Okoboji Summer Theatre Company

 

 

 

5 Reasons Summer Stock Rocks

 

Owned and operated by Stephens College, Okoboji Summer Theatre (OST) is the only program of its kind. 

At OST, Stephens College performing arts students work alongside professional guest artists from across the country to create nine mainstage productions and four Boji Bantam Children’s Theatre productions in 10 weeks.

 

 

Season 65: June 27-Aug. 14, 2023

Let It Be  |  June 27-July 2

Featuring the sensational songs of the Beatles, LET IT BE transports its audience back to the innocence, turbulence, and hopefulness of the 1960s. The lyrics and music take center stage, allowing room for the direction and choreography to help shape the story without the confines of a traditional book musical. The exuberance of teenagers first hearing I Want To Hold Your Hand, the sadness of lost love through Yesterday, the empathy for those who struggle in the balletic Blackbird, and the rebelliousness in Come Together prove that these timeless songs are all you need to drive the narrative of the characters and their journey.

 

See How They Run  |  July 4-9

As one reviewer claims, “See How They Run has all the elements of a top-drawer farce”

So swift is the action, so involved the situations, so rib-tickling the plot in this London hit that at its finish audiences are left as exhausted from laughter as though they had run a foot race. Galloping in and out of the four doors of an English vicarage are an American actor and actress (he is now stationed with the Air Force in England), a cockney maid who has seen too many American movies, an old maid who "touches alcohol for the first time in her life," four men in clergyman suits presenting the problem of which is which (for disguised as one is an escaped prisoner), and a sedate Bishop aghast at all these goings-on and the trumped up stories they tell him.

Promises, Promises |  July 11-16

A scathing and hilarious satire of the corporate world, Promises, Promises is the exuberant musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning film, The Apartment.  In New York City in the 1960s, an ambitious accountant named Chuck Baxter lends out his apartment to his supervisors, who need a discreet place for illicit afternoon rendezvous. Miserable and exploited, Chuck finds a beacon of hope in coworker Fran, who is trapped in a romantic predicament of her own. The romantic comedy features a Burt Bacharach score featuring the blockbuster hit “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” plus “Knowing When To Leave,” “Whoever You Are,” and the title song.

 

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike  |  July 18-23

In this Tony-Award winning comedy, middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. One review describes it as both breathtakingly funny and quietly poignant, this Chekhov-inspired work-for which knowledge of the Russian master's plays is not a requirement-is pure joy from start to finish.”

Cole: A Musical Review |  July 25-30

In this delightful musical about the King of Musicals, Cole Porter. Green and Strachan have cleverly put together most of Cole's hit tunes with a narration that tells the story of his life, from Yale to Paris to Manhattan to Broadway to Hollywood-- and, ultimately, back once again to Broadway. A lovely evening featuring Porter standards, including "I Love Paris," "Take Me Back to Manhattan," "Love for Sale," "Night and Day," and "I Get a Kick Out of You."

Dial M for Murder |  August 1-6

Frederick Knott's murder mystery about marriage and money had a successful run on Broadway and later gained popularity as a major motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This psychological thriller unravels an elegant mystery about an ex-tennis star who plots to kill his wealthy wife, after having been named her heir. As one review notes, this smart script is stylish, mysterious, and will keep you guessing until the end.”

The Wedding Singer  |  August 8-13

The Wedding Singer takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room. Based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, The Wedding Singer's sparkling new score does for the '80s what Hairspray did for the '60s. Just say yes to the most romantic musical in twenty years.

It's 1985, and rock star wannabe, Robbie Hart, is New Jersey's favorite wedding singer. He's the life of the party until his own fiancee leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own. Enter Julia, a winsome waitress who wins his affection. As luck would have it, Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and, unless Robbie can pull off the performance of a decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever. 

 

 

Boji Bantam Children’s Theatre

Boji Bantam production are $7 per patron. Showtimes are Wednesday - Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are sold at the door on the day of the performance. General seating. Doors open at 10 a.m. Groups of 10 or more please call the box office at 712-332-7773.

 

The Mother Goose News Hour  |  July 5-8

Little Boy Blue has gone missing! Oh where, oh where could he be? Don't fret—The Mother Goose News Hour is on the case, providing live coverage of the latest and greatest happenings in the world of nursery rhymes. Hum along to your favorites as we watch Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and a cast of familiar characters band together to give us the news and unravel the mystery.

 

Charlie the N-Good, Really-Rotten, Cheat-A-Saurus Rex  |  July 19-22

Journey back in time with Charlie Cheat-A-Saurus Rex, a young dinosaur who'd rather spend his time playing Rex Box video games than studying for his SATs (Scales and Tails Examination)—but on the day of the big test, an underprepared Charlie is forced to make a tough decision, try the best he can...or cheat!

Box Office Overview - Mainstage Shows

Ticket prices for mainstage performances: Musicals, $24 Plays: $20. 

Weekly curtain times: 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Two-for-one performances: Saturday evening (8 p.m.) (All Ages) and Saturday (4:30) and Sunday (6 p.m.) for senior citizens ages 65 and older.   

To reserve tickets before June 19, email the request to: [email protected]. Beginning June 19, the Box Office window and phone lines will be open for ticketing purchases.     

The Okoboji Summer Theatre Association offers discount ticket books for $140. Books can be ordered by emailing [email protected]. They can also be purchased at Northwest Bank locations (Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, Milford, Spencer), Pearson Lakes Art Center (Okoboji), Liberty National Bank (Okoboji), or Arts on Grand (Spencer), with payment by check or cash. 

 

Special Ticket Discounts:

• Two students, ages 13+ (including college students), will be admitted for the regular price of one on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
• Two senior citizens, age 65 or older, will be admitted for the regular price of one on Saturday matinees (4:30 p.m.) and Sunday evenings (6 p.m.)
• All Saturday evening (8 p.m.) performances are available at the two-for-one ticket price for all ages
• All active and reserve military may purchase two-for-one tickets for any 8 p.m. performance

 

For our students

Okoboji Summer Theatre Company is a working professional summer stock theatre company. An essential component of Stephens’ Musical Theatre, Acting, Technical Theatre and Costume Design programs, OST helps students improve all aspects of technique.

Students work side-by-side with nationally recognized guest artists, faculty, alumnae mentors and working professionals. Students also learn what it takes to run a company, how all of the components of theatre must come together cohesively, and how to market not only the company’s productions, but one’s own professional self.