The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2024

It's January in Minnesota and that means two things: below zero temperatures and History Theatre's "Raw Stages" new works festival. This year they're presenting five readings of new plays and musicals, and I thought about getting a hotel room in downtown St. Paul so I could just hang out for a week and see them all. But other duties and shows call, so I'll likely end up seeing just three of the five. I love "Raw Stages" for many reasons - the incredible performers who made these characters and stories come alive after just a few hours of rehearsal, the fascinating stories of little known Minnesota history, and being a part of the new work development process. It's a thrill to get a glimpse into how new work comes to be, something we don't often get to see or even really think about. And the best part is most of these works will end up on the main stage in a fully realized production, and you can watch something new and exciting come full circle. Keep reading for full details of all shows below (from the History Theatre website), as well as my thoughts on the three I saw. Since there's not much snow to play in or to impede getting out and about - head to downtown St. Paul this weekend and watch theater in the making (click here to purchase $15 tickets for one show, or a pass for $30).

The History Theatre's Virtual New Works Festival "Raw Stages," Fall 2020

Every January, the History Theatre hosts a new works festival called "Raw Stages." Most of their programming is original works, so they rely on these annual workshops and readings as part of the development process. Faced with a long closure of the theater space due to the current and seemingly never-ending pandemic, they decided to hold another "Raw Stages" festival this year - virtually. Workshops and readings are done over Zoom, with the each of five recorded readings available for streaming for a week, spread out about a month apart. I missed the first one, Not In Our Neighborhood (which was supposed to premiere in the spring of 2020), but I've watched the other four. The most recent and currently streaming is the delightful Betty Crocker Musical, with a live talk-back on Friday. Read on for details of all five new works and how you can watch them.

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2020

January may be the depths of winter in Minnesota, but it also brings one of my favorite theater events of the year. History Theatre, or HERstory Theatre as it's currently known, holds workshops and a public reading of four new works of theater in what they call their "Raw Stages" festival. For a theater that produces as many world premieres as History Theatre (something like 70% of their work is new), this is an important part of their season. This is my seventh year attending Raw Stages, and it's super fun to see a reading of an exciting new work, typically about a true Minnesota story, and then watch it continue to develop and often receive a full production a season or two later. In fact History Theatre's next three productions this year were part of last year's Raw Stages - Superman Becomes Lois Lane, Not for Sale, and Runestone! A Rock Musical. I only missed one of this year's readings (thanks, winter), and they're all really exciting work that I hope to see more of. A post-show discussion follows every reading, which is often the most moving part as people who lived and remember the story share their experiences. It's a powerful experience in and of itself, and also provides a glimpse behind the scenes. What follows is a short description of each play and my thoughts.

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2019

Last weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year: "Raw Stages" weekend at the History Theater in downtown St. Paul. Most of the work produced by the History Theatre is new work that they develop, a claim few theaters of their size can make. Specifically, they produce plays and musicals inspired by local history. Usually some part of history that's not well known, but somehow relates to the modern world and helps us gain insight into where we are by looking back at where we were. An important part of the development process is their annual new works festival, in which four new pieces receive a director, cast, workshop, and public reading. I was able to attend two of the four readings this year, both exciting and promising works that I hope to see on the stage next season. But first, History Theatre's current season concludes with three HERstory plays - world premieres by and about women (click here to find out more).

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2018

I love the History Theatre for their dedication to producing new works of theater about true events and people in Minnesota history, which is never more in evidence than during their "Raw Stages" festival, which was held this weekend. This annual festival gives playwrights a chance to see how their work sits in front of an audience, and gives audiences a chance to experience a new work in development and provide feedback. But perhaps the best part of "Raw Stages" is that it's quite common to see a play that was workshopped come back for a full production in the next season or two. Two works from last year's festival will be produced at the History Theatre next spring: Playwrights' Center core writer Harrison David Rivers teamed up with Somali immigrant Ahmed Ismail Yusuf to write Ahmed's story in A Crack in the Sky, coming in February; and the writers of the smash hit musical Glensheen, Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling, have written a fantastic follow-up in Lord Gordon Gordon, coming in May. These and many other great plays had their debuts at "Raw Stages."

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2017

One of the wonderful things about the Twin Cities theater scene is that we get to experience new works of theater while still in the development process. The Playwrights' Center is dedicated to that, and you can often catch a free reading of a new and exciting play (like queens earlier this week). Many theaters in town have their own play development process, and an important step in that process is sharing the piece with the audience. And I can't think of a theater more committed to developing and producing new work than the History Theatre. Most of the plays in their regular season are new works developed, and sometimes commissioned, by the theater, and many of them make their debut to audiences in the annual "Raw Stages" festival. This season includes three such works - Teen Idol: The Bobby Vee Story, the upcoming The Highwaymen (which is NOT about the country music super group, but rather the building of I94 through the Rondo neighborhood), and this spring's new musical Sweet Land (although this piece had a long history of workshops before it landed at the History Theatre). Now is your chance to get in on the next big hit, see it in its early form, and share your feedback with the creators as they continue to develop the piece. Keep reading for more about each show, and make your plans to head to downtown St. Paul to experience some exciting new works of theater.

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages" 2016

January in Minnesota doesn't just mean bitter cold temperatures and the desire to hibernate. On the contrary, it's the time of year to get out of your house, head to lovely downtown St. Paul, and participate in the development of new plays and musicals at the History Theatre! One of the best theaters in town at developing, supporting, and producing new work, The History Theatre is presenting a reading of four new works this weekend. Unfortunately my schedule only allows me to attend two of the four this year, but each of them looks incredibly promising, and the talent listed below is mind-boggling! Many of the new works presented as part of the "Raw Stages" festival in the past have had successful full productions at The History Theatre, including The Debutante's Ball and Glensheen in 2015. So bundle up, heat up the car, and make your way through the bitter cold temps to The History Theatre to experience the joy of new and original theater!

The History Theatre's New Works Festival "Raw Stages"

I love history. I love my beloved home state of Minnesota. I love new works of theater. So of course there's nowhere else I'd rather be this week than in lovely downtown St. Paul for The History Theatre's "Raw Stages" new works festival! One of the unique and wonderful things about The History Theatre is that most of the work they do is new original commissioned plays and musicals. "Raw Stages" is an important part in their development process (two of the works in last year's festival have full productions this season - last fall's Radio Man and this spring's The Debutante's Ball). From the audience perspective, it gives you a sneak peek at what may be coming up in future seasons and gives you the opportunity to give feedback about what you'd like to see. I was lucky enough to attend all four readings, and all are wonderfully interesting and entertaining looks at important facets of Minnesota history. The History Theatre gathered a stellar group of actors and directors to breath life into these readings, making it easy to see the potential they all have to be great plays.

Stewardess by Kira Obolensky (cast: Tracey Maloney, Charlotte Calvert, Anna Sundberg, Mo Perry, and John Middleton)
I feel like I should have heard the name Mary Pat Laffey before, but I have not. Thanks to Kira Obolensky's new play, I now know that Mary Pat was a pioneer on the forefront of equal rights for women in the workplace. She was hired by Northwest Airlines as a stewardess in the late '50s, a time when it was perfectly acceptable to hire and fire women based on their weight, height, age, marital status, and hairstyle. It's so outrageous now it seems almost quaint, but it was an extremely unjust system that also did not pay or promote women as much as their male counterparts. Mary Pat joined the union and fought for changes, some of which were accomplished. But when working through the union no longer worked, she filed a lawsuit against the company that took 15 years to resolve and eventually ended in Northwest paying millions of dollars to Mary Pat and the other women who joined her in the lawsuit.

The play mostly takes place in various hotel rooms as the stewardesses talk about their life and work. In addition to Mary Pat, we follow a few of her friends, including naive farm girl Primmie, and wealthy Fran who aspires to be a pilot. The characters are well-defined and all have their arc as the story moves from 1958, through the '60s, and into the early '70s. It's similar to The Heidi Chronicles in that it follows a woman through the equal rights movement; it's one specific story that represents a larger, more universal story. The play is a bit talky, and I like talky plays, but it verges on pedantic at times. A full staging and a few scenes in other locations with other characters could add some of that dramatic punch. And is it wrong that I really want to see those uniforms, especially as they change over time?

Highwaymen by Josh Wilder (cast: Pearce Bunting, Stephen Yoakam, Allen Hamilton, and James A. Williams)
What's so interesting about the building of a highway?, you might ask. When that highway is the long anticipated and needed link between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and its construction destroys an important and close-knit African American community, it's more than interesting, its a brilliant example of the race and class issues that have long plagued this country. Just because we're well north of the Mason-Dixon line doesn't mean that Minnesota doesn't have ugliness in its history too. Josh Wilder has written a dramatic and compelling play that focuses on the (white) decision makers in the building of I-94 through the Rondo neighborhood in the late '50s.

Most of this play takes place in a city hall meeting room, with a few scenes in a Rondo barbershop. The four main characters are soon-to-be Deputy Commissioner of Highways Frank Marzitelli, St. Paul chief civil engineer George Shepard, retiring St. Paul city planner George Herrold, and Rondo resident, activist, and barber Timothy J. Howard (all historical figures, the latter combined a bit with Reverend Floyd Massey for dramatic purposes). The three city officials are attempting to finish the budget for the proposed highway when they're interrupted by a protest outside. Herrold invites one of the men in to plead his case. The three men have different reactions to his proposals, and reasons for wanting what they want. Herrold goes to Howard's barbershop to discuss things and is not welcomed with open arms. Each of the four men gets a monologue in which their character motivations are more fully explored. It's all much more compelling and dramatic than I'm making it sound. In addition to the race and class issues, the play makes some pretty profound statements about the price of progress (and who usually has to pay that price) and the way that technology advances at a rate faster than our ability to process and deal with it. Trust me, you'll be seeing more of this one.

Ernest & The Bull by Kevin Kautzman (cast: Bob Davis, Charity Jones, Charles Hubbell, Paul Rutledge, Aeysha Kinnunen)
I had no idea that the great American author Ernest Hemingway had any connection to Minnesota. But as we learn in this new play by Kevin Kautzman, he spent several months of the last year of his life at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, receiving ECT for depression and paranoia. Sadly, the treatments did not work and he committed suicide shortly after being released. This play weaves together dreams, fantasies, and hallucinations to create a picture of a talented but sick man.

This one was quite interesting and a bit confusing. I'm very curious how this would be staged; it would require much stage "magic" to accomplish the stage directions of people appearing and disappearing, or turning into bulls or beards, or scenes changing as if in a dream. The main characters are Ernest and his last wife Mary, at their home in Cuba and later Idaho. Ernest's colleague Hotch visits him to help with his book, but he also appears as a sort of narrator/hallucination, as does another aspiring writer from thirty years earlier. The tone is playful as the characters occasionally acknowledge they're in a play ("I hate the theater," mutters Hem). Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the post-show feedback session; I would have loved to have heard a bit more about the work and other people's thoughts. It's surreal and complex and fascinating.

Complicated Fun: The Minneapolis Music Scene by Alan Berks (cast: Brandon Brooks, Stephanie Bertumen, Nathan Cheesman, Dustin Bronson, Clarence Wethern, Erik Hoover, Anna Hickey, H. Adam Harris, Darrick Mosley; band: Nic Delcambre and Blake Foster)
Apparently there was some important and ground-breaking music happening in Minneapolis in the early '80s. Bands like The Replacements, The Suburbs, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, and The Jayhawks all got their start during this period. While I've heard of most of these bands, I'm not familiar with their music (I'm not nearly cool enough to be aware of that scene). Not to worry, this new play with music tells the story in a fun and entertaining way, regardless of any prior knowledge of the music. It's a story of a music community, a bar, a record store, musicians, and music lovers all coming together to create a new sound.

Playwright Alan Berks has done a great job constructing the play around the music. This is not your typical jukebox musical in which a story is made up and forced to fit within a group of songs. Rather it's a play with music, that tells the real story around the creation of the music and the community, with the music occurring organically - in a bar, party, or record store. In a world populated with real-life figures, two fictional characters, known simply as boy and girl, lead us through the story. They meet as kids, just wanting to listen to music. Each of their lives are changed in different ways by each other and the music. It's a sweet relationship, and these characters give the audience a way into this world. We also witness the evolution of First Avenue, from a club that helped to discover new bands, to a tourist destination for Prince fans, and beyond. The story moves from the club, to parties, to the next door record store where music nerds passionately debate the intricacies of their favorite records. Even though I'm not a fan of this music, and probably won't become one, I found this piece to be well-written, compelling, and great fun, especially in the hands of this fantastic cast. I look forward to seeing a fully staged production with a full band and the music more fully integrated into the story.

"Radio Man" by the History Theatre at Minnesota History Center

The final installment of what has been an excellent new works series sponsored by the History Theatre is Radio Man, by Minnesota’s own radio man Garrison Keillor. In case you've been living under a rock for the past 40 years, Garrison is the creator/writer/host of a radio variety show called A Prairie Home Companion. This 40-year Minnesota institution has spun off countless books, CDs, DVDs, a movie (for which I was a never-seen extra), and now - a play. I admit I'm biased because I love Prairie Home in all of its form, so I can't objectively view it as simply a play, as someone who's unfamiliar with the show would. Having said that, I found it to be another great way to experience the truly delightful world of A Prairie Home Companion.

Radio Man is like watching an episode of APHC play out on stage, with the addition of glimpses into the back-stage goings-on, as well as musings about the host's childhood. Led by a very familiar seeming host, we meet other familiar characters such as cowboys Dusty and Lefty and private eye Guy Noir. The host's child self also appears onstage, telling stories about the origin of his love of radio and his desire to live and work in that world. The "Lake Wobegon" story about the death of Byron Tolefson blends into the real life of the play as the ghost of Byron appears and ponders the meaning of life and death. In addition, the host is confronted by the station manager, his sister, and a woman from his past. Over the course of one evening and one episode of this ongoing radio show, the host experiences something much more - an existential rumination on life itself.

Once again, an extremely professional and talented cast of actors breathes life into the written words. Pearce Bunting plays the host, with a spot-on Garrison Keillor impression. From the red socks and the glasses, to the way he holds his hand to his face while talking, to the shuffling dance as he's taken by the music. The adorable Noah Deets plays the host's 10-year-old self, with remarkable maturity and ability in this unusual format for someone so young. Various characters real and imagined are portrayed by Jon Andrew Hegge, Laurie Flanigan-Hegge, Jake Endres, Summer Hagen, and the dryly hilarious Angela Timberman. Of course APHC would not be complete without music, and there's much of that here, successfully woven into the story in the form of jingles and performances by guests (with musical direction by Andrew Cooke).

In the post-show discussion (a lovely feature of Raw Stages that allows the audience to share feedback with the creators), Pearce was asked what it felt like to play a real person who was sitting in the room. Pearce responded that Garrison's words resonate with so many of us because he's telling our story, so in a way he's in all of us, or all of us are in him. He said if he continues in the role (which I sincerely hope he does), the trick will be to find a little bit more of himself in the character and less of Garrison. A few other people pointed out that the ending went on a little too long. I agree with that, but after a little tightening and restructuring (Garrison was busily taking notes throughout the reading), this has the potential to be a charming play about a familiar and beloved Minnesota institution. I consider Garrison to be the Mark Twain of our generation, a folksy humorist telling stories of Americana that ring true. It's lovely to hear that voice coming from a theater stage through the mouths of actors, and to experience the wonderfully quirky world of A Prairie Home Companion in a theatrical format.

This was my first time attending History Theatre's annual Raw Stages festival, and I enjoyed it so much and was very impressed by the creators and actors putting together such professional and entertaining readings in such a short time. Each one of the four works presented is so different, showcasing great variety in the history of Minnesota and in its theater. I hope to see each one of them further developed and given a full production. (Read about all four plays here.)

"Glensheen" by the History Theatre at the Minnesota History Center

I love historic old mansions that have been turned into museums, and my favorite is the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. A gorgeous house and beautifully manicured grounds right on the shores of Lake Superior, the story of a New York lawyer who got rich in the local mining industry and built this house for his wife and many children, plus a murder mystery! I have to admit, I am more than little fascinated by the story of how elderly millionaire Elisabeth Congden and her nurse were found dead in 1977, one smothered by a satin pillow and the other beaten to death with a candlestick (an actual candlestick!). Yes it's gruesome and tragic, but it's also one of those "truth is stranger than fiction" stories that is so captivating. Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher and composer Chan Poling have taken this fascination with this weird and wonderful story and turned it into a musical, presented as the third show in the History Theatre's Raw Stages Festival. Or at least it's the beginnings of a musical. After working together for only a few days, the creators and the fabulous cast they have assembled presented just over an hour of material. They had meant to have more, "but it snowed" (Jeffrey is extremely dry and funny, see also his Lifetime Achievement Ivey Award acceptance speech). It's definitely still in the "raw" stage of the development process, but almost every song and scene is terrific, the tone of "ironic comedic cynicism" is spot on, and it has much potential to be a fantastic new original musical (my favorite thing in the world!).

In a short intro, Jeffrey explained that the musical is supposed to be a "non-realistic break the fourth wall" sort of thing, with "a spirit of theatricality." Our way into the story is through a modern day tour guide at the mansion (a bubbly Aly Westberg). She calls the head docent (Norah Long) in a panic when one of the guests takes a forbidden photograph in the stairwell where one of the bodies was found. Through a series of flashbacks we meet Elisabeth Congden and her two adopted daughters - Jennifer, the sweet and pretty one (Norah again) and Marjorie (the always fabulous Jody Briskey), who epitomizes the phrase "black sheep of the family." Marjorie meets her second husband Roger (an adorably awkward and "sad sack" Robert O. Berdahl) and introduces him to the family. He (with or without Marjorie's assistance and knowledge) plots to kill Elisabeth, is convicted, confesses to secure his release from jail, and commits suicide. Marjorie is never convicted and goes on to rack up charges of fraud, arson, bigamy, and even murder. The action flashes back and forth between moments in the past and the present day, where we also meet a "cub reporter" (Randy Schmeling) and a wacky detective (Jim Ramlet). The only part of the piece that didn't quite work for me was the ending, with a long exchange about the camera or phone used to take the picture. I was confused about who this woman was (Marjorie? the ghost of Elisabeth?), and the reveal that she was some sort of Marjorie fanatic didn't quite seem to fit. I only nitpick because the rest of the show is gold, just waiting to be polished and fleshed out and put together in the most shiny way possible.

The wonderful songs with clever and funny lyrics include the Sweeney Todd-esque "Ballad of Haunted Glensheen," a song between the two sisters, one good and one bad, a Marjorie/Roger duet  - a "mismatch made in hell," a very funny and drunken Roger singing about the "murder plot," Marjorie's swan song "Burn it Down," and what seemed to be the favorite of the audience - nurse Velma's* sad and sweet song in which her husband begs "stay with me" when the recently retired nurse is called back to work that fateful night.

I loved this piece so much. It's my favorite of the Raw Stages festival so far even though it's also the most raw. It's exactly the kind of musical I like - funny, satirical, witty, a little wacky, about a topic I'm already fascinated by. I cannot wait to see it further fleshed out and produced with lavish sets and costumes and a full orchestra. I hope they keep every one of these seven cast-members who were just perfect in their roles, maybe adding a few more actors to fill out some of the roles. Judging by the sold-out crowd, there is definitely an audience anxious to see Glensheen: The Musical, myself included!

The History Theatre's Raw Stages Festival concludes with a new play by Garrison Keillor this Sunday. But if you don't already have tickets, you're out of luck - it's sold out. But don't worry, I'll be there and will tell you all about it!

the Glensheen Mansion, definitely worth a visit
next time you find yourself in Duluth

*Velma's grand-niece was in the audience and gave her approval of the show in general and Velma's song in particular.

"Debutante Ball" by History Theatre at the Minnesota History Center

The second new work presented as part of the History Theatre's Raw Stages Festival is Debutante Ball, about a group of Filipino-American youth preparing for the traditional Debutante Ball, and the strict but supportive woman who guides them through the process. Written by Eric "Pogi" Somangil and directed by Randy Reyes (newly crowned Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts), it's a charming look at young people and the usual struggle to find yourself at that age, along with the added struggle of trying to figure out what it means to be Filipino-American.

We meet six teenagers, three girls preparing for the Debutante Ball (played with youthful charm by Jöelle Fernandez, Suzie Juul, and Noelle Trovela) and the three boys who will serve as their escorts (the equally youthful and charming Patrick Faunillan, Alex Galick, and Kenneth Gonzales). Anna is participating despite her parents' objections, who have chosen to forget their Filipino heritage and raise their daughter as an assimilated American. But she longs to know more about her culture, so she moves in with a friend, gets a job, and decides to do this on her own. She spends time with her new friends (typical teenagers like the spoiled rich girl, the smart and independent girl, the cocky jock, and the nerdy awkward boy) and Tita Belinda, the community auntie who is hard on the kids as she teaches them to dance, but has a soft spot underneath for her charges (the character is based on a real person). The highlight of the show is a fully realized and completely entertaining performance by Arnold Felizardo as Tita.

The play features very natural language, with the teenagers talking like real teenagers talk. They also mix in some words from the Filipino language in an organic way. The history of the Debutante Ball, and the Philippines in general, is told in a very clever and well-done rap by the entire cast. Because it came early in the show, I was expecting there to be more music in the play than there was. A few lines were later sung as the boys serenade one of the girls, but it was quickly replaced by a recording of DaHil Sa 'Yo. I would love to see more live music incorporated into the next incarnation of the show, in this section and also the dancing scenes. One thing there is much of in this play is humor; I particularly enjoyed the argument about why hobbits are Filipino.

Another night at the Raw Stages Festival, another well-written and promising new play brought to life by a talented cast. Hooray for the History Theatre for fostering new work that is specific to this place, giving all Minnesotans a chance to tell their story. I appreciated the opportunity to learn a bit more about the Filipino-American culture that is so active right here in Minnesota (see the Fil-Minnesotan website to learn more).

there's something so exciting about a bare stage,
where anything can happen!

"Boundary Waters" by the History Theatre at Minnesota History Center

Last night I attended the first of four new works being presented by the History Theatre as part of their Raw Stages festival. On a bare stage with just a few chairs and music stands, actors read the play from the script. But with fine accomplished actors such as these, it becomes something more than just a reading, although not a fully staged production. In a reading with no visual stimulation, it's all about the words, and in this case they are beautiful descriptive words that paint a picture of a landscape and the people who inhabit it.

Boundary Waters, written by Carlyle Brown and directed by Marion McClinton, uses a real-life event in Minnesota history as a metaphor for exploring several ideas. George Bonga was a fur trader of African-American and Native American descent living in Northern Minnesota in the 19th century who became a legendary figure. One of his more famous exploits was tracking down and capturing a suspected murderer, an Ojibwe man named Che-ga-wa-skung, who was then sent to trial at Fort Snelling. This event is at the center of the play as we learn how these events changed the two men and bonded them.

The play opens in the late 1860s (post Civil War and US-Dakota War, both of which are referred to), when George Bonga (beautifully voiced by James A. Williams) is being haunted by dreams about the man he once tracked across the frozen Minnesota winter. He tells his wife (George Keller) the story, and the action flashes back to the chase in 1837. After capturing Che-ga-wa-skung (who, thanks to the writing and Jake Waid's talent in bringing him to life, becomes a sympathetic character despite being a murderer), the two have many deep discussions as they try to survive the cold. Che-ga-wa-skung asks Bonga a simple question, "who are you?" Bonga doesn't really have an answer, he's always living on the boundaries, the son of an Ojibwe mother and a black father, and living the "white ways" as a fur trader. Bonga struggles with the question until the two men meet again later in life and continue the discussion. Rounding out the cast are Jon Andrew Hegge as two colleagues of Bonga's, and Michael Terrell Brown in a too small role as Che-ga-wa-skung's brother.

I very much enjoyed the reading of this new play; it's a fascinating exploration of a chapter of Minnesota history I was previously unfamiliar with, as seen through two well-drawn characters. That's not to say my mind didn't wander on occasion during the dense political sections, but for the most part the captivating and descriptive language held my attention and painted the world so well that I could almost see it. The lakes area north of Brainerd is one of my favorite places on the planet, where I've spent many peaceful and contemplative weeks. It's a thrill to hear that place come alive and to learn a bit more about the region's rich and complicated history. Most of all, I love getting a glimpse into the creative process of what it is to have an idea, write a play, and bring it to life. I look forward to the next incarnation of Boundary Waters.

The History Theatre's Raw Stages festival continues at the Minnesota History Center tonight with Debutante Ball (about a Filipino-American Valentine's Day ball), followed by Glensheen (a musical retelling of the murder in the mansion) and Radio Man (a new play by one of my favorite Minnesotans, Garrison Keillor).