In the News

Performing Arts presents It’s a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play

Hesston College Performing Arts presents It’s a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play on December 3, 2022, at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church. The cast and crew are faculty and students alike with performances accompanied by Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices.

This beloved American holiday classic is performed as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. This production takes on an exciting challenge with the addition of sound effects occurring live, as they did in radio shows of the past.

“It can be a challenge for actors to have an audience buy-in to something so well known, when characters like George and Mary Bailey have been so iconically portrayed by Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed,” said Director of Theatre Rachel Jantzi. “We are embracing that challenge by telling the story without trying to mimic the film.”

This theatrical performance will collaborate with Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices to incorporate music before, during and after the show. Russell Adrian will conduct the singers and Ken Rodgers will accompany on piano.

The cast includes students – Sam Setiawan, Desirae Rodriguez and Josh Fleming – and faculty and staff members – Joel Krehbiel, engineering professor, and Whitney Douglas, the Title IX and disabilities coordinator. The crew is Alexis Driscoll, Sophia Crawford and Minori Fujioka.

“The actors are working hard to fully flesh out the folks of Bedford Falls, which are many,” said Jantzi, “and they are doing a beautiful job!”

This show is free to the public and will feature holiday refreshments after the event. For more information, call 620-327-8142.

Currently masks are optional, but the performance will comply with the masking policies of Hesston College and Hesston Mennonite Church. Audience members should be prepared to wear a mask if required.

Theatergoers of All Ages Invited to Hesston College Production of “The House at Pooh Corner”

Hesston College’s Theatre for Young Audiences program returns to Dyck Arboretum of the Plains April 27 to May 1 to stage “The House at Pooh Corner,” adapted for the stage by Bettye Knappe from the book by A.A. Milne.

“The House at Pooh Corner” finds Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and the rest of the toys gathering in the Hundred Acre Wood. A “Mergency Meeting” has been called to order by the boy, Christopher Robin, who is being sent to a mysterious place called Education. Nobody knows what or where that is, and if the boy is sent there, what can his friends possibly do without him?

“This show is a wonderful mix of college students, Hesston College faculty and staff and community members all working together to create a sweet retelling of the classic Pooh story,” said Rachel Jantzi, director of theatre at Hesston College. “Audiences will experience a concept that is less Disney and truer to the era in which the story was written. Our costumer has done fantastic research to create looks specific to the late 1920s, while the cast is wonderfully capturing the qualities of Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood family.

“The simple message of friendship and the beautiful backdrop of Dyck Arboretum will be enjoyed by absolutely everyone,” Janzti said.

“The House at Pooh Corner” features a run time of approximately 60 minutes, and attendees are invited to bring their own seating arrangements for the arboretum lawn. Curtains for the April 27 to 29 shows open at 6 p.m. Two 2 p.m. matinees are scheduled for April 30 and May 1. The shows will be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Tickets are $5 for children and students and $10 for adults. Tickets can be reserved online in advance by calling 620-327-8105.

The cast, in order of appearance, includes:

• Rabbit – Phoebe Kolb, Milford, Neb.
• Kanga – Celaine Worden (Hesston College faculty)
• Roo – Rebecca Shuart (community member)
• Pooh – Malaree Hood (Hesston College staff)
• Piglet – Alexis Driscoll, Sedgwick, Kan.
• Eeyore – Smilla Burklin, Karlsruhle, Germany
• Christopher Robin – Destry Belshe (community member)
• Owl – Heidi Hochstetler (Hesston College faculty)
• Tigger – Josh Fleming, Raymore, Mo.
• Christopher Robin (understudy) – Sienna Belshe (community member)

Hesston College Summer Theatre Will Offer a Weeklong Residential Camp for 2022

Hesston College’s summer musical theatre camp will feature a new format in summer 2022. Aspiring actors and tech crew members ages 11 to 18 will stay in the dorms June 13 to 18 while participating in an immersive production schedule culminating in a Saturday matinee performance of the musical “The Addams Family.”

The weeklong overnight theatre camp replaces the two-week day camp with the goal to more fully immerse students in the theatre process. Mornings and afternoons will feature rehearsals and tech preparations. In the evenings campers will stay in the dorms and participate in activities including movie premiere night, variety show, a pool party, ultimate game night and more.

Over the last several years, Hesston College’s Summer Theatre Camp has become a popular summer event for high school and junior high students. In the year prior to the pandemic, the camp drew its largest enrollment with more than 40 participants who staged the musical, “School House Rock Live!”. During the summer of 2020, the camp was adapted for pandemic circumstances and staff worked with campers individually and produced a smaller showcase. Last year, much of the pre-pandemic camp format returned but with a smaller cast and crew staging “The Jungle Book” for an open air audience of more than 200.

This year the show selected is the family friendly musical comedy, “The Addams Family.” The show revisits the kooky characters from the classic TV show and exposes the “wackiness that can be found in every family.”

The 2022 summer theatre camp will start with 9 a.m. check in the morning of June 13 and end with a 2 p.m. matinee performance for family, friends and the community June 18. Rehearsals and meals will be in Keim Center with dorming campers staying in Kauffman Court on the Hesston College campus. Evening activities will occur on campus or within the town of Hesston. Camp staff and participants will follow appropriate health guidelines for Covid for the duration of the camp through the final performance.

Hesston College Director of Theatre Rachel Jantzi will direct and design the show, oversee staff and all camp programming. Director of Choral Activities Russell Adrian will lead voice and instrumental sessions, set up sound as well accompany for the final performance. Additional staff will choreograph, lead in areas of costuming and set building and supervise the campers overnight.

“This is sure to bring about a strong sense of collaboration and teamwork beyond anything we’ve seen,” said Jantzi. “I was a program director for a large camp in Connecticut for many years and it was incredible. There are friendships that can form so quickly in a week’s time and when you combine that with the shared interest of theatre, it makes a lifelong, positive impact.

“We are also hoping, with it being a sleep-away camp, we can bring in students from farther away who haven’t had the opportunity – for whatever reason- to drive back and forth for a traditional day camp,” Jantzi continued. “This will be an exciting test of interest. We hope to offer something bigger and better to the students who have been coming for years while also expanding our reach, and we will continue to offer those who are excited about acting, singing, dancing, building shows and running tech a serious chance to work and shine as a company member in musical theatre.”

Registration is $295 per person and $275 for each additional child from the immediate family. This includes room and daily meals for 6 days and 5 nights, all theatre materials – script and score, guide vocal tracks – and full evening programming and events. For those who only wish to participate during the morning and afternoon theatre sessions along with lunch, the cost is $245.

Questions? Contact Rachel Jantzi at rachelj@hesston.edu, 620-327-8142.

Hesston College to Present the Well-Loved Musical, James and the Giant Peach, March 2 to 6

Hesston College Performing Arts will present five performances of James and the Giant Peach, March 2 through 6. Music and lyrics are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the book is by Timothy Allen McDonald, based on Roald Dahl’s story of quirky characters.

The musical follows Dahl’s 1961 children’s book, which traces the life of the orphan, James Trotter. After leaving the orphanage to live with his two horrible aunts, he discovers a peach growing outside. As the peach grows, he soon ventures inside it, befriending five interesting insects. Through a series of odd adventures, James gains an unexpected, unconventional understanding of what it means to be a family.

“The idea of creating a loving home is a wonderful thing, but for some, who you call family can also be by choice and that resonates with many people, including our cast and production team,” said director Rachel Jantzi. “This story is about surrounding yourself with those you love and who love you back…through pain and joy, they stay by your side.

“This musical has an incredible score that was written by the same men who wrote the music and lyrics for The Greatest Showman, La La Land and Dear Evan Hanson,” Jantzi continued. “The music is challenging, but we have strong performers who have been working hard to bring this show to life.

“A fun aspect of this show is the massive peach that can comfortably hold six singing and dancing actors, including one small James. Our James is a guest performer, a 10-year-old named Hannah, who has been incredible to work with and has really held her own among these college students. It’s been special watching the kind and encouraging interactions in our rehearsals.”

Cast

Hannah Adrian. . . . .James
Meg Byer. . . . .Ladahlord
Kayla Gunn. . . . .Spiker
Isaac Tice. . . . .Sponge
Kelly Miller. . . . .Spider
Luke Huyard. . . . .Centipede
Josh Fleming. . . . .Grasshopper
Anna Banman. . . . .Ladybug
Bethany Masters. . . . .Earthworm
Phoebe Kolb. . . . .ensemble
Ginny Miller. . . . .ensemble
Minori Fujioka. . . . .ensemble
Madison Higdon. . . . .ensemble

James and the Giant Peach will be shown in the Black Box Theater in Keim Center. Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, through Saturday, March 5, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6. Tickets ($12 adults, $5 students) are available at the Hesston College Bookstore, 620-327-8104.

Audience will be required to wear masks. Performers who are fully vaccinated and tested will perform without masks.

“Home for Christmas” Program to Examine Diversity of Holiday Experiences Through Theatre and Music

The Hesston College Performing Arts Department will present “Home for Christmas” – a joint effort between Bel Canto Singers, conducted by Russell Adrian; Global Voices, conducted by Ken Rodgers; and theatre students, led by director Rachel Jantzi – that will explore what coming “home for Christmas” means for a diversity of people and cultures. The performance will take place Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Hesston Mennonite Church.

“We are creating a show by piecing together our own stories; interviews from campus, articles and poems; and dance to communicate what coming ‘home for Christmas’ means for different people,” said Rachel Jantzi, director of theatre at Hesston College. “It doesn’t look the same for some of our students from around the world, or those who haven’t seen family due to COVID-19, or for any other multitude of reasons. For some, it’s just as it’s been, steeped in good food, family, tradition and nostalgia.”

The program will weave together original and adapted theatre pieces and music selections by Bel Canto Singers and Global Voices. Notable music selections include “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Away in a Manger” and “The First Nowell.”

Two student conductors, Kelly Miller ’22 and Isaac Tice ’22, will conduct selected choral pieces as part of their Hesston College conducting course.

“We will be spending several rehearsals pulling together all our original and pulled written resources, then we will begin staging scenes we create from that work and also bring in bits of modern dance as a storytelling device,” Jantzi said. “We plan to incorporate multimedia and an interactive art piece that will help tell our story.”

All performers fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will perform without masks. Audience members are required to wear masks. No tickets are required, but a free-will offering will be accepted following the performance.

First Sunflower Soirée to Feature Local Artists as 2021–22 Sunflower Performing Arts Series Kick-Off

The Sunflower Performing Arts series will begin Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. with the first-ever Sunflower Soirée, a concert of local and regional artists that also promotes the season ahead and kicks off the organization’s annual patron drive.

Free of charge, this event will feature the following artists: pianist Karen Schlabaugh; The Sunflower Trio; flautists Kristin Shaffer and Kenna Graber; guitarists Howard Glanton and Excier Rodriguez; soprano Holly Swartzendruber and pianist Karen Unruh; and musicians Ken Rodgers and Russell Adrian.

Sunflower Performing Arts season tickets can be purchased or picked up at the concert. Tax-deductible donations can also be made to Sunflower Performing Arts during this time. In place of a spring pie reception for season ticket holders, light refreshments will be served.

Formerly the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series, the Sunflower Performing Arts series will continue to feature world-renowned artists. The 2021-22 lineup includes: Canadian Brass on Dec. 7; Mad River Theater Works Presents: Freedom Riders on Jan. 28; VOCES8 on Feb. 22; and Stephen Lancaster, baritone, and Kevin Vaughn, organ, on Mar. 27. All concerts will take place at Hesston Mennonite Church.

During the 2021-22 SPA season, COVID-19 precautions will be taken. Attendees will no longer be able to reserve specific seats, but will instead be offered general admission seating in two sections. Audience members and staff are required to wear masks while inside the church and the visiting artists will wear masks when not rehearsing or performing.

Theatre Department to Stage “The Game’s Afoot,” a Whodunit Comedy Set on Christmas Eve

Hesston College Theatre will present four performances of the murder mystery comedy “The Game’s Afoot” as the fall play from Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, at the Keim Center Black Box Theater. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 3. The play is rated PG.

“The Game’s Afoot” won the 2012 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards for best play. William Gillette, an acclaimed actor of the 1930s, invites his Sherlock Holmes co-stars to his eccentric Connecticut mansion for a Christmas Eve celebration. When one of the guests is murdered, Gillette employs the persona of the master detective he’s made famous on the stage as he and the others work to solve the mystery.

“It’s such a fun show,” said director Celaine Worden. “Not only is it a murder mystery, but it’s also a comedy. There is a lot of physical humor, and it allows people to laugh. Now more than ever, we could all use a laugh.”

Ticket prices are $5 for students and $10 for adults and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online in advance online or by phone at 620-327-8105. Seating is limited and will follow Hesston College health guidelines.

This Hesston College production is part of a seasonal lineup centered on “the home,” and stars eight student actors: Quinton Yoder as Gillette; Kayla Gunn as Martha; Isaac Tice as Felix; AnDena Collins as Madge; Josh Fleming as Simon; Phoebe Kolb as Aggie; Savannah Zink as Inspector; and Smilla Burkin as Daria.
 

Theatre Department to Stage “Superior Donuts,” an Examination of Race, Class, and Generational Issues

Hesston College’s Theatre department will present five performances of “Superior Donuts,” a play by Tracy Letts. The show is directed by theatre professor Rachel Jantzi. Performances will take place in the Black Box Theater in Keim Center on Hesston College campus, April 14 to 18. Shows on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday start at 7 p.m. Sunday’s matinee show begins at 2 p.m.

“Superior Donuts” is set in the modern-day Uptown area of Chicago. It depicts the unexpected friendship between Arthur, a down-and-out donut shop owner and Franco, his enthusiastic employee. Franco brings a fresh perspective and wants to update the place, while the reluctant Arthur struggles with changing the shop and changing his ways. A comedy with heart and a bit of grit, Superior Donuts introduces us to a wide range of neighborhood dwellers and unapologetically hits on economic, racial and generational issues.

“This show has been on my mind for over three years,” said Jantzi. “The characters are deeply flawed, complicated, hilarious, tragic and very human. This play reminds the audience that not everyone’s American experience is the American dream.”

Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults and seniors, and can be reserved by phone at 620-327-8105. Tickets may also be purchased on site. Seating is limited and will be socially distanced and masks are required. The show is rated PG-13 for some language.

The cast and crew for “Superior Donuts” are as follows:

Cast . . . . . Role

Alex Miller . . . . . Arthur
Silas Nicholson . . . . . Franco
Tristan Costin . . . . . Max
Kayla Gunn . . . . . Randy
Emerson Ross* . . . . . James
Michele Hershberger** . . . . . Lady
Isaac Tice . . . . . Luther
Xavier Jang . . . . . Kevin
Josh Fleming . . . . . Kiril
* Guest student performer—WSU; ** Hesston College faculty

Crew . . . . . Position

Madison Higdon . . . . . Stage Manager
Kaytlen Keough . . . . . Assistant Stage Manager, Sound Board Operator
Jacob Hess . . . . . Lighting Assistant, Light Board Operator
Savannah Zink . . . . . Costume, Hair & Make-up Chief
Rachel Weaver . . . . . Costume Crew
Alyssa Nolt . . . . . Costume Crew
Kelly Miller . . . . . Props Master
Diane Soguilon . . . . . Head Usher

Middle and High School Students to Experience Staging Live Theatre at Summer Theatre Camp

Middle school- and high school-age actors ages 11 to 18 are invited to stage a live theatre performance at Hesston College’s annual summer theatre camp on weekdays June 7 to 18.

Led by Hesston College Theatre director and professor, Rachel Jantzi, the summer theatre camp, now in its seventh year, will keep the same format as 2019’s camp. This year’s event will combine middle and high school-age students for a two-week camp in which participants will prepare and produce the musical “The Jungle Book.”

Acting and technical roles will be available for the show, with auditions held during camp. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience every aspect of staging a performance from set construction to working backstage and performing. Many rehearsals and the performance of “The Jungle Book” may be staged outdoors, fitting the natural setting of the play and allowing for a safer space to do theatre. Social distancing and masking guidelines will be established according to recommendations from the Harvey County Health Department.

Based on the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling and the beloved animated Disney musical, “The Jungle Book” tells the story of Mowgli, an orphan raised by wolves in the Indian jungle whose world is threatened by the dangerous tiger, Shere Khan. The musical features such recognizable songs as “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.”

Theatre camp registration is $110 per person. Families registering more than one student will pay full price for the first student and receive a $20 discount for each additional student of the same immediate family. To register, contact Rachel Jantzi at 620-327-8142 or rachelj@hesston.edu. Registration is due June 1.

Daily workshops and rehearsals will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Hesston College’s Keim Center. A live public performance will follow.