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Paul Bunyan Playhouse brings enormously ambitious summer theater to northern Minnesota
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Emerging from the hoary depths of winter's deep freeze, few summer escapades hold the rejuvenating appeal of a free-wheeling roadtrip in the great outdoors. For many roving Minnesotans, the stated destination of such trips is simply “North”, a remote retreat possessing near mythical powers to revitalize the mind, body, and soul. Far from the harried stresses of city life, travelers seek solace in such simple pursuits as lake fishing, trail hiking, and ghostly tales told around a cracking bonfire. But while such idyllic images tempt travelers, it usually doesn’t take long for the inconvenient realities of nature – from swarms of insects to tempestuous weather – to remind visitors of the luxuries of home. Thankfully the Paul Bunyan Playhouse remains a retreat from retreats, serving up its immensely popular summer stock performances in the picturesque town of Bemidji.
Since taking up residence in a former moviehouse called the Chief Theatre in 1992, Paul Bunyan Playhouse has earned a committed following of locals and visitors alike by offering a versatile range of creative fare that isn’t afraid to diverge from the usual summer stock staples. The current season boasts five productions in just ten weeks with only a scant few days between shows. Such a rapid turnaround would be enough of a challenge, even if the ambitious scope of the productions (see below) wasn’t audacious enough to shatter the nerves of less intrepid companies.
Recently Zach Curtis, the theater’s artistic director*, took a breather from his work on the current production of The Odd Couple (Curtis plays the co-leading role of perennial slob Oscar Madison) to share his thoughts on summer stock and his hopes for the current season.
Question: What is the unique appeal of summer stock?
Curtis: There's so much about it that appeals. For the performers and company - there's the idea of doing great theater in just 10 days - we take so much time in the cities, and we rehearsal SO much sometimes. It's nice to know that when everyone is free and can just focus directly on the show for two whole weeks, a lot of wonderful things can happen.
For the audience, I think they love knowing that the show they see on any given night didn't even exist two weeks ago. They enjoy seeing the performers from the last show in different roles this time around, or that one actor they really liked last year is back. Plus, we don't dumb it down for them - we give them the same quality of show they'd see in the Cities - or, if I may be so bold, better.
Question: What are some of the distinctive challenges of mounting such a packed season?
Curtis: The changeovers are hard - 48 hours from strike to cast onstage, and 48 hours from cast onstage to opening performance. That's hard. Plus, as we've learned (with shows like Sisters of Swing) - sometimes - that's just almost not enough time. But we always make it happen.
Question: Any particular aspirations for this season and/or the future of the Paul Bunyan Playhouse?
Curtis: Well, this season is already selling above and beyond anything I've done here. So, I hope that trend continues. But in general, I hope people continue to realize that they're getting some very high quality theater brought right to their doorsteps, and as long as they keep coming, the theater will keep making it.
While the first show of the season, Sisters of Swing, has already closed there’s still time to make the trip North for the four remaining productions. Given a chance, the Paul Bunyan Playhouse stands to become the destination of choice amongst theater loving summertime wanderers.
Paul Bunyan Playhouse – 2009 Summer Play Schedule
Sisters of Swing: June 10th – June 20th
The Odd Couple: June 24th – July 3rd
Sherlock Holmes - The Final Adventure: July 8th – July 18th
Greater Tuna: July 22nd – August 1st
The Who’s Tommy: August 5th – August 15th
* In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that Zach Curtis writes for The Examiner.com as the Minneapolis Theater Examiner.
For more info: Paul Bunyan Playhouse
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