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May 15th
Welcome to our 38th season of live theatre in eastern South Dakota! Whether you are already among our family of supporters, or joining us for the first time, we invite you to celebrate with us at Prairie Repertory Theatre.
This year, we offer an extraordinary selection of plays and musicals, none of which have been performed in our previous seasons. Information about each of our exciting shows is found on this website.
Our new motto, We Belong To You!, represents a renewed commitment to customer service including our new Audience Services Office which will assist with ticketing and visitor needs. If you have any questions, contact the Audience Services Office at (605) 688-6045.
We owe so much of our success to the support and enthusiasm of our audiences and patrons. We extend a heartfelt “thank you” to the dedicated supporters who continue to donate to student scholarships and endowments. We all look forward to seeing you at the theatre. Welcome, and enjoy the shows!
June 5th
On the morning of May 19 members of your 2008 Prairie Repertory Theatre company assembled and began work on this season’s productions. The forty students in the company, along with the staff, work tirelessly to create the best possible entertainment for our patrons. These young theatre artists willingly put in long hours in rehearsals, working on scenery, costumes, lighting, props, sound, promotions and ticket sales. Most of them could earn far more money at “regular” summer jobs. They choose to be involved because of the opportunity to learn, the camaraderie of the group, and the pleasure of performing for you. Above all, they are in the company because they love what they are doing.
A company member’s average day might go something like this: From 9am until noon is spent in rehearsal for one of our four productions. After lunch, 1 to 4pm is in the Audience Services Office selling tickets and assisting patrons. The 4-5pm hour is time to rehearse vocal music and choreography for one of the musicals. After a dinner break the 7-10pm hours are spent in the scene shop constructing and painting scenery. These young theatre artists maintain this schedule six days a week. They are truly amazing.
It is a great pleasure to work with these dedicated, talented and disciplined young people. Still, all this time and effort means little without you. After all, we belong to you!
June 23
Your Prairie Repertory Theater 2008 season is well underway. The members of the company continue their hard work as we perform Move Over, Mrs. Markham, our third show of the summer. As we perform the Brookings run of each production, the final touches are being added to the next show. Each week, following the Sunday matinee, the Doner auditorium stage is completely transformed for the following week’s show. The current set is dismantled and packed for transport, while the next set is disassembled in our rehearsal space, transported to Doner auditorium and assembled. This process is known as strike and setup.
The strike and setup process involves much more than merely the scenery. The entire company must coordinate their efforts. Stage properties (set decoration and props the actors carry and use) are carefully catalogued and packed by the props crew. The next show’s properties are then put into place. The costume crew launders and makes any necessary repairs before packing that show’s costumes for our move to Brandon. The costumers then ensure that all costume pieces for the subsequent show are in order. Lighting technicians refocus the lighting instruments and the color of the lights for the next stage setting. Lighting cues are written to the hard drive of the light board for the next show. Sound technicians may alter speaker positions and prepare sound cues for the next show.
The strike and setup is usually accomplished in a few hours. It is a fascinating process and requires careful planning, preparation, cooperation and communication between the design and technical personnel. Once the process is complete actors, directors, choreographers, music directors and running crews have two days to hold final rehearsals for our Wednesday evening opening. It is amazing to see how effectively the company makes this happen week after week.
July 2
Your Prairie Repertory Theatre 2008 company is approaching a major milestone in the history of PRT. Sometime during the Brookings run of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, we will play to our 400,000th patron! We will, naturally, be taking note of the occasion with special recognition of our patrons old and new. It should prove an exciting evening and we hope you will be able to join us.
Some facts about Prairie Repertory Theatre:
- By the end of this season PRT will have played 1,213 performances of 163 productions and provided significant experience for 1,273 students.
- PRT alums have gone on to succeed in careers both in and out of theatre arts. PRT alums often refer to their experience with the company as being invaluable in developing skills in problem-solving, time-management, interpersonal and organizational communications, marketing and promotion, and personal discipline.
- Numerous PRT alums have enjoyed outstanding careers in educational theatre both in K-12 settings and in higher education.
- PRT alums have also had notable careers in the professional theatre as actors, designers, stage managers, and managers of arts organizations.
PRT’s two-part mission is to further the education of our students and to provide you with the best possible entertainment. From the company’s early years performing at the Prairie Village Opera House through our recent move to the Brandon Performing Arts Center, one thing has remained constant. We enjoy, and appreciate, the loyalty and support of our patrons. The joy of performing for our 400,000th patron is a happy reminder that, above all, we belong to you!
July 14
Your 2008 Prairie Repertory Theatre company is busy with preparations for this summer’s performances at the Brandon Performing Arts Center. We have enjoyed an outstanding run in Brookings, including playing to PRT’s 400,000th patron. We are eager to present our season to our friends and supporters in the Brandon area in the coming weeks. It is a delight for our company to perform in such an outstanding facility. We are also looking forward to the warm reception we enjoy from the Brandon community.
The logistics and planning necessary to transport our entire season to our Brandon venue means a different sort of preparation. Audience Services, scenery, costumes, props, and sound and lights crews must stay in constant communication. Part of our preparation includes rehearsals of each show to ensure performances stay sharp and necessary adjustments are made for the different performance space.
In our ongoing efforts to meet your needs, we will raise the temperature in the Brandon Performing Arts Center. A number of patrons found the theatre a bit cool last season. Our technical staff is also working to improve the sound quality of all of our performances. These adjustments are a result of your requests and suggestions. Your comfort and entertainment are our top priority.
Season tickets are still available and are a wonderful gift for friends, family members and coworkers. They are also a terrific value. We would like to remind our SDSU student friends that admission is free with a valid student I.D. from the past academic year.
We look forward to having you join us for our Brandon performances. No matter whether you live in the Brookings or Brandon areas, we belong to you!
August 2
Your 2008 Prairie Repertory Theatre season is winding down. However, we are not quite done with our performances. Move Over, Mrs. Markham will be remounted for two final performances on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 4, 5th in Doner Auditorium. We do an encore of one of our productions each year as a way of welcoming new and returning students to campus. The performances are, of course, open to the public.
We have enjoyed the time we have spent in preparation and, most especially, the time we have spent performing for our patrons old and new. PRT 2008 was a wonderful experience for our company and we hope it was for you, as well.
In the meantime, our business office is compiling final reports. Properties, scenery, costumes and lighting are being cleaned and stored. Our staff and area heads hold final meetings to discuss things that worked (and things that did not) so that we might make improvements for next summer’s season. In fact, we are already discussing ideas and possible shows for next summer.
One idea we will act on is to select an entire bill of “family friendly” productions for next summer. Many of you mentioned your appreciation for shows you could share with your children and other family members. We plan to accommodate your wishes for our 2009 Prairie Repertory Theatre season. We hope to announce next summer’s season selections early in the fall. If you have suggestions, feel free to contact us.
Last, but certainly not least, we thank you all for helping to make this season such a success. We are truly proud to say, “We belong to you!”