Cast Announced For World Premiere of SPAMTOWN, USA

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to announce the cast for the world premiere production of Spamtown, USA, running February 16, 2020 through April 5, 2020, written by Philip Dawkins and directed by Will Davis.

The cast includes CTC Acting Company members Dean Holt (Mr. Bolton), Autumn Ness (Mrs. Bolton), and Reed Sigmund (Scott's Dad), along with Dan Hopman (Mr. Olsen), Maureen Sherman-Mendez (Scott's Mom), Sandra Struthers (Miss Berg), Malia Berg (Carol Bolton), Marcelo Mena (Scott Olsen), Arden Michalec (Amy Bolton), Isabella Spiess (Jude Olsen), and Zachary Sullivan (Travis Olsen). Full cast list including external understudies and creative team bios are listed below and headshots are visible here.

Spamtown, USA, is a moving portrait of Austin, Minnesota during the 1985 Hormel strike. While five kids dream of space camp, tennis teams, and out-of-state college, they find their families and community suddenly divided by picket lines and opposing agendas. This is the story of having the strength to stand up for what you believe in, the challenge that comes in disagreeing with those you love, and the humor that helps keep friendships alive.

"As the nation's leading theatre for multigenerational audiences, Children's Theatre Company makes work that is local, national, and international," states CTC Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius. "One of our passions and priorities is to tell stories that spring from the Midwest. The events in Austin, Minnesota were a critical part of Minnesota's history and became a national story. However, what was never fully told was the story of the lives of the young people who lived in Austin during that time. At CTC, we are extremely interested in examining the world through the lens of young people. We love to tell stories about the agency, the resiliency of young people, and the ways in which they navigate the complex world we live in. Our playwright interviewed around 25 people who were children living in Austin at the time of the events and five others who were adults during that time, in addition to extensive research. Our goal is not a documentary or an attempt to tell the full story, but instead to look at the reality of these young people as they face a situation that is so new, so difficult, and so surprising. The characters are composites drawn from the interviews-all names of those who speak in the play are invented-but the stories, challenges, and spirit of the characters is drawn from the extraordinary people who spoke to us, and were so open, generous, and forthcoming about their lives and this moment in their history."

Spamtown, USA runs February 16 through April 5 on the Cargill Stage and is recommended for everyone ages 9 and up. Ticket prices range from $15 through $71 (subject to change) with ACT Pass tickets for $5. For more information, visit us online at childrenstheatre.org or call the ticket office at 612.874.0400.

To post a comment, you must register and login.