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For more information contact mark.a.kinders@uwrf.edu or brenda.k.bredahl@uwrf.edu.

St. Croix Valley Summer Theatre Presents 40th Anniversary Season

June 2 , 2006--To celebrate its 40th anniversary season, the St. Croix Valley Summer Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls is offering a retro repertoire of well-loved productions as well as planning a reunion picnic.  

While this year's staff includes several notable Twin Cities theater artists and musical talent who are first-time SCVSTers, the 40th season marks a return to the very nature of grassroots theater, which was the idea behind the "Falcon Summer Theatre" that debuted in 1966. That first season grew out of a summer institute offered in 1965 for teachers who wanted to learn how to stage productions in their schools.           

"We are returning to the roots of St. Croix Valley Summer Theatre with many more of our own students and community members in this summer's productions than in any other previous season," says Robin Murray, the 2006 managing director and a theatre professor at UW-River Falls.

Season Lineup

The season kicks off with a regional tour of the opening production, "Love Letters," by A.R. Gurney, starring SCVST veteran actors Michael Norman and Sandee Blakeley. Directed by Norman, the play poignantly details the 50-year relationship between the formal Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and mercurial artist Melissa Gardner through the letters they write to each other.

Dates and venues for "Love Letters" include:
•7:30 p.m., June 17, Northern Lakes Center for the Arts, 113 Elm St., Amery. Tickets are $5; call 715-268-6811.
•7:30 p.m., June 23, Performing Arts Center, Baldwin-Woodville Area School District, 100 13 th Ave., Baldwin. Tickets are $8 adults, $7 seniors; call 715-688-6200.
•7 p.m., June 24, Spring Valley Theatre, S 234 McKay Ave., Spring Valley. Tickets are $5; call 715-778-4475.
•7:30 p.m., June 29; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., June 30; 7:30 p.m., July 1, Blanche Davis Theatre, Kleinpell Fine Arts Building, UW-River Falls. Tickets range from $5 to $10; call 715-425-3114 or 800-228-5423.
•7 p.m., July 26, 43rd University of Wisconsin School of the Arts, Rhinelander Middle School, Rhinelander. Free; call 608-265-8041.

The retro lineup continues with the musical "Forever Plaid," based on the book by Stuart Ross, featuring such classic hits as "Moments to Remember," "Three Coins in the Fountain," "Cry," and "Heart and Soul." The 1950s-themed favorite features the story of the last earthly performance and one-and-only recording of a harmonious crooner quartet. The musical runs 7:30 p.m., July 6-8, 13, 14 and 15; a 1:30 matinee is the single performance on July 14. Performances are in the Blanche Davis Theatre of the Kleinpell Fine Arts Building at UW-River Falls. Tickets range from $9 to $15; call 715-425-3114 or 800-228-5423.

The story of the lives, loves and music of the songbirds from the Greatest Generation--the Andrew Sisters--is chronicled in the "Sisters of Swing," conceived and written by Beth Gilleland and Bob Beverage, based on a concept by Ron Peluso, and with music arrangements by Raymond Berg. Reminisce through the legendary songs such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," and "Rum and Coca Cola" at this SCVST premiere, which runs 7:30 p.m. July 21-22, 26-29 with an additional 1:30 matinee performance on July 28 in the Blanche Davis Theatre of the Kleinpell Fine Arts Building at UW-River Falls. Tickets range from $9 to $15; call 715-425-3114 or 800-228-5423. (Right, Kristy Reid portraying Patty Andrews.)

SCVST will also premiere "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," the well-loved mega-musical still on Broadway with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashmann and Tim Rice and book by Linda Woolverton. The musical is based on nthe hit animated film of the same name. Among the starts in the SCVST production is Dr. Paul McMillan, a River Falls physician as Lumiere, the singing candelabra. This tale as old as time dazzles with stunning costumes and choreography as well as memorable songs. It runs 7:30 p.m., Aug. 4-6 (including a 1:30 matinee on Aug. 6) and 9-12 in the Blanche Davis Theatre of the Kleinpell Fine Arts Building at UW-River Falls. Tickets range from $9 to $15; call 715-425-3114 or 800-228-5423.

2006 Artistic Staff

Norman, who directs and co-stars in "Love Letters," taught journalism at UW-RF for 30 years before returning to full-time writing. He is the author of numerous books and plays and has performed with SCVST over the past 25 years. Carin Bratlie, director of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," is a freelance director and acting instructor from Minneapolis and the artistic director of Theatre Pro Rata with credits at the Guthrie Theatre, Great American History Theater, Eye of the Storm Theatre, Theater Unbound and others.

With more than 400 shows under his belt, Randy Winkler makes his SCVST debut as director of "Forever Plaid." He has directed and choreographed at the Minnesota Opera, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Theatre in the Round, Park Square Theater and other major venues in the Midwest. An award-winning actor and choreographer, he has also directed for television and live shows, including work with Rita Moreno, Bob Newhart and Amy Grant. Rosy Kirk, who directs "Sisters of Swing," is a former drama teacher in the Hibbing (Minn.) School District, a freelance director and producer and a vocalist in the Twin Cites group, "Company B." Linda Short, a musician, former music educator and adjunct lecturer at UW-RF is this season's musical director.

Reunion Picnic

Following the matinee performance of "Forever Plaid" on July 14, SCVST will host its 40th birthday bash for alumni, friends, patrons and supporters on the south lawn of the Kleinpell Fine Arts Building (rain site is Gallery 101 in the Kleinpell lobby). Picnic cost is $10; for more information, contact Murray at 715-425-3971 or robin.e.murray@uwrf.edu .

For more information on individual and season tickets, call the box office at 715-425-3114 or 800-228-5423 or visit www.uwrf.edu/scvst or e-mail scvst@2uwrf.edu .

SCVST History

The first summer theater institute was taught by the late John Oostendorp, a UW-RF speech professor who had received one of the first grants from the newly formed National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. The NFAH was so impressed with the endeavor to inspire teachers to add theater to their schools that a representative visited campus that year.

"The teachers absolutely loved it; they had a ball," recalls Liz Oostendorp, John's widow and a retired UW-RF professor and director of publications who managed the 1973 season after the unexpected death of the company's first director. "It turned into a town-gown affair, with actors from other communities. It just kind of meshed."

Sanford Syse, a UW-RF theater professor and the summer theater's managing director at the inaugural season in 1966, managed the company for its first seven seasons.  

In 1975, there was a one-year hiatus following the death of Syse. SCVST was managed by several individuals before theater Professor Margaret Swanson's five-year duration as managing director. James Zimmerman, also a UW-RF theater professor, managed SCVST for 13 consecutive seasons. In recent years, theater Professors Ken Stofferahn and Robin Murray have also been at the helm. Other managing directors have included River Falls High School English/drama teacher Emily Testa, retired UW-RF Professor Ron Snell, Richard Grabish, Richard Goodwin, Jane Swensen, Susan Rabideau, Ron Perrier, Doug Stein and Liz Oostendorp.

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Last updated: Thursday, 22-Apr-2010 16:07:27 CDT