PRESCOTT – The Great River Road Theatre, a non-profit group out of Prescott that brings musicals and plays to the stage for the community, is ready to present their work again, showing “Love, Lies & the Lottery” from Jan. 30-Feb. 1 and Feb. 6-8. The show is at the Old Ptacek’s Event Center.

“It is a very humorous play, and I think we need some humor in the midst of the winters up here on the tundra,” actor Ken McNiff said.

The theatre started back in 1992 as a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce. They performed a Dracula one-act show. After a handful of successful one-act shows, the theatre started to make longer and larger productions.

This show is about a family and relationship with a lot of tensions, and they wind up winning the lottery, bringing on even more chaos. There are tons of funny lines and fast-paced action.

“It’s a night to get away from the rush,” actor Scott Halverson said. “The one thing that the Great River Road Theatre has always tried to do in the winter is to have not a dark play, but a play that’s kind of uplifting, humorous or a farce.”

The group puts on the shows every year with one goal, make sure everyone in attendance has a good time.

“It’s really a night out,” director Judy Johnson said. “You sit back, you have a nice dinner, you sit back and you laugh, laugh, laugh.”

There is also going to be a special signature song sung at the show, and the actors are excited to reveal it at the show.

“We like entertaining people, and when we can get the feedback from the audience that shows that they’re having fun out here, that makes it all worthwhile,” Johnson said.

Cary Wiger, who has River Falls roots, was part of the creation of the show, so look for local ties in the script including references to real local businesses. Johnson said they are remembering the late Ken Roen as they perform the show, as it is a show he was fond of.

With actors working on the play like Lori Arndt, Mark Andrle, Krista Christiansen, Scott Halverson, Chris Lamb, Ken McNiff, Ally Thomley and Matt Smith, as well as Johnson and Marie-Anne Haudegand Deiss directing, the show is sure to be a success.

Scan the QR code on the attached photo to purchase tickets. Anyone qho purchases a ticket before Christmas will be entered into a lottery for a free bottle of wine with dinner. Tickets are $40 and come with a buffet-style meal featuring a choice of turkey or ham. The Sunday meals will be a pasta dish.