Gilmore Creek guarantees adventure with ‘The Mouse Expedition’
WINONA, Minn. — Children and their families in the Winona area are invited to the greatest birthday adventure ever: Gilmore Creek Summer Theatre’s production of The Mouse Expedition, by Erin Malcolm. This children’s theatre production is receiving its professional premiere at GCST this summer, after its world premiere at Millikin University earlier this year.
The Mouse Expedition takes place at Henry Braithwaite’s birthday party, where his older sister Caroline has been left in charge. Henry’s mother has promised him a special gift, and when he opens the box, he discovers a compass – and a mother mouse, who needs that compass to rescue her children from the cats in the forest. The audience, taking on the role of guests at the party, is invited along to help Henry, Caroline, and the mother mouse rescue the “Meece children.”
According to Sarah St. Laurent, director of the GCST production, the production will focus on the power of the audience’s imagination. “Even if I had a $300-million budget, I couldn’t match what a child’s imagination can create,” says St. Laurent. Working with a handful of striking, iconic props and costume pieces the seven actors and the audience play with their shared imagination, which will create “a different show for every audience.”
GCST actress Karin McNamara was a student at Millikin and took part in the original production. “I’m really excited to do [the show] again,” McNamara said adding that the requirements of running Mouse Expedition in repertory with GCST’s other shows will make this “a completely new and different production.”
In addition to McNamara and St. Laurent (who is the production stage manager for GCST’s other productions), The Mouse Expedition will feature actors Tyler Bellmon, Peyton Conley, Stephen DiBlasi, Krista Hingtgen, Whitney Rappana, and Eric Zuber. Tony Freeman will music direct, and GCST’s assistant stage manager, Tracy Hoida, will stage manage.
The professional actors of Gilmore Creek will present “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” in repertory with the children’s story “The Mouse Expedition” July 10 through Aug. 3. “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” will be staged at Saint Mary’s Page Theatre, and audiences can catch “The Mouse Expedition” at the Valéncia Academy Theatre, located at 1164 W. 10th St.
Tickets are available for any of the Gilmore Creek shows from the SMU Box Office, (507) 457-1715, during summer office hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or online anytime at www.pagetheater.org. Tickets to “The Foreigner” and “Little Shop of Horrors” are $20; $18 for seniors or $12 for youth ages 12-18. Family and group packages are available. Tickets to “The Mouse Expedition” are $8.
