The Minnesota Association of Community Theatres presented three lifetime achievement awards recognizing distinguished service to Minnesota Theatre. 

The award’s luncheon was held at Lakeside in Glenwood on March 26 as part of the MACT*Fest that was conducted at Central Square Arts and Cultural Center.  Two of the three award recipients–Curtis Bredeson, Starbuck, and Kathy Ray, Barrett, who managed Central Square for seven years are well known in this area.  Also receiving the award was Michael Ricci of Brooklyn Park.

The statewide award, established in 1998 as part of MACT’s 25th anniversary year, was named the Fliehr Award in honor of Kay and Richard Fliehr, lifelong community theatre promoters and organizers. Now, in its 50th anniversary year, MACT presented the awards as part of MACT*Fest, a statewide community theatre festival held at Central Square in Glenwood. 

Curtis Bredeson

Curtis Bredeson has brought immeasurable passion to his involvement with The Minnewaska Showstoppers in Pope County. His recent performance as Graham Bremer, a devious con artist, in their latest production “Hit the Road, Jack,” showcased his incredible talent and dedication to the craft. A few of his other stage roles include Motel the Tailor in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Lank Hawkins in “Crazy for You,” Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes,” and Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls.”

Born and raised in Starbuck, he received his Bachelor of Music/Horn Performance and Public School Education Majors from Concordia College in Moorhead. Curt has been a member of numerous community organizations in addition to the Showstoppers, including the Pope County Men’s Chorus, for which he serves as co-director.

Over several decades, Curt has been an active volunteer and a valuable member of the board of directors for the Showstoppers’ organization. He has played a pivotal role in nearly all of their productions and has generously donated his time and resources to many aspects of the organization, including performing on stage and in orchestras, the business side of things, artistic, vocal and instrumental direction, sound and lights, assisting with building sets, and providing support wherever needed. He currently works as a computer systems analyst.

The success of The Minnewaska Showstoppers is a testament to Curt’s unwavering commitment to the performing arts. Without his selfless contributions, it would not have been able to thrive and provide the community with the joy of live theater.

Kathy Ray

Kathy Ray of rural Barrett is one of the founders and long-standing members of the Prairie Wind Players, which began in 1979 and renovated Roosevelt Hall as their home. She has acted, directed, co-directed, costumed, served on the board and been involved in all the other duties that make a community theatre (one that does dinner theatre) successful. 

She has directed at a number of area theatres including A Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls, the Andria Theatre (Alexandria Area Arts Association), and the University of Minnesota-Morris. In Alexandria she’s also been involved in their radio theatre with her husband Tim (who received a Fliehr Award in 2009).

She formed her own company, Playing on Purpose Productions, to produce her own plays and to work with seniors and students developing scenes and scripts addressing their issues and histories, and developing interest in doing theatre as a real vocational or avocational opportunity. 

In 2001 she created “Coya Comes Back” about the first woman elected to Congress from Minnesota, performing it at the Minnesota History Center and many other venues. Two of her other issue-oriented plays have been published.

Kathy managed Central Square for seven years, writing grants and attracting performers and audience members.

In 2019, Kathy received an Individual Artist grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, to involve students and community members in the collaborative creative effort to research and write an original play with music to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, with an emphasis on how the passage of 19th Amendment played out in Minnesota.  Due to COVID the play couldn’t tour throughout West Central Minnesota but was produced as a podcast.

She has used her knowledge of seeing a wide range of theatre in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota to develop her skills as a director and as an adjudicator at festivals in several states.

Two productions from the festival will advance to a seven-state Region Festival in Salina, Kansas, on April 21-23: FungusAmongus Players of Dassel-Cokato will perform “The End of the Beginning,” a comedy by Irish dramatist Sean O’Casey. County Seat Theater Company of Cloquet will present “Tracks” by Peter Tarsi. Both County Seat and FungusAmongus have previously performed at the national festival, sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACTFest).

Central Square in Glenwood offered to host this state festival to bring “live theatre” back to its historic auditorium, which was the previous home to the Minnewaska Showstoppers before the new school was built. 

A summary of the festival is available online at mact.net.