Summer Youth Theater Program

East o’ the Sun & West o’ the Moon
The 11th Annual Summer Youth Theatre Program

Download a registration form here.

Be inspired by fantastical Norwegian folk tales! Children, ages 9-13, are invited to participate in the program, which will be July 15-27. During this popular collaboration between Vesterheim Museum, Upstart Crow Theatreworks, and ArtHaus, participants will explore the lives and writings of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, who collected and published traditional Norwegian tales and legends during the nineteenth century.

Each day of the two-week program will include fun theatre warm-ups and games that build the skills needed for performance. Led by director Lindsey Harman, the group will tour Vesterheim’s collections and create an original play to be presented during Decorah’s Nordic Fest. Participants will weave together the iconic stories from East o’ the Sun & West o’ the Moon, with the experience of those who originally shared them, and Asbjørnsen and Moe’s labor of love in collecting them.

Workshop dates and times are Monday through Friday, July 15-26, 9 a.m. until noon. The cost is $125, which includes all materials and snacks. Partial scholarships are available, please inquire. Performances are July 26 and 27 at Vesterheim’s Bethania Lutheran Church. The program is sponsored by Joan Losen and Gemini Inc.-Decorah, and through an anonymous gift.

Lindsey Harman holds an MFA in theatre performance from Arizona State University and teaches theatre and voice in Decorah. She graduated from Luther College in 2001 with a major in theatre and a minor in vocal performance. She returned to Decorah in 2007 and spends the majority of her time with her young family.

Everyone is invited to the production, which will be Friday, July 26, at 3:00 and 3:45 p.m. and Saturday, July 27, at 3:00, 3:45, and 4:30 p.m. in the museum’s Bethania Church at 113 North Mill Street. Admisson is free.

This wonderful summer theater program for children combines the theater education and writing expertise of director Lindsey Harman with inspiration from Vesterheim’s collections and the support of museum sponsors. "The program has been an ongoing success and a wonderful learning opportunity for children,” said program organizer Jennifer Kovarik.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Kovarik at Vesterheim: 563-382-9681 or .