Great Plains Theatre Announces 2018 Season

Season's Greetings!

2017 has been busy at Great Plains Theatre! By the end of December, we will have shown over 30 movies, produced 45 live professional theatre performances, held 11 concerts, and put on over 13 different youth activities and productions, all in the same room! If you're wondering how we did so many different things all at the same time, our best guess is Magic. Magic, and our wonderful family of staff, board members, interns, volunteers, patrons, and donors who have all come together to make 2017 such a successful year for Great Plains Theatre.

As we reflect on 2017, we also look ahead to 2018 and our 24th season. We are branching out to explore different types of stories and storytelling within our exciting season. Our 2018 season will feature: Camelot, the classic tale of King Arthur, his knights, and his love; The Lion in Winter, the story of King Henry II in the winter of 1183, as he tries to name his successor; Shrek the Musical, the animated movie turned heartwarming musical adventure; and finally, our Christmas show, Christmas Letters, a look at what the holiday season is truly about, rather than what we often make it to mean.

Our summer was well-attended with over 40% of our shows selling out! Don't be left in the lobby as the curtain rises! Purchase your season ticket and reserve your seats early! Ticket prices will rise slightly in 2018, but we are having a Season Ticket Special Sale! From now until February 1st a season ticket will be only $110, a $30 savings over individual tickets to each show! After February 1st, the season ticket sale will end, though they will still be available for purchase at the 2018 rate of $120.

Looking for the perfect present? Give the gift of theatre with a Great Plains Theatre gift card! They are a great way to not only support GPT, but also to encourage more people to enjoy live theatre, youth productions, special events, and cinema.

Great Plains Theatre

2018 Eisenhower Marathon

Get a jump start on your New Year's resolution - register for the 2018 Eisenhower Marathon, Half, 10k or 5k. 

The Eisenhower Marathon was created as a benefit to low-income families in Dickinson County, Kansas.  Annually the profits are divided among up to 24 nonprofits which also assist in running the event.  Those nonprofits then use the funds to help families according to the mission of each organization.  In helping those nonprofits, Viola Family members carry out the teachings of their grandparents, Ralph and Mattie Viola, who believed in giving to those less fortunate in need. 

Click here to learn more.

 
Missing Russell Stover Bear Found

Thanks to law enforcement officials, the missing Russell Stover Candies bear was recovered! Click here to learn more. 


Five-Star Reviews

Dickinson County Heritage Center

"Had a 7 yr old and 12 yr old with us, and had a stellar time. We spent hours there. Make sure you go out the back door so you see everything and do take a turn on the 1901 CW Parker Carousel."

- Donna Belt McBrearety

(From the Dickinson County Heritage Center Facebook Page)

 
Throwback Thursday

Movie Filmed in Abilene
The movie, Gypsy Moth was filmed in Abilene, Kansas (in part) in 1968 and was about three skydivers and their traveling thrill show in a small Midwestern town. 

Visit  the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum Facebook Page for more photos. 
Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home
TALK Series Returns to  Eisenhower Library in 2018

Eisenhower Presidential Library partners with Kansas  Humanities Council to promote Kansas literature program

The T alk About Literature in Kansas  (TALK) program returns to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in 2018 with "Ike Book Talks." The programs are free and open to the public, and registration is not required.
The "Ike Book Talks" series of six book discussions will be held every other month from January through November 2018 in the Visitors Center Auditorium. The series will also feature films in conjunction with three of the books.

This  Talk About Literature in Kansas  (TALK) program is conducted through a partnership with the Kansas Humanities Council, Abilene Public Library and Eisenhower Presidential Library. The books selected for this series all have a connection to Dwight Eisenhower.
Add the list of books to your holiday wish list today:
  • Burnt Creek by Ernest Haycox
  • All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
  • Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruit Stewart
  • Trail Town by Ernest Haycox
  • The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
  • Bugles in the Afternoon by Ernest Haycox
The books are available for purchase at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Gift Shop or may be available to check out from the Abilene Public Library.
The series kicks off on  Monday, January 8 at 7 p.m . when the book  Burnt Creek  by Ernest Haycox will be discussed. The book tells of the American pioneer experience through a series of interconnected short stories about Burnt Creek, a small crossroads town in central Oregon populated by a colorful group of homesteaders.

Additional information about the series can be found at www.eisenhower.archives.gov.
 
 
Chisholm Trail and the Cowtown that Raised a President
Exhibit in the Museum Tem porary Gallery u ntil May 2018


Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail, which brought nearly two million cattle from Texas to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas, between 1867 and 1871. See rare artifacts and historic photographs. Learn about the square meal, the real McCoy, origins of the cowboy boot, and "the wickedest town in the West." Discover stories behind the legends of T.C. McInerney, Bear River Smith, and Wild Bill Hickok among others. Find out why Dwight Eisenhower developed a love for all things western in the Cowtown that raised a President!

Eisenhower and the Great War
Exhibit in the Upstairs Library Gallery until May 2018

War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The Great War, as it became known, shocked the world with its massive scope and the industrial-like slaughter created by advances in military technology. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower's leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.

Great Plains Theatre

Great Plains Theatre Cinema


Seelye Mansion

Holiday Tours

Visit Abilene's iconic Seelye Mansion to view beautifully decorated Christmas Trees, more than 750 unique nutcrackers and a home full of rare antiques. 

Daily Tours:
Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
 
Calendar of Events

DATE
EVENT
LOCATION
DETAILS
Today - 12/31/2017 Seelye Mansion Christmas Tours Seelye Mansion Daily
12/1/2017 - 12/31/2017 Christmas Tree Lane

   
Stay in Abilene
Abilene Lodging Establishments

Abilene  is home to more than 200 rooms. Whether you're in town to visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, enjoy a show at the Great Plains Theatre, attend the Central Kansas Free Fair, meet with greyhound industry leaders or take a ride on the  Abilene  & Smoky Valley Railroad, we invite you to extend your visit, spend the night and enjoy all  Abilene  has to offer.
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