A playwright’s origin story
As many of you know, I have a soft-spot for Stillwater. My grandmother was born there in 1895. My other grandmother worked at the Grand Cafe in the early ’20s. My husband and I bought a condo at Stillwater Mills on Main Street in 2008, and we’ve spent many weekends exploring the area and learning the history of the town.
John Runk is the photographer credited with either taking or preserving most of the early photographs that you’ve seen of Stillwater. He documented life in the St. Croix Valley from the early 1900s until his death in 1964 and donated his vast photograph collection for posterity. It’s now managed by the Minnesota Historical Society.
In 2024, I saw an exhibit on John Runk at the Washington County History Center and that sparked an idea: A play based on his life… better yet, a musical!
After drafting the script, I started looking for an organization that could produce this new work. I was on the board for a local Stillwater theater and had written Square Deal with them in mind. But musicals–because of their large casts and orchestral accompaniment–are expensive and time-consuming to produce, so they passed on the project.
Never one to give up easily, I reached out to other local theaters and was thrilled when Lakeshore Players Theatre agreed to do a staged reading* of my show. My hope is that the staged reading will lead to a more refined script and score and eventually a full production. But I need your help to make that happen. Click on the graphic below to learn more about this show.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Lakeshore Players?
Lakeshore Players Theatre is based in White Bear Lake and was founded in 1953. They have a strong reputation in the eastern metro and host a full season of plays and concerts at their home base, the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in White Bear Lake. I was thrilled when they expressed interest in helping me bring this story to life.
What is a staged reading?
This is a common step in developing a new work. Musicals are costly to produce, so workshopping the concept beforehand ensures that the final stage production will be as polished as it possibly can be. The staged reading is a lower-cost intermediary step that consists of actors reading from the script with fewer rehearsals than a full production and a bare minimum of staging and set design. The focus is on the script and score, making sure everything flows as it should. The audience will provide feedback to help inform any changes.
Where will the staged reading take place?
It’s my hope that this show can be performed at the Manitou Education and Arts Center in downtown Stillwater (the old Minnesota Zephyr depot). This venue has been thoroughly remodeled to turn it into a modern theater and event space.
When will the staged reading take place? Can I buy tickets?
We are aiming for a staged reading sometime in May of 2027. Those who want an up-close view into the development of a new work are encouraged to buy tickets to the reading (which are generally inexpensive compared to a fully staged performance) and the audience will be invited to provide feedback after the performance. I’d love to see you there!
Help bring “Square Deal” from page to stage!
If you love musical theater, history, cheering for the underdog, or just late-stage reinvention, I would be grateful for your support.
The script is written, so we’re now in the music composition phase. My talented musical collaborator is a busy mother of two, voice actor and local musician–who also happens to be my niece. While I was excited to have her sign onto this project, it be great to compensate her for her songwriting efforts.
If you’d like to support the music behind Square Deal, you can contribute to Linnea here. (Link to come soon!)
If you’d like to buy tickets for the staged reading, send me an email and I’ll make sure you receive updates when it’s time to purchase (tickets for staged readings are less expensive than a full production).
Lastly, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this project–words of encouragement can go a long way for a playwright with imposter syndrome. One who is still figuring out how to make the best of a forced early retirement that includes full-time caregiving. Working on this play has been a joy for me, and I’d love to tackle additional concepts in the years ahead. Your support–whether cash, commentary or ‘couragement (see what I did there?) will help!
Got questions, just ask!
Got an encouraging word?
I’d love to hear what you think!
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