Raw Stages 2020 on Zoom
In an effort to keep patrons and artists safe, History Theatre at Home will present Raw Stages: New Works Festival 2020 via Zoom from August through November. Each of these five new works in progress will be streamed in a workshop setting (this time from home) with a goal of presenting a ‘first draft’ or in some cases, a reworking of the play. Playwrights are given a cast, stage manager, director, and music director if required, and 20 hours to explore and develop the work. Prior to the streaming event, History Theatre will present Spilling the HT to give an inside look into the script development process. Following each streaming event, audiences will be invited to join Afterthoughts, a live talkback with artistic team and cast via Zoom.
CLICK HERE to buy Raw Stages 2020: All Access Pass
Not in our Neighborhood! | Streaming Aug 7-13
by Tom Fabel and Eric Wood
Directed by Richard D. Thompson
1924. All-new version. This drama recounts the horrific events and shameful history of housing segregation in St. Paul’s Groveland Park neighborhood. William and Nellie Francis, both civil rights advocates and leading citizens in St. Paul’s growing African-American community, dared to move from their home in the Rondo neighborhood to the “home of their dreams” in this all-white neighborhood. Little did they know, neighbors would burn a cross in their front yard in an attempt to terrorize them and force them to abandon their dreams.
To learn more about Not in our Neighborhood!, click here.
Buy Tickets - Not In Our Neighborhood
Diesel Heart | Streaming Sept 4-10
by Brian Grandison
In collaboration with Melvin Carter, Jr.
Directed by H. Adam Harris
Melvin Carter Jr. is a true son of St. Paul, as was his father and hero, Melvin Carter Sr. Melvin grew up in the Rondo neighborhood in the 1950s and '60s. He experienced firsthand the decimation of the radiant, vibrant Rondo community for the construction of Interstate-94.
To learn more about Diesel Heart, click here.
Wilson's Girl | Streaming Oct 2-8
Adapted for the stage by Eva Barr
Directed by Laura Leffler
An emotionally charged recounting of the turmoil in Albert Lea during the 1959 Wilson’s meatpacking strike as seen through the eyes of a teenager.
To learn more about "Wilson's Girl," click here.
The Boy Wonder: Stassen Musical | Streaming Oct 30-Nov 5
Book, music and lyrics by Keith Hovis
Directed by Ron Peluso
Musical direction by Brian Pekol
How do you define a legacy?
In 1938, Harold Stassen was dubbed Boy Wonder and future of the Republic party after being elected the Governor of Minnesota at age 31. By 1992, Stassen's political career ended as a perennial candidate who sought, and lost, his bid for the Republican presidential nomination a record nine-times.
What came in-between is the story of a war hero who helped create the United Nations and served as a key player in the Eisenhower administration. But also the story of a man who routinely fought to redefine a party that was not ready for change, defying those he needed most to make it to the White House. From writer/composer Keith Hovis comes a new musical that explores the life of a man who was supposed to be president. Until he wasn’t.
To learn more about "The Boy Wonder: Stassen Musical," click here.
Buy Tickets - THE BOY WONDER: STASSEN MUSICAL
The Betty Crocker Musical | Streaming Nov 20-26
book and lyrics by Cristina Luzarraga
music by Denise Prosek
Directed by Austene Van
Musical direction by Jason Hansen
Dramaturgy by Susan Marks
This new musical explores the ever-changing roles of women over the last century through lens of Betty Crocker, America’s first lady of food. “Born” in 1921 to the company that would become General Mills, Betty was a marketing invention––not a real person––but she came to represent far more than just flour. In 1945, Fortune Magazine named Betty Crocker the 2nd most popular woman in America. Originally depicted as white, blue-eyed, and middle-aged, Betty morphed over time as society grappled with questions of race and gender. At once a radio personality, a letter-writing confidante, a cheerleader and a scold, Betty taught a nation how to “add an egg" and much, much more.
To learn more about "The Betty Crocker Musical," click here.
