Hello world, welcome to WFHR's Rapids Report, probably brought to you by Crockett Sceptic
for this Tuesday, October 7th, 2025. Have your host, James here, join right now by our great
friend Executive Director, over at Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre, Gretchen
powers this with us. Gretch, good to see you.
Hi, how's it going?
Always good to hang out and talk with you. And real quickly, I have to embarrass you and
wish you a happy birthday.
Well, thank you.
Happy B day. Hope, hope, 25 is treating you good. Hope I did it.
I'm, my daughter tells me I'm a geriatric millennial.
Oh, wow.
That's what they're calling the 37 year olds these days.
Denny, right? That's no, no, that's not right.
But then my hand hurt and like that's kind of arthritis right there. Like maybe it's true.
That's a little things, but we're still young enough to be a part of a variety show, Gretchen.
We still have that in us and that's what we're going to focus on real quick here.
And I have a couple of things I want to touch on going on over at Wisconsin Rapids Community
Theatre.
Before I get too far ahead though, I do want to thank you, the board and the play selection
committee of giving me the opportunity to direct and to do on golden pond just wrapping
up our show. As you know, and I've been honest with the audience, I wasn't really, I haven't
directed and I wasn't at 100% about directing, but you very similar to times you've cast
in me saw something that I didn't and I'm so thankful for that because it was such a
rewarding experience and I cannot encourage anybody out there enough that has thought about
directing to get behind that chair and to get in there and get to do it. It is such a
rewarding experience and encourage everybody to direct a play as well as be a part of shows
and things over at Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre.
That was a great show. Good job.
We are celebrating our golden anniversary over at WRC T and you found figured out a really
fun way to do this, going to have a variety show. It's coming up October 11th at 2 o'clock
over at the theatre itself. Gretchen, what are we expecting for this?
This is going to be just a day full of talent, I guess is the best way to put it. The people
ask me, well, what is a variety show? It's kind of like a talent show, but with like fun,
it's all about fun and putting on a good show. So we've got a little bit of everything
from music to drama to comedy and improv and just overall just celebrating all the talents
of all the people that are involved with the show. So, we're with the theatre.
You know, an adult talent show is a fun way to kind of put it in everything. I think
that's very relatable to a lot of people out there. One of the ways that I thought about
this too is some of the old variety shows that used to be on and it feels a little similar
to that, some of the presentation and some of that and the literal variety of it and
everything. It's a fun idea. It's a great concept. It's not always easy to pull off, though,
and it really does send a shout out to this community and so many people stepping up and
wanting to be a part of the show. Yeah, it's come down to like, it's at the mercy of who's
willing to perform and you think, oh, I'm going to get a lot of people. It really was kind of
hard to find enough people. We do have some kids in it because it was not as opening it up to
all of our aspects from ages 9 to 99. So, we got representation from the kids. We got
representation from the silver foxes and everyone in between. But finding the dedicated people,
I mean, it doesn't take a lot. It's not like we're practicing a bunch. So, it's just you show up
and you know, you should do your thing and then me and Alia are going to do some witty banter
in between. You guys are going to do great with that. Both great talkers and great MCs.
When it comes to something you mentioned there, I see another opening here and I have to take it.
You mentioned opening it up to all those age ranges and you've got some kids involved with this
and some seniors involved with this. And those age ranges, those age groups tend to be a little
fearless. You know, you don't think as much or not in your head as much as a little kid and you
kind of be a little more fearless. As you get to be older and stuff, you care care less and less
about what other people think and you become a little braver maybe with some of your things.
But it doesn't have to take those age ranges. In between there is a lot of years and a lot of
years that you maybe kind of want to do something different or push yourself or try something else.
This is a great opportunity. They have a local community theater like this and maybe you're not
going to be a part of things as far as the variety show. But if we do something like this again,
you might want to be and you might want to get your, you know, you some reps, some opportunities
in the theater world. So, encourage people to be a part of things over at the theater. They're always
looking for volunteers and always looking for actors and stuff. So, encourage that.
When it comes to the type of event that we're going to be having here, you mentioned there's
a bunch of different things going on with that. Is there any kind of particular order you wanted
to put stuff in or you just kind of kind of, what, how we do with this, we just kind of go with it?
Well, I'm trying to make my set list a little bit so that it's like a variety. So, I don't know,
all those singers in one little group. So, I'm trying to space them out a little bit in ages.
I've got a couple of the silver foxes doing a little bit of skit work and so each of them
are going to do two or three of them and I'm not going to put them right next to each other. So,
there's this one actor Linda Garski. She does this really cute set of monologues where she
dresses up like a five-year-old girl. She is so cute and then she's kind of like giving advice
from a five-year-old and so that's going to be three different sections and it's the cutest thing.
I love it so much. I would be there just for that. Like, if you told me that's the whole show,
I'd still be there. Like, yeah, that's awesome. That's that's great. There's going to be some light
or derves to go along after the reception. Yeah, so where the board is coming together and
bringing in some snacks and stuff to have in a lobby afterward so we can kind of, I'm going to,
I bought a lot of old photos and so there's going to be a lot of photo boards that I got to put
together yet and put those in the lobby so people can view old pictures from the last 50 years.
It's been a really interesting thing and I'm kind of going to be honoring people who've worked
in the theater for such a long time so our set builders and their sound and light designers but
I also was able to get in touch with Kathy Miles, the founder of the theater and she came to the
theater and she recorded a little video that I'll be showing at the very beginning kind of like why she
like a welcome message and why she wanted to start the theater and how she did it and you know,
she was she's very proud of what it has become and so she's hoping for another 50 years and that's
what it's all about. Very thankful that I've had the opportunity to tell her this face-to-face multiple
times but eternally thankful to Kathy on many levels certainly as a community and those early
days of the theater and getting that started and all the work that it took but just on a personal
level and I like many people out there have a personal relationship with her in a way she's
helped me or helped my career or something like that. I literally wouldn't be where I am without
the work that she has done with me and helped me with and everything. The opportunities,
the doors she has opened for me let alone us as a community with this theater. It's a very
cool thing a very nice addition to this and it leads into the one of the main points I wanted to
get to and talking about the variety show. It's fun. Doing a variety show just in general will be
fun. Hey, you want to do one? Let's do one. That would be great. I actually think it'd be kind of
a fun tradition to bring along, you know, to kind of almost lead into the main stage season maybe even
but this is a love letter to the community. This is an opportunity to say to people, hey, we appreciate
you. Thank you so much for supporting us. Let's go ahead and take a walk down memory lane and
and remember some of the great people that have been on this stage and done part of productions.
The fact you and I remember those the days when we love McMillan Library and shout them out
but what it was like doing shows there and now having your own building and just being able to
appreciate some of that stuff we get so caught up in life and life only goes one direction and
and that's you know that's just how life is but sometimes it's nice to be able to take a
just a pause and look back and be like wow come a long way in 50 years. We have and it's just
it's cool to see everything that we've done but it's also kind of making us excited for the future
of what we can do. Yeah yeah and to that I see a very bright future ahead especially with you in
that position that you're in and everything. I've good feelings and have heard nothing but good
stuff from the community. Something like this is an add-on you know it's a very cool way and a
great way to celebrate the anniversary the golden anniversary for Wisconsin Rapids Community
Theater. Variety shows coming up October 11th to a clock over at the Wisconsin Rapids Community
Theater be sure to head on over there and this is something do you need tickets for? It's you
can buy them at the door but if you want to get them ahead of time it is the science seating
so if you want to sit in the front row or you want to aisle get them ahead of time. Yeah I make
sure to my mom hears that. Yeah it's a one a one and done type of show so it's not like we got
many to do you know and fall is a busy time so we understand a lot of people can't make it
but we would like to it's not necessarily we're not expecting it to be a money maker but we want
a lot of people to attend because it is going to be such a great thing to see. Yeah and and whatever
ticket sales happen just like with any of the productions over there you know that this goes
right back into the theater and helps the theater continue to do the great work that it's doing and
you know even if you are not an art person a theater person you may not think of those things
you pay taxes and the theater helps our economy immensely you would know if the theater was not
here everybody you would know if it was not in town what it the attraction and the way it brings
people to our community or entertains our community in general it is an economic a huge impact on
our community and an important part of it and supporting that whether it's going to the
variety show or any of the main stage show or the silver foxes the kids productions in the summer
you're putting back into your community you're supporting the arts or remind you Wisconsin
ites out there was constant finished dead last and funding the arts last year from what I know
of Wisconsinites you don't like being last let's go ahead and change that let's add to the arts
fund the arts help the arts and you can do that by taking in a show that that's what you get to do
you spend your money and you're going to take in a a once in a lifetime variety show completely
original thing and enjoy yourself it's going to be a good night our good afternoon I should say
yeah and it's not going to be an incredibly long show I think we've got it waddled down to that
it's like the perfect amount of time where people aren't going to get bored and it should move
pretty quickly and there will be snacks afterwards that are free yeah um that said I am going to be
acting out worn piece that was what I was going to do I know I sent you some cell silver steam
stuff and links and hues I'm I changed my mind I'm going to do this to me I have to reinvent the
whole set list I thought if I put you on the spot on the air you would I could you would have to
let me do it you would now I'm going to have to cut old man finley oh see sorry no we can't do that we
can't do that I'll go back and do the original stuff that's going to be great to see I can't wait
to see that did before we let you go Gretchen I did want to touch on just a couple of other things
and remind everybody that our wonderful silver foxes have an October production coming up
uh this one looks like a lot of fun eat drink and be murdered yeah this is our very first
kind of interactive play where the the audience helps pick the ending yeah so um they're kind of
hoping it goes both the ways one night you know each performance but um they're even raffling
off a prize at the end because it's very cool yeah Linda Garsky is directing it she's doing great
yeah yeah it's gonna be funny and I it's the funniest silver fox script I've ever read so it sounds
like at the plot everything about it sounds great uh we we'll uh probably be talking more about
this as we get a little closer to it but that silver foxes production eat drink and be murdered
October 23rd and 24th to a clock matinee on the 23rd seven o'clock show on the 24th taking place
at Wisconsin Ravitz community theater uh be sure to get tickets and find out more at wrc theater.org
and you know keep that play that website in mind as well um tonight is the final night for auditions
for a Christmas story so depending on when you're listening to the pod here and everything don't
know if you'll miss the auditions or not but they've got other shows coming up and you know
speaking of Linda Garsky she's got a show coming up um I know the the father of the bride is
going to be at the end of the season so you've got other productions coming up and other opportunities
to be a part of these productions encourage you to do that everybody and keep in mind you know
maybe you don't feel comfortable being on stage maybe that's not your thing always could use
your backstage for certain um there there's uh honestly uh you know if you want to be a part of
things we'll probably find somewhere to put you well we'll find somewhere that you can uh you'll
be comfortable and you'll enjoy yourself and be a part of things yeah we'll be we'll be building
the set for Christmas story and that's something we it doesn't take a lot of nighttime hours but if
you're retired and sitting at home with looking for something to do during the day always take it
in builders that are willing to lend a hand uh certainly going to need people to work on that
classic lamp you're going to get a definitely actually it's built already it's probably already built
yeah we had our props people in i ordered a mannequin leg and some stockings and
i used just like it so i loved that that's the way you did that like nowadays you could just buy one
i'm sure they got like you made it that's awesome that's so cool we found it a $1.50 pair of electric
or electric yellow heels and we spray painted them black but that's what we're using for the shoe
at the base of the lamp and it's like you never guessed that it was the ugliest shoe ever oh that's
awesome that's so cool uh i'm looking forward to when of this uh we have the cast come on and we
talked to them about this uh a Christmas story is going to be coming up in December everybody uh be
sure and we'll look out for that market on your calendars and be a part of all of these events and
take in as many of you as you can wrc theater dot org be sure to follow them on social media as well
it's a great way to keep the date on all the things that they are doing and uh gretchen and people
wanted to get in touch with you directly uh just the website or facebook is that the best way
facebook i have an email address of cdwrct at salaris dot net that's going to be on the website if
you need to find it and then there's also a phone number on there as well uh appreciate you always
good talk with you thanks for everything you and the community put uh the theater put into the
community we appreciate your gratitude and have a good birthday have a good birthday thank you
we will uh we appreciate all of you joining us for another edition of wfhr's rapids report
