Garden Shorts Dessert Theatre: Love and Other Afflictions

             The Under The Moon Theatre Company, a new  group of River Falls actors, will perform eight short, one-act comedies at 7:30 p.m. August 4-6 and August 11-13 in the patio garden at the Dish and the Spoon Café, 208 N. Main St., River Falls.

            Admission for “Garden Shorts Dessert Theater: Love and Other Afflictions,” produced by the Under the Moon Theater Company in association with the River Falls Community Theater, is $15, which includes a beverage and a dessert which will be served during intermission. A dinner and theater package is available as well.

            “We’re trying to fill, in some little way, the gap in live summer theater in River Falls after the St. Croix Valley Summer Theater folded last year,” said Michael Norman, one of the actors involved in the project and a veteran of the St. Croix Valley Summer Theater. “We have a great ensemble of actors, many of whom have extensive professional and community theater experience. All the plays are ten minutes or less and very amusing. Each one takes a look at love and relationships.”

            Norman said the one acts contain adult language and content and thus are not suitable for children.            

            Rick Burgsteiner, a journalism lecturer at UW-River Falls and a professional actor with extensive stage, film and television credits, wrote four of the short pieces, each about two to three minutes long. He also will act in some of the evening’s plays, including three short plays of his own.

            Along with Burgsteiner and Norman, the actors include, from River Falls, Sandee Blakeley, Emily Lyon Hansen, Angie Brown, Jerome Bowden, Kari Hussey and Jennifer Larsen. Actress Kate Jennings is from Baldwin. Stage manager is Chris Olson, River Falls.

            The plays will be held outdoors on a stage in the patio garden behind the café. Seating is limited. In case of rain, the performance will be moved inside the restaurant.

            Tickets are on sale at the Dish and the Spoon Café.