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1994-95

1994-95

SEASON

 

STAFF
Artistic Director & Playwright-in-Residence – Lance S. Belville

Managing Director – Thomas H. Berger
Education/Group Sales Director – Carole Marget
Assistant to Managing Director – Gina Aker
Box Office Manager/Administrative & Literary Assistant – Colleen Casey
Artistic Associates – Stephen DiMenna, Long Nguyen, Ron Peluso, Chuck Smith
House Managers & Box Office Staff – 
Rebecca Heroff, Carol Skalko, Christina Lundquist, Judy Powell, Lisa Schaefer, Chari Hall, Kurt Kinbacher, Patricia Kirby, Tim Smith

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jerry Hoffman, President | Anna Marie Ettel, Vice President
David Byrd, Treasurer | Carolyn Cochrane, Secretary
Ta-Coumba Aiken | John F. Apitz | Lance S. Bellville
Tony Bouza | Jackie Cooper | Frank Marzitelli
Peter Rachleff | Jenella Slade
Janet Watson, Emeritus Member

 

 

 

 

The Kentucky Cycle
October 15-November 13, 1994
By Robert Schenkkan

The Kentucky Cycle is a series of nine one-act plays that explores American mythology, particularly the mythology of the West, through the intertwined histories of three fictional families struggling over a portion of land in the Cumberland Plateau. 

The Kentucky Cycle won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Cast
PART ONE
            Masters of the Trade – 1775 – Eastern Kentucky
            Earl Tod – David James Carlson
            Michael Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Sam – Shane Baker
            Taskwan – Joseph Brown Thunder
            Dragging Canoe – George Bettelyoun

            The Courtship of Morning Star – 1776 – A cabin in Eastern Kentucky
            Michael Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Morning Star – Jeanine Standing Bear
            Morning Star’s Double – Gina Aker

            The Homecoming – 1792 – Mountains of Eastern Kentucky
            Patrick Rowen – Joseph Brown Thunder
            Rebecca Talbert – Jennifer Jordan Campbell
            Star Rowen – Jeanine Standing Bear
            Michael Rowen – David Anthony Brinkle
            Joe Talbert – Alan Sorenson
            Sallie – Fawn Wilderson

            Ties that Bind – 1819 – The Rowen Homestead
            Patrick Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Ezekial Rowen – Joseph Brown Thunder
            Zachariah Rowen – Shane Baker
            Sallie Biggs – Fawn Wilderson
            Jessie Biggs – Gregory S. Smith
            Judge Goddard – Grant Richey
            Deputy Grey – David James Carlson
            Deputy Sullivan – Terry Hempleman
            Jeremiah – Alan Sorenson
            Star – Jeanine Standing Bear

            God’s Great Supper – 1861 – The Rowen cabin & other places during the Civil War
            Jed Rowen – Terry Hempleman
            Ezekial Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Patrick Rowen – Grant Richey
            Joleen Rowen – Signe Albertson
            Richard Talbert – Tony Denman
            Rose Anne Talbert – Jennifer Jordan Campbell
            Julia Anne Talbert – Gina Aker
            Tommy Nolan – Shane Baker
            Carl Dawkins – Gregory S. Smith
            Gus Slocum – George Bettelyoun
            William Clarke Quantrill – David James Carlson
            Church Choir/Sharecroppers/Soldiers/Mourners – Ensemble

PART TWO
            Tall Tales – 1890 – The Rowen House, Eastern Kentucky
            Mary Anne Rowen, younger – Jennifer Jordan Campbell
            Mary Anne Rowen, older – Signe Albertson
            J.T. Wells – Grant Richey
            Tommy Jackson – Shane Baker
            Jed Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Lallie Rowen – Gina Aker

            Fire in the Hole – 1920 – Blue Star Coal Camp, Howsen County
            Mary Anne Rowen Jackson – Signe Albertson
            Tommy Jackson – David Anthony Brinkley
            Joshua Rowen Jackson – Tony Denman
            Doctor – Terry Hempleman
            Andrew Talbert Winston – Alan Sorenson
            Silus – George Bettelyoun
            Abe Steinman – Grant Richey
            Mother Jones – Gina Aker
            Cassius Biggs – Gregory S. Smith
            Sureta Biggs – Fawn Wilderson
            Preacher – David James Carlson
            Lucy – Jennifer Jordan Campbell
            Gun Thug – David James Carlson
            Miners/Townspeople/Guards/Musicians – Ensemble

            Which Side Are You On? – 1954 – UMW Meeting Hall
            Joshua Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Lana Toller – Jennifer Jordan Campbell
            Scott Rowen – Terry Hempleman
            Franklin Biggs – Gregory S. Smith
            Stucky – Shane Baker
            Calvin Hayes – Grant Richey
            Mike – George Bettelyoun
            Chuck – Joseph Brown Thunder
            James Talbert Winston – Alan Sorenson
            Sheriff Ray Blanko – David James Carlson
            Margaret Rowen – Signe Albertson
            Bob Smalley – George Bettelyoun
            Reporters/Wives – Gina Aker, Jeanine Standing Bear, Fawn Wilderson

            The War on Poverty – 1975 – The Rowen Homestead
            Steve – David James Carlson
            Frank – Shane Baker
            James Talbert Winston – Alan Sorenson
            Joshua Rowen – David Anthony Brinkley
            Franklin Biggs – Gregory S. Smith

Artistic Staff
Director – Stephen DiMenna
Set Design – Nayna Ramey
Costume Design – Kathleen Egan
Lighting Design – Chris Johnson
Properties Design – Lucinda C.S. Obenhaus
Sound Design – Michael Croswell
Fight Director – Trevor Vasey
Original Music Composer – David James Carlson
Additional Music – Michael Croswell
Production Stage Manager – April J. Watkins
Assistant Stage Manager – Gwen Turos

Production Staff
Research Assistant – Jena Berg
Technical Director – Royce B. Jackson
Set Construction – FBN Contracting
Master Electrician – Rose Holmes
Dialect Coach – Nancy Houlak
Kentucky Consultant – Betsy Peak
Dance Coach – Susan Spaulding
Electricians – Stephanie Brehe, Suzanne Kilgore
Assistant to the Costume Designer – Tamra Underland
Costume Craftsman – Jack Skogun
Sound Board Operator – Gregory Hatch
Light Board Operator – Rose Holmes
Deck Manager – Lucinda C.S. Obenhaus
Change Over Crew – Rose Holmes, Gregory Hatch

 

 

 

 

A Servants’ Christmas
November 25-December 24, 1994
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 the Warner home on Summit Avenue in St. Paul during the early 1900s.               

Cast
Mr. Warner – Peter Farley
Eric Horne – Graham Thatcher
Frieda – Ann Schulman
Miss Pettingill – Lavinia Erickson
Anne Warner – Victoria Engelmayer
Richmond Warner – Cooper D’Ambrose
Lillian Russell – Janet Daverne
Understudy (Monica/Anne) – Michelle Francois
Understudy (Mrs. Pettingill/Frieda) – Kimberly Schultz
Understudy (Richmond) – Benjamin Carey
Understudy (Mr. Warner/Eric Horne) – Don Cosgrove
Understudy (Lillian Russell) – Lavina Erickson

Artistic Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Production Stage Manager – Julia Cashman
Assistant Stage Manager – Wayne Hendricks
Scene Designer – Nayna Ramey
Costume Designer – Katherine B. Kohl
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Properties Designer – Aimee Jillson
Original Music composed by – Mark Bloom

Production Staff
Assistant to the Director – Michelle Francois
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Carpenter – Steve Pax
Carpenters – J. Schardt, Russell Cole, Ann Pas, David Grinnell
Scenic Artist – Erik Peterson
Master Electrician – J. Schardt
Electrician – Russell Cole
Sound Board Operator – Kelli Ferrier
Light Board Operator – J. Schardt
Sound & Light Board Swing – Ann Pax, Steve Pax

 

 

 

 

The Meeting
January 11-22, 1995
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.

Cast
Malcolm X – Terry E. Bellamy
Rashad – Edward D. Richardson
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Gregory S. Smith

Artistic Staff
Director – Chuck Smith
Assistant Director/Technical Director – Bradford E. White
Production Stage Manager – Gwen Turos
Stage Manager – Jan Denfield
Lighting & Scenic Designer – Tim Oien
Costume Designer – Glenn Billings
Sound Designer – Corbiere Boynes
Opening interviews edited by – Chuck Smith
Theatre Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Electrician/Light Board Operator – Rose Holmes
Electrician – Stephanie Brehe
Sound Board Operator – Chris Benson
Technical Assistant – Edward D. Richardson                  

Note:  According to a program note from director Chuck Smith, this production of The Meeting “…marks the first time the roles of Malcolm X and Dr. King have been played by professional actors from the Twin Cities. Terry Bellamy and Greg Smith have breathed new life into these two famous African American historical figures…”

 

 

 

 

Flak Happy (World Premiere)
February 1-26, 1995
By David Hawley

Inspired by writings of World War II veterans of the U.S. Army 8th Air Force, the play depicts a B-17 bomber crew of young men who were thrust into early adulthood and confronted by terror on a daily basis. It is a story of the women who loved them, of laughter amidst adversity, and of quiet grief in moments of tragedy.

Cast
Samuel Petty (Pilot) – Christopher Hall
Bill Cooper (Co-pilot) – Joseph S. Moser
Ernest Stoltz (Ball-turret gunner) – Brian Columbus
Peter “Father” Collins (Waist gunner) – David Sussman
Lech “Alphabet” Chudakavich (Waist gunner) – Robert Spillane
Kay Ketcham – Nancy Griggs
Miranda Weaver – Signe Albertson
Understudies – Dan Reaume, Heidi Hicks, David Roberts

Artistic Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Stage Manager – Jan Denfield
Scene Designer – Thomas H. Berger
Costume Designer – Katherine B. Kohl
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Properties Designer – Karen Luedtke
Sound Designer – Natalie Miller
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Choreography – Sue Scott

Production Staff
Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Carpenter – Jeff Fredericks
Carpenters – John Daves, Charlie Jensch
Scenic Artist – Kimberly L. Lawler
Master Electrician – Rose Holmes
Electricians – Stephanie Brehe, Kristina Weber
Costume Technician – Machelle Lee
Sound Board Operator – Chris Benson
Light Board Operator – Rose Holmes
Deck Manager – Stephanie Brehe

Joseph Moser, Robert Spillane, Christopher Hall

 

Comment
My history with History Theatre goes way back to when it was called “The Great American History Theatre”. My first costume design there was the powerful Mesabi Red, a musical about the Iron Range mining industry. To this day, people who discover I was a part of that production remember with great fondness seeing it as schoolchildren. Not only was I fortunate to have launched my career at History Theatre with this excellent show, but this native Vermonter also got a fine history lesson on mining in Minnesota.

Working on a show at any theater always involves research, but at History Theatre, that research can grow into something much more personal and memorable than a visit to the library or time spent online. One often has the opportunity to meet primary resources.

When I costumed Flak Happy, a story about World War II US Army Air Corps pilots who were stationed in Great Britain, I was sent to the American Wings Air Museum in south Minneapolis to get a first-hand look at pilot’s uniforms. It is so important to be as accurate as possible when putting military uniforms onstage, as a way of showing respect for those who have served our country. Plus, there is sure to be an audience member who knows exactly where the placement of insignia on that uniform should be!

My tour of the museum displays was guided by a veteran WWII pilot who was eager to share details about the artifacts, giving me the lowdown on what the pilots really wore to keep warm but fully functional in the air. He let me crawl through a B-17 and sit in the gunner’s turret to sense how dangerously exposed a gunner would have been. He regaled with me great stories about his service time in Europe. In the end, after we’d spent a delightful afternoon revisiting the past, he let me borrow a vintage pilot’s headgear (leather helmet, headset receiver and oxygen mask) for the production! This was trust indeed, and I am still stunned by his generosity.

– Katherine Kohl, Costume Designer

 

 

 

 

Pope Joan: A Divine Comedy (World Premiere)
March 11-April 9, 1995
By Lance S. Belville

This play is centered on the story of a possible female on the Throne of Peter. But it is also an examination of the turbulent politics that existed in Rome during the Ninth Century, the circumstances that led to the “woman as Pope” myth, and the roles of women in history and our current society.

Cast
Pope Joan – Melinda Lopez
Priest – Steve Shaffer
Understudies – Patricia Nieman, Don Cosgrove

Artistic Staff
Director – Ron Peluso
Scenic Designer – Thomas H. Berger
Lighting Designer – Pamela Kildahl
Costume Designer – Linda Cameron
Properties Designer – Lucinda C.S. Obenhaus
Sound Designer – Stephen Houtz
Stage Manager – Jan Denfeld
Assistant Stage Manager – Melliss Kenworthy

Production Staff
Technical Director – Royce B. Jackson
Master Carpenter – Roger Skophammer
Carpenter – Jeff Fredericks
Scenic Artist – Kimberly L. Lawler
Sculpture by – Rebecca Heroff
Master Electrician – Rose Holmes
First Electrician – Stephanie Brehe
Electricians – Jeff Fredericks, Susan Kilgore
Sound Board Operator – Stephanie Brehe
Light Board Operator – Rose Holmes
Deck Hand – David Grinnell

 

 

 

 

One Hell of a Do!
April 19-May 14, 1995
Written and Performed by Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt

This hilarious comedy celebrates the unique talent of Ireland’s most famous wedding/pub band (Tom & Gerry – D’Unbelievables) who, on receiving an award entitled the “Golden Microphone of the Year Award for the best wedding/pub band in Ireland” recall the hilarious happenings during the day of the Donoghue Wedding. The play is set in Ireland.

Cast
Jon Kenny, Pat Shortt

Understudies – Jeff Hartig, Christopher Bloch

Production Staff
Stage Managers – Hugh Maquire & Jan Denfield

Technical Director – Roger Skophammer
Master Electrician & Light Board Operator – Rose Holmes

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