a walking play
“Standing on the bare ground, – my head bathed
by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space, –
all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent
eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the
Universal Being circulate through me; I am part
and parcel of God.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
presents
a walking play
The mythic telling of
Emerson and Thoreau’s
mutual love affair
with the natural world.
“We can never have enough of Nature. We must
be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor,
vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its
wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its
decaying trees, the thunder-cloud, and the rain.”
—Henry David Thoreau
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Images of Emerson (top) and Thoreau (bottom) are courtesy of the Concord Free Public Library.
September 12 - October 12, 2014
Thursdays & Fridays at 5:00 pm,
Saturdays & Sundays at 1:00 & 5:00 pm
Johanna Frerichs Garden for Wildlife
at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
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Creator’s Notes
H
istorical Notes
The writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau have
held an important place in American Literature for over 150 years.
As artists and citizens we have referenced their words in order to
find answers to burning questions on how to live our lives more
deeply and responsibly in this world. Emerson and Thoreau were both
radicals of their time, calling on their peers to think for themselves and to
be agents of change. We believe their words and ideas are as necessary now
as they were then.
By Andrew Schelling
In today’s world it is easy to become estranged from our natural
environment and we feel that humankind must reconnect with nature
in order to survive. As oil spills into our oceans, as we race through our
lives, as we look further and further outside ourselves for the answers, it is
our hope that Nature can be a catalyst for our collective healing.
More than anything, we hope that this play will inspire you to consider a
very simple question: What is your relationship with nature?
Musical Notes
Although most of the music in Nature has been composed for the play, the
new music is largely modeled on music that was current in New England in
the 1840’s. Some of the choral music, for instance, is based on shaped-note
music, which had its origins in late-18th-century New England, and was
still popular there as late as the 1850’s. Other singing is based on the old
traditional sea-shanties or on New England contra dance music.
When Ralph Waldo Emerson was approached by Henry David
Thoreau in 1837, the thirty-four year old Emerson was already a
renowned lecturer, writer, and professor. Thoreau was just twenty, a
college graduate, and was training himself as a naturalist in the woods around
Concord, Massachusetts, where both men lived. Concord shortly became
the United States’ intellectual center, the home of the Transcendentalists.
Its residents included Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May), the feminist
Margaret Fuller, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
From our contemporary point of view, the spiritual heart of Concord
was the friendship of Emerson and Thoreau. The men had very different
temperaments—Thoreau an outdoorsman in rough clothes, Emerson a
former minister. What joined them was a conviction that nature, not
religion, would provide humans with spiritual insight, love, and the visions
for art. Both abhorred slavery, mindless commercialism, conventional
thought, and found solace in wilderness. Their quest was the origin of an
American tradition built on nature and poetry.
Thoreau lived for two years on land owned by Emerson at Walden Pond.
When Emerson departed for a European trip he invited Thoreau to live
in his house, leaving the younger man with his wife, Lydian, and two
children. On Emerson’s return, the men had a row, and their friendship
ended. Was it temperament? Rivalry over Lydian’s affections? For years
they went their own ways, each a troubled companion of nature. Their
friendship enjoyed an ironic recovery when Thoreau died and Emerson
delivered the eulogy at his grave.
Also heard in the play is some authentic New England contra dance music,
which is still played today for dancing as it was in colonial times. Other
pieces of period music in the show include Abraham Wood’s terse funeral
song “Brevity” (Man, born of woman...) from 1800, a couple of Stephen
Foster songs, and all the vocal music in the preshow, which includes not
only the shaped-note hymns “New Jerusalem”, and “The Promised Land”,
and a couple more Foster songs.
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The Company
Director/Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Markell Kiefer
Writer/Creator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyson Forbes
Writer/Movement Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sam Elmore
Composer/Music Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dick Hensold
Associate Music Director/Choral Director . . . . . . Elena Orsack
Choreographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kimberly Richardson
Ralph Waldo Emerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyson Forbes*
Henry David Thoreau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Catron*
The Ensemble:
Lydian Emerson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lauren Asheim*
Ellen Emerson. . . . . . . . . . . Mayla Burnstein & Elora Leverentz
Percussionist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan Gebhard
Margaret Fuller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aeysha Kinnunen
Nature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norah Long*
Bronson Alcott, Eddy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Patrick
Mary Moody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kimberly Richardson
Theodore Parker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Rosenwinkel*
Nathaniel Hawthorne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Sciple
Community Chorus:
Linda Bergh, Tanya Brody, Stephanie Brody, Zoa Green,
Don Hart, Linda Hayen, Tracy Leavenworth, Rachel Martin,
Rene Meyer-Grimberg, Cheri Olerud, Garth Riegel,
Ann Romanczuk, Amanda Schnabel, Cecelia Slawik,
Becky Streeter, Leslye Taylor, Keith Wilson
Artistic Staff:
Costume Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christine A. Richardson
Set Design Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Lutter
Properties Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Larson
Assistant to the Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scotty Reynolds
Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robin Gillette
Production Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachael Rhoades
Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patrick Carver
Front-of-House Managers. Katia Cardenas & Jeremiah Zortman
Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelsye A. Gould
Map Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sky Brooks
Line Drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marlow Brooks
Special Thanks
Marc Anderson, Sky Brooks, Steve & Rachel Brooks, Daniel Emerson,
Shannon Forney, Michael Frederick (The Thoreau Society), Claire
Givens, Jackie Hayes (Center for the Performing Arts), Judy Hohmann &
Lindsay Sypnieski (Minnesota Landscape Arboretum), Spencer Johnson,
Jamie Kiefer, Thomas & Betsy Kiefer, Larry Lamb, Doug Lange &
Rebecca Smith (Sawmill Private Management), Dianne Lev, Margaret
Levin (Sierra Club North Star Chapter), Sasha Lien, Zoe Lien, Muffy
MacMillan, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Leni Moore, Pete Semington (Dunn
& Semington Printing & Design), Connie Shaver, Carol Schuler, Julie
Steiner, Decker Velie (Sound Check)
Our Partners
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional
Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
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Sam Elmore will be playing the role of Thoreau September 25-28.
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Field Journal
Recall a time you experienced solitude in nature.
What words or images do you associate with that time?
We'd like to invite you to explore your own relationship with Nature
during the performance and beyond. We've provided some questions to
get you started and some space to take notes as Emerson and Thoreau did
throughout their lives.
What is your relationship with nature?
Emerson and Thoreau debated the issue of progress.
How relevant is their debate today? Where do you stand?
Open your senses to all that surrounds you as you walk.
What do you see, hear, taste, touch and smell?
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Donors
Anonymous (4)
J. Akiyama
Angela Albright
Ingrid Alongi
Lou Ambrose
Lauren Anderson
Karen Bachman
Ruth & Dale Bachman
Margaret Bancroft
Susannah Bancroft
Sara Bercholz
MaryEllen & Kenneth
Bernier
Gail Blake
Sandy Boren-Barrett
Alan Briskin
Colin S. Brooks
Ginger Brooks
Markell Brooks
Sky Brooks
Stephen B Brooks
Kakie Brooks &
George Beller
Karen Brooks &
Robert Schroeder
Conley & Carol Brooks Jr.
Julia Buonanno
Lydia Butler
Christopher Cardozo
Kelly Casey
Mark Clark
Claudia
Janet Clute Riggs
Jill Cohen
Charles & Constance
Cowles
Jay & Page Cowles
Alex Cranmer
Jeremy Davidson
Ann M. Davis
Judy Dayton
Julia Dayton
Philip Deering
Eleonore Dendy
Tenzin Dhakpo
Sara & John Donaldson
Suzanne Duarte
Joseph Dundee
Alec Elmore
Bee & Bob Elmore
Laura Elmore
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Amelia Emerson
Birdie Emerson
Daniel C. Emerson
Ellen Emerson
Murray Emerson
Raymond & Jennifer
Emerson
Susan Engel & Patrick
Dallas
Rand & Mary Evans
Lynn Fast
Karen Fenster
Rachel Flynn
Georgina Forbes
Catherine Fordham
Walter Fordham
Sharon Franquemont
Friends from Breadloaf
Whitney Furman
Richard Galbraith
Gary Gardner & Helen
Kivnick
Duane Gebhard &
Jennifer Therkilsen
Ari Gerzon-Kessler
Anna Gibson
Nancy Gibson &
Ron Sternal
Claire Givens &
Andrew Dipper
Bob Goodman
Bruce Goodman
Ellen Grace
Ed & Jean Griffin
Polly Grose
Michael Haney &
Amy Warner
Markell Hapka
Marylee Hardenbergh
Julie Harper-Wylie
Brian Harrison
Brian Hartley Sago
Elizabeth Herbert
Peter & Sally Herfurth
John & Elizabeth Hinck
Jay Hornbacher
Constance Jandrich
David Jepsen
Jim
Catherine Johnson Justice
Erin Jones
Amelia Jones Young
Rodriguez
Kathleen Kaufmann
Roxann Kay
Rose Kennedy Hauge
Christopher Kidder
Mostrom
Dr. Thomas & Betsy Kiefer
Jamie Kiefer
Jason Kiefer
Markell Kiefer
Richard & Sharon Kiefer
Willow King
Kathy & Greg Kirkpatrick
Holly Kohler
Jonathan Kohler
Corey Kohn &
Michael Rich
Larry Lamb
Jean M. Larson
Kimberly LeBlanc
Matt Leidecker
Jim & Susan Lenfestey
Dianne Lev
Cami & Doug Lien
Lawrence Lokken &
Mae Clark
Samantha Lynn
Diana MacPhail
Marbrook Foundation
Graham Martin
Masa
Bonnie Matter
Scott Mayer
Tom & Judy McDowell
Monty McKeever
Maggie McKenna
Charlson Meadows
Deb Medenbach
Kristen Mellen
Rebecca Mills
Bob & Lucy Mitchell Jr.
David & Leni Moore
Jerry Nagel
Jalal Nasser
Paula Nemes
New Leaf Social Innovation
Jason Adam Oleet
James Ösel Thorpe
Julie Oswald
Michelle Pett & Eric Britt
Kimberly & Timothy
Pilgrim
Chan Poling
Perrin Post
The Premeauxs
Terra Rathai
Cameron Read
Jonathan Reiber
Steve & Frances Riggs
Nina Riggs &
John Duberstein
Binky Rockwell
Pascale Roger-McKeever
Richard Romagnoli &
Cheryl Faraone
Sarah Root
Sherri Rosen
Kirby Rosplock
Nina Rothschild-Utne
Mark Rylance &
Claire van Kampen
Stu Santee
Joel Sass
Anne Simonson
Linda Singh
Andrew Smith
Bruce Steiner
Julie Steiner
Marcia & John Stout
Carol Suggs
Emily Swallow
Meg Taintor
Sandy Tanck
Dario Tangelson
Rose Taylor Goldfield
Doran Thayer
Sasha Thayer
Laura Tiffany & Ned Foster
Scott Tillitt
Dan & Judy Titcomb
James E Ulland
John & Mary Ursu
Nick Vail
Pieter Van Winkle
Daphne Walker
Ann Warner
Molly Warner
Lucia Watson
Marilyn S. Webb
Karen Wilding
Rufus Winton
Wolff Professional
Services LLC
James Worthing & Susan
Eilertson
John Wright & Jane Gehan
Erica Zaffarano
Leonard Zelig
Charles & Julie Zelle
Following this production, we will launch Nature for the Nation: an
on-going tour of Nature to parks and arboretums across the country.
We begin the tour in June of 2015 with an encore performance for the
American Public Gardens Association (APGA) annual conference – hosted
next year by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. More information about
the tour will be posted at www.tigerlion.org/nature when it’s available.
Our goal to take Nature across the country is expansive and relies on our
establishing a sustaining community of like-minded sponsors and partners
on a national level. These partners will help with both financial support
and local connections in our tour destinations, helping us reach more
people with our message. We would love your help identifying direct
connections with influential people at colleges and universities, places of
natural healing, and companies and organizations that promote holistic
and outdoor lifestyles. Your personal introductions would be immensely
helpful. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to help.
Your donations are also welcome. You’ll find donation envelopes at the
play’s starting point, or if you’d prefer to make your gift online, go to
razoo.com/story/Tigerlion-Arts. Thank you!
TigerLion Arts is a Minneapolis-based production company.
We celebrate human wisdom and the spirit of Nature
through creative works that awaken, inform, and delight.
1300 US Trust Building, 730 2nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55402
P: (612) 670-7771 F: (612) 752-1780 E: [email protected] W: tigerlion.org
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