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by Lee Blessing
Two best friends who grew up in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood in St. Paul, both went on to become Supreme Court Justices and presided over some of the most influential and controversial cases of modern American history. This brilliant new play by Lee Blessing explores the lifelong friendship between Chief Justice Warren Burger and Justice Harry Blackmun, which was tried and tested by politics, ambition, and ideologies. Blackmun and Burger come together again to look back over their lives and careers together, including the case that remains one of the most passionately disputed decisions of all time: Roe v. Wade.
- Directed by Joel Sass
- Clyde Lund as Harry Blackmun
- Nathaniel Fuller as Warren Burger
- Jamila Anderson as ensemble
- Charlotte Calvert as ensemble
- Sam Pearson as ensemble
- E.J. Subkoviak as Nixon, Clinton, and ensemble
Sponsored by Dorsey & Whitney LLP with additional support from Foley & Mansfield.
Other sponsors include Bowman and Brooke LLP and Messerli & Kramer.
Special programming partners include World Without Genocide at William Mitchell College of Law, Ramsey County Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, and Minnesota State Bar Association
Approximate running time of Courting Harry: 90 minutes, with no intermission
Ticket prices
| Adult | Senior | Student | |
| Tier 1 | $40 | $38 | $15 |
| Tier 2 | $36 | $34 | |
| Tier 3 | $32 | $30 |
Performance calendar
| Thursday, February 28 | 8:00 pm | Preview |
| Friday, March 1 | 8:00 pm | Preview |
| Saturday, March 2 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, March 3 | 2:00 pm | |
| Thursday, March 7 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, March 7 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, March 8 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, March 9 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, March 10 | 2:00 pm | |
| Thursday, March 14 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, March 14 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, March 15 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, March 16 | 2:00 pm | |
| Saturday, March 16 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, March 17 | 2:00 pm | |
| Wednesday, March 20 | 8:15 pm | |
| Thursday, March 21 | 10:00 am | |
| Thursday, March 21 | 8:00 pm | |
| Friday, March 22 | 8:00 pm | |
| Saturday, March 23 | 8:00 pm | |
| Sunday, March 24 | 2:00 pm |
Events and Happenings
AFTERTHOUGHTS - Judge Erica MacDonald and Judge Dave Knutson
Sunday, March 3 / 3:30 pm
A free discussion with Judge Erica MacDonald and Judge Dave Knutson, following the matinee performance of Courting Harry. Discussion will be moderated by John Apitz.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
AFTERTHOUGHTS - 40 years after Roe v. Wade
Sunday, March 10 / 3:30 pm
Sponsored by
A free post-show discussion with Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, along with Michael Drysdale, Attorney at Dorsey and Whitney LLP, to discuss the how the Roe v. Wade decision handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States 40 years ago, and the numerous subsequent decisions, are affecting women's health and family planning policies nationally and locally.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance of Courting Harry.
Sex, Race, Death, and the Supreme Court -- A Workshop
Saturday, March 16 / 10:30 am
Sponsored by
* S O L D O U T *
History Theatre is partnering with World Without Genocide at William Mitchell College of Law to present a special workshop surrounding the themes within the upcoming production of Courting Harry. Participants have the option of receiving 2.5 Continuing Legal Education credits; current students of William Mitchell College of Law are eligible to recieve PLP Diversity credits for an added cost.
Sex, Race, Death, and the Supreme Court – A Workshop
Saturday, March 16, 2013
at History Theatre
30 East Tenth Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
PROGRAM:
10:30-11:00 — Registration, coffee and refreshments
11:00-11:15 — Introductions – Ellen Kennedy, Ph.D., World Without Genocide
11:15-12:00 — The Supreme Court: The Power of the Judiciary – Anthony Winer, J.D., William Mitchell College of Law
12:00-12:30 — Lunch
12:30-12:50 — Sex Discrimination and Sex Equality Before the Supreme Court – Jill Hasday, J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
12:50-1:10 — Race: The Voting Rights Act – Teresa Nelson, J.D., American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
1:10-1:30 — Death: Blackmun, Berger, and the Death Penalty Today – Timothy Johnson, J.D., University of Minnesota Law School
1:30-1:45 — Discussion
2:00-3:30 — Performance, Courting Harry
CREDITS:
Application for 2.5 Standard CLE credits pending
PLP Diversity credits for Mitchell students
TICKETS:
Advance ticket purchase is required; tickets will not be available at the door.
Tickets are available until March 10 or until sold out (maximum capacity of 40)
*NOTE* please indicate any special seating accomodations needed, any food allergies, and if you would prefer a vegetarian/vegan lunch.
COSTS:
General public $30 (includes workshop, lunch, ticket for play)
With CLE credits: $70 (includes workshop, lunch, ticket for play, 2.5 credits)
Limited student scholarships are available; contact info@worldwithoutgenocide.org
AFTERTHOUGHTS - Judge Kathleen Gearin and Justice Paul Anderson
Sunday, March 17 / 3:30 pm
A free discussion with Judge Kathleen Gearin and Justice Paul Anderson, following the matinee performance of Courting Harry. Discussion will be moderated by Melissa Weldon.
Sponsored by Minnesota State Bar Association and Hennepin County Bar Association.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
A Conversation with Linda Greenhouse
Wednesday, March 20 / 7:30 pm
Don Shelby will host a conversation with author Linda Greenhouse who wrote Becoming Justice blackmun: Harry Blackmun's Supreme Court Journey on which the play is based. Greenhouse is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who covered the Supreme Court for 30 years. She was granted access to Blackmun’s papers (a collection which totals half a million items in 1,585 boxes and the index alone is 300 pages) before they were made available to the public via the Library of Congress.
Schedule for the evening:
7:30 p.m. – a conversation on stage between Mr. Shelby and Ms. Greenhouse
8:00 p.m. – a short break for restrooms and concessions
8:15 p.m. – a performance of Courting Harry
9:45 p.m. – following the performance, Ms. Greenhouse will be available to sell and sign books in the lobby
FREE to ticketed patrons
Courting Harry: The Supreme Court as Theater
Thursday, March 21 / 12:00 pm
Event Type: CLE | Category: CLE
Co-Sponsored by the History Theatre & the Ramsey County Bar Association
Courting Harry: The Supreme Court as Theater
Supreme Court proceedings are theater, but what can we learn about the law and the Supreme Court through theater? Using the History Theatre presentation of Courting Harry, this CLE examines the Supreme Court through the characters of Chief Justice Warren Burger and Justice Harry Blackmun who were St. Paul natives and friends. The CLE will focus on the role of personal relationships as affecting Supreme Court dynamics and it will also explore what we can learn about the law from the lives and personalities of the judges and justices who make up the courts.
PRESENTER: David Schultz is Hamline University in the School of Business and School of Law and an adjunct professor of law at the University of Minnesota. He is the author/editor of more than 25 books and 90 articles on various aspects of law. Professor Schultz frequently teaches a variety of CLEs, including leading law and literature discussions.
FORMAT: The CLE discussion will occur following the 10:00 a.m. performance of Courting Harry at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul. Purchase tickets to the play separately by calling the History Theatre Box Office at 651.292.4323.
A block of tickets are reserved for the RCBA CLE attendees. When purchasing your play tickets, inform them you are attending with the RCBA CLE group.
Schedule:
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. - performance of Courting Harry
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. - Registration (and lunch)
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. - CLE Discussion led by David Schultz
LOCATION: 30 East Tenth Street, St. Paul (Corner of Tenth Street and Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul)
CREDIT: 1 Standard Credit approved
COST *only* CLE CREDIT DISCUSSION (includes lunch): $20 RCBA members; $30 non-members
COST for CLE CREDIT DISCUSSION (including lunch) if you also attend Courting Harry (Half-price): $10 RCBA members; $15 non-members
(The discounted price is available for anyone who attends any performance of Courting Harry)
CLICK TO REGISTER
The cost of a ticket to any performance of Courting Harry is: $40 for Tier 1; $36 for Tier 2; and $32 for Tier 3.
There is a $2 discount for Seniors (60+ years old); Students with a current valid school I.D. card pay $15.
Click to purchase show tickets
AFTERTHOUGHTS - Judge Donovan Frank and Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman
Sunday, March 24 / 3:30 pm
A free discussion with Judge Donovan Frank and Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman, following the matinee performance of Courting Harry. Discussion will be moderated by Phil Riveness.
FREE to ticketed patrons of Sunday's performance.
Cast
Ensemble / Nixon / Clinton
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Creative team
In the press
Tinkering with the Machinery of Death: The Evolving Jurisprudence of Justice Harry Blackmun
This year, the country will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade: the landmark decision written by one of Minnesota’s own. In Roe, the majority opinion was drafted by Justice Harry Blackmun, who grew up on the east side of St. Paul and later served as general counsel for the Mayo Clinic. Though Justice Blackmun is remembered primarily for Roe v. Wade, his death-penalty jurisprudence provides greater insight to his approach to judicial decision making. These opinions show how Justice Blackmun was fundamentally influenced by his roots in Minnesota, a state that did not have the death penalty. They reveal the importance that he placed on the specific facts and the real people who would be affected by his decisions. And they demonstrate his willingness to change his mind when presented with evidence that the system—a system he fundamentally believed in—simply failed to meet its objectives.Harry Blackmun on MPR
Hear Harry Blackmun in his own words, in a 1993 interview with NPR's Nina Totenberg, and an interview with Linda Greenhouse, author of "Becoming Harry Blackmun."Blackmun's name is once again in the news as the Minnesota legislature is considering installing a bust of Justice Blackmun alongside the existing bust of Justice Burger in the State Capitol. And Courting Harry is running at the History Theatre in St. Paul.
THEATER REVIEW | "Courting Harry" entertains and educates at History Theatre
"The Minnesota History Theatre seeks to entertain and educate with original plays about Minnesota’s past. The enlightening and innovative staging of Courting Harry unequivocally accomplishes this goal."Friday Opinuendo: On our justices, recycling and diversity
"What's more, it's a story that continues to play out, with headlines fresh from the current session of the Minnesota Legislature."Theater review: 'Courting Harry' does justice to St. Paul's Blackmun and Burger
"Blessing is a cagy playwright and knows how to skillfully inject humor and pathos and memorable lines."- 1 of 2
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Accessible performances
ASL interpreted
- Sunday, March 10 / 2:00 pm
Audio described
- Sunday, March 10 / 2:00 pm
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
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