Experience Theatre of the Mind with Soundstage Productions

What is Theatre of the Mind? Theatre of the Mind emphasizes the actor as story teller, and the actor's voice as the first instrument. As our company performs the text of our story, we ask that you participate by engaging your imagination as we take you into the playwright's world.

Soundstage is the only professional reader's theatre in the Midwest, if not the country. It is, indeed, "Reader's Theatre on Steroids". Our fine art work and technical work will aid and enhance your experience. In the golden days of radio, audience members gathered around their glowing Philco sets to hear the great story tellers of their time tell the great stories.

So, please, join us and unleash your imagination for an evening of truly unique theatre ... The "house is open" for Theatre of the Mind!

This is your brain. This is your brain on theatre. Experience Theatre of the Mind.
Any questions?

America’s only professional reader’s theatre

Laura Ernst and Archie Coleman in "Revue Sketches"

Laura Ernst, Justin Ivan-Brown and Michael Brightman in "... At Last"

Laura Sexauer, Helen Heopfner, Kellie Honey, Kristen Robins, Scott McMaster, Robert Ashton, Ethan Jones and Archie Coleman in "William Shakespeare's Greatest Hits"

Soundstage Announces our 2010 Season, including the exciting debut of two new performance series!

In addition to our groundbreaking Theatre of the Mind "Reader's Theatre on Steroids" productions, we are proud to bring you our Biography and Revival series.

Our Biography series will be a showcase of fully realized one-actor shows, beginning with "The Belle of Amherst". This is the funny, moving, and entertaining story of one of America's finest poets, Emily Dickenson. We like to think of this series as "One Actor; One Life"!

Our Revival series includes past reader's theatre productions, now presented as fully staged shows. These will revive our finest hours of theatre, adding more texture and spice. We begin this series with the 2010 revival of Cormac McCarthy's "The Sunset Limited".

Soundstage Presents: The 2010 Season

May: "The Soundstage Radio Hour". From the Golden Days of Radio, episodes of "The Thin Man" and "My Friend Irma". Comedy! Suspense! Romance! Don't miss this "true" Theatre of the Mind production directed by Kristen Robins.

   Ensemble:
   Matt Anderson
   Dave Bornholdt
   Laura Ernst
   Helen Hoepfner

June: A Musical To Be Announced (pending rights). The delightful characters give us the "... kind of reminder we need" in this funny, musical, engaging romp through a comic strip world. A Theatre of the Mind production, directed by David Houghton.

July: "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running". Three hilarious one-acts by playwright Robert Anderson look at love, marriage, aging, and even the theatre itself! A Theatre of the Mind production, directed by Dave Bornholdt.

   Ensemble for "The Shock of Recognition":
   Jack - Lance Begnaud
   Herb - Matt Anderson
   Dorothy - Laura Coppinger
   Pawling - Drew Pannebecker

   Ensemble for "The Footsteps of Doves":
   Salesperson - Matt Anderson
   George - Jeff Kramer
   Harriet - Deborah Dennert
   Jill - Laura Coppinger

   Ensemble for "I'm Herbert":
   Herbert - Jeff Kramer
   Muriel - Deborah Dennert

August: "An Ideal Husband". Oscar Wilde's "other" romantic comedy of manners pits a confirmed bachelor against the combined forces of women, parliament, trickery and love. A Theatre of the Mind production, directed by Erin Cooper.

   Ensemble:
   Mason/Phipps, et. al - Terrence Donnelly
   Vicomte de Nanjac/Mr. Montford - Mike Dowdy
   Lady Markby - Sally Eaton
   Lady Basildon - Ann Egenriether
   Mrs. Marchmont - Colleen Forrest
   Mabel Chiltern - Samantha Haase
   Mrs. Cheveley - Rebecca Helms
   Robert Chiltern - Tom Kopp
   Lord Caversham - Tom Moore
   Lady Chiltern - Macia Noorman
   Lord Goring - Drew Pannebecker

October: Soundstage proudly presents its first entry in our Revival Series, "The Sunset Limited". Come see writer Cormac McCarthy's ("No Country for Old Men", "The Road") story of faith, life, and death. This will be a fully mounted production of our successful 2008 show. Directed by David Houghton.

   Ensemble:
   Bob Harvey
   Archie Coleman

Where We Perform