By Nicole Janeen Jones

It can’t be confirmed Frank Lloyd Wright’s favorite holiday was Halloween but judging by the work happening at the A.D. German Warehouse, the conservancy members love it. 

This year marks the third annual haunted house hosted at the A.D. German Warehouse, located at 300 S Church Street. The planners assure those who have visited in the past that this year’s rendition is bigger, scarier, DARKER, and well worth another tour. The Haunted Warehouse incorporates not only the main A.D. German Warehouse but also the basement of The 1912, the original warehouse. Visitors should prepare to be scared by the many frights and hair-raising fun that awaits. 

The Haunted Warehouse will be held for two nights only, October 27th and October 28th from 6-9 p.m. For younger visitors who may not be ready for the full experience, a lights-on tour is available from 6-7 p.m.  At 7 p.m., the lights will be turned off and both warehouses will be pitch black. A lantern will be the group’s only light source as they twist and turn throughout both of the warehouses to find their way out.

  Volunteers are still needed to scare people for this event. Those interested in participating as a “scarer,” need to attend the last volunteer orientation on Thursday, October 26th 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at the 1912, 177 E. Haseltine Street.  Volunteers under the age of 18, must have their parent/guardian accompany them to the volunteer orientation as volunteers. Parent/guardian must sign the volunteer forms. For those unable to attend this orientation will need to contact Derek Kalish prior to the volunteer orientation at infoadgermanwarehouse@gmail.com. 

Purchase tickets on the Eventbrite website or on the night-of with cash at the event’s ticket booth. Tickets for adults are $15 and $10 for children.  With a purchase of a Haunted Warehouse ticket, visitors will be given a free movie pass to use at either Center Cinema or Starlite Drive-in. 

Proceeds from the Haunted Scarehouse event will assist paying for The 1912’s new roof. 

A cast of both new and veteran actors and actresses are hoping to entertain you with UW-Platteville Richland’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  The play, based upon C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel, tells a story of hope and redemption that will appeal to all ages.  Tickets are only $5.00 to make it very affordable for families.

The show will take its viewers to the magical land of Narnia, where the evil White Witch makes it “always winter but never Christmas.”  The four Pevensie children travel through a magic wardrobe to join forces with talking forest animals, who follow Aslan, the great lion.  After their brother falls under the spell of the Witch, they must rescue him and do battle.

With over fifty actors in handmade costumes and makeup, along with special effects and large set pieces, the show is geared to be fun to watch.  “We really are trying to make it as much of a spectacle as we can,” said Brendan Merkle, the show’s Technical Director.  “We’re bringing in special lights for the show, along with a couple of surprises.”  

Adding to the beauty of the show will be scenic painter and designer Helen Mar Adams, whose granddaughter, Allison, plays an elf in the show.  “Things are really coming together for us this time around,” said Director Andrew Sharp.  “We’re getting just the help we need.”

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be shown on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 at 7:00, on Sunday, April 2 at 1:00 as well as Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m.  All shows are at the UW-Platteville Richland Coppertop Theater, 1200 Highway 14 West, Richland Center.  Tickets can be purchased at the door.

DRIFTLESS - After a few years of COVID lockdowns, the Old Oak Inn in Soldiers Grove has come roaring back with the ‘Freakers Ball,’ planned for Friday, Oct. 28, with doors opening at 6 p.m.

Halloween is widely regarded as one of the most beloved holidays, dedicated to communing with the spirits of those who have passed, candy galore, tricks and treats, dressing up in the fantastic costume of your choice, and coming together as the harvest is coming in, the days getting shorter, and the temperatures colder.

An older name, used among inhabitants of the British Isles for the celebration was Samhain (Sah-win). Samhain was first observed by Celtic Pagans. Samhain marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. It also signaled the beginning of winter, which they associated with death. On this day, the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was especially thin.

This created the three-day observance known as Allhallowtide: All Hallows' Eve (31 October), All Hallows' Day (1 November), and All Souls' Day (2 November). It is widely believed that many of the modern secular customs of ‘All Hallows' Eve’ (Halloween) were influenced by the festival of Samhain.

Plans for fun

In addition to the Old Oak Inn’s wonderful lineup of Friday fish fry entrees and tasty adult beverages, the event in their event center will offer Halloween-goers a night full of holiday fun, theatre, great music and dancing, costume prizes and so much more.

Music will be provided by local musical talent Dylan Harris, followed by the Freaks of Nature. Cash prizes will be offered for the ‘Best,’ ‘Creepiest,’ and ‘Most Comical’ Halloween costumes, as well as a photo booth to have your Halloween creations captured for history.

A $15 entry fee includes: first drink, ‘CharGhoulerie,’ hors d’oeuvres and a doorprize entry.

The schedule

• 6:30 p.m., The Players Theatrical Group will provide a live performance

• 7:30 p.m. Dylan Harris and Good Company will perform

• 9:30 p.m. The Freaks of Nature will begin a live performance.

More fun yet

As if the Freaker’s Ball at the Old Oak Inn isn’t enough Halloween excitement, even more fun is planned throughout the area. Fun options for Halloween, for young and old alike include:

• Village of Gays Mills Trick-or-Treat, Monday, Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

• Gays Mills Thirrd Annual Halloween Party, Monday, Oct. 31, 4-8 p.m., at the Community Commerce Center, with games, food, and music. A free will donation is asked, and all money raised goes back into the Village of Gays Mills

• Village of Soldiers Grove Trick-or-Treat, Monday, Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

Village of Readstown, Monday, Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m.

• City of Viroqua, Monday, Oct. 31, 3-5 p.m. on Main Street

• ‘Halloween Hop’ in Rolling Ground, Mt. Zion and Gays Mills. Costume judging times will be McCormick’s Rolling Ground at 9 p.m., Mt. Zion Pub at 10 p.m., Halver’s Town Tap at 11 p.m., and Dante’s Bar at 11:45 p.m.

• The Temple Theatre will offer a showing of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.

• ‘Halls of Terror’ in Prairie du Chien, on St. Feriole Island, is open on Friday and Saturday, from 7-10:30 p.m.

• Tiny Acres farm in rural Boaz is offering their Second Annual ‘Boo in the Barn’ on Sunday, Oct. 30, from 1-4:30 p.m. The farm is located at 26068 County E, Muscoda. They will also have special vendors selling food such as TKO Barbecue, Boaz Boosters 4-H Club, and Three Roosters Coffee. There will also be a haunted house for kids and games.

GAYS MILLS - The Stump Dodger Bash, a popular local country music festival in Gays Mills, returns for its tenth annual appearance on July 1, 2 and 3 this year.

Unfortunately, the Bash had to be cancelled last year due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. However, the 10thAnnual Stump Dodger Bash is definitely back on for this year with lots of high quality entertainment and excitement for the large crowd that is anticipated.

Jim and Allison Showen are the owners of the Stump Dodger Campground, where the Bash is held every year on the weekend closest to the July Fourth holiday.

Jim smiles when you bring up the first Stump Dodger Bash held at the campground in 2001. The Showens call the local crowd that showed up for that Bash   “the original 200.” Incidentally, there are more than a few of the original 200 that have been to every Bash since.

The original Bash featured the Dr. Rumley Snuff Band, a rock group led by Joe Cody from Rolling Ground. Another band at the first Bash was Challenger from Northeast Iowa.

“It was struggle,” Jim Showen said of the effort behind producing the Bash.

The Showens are quick to thank all of the event’s sponsors that have enabled them to keep the Bash going and growing over all those years. 

It was because of the sponsors that the Bash has been able to get larger acts after that first one.

One of the biggest acts to appear at the Stump Dodger Bash was Eric Paisley, who had a song go to number one on the country charts after he had signed to play the event. At the Bash that year, he sang a new song for the first time that would become another number one hit on the country chart.

Another performer, who played at the Bash, was Dylan Scott. He’s become a big deal in the world of country music, according to Showen.

Many performers have played more than once at the Bash. However, the record for return performances is held by High Mileage, which features Lavon ‘Spanky’ Felton. Spanky is the owner of the Sleepy Hollow auto dealership in Viroqua. The popular local cover band has appeared at the Bash for the past four or five years.

In fact, Spanky and the band made an appearance on the grounds last year, even though the official Bash had been cancelled. They were very well-received by a small, but appreciative crowd, starved for some live entertainment.

So, how big is the event these days? Showen estimated the recent Bash attendance at about 3,000 to 4,000 people including about 500 campers. 

This year’s Stump Dodger Bash, as expected, features plenty of country music talent.

Mo Pitney

Mo Pitney was born in Rockford, Illinois. He began playing drums at six and guitar at 12. He played in a bluegrass band with his brother and a friend. Pitney moved to Nashville, where he signed with Curb Records.

Pitney released his single ‘Country,’ in December 2014. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country reviewed the single positively, saying that "Mo isn’t making a statement, and he’s not the sign of some traditional country revolution in 2015. But he’s a reminder of how good a simple country song (is) sung by a man who believes in God and George Strait.” The song entered Top 40 on Country Airplay on the chart dated for the week ending June 20, 2015, its nineteenth week on that chart.His second single, ‘Boy and a Girl,’ was released to country radio on August 31, 2015. It reached #50 on Hot Country Songs in October 2016. His debut album was ‘Behind This Guitar.’

His second album is ‘Ain't Lookin' Back.’

Pitney describes his time making ‘Ain't Lookin' Back’ as "the most joyful" musical experience he's had thus far. 

Ross Ellis

Saturday night’s headliner Ross Ellis was born and raised in the small town of Monterey, Louisiana. At 15, he started the band, ‘Wayside’ with his cousin and some high school friends. 

The band gained a strong following throughout Ross’s high school and college years. After graduating from college, Ross turned down multiple job offers to instead move to Nashville.

In late 2017, Ross was named Sirius XM’s latest ‘Highway Find’ with the release of his first single, ‘Home for the Weekend.’ 

More recently, Ross released the hauntingly powerful single, ‘Ghosts,’ which reached the top 10 most played songs on The Highway. 

Tyler Deaver

Aside from the headliners, there’s some pretty good entertainment on the Bash roster this year. It starts on Friday night with two bands tied to Viroqua. 

Of course, the first act, featuring Tyler Deaver,  comes from Nashville.

However, Tyler was born and raised in Viroqua. Most of Tyler’s childhood was spent hunting and fishing on either of his family farms. Over the years, these hobbies turned into an obsession. This led Tyler to earn a degree in Wildlife/Law Enforcement from the UW-Stevens Point. 

From a young age, Tyler has been blessed with the great gift of singing. He wanted to do more with music than just sing, so in college he began playing guitar and songwriting. He honed his skills by playing gigs at local bars and county fairs. 

Tyler dreamed of singing for a living and sharing his music with the world.  He often thought about making the move to Nashville, as so many other dreamers have done.  With the support of his wife, Stephanie, and other family members, Tyler moved to Nashville and never looked back. You can find Tyler playing gigs with his band at AJ’s Good Time Bar, The Stage, Second Fiddle, and Legends Corner. Tyler’s band plays everything from Merle Haggard to Marshall Tucker Band. 

After Tyler Deaver plays, the popular local band High Mileage takes the stage.

High Mileage

High Mileage is also from Viroqua.  High Mileage has dedicated itself to reproducing music from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (...throwing in some country and modern pop), as well as thrilling audiences all over the Midwest with the best songs built around strong vocal harmonies, instantly recognizable melodies and irresistible dance songs.  

Each band member will have you engaged while singing along to your favorite song.  Members of High Mileage include: Tim Severson, lead guitar; Lavon ‘Spanky’ Felton, drums; Tom Lohr, vocals; Zach Kumlin, bass guitar; and Jess Peckham, keyboards.

Saturday night lineup

Aside from headliner Ross Ellis, there’s also lots of other entertainment planned for Saturday night.

It starts with Smoking Gun Showdown, which was born on the banks of the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien. It is the brainchild of their two powerhouse female singers April Bouzek and Leigh Vorwald.

April and Leigh are well known in the region for their performances in large music competitions. Wishing to take their love of music and passion for a good show to a wider audience, they have brought together a talented group of like-minded musicians: Joe Schroeder on drums, Jeff Goettel on bass,  Jeff Gaunitz on guitar, keyboards and harmonica and Jeff Hanson on lead guitar. 

A Smoking Gun Showdown performance is a high-energy experience mixing old, new and pop, Country, Top 40, originals, classic rock, blues... and some rap skills from time to time. It’s a high energy show you do not want to miss!!

Corey Farley

Corey Farley will follow Smoking Gun. Farley was born in Decorah, Iowa. He was raised on a large beef farm that his parents, Joe and Brenda, operate just north of town. 

Cory’s first taste of country music was through the speakers of an old radio that hung from a post in the middle of his grandfather’s barn, where the cattle were only permitted to listen to country music while being milked. 

“I was about seven years old, and I remember that was around the first time I heard the voices of Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Toby Keith. Grandpa retired from milking some years ago, but he still has that old radio hanging on the post in the barn. 

“I have always loved country music and have always wanted to perform. When I was younger, I used to jump on my parent’s bed with my dad’s guitar pretending I was Garth Brooks,” Farley said.

Farley graduated from high school in 2004, and ventured to Phoenix to continue his education. Shortly after his move, Cory’s passion for music evolved to being far more than a hobby. He began singing with a few local bands before ultimately being dubbed as the lead singer in a band of his own, known as Redneck Revolution. 

The band performed in an array of honkytonks, night clubs, and bars, where Cory enhanced his stage presence and earned his reputation for putting on a rowdy show. From running on top of the bar, swinging from rafters, dancing on tables, and jumping off stage, Farley never fails to exceed the crowd’s expectations. 

“I love singing, but anybody can get up and sing a song and sound like the jukebox. I was always into doing whatever it takes to make sure I knew that the crowd would go home that night with a great experience.” 

In 2010, Cory set out to pursue a full-time music career in Nashville. With his signature voice, drive, and unforgettably wild shows, Cory Farley is one musician to keep an eye on.

Royal South

After Farley, Royal South will step up to entertain the Bash crowd. Individual artists in their own right, Sara Beth, Glen Mitchell, and Vickie Vaughn have come together to form the harmony powerhouse Royal South.  

Based in Nashville, the Texas, London, and Kentucky natives have attracted the attention of renowned producer, Paul Worley, who produced the Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, and Martina McBride to name a few.  

Their debut single, ‘Cry, Cry’ was released on January 18, 2019.  It topped the UK iTunes Country Chart at #1 and the US New Country iTunes Chart at #2. 

With chart-topping songs, Grand Ole Opry performances, industry awards, and world tours between them, Royal South gives every audience a dynamic, unforgettable show.

Canaan Cox

Canaan Cox follows Royal South. Cox is the definition of an entertainer. 

Canaan’s music has the energy of pop, a bit of R&B flare, and a strong foundation in contemporary country lyrics. This unique blend of genres is best showcased in ‘Lie,’ the aggressive, rocking debut single issued fall of 2017. ‘Lie’ appeared only eight months after Canaan Cox moved to Nashville, which allowed him to quit his serving job.

In just three months, ‘Lie’ raced up Music Row’s Top 50, making it the chart’s most added song in 2017. This momentum carried over into his self-titled EP, which was featured on iTunes Country for six weeks in a row. With this attention, Canaan was soon featured on premier country outlets like Whiskey Riff, The Boot, and Sounds Like Nashville.  

Releasing singles like, ‘Take My Time,’ ‘Greener,’ ‘Out of Nowhere,’ and ‘Long Way Home,’ Canaan has led his fans down a path of catchy and relatable hits. 

More than music

However, there’s few more things to do at this year’s Stump Dodger Bash than listening to all of that music.

On Thursday, July 1, there will a free warmup moment, hosted by Gays Mills’ own DJ Dom. Yes, DJ Dom plays the music and the crowd hangs out!

During the concert on Friday, a second stage with a band featuring Spanky’s son will entertain the crowd as the main stage is readied for the next performance.

And there’s more-including a kids party on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The party is open to the public and there is no admission.

“There will be kid games and all kids are invited,” Showen said of the event.  “There’s no admission and anybody can attend. It’s free and everybody is invited to come.”

There will be a drawing for 15 bikes. All children from age two to 14 are eligible to put their name in raffle.

Three vendors will be on hand to provide food for the Bash this year, including the Friends of Gays Mills, which will operate a food stand.

Make no mistake about it-the Stump Dodger Bash is back.

GRANT/CRAWFORD COUNTIES - The communities of Boscobel, Bagley, and Eastman have all canceled their 2020 Fourth of July celebrations due to COVID-19. According to event organizers, the decisions to forego these annual holiday observances were made after careful consideration about the safety of event-goers and volunteers. 

All have stated their events will be back on the calendar in 2021.

Boscobel

The Boscobel Fire Department announced on its Facebook page last Thursday that it is scratching its fireworks fundraiser, parade, park festivities and fireworks on July 4. 

Community leaders said, in a public statement, “We hope everyone has a safe and celebratory Independence Day,” the Department wrote of its science-based decision.

Bagley

“This decision was very difficult for us to make. Ultimately, it was the decision of the Bagley Village Board. This event is a huge day for Bagley and is so important to our local economy,” said Bobbi Jo Gofus, one of the annual event’s organizers. “The businesses and organizations that have booths, stands or activities at the 4th celebration depend on the day to make ends meet the remainder of the year.”

Though Bagley’s entire event—including its parade, vendor booths, games, bull ride and fireworks—is not happening, the Bagley Volunteer Fire Department has chosen to move forward with its popular ChickenQ fundraiser at the village park, in a drive-through/carryout only format.

“We’re hoping to have a successful ChickenQ for the local fire department,” Gofus added. “They normally fund their training and equipment needs from the profit made at Thunder In The Valley (bull ride). The ChickenQ is obviously a much smaller fundraiser, but every little bit helps.”

More details will be shared as the event nears. 

Eastman

In Eastman, the village board met Monday night and, shortly after, reported that its annual Fourth of July celebration had been canceled.

According to a Facebook event for the festivities, the celebration “will be back in 2021 bigger and better than ever.”

NORTH CRAWFORD - ‘Treasure Island’ was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883, and was so popular when first published that it has become the foundation of all things we consider ‘pirate-y’. An example is the song ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ that was invented by Stevenson for the story, although later expanded by another author into the full song we know today. Another example is the ‘pirate accent’, which is derived from the accent found in Bristol, where Stevenson set the book, but actual pirates simply spoke with whatever accent they grew up speaking.

The story has been retold countless times as books, plays, movies, video games, and every other entertainment medium. When the students in this cast were asked what version of ‘Treasure Island’ they had seen, the most common answers were ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ and ‘Treasure Planet’, both very entertaining versions of the story that remain fairly true to the basic storyline. 

However, Arthur M. Jolly, the author of 'Long Joan Silver', after seeing numerous productions of 'Treasure Island', realized that there was only one female character in the original story and she wasn’t named. Occasionally, a woman might be added to the cast as a female pirate, but was always shoehorned into the role without considering how a female pirate could exist in the first place.

To remedy these issues, Jolly wrote 'Long Joan Silver' with an all-female pirate crew and used comedy and verbal sparring to show how the society of 1750’s England would react to women living well outside their traditional roles, all the while taking us on the wild adventure that is at the heart of ‘Treasure Island.’ He specifically states in his notes that the directors should feel free to ignore the gender of the actors for the various roles they will be playing, which was taken to heart with a cast comprising nearly all girls.

The story opens with Sally Bones (Nyah Forkash), a former pirate captain, singing and drinking all of the rum at the Admiral Benbow Inn, which is owned and operated by Mrs. Hawkins (Elissa Erickson), who pushes her son Jim (Katie Schellhorn) out to confront Sally Bones about her drinking...and her bill. We learn that Sally Bones has Jim on the lookout for a sea-faring woman with one leg and her cutthroat crew, so Captain Bones can stay out of their hands.

After paying her bill for the next month with gold, Sally goes to her room and we meet the other patrons of the Inn, including Squire Trelawney (Liam O’Brien) and Doctor Livesey (Emma Schmidt). They all agree that it isn’t right that Sally Bones is drinking up all of the rum and leaving none for anyone else, so they concoct a plan to scare her into sobriety, involving Doctor Livesey pretending to be the one-legged female pirate of whom Sally Bones is deathly afraid.

During their planning, Blind Pew (Gabby Bansberg), one of the cutthroat pirates from Sally Bones’ past, arrives at the Benbow Inn and tries to force Jim to lead her to Sally Bones, but is foiled by the presence of the other patrons. Blind Pew leaves, but promises to come back later.

The plan to stop Sally Bones from drinking all the rum works a little too well, and she dies from fright; but as she is dying, she reveals her sea chest contains a map to a vast treasure of £700,000 ($2 billion in today’s money), which she gives to Jim, much to the irritation of Squire Trelawney.

Almost immediately after Sally Bones’ death, Blind Pew returns with the rest of the pirate crew, forcing our heroes to flee the Inn with Sally Bones’ sea chest. The pirates, furious at Sally Bones for dying before she could give them the map, proceed to tear the Inn apart looking for it.

During this time, Jim, the Doctor, the Squire, and Mrs. Hawkins, have been dragging the chest through the dark countryside until Mrs. Hawkins breaks down at the thought of the Benbow Inn being dismantled.

After a short time of searching for the map, they find it in the lining and immediately squabble about who should get the largest share of the treasure. While they do argue momentarily about whether it is ethical to own such a blood-soaked treasure acquired by villainy, money does talk and ‘finders keepers, losers weepers.’ In the end, the Squire agrees to find a ship and hire a crew, the Doctor agrees to fill out the legal forms, and Jim agrees to take only one quarter of the treasure for himself and his mother.

We next see the Squire’s servants Miss Bean (AJ Morga) and Mrs. Sitwell (RaeAnna Aspenson) hauling his chest onto the Hispaniola, the ship hired for the voyage. However, they have no crew, since Captain Smollett (Nyah Forkash) is very carefully vetting every man he hires. With the Doctor and Jim arriving shortly thereafter, the Squire is impatient to leave and wishes to hire a crew and set sail on the next tide.

To this end, the Squire has already hired a cook, to which Captain Smollett objects, but the Squire points out that the Captain said he wanted to personally vet every man, but said nothing about a woman, especially such a fine cook as Long Joan Silver (Rachel Peterson) and her Parrot (Rivyn DiPadova). Hilariously pointed banter ensues, until they are interrupted by a barrel of apples brought aboard by two of the pirates we’ve seen before, Israel Hands (McKenna Johnson) and Maria Lindsey (Alexis Sanders), whom the Squire hires on the spot.

Over the objections of Captain Smollett, the Squire tells Silver to find an entirely female crew as soon as possible, and so Silver and Jim search on the dockside as merchants flog their wares to all the sailors and pirates mingling there. Soon, Jim spots Blind Pew, who is run over by a horse and cart as she tries to flee, and Jim tells Silver that Pew was the pirate she met at the Benbow Inn. Silver pretends that she didn’t know who Pew was, but calls another pirate, Tess Morgan (Sarah Bransky), over and tells her to find a crew to sail on the Hispaniola. Tess Morgan, who is ‘dumb as a bag of rope’ nearly gives the game up, but Jim doesn’t notice, shocked once again by seeing his third death in a month.

As the pirates arrive on the ship, we meet Alan Arrow (Elissa Erickson), the hard-driving first mate whom the pirates dislike greatly, as they pack supplies aboard. We also meet Tom Redruth (Ping), the ship’s carpenter whom no one can understand, but who is able to direct the Squire to the Captain’s quarters. The secret of the voyage has been blabbed, and the entire crew knows where they are going and what they are doing, before Captain Smollett had been informed by the Squire. Needless to say, the Captain is unhappy and thinks the whole crew is composed of pirates, which we as the audience know is right. After a short sea shanty led by Bosun Gray (Nathan Zibrowski), the ship sets sail and soon after the crew throws Arrow overboard.

The rest of the story is very much like how you remember it: the apple barrel, the mutiny, the island, the fight, the treasure, and the mad hermit. The main differences are that Ol’ Ben Gunn is now Jen Gunn (Helen Carstens), and there is a great deal more comedy, rivaling even the Muppets’ version.

Another difference you may not notice is that the directing team has changed at the North Crawford Playhouse.

Joe Ferrito, a new social studies teacher at North Crawford, has taken over the role of director, with ‘Long Joan Silver’ being the first production with which he has been involved, and the first production he has directed. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history and education from UW-Madison, and has been involved in theatre and music in some way, shape or form since middle school.

Brent Schwert has returned as assistant director, having done so with long-time director Robert Ghormley last school year. Having graduated from North Crawford in 2003, some may still remember Schwert from his time on the stage there, but he did continue theatre and music work while obtaining physics and mechanical engineering degrees and working for several years in the corporate world.

Both of them are excited for you to see the show, and have great plans for the future of the Playhouse, but are just a bit too busy with the current show to think them through and get them started. Please stay tuned for more information later this spring. However, at this time, they are happy to announce that ‘Annie’ is currently scheduled to be the musical in the fall.