EPENDING ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE, THIS SUMMER MARKS EITHER THE BEGINNING OR THE END OF THE LIVE “FRAGMENTS OF A DREAM TRILOGY,” PERFORMED FOR THREE STRAIGHT WEEKENDS IN JULY. “It’s weird that we are finishing the trilogy with Episode I, since in reality that is the beginning,” pageant Director Erin Richards said. “I haven’t ever thought of it as an ending. This script has familiar scenes in it that were in the old script, so for many it feels comforting as this is stuff we have known for many years.”
The “Fragments of a Dream Trilogy” is being presented over three years: “Episode Two: Chasing the Dream” (1875-1876) was the 2023 summer production. “Episode Three: Dream Fulfilled” (1877-1879) took the stage last year, and then we circle back to “Episode One: Faith in the Dream” (1874-1875) this year to complete the cycle.
“Episode Three: Dream Fulfilled” (1877-1879) revealed the Ingalls’ return from Burr Oak, building the Masters Hotel, getting to know new children like Mattie Masters, Mary’s blindness, more fires, Pa elected to the town council and leaving Walnut Grove for Dakota Territory.
This month, starting Friday, July 11, “Episode One: Faith in the Dream” (18741875) shares the arrival of the Ingalls on Plum Creek as they live in a dugout, help build the Congregational church, survive a prairie fire and get to know the Nelsons and, of course, the Olesons.
Coming back around for 2026, “Episode Two: Chasing the Dream” tells the story of the Ingalls in their house on Plum Creek with more grasshoppers, moving to town for the winter, adjusting to the Oleson family, a new child in the family, preparing to move to Burr Oak and more.
“We’re just getting started,” said pageant coordinator Bill Richards. “This script, many of the actors knew it or parts of it. We’ve taken pieces from the original, 1978 in-the-school piece and the 1979 piece. Year One will foreshadow what’s coming in the future.”
Richards said this Episode One uses less of the set than others have since so much of uses the creek — where the Ingalls family first lived — as the main setting. He added that this particular show follows the book more than others.
“The book quit right about there and didn’t go on for the other times they were there because it wasn’t that pleasant,” he said. “The story … they’re a lot more hopeful, but they get hit by the same kinds of thing that hit them all the time — the fire, the grasshoppers, the lack of money. There’s that commonality that continues through all three episodes. And we don’t paint it as bleak as it was.”
That is a decision with a purpose. “This is not a Greek tragedy,” he said. “Laura put a good spin on it for herself in looking back and focused on the good stuff. So we focus on the good stuff, but let some of the bad stuff in, too. The combination helps the fans identify with the story.”
This year’s cast, like usual, will include plenty of turnover. And this year, it will be more noticeable than ever, with a new person playing Mary and a new Ma. This year’s Laura, Kalisa Hamilton Jaimes, is brand-new to the cast. On the other end of the spectrum, Wilder Pageant veteran Errol Steffen, who played Pa for many years, is reprising his role as Reverend Alden.
“We have more kids and a lot of them are pretty young, Bill said. “We also have the tweeters that are too old to be Laura or too young to be Mary, so we always try to find new roles for them, which can be a challenge. We usually have a turnover of about 50%.”
Bill said with so many actors coming back every year, the real trick is making sure they’re not too experienced for their own good, even though the productions change from year to year.
“What we’ve found with our ‘regulars,’ who have been here five, 10, 15 years, is Erin is really pushing them and that’s making people uncomfortable, he said. “But that’s her intention because some have gotten really comfortable. She says she also has gotten comfortable. She’s got them doing stretching exercises, vocal diction exercises, she’s got characterization sheets where they have to think about certain things. We’re not Disney, but we have live theater, and that only works if you really connect with your audience. People love that — they want to cry, they want to laugh. If you can do that for them, you will be a success.”
Bill said today’s audience is much more sophisticated than in years past and better able to notice when actors might be “mailing it in” from time to time.
“They are more in tune on what they would see on Netflix,” he said. “They expect that’s what they should see out here, and if we don’t they’re disappointed. So we push them. That is the challenge we have with the people who are returning every year … but they have a lot to offer the newbies.”
Focusing more on the family units and groups of dancers that are purposely put together, Bill said, fosters a better connection among the actors.
As usual, Richards is hoping for ideal weather for the pageant — something that is out of their control, but nonetheless a key piece to having a successful run in 2025.
“I’ve got three different reports from three different sources and they’re probably all semi true,” he said. “A couple of other shows have already canceled two or three times in one week because all of a sudden, boom, weather. It’s unprecedented how rapidly the weather shifts now. We’ve been rained on in rehearsal, but we’re fine.”
Erin and the cast have been working a lot on characterization this year.
“I had them fill out a form about what their character is like,” she said. “Such as what they do in their free time, what their favorite food is, how they are like their character, and how they are dislike their character. I have also been having them warm up with stretches, face exercises and vocal exercises.”
Erin said all of this is designed to help the actors get into their character and ready to practice, and eventually the show.
“Things have been going well,” she said. “We have some new people and people in different positions. So it is a learning curve for all as everyone gets acquainted to the script, their character and the stage.”
