“Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art”
Haunted House: ‘A Night to Dismember’ 2025
The North High School Theatre Department will present its 26th annual HAUNTED HOUSE - “A Night to Dismember-2025” in the school auditorium—Friday, October 31st from 1:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 PM to 10 PM and Saturday, November 1st from 1:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 P.M. to 10 PM.
This year’s HAUNTED HOUSE will include many new rooms and hair-raising surprises. Over 100 members of North’s Drama Club create the spine-chilling cast of characters that inhabit the house. The popular non-scary flashlight tours will continue to be available during all hours the house is open for younger children or those “weak of heart.” A bake sale featuring a variety of Halloween and Fall treats will also be featured. Proceeds from the haunted house will help fund theatre activities and productions at North.
Ron Parker, North theatre director and Drama Club advisor states, “We’re very proud to be one of the oldest and longest-running Halloween attractions in the area. We’ve been told over and over that “A Night to Dismember” is one of the best values and most enjoyable haunted houses in the Fox Valley. Patrons get more scare for their money. The students have a great time planning and designing the rooms that make up the HAUNTED HOUSE. We have the advantage of being located in our theatre, which allows us to utilize theatrical effects. And, of course, the HAUNTED HOUSE is filled with theatre students who find a perfect outlet for their talents. Everyone has a great time.” Admission is $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for children under 12. Tickets are available at the door.
For further information, contact Ron Parker, theatre director at parkerronaldc@aasd.k12.wi.us.
Arabian Nights One-Act Cast and Crew Announced!
The Appleton North High School Theatre, Music, and Fine Arts departments are thrilled to announce Disney’s FROZEN as our 2026 musical! For the first time in forever, experience the musical phenomenon that has taken the world by storm! Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney’s FROZEN includes all the film’s beloved songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with new music written exclusively for the stage.
In the beautiful mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf.
Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, FROZEN is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love.
Performance dates are March 12-22, 2026.
Check out our website www.appletonnorththeatre.org and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/appletonnorththeatre/ for ongoing updates!
Join BOLT in the rewarding work of supporting North Theatre!
Summer Shakespeare 2025
The Comedy of Errors
Summer Shakespeare Theatre will present one of the Bard’s most popular plays, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, July 18th -27th in the Appleton North High School auditorium, 5000 North Ballard Road. This marks the 24th year of the program sponsored by the Fox Valley Summer School Consortium. A cast and crew made up of students from area high schools have spent six weeks learning about Shakespeare and the theatre of the Renaissance while preparing a play for public performance. Appleton North High School theatre instructor, Ron Parker, began the program in the Fox Valley after founding and directing a similar program in Kenosha for 13 years. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students interested in theatre to study and perform the work of the greatest playwright in the English language. In addition, students from various schools in the area have a chance to meet and work together. Our previous seasons’ productions have been very well received. We look forward to even better things in the future.”
Audiences who attend this summer’s performances of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS will be treated to delightful costumes, scenery, and staging creating a backdrop for Shakespeare's story of madcap mayhem as only he can tell it. In addition, one of the student actors will portray the Bard of Avon himself and will provide commentary as well as interact with playgoers during the show. Audiences will be seated directly on the stage to be nearer to the action which was typical of performances in Shakespeare’s era.
One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays (and his shortest) THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is a whirlwind of mistaken identities and mind-bending mix-ups. Two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, find themselves unknowingly in the same city, setting off a cascade of confusion. As chaos erupts in the streets of Ephesus, ties of friendship and family are stretched to their limits with uproarious and unexpected results. Director Ron Parker states, “THE COMEDY OF ERRORS shows the genius of a young William Shakespeare flexing his creative muscles at the start of his playwriting career. In the process, he introduces all the great themes and ideas that he will fully develop in later, more mature works such as HAMLET and THE TEMPEST: the search for identity, the joy of reconciliation, the duality of humanity’s selfish and selfless natures, the crippling effects of loss and the power of love to overcome our loneliness and despair, just name a few. And he does this while telling us an utterly ridiculous and raucous tale that is pure, hilarious, unadulterated farce! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of Shakespeare or discovering this crazy classic for the first time, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS promises an evening of laughs, levity and love wrapped up in the language of the greatest writer in the English language!”
Performance times are 7:00 P.M. on July 18th, 19th, 25th, and 26th and at 2:00 P.M on July 20th and 27th. Admission is $11.00. Tickets can be purchased at the door one hour before performance time. Seating is limited, and all seats are general admission.
Further information can be found at:
https://foxvalleysummershakespeare.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/summershakespearetheatre
https://www.instagram.com/summer_shakespeare_theatre/
https://www.appletonnorththeatre.org/summer-shakespeare-program
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2025 Drama Banquet
That’s a wrap on an incredible year for Appleton North Theatre!
On Saturday May 17, we gathered to celebrate our amazing students at our annual banquet—a night filled with laughter, memories, heartfelt awards, and unforgettable skits that captured the spirit of this season.
A special congratulations to our seniors—your dedication, creativity, and leadership have left a lasting impact on this program. We can’t wait to see where your talents take you next. You’ll always have a place in our theatre family.
Scholarship and Award Winners for 2025:
David Hartman Memorial Scholarship: Maggie Hendrick
Hannah Twomey Award: Emmy Streu
Roger Danielson Award: Bennett Boggs, Phillip Moran & Rain Branstetter
Claire Williamson Award: Kai Handwerker
Dramatic Arts Award: Fern Frey, Maggie Hendrick & Charlie Hintz
To every cast member, crew member, pit musician, parent volunteer, and supporter: Thank you for making this year one to remember! Your hard work, passion, and love for the arts continue to inspire. Here’s to the magic we made this year—and the stories yet to be told!
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Contact Information
Ron Parker, director
ANHS Theatre Department, 5000 Ballard Rd, Appleton, WI 54913
920-852-5405 (school main office)
Ticket Box Office 920-852-5405 ext. 53115
Website, photo, or media questions? anhs.bolt@gmail.com
