A special community gathering was held last weekend at the Little Red Hen Theatre to send T. Adam Goos, the theatre’s director since 2018, in grand fashion.
Goos was tapped for an arts position with the performing arts district in Sacramento, Calif. and will be moving there in just the next few days to start his new job – finishing up his time at a youth drama camp just days before his departure.
Taking the director position in 2018 was a return home for Goos, who graduated in 1994 from Wakefield High School. While in his youth, he was involved in the arts at the local school, performing in the LRHT’s inaugural performance of “The Hobbit” in 1992.
Former director Val Bard also remembered that he had played Joseph in “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” during her tenure.
While at the LRHT, Goos was instrumental in weathering a number of storms, continuing a legacy of Murder Mysteries, creating multiple outreach programs for youth interested in the arts, encouraging local actors and attracting performers from around the area, bringing musical acts and helping Wakefield grow in “the arts.”
From open mic nights at the Wakefield Market events downtown to bringing in national talent like Joseph Hall to portray “Elvis” and Nashville recording artists for camps – Goos was able to not only attract talent, but audience members as well.
It was estimated that under Goos’ leadership, the ticket holders outside of Wakefield grew by 70 percent for the typically at least three locally staffed productions, as well as the musical artists, drama and theatre camps, murder mysteries including sustaining the LRHT through the COVID year(s) with additional creativity.
Bard said that she appreciated Goos’ ability to reach out to the young people and get them interested in theatre with workshops, and talent brough into the community for camps and activities.
During 2020, the theatre showed a few events through social media and livestreaming, as well as some performances in Wakefield’s local parks, before returning to the LRHT stage for three more performances.
Bard also commented that Goos was instrumental in taking “Wakefield on the road” as the murder mysteries, in particular, became a popular traveling event across northeast Nebraska. Performances at the “Barn at God’s Country” and back to the Wakefield Health Care Center and Community Center entertained crowds the last number of years.
Goos’ organizational skills and production talent started with his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State in 1998, which turned into a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre from Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he “paid the bills as a working actor” while finishing his degree and starting his career.
From his biography on the LRHT website: “Before coming to Little Red Hen, Adam held positions at the Goodman Theatre, The Omaha Symphony, and Omaha Conservatory of Music.”
He worked for the Omaha Symphony helping with education and community engagement and community partnerships, and served as the Director of the Omaha Conservatory during that time.
More than 100 friends, neighbors, former performers and current troupe members were on hand on Sunday, June 7 for a “farewell” party.
Performances under his direction at the Little Red Hen Theatre over his eight years in Wakefield included hundreds of local and area cast members, drawing talent from Sioux City, Wayne and beyond.
Those shows, according to research done through the Republican files included, at least:
2019: “The Odyssey” “Tarzan” It’s a Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play”
2020: Facebook Live and livestreaming shows, performances in the parks; “James and the Giant Peach”; “Nana’s Naughty Nickers”; “Love Letters”
2021: “Be A Puff”; “Shrek the Musical”; “A Very Die Hard Christmas”
2022: “For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday”; “The Little Mermaid”; “Santa’s Shorts”;
2023: “Totally Rad 80s Prom Gone Bad”; “The Play that Goes Wrong”; “Night, Mother”; “Pippin”; “A Christmas Carol”
2024: “Murder in Margaritaville”; “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”; “Beauty and the Beast”; “Red Riding Hood”; “Titanish”
2025: “Betrayal Behind the Scenes”; “Sense and Sensibility”; “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat”; “Aesop’s Greatest Hits”; “A Christmas Story”
2026: “Murder at Ravenswood Manor”; “Marjorie Prime”; “Frozen”; “Bruce the Unicorn”
The family I didn’t know I needed and now I don’t ever want to live without, and thank you Adam, for giving that to me. – Barb Farup
There's nothing quite as heart-warming as seeing a young person full of talent growing into an extraordinary leader and teacher of others of all ages – especially when they return home to shine. Thanks for sharing yourself with LRHT and Wakefield, Adam; take all you are and be the brightest light in CA!!
- Val Bard
With a smile on his face – and in a cool, calm, and firm voice “Grab your book, get your pencil and write it down” – this is how we know he meant business!!! –
- Sophia Sebade
"Adam impacted everyone here in a positive way. We have all been changed for the better -- changed for good." -- Michael Pommer
"Adam had a way of knowing the perfect roles to cast people in. We were able to be successful because Adam pushed us to try new things that were maybe a bit out of our comfort zone. We trusted Adam, and therefore were more likely to follow his lead, even when we were not sure where he was leading us. He had high expectations for us, but continually found ways to help us meet those expectations. Most importantly, he did all this in a genuinely kind manner." -- Brian Johnson
"Adam's gifts took a bunch of dramatic weirdos and taught us how to channel our energy. He reached inside each of us to find (and teach) the skills we didn't even know we had. At the beginning of rehearsals for every show, I doubted we would pull it off. At the end, I was always shocked by the quality performances he led us to bring." -- Charity Potter
Quoting Our Favorite Adam Lines:
"Do everything with a purpose." -- Meg Schuler
"Find a place in the space and a space in the place." -- Sawyer Brudigam
"Now, was that so bad?" -- Katelyn Pommer
The Show will go on
Though the loss of a director is always difficult, the LRHT’s season productions will continue with the same dedication and troupe as in previous shows.
A familiar face at the theatre, Beau Fleming, will be at the helm for the theatre’s next production, “Frozen: the Musical” this July.
The season for the LRHT will continue with “Bruce the Unicorn” in September, a special event “Cards of Destiny” with the Backline Comedy Theatre on October 9, and “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” this November.