Our Story

Our 50^th Anniversary season was celebrated with a Gala in Peace Dining Room at Luther College featuring cabaret style performances interlaced with NMP history, a sit-down meal, and a silent auction of local arts and services.

When social contact was limited through the pandemic, alternative venues were used. Some shows were offered online, some outside.

In 2015, the community offered strong support for the “40 for 40” campaign, designed to celebrate 40 years of community theatre. The campaign raised enough money for repairs and upgrades to the property, including foundation work, new siding on all structures, and remodeling of storage areas. It even opened up space for a scene shop.

NMP holds its first Cabaret as a fundraiser in November of 2009. This time slot is now flexible and can be used for one-acts, full shows, or musical theatre selections.

It did not take long before the Spring Show with more adult themes became a regular part of the season.

The board approved construction of a stage and risers in 2006, and members went to work the very next day. The seats came from Waukon High School’s auditorium, and many volunteer hours were spent refurbishing and installing them. With the addition of a permanent lighting system, NMP was one step closer to having a great performance site.

It was a welcome and much-needed improvement. NMP had expanded its offerings to include an annual Young People’s Production in August and a Family Show in January.

The engagement in NMP grew. For the next two decades, NMP presented two to four shows per year. There was usually a summer musical, provided first at Decorah Middle School and later at Decorah High School. All other shows were performed in local restaurants as dinner theater. Needless to say, it was a lot of work to haul heavy platforms to make a stage and then build a set on top of that. This may have been when the desire for having a permanent stage and seating was born.

The organization was started in 1975 by Bette Greedy, who was quickly joined by a group of local thespians who wanted to share their passion with others. Bette secured enough money to stage the first show, a musical called Little Mary Sunshine. The show was performed in Ye Olde Barn Theatre on the edge of Decorah. The barn was not entirely waterproof, and this propelled the group to look for other locations. During the early years, New Minowa Players (NMP) performed shows in such diverse places as The Elks Club and Nob Hill. Over time, though, the need for a permanent home grew.

In 1934, Bill Salz purchased the property for $490 and it remained in his possession until 1947.