1990-91

1990-91

SEASON

STAFF
Producer & Co-Artistic Director – Lynn Lohr
Co-Artistic Director & Playwright in Residence – Lance S. Belville
Thomas H. Berger, General Manager
Mary S. Jones, Publicity and Marketing Director
Therese A. Britts, Box Office Manager
Carole Marget, Education & Group Coordinator

Last Hooch at the Hollyhocks
September 13-October 7, 1990
By Lance S. Belville

It’s December 5, 1933 – the night before the end of Prohibition – and St. Paul’s most famous speakeasy is jumping!

Cast
Jack – Dave Runeborg
Forrest – Peter Couture
Nylahmae – Mary Jo Donohue
Koki – Rainer Dornemann
Avalon – Colleen Everitt
Archie – Trevor Vasey
Corrine – Jill-Whitney Birk
Hollyhocks Manager – Paul Smith
Pre-show radio broadcast voices – Woody Leafer, Paul Smith

L-R: Colleen Everitt, Peter Couture, Jill Whitney-Birk, Rainer Dornemann, Mary Jo Donohue, Dave Runeborg

The Band
Piano & Music Director – Phil Bratnober
Bass – Gordie Abel
Drums – Matthew Zimmerman

Production Crew
Directors – Lynn Lohr & Michael Ellison
Choreographer – Michael Ellison
Scenic & Lighting Designer – Chris Johnson
Costume Designers – Pins & Needles (Mary Alden, Joan Gerten, Brigitte Heaney
Stage Manager – warren d. mosier
Assistant Stage Manager & Properties Designer – Randy Krabbenhoft
Sound Engineer – Matthew Zimmerman
Sound Direction – Woody Leafer
Technical Director – Trevor Vasey, Timothy Wilkins
Assistant Technical Director – Michael Burgoyne
Scenic Stitcher – Janet Hall
Carpenters – Dan Fritsche, Jay Grow, Ryan Julien, Mike O’Hanlon, Chris Perry, Randy Salber, Scott Thun
Technical Assistants & Running Crew – Chuck Amundson, Paul Allshouse, Diane Galvin, Rose Holmes, Ryan Julien, Renee Morse, Mike O’Hanlon, Randy Salber, Mike Zielinski

Musical Numbers
Act I

What’ll We Do on a Saturday Night When the Town Goes Dry? – The Company
Goodbye Hollyhock Nights – The Company
There is No One with Endurance Like the Man Who Sells Insurance – Nylahmae, Avalon & Company
You Cannot Make Your Shimmy Shake on Tea – Corrine & Archie
Everything is Hotsy Totsy Now – Nylahmae & Men
Hello, Lemonade – Archie, Jack & Koki
The Alcoholic Blues – Forrest with Avalon & Nylahmae
Dancing Off the Volstead Blues – Avalon
If I Meet the Guy Who Made This Country Dry – Koki & Company
Save a Little Dram for Me – Corrine & Company
The Cop on the Beat, the Man in the Moon, and Me – Koki
Medley (Reprise): Everything is Hotsy Totsy Now – Nylahmae; Dancing Off the Volstead Blues – Avalon; Alcoholic Blues – The Company
Alcoholic Blues (Reprise) – Koki & Forrest

Act II
Doin’ the Raccoon – The Company
Aggravatin’ Papa – Avalon
I’ll Putcha Pitcha in the Paper – Archie
The Cop on the Beat, the Man in the Moon, and Me (Reprise) – Avalon & Koki
St. Paul – The Company
I’ll See You in C-U-B-A – Koki & Company
Just a Little Way Away from Home – Forrest with Archie
Just a Little Way Away from Home (Reprise) – Forrest with Corrine & Avalon
When My Shoes Wear Out from Walking I’ll Be on My Feet Again – The Company
Goodbye Hollyhock Nights (Reprise) – The Company
I’ll Remember You from Somewhere – Nylahmae, Jack & Company

Exile From Main Street: A Portrait of Sinclair Lewis
November 3-17, 1990
By Lance S. Belville

A one-man theatrical portrait of Sinclair Lewis, with Lewis himself playing all the many characters in his life, including:
Billy Sunday – Dr. E.J. Lewis – Dr. Claude Lewis – Grace Hegger Lewis – H.L. Mencken – Alf Harcourt
Marcella Powers – Frazier Hunt – Dr. Vincenzo Lapiccirella – Croswell Bowen – A.S. Frere – A WCTU member
Dorothy Thompson – Wells Lewis – Dr. Zittz – Ben DuBois – A Swedish Correspondent

This play was commissioned by the English Department at St. Cloud State University and served as the centerpiece for their national conference on Lewis in February of 1985.

Cast
Sinclair Lewis – Jay Nickerson

Jay Nickerson

Artistic Staff
Director – Don T. Maseng
Stage Manager – Ryan Julien
Scenic Design – Don T. Maseng
Lighting Design – Thomas H. Berger
Costume Designer – Stephen Meerdink
Tech Director, Carpenter – Robin McIntyre
Tech Assistants – Chuck Amundson, Rose Holmes, Will Vervair, warren mosier, Taeri Haanen, Michael Burgoyne, Floyd Anderson, Randy Salber, Quintin Warford

A Servants’ Christmas
(in repertory with Tree of Memory II)
December 12-23, 1990
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 – Walt Weaver
Eric Horne – Paul Smith
Frieda – Lauralee Perdue
Monica – Tamsen Brock
Miss Pettingill/A Visitor – Jan Lee
Anne Warner – Sarah Webster
Richmond Warner – Tony Denman
Understudy – Jill Steeg

L-R: Lauralee Perdue, Tamsen Brock

Production Staff
Director – Leah Lowe
Scenic Design – Steve Griffith
Lighting Design – Chris Johnson
Costumes – “Pins & Needles” – Mary Alden, Joan Gerten, Brigitte Heaney
Stage Manager – Kerstin Brookman
Assistant Stage Manager – Floyd Anderson
Properties Designer – Robin McIntyre
Technical Assistants – Rose Holmes, Floyd Anderson, Charlie Amundson, Diane Galvin, Michael Burgoyne,
Jim Erickson

This production was presented at the Women’s Club of Minneapolis

Tree of Memory II (World Premiere)
(in Repertory with A Servants’ Christmas)
November 25-December 20, 1990
By Tony Bouza, Lance Belville, David Hawley, Susan Vass and Craig Wright

More holiday stories relating memories of Twin Cities characters.

Cast(s)
The Christmas Rules by Craig Wright
Directed by Phil Bratnober
Jennie – Karen Kelley
Fred – Joe Goodrich
Eddie – Dennis Paton
Clarice – Megan Grundy

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Amanuensis by Tony Bouza
Directed by Don T. Maseng
Mother (Choncha) – Megan Grundy
Daughter (Maruja) – Joe Goodrich
Doctor – Dave Runeborg
Tarsila – Karen Kelley

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Happy New Year by Yee Chang & Lance S. Belville
Directed by Michael Ellison
Young Man – Yee Chang
Businessman – Dave Runeborg
Scoutmaster – John Demmings

Note: The observation tower was built by Scout Troop 100

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Of Ornaments and Discontent by Susan Vass
Directed by Michael Ellison
Susan – Jenner Snell
Psychiatrist/Mother/Shop Woman – Megan Grundy

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Popcorn Christmas by Lance S. Belville
Directed by Michael Ellison
Veteran – John Lemmings

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PK Xmas by David Hawley
Directed by Michael Ellison
Rev. Ralph Johnson – Dave Runeborg
Margaret Johnson – Megan Grundy
Mark Johnson – John Demmings
Daniel Johnson – Dennis Paton
Timothy Johnson – Joe Goodrich
Sylvia Harris – Jenner Snell
Ellen Kessinger – Karen Kelley

Production Staff for all stories
Production Manager – Trevor Vasey
Rehearsal Stage Manager – Will Vervair
Assistant Stage Managers – Ryan Julian, Taeri Haanen
Properties Design – Robin McIntyre
Carpenter – Trevor Vasey
Technical Assistants – Rose Holmes, Floyd Anderson, Charlie Amundson, Diane Galvin, Michael Burgoyne, Jim Erickson

L-R: Karen Kelley, Joe Goodrich, Jenner Snell, John Demmings, Dennis Paton, Megan Grundy, Dave Runeborg

The Meeting
January, 1991
(in repertory with The Life and Times of Deacon A.L. Wiley)
By Jeff Stetson

Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were dedicated, in different ways, to advocacy for African Americans. They only met once, and only for a few moments, during the 1963 March on Washington, DC. This play deals with what might have happened if these two men had been able to meet at length and discuss the problems they faced and solutions available to them. Unfortunately, within five years of their brief meeting, both men had been murdered.

The approximate timing of this play’s performances is based upon advance marketing and advertising material in our archives. Unfortunately, a program for this production, our primary source of data, could not be located.

Artistic Staff
Director – Chuck Smith

The Life and Times of Deacon A.L. Wiley
January, 1991
(in repertory with The Meeting)
By G. Travis Williams

Set in 1904 in the basement of Los Angeles’ First AME Church, a devout deacon and father of five with a fetish for gambling talks and sings about his experiences as a slave and a free man. This is an intimate theatrical experience with a man who refused to fight tor his freedom in the Civil War, yet cherishes freedom as his greatest possession.

Cast
Deacon A.L. Wiley – Gregory Alan-Williams

Artistic Staff
Director – Chuck Smith

Selkirk Avenue (American Premiere)
April 4-27, 1991
By Bruce McManus

Selkirk Avenue is Winnipeg’s Rice Street. Although most of us have never set foot on that street in Canada, we will recognize it immediately, because the similarities between the two locations and the people who live in both places is undeniable.

Selkirk Avenue was originally produced by the Popular Theatre Alliance of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Cast
Harold – Eric Johnson
Mary Lobchuck – Phyllis Ellis
Israel Silver – Rainer Dornemann
Yetta Silver – Greta Schwerner
Miriam Silver – Megan Grundy
Steve Sawatsky – David Runeborg
Elke Swatsky – Tamsen Brock
Jan Swatsky – Robb Woulfe
Granma Swatsky – Greta Schwerner
Mrs. Dube – Megan Grundy
Robert Dube – Thomas Wentland

Production Staff
Director – Don T. Manseng
Scenic & Lighting Designer – Chris Johnson
Costumes by “Pins & Needles” – Mary Alden, Joan Gerten, Brigitte Heaney
Stage Manager – Therese Britts
Assistant Stage Manager – Ryan Julien
Properties Designer – Robin McIntyre
Sound Design – Robert J. Resetar
Sound Recording Artist – Brian Reed
Scenic Painter – Robin McIntyre
Master Carpenter – Trevor Vasey
1st Carpenter – Rose Holmes
Technical Assistants – Charles Amundson, Floyd Anderson, Rose Holmes, Michael Burgoyne, Ryan Julien, Jeffrey Frederick, Chris Perry, Terrance Haanen, Peggy Plennert

Mesabi Red II
February 2-24, 1991
By Lance S. Belville
Music and Lyrics by Charlie Maguire and Jim Miller

A musical about the 1916 miner’s strike of the International Workers of the World (IWW), or “Wobblies,” in Minnesota’s Iron Range. Miners from Southern and Eastern Europe struggle with the challenges of a new life in a new land to dig the riches of “Mesabi Red” ore from Minnesota soil. The time is April through November of 1916; the places include Duluth and the towns and mining locations on the Minnesota Iron Range.

Information about this play’s performances is based upon advance marketing and advertising material in our archives. Unfortunately, a program for this production, our primary source of data, could not be located.

Songs
Sing Ye Workers of the World¹ – Ensemble
Mesabi Red² – Company Toughs & Ensemble
The American Way¹ – Filip, Greeni, Marko, Militza & Ensemble
Swallowed By America² – Mrs. Kolu, Marko, Militza & Ensemble
The Boarding House Shuffle¹ – Militza, Milosa & Boarders
D.M. & I.R.¹ – Milosa, Marko, Kiki & Ensemble
Work To Do¹ – Marko
Contract Polka² – Company Toughs
8 Ball Eyes² – Miners & Ensemble
The Company Doctor¹ – Company Doctor & Ensemble
Cradle Of Iron² – Mrs. Kolu, Militza & Ensemble
Normal Day² – Filip, Deputies, Greeni, Militza, Mrs. Kolu & Ensemble
She’s A Woman¹ – Greeni, Flynn & Miners
Pelican & The Fisherman¹ – Flynn, Milosa & Kiki
Some Say³ – Greeni, Tresca
The Strike¹ – Milosa, Militza & Ensemble
Solidarity Forever⁴ – Ensemble
There Is No Gold/Solidarity¹ – Marko
Shoot Out² – Greeni, Deputies & Ensemble
Fantasy¹ – Kiki, Milosa & Ensemble
There Is No Gold/Lullaby¹ – Militza & Filip
She’s A Woman (reprise)¹ – Flynn & Ensemble
Diminished Expectations² – Marko
The Alphabet¹ – Milosa, Flynn, Marko
Hey Lover² – Filip, Militza, Flynn, Tresca
The American Way/The Deal¹ – Filip, Militza, Tresca, Judge & Ensemble
Requiem¹ – Filip
Farewell To Wobblies Waltz² – Tresca, Flynn, Miners
Work To Do (reprise)¹ – Marko & Ensemble
Mesabi Red¹ – Ensemble

1 – Charlie Maguire
2 – Jim Miller
3 – Italian Socialist version of “Finicula, Finicula,” Early 20th Century
4 – Pre-WWI Wobblies’ Song, words by Ralph Chaplan (Tune: “John Brown’s Body”)
Songs copyright 1981, 1989 & 1990 by Charlie Maguire & Mello-Jamin Music, BMI; and 1990 by Jim Miller, Reckless Eelpout Music.

A Couple of Blaguards
May 4-26, 1991
By Frank and Malachy McCourt

A humorous, yet vivid commentary on pre-World War II poverty in Ireland, delivered in a raw, raucous and raunchy way.

Cast
Frank – Jay Hornbacher
Malachy – Graham Thatcher

Production Crew
Director – Ron Peluso
Lighting Design – Chris Johnson
Scene Design – Thomas H. Berger
Costumes by “pins & needles” – Mary Alden, Joan Gerten, Brigitte Heaney
Music Director – Paddy O’Brien
Dramaturg – Lance S. Belville
Stage Manager/Properties – Ryan Julien
Carpenters – Rose Holmes, Teresa Lynn Konechre
Technical Assistants – Floyd Anderson, Robert Koralesky, Lisa Anderson, Robin McIntyre, Charles Amundson

Graham Thatcher, Jay Hornbacher