Shakespeare in the Heartland: Guthrie Tour a Dream Come True for Nine Midwest Communities

by Beth Burns

A scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Guthrie Theater Artistic Director Joe Dowling. Photo by Michal Daniel.

In spring 1998, the Heartland Arts Fund (a program of Arts Midwest and Mid-America Arts Alliance) applied to the National Endowment for the Arts’ Creation and Presentation category on behalf of a consortia of presenters for funding to support a major tour of the Guthrie Theater. The $62,500 awarded, combined with additional Heartland Arts Fund monies, provided essential presenter fee support — and represented the initiating funds to invigorate the Guthrie to re-establish their long-dormant touring program.

The following nine Midwest presenters ultimately received Heartland Arts Fund special touring support:

• Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines, Iowa
• University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, Iowa
• Myles Reif Center for the Performing Arts, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
• Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
• Omaha Theater for Young People, Omaha, Nebraska
• North Valley Arts Council, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin
• Eau Claire Regional Arts Center, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Funding from the National Endowment for the Arts tour enabled high-quality theater to reach thousands of heartland audience members in metropolitan and rural communities, with performances and carefully-crafted educational sessions. In the current environment, in which few major repertory theaters tour, this partnership of federal and regional support, combined with a major corporate underwriter and a network of collaborating presenters, was truly a Dream.

In February 2000, three 54-foot semi trailer trucks, 65 costumes, hundreds of lights, 20 actors, 17 support staff and crew, miles of power cable, two coach busses and one giant flower converged at the Paramount Theater in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to create the Guthrie Theater’s touring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Locally, dozens of volunteers representing schools, local arts groups, civic organizations and retail stores rallied to support this enormous endeavor: hosting education workshops, selling tickets and providing local crew support.

Under the leadership of Guthrie Theater artistic director Joe Dowling, the Theater’s long-dormant touring program was re-established this season with lead presenter support from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Heartland Arts Fund and a unique gift of $500,000 from Dayton’s and Target Stores. Additional support for the Midsummer tour was provided by the Knight Foundation, the Blandin Foundation and local tour community sponsors.

"For us, this is a return to one of the principal things that made the theater accessible to the community," Dowling said. "There are a lot of communities that support the Guthrie, and this is a way of saying thank you — a way for us to go meet them where they are."

Four sold-out performances in St. Cloud marked the beginning of a 12-week artistic adventure throughout the Midwest. Each residency bore the unique stamp of its local host community as Guthrie staff worked closely with community arts and education leaders to create programs that matched local interests and needs. Performances were complemented by workshops, designed with local interests in mind:

• A vocal training workshop, led by actress Catherine Eaton (Titania), at the Fargo/Moorhead Community Theater (North Dakota/Minnesota) addressed concerns of projection and articulation.
• High school students in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (population 7,976) worked with Guthrie artists on scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.
• Tour Technical Director Wendy Lund and Master Electrician Matt Tucker led a workshop at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin that addressed lighting, sound and set issues.
• Alvin Keith (Lysander) led a master class in St. Louis, Missouri for Washington University theater students interested in acting techniques for Shakespearean plays.
• Randy Reyes (Puck) spent two hours with Red Wing (Minnesota) Alternative High School students using theater exercises as a vehicle to address the challenges facing many of these young people.

"The play was, in my opinion, the greatest thing I have ever seen! ... It really inspired me! Enough that I would really enjoy the acting business."
   —Ashley, age 12, Omaha, Nebraska

"We’re still abuzz with excitement over the wonderful play we saw this evening. Thank you for bringing A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Weidner Center, so we could enjoy (and I do mean ENJOY) an evening of Shakespeare."
  —Larry and Debi, Green Bay, Wisconsin

"My students were thrilled to listen to, talk with and work next to Chris Hutchison [Bottom]. Bringing him to our school initiated the best discussions and activities in our English classrooms all year. Thank you once more for insisting that the small, rural schools receive such a generous portion of this whole experience."
   — Loren Brown, teacher, Hill City, Minnesota

" This side-splitting, laugh-til-you-cry interpretation goes way beyond mirth and merriment. When did you last see somebody bent over in laughter watching classical theater?"
  —Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa

"Full of sparkle and zest… It was a treat to see a touring show that did not have the feeling of being scaled down … an evening of excellence that will long be remembered."
  —St. Cloud Times, St. Cloud, Minnesota

"Funny, thoughtful, heartbreaking, poetic, sexy…."
  —Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

"Dream is a knockout. The Guthrie’s ‘Dream’ takes place in a magical world that combines class and contemporary as never before."
  —Red Wing Republican Eagle, Red Wing, Minnesota

New York Times Drama Critic Bruce Weber even made it to the show on the road. His comments mirrored those of his journalistic peers from the Midwest: "It was a three-hour extravaganza, full of inviting theatrics: colorful sets, gaudily witty costumes, lighting wizardry, gymnastic choreography, Shakespearean verse set to doo-wop and disco music…. It would be hard to imagine better theater."

Weber also captured the heart of the Guthrie’s desire for getting back on the road: "Mr. Dowling’s purpose in emptying his substantial bag of tricks was wonderfully achieved: to make the theater a place of welcome, with Shakespeare the friendly host and teacher."

In all, 50,043 people experienced the Guthrie on Tour in performance — including 20,277 students. In Minnesota alone, schools from 68 communities attended matinee performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Additionally, Guthrie Theater actors and technical staff traveled to 30 communities where they offered 87 workshops to nearly 4,000 students and avocational artists.

David Fraher, chair of the Heartland Arts Fund and Arts Midwest’s executive director, said, "This was a unique collaboration that succeeded in presenting not just any theater, but a magnificent, full-blown Guthrie production to audiences all across the heartland. The Heartland Arts Fund is proud to have been instrumental in bringing together these many partners and in reaching tens of thousands of children and adults in the Midwest."

In many tour communities, college and high school students worked alongside the Guthrie Theater’s technical staff to load the show in and out of its performance venue. The experience — though tough — was invaluable for young people contemplating a career in theater. Some students were introduced to the technical side of theater for the first time through this production. A senior from Austin High School named Joe wrote to Tour Technical Director after the residency in his hometown: "I am writing to tell you how much fun I had helping you take down the set with everyone. I could see myself doing that for a living. I had a blast! I also learned a lot about the set like the lighting, the sound, and all the mechanics. Now I know all the hard work that goes into setting up a play."

Another group of students in Austin also had the opportunity to participate in the residency in a very unique and special way. Linda Vilt and Connie Boes, special education teachers from Austin High School, wanted their students to get involved with the Guthrie residency. When they saw that the Theater’s technical rider required 20 clean towels per performance for the actors, they saw their opportunity. Their special education students, who spend a great deal of time cultivating independent living skills, became the tour’s laundry crew in Austin.

But the students took it one step further. Each special education student became a "Towel Buddy" to a Guthrie actor. The students hand-embroidered their actor’s name onto a towel and then ironed on their own picture to the towel. After a matinee performance attended by this group of very special students, the entire Guthrie touring company came out into the audience to meet their "Towel Buddies." Photos were taken, stories shared, and friendships made. For the Guthrie Company, this partnership proved to be one of the most moving and powerful of the tour.

For those Midwesterners who "just" saw the show, as opposed to also participating in workshops and other residency activities, the experience proved just as powerful — and in many cases life changing. A young girl who had not spoken a single word for more than 15 months following a tragic family event quietly asked her teacher to borrow his cellular phone after a matinee performance. When the shocked and delighted teacher gently asked why, the girl replied that she wanted to call her sister and ask her to see the play again with her that evening.

In South Dakota, a group of waitresses from Chamberlain (population 2,347) road-tripped 125 miles to Sioux Falls to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream on a whim. They were so delighted with the production that they drove another 180 miles one way to see the production again in Rapid City. When the cast unknowingly stopped at their truck stop on their way to Fargo, North Dakota, the waitresses swarmed around the cast asking for autographs and a photo session. Curious over-the-road truck drivers were soon plotting out the Guthrie’s remaining road schedule with the Guthrie’s tour company to determine where and when they could see the production. A number of them showed up at a performance in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

From Shakespeare buffs to first-time theater-goers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was met with enthusiasm. After 62 performances — including 58 standing ovations — the curtain closed on this magical production. However, the door to touring has been flung back open thanks to government, corporate, and private supporters and will stay open thanks to theater-hungry audiences in cities and towns across the country.

David Hawkanson, managing director of the Guthrie, put the Theater’s first tour together in 1973. "It’s gratifying to have people come up to you and say that the Guthrie provided them with their first contact with professional theater. It’s a way of building future audiences and supporters of the arts."

Angie, a ninth grader, from Lansing, Minnesota, represents that future. "Thank you for coming to our school [Austin High School] and performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I had a good time watching it. I have never been interested in plays before, but this one changed my mind. I hung onto every word, anticipating what was going to happen next. I appreciate your taking the time to perform for us. Please come back again soon."

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