The Willmar Project
A Verbatim Play + Community Conversation
May 15 - 17, 2026
In 2017, The Neighborhood Theatre Project conducted over 150 hours of interviews with more than 100 people in Willmar, asking the central question:"What is it like for you living in Willmar?" WILLMAR is an original verbatim play created from these conversations and told entirely through the words of the people who live here.
Join us May 15th - 17th for the finale of this 9-year project — to listen to your own stories told onstage, hear the stories of your neighbors, have conversations across difference, and imagine the future of Willmar together.
Dates, Times & Locations
Friday May 15, 2026
7pm • The Little Theatre Auditorium - 24 Central Ave E, New London
*Saturday May 16, 2026
2pm • Community Connectors Services - 436 Litchfield Ave, Willmar
7:30pm • Willmar Senior High School - 2701 30th St NE, Willmar
*Spanish & Somali Interpretation available for Community Conversation at Saturday’s shows (Performance is primarily in English)
Sunday May 17, 2026
4pm • SPURS Bar & Grill - 313 4th St SW, Willmar
Doors open half-an-hour before all performances -
Join us early for Food + Music
What to Expect
Welcoming: Join us before the show for food from local restaurants + a Community Jam session led by Purpose Artisans
Performance: A staged reading of WILLMAR
Community Conversation: Facilitated group conversations following the play
Content Transparency:
WILLMAR is composed of real stories from people in Willmar and discusses personal experiences with immigration and ICE, racism, poverty, war, and drug overdose. This event is recommended for teens and up, with parental discretion advised.
NTP believes that everyone should have access to theatre and that theatre has great value. Reserve your seat with a sliding scale donation of $0 - $20. Give what feels good to you, and join us no matter what. 50% of all proceeds go directly to local partners in Willmar to support community initiatives. We recommend registering online in advance. Walk-ins are welcome until we reach capacity.
A special thanks to our partners & collaborators at Little Theatre Auditorium, Purpose Artisans, Community Connectors Services, Spurs Bar & Grill, Paz y Esperanza Church, Willmar Public Schools and Willmar Community Education, Pablo Obregon, Willmar Community Center, The Barn Theatre, Department of Public Transformation, Mixed Blood Theatre, Wonderlust Productions, and Pillsbury House and Theatre.
This phase of the project is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, with a grant from the Southwest Initiative Foundation, The Pierce Family Foundation, The Everybody Wins Foundation, as well as the generosity of many individual donors.
Produced by: The Neighborhood Theatre Project
Directed by: Alejandro Tey
Stage Manager: Rebecca Wilts
Pre-show collaborators & musicians: Purpose Artisans, Nicole Konz, John Salgado Maldonado, and additional local musicians
Script Development Team: Annabelle Cousins, Andrew Garrett, Ellie Jackson, Gaven Trinidad, Jacey Erwin, Julia Schonberg, and Sahar Ullah
Willmar-based Advisory Committee: Andrea Limoges, Chris Radel, Claudia Medina, Jessica Rohloff, John Kellen, John Salgado Maldonado, Luul Gaal, Madison Wilson, Matt Hegdahl, Nicole Konz, and anonymous
Artistic collaborators: Adam Schonberg, Emma Hasselbach, Glenn Girón, hawkhouse (Emily Hawkins & Allison Houser), Marie-Michèle Jasmin-Bélisle, Zeynep Akca, and many incredible actors
