St. Olaf to host world premiere of ‘LIGHTHOUSE’ musical
Ella Douma ’26, Professor of Theater William Sonnega, and Piper Kuehl ’26 rehearse for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
Professor of Theater William Sonnega provides direction during a rehearsal for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
The cast discusses a scene with director William Sonnega during a rehearsal for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
Ella Douma ’26 (seated) and Michaela Tucci ’25 rehearse a scene. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
LIGHTHOUSE cast members (from left) Fiona Mundy ’26, Sabe Dunlap ’25, Hailey Guptail ’27, and Michaela Tucci ’25 laugh while rehearsing. Photo by Dom Presa ’25
St. Olaf College will host the world premiere of LIGHTHOUSE, a pop-country musical co-written by rising star Abs Wilson ’21, a theater graduate who will return to campus for the production.
LIGHTHOUSE is a six-women show written by Wilson and Veronica Mansour about the lives of women in rural, conservative communities. The musical will be performed by St. Olaf students and follows an unreliable narrator, “Bus,” an 18-year-old girl desperate to escape her small Minnesota town who ultimately seeks to escape herself. This premiere marks an exciting moment for St. Olaf to welcome back one of its own and highlight the rich artistic talent of current students.
“It’s an all-the-feels show,” says Ella Douma ’26, who stars as Bus. “LIGHTHOUSE makes you want to laugh, cry, or maybe throw something across the room.”
In addition to Douma, the cast includes Hailey Guptail ’27, Fiona Mundy ’26, Piper Kuehl ’26, Sabe Dunlap ’25, and Michaela Tucci ’25. Professor of Theater and Patrick J. Quade Endowed Chair in Theater Bill Sonnega will direct LIGHTHOUSE.
“LIGHTHOUSE is a show about hopefulness. We hope people leave knowing they’re not bad people for feeling stuck sometimes. That’s a part of the shared human experience.”
Abs Wilson ’21
Tickets can be reserved online and are free for students, staff, and faculty. General admission tickets cost $10. There will be five performances from March 14–17:
- Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 16 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 17 at 2 p.m.
LIGHTHOUSE has already achieved critical acclaim: the show won Syracuse University’s New Works, New Voices program, and the number “Runaway Girl” won Taylor Louderman’s Write Out Loud Songwriting Contest and was recorded by Jessica Vosk.
Wilson is a playwright, lyricist, and poet from Minnesota who is now based in New York City. Mansour is a composer, lyricist, and artist based in New York City and Los Angeles. The pair met while attending the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and LIGHTHOUSE began as their thesis project.
“We were paired together to write an anthem group number,” says Wilson. “We were really interested in turning characters who were typically side characters into main characters.”
The song they wrote for that project turned into the opening number of LIGHTHOUSE.
Hailey Guptail ’27 reacts while rehearsing for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
LIGHTHOUSE is a pop-country musical that has relied on the talent of St. Olaf music students. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
Ella Douma ’26 (left) and Piper Kuehl ’26 (right) rehearse a scene for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
Michaela Tucci ’25 during a rehearsal for LIGHTHOUSE. Photo by Dom Presa ’25 
Ella Douma ’26 stars as “Bus,” an 18-year-old girl desperate to escape her small Minnesota town. Photo by Dom Presa ’25
Both Wilson and Mansour will be in Minnesota for the premiere, and they are excited to be sharing the show with the St. Olaf Community.
“We’re grateful and so excited,” says Mansour. “We couldn’t pick a more special place for the premiere.”
LIGHTHOUSE is a poignant exploration of self-love and the complexity of human relationships. Wilson’s unique voice and the talented student cast bring authenticity and depth to the stage, inviting audiences to embrace their own identities.
“LIGHTHOUSE is a show about hopefulness,” Wilson says. “We hope people leave knowing they’re not bad people for feeling stuck sometimes. That’s a part of the shared human experience.”
St. Olaf’s Theater Department produces four shows each year, including a student-directed show in the spring. Previous theater alumni have gone all the way to Broadway — Aron Accurso ’01 is the Associate Musical Director and Associate Conductor for Aladdin on Broadway.