A message from executive director Lacey Schirmers

As we wrap up another incredible year, I’m filled with a deep sense of gratitude for everything you’ve made possible both on the stage and in our community.

Beyond our well-known season of shows that bring thousands of people together on stage, backstage, and in the audience, your support has also fueled our education and outreach programs for youth—some of the most impactful work we do. And, I’m excited to share with you some highlights, or mission moments as we call them, from the past year. Every quote and every memory, you made possible. GREAT is a cornerstone to building a more vibrant community – many thanks to you!

Whether you’ve contributed your time, talents, or financial support, your involvement with GREAT has had a profound impact on our community. YOU are developing our future leaders, contributing to a robust arts scene, helping drive our economy, transforming lives, connecting us humans, and so much more.

Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Thank you for your continued support. You’re an important part of our next chapter.

Lacey

A message from development director Tim Johnson

GREAT literally transformed my life: first as a volunteer and now as Development Director, a role I started in June. I fell in love with theatre- and GREAT Theatre specifically- during this stage of my life, earning it a special place in my heart. It’s a thrill to be here!

Fulfilling GREAT’s mission drives my work. The more lives we enrich through theatre experiences, the more we enrich our community. Thank you for the enrichment you have provided!

This role is a privilege – a responsibility I take seriously and care deeply about – but don’t think I’m not having fun, too! I look forward to ensuring GREAT’s long-term vitality and sustainability while advancing our mission together. Thank you again for your continued generosity.

Wishing you my best,

Tim

 

During our 2023/24 season, your generous contributions made all of this possible…

 

School Residencies

A ‘Musical-in-a-Week’ model for 5th graders at 7 elementary schools in the St. Cloud School District are held each year.

700 students performed on-site for roughly 2100 classmates and 1500 family and community members.

The power of theatre is real. It shouldn’t surprise me that our students are responding in the way that they are, but the magic of theater always instills wonder in me! Thank you for all you are doing to bring this experience to our schools.”

~ Laura Stebner, 742 Director of Elementary Education

 

Drama Workshops

Your support provided nearly 1,000 youth this transformative experience, at no cost to their families or our community partners!

Collaborating with other youth-facing organizations, we integrate Drama Workshops into after school and summer care programs. For some students, this deepens their connection to GREAT. For others it’s an incremental introduction to theatre. To further develop skills and relationships, we are at the same site multiple times in a year.

Other youth-facing organizations include Boys and Girls Club, D Blake Center, Kidstop, Promise Neighborhood and Too Much Talent. 

Our only regret was having you teach in the afternoon because we were repeating ourselves the entire day, ‘No, it is not time for GREAT Theatre yet so you will have to be patient.’”
~ Kidstop Site Manager

Summer Camps

867 youth, ages 4-17, learned and played at over a dozen schools and theatre spaces throughout Central Minnesota. With developmentally appropriate curricula and themes, our summer theatre camps meet each participant’s needs, whether they are stepping on stage for the first time or returning for their twelfth camp.

$42,000 in scholarships provided pick-your-price registrations for 215 campers. Your annual support made this possible!

“I love that theatre camp gives my quiet kiddo a place to open up, have a voice, and feel proud to perform.”

“My 10-year-old learned that she could act without speaking to tell a story.”

Guys and Dolls

GREAT last produced Guys and Dolls 22 years ago!

Am I in New York or St. Cloud? Sometimes it’s hard to tell.”

 

“The play was amazing. My children were in this same play when GREAT was just starting out and they had “Theatre Under the Stars”. Most of the cast were young teenagers then. It was refreshing to see this performance again in a whole new light with adult performers. Such a fun show with great music!”

Youth Artist Project

A year with Frog and Toad Kids

 

The Youth Artist Project was designed to expose high school students to the variety of roles and career opportunities in theatre through hands-on technical and creative experiences, introduce young audiences to the magic of live theatre, and provide opportunities for youth to perform.

This project gives high school students the opportunity to design and direct the production, mentoring youth performers while being mentored by theatre professionals.

It was an incredible honor to be recognized with an Innovation Award from the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation for this project.

Little Women

This clever reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel was adapted for the stage by Kate Hamill, making it relevant to today’s audiences.

We collaborated with artist Jasmyn Linn and the Paramount Center for the Arts to offer an era-relevant printmaking experience for audiences and actors.

“Awesome show! Many tears were shed. Brava!”

 

 

Beauty and The Beast

This was the last opportunity to perform Beauty and the Beast for the foreseeable future. It’s going back on tour and community theatres are restricted from performing it.

 

“Tickets to the play were a gift to my 4 year old granddaughter. Her first play – she loved it!”

“Beauty and the Beast was incredible. From the acting to the singing to the dancing. The whole cast should be so very proud of themselves. The dedication and fun was felt within everyone in the audience.”

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL

2,677 students attended a matinee performance with their school. For many this was their first introduction to theatre.

Donor support makes it possible for ticket prices for schools to be 70% below the average public ticket, and some attend at no cost.

 

 

 

 

Silent Sky

The Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre was transformed into the Harvard Observatory with seating on all four sides.

The cast and team of Silent Sky visited the planetarium at SCSU to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific aspects of the show.

GREAT continues to evolve our understudy practices. Whether it’s illness, injury, family emergencies, or one of the many unpredictable things thrown our way–life happens. Having understudies and alternates helps cast members feel they truly have an option to take care of themselves while ensuring performances can go on smoothly and audiences receive a high-quality experience without cancellations. They also provide an educational opportunity for volunteers to further develop their acting skills. For Silent Sky, we had our first understudy performance as part of the evolving process.

“This experience exceeded my expectations in every way. I am so grateful that I was cast in this show. It has lit a fire in me to continue performing and doing the things I love.”

Footloose

To ensure a high quality, educational experience for volunteers, GREAT prioritizes hiring professional artists that embrace an educational mindset. Ethan Nienaber, a professional freelance director who grew up in the Twin Cities, made his GREAT debut as a director for Footloose, and shared about his experience working with GREAT and our volunteers:

“GREAT is one of the hardest working, most passionate, and empathetic groups of people that I’ve ever encountered. To put it simply, working on this show has reminded me of the impact theatre can have on our lives. This community has fostered some fantastic local talent, giving designers, directors and choreographers the resources to realize their visions and together have built an exhilarating place to create. Thank you so much for supporting some truly GREAT theatre in your community. It has inspired, invigorated and enlivened me.”

Native Gardens

We asked audience members as they connected with others over mangonadas from Catalina’s Michocana for a post show reception to reflect on the production and key takeaways – for them and for our community.

“Privilege means not having to see.”

“Compromising is not weakness – we can all “win” by letting others “win,” too.”

“We, it, nature… all are connected – we must make decisions for the well-being of all.”

 

Sketches of Minnesota

A community-inspired conversation and improv comedy tour presented by Danger Boat Productions and the MN Humanities Center with a goal to foster understanding within and across communities, celebrate the state’s diversity, and showcase what residents cherish most about their corner of Minnesota. We were one of seven stops!

While we have worked closely with the Paramount Center for the Arts as a renter for years, this project marks our first partnership together.

The evening sparked meaningful conversations for 75+ attendees.

WOW! What a wonderful show—our first standing ovation. It really was a highlight of the tour so far.”
~ MN Humanities Center

 

A note from aRTISTIC & education director kendra norton dando

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our 27th season!

With a lineup that consists of both well-known and brand new titles as well as outreach programming scheduled throughout our schools and community centers, the 2024/25 season is packed with exciting opportunities for youth and adults alike.

We have already auditioned our first four productions of the season and seen over 340 community members try out! The incredible turnout speaks to the desire of our community to participate in live theatre, and we are so excited to provide opportunities for new and returning performers to grow.

Additionally, the demand for theatre programming in our schools and afterschool programs continues to rise, and it is thrilling to see youth returning to theatre programming and seeking new ways to engage with GREAT.

All of these educational experiences are made possible through support from our generous community, and we thank you for believing in the power of theatre. Through your time, energy, passion, and financial contributions you create access to arts opportunities. Thank you for being community theatre; thank you for bringing important stories to life on and offstage.

Hope to see you at the theatre soon!

2024/25 Season

Fundraising Events

We have two fundraising events in the works for the first half of 2025.

  • Our 2025/26 Season Announcement Celebration is planned for some time in February – exact date TBD.
  • We’ll hold our next GREAT Gala Saturday, April 26, 2025! We’ll share more details in the coming months.