(Left to right) Reed Sigmund, Antonisia (Nisi) Collins and Autumn Ness in Children’s Theatre Company’s 2026 production of Pinocchio. Photos: Glen Stubbe Photography
The Children’s Theatre Company is reprising a beloved classic after a decade.
You’d be forgiven for guessing that Autumn Ness and Reed Sigmund initially met on stage at the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) in Minneapolis. They’re both members of its core company, after all, and have been since 2000. But the Stillwater couple’s story actually goes back further than that—although a stage still factors in. “We actually met at the University of Minnesota,” Ness says. “Reed had decided he missed doing theater and auditioned for a play, and I was already majoring in theater. We did a show together in 1998, and we’ve been together ever since.”
When they’re not rehearsing or performing in an upcoming CTC production, the husband-wife team is still rarely found far from their passions. Sigmund serves as the artistic and education programming director of The Zephyr Theatre, while Ness directs and teaches through Stillwater Community Education.
Most recently, Ness and Sigmund have spent August preparing for CTC’s Pinocchio, which debuted on September 11 and runs until October 18. Sigmund has reprised his roles as Geppetto and Honest John—which he last played in CTC’s 2016 run of the show—while Ness plays Policeman, Cat and Lampwick. We spoke with Ness to learn more about Pinocchio.
The play is based on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 children’s book The Adventures of Pinocchio. How does the CTC interpretation differ from contemporary adaptations that audiences might be more familiar with?
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I love the framing device and premise of our Pinocchio. If you’ve seen any of the production photos, you might wonder why we’re all dressed alike and not in traditional costumes. You’ll just have to come see.
How does the CTC make the story its own?
The children and the families in our audience are what make every CTC show unique. This is not the kind of show where you sit on your hands and listen politely; it is active. We are in the audience, [and] you can answer back to the characters. CTC’s Pinocchio really makes those connections with the audience.
What’s one of your favorite lines from the play?
Our favorite lines are in the fox and cat scenes, which [we] play together. They are written in an old Vaudelvillian style, very simple but very sharp. And [the characters’] language is so different from the rest of the play. It’s challenging to get the timing, but with very comic results.
How does being married to not only a fellow actor but a fellow CTC core company member impact your craft?
I think the best theater is made when the actors feel safe to fail in front of each other. You can only take risks if you feel safe to fail, and your art form can only grow if you take risks. So working with the person you trust most in the world allows you to fail, allows you to take risks and allows you to grow both the person and the artist.
When you’re not preparing for an upcoming performance, how do you enjoy spending your time in the valley?
We love antiquing downtown, and we love all the local restaurants (though our boys’ favorite is Leo’s). The dog’s favorite place is the apple orchard, and we all loved walking to the overlook of the city at the top of the stairs. We’re so proud of our town. We’ve been here 13 years, and it just keeps getting better.
Find tickets and learn more about CTC’s production of Pinocchio at childrenstheatre.org.
Children’s Theatre Company
Facebook: Children’s Theatre Company
