Springfield, IL

Population: 114,868

After leaving St. Meinrad, we drove to the capital city of Springfield, Illinois. We performed The Crucible for a student audience at Sangamon Auditorium. It is certainly a strange time to be touring the country, particularly with a play that was written as a protest piece during the McCarthy era. During our talkback after this performance, we asked the students to consider what can happen to a society when living under corrupt leadership, as in the play. A young white male student began a “Trump: 2020” chant, and several other young men joined in the cheer. I felt like what I imagine citizens must have felt as Hitler was rising to power and youths were performing the Nazi salute, not knowing exactly what they were doing. I don’t know if I’m more afraid that these children don’t know what they are supporting or if they actually do.

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Rhinelander, WI

Population: 7,563

Next stop was Rhinelander, Wisconsin, home of the Hodag! The Hodag is a really ugly, smiling, squat lizard-dragon-like creature, and it is the mascot of this strange little town. The mythical creature was first “sighted” in 1893. There is a whole kitschy store dedicated to all of the Hodag swag you could ever want. (I am ashamed to say I bought several things.) We performed Around the World in 80 Days twice at Nicolet College, a technical college with a campus that looks like a ski resort. Students of Frank Lloyd Wright designed the buildings!

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Hugh’s grandmother Judy and her two girlfriends (both named Carol) took us to a local pub to eat a real Wisconsin fish fry! One of the Carol’s noticed my $1.50 grocery store gloves and gave me some of her own warmer gloves to take with me after our evening performance. I felt like Blanche DuBois in that moment—I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

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Faribault, MN

Population: 23,750

In Faribault (pronounced Fair-ball), we arrived at our venue, Shattuck—St. Mary’s School. This is an incredibly gorgeous boarding school for middle-high schoolers. And, get this—Marlon Brando attended the school when he was younger! He was expelled, because it was a military school at the time, and, as you can imagine, Brando was too much of a free spirit to thrive in such an environment. We found his signature preserved backstage. It was wild to be performing Shakespeare in the place where Brando started performing. Also, this space was completely stunning—stained glass windows with sunlight streaming in and gorgeous old wooden detailing. 

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Dawson, MN     +         Canby, MN

Population: 1,526            Population: 1,700

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Dawson, MN, is one of the smallest towns I have ever seen in my life. So small, in fact, that we had to stay in a hotel in a town half an hour away! We stayed in Canby, MN. Both towns are incredibly rural, with a few factories where I assume most of the locals work. There is so much open space in Minnesota that I felt like I was choking. I have never been so anxious to be an hour away from a Wal-Mart.

There are six places to purchase food in Canby, MN:

-Casey’s General Store (a gas station with lots of late-night snacking options)

-DQ (need I say more?)

-Subway

-PK’s Family Restaurant (it supposedly closed at 9:30pm, but we arrived at 9:00pm and they were packing up for the night so I’ll never know the delights of PK’s Family Restaurant)

-A café I cannot remember the name of that was never, to my knowledge, open

-Heroes Bar & Grille (actually the bar from Lynn Nottage’s Sweat except not in PA where we spent 3/3 nights)

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The schedule in Dawson was exhausting, to say the least. Our first night in town, we had a load in that didn’t end until after midnight, and we didn’t get home until 1 in the morning. Then, we had to be at the cars at 7:30am to perform Twelfth Night for students at 9:00am and then change the set over to prepare for Around the World in 80 Days. We were all cranky zombies.

Our last night in town, Hugh bought me a classy gas station dinner (complete with ramen and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream). We forgot utensils and had to head back in for them, at which point the woman working there smiled at us sadly and said, “I used to live in a hotel too.” I have never felt such a close connection with someone who lives such a different life from my own before, and I am grateful for that.

Next, we head onwards to South Dakota!

Your Dear Lady Disdain,

Jamie