Forst Inn Arts Collective kicks off season
BY MEGHAN CALLAHAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
TISCH MILLS – The 2024 season of the Forst Inn Arts Collective begins March 23, with “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
The program was started by artistic director Michael Sheeks after he purchased the Forst Inn.
The Forst Inn was originally established around 1868 in Tisch Mills — a brewery at the time.
Mary and Wenzel Forst took ownership of and popularized the Inn from 1898-1930.
From there, it remained an Inn until it was purchased by Ron Kaminski in 1990.
He converted the Inn’s dance hall into the Little Sandwich Theater and put on cabarets until it went dark in 2012.
For five years it sat empty until Sheeks purchased it in the summer of 2017.
Sheeks has a background in musical theater and taught in Manitowoc before starting the Forst Inn Arts Collective.
He said that his decision to take over the Forst Inn was a no brainer.
“It was perfect for what I was looking for,” Sheeks said.
The Forst Inn holds the non-profit Arts Collective starting around the same time each year.
Funds earned from ticket purchases go back to the Inn and the actors who star in the plays as well as the betterment of the art gallery, which has yet to be open to the public.
“The season typically starts in March and runs through December,” said Sheeks.
A new show runs each month.
Each of the shows vary in content and time period — some are plays, some are musicals.
Behind the scenes, each of these plays/musicals take a lot of time and energy by the staff to produce.
“Many of the projects overlap,” added Sheeks.
In addition, the people who play parts in the projects usually come back each year to do three shows.
There are, however, opportunities for new actors to break on to the scene, as open auditions are hosted each year.
When it comes to the selection process of what plays and musicals are going to be put on, many people from the community take part.
The board of directors compiles a list of potential shows and then a survey is sent out to narrow down the selection.
There’s always “a list of shows from different varieties,” Sheeks explained.
There has been much support from the community over the years that the Arts Collective has been running.
Regarding the cabarets put on, Sheeks describes them as “the whole experience.”
There’s live music, food and the bar is open after the show for people to stay, socialize and drink.
This season’s showings start March 23 and go through Dec. 22. For more information, visit www.forstinn.org.