Jon Hassler Theater facts for kids
The Jon Hassler Theater was a professional live theater. It was located in Plainview, Minnesota. In November 2013, it was announced that the theater would close at the end of 2014.
Contents
History of the Theater
The Jon Hassler Theater started in 1999. The International Harvester Implement building was bought by the Rural American Arts Partnership. They wanted to turn it into a theater.
Before this, the Lyric Theatre was founded in 1985. Sally Childs started it. She later became the artistic director for the Jon Hassler Theater. In 1999, the Lyric Theater began performing shows at the Hassler. By 2000, the Lyric Theater moved its main office to the Hassler. The theater was named after a local author, Jon Hassler.
Exciting Theater Seasons
The Jon Hassler Theater put on many plays and musicals. Here are some of the shows they performed each year:
Shows from 1999-2002
- 1999 - Old Man Brunner Country and The Staggerford Murders. These were touring shows from Lyric Theater.
- 2000 - Grand Opening, To Whom It May Concern, On Golden Pond, and Gifts of the Magi.
- 2001 - Old Man Brunner Country, Chin Music, Boxelder Bug Variations, Simon's Night, The Fantasticks, Grace and Glorie, and Grand Opening.
- 2002 - Talley's Folly, Dear James, Honk! The Ugly Duckling Musical, Morning's at Seven, and How to Talk Minnesotan the Holiday Musical.
Shows from 2003-2006
- 2003 - The Spitfire Grill, The Staggerford Murders, How to Talk Minnesotan the Summer Musical, Honk! The Ugly Duckling Musical, Driving Miss Daisy, and My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.
- 2004 - Proof, And the World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb, The Drawer Boy, The West Side Waltz, and Guys on Ice: the Ice Fishing Musical.
- 2005 - The Odd Couple, Seascape, Bordertown Café, and Pump Boys and Dinettes.
- 2006 - Trick Boxing, Rounding Third, The Last Five Years, Rookery Blues, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, and The Pillowman.
Shows from 2007-2010
- 2007 - Grand Opening, Mercy of a Storm, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol.
- 2008 - Good Doctor, The Hassler Summer Sampler, Enchanted April, and Don't Hug Me.
- 2009 - Dear James, The Hassler Summer Sampler, Leaving Iowa, and A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol.
- 2010 - Old Man Brunner Country, A Don't Hug Me County Fair, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Theater Staff
In November 2013, the main staff included:
- Dean Harrington - CEO
- Sally Harrington - House Manager/Facilities
Many other important people worked at the Hassler Theater over the years. These included Clark Cruikshank, Sam Goerss, Ben Hain, Sally Childs, Paul Epton, and Mike Carter.
Words and After Words Bookstore
In 2006, the Jon Hassler Theater opened a bookstore. It was called Words and After Words. The store was in the theater's lobby. Most of the books were given by Emilio DeGrazia. He is a published author and a retired professor from Winona State University.
High School Shows
Since 2003, the Hassler Theater worked with Plainview High School. They helped put on the school's yearly play. Sally Childs directed these shows from 2003 to 2006.
From 2007 to 2010, English teacher Tracy Olson Moran directed the shows. This was because Sally Childs had other plans. The lighting and set designers also changed. Mike Carter and Ian Norregaard took over. In 2011, Moran decided to stop directing. She wanted to spend more time with her family. Linda Theisen, the choir director, then directed the shows.
In 2012, the yearly show was split into two parts. There was a Varsity show and a Junior Varsity (JV) show. Andrew Faller directed the 2011-12 show. Kim Lange, a local parent and theater fan, directed the 2012–13 and 2013-14 shows.
Before the theater closed, Carter and Norregaard announced they would stop working on the high school shows. Their full-time jobs and starting families made it too hard.
High School Performances
The high school put on many different shows:
- 2003 - The Miracle Worker
- 2004 - The Rememberer
- 2005 - You're A Good Man Charlie Brown
- 2006 - Little Women
- 2007 - The Curious Savage
- 2008 - The Wizard of Oz
- 2009 - South Pacific
- 2010 - A new version of A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 2011 - Back to the 80's
- 2012 - Ever After (JV)
- 2012 - Once Upon a Mattress
- 2012-13 - Fussin an' a'Feudin (JV)
- 2013 - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
- 2013-14 - Guess What I Did Last Summer (JV)
- 2014 - Happy Days
The Hassler House
In 2004, Jon Hassler's childhood home was moved. It was placed on the same block as the theater. The house was fixed up and refurnished. It was used for meetings for the theater's Writers Center. It also housed actors when they were performing shows.
Interesting Facts
- The famous comedian Louie Anderson performed at the Hassler in 2005.
- The theater could seat 230 people.
- The counters for tickets and refreshments were actually old set pieces from previous shows.
- The Hassler owned almost a whole quarter of a city block.
- The Hassler was part of the Rural American Arts Partnership (RAAP). This group also included the Writers Center, the Watson House, and the Plainview Area History Center. The History Center was a refurbished church.
Show Times and Ticket Prices
The usual show times were:
- Thursdays - 1:30 p.m.* (These shows sometimes changed and were not every Thursday) and 7:30 p.m.
- Fridays - 7:30 p.m.
- Saturdays - 7:30 p.m.
- Sundays - 1:30 p.m.
As of July 2013, standard ticket prices were:
- $22 for General Admission
- $21 for Mayo Clinic staff
- $20 for Seniors (62+)
- $19 for Red Hat Groups
- $14 for Students and Children (up to age 25)
The first showing of most plays, called "preview night shows," cost $14 for everyone. All Thursday evening shows also cost $14 for everyone.
Summer Sampler
Starting in 2008, the Hassler Theater replaced one of its regular shows with a "Hassler Summer Sampler." This was a series of different acts over about two months. The 2008 sampler included: The Rochester Radio Theater Guild, The Sweet Adalines, The Mary Louise Knutson Jazz Trio, Women Who Drink, and a tribute to Jon Hassler. The Summer Sampler happened again in 2009. It included a tribute to Bill Holm, "Wise Cracks From My Father," "What I Want to be When I Grow Up!," and "Revelations of Mann." The Summer Sampler was not held in 2010.
Why the Theater Closed
Starting in 2011, the Hassler Theater began to change. Instead of creating its own shows, it started renting its space to other theater groups. In November 2013, it was announced that the Jon Hassler Theater would close at the end of 2014.
Dean Harrington, the CEO, explained why. He said that the type of "art" theater they wanted to produce did not have enough audience members to keep the program going. Many local people felt that the theater had promised to be a community theater, but then it became only a "professional theater." This change led to fewer people attending, which was a big reason for the closure.
Images for kids
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The Jon Hassler Theater and Rural America Arts Center in 2014
