Jon Hassler Theater

The Jon Hassler Theater was a professional live theater located in Plainview, Minnesota. In November 2013 it was announced that the Hassler would be closing at the end of 2014.

History

In 1999 the International Harvester Implement building was purchased by the Rural American Arts Partnership to become the theater itself. Back in 1985, the Lyric Theatre was founded by Sally Childs, who would later become the artistic director of the Jon Hassler Theater. Then, in 1999, the Lyric Theater started holding shows at the Hassler, and in 2000 the Lyric Theater moved its headquarters down to the Hassler. The theater was named after local author Jon Hassler.

Seasons

1999 - ''Old Man Brunner Country'', adapted by Ron Duffy from Leo Dangel; ''The Staggerford Murders'' by Jon Hassler; both shows produced by Lyric Theater and brought to Plainview as touring productions.

2000 - ''Grand Opening'' by Jon Hassler; ''To Whom It May Concern'' by Carol Hall; '' On Golden Pond'' by Ernest Thompson; ''Gifts of the Magi'' by Mark St. Germain and Randy Courts.

2001 - ''Old Man Brunner Country'', adapted by Ron Duffy from Leo Dangel; ''Chin Music'' by John Calvin Rezmerski; ''Boxelder Bug Variations'', adapted by Sally Childs from Bill Holm; ''Simon's Night'' by Jon Hassler; ''The Fantasticks'' by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt; '' Grace and Glorie'' by Tom Ziegler; ''Grand Opening'' by Jon Hassler.

2002 - ''Talley's Folly'' by Lanford Wilson; ''Dear James'', adapted by Sally Childs from Jon Hassler; '' Honk! The Ugly Duckling Musical'' by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe; ''Morning's at Seven'' by Paul Osborn; ''How to Talk Minnesotan'' the Holiday Musical by Howard Mohr and Drew Jansen (co-produced by Troupe America, Inc.).

2003 - ''The Spitfire Grill'' by James Valcq and Fred Alley (co-production with Buffalo Gal); ''The Staggerford Murders'' by Jon Hassler; ''How to Talk Minnesotan'' the Summer Musical by Howard Mohr and Drew Jansen (co-produced by Troupe America, Inc.); ''Honk! The Ugly Duckling Musical'' by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, ''Driving Miss Daisy'' by Alfred Uhry; ''My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra'' by David Grapes and Todd Olson.

2004 - '' Proof'' by David Auburn; ''And the World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb''; ''The Drawer Boy'' by Michael Healy; ''The West Side Waltz'' by Ernest Thompson; ''Guys on Ice: the Ice Fishing Musical'' by Fred Alley and James Kaplan (co-produced by Troupe America, Inc.).

2005 - ''The Odd Couple'' by Neil Simon; '' Seascape'' by Edward Albee; ''Bordertown Café'' by Kelly Rebar; ''Pump Boys and Dinettes'' by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann (co-produced with Mainstage Management.)

2006 - ''Trick Boxing'' by Brian Sostek & Megan McClellan; ''Rounding Third'' by Richard Dresser; ''The Last Five Years'' by Jason Robert Brown (a co-production with Nautilus Music-Theater); ''Rookery Blues'' by Jon Hassler (adapted for stage by Sally Child); Jacob Marley's ''Christmas Carol'' by Tom Mula (the one man version); ''The Pillowman'' by Martin McDonagh.

2007 - ''Grand Opening'' by Jon Hassler (adapted for stage by Sally Childs); '' Mercy of a Storm'' by Jeffrey Hatcher; ''Tuesdays with Morrie'' by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom; ''Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol'' by Tom Mula (the four-person version).

2008 - '' Good Doctor'' by Neil Simon; ''The Hassler Summer Sampler''; '' Enchanted April'' by Matthew Barber; '' Don't Hug Me'' by Phil Olson.

2009 - ''Dear James'' by Jon Hassler (adapted for stage by Sally Childs); ''The Hassler Summer Sampler''; '' Leaving Iowa'' by Tim Clue and Spike Manton; ''A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol'' by Phil Olson.

2010 - '' Old Man Brunner Country'' by Leo Dangel (adapted for stage by Sally Childs); ''A Don't Hug Me County Fair'' by Phil Olson, ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' by Washington Irving.

Staff

**As of November 2013**

* Dean Harrington - CEO
* Sally Harrington - House Manager/Facilities

Previous staff members and other important people of the Hassler Theater include: Clark Cruikshank; Sam Goerss; Ben Hain; Sally Childs; Paul Epton; Paul Skattum; Mike Carter; Ian Norregaard; Carter Martin; Tracy van Eijl; Sunny Hartert; Erica Zaffarano; Mike Nadolske; Alva Crom; and Tim, Gina, and Taylor Craine.

Words and After Words

In 2006 the Jon Hassler Theater opened up a book store in the lobby of the theater called Words and After Words. The majority of the books were donated by Emilio DeGrazia, a published author and professor emeritus from Winona State University.

High school Show

As of 2003, the Hassler has collaborated with the Plainview High School to put on the school's yearly show. From 2003 to 2006 Sally Childs directed these shows. In 2007 to 2010 the show was directed by English teacher Tracy Olson Moran due to Childs having previous engagements. This also marked the changing of the technicians for the show. Lighting director/designer Ben Hain, and set designer/builder Erica Zaffarano had moved on to other theaters and were replaced by longtime Hassler technicians Mike Carter and Ian Norregaard. In 2011 Moran decided to step down from directing stating that she'd like to spend more time with her family. The yearly show is now directed by current choir director Linda Theisen. In 2012 the yearly show was split into a Varsity and a Junior Varsity (JV) show with the 2011-12 show being directed by former choir director Andrew Faller and the 2012–13 and 2013-14 shows being directed by local parent and theater enthusiast Kim Lange. Before the announcement of the Hassler's closing, Carter and Norregaard announced that after the 2013-2014 shows that they would no longer be involved with the high school's shows due to the demands of their full-time jobs and starting their own families. The high school has put on a variety of shows.

* 2003 - ''The Miracle Worker''
* 2004 - '' The Rememberer''
* 2005 - '' You're A Good Man Charlie Brown''
* 2006 - '' Little Women''
* 2007 - ''The Curious Savage''
* 2008 - '' The Wizard of Oz''
* 2009 - '' South Pacific''
* 2010 - a 'rewritten' version of '' A Midsummer Night's Dream''
* 2011 - '' Back to the 80's''
* 2012 - ''Ever After'', JV
* 2012 - ''Once Upon a Mattress''
* 2012-13 - '' Fussin an' a'Feudin''', JV
* 2013 - ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''
* 2013-14 - '' Guess What I Did Last Summer'', JV
* 2014 - ''Happy Days''

The Hassler House

In 2004 Jon Hassler's second childhood home in Plainview was moved onto the same block as the Hassler Theater. It was restored and refurnished. It is now used to hold meetings for the Hassler Theater's Writers Center and to house actors during the runs of shows.

Trivia

* Louie Anderson performed at the Hassler in 2005.
* The theater used to seat 230 patrons.
* The ticket and refreshment counters were set pieces from previous shows.
* With the exception of one house, the Hassler's property took up an entire quarter of a block.
* The Hassler was a member of the Rural American Arts Partnership (RAAP) along with the Writers Center, the Watson House and the Plainview Area History Center, which is actually a refurbished church.

The show times were as follows:
* Thursdays - 1:30 p.m.*Thursday matinees were subject to change and are not held every Thursdays* and 7:30 p.m.
* Fridays - 7:30 p.m.
* Saturdays - 7:30 p.m.
* Sundays - 1:30 p.m.

Standard ticket prices (as of July 2013) were: $22 for General Admission $21 for Mayo Clinic $20 for Seniors (62+) $19 for Red Hat Groups $14 for Students and Children (up to age 25)

The first showing of most shows at the Hassler, also known as preview night shows, cost $14 for every one and all Thursday evening shows were $14 for everyone.

As of their 2008 season, the Hassler Theater replaced what would have been their second show of the season with the "Hassler Summer Sampler," which is composed of various acts over the span of roughly two months. The 2008 sampler included: The Rochester Radio Theater Guild, The Sweet Adalines, The Mary Louise Knutson Jazz Trio, Women Who Drink, and "The Very Thought of You" a tribute to Jon Hassler himself who had died earlier that year. The Summer sampler was held again in 2009, this time consisting of Boxelder Bugs Variations A Tribute to Bill Holm (who had died), Wise Cracks From My Father, What I Want to be When I Grow Up! and Revelations of Mann. The Summer Sampler was not shown in the 2010 season, instead the Hassler only had three shows.

Closure

Starting in 2011 the Hassler started to transition away from producing their own productions and started renting out their space to other theater groups. In November 2013 it was announced that the Jon Hassler Theater would be closing at the end of 2014. According to CEO Dean Harrington, "The kind of theater that our arts mission calls us to produce certainly has a following in our area but not enough to make the program worthwhile." The 'kind of theater' that Harrington refers to is the main reason for the closure as a very limited audience attended the shows in comparison to the more family friendly comedies and musicals the Hassler produced earlier in its lifetime. This agenda of pushing 'art' onto the Plainview locals ultimately was the beginning of the end as many of them felt spurned after the promise of the Hassler being a community theater quickly changed to the Hassler being nothing but a 'professional theater'.

External links

Jon Hassler Theater Official Site

References

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Theatres in Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Wabasha County, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in Wabasha County, Minnesota