January will be a busy month at Aberdeen Community Theatre with rehearsals for two February shows happening simultaneously at the end of the month.
Not only has a cast of 18 been selected for the Young People’s Theatre showing of “Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt,” but a cast of five women will be picked later this month for “The Friendly Hour.”
The Judy Moody show notwithstanding, the 2024 ACT season lineup includes:
- “The Friendly Hour”: Feb. 28-March 2
- “Noir Suspicions”: Dinner theater show on 10 days throughout April
- “Bright Star”: June 18-23
- “The Siegel Show”: July 31-Aug. 4
- “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”: Oct. 9-13
- “A Tuna Christmas”: Nov. 20-24
MORE: With low numbers, Northern State trims theater major, staff
“Mad Treasure Hunt” runs Feb. 9-11 and is a bonus show not included in season ticket packages. Tickets will be available starting Jan. 19. They will be $10 in advance and $14 at the door.
Directed by Claire Vetter, the show tells the tale of third-grader Judy Moody, who is retelling the story of her vacation with her family and her search for a vacation T-shirt. She and her brother Stink compete with two others for a treasure.
Because it’s a re-telling by a third-grader who has an active imagination, some events are exaggerated, Vetter said.
Auditions for “The Friendly Hour” are Jan. 21-22 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, 4:15 S. Main St. Scripts are available for review at the theater and K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, 215 Fourth Ave. S.E.
“The Friendly Hour” is the story of five women from Beresford who create a club called The Friendly Hour. Director Brian T. Schultz said it tells the tale of the women who stuck with the group for seven decades.
“It takes a look at the group and how friendships change over time,” he said. “What’s particularly appealing is its local appeal.”
Schultz said the show is more a portrayal of real life as opposed to dramatic events. For example, he said, it looks at what happens when relationships break down and the steps that are taken to repair them.
An interesting note, he said, is the relationships among the women and how they evolve to one of gratitude for each other.
Dinner theater returns to Capitol Theatre stage
The second show of the season will be a dinner theater. “Noir Suspicions” will be performed 10 times during a two-week stretch in April.
“We were really pleased with how well things went” last year, Schultz said of the dinner theater shows that were the first in at least a decade.
MORE: WINS agreement aims for 4 million gallons of water for Aberdeen
Tables for the dinner theater performances were set up on stage with buffet style service off stage in the shop area. Because of limited seating, reservations are recommended even though more shows than usual are slated, Schultz said.
For those who attended a 2023 performance, some of the same characters return with a mix of new characters.
As the show relies on audience participation, Schultz said, more improvisation is required of the actors, but last year’s performances were well-received.
Bluegrass musical planned in June
Schultz describes the bluegrass musical “Bright Star,” written and composed by Steve Martin, as a “completely different kind of musical.”
It’s the story of a woman weaving together scenes from when she was a young girl with other scenes as an older woman. There’s a plot twist at the end, he said.
It will be followed by the romantic-comedy “The Siegel Show.”
Schultz said he stumbled upon the script featuring a young man who decides to propose to the girlfriend he broke up with two years earlier. Hilarity ensues.
“The guy is just charming and brash enough you want him to pull it off,” Schultz said.
MORE: Toby Doeden pushes back after old social media posts resurface
This show will be directed by Paige Tiede, who is part of the technical staff at the theater and has an interest in directing, Schultz said.
The season continues with a Young People’s Theatre production of “The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe” and concludes with a two-man holiday show called “A Tuna Christmas.” It features two men who play a variety of characters in Tuna, Texas.
To purchase season tickets, visit aberdeencommunitytheatre.com.
48 Create is Feb. 16-18
The Storybook Land Theatre schedule will be announced later this year, and the 48Create film festival is Feb. 16-18. Teams have 48 hours to complete a four-to-eight-minute film.
Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Feb 16 at the Red Rooster Coffee House, 218 S. Main St. Registration is $25 per team. The films will be shown at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Capitol.