News : Vinton Actress Horst excited about new opportunity in Elkader

Erin Horst of Vinton will star with Jonathon Moser in 'The Last 5 Years' at the Elkader Opera House.

The stage is no new place for Vinton’s Erin Horst, but this month she’s taking her acting and musical talents someplace new.

Horst will be playing the role of Cathy in Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years” at the Opera House in Elkader.

“I’ve wanted to be in this show for several years,” says Horst, “so when the theater group in Elkader decided to put it on, I made it a priority.”

Horst is currently living in Dubuque and makes the hour drive to Elkader several times a week for rehearsals.

“It’s a lot of driving, but we’re having a great time and the music is challenging, but incredible,” says Horst.

"The Last Five Years" is an old story told in a new way. Two New Yorkers in their 20s fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The show's unconventional structure consists of the woman (Horst) telling her story backwards while the man (Jonathon Moser, McGregor) tells his story chronologically. Their stories meet only once, in the middle, at their wedding.

Another unique aspect of the production is that it will be performed in the round. The show’s crew have built a temporary seating arrangement with risers. The seating includes 80 seats, surrounding three sides of the performance area.

“It’s a very intimate theater experience, without being interactive,” says Cheri Moser, the show’s director.

It’s also different for the actors.

“The audience is just a few feet in front of us and on three sides,” says Horst, “There’s no pretending they aren’t there!”

“The Last Five Years” runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $13. As for appeal, Horst says its story centers on an adult relationship, so it may not be something young children would enjoy.

Performances of “The Last Five Years” are Thursday, July 12th through Saturday, July 14th at 7:30pmand a Sunday matinee on July 15th at 2pm. For tickets or more information you can call (563) 873-2378 or go to www.operahouseplayers.com. Also, see the production's Facebook page HERE.