Let’s start out with some fun facts about the spooky trail. The Jesse James Players community theatrical company volunteers spent 16 hours of their time performing for trail goers. In the five nights they were open, more than 1,400 people came through the trail. The performers on the trail ranged in age from 12 years old to 80, and over 81 people took part in the production.
“What a great showing we had,” said Marcia Gnadt. “This was a fantastic show all around!”
“Our volunteers are excellent,” said Marissa Wollmann. “Great actors who always delivered great performances, plus lots of technical and practical expertise lending us their skills. I also want to add a shout out to my husband Tim. This is where he really shines. Our sets were amazing and he designed them all. From his head to reality. There’s nothing he can’t build. People were paying me complements at how amazing it was, but he engineered it and deserves the credit. Our set builds were phenomenal and that’s all him. Also thank you to Markell and Julie for letting us use their property for this extremely fun night, and effectively inviting all of us into their home for the duration of this show. This year was a great comeback for the spooky trail. Everything really came together, and I can honestly say that it’s never been better.”
Marcia Gnadt sold the tickets and she made a list of cities that trail goers had come from. The most common were from Sioux Falls and the surrounding area, as well as North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and guests came from as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah and Toronto, Canada.
“We’re planning on having an appreciation meal for all of our volunteers who came out to help, just to say thank you,” Gndat said.
“Also, another big shout out and thank you to the school for letting us use the stadium parking lot,” said Wollmann. “We would have gotten nowhere without their approval, and it worked out very well.”
Sadly, the news isn’t all good. The Jesse James Players theatrical company is facing another crisis, not having a permanent home right now. At a full company meeting at the end of this past August, the group discussed an offer on the table to buy the senior center building. The building had a severe roof leak during the nasty winter weather, and water flooded throughout the structure, even reaching the basement. Not only was there water damage, but mold and mildew grew exponentially inside the building.
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