Arts center continues its busy line up

By Rebecca Petersen | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, August 11, 2007

Wow. People really do read my column. Awesome.

I can’t tell you how many people have seen me on the street and said, “Welcome home. You sure have been gone a lot.” Isn’t that the truth?

I am so glad to be home, you can’t believe it. As much as I love the adventure of going new places and doing interesting things, there comes a time when enough is enough.

Plus, we’re so busy here at A Center for the Arts right now, I can’t believe it.

Let me just give you a rundown, ask for your opinion on a couple of things, and then leave you with a few parting comments on traveling in the UP of Michigan, California’s wine region and Glacier National Park in Montana.

This week: Tonight and Sunday at the Fergus Falls Middle School, the Broadway musical, “Beauty and the Beast “ will be performed at 7:30 p.m. tonight and at 2 p.m. Sunday

Also, in conjunction with the gathering of his class reunion, guitarist Daniel Estrem will be giving a concert at The Fergus Theatre downtown at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

On Monday, at 7 p.m., author of “Old Turtle,” Doug Wood, will present a family concert and readings at A Center for the Arts.

A book signing will follow the concert.

Also, a creative writing workshop is planned from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday featuring Wood giving pointers on A Writer’s Path for adults and students from grades 4 and up.

More Beauty and the Beast performances are slated at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 17, 18 and 19.

But that’s not all that’s happening this week. The cast and crew from “Songs from the Tall Grass” move into Fergus Falls for the last two weeks before the show opens on Aug. 24, 25 and 26.

These folks have been rehearsing all over the state, Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Fargo, Fergus Falls, but next week they all convene on Fergus Falls — including lighting people, set people, choreographers, assistant directors, actors and all.

A Center for the Arts will be hopping next week.

Plus, we’re happily going into a stage of concentrating on where we’re going for the next 10 or more years with the wonderful guidance of Creation in Common.

They will lead us through this process over the next year.

They’ve already talked with a lot of you but I’d like them to get as much information from as many of you as possible.

So, if you’re out there reading my column right now and you’d be willing to give us some feedback, please e-mail me at rebeccap@prtel.com, I promise we’ll keep the questionnaire pretty short and simple. Your feedback, however, would be greatly appreciated.

Now for those comments about traveling. Man has it been a dry summer. Every place we go has been without rain for weeks.

We were made aware of forest fires in California and Montana and The UP of Michigan during our visits.

But it also felt like these places were more alive and on fire with the arts than I’ve noticed in the past.

Maybe it’s just me noticing these things, but I highly recommend a trip to Marquette, Michigan or Helena, Mont., or Napa and Sonoma, Calif. These places have as many arts “happenings” as Fergus Falls.

So, you see, I’m back home with new ideas and new energy. Yikes. Watch out.

Rebecca Petersen is the director of A Center for the Arts.

Rebecca Petersen is the director of A Center for the Arts.