the great armistice day blizzard

Dramatis personae

This show is dedicated to Wally Mattson. Born the day after the storm, we wish he could have seen it.

Connie…..Cate Jackson
Gwen…..Starla Larson
Martin…..Quintin Michael
Bo…..Song Kim

Playwright…..Liz Neerland
Director…..Liz Neerland
Stage Manager…..Alyssa Thompson
Scenic Design…..Sadie Ward
Costume Design…..Rubble&Ash
Lighting Design…..Jon Kirchhofer
Sound Design…..Forest Godfrey
Property Design…..Jenny Moeller
Video Design…..Josh Cragun
Voiceover…..Josh Cragun

The production runs 80 minutes in one act.

This show contains gunshots, flashing lights, and loud sound effects

Biographies

Forest Godfrey (he/him) is a 1999 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and has been a freelance sound designer in the Twin Cities ever since. He is excited to be back for his third show at nimbus having previously worked on The Red and the Bright and In the Age of Paint and Bone. Other selected credits: Crime and Punishment, (Open Window Theatre); The Birds, A Sherlock Holmes Christmas Carol, The Haunting of Hill House (TheatreX); Striking 12 (MMT); Rogue Prince, Tempest, Marisol (Theatre Coup d’Etat); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Theatre Uncorked); The Tempest, Goodnight Desdemona/Good Morning Juliet (Lakeshore Players Theater); It’s an Honorable Life, Klingon Christmas Carol (The Mound Theater); Yellow Fever (Theatre Mu/Guthrie); and 50+ productions with The Chameleon Theatre Circle. Paramount Home Video: “To Be or Not To Be: Klingons and Shakespeare” (released on Star Trek VI BluRay as Bonus Feature).

Cate Jackson (she/her) is a local actor and creator who has worked with Lyric Arts, Jackdonkey Productions, Sparkle Theatricals, nimbus, An Alleged Theater Co, TrP, TheatreX, Smartmouth Comedy, Live Action Set and many more. When not onstage she is usually babying her plants or can be seen wandering wherever there are trees.

A long time nimbus supporter and sometime collaborator, Song Kim (he/him), grew up in Portland, OR. This is his third appearance with nimbus and has previously appeared with Theater Mu, Full Circle Theater Company, Exposed Brick Theatre, and most recently in Rick Shiomi's Secret Warriors at History Theatre.

Jon Kirchhofer (he/him) is a human and a lighting designer.

Starla Larson (she/her) is a performer and visual artist with a passion for collaborative, story-driven work. This is her second show with nimbus. She has trained in Meisner, Viewpoints, and on-camera technique in Atlanta, Houston, and the Midwest. Beyond acting, She has choreographed and created mosaic art, with commissioned pieces in cities from Minneapolis to Houston.

Quintin Michael (he/him) hails from St. Paul with a career in theater spanning over twenty years. His recent credits include Anyone Can Whistle: In concert (Minneapolis Music Theater), Academonic (2025 MN Fringe Festival), and Sister Act (Lyric Arts). Aside from acting, Quintin occasionally sings with Minnesota's own Sounds of Blackness music ensemble (since 2015). When not performing, Quintin enjoys raising his 6 year old son and having a good time - writing, bowling, watching movies, lazer tagging, riding roller-coasters, zip lining. The Great Armistice Day Blizzard is Quintins' second nimbus show, after his debut performance in The Burning of Greenwood. Upcoming in April of 2026 he takes on his next adventure of "Grumpy Old Men: the Musical" with Minneapolis Musical Theater. Thank each and every one of you for taking the time out of your schedules to see this show. We hope you enjoy yourselves.

Jenny Moeller (she/her) is a props and lighting designer, theater artist, and writer working in the Twin Cities who is excited to be returning to nimbus! She is currently Technical Director of the Twin Cities Horror Festival, serves on the board for Arts Nest, and is the former Artistic Director of Raw Sugar. She has worked as technical director, designer, and builder for many theaters, including the Minnesota Opera, Southern Theater, Off Lease Art Box, Theatre Pro Rata, Theatre Unbound, and Six Points Theater.

Liz Neerland (she/her) is a native of Minneapolis and a graduate of Grinnell College. Since 2002, she has had a hand in writing, directing, designing, or producing every nimbus show. In addition to her co-Artistic Director Duties, she also serves as the company's Managing Director. In her "spare time" she enjoys cooking, reading, spending time on the North Shore, and managing her dog’s Instagram account.

Rubble&Ash is the name that captures the collaborative design and production work of Andrea M Gross and Barb Portinga. For the past dozen years they have challenged and supported one another as costume designers, pattern makers, and storytellers. As Rubble&Ash, their work has been seen at nimbus in The Brontide, A Very Electric Christmas, Nimbus Presents: A Count Up to Christmas, The Red and the Bright, A Life of Days, The Pathetic Life and Remarkable Afterlife of Elmer McCurdy the Worst Robber in the West, The River Becomes Sea, and The Kalevala; at Park Square Theatre in Jefferson Township Sparkling Junior Talent Pageant; at Interact Theater in We're Still Here and Hell is Empty and All the Devils are here…Again! and the History Theater with Superman Becomes Lois Lane and The Boy Wonder.

Barb and Andrea are founding members of The Costume Collective in Northeast Minneapolis; a costume rental house supporting artists across the state and country with costumes compiled from some of the largest stocks in the Twin Cities. The company is founded in the values of resource conservation, accessibility and inclusion.

Rubble&Ash melds pieces from existing stocks of costumes; thrift, antique, and fabric stores; and purpose builds garments to combine elements in unexpected ways. The intention is always to support the story and creation of character with collaboration, skill and ingenuity.

Alyssa Thompson (she/her) has been working as a Stage Manager in and around the Twin Cities for over a decade. She is the Company Stage Manager for nimbus, and along with her trusty ASD (Assistant Stage Dog) Moose loves the devising process and creating new work with this team. Her stage management credits outside of nimbus include Pioneer Suite and Mrs. Charles among others with Freshwater Theatre and four years as a technician with the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She also fosters dogs through No Dog Left Behind Rescue.

Sadie Ward (she/her) is a Minneapolis based theatre designer. In our disposable modern world, she tries to incorporate recycled and upcycled elements into her theatre designs and artwork. Sadie has degrees in Theatre Studies and Arts Administration from Viterbo University and a Diploma in Architectural Technology from Minneapolis College. She also works as a Theatre Lighting and AV Specialist at Schuler Shook. She started the Minneapolis chapter of the Broadway Green Alliance.

Special thanks

Dom Detwiler, The Costume Collective

About nimbus

nim-bus, n.

1. a : A bright cloud, or cloudlike splendor, imagined as investing deities when they appeared on earth.
b : a cloud or atmosphere about a person or thing

2 : A bright or golden disk surrounding the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign

3 : a rain cloud

nimbus has been creating original theater in the Twin Cities since 2001. Their unique process for the creation of playwright-led collaborative work combined with their passion for creating bold, eclectic theater has been dazzling audiences for over 20 years. A company founded and led by playwrights and run by the artists themselves, we are dedicated to creating theatre that crosses boundaries, promotes imagination, and ignites new conversations.

How we create our work

All of our work is created collaboratively using a process we have been refining since 2001. Our casts and design teams work with a director, dramaturg, and playwright to create original theater together. Often starting with a simple idea or concept, the entire team participates in researching and discussing the ideas, characters, and locations the play will focus on.

After several weeks of intensive research, the team enters a period we call ‘script work.’ During this time, the cast and director improvise and work with text provided by the playwright. Over time, a script takes form. After a staged reading as well as editing and finishing work by the playwright, rehearsal begins.

Unlike traditional American theater, our process allows the design concepts, characters, and narrative to develop together. Although our process is new, it is not extremely different from the way that Shakespeare or Moliere created their work. Our methods are always evolving and changing, and we welcome your input in improving it.

The nimbus Company

Artistic Directors
Josh Cragun, Mitchell Frazier, Liz Neerland

Company Members
Andrea Gross, Brian Hesser, Jill Hoeft, Alex Meyer, Alyssa Thompson

We are looking for dedicated nimbus fans who would be interested in serving on our Board of Directors. For more info email Josh Cragun.

Thank you to all of our financial contributors:

FY 2026 DONORS

As of December 3, 2025

Anonymous
Anonymous
Cora Berg
Doug Carlson & Sarah Sonday
Josh Cragun & Liz Neerland
Derek Dirlam
Meri Golden
Emily Gunyou Halaas
Gordon Kepner
Jeremy Motz
Daniel Pinkerton
Andrew & Corinna Troth
Brian Watson-Jones

FY 2025 DONORS

Elizabeth Andrus
Anonymous
Cora Mae Berg
Carol Clarke
Patty Connelly
Josh Cragun & Liz Neerland
Susan Derus
Walt Duffy
Doran Edwards
Nancy Eustis
Nancy Feldman
Delta Giordano
Meri Golden
Christine Gordon
Andrea Gross & Liam McNerney
Dr. Daniel C. Hartnett Family Foundation
Patty Hepburn
Jill Hoeft & Alex Meyer
Lucie Holzemer & Wally Mattson
Pam Kaufman & Dennis Keierleber
Tom Kelly
Gordon Kepner
Warren & Carolyn Kime
Michael Koch
Andrew & Karen Krenik
Maury & Juie Landsman
The Lienhards
Tanya Lobao
Mary & Ron Mattson
Laura Mays
Kathy Minkler
Jane & Michael Murphy
Maureen & Charles Neerland
Jay & Mary B Newcomb
Mark Oyaas
Bonnie Palmquist
Daniel Pinkerton
Ariel Pinkerton
James Rustad
Peter & Mary Sandberg
Evan Schnell & Sarah Asch
I-Ming Shih
Bill Stout
Tamara & Mike Thompson
Alyssa Thompson
Andrew & Corinna Troth
Suzanne & John Ursu
Donovan & Rachel Walsh
Boston Scientific