1. “ Acting requires a creative and
compassionate attitude. It must
aim to lift life up to a higher level
of meaning and not tear it down
or demean it. The actor’s
search is a generous quest fort
that larger meaning. That’s why
acting is never to be done
passively.”
- Stella Adler, The Art of Acting
CNN Ranks
Mabel Tainter
Center for the Arts
as one of the
“World’s Most
Spectacular
Theaters”
Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts
The Menomonie Theater Guild is Menomonie’s oldest
community theater organization. Founded in part to
restore the Mabel Tainter after a many-year closure, the
Menomonie Theater Guild has been instrumental in
uniting actors, directors, musicians and a score of other
creative minds for over fifty-five years. Shows are
prepared and tickets sold at the Menomonie Theater
Guild Studio. It is the mission of the Menomonie
Theater Guild to produce plays for community
enjoyment, to provide dramatic recreating for its
participants and to perpetuate and extend the ideals and
objectives of community theater. This organization will
also encourage the preservation of the Mabel Tainter
building as a historic, authentic and cultural institution.
Menomonie Theater Guild
Fall 2015

2. A Note from the Director
Thoughts from director
Melissa Smith-tourville
What an honor it has
been to be a part of
this amazing show.
As we move into the
home stretch of Next
to Normal I am ever
in awe of my cast.
They give it their all
night after night. We
are excited to be
moving into the
Mabel Tainter and merging all elements of the show
to the stage.
Our community is being invited to experience life
through the eyes of the Goodman family. This
production offers
us the opportunity
to develop more
compassion for
our family
members, friends
and community
members who
experience mental
illness every day.
I am in the stage
of directing that
includes lying
awake in bed at night worrying about the details,
“wait! I forgot to take care of this detail or that one!”
In this Issue:
 Next to Normal:
Notes from the
Director
 Next to Normal:
Interviews with
the Cast
 Ticket Time!
 Remembering
Noel Falkofske
 Miracle on 34th
Street Auditions
 WANTED for
Props
 MTG Building
Wish List

3. Lighting: CHECK. Daniel Craig is set to
light up the stage with a fantastical light
design.
Sound: CHECK. Corey Schoff is excited to
get to work assuring that the show is
music to our ears.
Set: CHECK. Scott Hearley, MTG Set
Building Guru, has done a phenomenal
job with our two story set. It rivals his
On Golden Pond set from last fall! It is
designed to wow you in every way.
Costumes: CHECK. Stevi York has put together the perfect costumes to bring
this show to life!
Props: CHECK. Robin Shay, Alice Langby and Stevi York have gathered ever
item meticulously.
Stage: CHECK. Alice Langby has organized the details alongside Stevi York to
assure that no stone is left unturned and every detail is tended. Assistant
director, Emily Miels is set to join them backstage to make the magic happen!
Cast: CHECK. THIS CAST. WOW. The vocals, the blocking, the acting, the emo-
tion. WOW.
Show: ALMOST THERE!
This show will move you to the core. You will never be the same.
Please join us the weekend of October 16th-18th and
October 23rd-25.

4. Thoughts from the Actors
Ticket Time!
Have you ever been confused
about how to get tickets? If so,
let this be a guide for you!
There are four ways to get your
tickets!
1. Stop by our studio box office
located at 502 West 2nd Street
in Menomonie! Make sure to
stop by during our box office
hours:
Tuesdays: 11:00am-3:00pm
Wednesday: 11:00am-3:00pm
Thursdays: 11:00am-3:00pm
Fridays: 11:00am-3:00pm
2. Call our Studio Box Office
during our box office hours to
talk to Box Office Staff and
order your tickets via phone.
Our box office number is
715-231-PLAY (7529). If Box
Office staff is unavailable when
you call please leave your
name, number and a brief
message and staff will get back
to you during the next Box
Office Hours.
3. Order your tickets on our
website
menomonietheaterguild.com.
4. Purchase tickets one hour
prior to the performance at the
Mabel Tainter Center for the
Arts. Please keep in mind that
your desired tickets may not be
available if you wait until the day
of the performance.
If you have any questions,
comments or concerns please
call:
715-231-PLAY (7529)
Or email us at:
mtgtickets@gmail.com
Josie Salzman as Dr. Madden
In your own words, how would you describe Next to Normal?
Next to Normal has helped begin community conversations about mental health the same
way that Rent began conversations about AIDS. It has a wonderful balance of powerful
rock ballads and soft moments. It really showcases the struggle of a family dealing with
severe and persistent mental illness, and as a community we need to recognize and empa-
thize with the struggle.
What is your role in the upcoming production of Next to Normal?
I am playing Dr. Madden. She is the psychotherapist treating Diana and really wants to
believe that Diana can improve her condition and thrive in her life.
How have previous roles prepared you for this role?
My other roles haven’t prepared me for this show. This character is so unique compared
to other roles I’ve played. It’s refreshing but challenging to develop this role and expand
my skills.
What challenges have you experienced, if any, with this role?
This role is entirely out of my comfort zone. I typically play the damsel in distress. It’s
been fun to stretch and grow as a performer. Dr. Madden is typically played by a man, and
in trying to preserve the essence of a male I’ve been sitting and walking in a more
masculine way. It’s been a tough challenge!
What has been the most rewarding about this entire experience?
I typically sing very high, light, soprano roles. Because this role is written for a man, the
part is low for me to sing. It’s been fun to expand my range and work vocals that I don’t
often get to use.
What would you like the audience to know
before seeing this production ?
I want the audience to come with an open
mind. This show will touch the heart in
unexpected ways. Don’t let the idea that it’s a
rock musical intimidate you The show is
filled with tender moments and showcases
the depth of love a family has for each other.
Are you dedicating this role or performance
to anyone? If so, who?
This show is dedicated to my friend Kate,
who has faced severe and persistent mental
illness with such bravery and beauty.

5. Hannah Jones as Natalie Goodman
In your own words, how would you describe Next to Normal?
To me, Next to Normal is a show that everyone needs to see. It talks
about things that we are afraid to talk about, like mental illness. The
plot is award winning, and the show itself is spectacular. Everyone
needs to see this show, because it’s important.
What is your role in the upcoming production of Next to Normal?
I play Natalie Goodman, who is the daughter.
How have previous roles prepared you for this role?
I have actually played very few roles within the ten years I’ve been doing theatre, and the roles that I have played
haven’t been nearly as significant as this one. However I was very influenced by previous productions of shows
I’ve seen such as Next to Normal, Rent and Spring Awakening; all of which were performed at the Eau Claire
Children’s Theatre. I fell in love with this show because Natalie’s character accurately displayed how I felt inside.
What challenges have you experienced, if any, with this role?
This role has actually been super easy to grasp for me. I’ve been a huge fan of the musical from the beginning
and I knew Natalie very well going in, so there hasn’t been much difficult in that regards. I was slightly concerned
going into the show that I’d have trouble with character development, because I am a very bubbly person and
Natalie is, well… not … but it actually wasn’t a problem!
What has been the most rewarding about this entire experience?
I think that the most rewarding part of this experience is the material that we are performing. Everyone in the cast
is connected to this story, and it’s a story that NEEDS to be told. The fact that everyone is so connected and
committed is wonderful.
What would you like the audience to know before seeing this production ?
Just know that the material might make someone feel apprehensive to see the show, but go against your instincts.
You won’t regret it at all, and you’ll leave a different person than when you came.
Are you dedicating this role or performance to anyone? If so, who?
I am dedicating this role to Amber Dernbach, the drama teacher at Memorial High School, because without
her I wouldn’t have the confidence in my performing that I now do. Thank you, D.
Is there anything else you would like to tell the MTG Community?
I have been looking from the outside in for a long time, watching for the past two years, and I am so extremely
thrilled to be a part of your community, and to do upcoming shows.

6. Noel Falkofske passed away on September 5.
2015. He spent over 50 years volunteering his
time and talents to the Menomonie Theater
Guild. The Knapp man was inducted into the
Menomonie Theater Guild Hall of Fame on
May 26, 2011. For over 50 years the man who
could do virtually anything and everything
related to theater had worked on plays for the
Menomonie Theater Guild. The University of
Wisconsin-Stout and the Mabel Tainter Center
for the Arts. Noel loved theater, juggling home
and work to spend every spare moment
creating scenery, sewing costumes, setting
lights, building furniture, creating props,
writing scrips and acting. His work as an artist
has brought tremendous joy to his audiences
and to the community.
Celebrating the Life of Noel Falkofske

7. “Noel came all the way to La Crescent
when I first started teaching and directing
there. I was directing a middle school
production of You’re A Good Man,
Charlie Brown, and our theater was
BRAND NEW. Nothing had been
established as part of the theater
department; and here came Noel,
donating a tool box and shop-vac! We
then went shopping together for muslin
and lumber; and before I knew it, Noel
had built a table, ad he was teaching my
entire crew how to make flats. In no time,
we had a set built. AH-MAZE-ING man.
And so very generous!!”
Tami Rae Weiss
“Noel and I were building a set one Saturday at the Mabel
Tainter. It was 25 degrees below zero that day and he was late. I
worried that perhaps something had happened. When he finally
arrived he said that he was late because as he drove into town
he saw two students walking down Broadway in light goats and
no hats. He stopped, bawled them out with his wonderfully
inoffensive swearing, made them get into his truck and gave
them a ride to where they needed to go. Then he came to the
Mabel Tainter. “
Dan Riordan

8. “I still remember being in awe of
Uncle Noel sewing me a purple
corduroy jumper (with pockets!)
when I stayed at the farm one
time. I stood next to him at the
machine and watched in
amazement. I loved it so much
and was proud to tell others that
“My UNCLE made it!” Noel wasn’t
afraid to tackle anything and was
unfettered by stereotypes.
“
Anita Falkofske Eaton

9. “When I came to UW-Stout thirty years ago I
was the theatre designer and tech director,
and Noel alone among my “colleagues” in
the speech department showed any interest
at all in my theatre work. He would stop by
the office where I would drafting or model
making and we would talk shop, and it soon
became clear that this warm, kind,
unassuming and gentle man knew a hell of a
lot about theatre. I would slowly come to
learn the details of his many years doing
theatre at UW-Stout, and wonder why he and
the college had become “estranged” —
Stout’s loss, but the Menomonie community’s
gain. Eventually I would understand
completely. In those days I often attempted
to achieve a level of theatre that was well
beyond the resources available to me at
Stout, for I was young and easy, and sang in
my chains like the sea. I remember vividly
sitting in the theatre on a Saturday morning
tech, setting idiotically complex cues for
Camelot, not having slept for days, when
Noel slips into the dark auditorium and sits
down next to me, watches for a bit, then puts
his arm on my shoulder for a moment, nods
his head, and silently slips away again. He
knew. He understood. He got it. His own
work for MTG was as good as it gets. Even
now I wonder how many people really
understand how brilliantly Noel crafted all
those sets for the tiny wingless Mabel Tainter
stage. He was a master of scale and
proportion, a craftsman without peer, a quiet
genius. (His Noises Off, in my estimation,
was as perfect in its own way as a Bach
cantata.) I share the love of theatre– and the
people that make theatre– that Noel
embraced to the end,, and am a better artist
and person today for having known this
extraordinary man. “
J.M. Miller

10. CASTING CALL!
Audition October 13 & 14th from
6:00-8:00pm at the MTG Studio.
There are parts for many adults and children and will be
recruiting for the Santa Claus Singers!

11. HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
MTG Building Wish List:
 Window Washing throughout the building
 A donation to service the vacuum cleaners of the building
 Finisher Carpenter help to install interior door trim
 Hardware sorting in the scene shop
 Volunteers to haul away boxes of scrap lumber for burn piles
If interested in helping with any of these tasks please send your name and
contact information to menomonietheaterguild@gmail.com
To volunteer as an usher for a performance or help in the box office please
contact LeAnne Talberg at mtgvolunteer1@gmail.com