“Class in Dramatics, Play Production Offered to Public” read the headline that started it all for the Madhatters Community Theatre. Headed by Miss Marlys Meland, the speech instructor at the high school, the class first met on January 6, 1954 in room 114. Two months later, the dramatics class presented I Remember Mama, an adaptation of the book Mama’s Bank Account, by Katherine Forbes. The play was an unmitigated success, filling the theater on the first night. They even had to turn people away.
Since that auspicious beginning, the Wadena Madhatters Community Theatre Company has presented over 90 productions. Full length regular productions included plays such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Miracle Worker, Arsenic and Old Lace (done twice), A Streetcar Named Desire, Steel Magnolias, and On Golden Pond. Full length musicals included Annie Get Your Gun, Music Man, Oklahoma, The King and I, Guys and Dolls, The Fantastics, The Sound of Music, Nunsense, and Brigadoon. In 1988, Madhatters started doing dinner theatre productions including Lie, Cheat and Genuflect, The Amazing Adventures of Dan Daredevil, The Odd Couple (female version), Barefoot in the Park, Ole and Lena’s Wedding, and Don’t Hug Me. And most excitingly in recent years, Madhatters has presented three original productions: Three Nights in Arid Flats, The Piece, and Rawhide and Crossbones
In 1997, Madhatters initiated a drama camp for children from Wadena and surroundings areas. Originally, the camp was only offered every other year, but starting in 2008, it was offered every year in July with a new theme each year. In 2010, Madhatters created MadLab, an opportunity to do more intense, grittier plays such as girl and Rabbit Hole. In 2012, Madhatters collaborated with Lamplighters Community Theatre from Staples to present A Walk in the Woods and then True West in 2014. Starting in 2016, Madhatters collaborated with The Funtasticks Theatre Troupe of Fergus Falls for dinner theater melodramas in Ottertail.
The goal of that initial class was to bring quality, live entertainment to the Wadena area and the Madhatters Community Theatre has done that very thing for the past 70 years. We hope to keep live theatre alive for a long time to come.
Madhatter Community Theatre Productions 1954 – 2021
March 1954 * I Remember Mama * dir. Marlys Meland
September 1954 * The Man Who Came to Dinner * dir. Mary Ann Wruck
February 1956 * Mr. Barry’s Etchings * dir. Mary Ann Wruck
January 1957 * Angel Street * dir. John Steinbeck
March 1957 * The Robe * dir. Mary Ann Wruck
January 1959 * Arsenic and Old Lace * dir. Richard Wycklund
January 1961 * Goodnight Caroline & Sorry, Wrong Number * dir. Richard Wycklund
May 1976 * One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest * dir. Bill Bradford
August 1976 * The Miracle Worker * dir. Larry Mikkelson
February 1977 * Luv * dir. Lillian Bradford
May 1977 * Madwoman of Chaillot * dir. Bill Bradford
July 1977 * Prince Fairyfoot * dir. Bill Bradford
October 1977 * Imaginary Invalid * dir. Tim Hjelmeland
February 1978 * Black Comedy * dir. Lillian Bradford
May 1978 * Annie Get Your Gun * dir. Patty Kaperak
July 1978 * A Bad Day at Gopher’s Breath * dir. Dan Waisanen
October 1978 * Streets of New York * dir. Patty Kaperak
January 1979 * It’s Called the Sugar Plum * dir. Patty Kaperak
January 1979 * The Seduction * dir. Amy Hunter
April 1979 * No, No Nanette * dir. Patty Kaperak
July 1979 * Donkey Tales * dir. Marilyn Nervig
October 1979 * A Streetcar Named Desire * dir. Tim Hjelmeland
February 1980 * An Evening of Song and Dance * dir. Lin Bentrup
October 1980 *Harvey * dir. Lillian Bradford
April 1981 * Music Man * dir. Mary Phillips
October 1981 * Barefoot in the Park * dir. Lillian Bradford
March 1982 * The Mousetrap * dir. Victoria Kesler
October 1982 * Last of the Red Hot Lovers * dir. Lillian Bradford
March 1983 * Oklahoma * dir. Mary Phillips
October 1984 * The Prisoner of Second Avenue * dir. Lillian Bradford
March 1985 * Irene * dir. Mary Phillips
April 1986 * Everybody Loves Opal * dir. Lillian Bradford
April 1987 * Whoopee * dir. Mary Phillips
April 1988 Dinner Theatre * Lie, Cheat and Genuflect * dir. Lin Bentrup
April 1989 * Mixed Doubles * dir. Lin Bentrup
October 1989 * Modern Day Vaudeville * dir. Lin Bentrup
March 1990 * The King and I * dir. Nathan Keye
November 1990 * Mr. Scrooge’s Christmas * dir. Lin Bentrup
March 1991 * Steel Magnolias * dir. John Uhrich
November 1991 * Frosty the Snowman & Once Upon a Shoe * dir. Julie Potvin
April 1992 * Alone Together * dir. Derek Voy
August 1992 Old Wadena Rendezvous * Little Round Hill Follies * dir Kevin Dahl
November 1992 * Love, Sex and the IRS * dir. Lin Bentrup
March 1993 * Play On * dir. Arthur Apissomian
June 1993 * Love, Sex and the IRS (encore) * dir. Lin Bentrup
March 1994 * Guys and Dolls * dir. Julie Tjossem
October 1994 Dinner Theatre * The Amazing Adventures of Dan Daredevil * dir. Lin Bentrup
November 1995 Dinner Theatre * The Odd Couple (female version) * dir. Arthur Apissomiam prod. Miranda Bryant
May 1996 * Annie * dir. Merry Hettenbach, prod. Sue Mohs
April 1997 * The Cemetery Club * dir. Sue Mohs
June 1997 * Drama Camp * prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
March-April 1998 * The Fantasticks * dir. Sherry Anderson
April-May 1999 * God’s Favorite * dir. Sue Mohs prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
November 1999 * Three One Acts About the Elderly * dir. Jim Buchan prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
July 1999 * Drama Camp – Our Town * dir. Robin Jensen prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
May 2000 Dinner Theatre * Barefoot in the Park * dir. Mary Harrison
April-May 2001 * The Sound of Music * dir. Robin Jensen prod. Sue Mohs
August 2001 * Drama Camp – Follow the Yellow Brick Road * dir. Robin Jensen prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
March 2002 * Arsenic and Old Lace * dir. Sue Mohs prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
April 2003 * T he Wizard of Oz * dir. Mike Mattson prod. Joyce Jampsa
August 2003 * Drama Camp – Oliver Twist * dir. Mike Mattson
April 2004 * Nunsense * dir. Sue Mohs prod. Joyce Jampsa
April 2005 * Brigadoon * dir. Ert Jones-Hermerding prod. Michelle Curtis
August 2005 * Drama Camp – Me, Myself & My Creative Self * dir. Robin Jensen prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
November 2005 Dinner Theatre * Ole & Lena’s Wedding * dir. Sue Mohs prod. Dee Pohlman and prod. Deb Fitzsimmons
October 2006 Dinner Theatre * Death of a Doornail * dir. Michelle Curtis & Angie Reynolds
October 2007 * Drop Dead * dir. Lin Bentrup
March-April 2008 * The Prisoner of Second Avenue * dir. Sue Mohs
July 2008 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
July 2009 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
January 2010 MadLab * girl * dir. Amy Hunter
March-April 2010 * On Golden Pond * dir. Sue Mohs prod. Dee Skogen
July 2010 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
December 2010 * The Best Christmas Pageant Ever * dir. Sherri Linnes prod. Sue Mohs
January 2011 MadLab * Rabbit Hole * dir. Matthew Olsen
July 2011 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
July 2012 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
November 2012 * It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play * dir. Michelle Curtis
March 2013 Dinner Theatre * Do Not Disturb * dir. Michelle Curtis
July 2013 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
July 2014 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
August 2014 with Lamplighters * True West * dir. Matthew Olsen
October 2014 * Don’t Hug Me * dir. Mim Maas prod. Michelle Curtis
April 2015 * A Little Piece of Heaven * dir. Michelle Curtis
July 2015 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
April 2016 * Prescription: Murder * dir. Michelle Curtis & Kevin Klawitter
May 2016 * The Kitchen Witches * dir. Michelle Curtis
May 2016 * Theatre Director’s Workshop * Matthew Olsen
July-August 2016 with Lamplighters * Twelve Angry Men * dir. Matthew Olsen
July 2016 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
August 2016 Dinner Theatre * Prescription: Murder * dir. Michelle Curtis & Kevin Klawitter
October-November 2016 * The Whales of August * dir. Mary DuBois
November 2016 Dinner Theatre * The Kitchen Witches * dir. Michelle Curtis
July 2017 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
August 2017 Dinner Theatre* Three Nights in Arid Flats * dir. Michelle Curtis
March 2018 * The Piece * dir. Michelle Curtis
May 2018 * Driving Miss Daisy * dir. Mary DuBois
July 2018 * Drama Camp – Little Shop of Hatters * dir. Robin Jensen
August 2018 Dinner Theatre * Rawhide and Crossbones * dir. Michelle Curtis
December 2018 * Believe * dir. Mim Maas
May 2019 * Marjorie Prime * dir. Bronwynn Touchette
July 2019 * Drama Camp * dir. Robin Jensen
September 2019 * Madhatters One Act Play Showcase 2019 * prod. Michelle Curtis & Bronwynn Touchette
April 2020 * Into The Woods * dir. Michelle Curtis *suspended for pandemic*
July 2021 * Drama Camp – Our Town * dir. Robin Jensen
July 2021 Theatre in the Park * Three Nights in Arid Flats * dir. Lora Foust