Black Hills Community Theatre is excited to bring theatre out into the community for a second time this
summer. BHCT Summer Stage will be performing at locations throughout Rapid City between June 7th
and 15th. This season BHCT will be performing The Adventures of Pericles, an adaptation by local
playwrights Dave DeChristopher, Heidi Dehn, Patti Martinson, Lloyd Potter, & Merlyn Q. Sell. This
family-friendly epic adventure has it all: assassins, knights, magicians, romance, comedy, and a guy
named Moe.
The Adventures of Pericles is directed by BHCT Artistic Director Merlyn Q. Sell, who, along with last
summer’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, has locally directed Julius Caesar, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Average Family, The Revolutionists and Cabaret. Sell is aided by Assistant Director Anna
Auchampach whose previous BHCT credits include choreographing or performing onstage in such
productions as Shrek, Sister Act, The Revolutionists, The Addams Family and more. This production has
been designed specifically for touring with a small cast and limited technical elements. Audiences can
expect a different experience than the formal atmosphere of a typical play and are encouraged to be
comfortable by moving around as needed and enjoying a picnic dinner as they enjoy the play. The
small cast of local performers playing all the characters in this world are led by Dane Floyd, Brady
Jones, Jonasia Nance and Rachel Smithley and some key roles are played by young Apprentice
Company members Willa Lecy, Katie Miller and Lindon Welch.
The cast is also joined by a youth Apprentice Company who play additional roles in the show and also
lead theatre games and dramatic play before the show begins. The Apprentice Company also features
Delanee Dame, Marissa Fosberg, Charlotte Grey, Leah Anne Kjerstad, Lydoux Meinhardt, and Alli
Nielsen. Other pre-show activities include learning stage combat and fighting one of the knights of
Knight’s Tourney plus decorating your own shield to become a part of the Knight’s Parade during the
show!
Summer Stage performances are perfect for the whole family and are free to the public. This year
there will be 4 performances–two at the Performing Arts Center of Rapid City (one indoors in the
Studio Theater and one outdoors on the West Lawn), one at Roosevelt Park (a favorite location from
last year) and Canyon Lake Park (a new location for this year!). For dates and show times, go to
bhct.org.
Black Hills Community Theatre (BHCT) produces five Mainstage shows, two youth productions, an
annual Holiday Fundraiser, a Play Reading Series, plus workshops, special events and summer theater
camps. The mission of BHCT is to collaborate with our community to entertain, educate, and foster growth in the arts with a vision to serve as a creative and educational home that is inclusive, transformative, and inspirational for the entire community and the values of community engagement,
inclusivity, innovation and creativity.
