The North Star

In collaboration with Escalate Dance
Jan. 14 - Feb. 13, 2022 • All Ages
Tickets On Sale Now!
 

Chart a meaningful path through the constellations. 

Based on the book THE NORTH STAR © 2009 by Peter H. Reynolds 
Originally published by Candlewick Press 
Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc. 
Script and Lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby
Music by James Lekatz 

Directed by Sandy Boren-Barrett & Ann Marie Omeish

ALL AGES • WORLD PREMIERE!  


A gentle coming-of-age fable featuring a young person embarking on the journey of a lifetime is filled with self-determination, creativity, and hope. This dance inspired piece featuring a musical score, dialogue, and singing is our ninth collaboration with Escalate Dance.

Originally published by Candlewick Press. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc. 
Alert

PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE PURCHASING TICKETS:

To ensure your safety, and the safety of our staff, cast, crew and volunteers, the following protocols will be in place throughout the run THE NORTH STAR running January 14-Feburary 13, 2022.
At this time, Stages Theatre Company is requiring that all (18+) patrons provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 test (completed within 72 hours of the performance) AND all attendees (3+) wear masks at all times while in the building and theater. We are currently selling to a limited capacity to allow for social distancing and will provide all ticket holders with any updated requirements closer to the time of the event.
✔️ PROOF OF VACCINATION OR NEGATIVE COVID TEST (taken within 72 hours of performance)

• All patrons 18+ years of age will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test.

• At home tests NOT accepted.

• This includes parent chaperones and staff attending with groups.

✔️ MASKS REQUIRED FOR EVERYONE AGES 3+

All patrons 3yrs and older will be required to wear a mask while in the building.


More information on our COVID-19 Policies can be found here:

• Watch an information video about our current capacity & bubble seating.

PERFORMANCE CALENDAR


JANUARY 2022
Fri. 14 - 7 p.m.
Sat. 15 - 1 p.m.
Sun. 16 - 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. PWYC
Mon. 17 - 10 a.m.

Wed. 19 - 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Thu. 20 - 10 a.m.
Fri. 21 - 7 p.m.
Sat. 22 - 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Sun. 23 - 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.

Wed. 26 - 10 a.m.
Thu. 27 - 10 a.m.
Fri. 28 - 7 p.m.
Sat. 29 - 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. ASL/AD
Sun. 30 - 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.

FEBRUARY 2022
Wed. 2 - 12:30 p.m.
Thu. 3 - 10 a.m.
Fri. 4 - 7 p.m.
Sat. 5 - 10 a.m. SF & 1 p.m.
Sun. 6 - 1 p.m.

Wed. 9 - 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Fri. 11 - 7 p.m.
Sat. 12 - 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Sun. 13 - 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.

RUN DATES: Jan. 14 - Feb. 13, 2022
LOCATION: Mainstage Theatre
APPROPRIATE AGES: All Ages
DURATION: 60 Minutes

ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Click on the performance date and time for more information.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN PERFORMANCE (PWYC):
SUN, 1/16/2022 4PM

ASL INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE (ASL) :
SAT, 1/29/2022 1PM

AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE (AD) :
SAT, 1/29/2022 1PM

SENSORY FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE (SF) :
SAT, 2/5/2022 10AM

RESOURCES TO ENJOY THE SHOW



 

VIDEO & PHOTOS

 

VIDEO SNEAK PEEK

PHOTOS

Photos & Video by Fischeye Films.
Sneak Peek of THE NORTH STAR Sets, Costumes & Headpieces
Set Designs by Tiffany Fier, Costume Designs by Stacey Palmer, Headpiece Designs by Kim Ford
 


AUDIENCE REVIEWS

<< Swipe to view >>

  • It was great. Creative and beautiful. My two boys, ages 9&6, loved it, and loved that it was all kids.
  • Loved the show and the positive message during such tough pandemic times
  • Good message, lovely dancing and acting. We especially loved the bird and frog!
  • I was moved to tears by the sheer beauty of it. The story. The dancing. The music. The costumes. All were so wonderful.



 

CAST

In alphabetical order.

CAST

In alphabetical order
MOSQUITO - Kenza Ahmed
CAT - Marie Chouinard
TREE DANCER / NORTH STAR DANCER - Anne Marie Cline
TREE DANCER / NORTH STAR DANCER - Maggie Cronan
TREE DANCER / NORTH STAR DANCER - Allie Foster
NORTH STAR SOLOIST & TREE DANCER - Abby Horter
OAK LEAF DANCER - Annaliese Leab
RABBITT - Jacob Marckel
SIGN DANCER - Elinor Mulhern
MOSQUITO - Aida Patrick
BIRD - Yasemin Pillay
THE CHILD - Alice Pinney
SIGN DANCER - Eva Poppe
MOSQUITO - Finley Ring
OAKLEAF DANCER - Kaley Ruotsinoja
OAKLEAF SOLOIST - Cecilia Samadani
OAKLEAF DANCER - Mira Samadani
MOSQUITO - Paloma Samadani
SIGN DANCER - Ella Schumacher
SIGN DANCER - Adrienne Shurts
OAK LEAF DANCER - Elizabeth Shurts
FROG - Savannah Noelle Switzer
MOSQUITO - Cecelia Williams
SIGN DANCER - Evie Wright

CREATIVE & CREW


ARTISTIC DIRECTOR STC & DIRECTOR - Sandy Boren-Barrett
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ESCALATE & DIRECTOR - Ann Marie Omeish
CHOREOGRAPHERS - Halle Audette, Katie Barron & Anna Esposito
MUSIC DIRECTOR - Sarah Hohenstein Burk
SET DESIGNER - Tiffany Fier
PROPS DESIGNER - Kim Ford
SOUND DESIGNER - Gretchen Katt
COMPOSER & SEQUENCING - James Lekatz
RESIDENT COSTUMER - Christa Ludwig
LIGHTING DESIGNER - Grant E. Merges
MUSIC MIX - Matt Ouren
COSTUME & MAKE UP DESIGNER - Stacey Palmer
PRODUCTION MANAGER - Melanie Salmon-Peterson
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - Trevor Zapiecki

STAGE MANAGER - Caroline van Vliet
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER – Joya Horne
SOUNDBOARD OPERATOR – David Gamache
LIGHT BOARD OPERATORS – Mason Horter & Isabella Totin

PAINTERS – Cinde Ashley
MASTER ELECTRICIAN – Trevor Zapiecki
STITCHERS – Amanda Todd and Shannon Stewart
ELECTRICIANS – Lu Chen, Karin Olson, Mike Lee
SHOP VOLUNTEERS – Scott Brown, Warren Glidden, Yvonne Ring, Marianne Wolf, Roy Richardson Jr, and Nancy
COSTUME VOLUNTEERS – Russell Malmsten, Vanessa Apira, Susie Campbell

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS


SANDY BOREN-BARRETTSANDY BOREN-BARRETT (Co-Director and Artistic Director of Stages Theatre Company)
Sandy Boren-Barrett has been with Stages Theatre Company (STC) since 1990, allowing her to pursue her passion for theatre production and education, along with community building theatre serving young audiences. During her time in leadership STC has been awarded National recognition with the 2017 Harold Oaks Award for Innovative Contributions to the Field of Theatre for Young Audiences, as well as the 2018 – 50/50 Applause Award for promoting gender equity with playwrights. STC’s 2019-2020 season selection was highlighted in TYA Today Magazine as an example of “a promising increase in representation specifically in works that feature the stories of contemporary young people of color”. Sandy led an international performance tour and artistic exchange with “the egg Theatre, the Young Peoples Theatre of Theatre Royal” in Bath England. Collaboration is at the core of her work, and as an accomplished director has directed over 75 productions at STC which include many new works, dance-inspired productions, and world premieres. She directed the local premier, mainstage production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the musical which remains the highest attended production at Stages Theatre Company. Sandy remains on the Executive Committee, as former chair of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) and last spring worked with Racially Conscious Collaboration (RCC) to gain her certification in racial equity organizational leadership.

ANN MARIE OMEISHANN MARIE OMEISH (Co-Director and Artistic Director of Escalate Dance)
Ann Marie Omeish is the owner and director of Escalate Dance and Theatre Studio. She has taught and choreographed dance and theater for the past thirty years in many venues throughout the region. After receiving a B.A. in Dance from Gustavus Adolphus, Ann Marie went on to incorporate theater in her experience, performing in and choreographing various productions including shows at Stages Theatre, Orchestra Hall, Lyric Arts and Normandale College. Ann Marie's passion for dance and theater led her to the decision to open her studio in the fall of 2004. She absolutely loves doing the dance collaboration with Stages Theatre every year!

Peter H. ReynoldsPETER H. REYNOLDS (Book Author)
Peter H. Reynolds is the award-winning author and illustrator of The North Star, The Dot, and Ish. He also illustrated the bestselling Someday by Alison McGhee, Tess's Treeby Jess M. Brallier, and the bestselling Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. Peter and his twin brother, Paul (now his business partner), were born in Canada but moved to a Massachusetts suburb when they were 3 years old. They made their first foray into publishing at the age of 7, when they began producing their own newspapers and comic books on their father’s photocopier. An incessant doodler since childhood, Peter credits his unique brand of humor and his love for the absurd to growing up with “very eccentric British parents” who were fond of watching Monty Python. “It was not a normal house,” he recalls. From his parents he also inherited an appreciation for tea, which he uses both as a beverage and an art medium. Peter is the president and creative director of FableVision Studios in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he produces award-winning children’s broadcast programming, educational videos, and multimedia applications, Peter was recently honored by Verizon as Literacy Leader of the Year (USA). The author-illustrator lives with his family in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Jennifer KirkebyJENNIFER KIRKEBY (Playwright & Lyricist)
The North Star” by Peter Reynolds marks the 23rd play that Jennifer Kirkeby has written for Stages Theatre Company. Other plays she and James LeKatz adapted for the stage include: “The Velveteen Rabbit”, “Snow Queen”, and “The Dot”, also by Peter Reynolds. A former dancer, Kirkeby enjoys creating pieces with movement and music. She is also a recreation artist who has been featured in Vogue magazine. Visit her Instagram account: @jenniferkirkeby The North Star” by Peter Reynolds marks the 23rd play that Jennifer Kirkeby has written for Stages Theatre Company. Other plays she and James LeKatz adapted for the stage include: “The Velveteen Rabbit”, “Snow Queen”, and “The Dot”, also by Peter Reynolds. A former dancer, Kirkeby enjoys creating pieces with movement and music. She is also a recreation artist who has been featured in Vogue magazine. Visit her Instagram account: @jenniferkirkeby

James LekatzJAMES LEKATZ (Composer)
James Lekatz is a composer, movement director, and arts educator in the Twin Cities. He was on staff at Stages Theatre Company for 5 years as an Education Associate, teaching many workshops, residencies, as well as the CAST program. He has composed and music directed many productions at Stages. He was the Artistic Associate of Performing Arts at Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts for 4 years, directing, acting, and programming work for the performing arts department. He has taught movement and movement directed productions at Augsburg College. Currently, he is a freelance composer, piano teacher, and aerial instructor. James firmly believes in giving young people a positive experience in the arts, as they will be the next generation of arts practitioners and arts patrons.

SARAH HOHENSTEIN BURKSARAH HOHENSTEIN BURK (MUSICAL DIRECTOR)
A performer and recording artist on keyboard, violin, vocals and percussion, Sarah Hohenstein Burk has toured the U.S., Europe and the Middle East with a variety of ensembles and theatre troupes. Ongoing endeavors include directing and performing with her jazz trio, as well as dates with various jazz, big band, R&B, gospel, classical chamber, international dance and variety ensembles. She has played the roles of music director, conductor, composer, instrumentalist and arranger in over 100 theatre productions and is actively involved in the development and production of new works at Stages Theatre Company, the History Theatre, Theater Latté Da and Green T Productions.