Community Corner
Minnesota Connections Academy 7th Grader Performs Again!
Flexibility, high-quality education of K-12 online public school offers students chance to pursue dreams, perform in theater.
Thirteen year-old Gavin Nienaber, a familiar face at Stages Theatre Company, is returning once again for the upcoming production of Leo Lionni’s “Frederick,” which runs Friday, Jan. 19 through Feb. 19, at 1111 Mainstreet in Hopkins. Gavin is a 7th grader at Minnesota Connections Academy.
The tale, based on the award-winning book, follows Frederick the mouse. Frederick spends the summer daydreaming while other mice gather food for the winter, but as the cold weather begins to set in, it soon becomes evident that Frederick has something significant stored away to survive the long winter. The adaptation features a roots-flavored country and folk-infused score.
Gavin is among many Minnesota students who have found online public education to be the perfect combination with their theater commitments. Minnesota Connections Academy is a K-12 online public school that students across the state attend from home. "Gavin can even study between shows at the theater," says Gavin's dad, David, a former math teacher. "The flexibility and quality of the curriculum have been great."
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Tickets cost $16 for adults and $14 for seniors (aged 60-plus) and children (ages 2 to 17). Purchase tickets, and find out specific performances dates and times, at stagestheatre.org or by calling the box office at 952-979-1111, option 4. The sensory-friendly performance, designed for young people who are on the autism spectrum and their families, will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3.
