The Stage Is Set
Wild Rose Moon Is an Ideal Environment for Artistic Performers
Writer & Photographer / Lois Tomaszewski
Performance is only one part of music. The second and, some would argue, most important part, is the experience of the listener. In the heart of downtown Plymouth, there is a place that creates the ideal environment to enjoy music as it is intended.
Wild Rose Moon occupies part of a historic building on Michigan Street. The building was once owned by George Schrickers great-grandfather, who had a shoe store in an adjoining space. Schricker is the founder and artistic director of Wild Rose Moon.
Wild Rose Moon opened as a nonprofit six years ago. Schricker said his goal was to open an art center for the community that would meld performance and production. He has met that goal, and both aspects continue to evolve and grow.
This is a great listening room, Schricker says. I prefer to perform in places where people listen.
Wild Rose Moon is the kind of place where talented performers of all types come to share their original music with the community. Original material is what creates the one-of-a-kind performance that Schricker and his team curate.
It is difficult to present original work in a bar, says Schricker, a musician himself.
The performances are recorded by the production team. These recordings serve as a musical archive, such as the recording of local act Girl Named Tom, who performed at Wild Rose Moon before becoming famous as the winner of the musical competition show The Voice. These videos are available on their website.
The decor of the first-floor performance space is warm and welcoming. It is quiet and intimate, the kind of place that invites a person to relax and enjoy what is happening there. It can accommodate an audience of up to 80 people who sit in an arc in front 
of the elevated stage. The ambiance sends the message that this place was indeed designed for the audience as well as the performer.
Once a month, Wild Rose Moon is the site of a radio broadcast show on public radio station WVPE. It airs at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. The show is often recorded in front of a live audience. Recordings of these hour-long shows are also archived by the production team.
We are in a moment of growth, Executive Director Maggie Kubley says. We continue to expand the radio program. People are interested in supporting local artists, technology, video and event production from our media lab.
These archived performances show off local talent and are good for the area, she says.
Wild Rose Moon is named after a song Schricker wrote for his wife. The couple used to play at the Wild Rose Moon Festival in Middlebury, which was a fundraiser for the local equine-assisted service organization LoveWay. He loved the name of the festival and decided to use it as the name for his facility.
Music is not the only art form on the menu at Wild Rose Moon. The Moonitics, a comedy team, have been honing their craft twice monthly. They will soon be moving toward public performances.
Wild Rose Moon has also produced four videos that highlight artists, art centers and art events in Marshall County. The series is called Arts & Artisans. Schricker says they are looking for other interesting artists to continue the series.
To those who may not have yet experienced a performance at Wild Rose Moon, Kubley is waiting to welcome them.
I hope that they leave feeling warm, entertained and edified, she says. There is a real sort of good-for-your-soul, good-for-your-heart [experience] that happens with art. I invite people to come in and experience it. Its a fun, welcoming space with high-quality entertainment. Its for everyone.
Wild Rose Moon is located at 115 North Michigan Street in Plymouth. For more information including upcoming shows, send an email to info@wildrosemoon.com or visit wildrosemoon.com.
