Dakota Stage and Shade Tree Players

The Rocky Horror Show
2025-10-19 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Dakota Stage, 412 E Main Ave, Bismarck, ND, 58501, United States
The Rocky Horror Show is the ultimate cult-classic musical — a wild mash-up of sci-fi parody, glam rock, and unapologetic fun.
When squeaky-clean sweethearts Brad and Janet get caught in a storm and stumble into the eerie castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, their night takes a shocking turn. Inside, they discover a bizarre entourage, a mysterious new creation named Rocky, and a world that will challenge everything they thought they knew about life, love, and desire.
Packed with outrageous characters, over-the-top antics, and an electrifying rock ’n’ roll score — including “Sweet Transvestite,” “The Time Warp,” and “Don’t Dream It, Be It” — this cult sensation invites audiences to let loose, laugh loud, and give themselves over to absolute pleasure.
More than a musical, The Rocky Horror Show is a celebration of freedom, individuality, and the sheer joy of breaking all the rules.

A Christmas Story
2025-12-04 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-05 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-06 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-07 14:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-11 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-12 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:30
He’s nine years old, he’s got big dreams, and he’s absolutely sure of one thing: Christmas won’t be complete without an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle!
Based on the beloved holiday film, A Christmas Story follows young Ralphie Parker as he schemes, pleads, and daydreams his way toward the ultimate Christmas gift. Along the way, he faces pink bunny pajamas, a double dog dare, a major award shaped like a lamp, and the constant warning—“You’ll shoot your eye out!”
Filled with laugh-out-loud moments, heartwarming family chaos, and a healthy dose of 1940s nostalgia, this holiday classic brings to life all the favorite scenes you know and love. Perfect for audiences of all ages, A Christmas Story is the hilarious and heartfelt reminder that sometimes the best gifts aren’t the ones wrapped under the tree.

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt 2B
2026-01-29 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-01-30 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-01-31 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-02-05 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-02-06 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-02-07 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-02-08 14:00 - 16:30
Get ready for a fresh, fast, and fiercely funny twist on the world’s most famous detective duo. In this contemporary reimagining by acclaimed playwright Kate Hamill, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are brilliantly reinvented as two modern women who stumble into an unexpected partnership—and a series of increasingly bizarre mysteries—in present-day New York City.
When the eccentric, razor-sharp Sherlock Holmes collides with the grounded and big-hearted Joan Watson, their lives take a turn for the chaotic. From impossible crimes to eccentric suspects, the pair must outwit danger, dodge disaster, and navigate the wonderfully strange world of modern sleuthing—all while figuring out how to live together in a tiny apartment.
Bursting with quirky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and Hamill’s signature blend of clever satire and heartfelt storytelling, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt 2B is a fast-paced comedy that turns the Sherlock Holmes legend on its head. It’s a wildly entertaining adventure that celebrates friendship, bravery, and embracing the unexpected.
A perfect night out for fans of smart comedy, mystery lovers, and anyone who enjoys a bold and modern take on a classic tale.

Making God Laugh
2026-03-19 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-20 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-21 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-26 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-27 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-28 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-03-29 14:00 - 17:00
Making God Laugh is a family comedy that takes place in four scenes, each ten years apart, set at various holidays. Starting in 1980, the newly “launched” kids – a priest, an aspiring actress, and a former star football player – all return home, where we learn of their plans and dreams as they embark on their adult lives.
The “empty nest” parents contend with their own changes too, as old family rituals and dubious recipes are trotted out and ancient tensions flare up. Over the course of thirty years’ worth of celebrations – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve and Easter – we see how, despite what we may have in mind, we often arrive at unexpected destinations.
As Woody Allen once said “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans…”

Intro to Stage Makeup
2026-04-11 12:30 - 15:00
Introduction to Stage Makeup is a hands-on workshop designed for adult performers, technicians, and creatives (ages 15+), seeking a strong foundation in theatrical makeup. This workshop explores the essential techniques to create expressive, stage-ready looks that read clearly under stage lighting and from a distance. Through guided demonstrations and practical application, Attendees will gain confidence in tools, hygiene practices, color theory, and basic corrective techniques. All makeup will be provided, but attendees are also encouraged to bring stage makeup kits they own.
This workshop will focus on:

Understanding stage lighting and how it affects makeup
Basic Stage Makeup for both Male and Female presenting actors
Skin prep, sanitation, and kit essentials
Color theory for stage (highlighting, contouring, correction)
Basic character makeup (aging, exaggeration, expression)
Durability techniques
Instructions on how to read makeup charts and designs

Jesse Burdick & The Auld Country LIVE
2026-05-01 20:00 - 22:00
Join us for an evening of bluegrass music, played by our Bright Star pit musicians!
Banjo player and bandleader Jesse Burdick will tour North Dakota and the surrounding region with a run of performances celebrating bluegrass and American roots music, beginning with his role in the pit band for Bright Star, the Tony Award–winning musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, and culminating at the Missouri River Bluegrass Festival.
The tour highlights Burdick’s versatility as both a traditional bluegrass musician and a seasoned ensemble player. His work on Bright Star underscores his deep connection to roots-based theater and acoustic performance, while the festival and concert appearances that follow showcase his high-energy live sound as a banjo player, singer and bandleader.
Based in Smithfield, Virginia, Burdick is best known as the founder of The Auld Country, a bluegrass ensemble blending traditional influences with original material and modern arrangements. Throughout the tour, audiences can expect tight musicianship, engaging stage presence and a mix of original songs and classic bluegrass selections tailored to concert halls, listening rooms and festival stages.
The Upper Midwest run concludes at the Missouri River Bluegrass Festival, where Burdick will bring the tour full circle with a festival set rooted in tradition and driven by contemporary energy. Additional dates and venues across North Dakota and neighboring states will be announced.

Bright Star
2026-05-07 19:30 - 22:30, 2026-05-08 19:30 - 22:30, 2026-05-09 19:30 - 22:30, 2026-05-10 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-14 19:30 - 22:30
Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s Bright Star is an epic story of love, loss, and redemption set against the rich backdrop of Appalachia in the 1920’s and ‘40’s. Billy Cane returns from the second world war, with literary ambitions, bringing him into contact with Alice Murphy, the fearsome editor of the esteemed Asheville Southern Journal. Alice’s story is told through a series of flashbacks, revealing the source of her secret sorrow, and the impetus for her journey of discovery and redemption that will change her and Billy’s lives, and the lives of everyone around her. With beautiful melodies informed by the traditions of bluegrass and powerfully moving characters, the story transports us to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for an uplifting theatrical journey that will move you. Bright Star is a refreshing slice of Americana that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve.
