JUDY'S Must-See Musicals

Phantom Of The Opera

“As a theater history buff—‘Phantom of the Opera’ is a must-see because it’s the longest running show on Broadway with breathtaking spectacle.”

THE SECRET GARDEN

“‘The Secret Garden’ was one of the first musicals to bring a woman’s voice to the forefront in theater. The score is haunting and beautiful.”

ON YOUR FEET!

“‘On Your Feet!,’ the Gloria Estefan Musical, is a must-see because it’s a high-energy true story about a woman. One of my favorite onstage moments is the laundry scene—beautiful.”

THE HELLO GIRLS

“‘The Hello Girls’ has THE hardest score and most beautiful music I’ve heard in a very long time, and the story is inspiring and true.”

The Hello Girls was FMCT’s most recent mainstage musical, having run from June 1 through June 11!

BRIGHT STAR

“‘Bright Star,’ written by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, is the music of my family tree, and Steve Martin is one of the most underrated musicians of our time.”

WITH JUDY E LEWIS

I read on the FMCT's website that you spent time in Michigan, New York, and California before ending up in Fargo-Moorhead. How did you end up moving here? What was that process like for you?

I was born in Michigan and moved to New York right after college. My husband had an interview at Playwright Horizons, [an Off-Broadway theater company in New York City]—we packed two backpacks with enough clothes for our twoday trip, and when he was offered the job, we never went back home. I went to Macy’s, bought a dress from the clearance section, put it on, and applied for a job as a make-up artist and that’s how our great NYC adventure began. We took in everything the city had to offer and learned as much as we could.

After an all too common “me too” moment with a very famous movie star, I decided that I was meant to be an educator to help young women know that they’re worth more than their figure. So back to school I went, and I began a career in educational theatre.

After some years spent working in California and Michigan, I took a group of students to Scotland and saw a production from Fargo. After that, I began to follow FMCT on social media, and soon I saw a position posted to be their Education Director. I applied and interviewed; from the moment I arrived in Fargo, I knew this was where we are meant to be.

How does your experience in those other areas of the country, especially in theater/ performance hubs like New York and California, translate

into your current role as Executive Director at FMCT?

It’s sometimes difficult to realize and appreciate what you have when you’re in the middle of it. I think as someone who has lived in places that are considered art meccas, I have a very unique perspective on the FM area. And honestly, of all of the places I’ve ever lived, the FM area is the most artistically saturated community I’ve ever been a part of.

I’ll never forget the morning of the first Saturday classes I was teaching at FMCT, as parents and students were waiting for classes to begin, most of them were reading—small children, teenagers, and parents, all reading books! I was stunned! I’ve spent my adult life telling people that theatre builds foundational reading skills, reading skills are the foundation to all learning, and learning is the key to a successful life—and here was a room full of new theatre students who were already reading!

Perhaps it’s that we have nine months of winter, so reading and the indoor sport of theatre are important to the community across the board; it is something that everyone can do, regardless of age or ability. But in the FM area, attending the theatre appears to be a norm and that’s inspiring! operates in this way. We all do something unique at different times throughout the year and we support each other in those endeavors. It’s truly a community that strives to make one another better. We share resources and talent and cheer each other on as we serve our community.

Theatre experiences consistently begin in the elementary schools throughout the FargoMoorhead region, and by the time a student gets into high school, the quality of what gets put on the stage is higher than a lot of what I saw in NY—the auditoriums are certainly nicer than most of the theatres I performed in.

So, the best part of having been a part of the art world in NY and in CA is that I can easily recognize the greatness that we enjoy here in the FM area. The expectations are high, the experiences are vast, and the opportunities are plentiful. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. As the Executive Director from out of state, I’m expected to be an artist and the community rightly expects to be a part of what we create.

How would someone interested in theatre in the area get involved in FMCT or other theatre companies?

The simple answer is… Show up! Put yourself on each theatre's volunteer list. Call them and ask to be on their volunteer list. Go to a show and offer to volunteer as an usher, or as a backstage hand, or with costumes and makeup. There’s something for everyone. When you sign up, show up with a positive attitude—be ready to learn and grow. A community of wonderful people awaits!

It’s also a great opportunity for people who want to try their hand at directing. Reach out to us at FMCT if you’re interested in directing a 10-minute play at next year’s festival. Directors will all be selected every year in August.

The Fargo-Moorhead area is rich with theatrical opportunities. From elementary school students through senior citizens, the FM area has countless opportunities for all of its residents. At the Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre, we offer theatrical opportunities for people as young as 3 and this year our oldest participant was 93.

What resources are available in the area for aspiring theater performers?

The Hennepin Trust operates the Orpheum, State, Pantages, Hennepin, and Dudley Riggs theatre venues, bringing fantastic, professional performances to our community about three hours from town in the Twin Cities area.

There are 11 high schools with theatre programs in the FM Area, two colleges, Theatre B, West Fargo Events, Act Up, Straw Hat, Tin Roof, Wheelhouse, The Knaves Iambic, Harwood Prairie Players, Trollwood, Studio Vibe Arts, Gooseberry, and the FM Opera. Every one of these organizations reaches and includes a different piece of our community.

If you’d like to try your hand at acting: follow each of the theatre companies you are interested in on their social media or websites and pay attention to audition dates. And remember, auditions are SO intimidating… for everyone! The trick is to remember that everyone is nervous and insecure; we’re all just people, and the director just might be looking for you.

Prepare an audition: select a monologue from a play, just one minute long. Something that speaks to who you are as a person. A monologue that fits your age and look is always preferred. Memorize that monologue and think of it as telling the director a story about yourself. If you don’t know how to find a monologue, call FMCT and we’ll give you several.

If you’re auditioning for a musical: Prepare a one-minute monologue and a song. The song should be in the same style as the musical that you’re auditioning for. You should cut your song down to 32 bars (NO MORE—directors don’t like it when actors sing an entire song for an audition).

All of the summer production programs for K-12 students in the FM area are fantastic for aspiring theatre performers. It’s really important that artists have the opportunity to work with many different companies, programs, and directors because it prepares them to work with the many different types of people they’ll encounter in the future.

Trollwood offers summer classroom curriculum for grades K-12 and FMCT offers year-round classroom curriculum for ages three through senior citizens and is the only program in the region to offer year-round educational opportunities for theatre.

FMCT’s mission is to engage the community in educational and artistic opportunities of high artistic quality and strives to create opportunities that are not only focused on the final product, but also on the process. Many people spend several years on the FMCT stage and then audition for roles in other companies, too. FMCT creates a lot of opportunities for artists to emerge on the scene.

What resources are available in the area for aspiring theatre performers?

At FMCT we have students as young as three years old, and they are in year-round classes with us. When these students get into high school, we feel like we’ve done them a great service when they participate in the theatre at their schools, or Trollwood, or Gooseberry. The entire theatre community in this region

If you’re not ready to audition for a fulllength play or musical, sign-up for an acting class at FMCT. We offer acting classes for all ages. FMCT also has open auditions for our 10-Minute Play Festival. The festival offers new actors a chance to get onto the stage with very little commitment, and a 10-minute play is an easy way to see if you enjoy the craft of acting.

All of the summer production programs for K-12 students in the FM area are fantastic for aspiring theatre performers. It’s really important that artists have the opportunity to work with many different companies, programs, and directors because it prepares them to work with the many different types of people they’ll encounter in the future. in order to keep up! At FMCT, we are working hard to include two short mainstream plays in each of our seasons. We’re working to keep the run time under 90 minutes, the content/ subject matter relevant and meaningful, and the production as entertaining as people think a musical would be. This is a huge goal and will take time to build some social capital. We know that it will take time before patrons trust that a play won’t bore them to death or make them feel dumb.

Trollwood offers summer classroom curriculum for grades K-12 and FMCT offers year-round classroom curriculum for ages three through senior citizens and is the only program in the region to offer year-round educational opportunities for theatre.

FMCT’s mission is to engage the community in educational and artistic opportunities of high artistic quality and strives to create opportunities that are not only focused on the final product, but also on the process. Many people spend several years on the FMCT stage and then audition for roles in other companies, too. FMCT creates a lot of opportunities for artists to emerge on the scene.

A really exciting theatre experience happening in the FM area is the theatre happening at Theatre B. It is Theatre B’s mission “to ignite conversations that transform our community through intimate and courageous stories.” And that is exactly what they do. For people looking for an artistic experience that challenges social injustices and norms, Theatre B provides a high level of artistry and meaning.

“I love Theatre B! I saw a two-person performance of 1984 there years ago, and I have loved that theater ever since. I highly recommend it, too!”

- Sam Kise, Editor

If you love a farce, the Harwood Prairie Players put on one of the best and most zany.

• Angie Dickenson

• Josh Duhamel

• Cody Gerszewski

• Dustin Hoffman directed three plays at FMCT right after he filmed "The Graduate" before it was released in theatres.

This is a huge problem in the FM area! The struggle is real. I don’t hate a musical, but it sure isn’t my favorite form of theatre! Unfortunately, I think too many people in this region have been forced to sit through "On Golden Pond" too many times. Plays are often thought of as long and boring. To make that obstacle worse, we’re living in a digital society that gets answers and info in a matter of seconds, so theatre has to change

Who are some big names in the local theatre community, or people who are doing big things in theatre who

originally came from FargoMoorhead?

• Nina Grollman

• Becky Gulsvig

• A great attitude!

• A tough character.

• A realistic view of oneself.

• Dance/rehearsal shoes.

• Paint clothes.

• A book to read.

• A water bottle.

• A pencil.

• A highlighter.

• Make a habit of being on time (that means at least 10 minutes early).

• Always rehearse outside of rehearsal— memorize your lines early.

• Follow directions. (Being a great leader means being a really good follower.)

• Learn how to listen to understand, not to be understood.

• A spoonful of courage.

• A few hugs—sorry, theatre people tend to be huggers.