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Prayers have been answered! Tickets for Nunsense II are now available!

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That’s right! The FungusAmongus Players are coming back to the stage with “Nunsense II: The Second Coming.”  We urge you to visit www.fungusamongusplayers.org/currentshow, and purchase tickets soon - our first Nunsense show was a complete sell out, and you don't want to miss this one. You can also order tickets by phone - just call the Dassel History Center at 320-275-3077, and the friendly staff will assist you. Performance dates are: September 30, and October 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

You also might want to put the dates for auditions and other upcoming shows on your calendar now, too.  Here is what is in the works:

“The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Herod the Nut, & the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree” is our holiday show.  Auditions will take place Wednesday, October 12 at the Dassel History Center, beginning  at 6 p.m. There are roles for adults, as well as for five teens, and two children. We welcome everyone to auditions - no experience necessary. Come have fun with FungusAmongus Players! Directed by David Metcalf, this piece portrays the story of the nativity from a fresh and richly creative point of view, using deftly constructed short scenes, traditional Christmas music, and often antic characterizations. Performance dates are: December 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18.

Join us in February 2023 for a "Night of One Acts." Four directors will each present one short play. Each show is completely different from the others, but a common theme runs among them. Can you guess what it might be?

And, for Summer 2023, we plan to present a musical.  Stay tuned for more details.

In other FungusAmongus news:

* Watch our website and social media (Facebook and Instagram) for audition info and other items of theatrical importance.

* Watch for us in Dassel's Red Rooster Days parade on Saturday, September 3. Former cast and crew members please join us!

* Funds donated during coffee time at show intermissions will be used to help us purchase a new sound system. We welcome any and all donations at any time, and thank you in advance. FungusAmongus is a 501c3 organization.

* Like to sew? We would love to have you assist us with costumes. Contact any board member if you're interested, or message us via our website or Facebook Messenger.

* Are you a proud tech nerd? We need you! Come help out with lights or  sound for our plays and let your skills shine. Contact any board member if you're interested, or message us via our website or Facebook Messenger.

 

 

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From the FungusAmongus Board of Directors, June 20th 2022

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Hello to FungusAmongus Players supporters, fans, actors, crews, and other interested parties:

We have a bit of sad news to get out of the way, but stick with us - there's good news, too.

First: Auditions for a summer Shakespearean play pulled in some top-notch performers. Unfortunately, when we reviewed how many parts remained open after auditions, scheduling conflicts among the actors, and the threat of having to cancel shows due to COVID-19 exposure as we did last summer, it became obvious a summer show just wasn't viable this summer.  We will try again next summer.

The good news:

  1. Shows are being put on the calendar as we send this. We know “Nunsense 2 - the Second Coming” will be our fall production with our same cast returning from the first "Nunsense".

  2. We also have chosen our holiday show. Ready? It's “The Butterfingers Angel, Mary and Joseph, Herod the Nut, and the Slaughter of Twelve Hit Carols in a Pear Tree.” We will need several teens, adults, and even one or two roles for children. Watch for audition info on Facebook and our website!

  3. If you are looking for theatre opportunity this summer former student of Dave Metcalf and current head of the University of Minnesota Theatre department, Luverne Seifert is looking for performers to do Pop-Up performances at the McLeod County fair in August. Auditions are coming up this week June 22nd and June 23rd. For more information click HERE.

  4. Another evening of one-act shows is coming in early 2023. We have at least three directors ready to tackle the job.

  5. We are in the process of revising our website to be more user-friendly. As always you can find the latest FA news on our Facebook page. Plus, you'll see us more often on Instagram.

  6. We covet your ideas. Tell us about shows you would like to see or if you would like to be involved in crews or learning tech for our shows!

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more details about our upcoming shows. We miss you, and can't wait to see you at our performances.

Sincerely,
                 The FungusAmongus Board of Directors

"Voice of the Prairie" in Action at AACTFest 2017

Although the AACTFest is a couple months in the past, AACT (American Association of Community Theatres) just posted several action shots from the various productions. Below, are the pictures from FungusAmongus Players' performance of "Voice of the Prairie" - click here to see pics from all the productions!

Great memories and a fantastic run for "Voice of the Prairie". Thank you, again, for your support of this production and the coming season for the FungusAmongus Players of Dassel-Cokato!

AACTFest 2017_VOTP Scene Shots.jpg

A little love from a friend from Stillwater

Think of this post as a bit like a digital newspaper clipping you'd hang on your fridge at home! We like to keep things real and quaint-like. 

Many thanks to FungusAmongus' friend, Jon Skaalen, from Stillwater's community theatre, Ole Olson Onstage. We're blessed to have such a great community like Dassel-Cokato to support us in our efforts, and the lovely friends in the community theatre world, like John and so many others!

(from Dassel-Cokato Enterprise Dispatch. July 14, 2017)

AACTFest 2017 in Review

You've seen the posts on Facebook - the 2017 National AACTFest was a wonderful experience, full of activity! The collage below gives you an idea of the fullness of the event: shows, workshops, networking, camaraderie, food and drinks, and other fun activities. Here's the rundown...

The National AACTFest (American Association of Community Theatres) took place in Rochester, MN. Twelve shows from across the country (and one from a US Army base in Belgium) performed. Each show had a load-in time, rehearsal time, two performances, a loud-out time, and an adjudication. Our production schedule looked like this:

  • Load-in: Monday 9:00pm
  • Rehearsal: Tuesday 8:30am (includes a tech meeting)
  • Performances: Wednesday afternoon and evening (evening performance is adjudicated)
  • Load-out: Wednesday 11:00pm
  • Adjudication: Thursday 12:00pm

Additional activities by FungusAmongus members:

  • Jim Veith's magnificent radio was entered in a Design Contest. While it didn't place, it never failed to draw an "ooh" from the passers-by.
  • Kurt Schulz entered the Monologue competition with his opening piece from "Voice of the Prairie". He didn't place, but he did receive recognition for his stage performance - more on that later.
  • Dave Metcalf facilitated a "Swashbuckling" workshop, assisted by Tom Langemo. Participants were introduced to basic techniques for SAFE sword fighting, falling, and "dirty tricks" on stage. They then paired off, sword in hand, to learn a set of moves demonstrated by the two Fun-guys :)

In between activities, the FungusAmongus Players met new people from other companies and the AACT organization, hung out with friends from the MACT (Minnesota Association of Community Theatres) and Region V AACT group. We also ate incredible food - really, Rochester has some wonderful estashments.

At the end of it all, there is a gala where all the awards are given - kind of like the Tony Awards, but for community theatre! As you've seen on Facebook, we received the following nominations (no wins):

  • Costume - Linda Metcalf
  • Sound - Chris Halstead
  • Direction - Dave Metcalf
  • Featured Actor/Actress - Shara Marquez and Kurt Schulz

"Addams Family" from Tacoma Musical Playhouse pretty much took home most of the hardware - it was a delightful show. The guy who played Lurch was a kind soul that some of us got to know. He was hilarious on stage. Anyway, we're thrilled for them! If you're interested in who got what, you can find a full list here: https://www.aact.org/aactfest-2017-festival-awards.

The adjudications were fantastic - thoughtful, direct, intelligent adjudicators who gave us new ways to think about...everything!

Ultimately, we do theatre to tell a story of who we are as human beings - the good, bad, and ugly of it all. Sometimes it's raw. Sometimes hilarious. Sometimes breath-taking. Sometimes frightening. But our focus, regardless of whether we "win", must be on telling the story in a way that moves others. Every show is a dialogue with our audience, and we think we had a profound conversation with them in Rochester!

Which brings this whole journey to you, our audience, fans, friends, and family. It seems cliche, but it's true - we would NOT have made it this far without you. You've been there emotionally, physically, financially - propping us up when we're tired, cheering us on, giving of yourself so that we can give more of ourselves. It's invaluable. Thank you so much! 

Clockwise from left: 1) the Holjes came to visit us in Rochester! 2) a front shot of the theatre in which we performed, 3) a group shot of some Fungi out for dinner..."will perform for food", 4) Peter Dinius by the Disney Theatrical Group workshop, …

Clockwise from left: 1) the Holjes came to visit us in Rochester! 2) a front shot of the theatre in which we performed, 3) a group shot of some Fungi out for dinner..."will perform for food", 4) Peter Dinius by the Disney Theatrical Group workshop, 5) our fearless leader, David Metcalf, holding court, 6) a group shot of the Youth Theatre Festival that took place at the same time/location - first year for it - wonderful to see all these young people getting involved, 7) Dave Metcalf and Tom Langemo demonstrating a thrust and parry at the Swashbuckling workshop, 8) an old friend, Straforel, was found...many pictures, jokes, jabs...and we never got to take it with us! and 9) Tim Gosswiller...because we love him

FungusAmongus Board of Directors Announced

The FungusAmongus Players of Dassel-Cokato now has a full board of directors to help ensure the visions and mission come to life in all activities of the organization. This group of ten passionate individuals will provide leadership, representation for the Dassel-Cokato and surrounding communities, and commit their time, talents, and treasure to move each season forward with the quality our audience, cast, and crew expect.

We are grateful for these individuals for taking the leap with us into our inaugural year!

For more information on our very first board of directors, click here.

FungusAmongus Players 2017-2018 Season to be Announced on June 25!

Ever since the Village Players formed a few decades ago, community theatre has been a vibrant element of the Dassel-Cokato culture. Whether enjoying the nostalgic feel of an elementary school stage, the unique, intimate spaces of the Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum, or the more roomy expanse of the Performing Arts Center - thousands of people have been drawn into new...and sometimes familiar...worlds to explore. 

Several years later, a new chapter begins as the FungusAmongus Players of Dassel-Cokato (FA) announce its first ever full season! In years past, the company has focused on one winter show which, every two years, was used in the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT) festival cycle. We want to give area talent more opportunities to participate, and offer our delightful audience more shows to enjoy.

We've been reading scripts, talking, debating, reading...reading...talking. You get the idea. And now we're ready to lay it all out on the table!

Want to know what shows will be in the FungusAmongus Players 2017-2018 Season? The announcement will take place at the June 25 at the 2:00pm final performance and fundraising event for "The Voice of the Prairie" at the Performance Arts Center. Come send your theatre company off to the National AACTFest and be among the first to get the scoop on our inaugural full season - and start thinking about how you might want to get involved (audition, help with set, volunteer support, etc.)! 

See you there!