Doc Heide from the Northern Sky Theater will present on the life and legacy of Fred Alley at Harborside Park in Downtown Ephraim.

Doc (aka “Fred”) has created or co-created two dozen musicals including Belgians in Heaven, Hell’s Belgians, Packer Fans from Outer Space (all with Lee Becker & Jimmy Kaplan), Guys & Does (with Lee Becker & Paul Libman), When Pigs Fly! (with Lee Becker), and several shows with Second City founding director Paul Sills. A Kerrville New Folk Finalist, Doc released Birthplace of the Thunder with his band Zen of Thieves in January and will host its album release concert July 19 at the Gould Theater featuring many Northern Sky friends (https://zenofthieves.com) . Doc says that his 5-year-old grand-daughter plays the Thieves’ song Welcome Pilgrim on Spotify every time she gets in the car, which makes the whole recording process worthwhile. An award-winning teacher and researcher, Doc is Professor Emeritus at the California School of Professional Psychology and co-teaches with Lee Becker at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 2026 he will be inducted as a Fellow by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters and will welcome his first grandson.

The 2026 History Speaks Season is brought to you by

George & Beth Drost

Cynthia Stiehl

Thor & Darlene Jondahl (In Loving Memory of Hans and Ella Habbestad)