Author: pctheater

When the Heritage Players look at producing musicals, Dawn is often one of the first ladies in the door ready to audition for the opportunity to sing on stage.  She has a love of music that shines through whenever she is performing.  As a former board member for Heritage Players, Dawn knows the high costs that are associated with full-scale musical productions.  In order to ease the “itch” to sing her favorite broadway showtunes, Dawn was a key organizer behind the new “Songs of the Stage” fundraiser events hosted by the Heritage Players over the last year.

“Nunsense: The Mega Musical” marks Dawn’s 5th production with Heritage Players. She appeared in “Don’t Hug Me”, “She Loves Me”, “All Because of Agatha” and “Quilters”. She would like to thank her family for their support and indulgence as she pursues her passion of performing, especially their patience as she worked on her accent at home!

Sonda Jacobson has done several shows with Heritage Players including She Loves Me, Songs of the Stage events, and most recently Music Man.  She enjoys being behind the piano accompanying all the talent on stage!  Sonda has a Music Performance B.A. from the University of MN, Morris, she plays on the Harris Covenant Church praise team, and with the trio “Friends”.  She loves spending time with family and friends!

Mary Ellen Sauser is performing in her fourth Nunsense production with the Heritage Players.  As Sister Hubert, she is delighted to be playing the onstage sidekick to her real life sidekick, Elisa Mill.  As a teacher for over 30 years and now in a new role as Peer Coach at Pine City high school, playing Mistress of the Novices is perhaps not much of a stretch!   In her free time Mary Ellen enjoys golfing, knitting, walking, and yard work.  After being part of more than a dozen Heritage shows, she’s thrilled to have the opportunity to be performing at this venue.

Elisa Mill returns to the Heritage Players stage in the role of Reverend Mother Mary Regina, having previously portrayed the character in the 1995 production of Nunsense, and again in the 2005 production of Nuncrackers.  She spent the better part of the last ten years pleading her case for a return of the Nunsense shows to the Pine City stage and is thrilled that someone finally listened!

“My acting career spans about 45 years.  It began when I was in 9th grade, rather horrifying to realize.  I have been doing Heritage Player productions for a long time (NOT 45 years)!  This show, Nunsense, is my  all time favorite!  If anyone knows Dan Goggin please tell him that I am ready to join a touring company.  I am so excited to be doing the show and look forward to seeing you all in the audience.  Tell your friends!  Nunsense is habit forming.”

A now familiar face here in Pine City, we welcome back Rachel Bigelow as Choreographer for the production of Nunsense: The Mega-Musical.

Rachel Bigelow has a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota where she specialized in acting, scenic artistry, and stage management.  Rachel has worked a high school play director for four years, and was the scenic drop artist for Valley Fair’s Peanut’s stage for five years.  Although she often works behind the scenes, she enjoys spending time on the stage as well, most recently having performed in Six Element Theatre’s Human Combat Chess and Heritage Player’s rendition of The Music Man.  Rachel currently lives in Rush City, where she works as a special education teacher.

Returning as the Artistic Director for the winter production, Jay Schueller is excited to be working with this cast.  His previous shows from the Director’s Chair include “Noises Off” in 2016, “Don’t Hug Me” in 2015 and “All Because of Agatha” in 2009.  His credits in the role as Technical Director span every show that the Heritage Players have produced since 2005, having only missed one show with the company in his 10+ year career.

Schueller works full-time in technical theater for both school and community theaters including Totino-Grace, Forest Lake, North Branch, North St. Paul, and Pine City High School programs.  He joined the staff at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul where he has enjoyed building some large-scale productions like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Into the Woods”.  He is both excited and nervous about the upcoming “Mary Poppins” production at UNW, but always enjoys a challenge.

Schueller extends this invitation to anyone interested in learning more about Heritage Players, “This Saturday, January 28th is the first big set construction day for the upcoming production of “Nunsense”.  Heritage Players would love to invite more community members to join in the fun of working ‘behind the scenes’ of the community productions.  If you’d like more information about how to get involved – send us an email at heritageplayers@gmail.com or just drop in at the auditorium this Saturday and introduce yourself…. we’ll put you to work!”

With just three weeks to go before the opening of the Nunsense: The Mega-Musical we thought we’d spend some time introducing you to the talented folks behind the scenes as well as on stage.

Join us in welcoming Laura Michels as the Vocal Director for this production!

Laura attended college at BYU-Idaho where she majored in Technical Theatre, specializing in scenic art. She has worked backstage and painted for a variety of shows including: Annie, You Can’t Take It With You, Romeo & Juliet, & Something’s Afoot. More recently she has co-directed the fall musical (Annie) and One Act play at North Branch High School, as well as performing in last summer’s Heritage Players show, The Music Man as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, the mayor’s wife. She also has performed vocally with the Minnesota Mormon Chorale and was the President of the choir for 5 years. Laura wishes to thank her husband for his encouragement and support during this and all other productions she has been involved in.