Northern Light Opera Company Incorporated

The Northern Light Opera Company, founded in 2002, is dedicated to bringing professional quality Music Theater to Heartland Lakes Area of Park Rapids MN and beyond.  The Company, led by theater professionals with Juilliard Drama and Ohio University credentials, is founded on these values: The arts have power to touch souls, unify people, and give meaning to life; There is power in building a community that values and supports the arts and recognizes the impact the arts have on economic development; There is power in combining music, story, costumes, sets, lighting, singers, actors, dancers… to create magic; There is power in supporting and encouraging community artists; There is power in the contributions of community volunteers; There is power in engaging strategic professional help; and, There is power in financial stability as it creates freedom in artistic expression.

The Northern Light Opera Company (NLOC) has had a busy and successful 2022.

• NLOKids Theater Camp, a collaborative project for children (8-13) from the Native American community of Pine Point MN and the Park Rapids area, was gifted tickets from Guthrie Theater to their production of The Tempest in mid-March.
• NLOC had a 20th Anniversary Celebration that featured cast, crew, props through the years.  Many happy memories were recreated.
• NLOKids Theater Camp again created an original musical and was featured in the Star Tribune’s Sunday July 24th Variety Section.
• NLOC’s summer production Hello, Dolly was delightful and proclaimed by many as their new favorite.   COVID’s appearance caused one week of performances to be rescheduled for a week later.
• WORKBENCH WorkShops are new NLOC projects.   Led by guest professionals, 2022 was the 2nd year of a week-long PlayWriter’s Workshop, which culminated with each individual’s play interpreted by NLOC performers at a public reading.  New for NLOC was the FilmMaking Workshop, an intensive experience for 5 aspiring filmmakers.  They created a story, filmed, & edited their work for a public showing within 3 days.  A Lighting Design Workshop brought in a professional lighting designer to assist area theater technical personnel. 

"NLOC projects are made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grants from the Region 2 Arts Council and Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.”

Northern Light Opera Company 20th Anniversary celebration. 

Hello, Dolly!

July 29 - August 1; 

Aug. 10-12, 

NLOC's Theater Camp trip to Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis MN  to attend the production of TheTempest, 

March 16, 2022.

NLOKids Theater Camp production of SKY VIEW, The One-eyed Time Ride, performed for family and friends in Pine Point MN and Park Rapids MN

Workbench Filmmaking Workshop,

October 20-22

photo by Shannon Geisen, Park Rapids Enterprise