“Theater is a collaborative art form where you’re always working with other people,” said artistic director of Prairie Repertory Theatre Billy Wilburn. “You’re never working alone; you’re always part of a team.”
Started in 1970, the South Dakota State University theater group has a two-part mission: to provide intense training for students involved in the program and to provide the best possible theatrical entertainment for the people of South Dakota and the region.
Each summer season, Prairie Repertory Theatre takes on almost 50 students to produce three to four productions in nine weeks at the Oscar Larson Theatre. 605 was able to stop by during their performance of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, based on the 1954 MGM musical/ Western film.
“It’s got dancing cowboys and tons of entertainment,” teased Wilburn to the team before curtain. “Who doesn’t love singing and dancing?”
Each show is a mix of SDSU students and students from other universities, along with guest artists and faculty. Planning for productions starts a year out, with casting in January and February. Then once May hits, they hit the ground running.
“They learn so much in a short amount of time. It’s such a good experience.”
Billy Wilburn
“Once we arrive in May, we have rehearsals every day—it’s a very concentrated period of time,” said Wilburn. “Essentially we have three rehearsal slots, and we’re working on all of the shows simultaneously.”
While the group is a “well-oiled machine,” each year adjustments are made to make the experience better and to help students have deeper learning experiences. Education is the cornerstone of SDSU, says Wilburn, and Prairie Repertory Theatre fits that model to set participants up for success.
“When they leave our program and graduate, our students go out and work in Broadway and Chicago and LA and they’re doing amazing things,” he said. “As a matter of fact, one of our alumni from Prairie Rep was just in Sioux Falls for the touring Broadway show of The Addams Family.”
The artistic program has served over 544,000 patrons and around 2,000 students in 54 years.
Wilburn says there is a two-hour radius where they draw people in from, including many rural areas. Because of the remote locations, Prairie Repertory Theatre is sometimes the audience member’s first time seeing a play or being in a theater.
The 2026 Season
Celebrate 55 years of the Prairie Repertory Theatre by attending a show!
Fiddler on the Roof
June 10-12 and 17-19 at 7 p.m. // June 13 and 20 at 2 p.m.
Plaza Suite
June 24-26 at 7 p.m. // June 27 at 2 p.m.
Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical
July 8-10 and July 15-17 at 7 p.m. // July 11 and 18 at 2 p.m.
“With our rural audiences in mind, it’s important we’re representing theater, representing what the arts are, and how important they are to life,” said Wilburn.
The group has given backstage tours to the community to give them a glimpse into what it’s like producing theater as “an education for the audience.”
SDSU brings in guest artists, costume designers, lighting designers, and more to work alongside students to create everything from costumes to set design.
“When they’re not in rehearsal, they’re working on scenery, costumes, lighting, props, and sound,” said Wilburn.
Along with stage production and acting, students also get exposure in publicity and the box office at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. This involves everything from creating press releases to running social media to ad and billboard placements.
“That’s the biggest mission for us—to help young professionals go out and work and also provide entertainment to an area that may not have seen theater.”
Billy Wilburn
“The whole experience takes everyone to make it happen,” said Wilburn. “That’s the fun part.”
Prairie Repertory Theatre isn’t the only thing taking place at the performing arts center. The venue, which had a major expansion in 2019, showcases everything from concerts to symposiums to other theater productions (i.e. Brookings Community Theatre).
With it being a “world class facility,” Wilburn says it draws students from all over, like Boston Conservatory at Berklee, New York University (NYU), and Carnegie Mellon University. An educator at heart, touching the students’ lives and seeing their growth is what he says keeps him inspired.
“It’s amazing to see students change from when they arrived with us to nine weeks later. You see how much they’ve learned,” said Wilburn. “It’s the human connection that’s really the most important thing for me.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT PRAIRIEREP.ORG+
