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1968 Comes Alive at History Theatre [IMAGE]

by Tamar Neumann

At a time when we have almost forgotten the sins of our past (at least the sins of mini-skirts and go-go boots) the History Theatre of St. Paul reminds us that, in addition to the drugs and bad fashion choices, the 1960s also taught us some important lessons. Their current show, 1968 The Year that Rocked the World is a series of seven short plays that dramatize the important events of 1968 in a unique way.

The production begins with the story of a Vietnam War veteran and ends with the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve. Between those two striking events it touches on Bobby Kennedy, the sanitation strike in Memphis, TN, the creation of the American Indian Movement, the Mexico City Olympics and, of course, Richard Nixon. All the while it infuses the transitions from each play with pop culture references and the sobering death toll figures from the Vietnam War. It playfully and seriously looks at this tumultuous year that has shaped our nation and created unmistakable images and phrases. The writers, all veterans of the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, have taken the dramatic experiences of 1968 and created plays that resonate with modern day affairs.

And, in the true spirit of the History Theatre, the writers even manage to have a little fun at the expense of Minnesota natives Eugene McCarthy and Hubert Humphrey. While the audience (mostly old enough to remember the events of 1968 from their own lives) lightly laughed at the 60s references and jokes, they roared at the treatment of Minnesota by Dominic Orlando’s piece “John Mitchell’s Private Moment.” To continue the fun, the anchors of WCCO even stopped by for a somewhat gimmicky introduction to Kim Hines’ “Smith & Carlos,” thus bringing familiar faces to the already familiar events.

But even with all of the fun there were a few rough spots during the production. These will most likely smooth out as the cast becomes more comfortable with the piece, and it should not deter you from taking a short jaunt back in history to remember just why the 60s are so infamous.

The production’s choice to conclude with the Apollo 8 mission helps the year (and the play) end on an uplifting note. It was just one small reminder that 1968 (forgive the cliché) had a silver lining and we still managed to have fun. Even amidst turmoil, there is always hope. If we lived through Vietnam then we can live through Iraq. And if we lived through burning bras we might just make it through Facebook.

Tamar Neumann is a professor of English by day and a theater lover by night. She is involved with the vibrant theater community in the Twin Cities, and an active member of the Playwrights’ Center.

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America’s Face as Told by the Innocence of Children [IMAGE]

by Tamar Neumann

Good theater is about exploring the basics of human relationships, and the latest collection of plays published by the University of Minnesota Press, titled “The Face of America: Plays for Young People” edited by Peter Brosius and Elissa Adams does just that. Contrary to most boundary-pushing, ear-covering modern plays, these plays choose to focus on humanity rather than its depravity. Each play in this collection touches on the theme central to America — identity as it relates to both race and class.

The collection starts out with the play “Average Family” by Larissa Fasthorse. The Roubidoux family is falling apart and, in a desperate attempt to keep his family together, the father, Nathan, signs them up for a reality TV show where they have been cast as the Native Americans. This presents different types of challenges including the problem that none of them have any idea what their ancestors did to survive in the wilderness. The questions of ancestry and identity are the subtle backdrop of this family drama and while there are some great questions posed this is probably the weakest of the four plays. The language and themes are clearly written for children, but since this is supposed to be a children’s play that’s not such a bad thing. There are still plenty of plot twists to enjoy as adults, but this play is clearly meant for the palates of tweens and teens.

The strongest play in this collection is “Brooklyn Bridge” written by Melissa James Gibson. At first, the premise seems slightly strange. Sasha cannot find a pen to write her research paper on the Brooklyn Bridge and so she disobeys her mother’s strict orders never to leave their apartment, and asks each of her neighbors if they have a pen. While it seems silly that a pen is so difficult to find, that overall conflict slowly fades away as you begin to see the wonder of this play. The report becomes a light metaphor for the richness and depth of America. Each character’s story re-introduces us to America’s important history. The lines of dialogue are all carefully chosen, and, at times, seem like poetry. The only thing better than reading this play would be to see it staged.

The other two plays, “Esperanza Rising” by Lynne Alvarez and “Snapshot Silhouette” by Kia Corthron, continue on with the theme of diversity and identity in their own ways. “Esperanza Rising” looks at a family that immigrates to America. What is perhaps most insightful about this play is not the questions of immigration, racism or poverty it raises; it is the reasons for immigration that are presented. Some families want to be free, while others have no choice. Esperanza’s family has no choice and leaves their wealth behind for poverty in America. That is a side of immigration many of us are quick to overlook and it is a testament to the playwright’s own unique views that it is presented here.

“Snapshot Silhouette” deals with identity conflict in a family and in a race. Both Tay C and Najma are dealing with the loss of a sister but they view their losses as very different. And even though they are the same color they do not understand the world in the same way. This play carefully rounds out the entire collection because it is written in a way to remind us that America is becoming even more diverse and our carefully lumped categories no longer apply. It is time for us to shake off our long held beliefs and embrace the true beauty of America so carefully represented by this collection.

“The Face of America” is produced by Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, widely recognized as the leading theater for young people and families in North America. Coeditors for Children’s Theatre Company are Peter Brosius (artistic director) and Elissa Adams (director of new play development). For more information about Children’s Theatre Company, visit childrenstheatre.org.

Tamar Neumann is a professor of English by day and a theater lover by night. She is involved with the vibrant theater community in the Twin Cities, and an active member of the Playwrights’ Center.

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Park Square Theatre Brings Gershwin to Town [IMAGE]

“The Soul of Gershwin: The Musical Journey of an American Klezmer” previews from December 8 to 14 and plays from December 15 to January 1 at Park Square Theatre, 20 West Seventh Place. For schedules, tickets and other information call 651-291-7005 or see parksquaretheatre.org.

Park Square Theatre takes you back to New York City in the early 1900s, the world of Tin Pan Alley, bustling with popular tunes, folk songs, blues, jazz, Yiddish theatre, cantor chants, and opera . “Song-pluggers” like George Gershwin sold sheet music, and the sound of their pianos could be heard on the street. In “The Soul of Gershwin,” Michael Paul Levin, portraying George Gershwin, acts as the guide on a journey to discover the musical influences behind this great American songwriter. Joined by Maggie Burton (the chazzan, or cantor), Prudence Johnson (the chanteuse) and T. Mychael Rambo (the griot, or West African storyteller), with the band Klezmerica, “The Soul of Gershwin” features favorites like “The Man I Love,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “’S Wonderful,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “Someone To Watch Over Me.”

“I first heard George Gershwin’s music as a child. I loved it immediately,” says Joseph Vass, the show’s creator and music director. “To me, Gershwin’s music is Jewish. At first, I knew this merely in a purely subjective, spiritual sense. Then I learned that Gershwin himself labeled his own melodies as Jewish according to the deep emotional element that flows in them.” “Klezmer” is the musical tradition of the Eastern European Ashkenazic Jews, rich in the sounds of strings and woodwinds, often highly emotional. The band, Klezmerica, a contemporary Jewish music ensemble, is directed by Joseph Vass, piano, and includes Chris Bates, bass; Jay Epstein, drums; Adam Meckler, trumpet; Dale Mendenhall, woodwinds; and Gary Schulte, violin.

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Theater Review: Christmas in a House Divided [IMAGE]

by Tamar Neumann

When you think of Christmas and the holiday season you probably don’t think of the Civil War, but that’s exactly what The History Theatre’s production of “A Civil War Christmas” expects. Rather than focusing on the usual holiday cheer full of sweet goodies and even more sickeningly sweet Christmas carols, it takes you back to a time when our country was even more divided than it is now. The play, written by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters, and directed by Austene Van, follows a group of disparate characters who are really only connected because they lived through the Civil War. Each character shows a different story and different place of residence on Christmas Eve of 1864.

The History Theatre’s production of this play is well put together. Fourteen actors play approximately 90 different parts. At times this can lead to a bit of confusion as you wonder why Abraham Lincoln was injured in the Civil War. You then realize the actor is portraying a new character and it all makes sense. All of the actors do a great job, especially when it comes to singing the renditions of Christmas carols and Civil War-themed music. J.D. Steele, who directed the music, shows there is a reason his work is so well known. Fred Wagner, who plays Abraham Lincoln, manages to infuse Lincoln with the perfect balance of whimsy and leadership. And Jan Lee gets a special commendation as the best human horse I’ve seen onstage in a long time.

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While the songs and the set remind you of a time long past, the story itself seems to forget that it is a play. Rather than letting the actors perform the story, each time the story starts to get interesting the characters interrupt themselves with narrative exposition. It is difficult to become truly attached to the characters because you rarely spend enough time with them without the authorial voice taking over.

But when the narrator steps aside to let the actors and characters tell their story, there are some truly beautiful moments. The pain of slavery is never far away in this look at Christmas. During one particularly poignant scene, Mary Todd Lincoln, (Jan Lee) sings “Silent Night” in a haunting rendition that brings the truly tragic elements of the Civil War to the forefront of your mind. And the best part of the play? Well, I’ll just say, don’t expect to hurry out after the curtain call.If you do, you might just miss the most fun you will have that evening.

“A Civil War Christmas” runs through December 18 at The History Theatre, 30 East Tenth St. See historytheatre.com or call 651-292-4323 for details.

Tamar Neumann is a professor of English by day and a theater lover by night. She is involved with the vibrant theater community in the Twin Cities, and an active member of the Playwrights’ Center.

HealthEast City Passport Program: A Downtown Oasis

by Jerry Rothstein and Joel Vadnais

City Passport is a free membership program for people age 50 and older. Its purpose is to enhance quality of life by providing a place in the heart of downtown St. Paul for social interaction, educational opportunities, health-related resources and many chances to be involved in the community.

Available at the center are a classroom, private conference room, computer lab and social area with magazines, television, comfortable chairs for reading and tables for cards and games.

As a member of HealthEast Passport (registration is free), you have access to a range of programs and services related to your health and well being. You may benefit from support groups, blood pressure checks, health counseling, exercise programs, health screenings or spiritual care. A regular newsletter highlights interesting topics and alerts you to outings and classes.

The many trips and outings scheduled help you explore museums and factories, theater production, shopping and dining possibilities. Classes may feature computer education, health and wellness topics or defensive driving courses. The program also provides many opportunities to help others in the community through meaningful volunteer work.

City Passport Center staff helps each individual to find the resources they want and need, and the programs offered are varied. They may include, in any given month, a talent contest, packing food supplies for the Feed My Starving Children program, and parties and holiday celebrations. Ongoing resources available include community acupuncture, singing groups, discussion groups, birthday parties and movies. On-going service projects allow participation in collecting coupons to benefit troops overseas; quilt making for sick children; knitting baby hats, and more. Regular health screening includes a foot clinic, blood pressure checks, medical insurance counseling, stretch and strengthen exercises and hearing screening.

Renee Skoglund, Manager of HealthEast Senior Membership Programs, is one of two full time employees, with another three people working part time. Renee earned her masters degree in Gerontology at Northern Colorado University. After graduating, she developed an adult day program for a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, which is still growing today. Her work at HealthEast has seen City Passport evolve into a community based program. She would like to see it expand to the suburbs, but money is tight.

City Passport is located in downtown St. Paul in the Alliance Bank Building at 55 East Fifth St., Suite 203 on the mezzanine level. Its hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information call 651-232-2400 or e-mail passport@healtheast.org.

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Acme Academy Gallery Opens

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(left) David Rich’s oils hanging in the main gallery. (right) Paulette Myers-Rich photographs in the back gallery

CSPS Sokol Hall Renovation Projects [IMAGE]

by Joyce Tesarek

Right near your own yard sits a little-known gem of a building — the Česko-Slovanský Podporujíc í Spolek (CSPS) Hall at the corner of West Seventh and Michigan Streets. You may know it as the home of the Glockenspiel Restaurant, but it is much, much more.

Built in 1887, the CSPS Hall is the longest serving Czech-Slovak hall in continuous use in the U.S., and the longest serving theater and national hall in Minnesota. It is at the heart of the first European settlement in Minnesota, as well as the neighborhood commercial artery connecting downtown St. Paul to Fort Snelling and the airport. The CSPS Hall has served the neighborhoods of the West Seventh area of St. Paul with cultural, fitness, and arts programming since its first building in 1879, and the current one that replaced it due to fire in 1887.

In 1975, the building was again threatened, this time with demolition by developers in the context of “urban renewal,” but was saved by the joint efforts of Sokol Minnesota, the West 7th/Fort Road Federation/District 9 Community Council, and neighborhood activists. A true Minnesota landmark, the Hall was placed on the Register of the National Historic Trust in 1977.

The current CSPS Hall building is home for Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota, other cultural and neighborhood organizations, the office of the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic, and the restaurant. Notable visitors include Antonín Dvořák, composer (1893); Czechoslovak Presidents Tomáš G. Masaryk (1918) and Václav Havel (2001) and recent visits by both Czech and Slovak ambassadors. The Hall continues to be a center for the Czech and Slovak communities, as well as a vibrant neighborhood and cultural resource.
Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota bases its programs out of the Hall, including dinners featuring ethnic recipes; dances; cooking, language, travel and craft classes; historical lectures; music and play performances; and gymnastics and fitness programs. Senior folk singers and folk dance groups for children, teens and adults gather weekly.

On September 18, the 22nd annual Czech and Slovak Festival celebrates the food, music and culture with a booya picnic at Highland Park. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend programs, and there are no ethnic/national requirements for membership.
Next year, 2012, the Hall celebrates its 125th anniversary. The CSPS Hall Legacy Building Fund has been established to restore, renovate and refurbish the Hall, guaranteeing its service for another 125 years. Projects completed in the past ten years include an elevator, commercial kitchen, storage, “basement cleansing” and asbestos removal, with established and continuing good stewardship.

Current projects include an architectural master plan for all future projects, replacement of obsolete plumbing and heating systems; and completion of the fire protection sprinkling system. The current five-year capital campaign will raise $1,000,000 in pledges and grants. All donations are welcome! Contact finance@sokolmn.org, call 651-290-0542 or visit sokolmn.org.

West End Artist in Landscape Art Show [IMAGE]

West End artist Stuart Loughridge joins Richard Abraham and Joshua Cunningham of St. Paul, and Neil Sherman of Grand Marais, in a Grand Hill Gallery exhibit entitled “New Urban and Rural Landscapes.” The show runs through January 7 at the gallery, 333 Grand Avenue, Suite 101 (at the intersection of Ramsey, Grand and 35E).

The exhibit features more than 40 paintings and etchings exploring the light, air, color and form of the world around us as it plays out through the seasons and across urban and rural landscapes. There will be works large and small, from the studio and those created on location, some in oil and others in ink. The paths of these four artists have crossed many times over the past decade. They take time to attend each other’s shows, listen to one another’s stories, share methods, locations and struggles. Inspired by the one another’s breakthroughs, work ethic and talent, these four artists are bringing in work to share with one another as much as with the public.

For further information contact gallery owner Doug Nielsen at 651-227-4783 or see grandhillgallery@earthlink.net.