Sod House Theater is excited to present Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon, a new play, coming to Crookston on September 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Downtown Square. It tells the story of Arla Mae, a rural Minnesotan who claims to have had Minnesota’s first food truck, in which she made her world-famous booyah. Now, 25 years later, Arla Mae receives a letter that states a museum official will come to take a look at the wagon and put it in the Smithsonian Institution if she can dust it off and throw one final booyah party. Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon was created to bring attention to eating locally produced food, local farmers, and the power that food has to bring communities together.
For this production, Sod House Theater is partnering with the Minnesota Farmers Union; James Beard Award-winning chef Ann Kim (Pizza Lola, Young Joni, Hello Pizza, Sookie, and Mimi), who will design a specialty Booyah recipe for the show. The Sod House production of Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon will feature performers known for their comedic work on the stages of the Guthrie, Jungle Theater, and Ten Thousand Things Theater. Twin Cities favorite Sarah Agnew will create, direct and star in the title role as Arla Mae.
Other cast members include Jim Lichtscheidl (Guthrie, Jungle, Ten Thousand Things), Elise Langer (Ten Thousand Things), Oogie Push (New Native Theater, Full Circle), and Eriq Nelson (“The Dude,” Minneapolis Children’s Hospital). The set design is by Nick Golfis (Guthrie Theater), with original music by Eric Jensen (the Moving Company). Although some shows are free, reservations are required at all performances. You can make reservations and purchase tickets at www.sodhousetheater.org. Running time is 75 minutes.
Food trucks will be available at some of the performances for a pre-show bite. Copies of the new Minnesota Cooks recipe book, The Farmer and the Chef: Farm Fresh Minnesota Recipes and Stories, will be available at most performances, with the authors Claudine Arndt and Katie Cannon present to sign. For show information, call 612-414-2032.
This year marks the 10th season for Sod House Theater. “We are so grateful to work with our fellow artists in Greater Minnesota and excited to premiere Arla Mae’s Booyah Wagon,” said Darcey Engen, co-artistic director of Sod House Theater.
ABOUT SOD HOUSE THEATER
Sod House Theater is a Minneapolis-based theater group that tours professional productions to Greater Minnesota communities. Founded in 2011 by co-artistic directors Darcey Engen and Luverne Seifert, Sod House has presented several reimagined classics, including The Cherry Orchard; The Visit; Peer Gynt; Urinetown; the original Hoopla Train with Yard Master Yip and his Polkastra; An Enemy of the People; and Swede Hollow Ghost Sonata. Works selected to tour are chosen for their relevance to small-town communities and performed in venues important to the respective community’s historical narrative. The mission of Sod House Theater is to produce innovative, joyful, interactive theater and perform it alongside local actors in significant historical sites to create transformative experiences for both performers and audiences. The cost to attend those show is free, however to donate and For more information, visit https://www.sodhousetheater.org/
