![[Keep the Faith Art]](97ktf.jpg)
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Keep the FaithJuly 25-27 Encore September 29-October 1 |
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Keep the FaithJuly 25-27 Encore September 29-October 1 |
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Keep the Faith is an original music theatre production based on the recent flood disaster in the Red River Valley. In April of 1997 more than 60,000 people in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were evacuated from their homes due to the rising water. Grand Forks was also stuck with a fire in the heart of downtown. The rivers and fire left the cities in ruin, homes destroyed, memories erased.
The spirit of community held strong as the citizens began to take control back into their lives, cleaning and rebuilding. Keep the Faith was conceived and written as a celebration of that spirit of community. Now we in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks stand as "one community separated by a river," rebuilding and beginning the process of becoming stronger, more beautiful, and more prosperous than ever before.
Without a doubt, Keep the Faith has demanded more blood, sweat, and tears than any show produced at SPA in the past 10 years. The Challenges were many: working with 200 students in the same production; coordination of the efforts of all directors, choreographers, composers, and technical support; and moving from our schools into the Chester Fritz Auditorium; not to mention living with the aftermath of the disaster by day while by night trying to turn our experiences into art.
From our beginning 10 years ago we have grown much as a performing arts company. This summer we grew as members of a common community.
When "Keep the Faith" closed after a fantastic run at the Chester Fritz in July, we were thrilled at both the overwhelming audience response and to have been able to be a part of this phenomenal event. But we were also ready for it to be over.
Then the calls started coming in. People from across the community were asking, sometimes pleading with us to consider an encore. We had just started our "summer" vacation and school was due to start in a couple of weeks. "No" was our initial response. And we thought that was that.
Then school started, and Dr. Sanford, Superintendent of Schools, suggested that we might consider showing "Keep the Faith" to all students in the Grand Forks Public Schools. "Yes" was our response to him. The pieces fell into place, and our encore was organized.
We were very excited to bring the stories of "Keep the Faith" back to life. The audience response again was fantastic. Governor Ed Schafer of North Dakota attended a performance, and many people who did not get a chance to see the show during the summer at last were able to attend. Once again, we had the chance to share our own stories, the stories we will never forget.
Rachel Anderson, Chris Arnold, John Arnold, Lyndsay Arnold, Mike Arnold, Jenna Barke, Kara Barke, Amanda Bass, Alan Benjamin, Brandon Bina, Matt Blumkin, Sarah Blumkin, Brianne Boettner, Natalie Bowen, Brianne R. Brathwaite, Lindsay Brekke, Carrie Brosseau, Erin Brown, Randy Brown, Pete Bruggeman, John Cargile, Brittany Carter, Scott Cheney-Peters, Tom Christensen, Anne Clark, Greg Clark, Kristin Clow, Jodi Coulter, Adam Cowger, Ryan Cox, Darcy Cozzetto, Nikki Demmers, David Dickinson, Destri Diehl, Dustin Diehl, Jenni Durieux, Danielle Elbert, Laura Erickson, Stephanie Erickson, Tricia Evans, Robin Everson, Eric Eylands, Melissa Eylands, Nate Eylands, Ainsley Fiedler, Paul Fiedler, Josh Fischer, Katie Fisk, Megan FiskumJim Fox, Tom Fox, Julie Fry, Kathy Geatz, Michael Gourneau, Dusty Graetz, Rachel Graf, Deidre Green, Erin Guernsey, Grant Gullicks, Danielle Hagan, Seth Hagan, Laura Hagan, Emily Hahn, Tessa Hansen, Brianne Harmeson, Sarah Harmon, Rebecca Harris, Michelle Heap, Brad Hendrickson, Katie Hendrickson, Katie L. Hill, Erick Hoffarth, Nicki Holcomb, Janet Holton, Amelia Hoover, Anthony Iwan, Jeff Jacobi, Bethany Jensen, Amanda Johnson, Ashley Johnson, Brenna Johnson, Derek Johnson, Erin Johnson, Jill Johnson, Todd Johnson, David Kary, Tera Kilbride, Amanda Kleinschmidt, Laura Kolstoe, David Konerza, Kim Konerza, Brittany Koop, Casey Koop, Misti Koop, Rachel Kossover, Jason Koth, Krisanne Kvernon, Allison LaDuke
Katherine Laidlaw, Jessica Laux, Jessica Lee, Mark Lentz, Jessy Lichter, Abby Lochner, Luis Lopez III, Molly Lowe, Matthew Luney, Ruth Mannel, Sarah Matteson, Kara McCoy, Krisanne McCoy, Tyler McGregor, Brian McGurran, Kaitlyn McKechnie, Shaun McKewin, Steve McKewin, Laura McLeod, Erin McMullen, Chris Meek, Josh Megorden, Jason Melin, Megan Melin, Andrea Mercer, Adam Milavetz, Scott Monson, Jeff Niceswanger, Rachel Niceswanger, Michael Nowacki, Erin Olson, Joseph Olson, Karly Olson, Keith Olson, Miranda Olson, Sarah Olson, David Palay, Megan Patterson, Jeremy Peck, Leif Pedersen, Marty Pedersen, Becca Perry, Sarah Perry, A.J. Peterson, William Poehls, Jared Pokrzywinski, Nicole Poling, Katie Poppke, Tom Porath
Paul Radel, Reed Reimer, Geovana Renfroe, Manuel Roberts, Cory Rodacker, Andrea Rogers, Jennie Rosenberg, April Russell, Molly Ryan, Becky Saari, Katie Schimmelpfennig, Marilee Schott, Joel Schwartz-Moretti, Corey Scramstad, Kaleena Seidlinger, Nathan Sheppard, Erica Silverman, A.J. Sitzer, Amanda Skarphol, Mark Sobolik, Maren Solberg, Stephen Sollom, Anna Sommer, Matt Soule, Chris Sprenger, Andrew Stenehjem, Matthew Stenehjem, Melissa Stenehjem, Cathie Strecker, Erin Sturlaugson, Dorothy Sukalski, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Briana Theison, Kelsey Thibert, Bernie Thomas, Ellery Tofte, Emily Tofte, Eric Tofte, Rachel Tunseth, Andrea Tweten, Andrea Weisser, Adam Whetham, Benjamin Whetham, Cathy Williams, Emily Williams, Erin Williams, Maura Williams, Lilia Wood
Directors