Caleb Ruppert, this years director for the ninth through 12th grade Theatre workshop, gives direction to students on performing.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State University Children’s Theatre, in conjunction with Marshall Community Service, P.S. Productions and Fixen Chiropractic are coming together this summer to help students get more opportunities to work in theatre and perform in front of others.

The summer workshop has been directed by Sheila Tabaka since 2018. She has been working in the summer program for 20 years, and has now stayed much longer than she originally thought. Initially the plan was to be done when her son graduated high school. Now her son is a freshman in college, and Tabaka still works with SMSU.

“Her work building this up, the expectations are there, the kids are there, they know what to do, they know what they want to do, and that’s been really impressive to see.” Caleb Ruppert said. He is the director of the High School Theatre Workshop.

The Theatre Workshop consists of two performances. One is the Children’s Theatre with third grade through eighth grade. The other is the High School Theatre Workshop, which is a play with ninth grade through 12th grade. On Monday, the plays are selected. Right now, everyone is working to find props, doing auditions, working backstage and memorizing lines. In less than two weeks they’ll need to be ready to perform.

Many of the teenagers working on the high school play assisted the third through eighth grade youths with work backstage in the morning.

It’s been really nice having them here.” Ruppert said. “They’ve been really helpful being there and working with you.”

For many students — especially those who live outside of Marshall – working with SMSU is the one time of year they get to see their friends and perform with them. Even the young ones in third and fourth grade work hard and keep their focus on performing, Tabaka said.

The elementary and middle school students are working on a the musical “Twinderella.” It’s a twin themed Cinderella musical where the students will get experience choreographing, and ample opportunity for comedy. The high schoolers will be performing a series of scenes called “Door to Door” which follow a central theme of making decisions, and how sometimes, a decision can be not making a decision at all.

“The play goes all over the place, it’s from really comedic and silly to one of the characters experiencing cancer.” Ruppert said. “It really does deal with the gamut of there’s comedy in our choices, and there’s serious consequences for our choices.”

Performances for the third through eighth graders will be held Friday, June 12, at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The ninth through 12th graders will perform Friday, June, 12 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Donations at the door are welcomed.