The Tony-nominated, dark comedy "Hand to God" opens Thursday at the Empire Arts Center.
With a cast of local and regional actors, the Empire Theatre Company is presenting the Robert Askins' play about young Jason, who, after the death of his father, finds an outlet for his anxiety in a Christian Puppet Ministry in his small, devoutly religious Texas town.
Jason's complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door and especially his mother are thrown into turmoil when his puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and irreverent personality of its own.
The play, directed by Chris Berg, was produced off-Broadway for several years and on Broadway in 2015. The Broadway production earned five Tony Award nominations including "Best New Play."
The play, not recommended for children, will be performed in the Black Box Theatre, "making it that much more intimate," said Mackenzie Teepen, communications coordinator for the Empire Arts Center.
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Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Feb. 1-3 and 8-10.
Tickets, $17 for adults and $14 for students and military, may be purchased by calling (701) 746-5500 on weekdays, or by going online to www.empireartscenter.com .
The Empire Arts Center is at 415 DeMers Ave.
The Beo String Quartet, which is based in Pittsburgh, performs at 7 p.m. Thursday at Red River High School's Performance Hall, along with the Grand Forks Public Schools middle and high school orchestras.
Jason and Sean Neukom, natives of Devils Lake, are members of the quartet, said Rebecca McFarlane. Their father, Richard Neukom, is an orchestra teacher in Devils Lake public schools.
McFarlane is the South Middle School orchestra teacher who coordinated the event.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.
The Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra highlights chamber music in a concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Forks.
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The special event will feature works by Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn. Two of the pieces will be performed by a smaller orchestra, and one by a piano trio of Nariaki Sugiura, piano; Alejandro Drago, violin, and Simone Barbu, cello.
General admission is $25, and $15 for students or those with military identification.
The church is at 5555 S. Washington St.
The one-act play, "Freak," will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday at Red Lake County Central High School in Oklee, Minn.
The fantasy social drama centers on a student who, because of constant bullying, feels like a freak. She wakes to find herself in a circus sideshow, with other "freaks," and comes to the realization she is there because she had attempted suicide. Each of the other characters slowly reveals that they had committed suicide due to bullying.
Admission is a free will donation.
The RLCC performers will also present the play, by Angela Hill, at a competition Friday in Bagley, Minn., said Michael Swenson, director.
