Okoboji Summer Theater Announces 60th Anniversary Season

Musicals by Kander & Ebb and Rodgers & Hammerstein, plus a classic Neil Simon comedy are among the shows being performed at the Okoboji Summer Theatre owned by Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.

This summer marks the popular summer stock theatre's 60th anniversary, with nine productions this season:

THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND (By Kander & Ebb)

Musical

June 13-18

PLAZA SUITE (By Neil Simon)

Comedy

June 20-25

THE NERD (By Larry Shue)

Comedy

June 27-July 2

FOOTLOOSE (By Dean Pitchford & Music by Tom Snow)

Musical

July 4-9

BOEING BOEING (By Marc Camoletti)

Farce

July 11-16

ON GOLDEN POND (By Ernest Thompson)

Classical

July 18-23

MOVE OVER, MRS. MARKHAM (By Ray Cooney & John Chapman)

Farce

July 25-30

SYLVIA (By A.R. Gurney)

Comedy

Aug. 1-6

SOUTH PACIFIC (By Rodgers & Hammerstein II)

Musical

Aug. 8-13

In addition, the Boji Bantam Children's Theatre performances include: Pinkalicious the Musical (June 21-24), Five Little Monkeys (July 5-8), Elephant and Piggie's We are in a Play (July 19-22), and Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (Aug. 2-5).

For its 60th anniversary season, Dr. Gail Humphries Mardirosian returns as the artistic director, with Resident Actor Rob Doyen joining as co-artistic director. Advanced theatre students from Stephens College, who attend OST as part of their BFA degree program, will join guest artists from across the country at this unique summer stock theatre company season.

Over the past 59 years, the Okoboji Summer Theatre has presented more than 550 plays to an audience of 1.5 million. A thousand young actors, 500-plus professional faculty and 2,000-plus guest artists have dedicated every waking moment to pulling off each production, accounting for nearly 40,000 exhausting hours of rehearsals.

In 1958, the theatre started with nine Stephens students and 11 faculty members; today Okoboji Summer Theatre is recognized as one of the longest running summer stock theatre programs in the country. It has entertained summer audiences in the lakes Region of Iowa with high-quality, sold-out shows.

Behind OST is the Stephens College School of Performing Arts. The Theatre program was recently named the #6 "Best College Theatre" in the nation.

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the country, with coeducational graduate and adult undergraduate programs and a professional conservatory training program.

The OST Box office opens Monday, June 5, 2017. Send ticket requests to boxoffice@okobojisummertheatre.org. For more information call 573-876-7199.

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