St. James has enjoyed an active community theater program for decades. We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing entertaining adult and children's summer theater productions to the community while offering an engaging and educational experience to those who volunteer their time and talents as cast and crew. Our productions are made possible through a combination of grants, ticket sales, and donations from our generous community theater patrons. Follow the newly-created St. James Community Theater page on Facebook to receive updates and show your support!
Nearly twenty years ago, the St. James Theater and Arts Association was formed in an effort to sustain the community's rich theater culture amidst budget cutbacks. The group continues to be active in recruiting directors, offering organizational support, and fundraising to support future productions. The current board consists of members Cindy Torkelson, Susie Carlson, Glennda Hedlund, Darci DePoppe, Karen Johnson, Linda Becken, Katie Wojtalewicz, Sue Harris, Joe McCabe, and Margaret Smith. Should you wish to donate to the St. James Theater and Arts Association to support these efforts, please contact St. James Community Education at (507) 375-4517 for more information.
About the Director:
Katie Wojtalewicz is directing her first play this summer with The Secret Garden. She has deep roots in St. James theater and has participated in more than 20 local productions over the years. Her earliest memories of the Little Theater began at the age of four when she'd tag along with her dad to rehearsals of Oklahoma! and took to crooning "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!" while tromping around the house.
Once she reached middle school, Katie took to the stage herself, spending summers acting in children's and community theater productions like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Sound of Music.
In high school, she continued acting in musicals and one-act plays like Meet Me in St. Louis and A Midsummer Night's Dream. By the time she left for college, Katie had also gained a great deal of experience behind the scenes--building and painting sets, programming lights, choreographing dance sequences, and student directing.
Following some acting classes in college, Katie re-focused most of her energy into her studies to become a psychologist. Though she continued to sing in the campus choir, her creative passions took a backseat until her final year of grad school when some classmates asked her to come up with a skit for their internship send-off party. She accidentally wrote a full-length musical. Not surprisingly, the whole experience reignited Katie's love for music and theater. She currently sings in the Minnesota Valley Chorale and works as a psychologist at Eunoia Family Resource Center in St. James.
Once she reached middle school, Katie took to the stage herself, spending summers acting in children's and community theater productions like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Sound of Music.
In high school, she continued acting in musicals and one-act plays like Meet Me in St. Louis and A Midsummer Night's Dream. By the time she left for college, Katie had also gained a great deal of experience behind the scenes--building and painting sets, programming lights, choreographing dance sequences, and student directing.
Following some acting classes in college, Katie re-focused most of her energy into her studies to become a psychologist. Though she continued to sing in the campus choir, her creative passions took a backseat until her final year of grad school when some classmates asked her to come up with a skit for their internship send-off party. She accidentally wrote a full-length musical. Not surprisingly, the whole experience reignited Katie's love for music and theater. She currently sings in the Minnesota Valley Chorale and works as a psychologist at Eunoia Family Resource Center in St. James.
