UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS
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"This program is inspiring, both to students and to the rest of us. It's a great way to help them see how important and relevant (and vibrant) arts in their community are to the rest of their lives and to their own experiences."
Irene Faass -
Professor at MCTC
February 19 - March 15, 2026
Written by Jaclyn Backhaus
Directed by Joy Dolo
The American government sends a crew of explorers down a river to name and claim things that aren’t theirs to own– and they soon hit rough waters. Riffing on the history of the 1869 John Wesley Powell expedition through the Grand Canyon and played by a cast of people the first journey left out, Men on Boats is a raucous adventure that questions our mixed-up myths of masculinity and Manifest Destiny. While based on Powell's journals, the play takes liberties to create a modern narrative, often downplaying or omitting Powell's problematic aspects, such as his views on Native Americans, and giving the audience a psychological re-examination of manhood, leadership, and who gets to claim the title of "hero" in historical narratives.
NOTE: IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS FOR MEN ON BOATS WILL TAKE PLACE FEBRUARY 16 - FEBRUARY 27, 2026.
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April 3 - April 19, 2026
Written by George Brandt
Directed by Ansa Akyea
Celebrated for her fierce guitar playing and swinging gospel music, singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe became a veritable legend and influenced rock musicians from Elvis to Jimi Hendrix and Ray Charles. Throughout the 1930s and ‘40s, Sister Rosetta performed gospel in the morning and swing music at the Cotton Club at night to inevitably become a major influence on rock ‘n’ roll’s earliest icons. The play chronicles her first rehearsal in Mississippi in 1946 with a young protégée, Marie Knight, as they prepare for a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history. Marie and Rosetta’s compelling life stories combined with roof-raising, heart-rending gospel songs (including "Down By The Riverside", "Didn't It Rain", "Rock Me”, and “I Want a Tall Skinny Papa”) set the stage for an inspiring story of friendship, faith and fearless artistry.
NOTE: IN-CLASS DISCUSSIONS FOR MARIE AND ROSETTA WILL TAKE PLACE APRIL 6 - APRIL 17, 2026.
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JuCoby Johnson and Stuart Gates at Normandale Community College facilitating an On Stage discussion about Actually
Miriam Schwartz, Lucas Erickson and Michelle O'Neill at Normandale Community College after facilitating an On Stage discussion about Actually
