Summer of hard work takes center stage

MARSHFIELD — After five weeks of evening rehearsals, over 50 young performers will see their summer’s work come to fruition this weekend when UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield presents “Fiddler on the Roof Jr.”
The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 and 15, with an Aug. 16 matinee at 2 p.m. at the Helen Connor Laird Theatre, marking the culmination of the university’s 19th annual summer theater camp.
Since July 7, cast members ages 11-18 have dedicated their evenings to bringing the beloved Broadway musical to life, with rehearsals running Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to as late as 9 p.m. in recent weeks.
The production showcases the story of Tevye, a poor dairyman in the village of Anatevka, as he navigates family traditions and mounting persecution in Czarist Russia. Adapted from the nine-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, the show features beloved songs including “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker.”
Director Donna Thompson, a Marshfield native who has guided the program since its inception, has watched the young cast transform from eager auditioners in late June to confident performers ready for opening night. Thompson, a longtime Marshfield Clinic Health System employee, first served as music director before taking the helm as director.

The rigorous schedule intensified as performances approached. What began as 2.5-hour evening sessions in early July extended to 3.5-hour rehearsals by the program’s final weeks. Cast members balanced the demands of theater camp with summer jobs, family vacations and other commitments — with program organizers noting that conflicts were acceptable except during the crucial dress rehearsal week.
Following Saturday’s final performance, the cast will gather for a traditional strike party — both celebrating their summer’s achievement and beginning to dismantle the set that served as their creative home for five transformative weeks.
Tickets cost $15 and are available at tickets.uwsp.edu or at the campus box office starting one hour before each show, pending availability. The Helen Connor Laird Theatre is at 2000 W. Fifth St.