MIRACLE OF MIRACLES. While the Menomonie Theater Guild will soon present its final production of the 2026-2026 season – “Fiddler on the Roof” – the production serves as a beginning, as Guild member Courtney Eberle will make her directorial debut with the show. The musical stars Tevye, a Jewish milkman, who seeks to uphold cultural traditions amidst changes throughout his family and village.

The Menomonie Theater Guild (MTG) will present its final production of the 2025-2026 season, “Fiddler on the Roof,” from May 1-9 at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts (205 Main St. E, Menomonie).

While this concludes the Guild's current season, the production also serves as a beginning, as Courtney Eberle will make her directorial debut with the show.

Eberle has been involved with the MTG for just over three years; she initially joined as a music director for its children’s youth camp, which led to other vocal and acting roles. “Fiddler” will mark her seventh production in Menomonie.

“I’ve found that I am a very interactive director,” Eberle said of her experiences in rehearsals. “Oftentimes I have to first imagine myself playing the character … part of that comes from my background being a performer first.”

As a singer and actor, Eberle said she has a deep adoration for golden age musicals – “Fiddler on the Roof” being no exception. The beloved musical tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman, as he struggles to uphold religious traditions against a backdrop of modernity and rising anti-Semitism in their village of Anatevka.

While Tevye’s three eldest daughters defy arranged marriages for love, the play uncovers themes of tradition versus change, faith, family and balance – symbolized by the motif of a fiddler on a roof.

Although the production is set in the early twentieth century, Eberle believes many of the musical’s themes are more relevant in today’s sociopolitical climate than ever.

“This story, no matter what time you are choosing to do ('Fiddler on the Roof')... focuses on the themes of forced displacement and relocation,” Eberle said. “It’s a theme that we see a lot right now in our modern world.

“I think ('Fiddler on the Roof') carries a really heavy impact, talking about that (theme), generational changes and talking about our sense of family and community,” she continued.

With such nuanced topics, also comes the question of how to best capture the culture and religious practices of Jewish communities, Eberle added. Many rehearsals have has been dedicated solely to research, where the cast, crew and director discuss the significance of props on stage, traditional prayers and their meanings, even the costuming implications.

Elaine Lacksonen, the costume designer for “Fiddler on the Roof,” believes this honest and transparent approach ensures the cultural identity and religious traditions are respectfully portrayed.

“This story, no matter what time you are choosing to do ('Fiddler on the Roof')... focuses on the themes of forced displacement and relocation.” –Courtney Eberle, director of “Fiddler on the Roof”

From the head coverings of female characters – or proper displays of the yarmulke on male characters – to non-revealing garments or mock collars and the use of prayer shawls by the actors. These details and use of vintage, archival clothing reflects both the modesty and cultural norms of the Jewish communities of that era.

Costume choices, Lacksonen shared, also offer an avenue to tell the stories of romantic progression between characters, noting “being able to set up relationships with color on stage is helpful to the audience, especially when you have a large cast.”

“In this production, we are actually trying to get some color harmonies going between couples,” she added.

Creative storytelling remains true in all aspects of the cast and crew, from the costuming to set design throughout the Mabel Tainter stage and even the unique portrayals of “Fiddler on the Roof’s” iconic dream sequence – a fantastical display where Tevye’s own deception to his superstitious wife, Golde, features an appearance of… a puppet?

“There are some really exciting ways that this show – as much as it is a traditional show – comes to life in new ways; from a different variation on the dream sequence – with a puppet,” Eberle teased. 

While Eberle will keep the remainder of the dream sequence – and musical – details under wraps, she urges audience members to attend and consider how the production mirrors our own contemporary existence.

The musical ultimately explores how we navigate cultural divides, keep our promises and maintain our roots in both tradition and the inevitable passages of change.

Lacksonen, the costume designer for "Fiddler on the Roof," has sourced the cast's modest garments (pictured above) in a variety of ways. Whether from the Menomonie Theater Guild's existing wardrobe, sourcing vintage and archival items, to a personalized seamstress who constructs costumes by hand.

There are a little over 30 cast members – not including the crew of lighting designers, choreography, vocal instructor and more – involved in the Menomonie Theater Guild's current production of "Fiddler on the Roof."

Join the Menomonie Theater Guild for its final production of the 2025-25 season, “Fiddler on the Roof,” from May 1-9 at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts (205 Main St. E, Menomonie). Visit menomonietheaterguild.org to learn more about the production and a direct link to purchase tickets ($23-25/person, includes fees).