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
