Gooseberry Park Players History

Gooseberry Park Players has positively affected student lives since the 1970s when Ann Van Der Maten had the vision to create more theatre opportunities for area youth.

GPP gained 501(c)(3) status in 1982 and produced our first show in 1983 at Moorhead’s Gooseberry Mound Park. We eventually moved to Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre on the campus of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where we resided until 2014.

Starting in 2015, Gooseberry Park Players rented the stage of Hansen Theatre in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts on the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead. In 2021, we began a venue partnership with Horizon Middle School’s Performing Arts Center in Moorhead.

We serve students in the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo community and beyond, having hosted students from 20+ public and private schools in the area.

Past Productions

2024: Disney’s The Little Mermaid

GPP went under the sea in 2024! Disney’s The Little Mermaid included all the beloved songs from the film, such as “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” along with new numbers written for the stage production. It featured vibrant costumes, elaborate sets, and imaginative choreography to bring the underwater and human worlds to life.

Video by Alyssa Haagenson

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Photos by Mark Sorgaard of FATcat Studios

Our 2024 show sponsor was Water Works funded by Chronos Square Capital.

2023: Disney’s Descendants

GPP presented the regional premiere of the full length Disney musical sensation, The Descendants. Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical was jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films.

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Photos by Mark Sorgaard of FATcat Studios

Our 2023 show sponsor was Water Works funded by Chronos Square Capital.

2022: The SpongeBob Musical

GPP demonstrated the power of optimism in this dynamic musical. When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discovered that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends came together to save the fate of their undersea world.

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2021: Beauty and the Beast

Based on the 1991 animated classic, the stage version of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast included all the wonderful original songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. 

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2020: Virtual Classes

​Our July virtual theatre classes followed careful planning by our board and amazing staff. GPP was able to keep several program traditions alive, and the resulting production is more than we could have ever imagined. Thank you to our grantors, sponsors, donors and families who entrusted our nonprofit theatre company to bring quality theatre education and a meaningful project to fruition.

2019: The Wizard of Oz

GPP was off to see the wizard! We told this beloved tale on the Hansen Theatre stage at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

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Full Production History

1983: Robin Hood
1984-87: contact us if you know the shows!
1988: Aesops’ Fables
1989: The Pale Pink Dragon
1990: The Magical Pied Piper
1991: Haggar the Horrible
1992: Jack and the Giant
1993: Androcles and the Lion
1994: The Wizard of Wobbling Rock
1995: The Hobbit
1996: The Phantom Tollbooth
1997: Follow that Rabbit
1998: The Princess Plays
1999: Wind in the Willows
2000: Babes in Toyland
2001: The Magic Flute
2002: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2003: Peter Pan
2004: Tale of the Snow Bear
2005: The Wizard of Oz
2006: The Magic of Aladdin
2007: Hood: The Musical
2008: The Wiz
2009: The Pinafore Pirates
2010: A Dszungel Konyve (The Jungle Book)
2011: Cinderella4 – The World’s Favorite Fairytale 
2012: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2013: Oklahoma!
2014: The Sound of Music
2015: Footloose
2016: Bye Bye Birdie
​2017: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
​2018: Big Fish
2019: The Wizard of Oz
2020: season postponed due to COVID-19; online theatre classes offered free to area students
2021: Disney’s Beauty and The Beast
2022: The SpongeBob Musical
2023: Disney’s Descendants
2024: Disney’s The Little Mermaid