a schedule of performances that will appeal to a broad audience…(click here for comment.) “We first and foremost want plays that people are going to enjoy. What’s going to get you off your couch on a Friday night to say I want to go out and see a show with 400 other people. And so we selected all of these shows that we think will really excite people, that will want to have them come to the theatre not once, but nine times…and bring a friend.”
This summer will mark the 56th year of productions at Okoboji Summer Theatre.
