Past Events

Serial Killers with Dr. Scott Bonn

Speaker on stage with a table, chair, and red curtains in the background.
Nicolet College Theatre – Lakeside Center
Admission: $40.00

Tickets: $40 each at the Rhinelander District Library (cash or check only) or $42.50 online at rdlfoundation.org/doc-bonn

Lakeside Lounge Bar service offering beverages and small bites opens at 1 pm.

Join this intellectually-stimulating evening with the renowned criminologist and author of the best-selling popular culture book “Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers.”

Please Note: The content of Dr. Bonn’s presentation is intense and may be disturbing to some audiences. While he incorporates dark humor, it is not intended to diminish the gravity of the subject matter or the impact on the victims’ lives.

Beethoven and Banjos

Man playing double bass in a park by a large tree.
Nicolet College Theatre – Lakeside Center
Admission: $12.00
or call
715-365-4646

Lakeside Lounge Bar service offering beverages and small bites opens at 5 pm.

Accomplished musicians from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula blend folk and classical music for a unique cross-genre concert experience. Each year, Beethoven and Banjos explores a different genre. It will feature Icelandic music with musicians Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir and Haldor Smarason. Evan Premo, who performs with Saeunn through his work with Decoda (an Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall), will join them. Together with Laurel Premo, they will present a captivating mix of classical and folk music.

Evan Premo, the group’s artistic director, emphasizes that this event is more than just a concert; it’s an experience that invites audiences to explore new aconnections in humanity through music.

Visit www.northwoodsmusiccollaborative.org/beethoven-and-banjos for more information.

Susan M. Perry: From Beneath the Tarp A Story of Abuse and Redemption

Old wooden barn under cloudy sky flanked by greenery serving as a bookcover.
Nicolet College Theatre – Lakeside Center

FREE ADMISSION
In partnership with Tri-County Council

From Beneath the Tarp is a true story of one woman’s journey through the realities of domestic violence. This important and engaging story will be told by author and former Nicolet College Nursing instructor, Susan Perry. Come and witness her story of abuse and redemption to be enlightened, empowered, inspired, and informed. There will be a wellness fair immediately afterwards in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Lakeside Patio Show With Dig Deep

Four musicians with string instruments stand in front of a wooden fence, black and white photo.
Nicolet College Lakeside Center Patio

FREE ADMISSION
In partnership with WXPR

The grill will be loaded with brats and burgers, walking tacos will be fresh, and bar service available. Food and beverages for purchase available from 6 – 8 pm. 

Join us as the College’s Lakeside Center Patio is transformed into a waterfront concert venue. Enjoy a pop-up restaurant with bar service on a late-summer evening filled with live music, delicious food, and tasty beverages.

About Dig Deep: Formed in 2015 in Stevens Point, WI, they blend traditional bluegrass and country with rock and roll, drawing from their extensive experience in punk and metal scenes. Known for their hard-edged sound and energetic live performances, Dig Deep is a unique force in the roots music world. With three releases and over 1,000 shows, Dig Deep has captivated audiences far beyond the typical string band experience. Their festival appearances include the Blue Ox Music Festival, Westport Roots Festival, and Boats and Bluegrass, among many others.

Mama Bears

Nicolet College Theatre

5 pm - Social Hour in Lakeside Lounge with bar and concessions (non-alcoholic)
6:30 pm - Film Showtime with discussion panel afterwards

Conservative, Christian beliefs have defined their lives. Now they’re championing their LGBTQ+ children. Premiered in 2022 at SXSW Film Festival and in 2023 on PBS. In celebration of Pride Month, we are proud to present this thoughtful documentary that explores the unshakable bond between a mother and child, and the faith that guides them along the way.

Did you know there are more than 32,000 mothers in America, many from conservative, Christian backgrounds, who fully accept their LGBTQ+ children? They call themselves “mama bears” because while their love is warm and fuzzy, they fight ferociously to make the world kinder and safer for all, including LGBTQ+ people. Although they grew up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGTBQ+ people, these mothers are now willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to champion their kids — even if it challenges their belief systems and rips apart their worlds.

Reduced Shakespeare Company's All The Great Books (Abridged)

Nicolet College Theatre
Admission: $36.00

Free With Nicolet College Student ID

The bar in our Lakeside Lounge opens at 6 pm (12:30 pm for matinee), serving beer, wine, sodas, and snacks.

Little Dickens. Short Longfellow. Reduced Proust. All the Great Books. Less is More.

The Literary Canon explodes as the Reduced Shakespeare Company once again unleashes a comic outrage on an unsuspecting public. The Bad Boys of Abridgment take you on a ninety-eight-minute roller-coaster ride through its compact compendium of the world’s great books in All the Great Books (abridged). Confused by Confucius? Thoroughly thrown by Thoreau? Wish Swift was swifter? Tennyson tinier? Then buckle up and hop aboard as the three cultural guerrillas of the Reduced Shakespeare Company zip through everything you didn’t get around to reading in school. Called a “trio of Modern Marx Brothers” by the Boston Herald and “intellectual vaudeville” by the New York Times, The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a touring American comedy troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics. Click here to learn more at reducedshakespeare.com. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: In the spirit of Shakespeare’s comedies, RSC shows contain comic depictions of violence, mild innuendo, bawdy language, and the occasional rude word. All children (and parents) are different, so we’ve chosen to rate our shows PG-13: Pretty Good If You’re Thirteen.

Reduced Shakespeare Company's All The Great Books (Abridged)

Nicolet College Theatre
Admission: $36.00

Free With Nicolet College Student ID

The bar in our Lakeside Lounge opens at 12:30 pm serving beer, wine, sodas, and snacks.

Little Dickens. Short Longfellow. Reduced Proust. All the Great Books. Less is More.

The Literary Canon explodes as the Reduced Shakespeare Company once again unleashes a comic outrage on an unsuspecting public. The Bad Boys of Abridgment take you on a ninety-eight-minute roller-coaster ride through its compact compendium of the world’s great books in All the Great Books (abridged). Confused by Confucius? Thoroughly thrown by Thoreau? Wish Swift was swifter? Tennyson tinier? Then buckle up and hop aboard as the three cultural guerrillas of the Reduced Shakespeare Company zip through everything you didn’t get around to reading in school. Called a “trio of Modern Marx Brothers” by the Boston Herald and “intellectual vaudeville” by the New York Times, The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a touring American comedy troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics. Click here to learn more at reducedshakespeare.com. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: In the spirit of Shakespeare’s comedies, RSC shows contain comic depictions of violence, mild innuendo, bawdy language, and the occasional rude word. All children (and parents) are different, so we’ve chosen to rate our shows PG-13: Pretty Good If You’re Thirteen.

Reduced Shakespeare Company's All The Great Books (Abridged)

Nicolet College Theatre
Admission: $36.00

Free With Nicolet College Student ID

The bar in our Lakeside Lounge opens at 6 pm (12:30 pm for matinee), serving beer, wine, sodas, and snacks.

Little Dickens. Short Longfellow. Reduced Proust. All the Great Books. Less is More.

The Literary Canon explodes as the Reduced Shakespeare Company once again unleashes a comic outrage on an unsuspecting public. The Bad Boys of Abridgment take you on a ninety-eight-minute roller-coaster ride through its compact compendium of the world’s great books in All the Great Books (abridged). Confused by Confucius? Thoroughly thrown by Thoreau? Wish Swift was swifter? Tennyson tinier? Then buckle up and hop aboard as the three cultural guerrillas of the Reduced Shakespeare Company zip through everything you didn’t get around to reading in school. Called a “trio of Modern Marx Brothers” by the Boston Herald and “intellectual vaudeville” by the New York Times, The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a touring American comedy troupe that performs fast-paced, seemingly improvisational condensations of huge topics. Click here to learn more at reducedshakespeare.com. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: In the spirit of Shakespeare’s comedies, RSC shows contain comic depictions of violence, mild innuendo, bawdy language, and the occasional rude word. All children (and parents) are different, so we’ve chosen to rate our shows PG-13: Pretty Good If You’re Thirteen.

Dave Markward: From Dubuque to Selma & Beyond

Nicolet College Theatre

Free Admission

Dave Markward will share a personal reminiscence of his journey to understand racism in America. He writes of his transformation from a child growing up in a white community in middle America to an adult whose life is enriched by diversity.

Throughout the book, he challenges his readers, as he will this audience, to assess their beliefs and be open to racial understanding. He’ll relate some personal interviews and historical notesthat are the basis of the book. His sincerity and personal enlightenment will be evident, and may just encourage – no, excite – us to learn, understand, and make a difference.

Markward is a lifelong educator and continues to remain interested in all aspects of education. He finished his career as the superintendent of schools in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In Partnership with Learning in Retirement

Jennifer Chiaverini

Nicolet College Theatre

Free Admission

Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including critically acclaimed historical fiction and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series, presents her new novel, The World’s Fair Quilt. Jennifer was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association for her novel Resistance Women and WLA awarded her the honor of Notable Wisconsin Author for her significant contributions to Wisconsin’s literary heritage.

In Partnership with the Rhinelander District Library