September 1, 2025 //
St. Stephen’s is thrilled to share that this year’s Bash After Dark will be led by a dynamic mother-daughter team: Joanna Stacke and her daughter, Sophia. With the exciting theme of “On Broadway!”, the evening promises to be a night filled with energy, entertainment, and community – all in support of St. Stephen’s Outreach Ministries.
The Stacke family has called Edina home for the past decade. After moving from the East Coast, Joanna and her husband, Ben, were drawn to St. Stephen’s about five years ago. For Ben, the church was already familiar – he grew up attending St. Stephen’s in middle and high school as was Confirmed with our parish in the 1990s. Their daughters, Sophia and Isla, have both been active in Children’s and Youth Ministry.
Earlier this year, Sophia was Confirmed at St. Mark’s Cathedral, which inspired her to get more engaged. “Jimmy encouraged her to be involved at church,” Joanna explained. “He also suggested that we volunteer together and I thought that was a great idea.”
When the opportunity to chair Bash After Dark came up, Joanna saw it as the perfect chance to give back while also creating a meaningful experience with her daughter. “I was inspired to chair the Bash After Dark as I thought it would be fun for Sophia and I to do together,” she said. “It’s a way to contribute time and energy to the church for such worthy causes.”
The “On Broadway!” theme was born out of Sophia’s longtime love of theater. Since the age of six, she has participated in camps and productions, and her creativity and connections are helping to shape the event. “I came up with the idea because of Sophia,” Joanna shared. “ I thought this theme would be fun for the parish and fun for us to do together.”
Sophia will tap into her theater community to help make the night shine – borrowing props, dressing up with friends, and volunteering during the event. The team has also inspired fellow parishioner Ruthie Baker McGrath, a seasoned musical theatre professional, to lend her voice to the event – literally! Ruthie will be stepping into the spotlight to share a medley of Broadway favorites during the evening.
Both Joanna and Sophia are eager to see their vision take the stage. “We both look forward to seeing the ‘On Broadway!’ theme come to life here at St.
Stephen’s,” Joanna said.
Join us on Saturday, October 4 from 6:00-9:00 PM for an unforgettable evening of Broadway-inspired fun. Together, we’ll celebrate our community’s creativity – all while raising support for St. Stephen’s 2026 Outreach MInistries.
LEARN MORE > ststephens.com/event/bashafterdark/
