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of the Red River Valley
A GUIDE TO THE AREA’S ARTS A N D CULTURE
Photo submitted by Theatre B
Photo by Robby Njos
JULY / AUGUST 2 0 1 2
Photo by Robby Njos
Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo summer theatre has a
Photo by Jessica Geffre Pankow
Photo by Robby Njos
Clockwise from top left: BEAT students discuss what excites them most after a round-table reading of Metamorphoses, Angel and Collins sing Without You from Rent, Live Support from Rent is performed, (from left to right) Sonja Swanson, Alex Bertsch, Caleb Rossow, Ellen Rossow, Nathan Jahnke, Sam Solberg (as Pippin), Michaela Pytlik, Charli Hesteness (as the Leading Player), Nate Gilbraith, Morgan Senger, Danea Hoffart, Brianna Anderson, and Izzy Dahl., students form living sculpture with parents and staff of BEAT, and I’m Angel is sung during Rent.
BY LIBBY WALKUP t is a rare and beautiful thing to have the number of young artists who embrace creation and choose to engage in it with a passion. This happens each summer at Gooseberry Park Players, Theater B (BEAT), West Fargo High School, ACT UP Theater and Trollwood Performing Arts School,” said Rebecca Meyer-Larson of ACT UP in reference to Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo’s growing young adult theatre community. During the last few years, educators and artists in the area have developed new summer theatre programs with very different goals and interests in order to support the area’s growing population and interest in the arts and theatre. Adam Pankow of West Fargo’s Summer Arts Intensive said, “The talent pool in this community is unbelievably deep and through the creation of each new performance group comes increased opportunity for individuals to get involved. Frankly, it’s incredibly inspiring how our community supports the many artistic endeavors in the area.” Fargo-Moorhead is becoming more dedicated to developing “in young artists the capacities of compassion, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking,” said Carrie Wintersteen of the objectives of the Theatre B Emerging Artist Training Program (BEAT). BEAT will rehearse at the 8th Street Studio Cooperative and hold its production of Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman in the intimate 72 seats at Theatre B this month. “We want the next generation to love theatre as much as we do, and we want high school students to experience all aspects of the theatrical process,” Wintersteen said. BEAT is interested in engaging teens in producing contemporary dramatic literature and does not shy away from the provocative. Children and young adults are all too often encouraged to regurgitate ideas and information rather than think critically on their own. BEAT’s goal is to encourage just the opposite by introducing students and parents to tough subjects. This experience is designed to allow those students to continue to have open discussions with adults in the future. Wintersteen said, “A show like Metamorphoses might not be as familiar to the audience, but there are some incredible human themes, and we think the students will be excited to convey real emotion, true relationships, and valuable lessons...” In its second year, the Summer Arts Intensive will be performing the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A
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Photo submitted by Theatre B
Chorus Line in early August. The mission of this West Fargo High School program “is to further develop the personal and artistic talents of emerging young artists as they gain a comprehensive understanding of theatre production and performance as led by local arts educators and professionals committed to quality, individualized training in a positive and supportive educational environment,” Pankow said. The program is an extension of West Fargo School’s yearly theatre program, however the summer program isn’t dedicated to a district. This summer’s production consists of 40 cast, crew and orchestra members who come from all public and private school districts in the area. The program is open to students ages 15 to 20. Rehearsal runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday from July 9 to Aug. 5. This production schedule is short and intense, but it “mimics more of a real-world production experience where actors, technicians and orchestra members often find themselves on this more concentrated schedule,” Pankow said. This develops students’ understanding of what working in theatre might be like post high school or college. ACT UP will be performing the production Spring Awakening, which deals with sexual oppression, late More SUM M ER THEATRE on page 6
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