Episode 3 of ‘Stages’ premiers Oct. 11

AMANA — The Amana Performing Arts Center will show Episode 3 of “Stages,” an original mini-series about the theater, Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

Jonesy McElroy, the screenwriter for the series, grew up on a dairy farm between Belle Plaine and Marengo. Having spent about 10 years in various roles at the Old Creamery Theatre, first in Garrison in Benton County and then in Amana, McElroy saw the world behind the stage.

McElroy remembered all of the people involved in creating productions and how people come and go and their lives change along the way, he said in an interview in April.

McElroy started writing “Stages” about five years ago, and debuted the first episode in Amana in April.

McElroy planned to film four episodes over the course of a year, spaced three months apart. Episode 2 premiered in Amana in July.

The episodes will show the changes in the characters over the course of the year, saying goodbye to characters that move on and welcoming new ones in their place.

The chaos and emotion behind the scenes of a flawless show will be evident in his series, McElroy said in April. “It’s something people don’t think about. It’s sort of a day-in-the-life. A day of the camera person following one person around.”

Episode 3 explores a curse that forces the troupe to work together to break a horrid streak of bad luck, according to a press release from TKM Theatrical Productions, which is presenting the program.

The cast and crew share their chilling tales of spirited encounters at the haunted theater in the corn.

The program stars Lisa Margolin, Grant Blades, Rob Merritt, Marquetta Senters, Sedona Helmke, Zachary Greimann, Ben Macumber and Nathan Kleinmeyer.

Tickets are $15 and include a snack reception catered by the Ox Yoke Inn at 7 p.m., the show at 7:30 p.m. and access to the McElroy and the cast at 8:30 p.m.

The Amana Performing Arts Center is located at 39 38th Ave. in Amana.