Aug. 6, 2026
By ANASTASIA PENCHI
DE SOTO, Wis. – Drama came back to the De Soto Area School District after a 10-year hiatus, all thanks to a summer school bus ride conversation, a few excited staff members and some talented youth.
Katie Stalsberg, De Soto’s elementary music teacher and fifth grade band teacher, was supervising students on the summer school swimming lesson bus when she told her co-worker, Tamara Zink, that she dreamed of directing a summer school musical.
Zink loved the idea, encouraged her to do it and offered to help.
Once the 2025-26 school year started, Stalsberg met with Zink to confirm her interest again before reaching out to administrators. Soon, the two of them were selling concessions during basketball games so they could finance the licensing they needed as Co-Directors.
Meg Buchner, the district’s elementary art teacher (she shares an office with Stalsberg and a love for musicals) was recruited to be the Art Director in charge of costumes and sets.
Buchner said she couldn’t resist getting involved because she remembers attending De Soto Area School District musicals with her three kids while they were growing up and still in school.
She said the district’s drama program has been on hold for the last decade because the staff members who were doing it have either retired or left the district for other jobs.
The three women took the planning day-by-day. When they finally held auditions for Annie the Musical, they realized there was so much talent in the district, they would have to do multiple call-backs.
“They surprised us all,” Stalsberg said of the student talent. “Our Annie was a third grader (Eliana Hauser).”
The community was ready for drama’s return – both performances in early July sold out (150 chairs were set-up in the gym). Overflow collected in the bleachers both nights. Discussion afterwards about the quality of the production even came up during a De Soto Area School Board Committee meeting.
Board member and Committee Chair Marc Stevermer encouraged administrators to support the return of drama to help prevent future enrollment issues. Board members said they have been hearing from parents of students who are not “sports kids,” who were grateful for the option.
“It took a music teacher and an art teacher and an aide to put that on,” Stevermer added.
Buchner said she was pleased to see community members without school-aged children enjoying the show, too. One parent even told her the musical was of better quality than ones his child has performed in during La Crosse productions.
Stalsberg said she’s been having conversations with Superintendent Tim Fergot so that they can do another musical next summer and expand it into the school year at the middle and high school levels in the future.
She said she was grateful to have such great co-workers supporting her dream.
“I think because this has been so long we were kind of underestimated,” Stalsberg added. “It was really very nice to surprise everybody.”
Anastasia Penchi is veteran writer who spent 13 years as a newspaper journalist and now works as a freelance writer. You may have seen her work in Coulee Region Women’s magazine, the Great Rivers Road blog and Explore La Crosse. Her passions are helping people in poverty and trying to save traditional journalism. She resides in Genoa and is a board member with Couleecap Inc. She can be reached at callmeloislane@hotmail.com.
I am very pleased to see theater back in the De Soto Area Schools. Kudos to Katie and Meg.
I forgot, Kudos to Tamara as well. Keep up the good work.