I love a new original historical musical, and
Bucket Brigade's Survivors of the Fire is a good one. The stories of the survivors of the
Great Hinckley Fire of 1894 are told in a compelling way using songs (mostly hymns and traditional songs), physical theater, and storytelling. It's only 75 minutes long but it feels epic, like we've gone on this journey from booming lumber town, to the unimaginable terror of a firestorm with a four-mile high wall of fire and temperatures of 2000 degrees, to the grief of loss and hope of rebuilding that came after. The seven-person cast embodies the real people who survived the fire, and their acts of humanity and heroism. Their performances, along with a four-person band playing well-chosen songs, and the spot-on sound and lighting design, combine to create a visceral experience of the fire and the people who lived through it. A musical brings the story to life in a way a museum or book never could (although I will now be
visiting the museum and
reading a book to learn more).
Experience it yourself at the charming Art House North in St. Paul's West 7th neighborhood, weekends through October 12 (pro tip: make a reservation if you want to go to
one of the trendy nearby restaurants).
I think it's fair to say that this is a story that has haunted Bucket Brigade co-Founder Jeremiah Gamble, who spent the first ten years of his life in Hinckley, Minnesota, a town about half-way between St. Paul and Duluth. He wrote this play based on the stories of actual survivors in the book The Hinckley Fire: Stories from the Hinckley Fire Survivors. The play is well constructed, the stories woven together to create a compelling narrative. We hear stories from European immigrants, lumber mill workers, a Black railroad porter who helped hundreds of refugees escape, an Ojibwe woman who saved her White neighbors across the lake, a telegraph worker who warned other towns about the fire, and more. We also hear about some of the 400-600 victims, sometimes just by simply stating their name, occupation, and age, allowing them to be remembered. In the end, this play is about the resiliency of the human spirit, what humans will do to survive when faced with a life-or-death situation, and the way that when push comes to shove, people will (hopefully) bond together and help each other survive, our shared humanity greater than any perceived differences. Which is a beautiful thing to experience right now.
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| Hinckley residents in a happier moment (photo by Justin Cox) |
Everyone in the seven-person cast (including the playwright, the other BB co-Founder Vanessa Gamble, Peyton Dixon, Joy Donley, Michael Pearce Donley, LaReina LaPlante, and Mary Miller) takes turn telling the story, smoothly passing the narration baton back and forth. At times a cast or band member will call for a story, and the cast embodies characters as they act it out, using movement and physical theater - people flying through the air in the storm, or climbing a high embankment. They even come into the audience a few times, creating an immersive experience. The lighting design means we don't need to imagine the darkness before the storm, or the orange glow of the flames, and sound effects mimic the cacophony of the firestorm. (Direction by Jeffrey S. Miller, movement by Corey Mills, lighting design by Shannon Elliott.)
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LaReina LaPlante and Vanessa Gamble
(photo by Justin Cox) |
The stage in the cozy Art House North theater (come early to enjoy complimentary cookies and coffee in the cutest church basement you'll ever see) has been transformed into the prairies and forests of Minnesota with waving wheat and grasses against a dappled backdrop. Raised wooden platforms on other side add dimension, with boxes and barrels and crates piled in the corners, and so many candles with real flames lit and then blown out. The authentic-looking period costumes include prairie dresses that would make Laura Ingalls envious. (Scenic design by Sarah Prow, costume design by Barb Portinga.)
And of course, this is a musical, and music adds so much to the story. The show includes one original song, a repeating anthem throughout called "On All Sides" (written by the playwright and Ben Johnson). Other than that, all of the music is hymns or songs of the period, including one in Norwegian and a couple in Ojibwe, combining all of the sounds of this land for an authentic feel. Cast-members Vanessa and Michael also co-music direct, the latter jumping in with the four-piece string band on accordion for a few songs. Sometimes just a snippet, sometimes the whole song, all of the music is well chosen and well placed within the narrative, cast members singing along in harmony, the music evoking the emotions of the experience in a way mere words could not.
Survivors of the Fire honors the victims and survivors of the second deadliest fire in Minnesota history, and brings their stories alive in a compelling and engaging way for us to experience.
