River Valley Players
We are very fortunate to have the acting talents of this amateur performing group here in Rock Rapids. The River Valley Players performs in dinner theaters, musicals, and during Heritage Days. It seems like these shows only get bigger and better with each year. These shows would not be what they are without the wonderful casts that get selected each year. In the musical productions there are up to forty cast member. In the dinner theater productions there are fewer cast members, normally approximately ten. These shows are fun to watch and even more fun to be a part of. Everyone is encouraged to audition and help make magic for others on stage. Check out this link to learn more about this great group!
Board Members
President- Ginger Rasmussen, Vice President- Dave Fields, Secretary- Marilee Schleusner, Treasurer- Julie Eads, Judy Gaspar, Jim Kennedy, Sherwin Langholdt, Rochelle Ebel, Sarah Swartz
First Steering Committee in 1973
C. Henle, R. Tobin, K. Barker, T. Gaspar, M. Kriz, D. Johnson, J. Gable, P. Traeger, B. Vinson, C. Oppendahl, P. McClurg, D. Curtis, D. Spitler, S. Petersen, E. Tolvstad, P. Foltz, B. Reckert, M. Reck
Blast From the Past
River Valley Players was founded in 1973; but the first business meeting was not held until November 1974. The first musical produced was "Fantastics," and the first dinner theater was "Last of the Red Hot Lovers." In 1978, the name "River Valley Players was chosen. The River Valley Players became a member of the Iowa Community Theater Association in 1979. In 1983, RVP began making offers to buy a new theater, but discovered it would be too costly to remodel. In 1986, RVP and other volunteers began remodeling the Intermission Theater.
The RVP left the old theater in 1989. The RVP started to offer their $100 scholarship to graduating high school seniors in 1990. In 1994, the 20th anniversary of RVP was celebrated, and the drama scholarship was raised to $250. In 1998, RVP donated $15,000 to the construction of a new auditorium in the school. The first production in the new auditorium was "State Fair" in 1999. RVP performed at RAGBRAII when it came through in 1999. In 2001, RVP donated over $4,500 in equipment to the Forster Auditorium.
Sponsorship
RVP offers three different levels of sponsorship which are available to be contributed to during August and September of each year. The first level is Saints which involves contributions of $150 or more and includes four tickets to every production. The second level is Patrons which involves contributions of $85 or more and includes two tickets. The third level is Donors which involves contributions of $25 or more. Each sponsor receives early ticket ordering privileges, and also their name on all programs.
Past Dinner Theaters
'74- Last of the Red Hot Lovers
'75- Tender Trap
'76- Barefoot in the Park
'77- Death of a Salesman
'78- The Doctor in Spite of Himself
'79- Butterflies are Free
'80- Subject to Change
'81- Never to Late
'82- Saving Grace
'83- Love, Sex, and the IRS
'84- Come Blow Your Horn
'85- No Sex Please, We're British
'86- Meanwhile Back on the Couch
'87- Chapter 2
'88- How the Other Half Loves
'89- Social Security
'90- *No Production*
'91- Plaza Suite
'92- Natiae Needs a Nightie
'93- Squabbles
'94- Last of the Red Hot Lovers
'95- Run For Your Wife
'96- Never To Late
'97- Busybody
'98- Arsenic and Old Lace
'99- The Good Doctor
'01- Rumours
'02- Blithe Spirit
'03- Barefoot in the Park
'04- Caught in the Net
'05- Don't Drink the Water
'06- The Nerd
'07- Odd Couple
'08- A Nice Family Gathering
'09- Temporarily Tartan
'10- Funny Money
'11- Flaming Idiots
'12- Homecomings
Past Musical Productions
'74- Fantastics
'75- Fiddler on the Roof
'76- Music Man
'77- Brigadoon
'78- Once Upon a Mattress
'79- Hello Dolly
'80- Anything Goes
'81- Mame
'82- Guys and Dolls
'83- South Pacific
'84- Pippin
'85- My Fair Lady
'86- 110 in the Shade
'87- Finians Rainbow
'88- Lil' Abner
'89- Oklahoma
'90- Music Man
'91- Annie
'92- Into the Woods
'93- Sound of Music
'94- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
'95- Big River
'96- Nunsense
'97- Carousel
'98- Oliver
'99- State Fair
'01- Guys and Dolls
'02- My Fair Lady
'03- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
'04- Brigadoon
'05- Music Man
'06- Seussical
'07- Damn Yankees
'08- Children of Eden
'09- Oklahoma
'10- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
'11- Big River
'12- Fiddler on the Roof
'13- Sound of Music
