THE
PRAIRIE STAGE
Records, 1972-1991
.5 l.f.
History
From 1972-1976 NDSU had a summer touring company called the Prairie Stage.
Dr. Fred Walsh, Theatre Chairman, at this time, explained the concept of the
Prairie Stage in his unpublished autobiography: “That moment when for
the first time I saw the Prairie Stage tent erected and fully equipped with
stage, rows of platforms for the seating area supporting approximately 200
colorful contoured seats, all awaiting the arrival of an audience, was a proud
one.” “Why do something like the Prairie Stage which is a lot
harder work than teaching a few summer school classes? Well, first of all---and
this is so very important---for the pure joy of doing it. Secondly, it gave
our student actors that much more experience. Thirdly, it fulfilled two of
the three functions of a land-grant institution, teaching and service.”
“After five seasons, I brought the tent show to a halt. Costs had risen
to such a level that to have continued we would have been as the saying goes,
‘sending good money after bad.’ We would have lost money even
playing to capacity crowds.”
1 Finding Aid
2 Stationery, envelope, ticket envelope – n.d.
3 The Prairie Stage, Horizons, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 26-29 - Fall Edition 1972
4 The Prairie Stage – 1st Season (Bartholomew Bone, The Fantasticks,
Pinocchio) – Summer 1972 – Cast listing and cast bios for all
plays; Drama workshop brochure; flyers for seminars
5 The Prairie Stage – 2nd Season (Carnival, Importance of Being Earnest,
Rumpelstiltskin) – Summer 1973 – Cast listings for all plays;
placard; Drama workshop brochure; clippings; set set-up for Carnival
6 The Prairie Stage – 3rd Season (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,
The Amorous Flea, Annabelle Broom) – Summer 1974 – Cast listings
for all plays; Drama workshop brochure; clippings (state-wide)
7 The Prairie Stage – 4th Season (I Do, I Do; Two by Two; Little Red
Riding Hood) – Summer 1975; Cast listing for all players; clippings
(state-wide)
8 The Prairie Stage – Spring Tour (The Fantasticks) 1976; Cast list;
clippings – April/May 1976
9 The Prairie Stage – 5th Season (The Sunshine Boys, Born Yesterday,
Hansel & Gretel) 1976 – Cast listing for all players; clippings
(state-wide)
10 The Prairie Stage – Fall Tour (The America of Carl Sandburg) 1976;
Cast list – October 1976
11 The Prairie Stage – Tent sale – Spring 1978
12 The Prairie Stage – Revival Tour (did not materialize) – 1990-1991
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