The theatre department’s production of Howard Mohr’s musical “How to Talk Minnesotan” was a great success.

The musical’s premise is a Minnesotan family teaching ‘outsiders’ about Minnesotan lingo and how best to fit in with the natives. Along with musical numbers with each lesson, there was also a series of musical advertisements that were further insight into Minnesotan culture.

As one of the outsiders the lessons are supposed to be geared towards, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Minnesotans make fun of their own culture. While many jokes such as “oh for” and polka pants went over my head, the lessons on Minnesotan men and waving to people while driving were very relatable to my experiences in the Midwest and justified attending two performances.

The cast and crew were a large part of the production’s success. Compared to the mockumentary by the same name, the musical “How to Talk Minnesotan” was energetic and playful.

“How To Talk Minnesotan was a fantastic success that was a joy to work on,” said Cat Schmidt, the musical’s stage manager. “All the cast members were a joy and it was truly a great experience. I feel as if this was a great show to open up for the 50th anniversary, because it was a comedic way to showcase some of Minnesota’s trademark things.”

The musical was freshman Elizabeth Zoya’s first at SMSU. She played the host family’s beloved daughter, Darlene.

“It was a lot of work but seeing how it all turned out made it all worth it,” said Zoya. “It was nerve-racking, but I felt proud to be a part of it.”

3.5 out of 5 Spurs.