Carroll University undergraduate student Ryan Albrechtson and his peers were asked to create a fictional arts organization over the course of a semester in a fine arts administration class and Albrechtson, who fully connected with the project, took the next step and realized it this year as Outskirts Theatre Co. He didn’t want to create “just another” community theater group though—he shares, “What Outskirts strives to do is to use the powerful medium of theater to make a different in this community. While I believe entertaining the audience is vital to a successful show, I want our patrons to have a truly thought-provoking experience that causes them to take a stand against social and moral injustices in our society.”
Albrechtson will kick off Outskirts’ first season by directing Bert V. Royal’s Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, a story of CB (teenage Charlie Brown) and his friends as they experience the highs and lows of high school. “This show has the perfect balance of entertainment and thoughtfulness that we were looking for,” says Albrechtson. “Through these characters, we learn how truly important it is to understand ourselves and be accepting of each other.” The cast is about half Carroll students and half Waukesha-natives attending other schools. And most unique about this company? “All cast and crew members are required to participate in a volunteer project that ties in with the current production,” says Albrechtson. “This is a way for us to do our best giving back to the community, both on and off the stage.”
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Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead, sponsored by Direct Supply and Dan and Sheri Albrechtson, runs Aug. 22-30 at Carroll University’s Otteson Studio Theatre, 238 N. East Ave., Waukesha. For tickets, call 262-955-3483 or visit outskirtstheatre.org.
Theatre Happenings:
Though the name may seem foreboding, The Cemetery Club by Ivan Menchell is a light-hearted show following widows Ida, Lucille and Doris that reflects on when it’s time to move on to new relationships after someone has passed away. SummerStage of Delafield will perform the show Aug. 28-Sept. 13 at Lapham Peak Unit—Kettle Moraine State Forest, W329 N846 County Highway C. For tickets, call 262-337-1560 visit summerstageofdelafield.org.
Sturgeon Bay’s Third Avenue Playhouse presents Will Durst’s BommeRaging: From LSD to OMG, a smart, funny stand-up act about the Baby Boom Generation (overhead projector included). The show runs Aug. 26-30, at 239 N. Third Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. For tickets, call 920-743-1760 visit thirdavenueplayhouse.com.
