SKYWORDS Spring 2026
Northern Sky Theater News
Joy-Making: One Show at a Time MOLLY RHODE Artistic Director
What a delight that it’s already time to pen this year’s SkyWords article! Winter flew by, spring has sprung, and we are thrilled to welcome you back to the Park and the Gould for our 2026 season. As we built this season, we kept one idea at the heart of everything: joy. We want the stories we tell to lift you up. We want you to leave happier and healthier than when you arrived. Creating space for laughter, release, and connection is our greatest privilege, and I can’t wait to have you join us for five unforgettable shows at Northern Sky.
LOOKING BACK We open the season with something incredibly special. For one week only in June, join us in the Gould for a Fred Alley Tribute Concert. To honor 25 years since Fred’s passing, five artists that knew and loved him will sing songs from his prolific canon and share personal reflections on Fred’s impact. Doc Heide will lead a powerhouse quintet including Jimmy Kaplan, Karen Mal, Katie Dahl, and Jeff Herbst. Fred’s work
continues to bring
joy to audiences across the country and around the world. What a gift that so much of his legacy lives on in Door County and with us at Northern Sky.
TAKING FLIGHT The week after the concert, our joy-making moves to the park for this year’s thrilling world premiere, The Thing with Feathers. Created by Robin Share and Clay Zambo (authors of Windjammers), this vibrant story of birds and birders will come alive with dynamic puppetry. Director Zach Woods (last seen at Northern Sky in Love Stings) is staging a show that will truly soar. At the center of the show is a Kirtland’s Warbler—an endangered bird rarely seen in Wisconsin and known to be an extraordinary singer. Fittingly, our Kirtland’s will be puppeteered and voiced by Alex Campea. The show also features a bird trio: Rachael Zientek returns as the cardinal, Cardi; Nathaniel Contreras joins us for a second season to play the bobolink, Bobo; and newcomer Nahjee Robinson will bring Wilson, a Wilson’s Warbler, to life. Our bird actors began their puppetry journey last August and will be joined by a bird ensemble to bring the full scope of our environment to life. But there’s more —the show has humans too! The birders are a motley crew, including Doug