For more than a decade theater has been held in Bend’s Drake Park. Aug 14 and 15 will see the production company, Theater in the Park, put on the Tony Award-winning show, “The Producers,” a Mel Brooks Broadway musical comedy.
The show follows two characters: a theater producer and an accountant doubling as an aspiring theater producer. The pair realize that it’s more profitable to create a show that completely fails rather than one that prospers, so they conspire to create the worst show possible. The culmination of their creative labor is “Springtime for Hitler,” imagining him as a good person. The show is taken for parody and is a commercial success.
The Source spoke with both co-directors, Desi Thrower and Michelle Mejaski, who each have decades of experience in theater. Mejaski said that choreography – her specialty – is just directing, but with music.
Thrower first came across Theater in the Park shortly after moving to Bend from San Jose, California, in 2021, catching its “Into the Woods” performance. She first assumed the actors were part of a traveling troupe – professional actors. When she found out the contrary, she was impressed and felt she needed to meet the one behind this. That someone was none other than Mejaski.
It wasn’t until the following summer that the two met, with Thrower acting in and Mejaski directing “Spamalot,” a Monty Python-inspired show. The following year Thrower was stage manager, and the year after, co-director with Mejaski.
Thrower and Mejaski share overlapping responsibilities; costuming, set design and prop work, but Thrower is ultimately in charge. Mejaski jokingly called her the “top dog,” but still acts as her right-hand, giving suggestions as needed.
When discussing their partnership, they had nothing but praise for one another. They’re well aware of each other’s strengths – Thrower affectionately said Mejaski can turn anyone into a dancer. They explained how a lack of egos makes it easy to make decisions.
Mejaski described it as, “(If) she has a better idea than me, I’m like, ‘Desi, bam. Awesome. Change it to that, yes.’ And if I have an idea, she’s like, ‘Yeah, brilliant, I didn’t think of that’… We’re partners in every sense of the word. Partners and friends.”
They said the show was chosen for its intensely comedic script and its political relevance, stressing how much we need to laugh – so much worry and frustration fills the air because of the ongoing political tension. Mejaski said that the show doesn’t make light of fascism, it merely reflects the absurdity of it.
“There are people today who are Hitler-like in politics. And people hopefully can see some of the ridiculousness that’s going on …. We need to pay attention,” Thrower added.
But having a show outdoors, of course, puts them at the mercy of the elements. Mejaski said, “Is it too hot? Is it too smoky? Is there a fire nearby? Is it freezing cold and like last year, will it rain? And all of that’s beyond our control when the show must go on.”
The shared amphitheater is heavily booked throughout the summer and so Theater in the Park is limited by Bend Park and Recreation District to two days–and two shows. For context, theaters in Central Oregon have anywhere from two to four weeks of shows.
Both leaders highlighted the juxtaposed feeling of having opening and closing night alongside each other. Thrower explained the relief of having to be done coming up against the desire to put on more shows. Mejaski touched upon how much time the cast, crew and live musicians put in, practicing throughout the summer. The “hell week,” as Mejaski dubbed it, typical for productions, is compressed to one day. All of the technical work, dress rehearsal, light, sound and costume check are completed the day before opening night.
The Producers
Aug. 14 and 15, 6-9pm
Drake Park Amphitheater
777 NW Riverside Blvd, Bend
theaterbend.com/
$39-$87.15
Editor’s note: Theater in the Park is produced by Lay it Out Events, a sister company of the Source.
This article appears in the Source May 21, 2026.
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