1982-83
SEASON
Recognition of the quality of productions offered by the Great North American History Theatre continues this season, with three Kudos Awards for two productions from the Twin Cities Drama Critic’s Circle, one for Playwriting, one for Production and one for Music. A banner year!
STAFF
Artistic Director – Lynnell Lohr
Playwright in Residence – Lance S. Belville
Office Manager – Wendy Amundson
Intern – Julie Lewandowski
Scott and Zelda: The Beautiful Fools (World Premiere)
October 1-31, 1982
By Lance S. Belville
The play consists of imagined remembrances in the mind of F. Scott Fitzgerald between July of 1918 and December of 1938. Fitzgerald’s stories about the “Lost Generation” enthralled and shocked a nation of readers during the 1920s and are still best sellers today. Fascination with their trend-setting lifestyle often overshadowed his literary fame. Scott and Zelda partied across America, becoming symbols of the glamor and decadence of “The Jazz Age.” The action of the play takes place in New York, Paris, the Riviera, Long Island, Baltimore, Asheville, North Carolina & Hollywood.
Cast
Scott Fitzgerald – Jay Nickerson
Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald/Judge #2 – Carolyn Goelzer
Scottie Fitzgerald/Judge #3 – Nicole Denn
Maxwell Perkins/Edouard Jozan/He/Ernest Hemingway/Peyton Mathis – James Gaulke
Grace/Xandra Kalman/Judge #1 – Elizabeth Muckley
Harold Ober/Groucho Marx/Reporter/Oscar “Kallie” Kalman/John Sellers/Dr. Rennie – Mark Snowden
She/Beatrice/Woman in the hotel room/Sheila Graham – Janet Burrows
Jay Nickerson, Carolyn Goelzer
Production Staff
Director – Larry Whiteley
Music Composer – Scott Killian
Choreographer – Rebecca Menon
Set and Light Design – David Krchelich & Dodie Logue
Costume Design – Lynn Farrington
Stage Manager – Janet Hall
Assistant Stage Manager – Michelle Dameron
Sound Technician – Randall E. Seitz
Literary Historian – Lloyd Hackl
Technical Services by D.K. Studios – David Krchelich, Dana Rice & Dodie Logue
This production was presented in the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium
at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul
This World Premiere production earned History Theatre the KUDOS award
for Best Playwriting
from the Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle
A Servants’ Christmas
November 26-December 26, 1982
By John Fenn
This is a story about the Christmas celebration in a St. Paul mansion at the beginning of the last century, as seen through the eyes of a Jewish servant girl. The play is set in December at the Warner home on Summit Avenue in St. Paul during the early 1900s.
Cast
Mr. Warner – Bruce R. Bohne
Eric Horne – Peter Farley
Frieda – Suzanne Koepplinger
Monica – Elizabeth Muckley
Miss Pettingill – Kristen C. Mathisen
Anne Warner – Heather Hubal
Richmond Warner – Tim Budke
A Visitor – Beth Ann Gilleland
L-R: Heather Hubal, Elizabeth Muckley
Artistic & Production Staff
Director – Michael Brindisi
Stage Manager – Janet Hall
Assistant Stage Manager – Tim Duffy
Set Designer – Colin Tugwell
Costume Designer – Lynn Farrington
Lighting Designer – Doug Pipan
Lighting Technician – Randall E. Seitz
Properties Designer – Sharon Selberg
Head Carpenter – Paul Erickson
Music Designer & Choreographer – Michelle Barber
This production was presented in the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium
at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul
The Lady Knight (World Premiere)
February 18-March 13, 1983
By John Fenn
Eva McDonald Valesh, the central character in this play, was a late nineteenth-century writer who investigated women’s working conditions. She wrote about that topic in the St. Paul Globe newspaper, stirring up public sympathy and “the Shotwell strike” for workers, thus launching her own career in journalism, organized labor and politics.
Cast
Eva McDonald Valesh – Laura Clark
Annie/Therese – Sara Moser
Dr. Fish/Woodward/Bailey – Mark Rosenwinkel
Ignatius Donnelly/Attendant – Carolyn Goelzer
Frank Valesh – Richard Ruskell
Tom Hegg, Laura Clark
Artistic & Production Staff
Director – Larry Whiteley
Stage Manager – Martha Kulig
Set Designer – Bob Platte
Costume Designer – Lynn Farrington
Lighting Designer – Jeffrey H. Stroman
Lighting Technician – Randall E. Seitz
Set Crew – Paul Erickson
This production was presented in the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium
at the Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul
Plain Hearts (World Premiere)
April 8-May 1, 1983
By Lance S. Belville
Music and Lyrics by Eric Peltoniemi
The play consists of songs and stories about Midwestern prairie women from the 1890s to the 1920s.
From Producer & Artistic Director Lynn Lohr:
“Behind the seven women onstage who are the Plain Hearts Band stand thousands of other women. They are our prairie mothers and grandmothers and their single women friends – farm women all. They stand in the sun, and in the dry wind, and in the blessed rain after a drought. Some of them are holding flowers in their hands, lilacs or humble cosmos or yellow bush roses. Some are carrying pails of eggs or milk, some are carrying children. They are not very well dressed. They are wearing work clothes. They are all beautiful. They are all very proud. They have come to hear their stories again. Plain Hearts is offered in gratitude for their humor, their hard work and their love.”
Cast “In the Time of the Grandmothers”
Viola Fuller/Maude Meredith/Florentine Pickles/Jessie Deethardt – Carole Jean Anderson
Capitola Klanpe/Serina/Avril Flatten/Effie Bloomster – Cheryl A. Brown
Miss Gergen/Letha Foss/Beatirce Kelley/Hulda Imsland – Jon Katherine Martins
Hazel Bailey/Reporter/Tomina Lund/Mabel Benicke – Ruth MacKenzie
Mrs. Bailey/Alettie Blick – Judy Larson
Mrs. Fuller/Melba Mahlke – Marya Hart
Myrtle Czaplewski – Barb Montoro
State Fair Barker – John Cochrane
Auditorium Announcer – Woody Leafer
Musicians (The Plain Hearts Band)
Lead guitar & backup vocals – Judy Larson
Piano & backup vocals – Marya Hart
Bass & backup vocals – Barb Montoro
Lead & backup vocals, Rhythm guitar – Ruth MacKenzie
Lead & backup vocals, Harp – Jon Katherine Martins
Jon Katherine Martins, Trumpet – Carole Jean Anderson
Lead & backup vocals – Cheryl A. Brown
Production Staff
Director – Larry Whiteley
Musical Director – Marya Hart
Scenic Designer – Bob Platte
Lighting Designer – Jeffrey H. Stroman
Costume Designer – Lynn Farrington
Stage Manager – Kirby Bennett
Weyerhaeuser Technical Director – Randall Seitz
Properties Designer – Martha Kulig
Sound Technician – Randall E. Seitz
Light Board Operator – Tessa Kolney
Follow Spot Operator – Scott Murray
Plain Hearts Song List
ACT I
Plain Hearts – Entire Cast
Chickens – Karen & Cast
Grandma – Christine & Cast
Rubberneckin’ – Entire Cast
Rotten Michael – Karen
Death & The Farmwife – Entire Cast
Bergen Boys – Suzanne & Karen
Tree of Life – Ahna & Cast
Plain Hearts (reprise) – Entire Cast
ACT II
As Long as the Land – Jane & Cast
Nobody Knows But Mother – Ahna
Sparrow – Christine
DreamBook – Suzanne & Cast
Horn of Plenty – Ahna, Christine & Cast
We Are The People – Entire Cast
All songs: music and lyrics by Eric Peltoniemi, © 1983 Eric Peltoniemi Music, LLC/ASCAP
– except “Nobody Knows but Mother”: music by Eric Peltoniemi, lyrics anonymous (from a poem published in a 19th Century farm women’s journal), © 1983 Eric Peltoniemi Music, LLC/ASCAP
This World Premiere production earned History Theatre two KUDOS awards,
one for Best Production and one for Best Music,
from the Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle
