HOXIE – The Main Street Arts Council is proud to announce the return of the Main Street Summer Theater Festival, now celebrating its 10th year of bringing arts education and performance opportunities to youth across northwest Kansas. This year’s festival features a unique twist: the same production, Disney’s Dare to Dream Jr., will be performed by local youth in six different towns—Atwood, Colby, Goodland, Hoxie, Oakley, and Quinter—each offering its own interpretation of the musical revue.
Dare to Dream Jr. follows a group of trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering studio, blending songs from Encanto, Coco, Frozen II, and more in a celebration of dreams, teamwork, and creativity. Performances run from June 20 to August 9, with shows scheduled in each of the six communities.
June 20 at 7 p.m. (MT), June 21 at 3 p.m. (MT) - Goodland
July 11 at 7 p.m., July 13 at 3 p.m. - Hoxie
July 12 at 3 p.m., July 13 at 7 p.m. - Atwood
July 18 at 7 p.m., July 19 at 3 p.m. - Colby
July 25 at 7 p.m., July 26 at 3 p.m. - Quinter
August 8 at 7 p.m., August 9 at 3 p.m. - Oakley
Co-leading the festival’s artistic efforts are Festival Manager/art council Executive Director Karl Pratt and MSAC Creative Director and Founder Bonnie Cameron. Cameron is also serving as show director for five of the show locations (Goodland, Hoxie, Atwood, Colby, and Oakley). Together, they are joined by choreographers Skylynne Fulwider, Nicole Kibel, and Paige Fulwider. Tori Rucker is directing and choreographing the Quinter production with choreographic assistance from Emery Waldman. MSAC Board Member Jessica Halbleib is assisting with the Oakley production as well. Lydia Pratt is assisting with the Hoxie production.
Supporting this year’s festival are 11 dedicated student interns, whose roles are made possible through the Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth Program. Interns include Kalvin “Kal” Doty, Paige Fulwider, Michael Johnston, Payton Juenemann, Brielle Karnes, Kati Kellogg, Mirari Linin, Rose Lowry, Chelidy Pridey, Hailey Vaughn and Ermelinda Veatch.
In honor of the Arts Council's 10th anniversary, arts council is also premiering a new documentary, Every Town a Stage-The Story of the Main Street Street Arts Council, produced by Ed Lowry of Story Pocket Productions. Funded by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and the Pete Henry Foundation, the film chronicles the story of the Main Street Arts Council as well as the evolution of the Main Street Summer Theater Festival from its early days to its present-day impact. Free community screenings will take place in all six towns, beginning June 15 in Quinter and Goodland.
● Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m. – Quinter Church of the Brethren, 700 Grant St, Quinter
● Sunday, June 15 at 7 p.m. MT – Goodland Jr/Sr High School Auditorium, 1209 Cherry St, Goodland
● Sunday, July 6 at 3 p.m. – Atwood Jayhawk Theatre, 420 Main St, Atwood
● Sunday, July 6 at 7 p.m. – Hoxie High School Auditorium, 1625 Queen Ave, Hoxie
● Saturday, July 12 at 7 p.m. – Colby Event Center, 1200 S Franklin Ave, Colby
● Monday, August 4 at 7 p.m. – Oakley High School Auditorium, 118 W 7th St, Oakley
Another major highlight of the season is the arrival of Broadway performer Desi Oakley, who will host two youth workshops with members of the festival casts and headline a special free public concert in Hoxie on Wednesday, Aug. 6 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the Hoxie High School Auditorium, 1625 Queen Ave., Hoxie. (Ticket reservation information coming soon).
Oakley, a native of Wichita, is an acclaimed Broadway performer and singer-songwriter with deep beginnings in regional theater at Music Theatre Wichita. After earning a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan, she made her Broadway debut in Wicked (2012) and went on to appear in productions like Annie, Les Misérables, and Evita. Oakley gained national recognition starring as Jenna in the first national tour of Waitress, reprised the role in the West End, and most recently took on Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. In addition to her stage work, she writes and records original music—releasing projects including Don’t Look Back and Repeat—and lends her voice as a coach and voiceover artist, enriching the next generation of performers.
Performances of Dare to Dream Jr. will run from June 20 through August 9.
● June 20 at 7 p.m. (MT), June 21 at 3 p.m. (MT) - Goodland
● July 11 at 7 p.m., July 13 at 3 p.m. - Hoxie
● July 12 at 3 p.m., July 13 at 7 p.m. - Atwood
● July 18 at 7 p.m., July 19 at 3 p.m. - Colby
● July 25 at 7 p.m., July 26 at 3 p.m. - Quinter
● August 8 at 7 p.m., August 9 at 3 p.m. - Oakley
All local youth ages 5–18 are invited to participate in this year’s festival at no cost, thanks to the generous support of our grant funders, past festival proceeds, community sponsors, and ongoing fundraising efforts.
The Main Street Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the following grant funders for their invaluable support: the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Sherman County Community Foundation, Sheridan County Community Foundation, ACE Foundation (Rawlins County), Thomas County Community Foundation, Gove County Community Foundation, Logan County Community Foundation, Pete Henry Foundation, Gulick Family Fund, Midwest Energy, Nex-Tech, Walmart of Colby, and Oakley Travel and Tourism.
We also extend our sincere thanks to our many business sponsors and donors, including Hoxie Implement, Double U Farms, Chris Hartman, and Citizens Health.
While tickets are required for the youth productions, all documentary screenings and the Broadway concert are free and open to the public.
For full festival details, showtimes, sponsors list, and ticket information, visit www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/msstf2025.
About the Main Street Arts Council
The Main Street Arts Council is an organization dedicated to promoting the arts, encouraging creativity, serving the arts community, and acting as an advocate for the arts. We strive to be a model organization for the Northwest Kansas region by ensuring access to the arts for all ages, encouraging a community passion for the arts and successfully supporting, partnering, and collaborating with others committed to the arts. Learn more at www.mainstreetartscouncil.com.