Bemidji Community Theater Opens Sword in the Stone This April

For $6, a child in Bemidji gets a night in a medieval castle on Beltrami Avenue NW starting this Friday. That's the children's ticket price for Bemidji Community Theater's spring production of The Sword in the Stone, which opens April 10 at BCT's performing arts space.

Director Mary Knox Johnson is leading a cast of local actors and community volunteers through what BCT's promotional materials call "a robust telling" of the Arthurian legend, staged with a large castle set and detailed medieval architecture. Vocal director Vicki Stenerson and stage manager Victoria Wood round out the creative team, with Carol L. Johnson serving as accompanist.

The run spans six performances across two weekends. Evening shows are scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on April 10, 11, 17 and 18, with matinees at 2:00 p.m. on April 12 and 19. Tickets are priced at $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $6 for children, available through BCT's online outlets and local ticket vendors.

The production is built substantially on volunteer labor, with community members filling roles in lighting, sound, set construction, and front-of-house operations. That structure is part of what makes BCT a working training ground for young and amateur performers in Beltrami County, not just a venue that presents finished work.

For a county where family-friendly, live performing arts options are limited, a six-show run of a whimsical musical with a walk-in ticket price under $60 for a family of four represents something genuinely hard to find locally. BCT is a nonprofit, and donations alongside ticket sales sustain its annual season of multiple productions.

Current ticket availability and seating details are at the BCT website and box office on Beltrami Avenue NW.