BWW Blog: Randa Meierhenry - Oh for Cryin' in the Sink!: A Quick Look at Prairie Repertory Theatre's DON'T HUG ME

A chilling start to their 46th season, Prairie Repertory Theatre opened their first show last week: Don't Hug Me. Despite the ninety plus degree weather outside, the cast bundled up, sang their hearts out, and left audiences rolling in the aisles.

The show features performers from not only South Dakota State University, but from all around the Midwest! Bridget Johnston (Iowa State University) plays "Bernice Lundstrom" a spunky, young waitress at The Bunyan. "Aarvid Gissleson," the karaoke salesman, and "Kanute Gunderson," an oblivious macho-man, are both played by SDSU students, Cody Schwartz and Alex Garcia. Christa Gesicki (University of South Dakota) shines as the hilarious "Clara Johnson" and works in tandem with Jim Wood (Prof. of Theatre at South Dakota State Unversity) as "Gunner Johnson," her pragmatic husband.

Don't Hug Me, created by brothers Phil and Paul Olson, is a present day tale that follows the lives of Gunner and Clara Johnson, the owners of The Bunyan, a local bar in Bunyan Bay, Minnesota. Hoping to escape the cold, Gunner pesters his wife about selling the bar and moving to Florida while Clara wants to stay put. Meanwhile, Bernice Lundstrom longs to pursue her dreams away from Bunyan Bay, but is stuck with her fiancé, Kanute Gunnerson. When all hope for romance seems lost, karaoke salesman Aarvid Gissleson arrives promising to reignite love through the power of song. And chaos ensues, don't ya know!

With Minnesota accents flowing and ridiculous catchphrases laced throughout the script, it's difficult not to laugh at this already cheesy comedy. All the same, first time director Corey Shelsta takes funny to the next level. Perfectly timed blocking paired with strong choices to amplify already absurd situations are just a few of the wonderful attributes of this over the top rom-com.

In addition to fantastic direction, the design team creates a wonderfully accurate atmosphere for the characters to live in. This team includes set designer Steven Marienau (SDSU), costume designer Taylor Walker (SDSU), props designer Dani Wermedal (SDSU), lighting designer Caleb Woodring (SDSU), sound designer Randa Meierhenry (Simpson College), and stage manager Jade Heilman (SDSU). From winter coats to a working karaoke machine, all the details have been covered with this highly skilled team of designers.

The show remounts in Brandon, South Dakota at Brandon Valley Auditorium on July 16th. Tickets are on sale at the South Dakota State University Box Office Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so call 605.688.6045 or stop on by! Tickets may also be purchased at the Doner Box Office prior to each performance, starting at 6pm, or online at sdstate.tix.com.