Saint Mary's Newsroom / Campus Notes
Winona Campus Newsletter
$72 million reasons to celebrate
The 2018 Celebration of Excellence was held May 19 on Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Campus. Student showcased some of their research before the evening dinner and program began. Among many reasons to celebrate, Brother William Mann was honored with a heartfelt tribute for his decade of inspiring leadership as president. In his honor, the Brother William Mann, FSC First Generation Endowed Scholarship was announced by Mary Ann Remick, chair of the Board of Trustees. With more than $500,000 already raised, this endowment helps ensure that Brother William’s inaugural vision of making Saint Mary’s accessible and affordable to all — regardless of their background or financial status — will continue to reach deserving young students. Terry Russell, chair of the “Discover Inspire Lead” capital campaign, also announced that the campaign surpassed its $57 million goal and reached an astounding $72 million, a historic moment for Saint Mary’s. Many academic and facility accomplishments were also celebrated.
Three community welcomes planned for Saint Mary’s President Rev. James P. Burns
Saint Mary’s University is inviting the public to welcome incoming President Rev. James P. Burns during three community events being held in Winona, Rochester, and Minneapolis.
The welcome is not only a chance to meet the new president, but an opportunity to also to hear about his background and about his vision to further the momentum of academic growth occurring at Saint Mary’s.
All friends of the university are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and brief remarks from Father Burns.
- WINONA — Wednesday, July 11, 3-5 p.m., Science and Learning Center lobby, Saint Mary’s Winona Campus
- ROCHESTER — Friday, July 27, 3-5 p.m., Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science Center, 2900 19th St. NW
- MINNEAPOLIS — Tuesday, Aug. 7, 3-5 p.m., Saint Mary’s University Center Trustee Lounge, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis Campus
Remarks from Father Burns are scheduled for 4 p.m. at each event.
Father Burns will assume presidency on July 9. He most recently served as the dean of the Woods College of Advancing Studies and Summer Session at Boston College, where he has demonstrated success in the areas of enrollment growth, philanthropy, online education, and international partnerships. His vision led to a 40 percent increase in revenue since 2017, with a near tripling of the net contribution the Woods College has made to Boston College since 2012. Under his leadership, Boston College’s once smallest school grew to become the fourth largest.
Prior to arriving at Boston College in 2010, Father Burns was co-chairman and associate professor of the Graduate School of Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. He also has served as an assistant professor in counseling psychology and religion at Boston University, and he completed pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships at Yale School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.
Father Burns holds a doctor of philosophy degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern University in Boston, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas, and a master’s degree from St. Paul Seminary’s School of Divinity. He received his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas School of Business.
Formerly an associate professor in the Counseling Psychology Department in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, Father Burns is an active researcher, a highly accomplished author, and a licensed psychologist in Minnesota and Massachusetts. He sits on a number of professional boards and committees and is a doctoral program accreditor for the American Psychological Association.
Father Burns will succeed Brother William Mann, FSC, who stepped down at the end of May after a decade of service.
Welcoming our new president
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM APPOINTED
Mary Ann Remick, chair of the Board of Trustees, has appointed a Presidential Transition Team to assist Rev. James P. Burns, IVD, Ph.D., as he familiarizes himself with the needs, goals, culture, and charism of Saint Mary’s University. A primary focus of the team will be to facilitate a collaborative and inclusive transition process for Father Burns that will acquaint him with the university, its employees, students, benefactors, alumni, and the communities which it serves. These individuals were appointed to the team:
- Lynn Albee, assistant dean for the Graduate School of Education
- Brother Francis Carr, FSC, former trustee
- John Domanico, trustee
- Marilyn Frost, trustee
- Tim Gossen, vice president for Mission and Student Life
- Roger Haydock, trustee
- Audrey Kintzi, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations
- Bobbi Kochevar, past president of the Alumni Board
- Ann Merchlewitz, executive vice president and general counsel (chair)
- Joseph Tadie, associate professor of Philosophy
UPCOMING WELCOME SESSIONS
The team is pleased to announce these welcome sessions for Father Burns have been scheduled:
July 9
9 to 11 a.m.
Faculty and Staff Reception
Twin Cities Campus
July 9
3 to 5 p.m.
Faculty and Staff Reception
Winona Campus
July 11
3 to 5 p.m.
Winona Community Reception
July 27
3 to 5 p.m.
Rochester Community Reception
Aug. 7
3 to 5 p.m.
Twin Cities Community Reception
You are welcome to attend any and all of these events. Event locations are being finalized, so additional information will be sent out in the very near future. We will keep you updated on the work of the Presidential Transition Team.
JOIN US IN PRAYER, POST A COMMENT
As we anticipate the arrival of Father Burns, please welcome him with prayer. Add a personal welcome to Father Burns.
Prayer for Father Burns
Let us remember … That we are in the holy presence of God.
God, in this time of transition for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, we seek your blessing and guidance. We lift up Father James Burns as our next president, may he rely on your wisdom and direction. In the light of our Lasallian Catholic tradition, guide him with a love for this place, for our history and purpose, and for our people.
May he come with an open heart and a clear, prophetic vision — full of faith and dedicated to service, community, and scholarship. Guide him with strength and conviction, wisdom and courage, humility and cooperation. Above all, may he be a model for our students and community dedicated to our mission to “awaken, nurture, and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”
We pray for our community — students, educators, staff, alumni, and friends — that as we enter this time of transition we do so with anticipation, hope, and a desire to embrace God’s plan for the future. We ask for the grace to warmly welcome Father Burns into our community and “together and by association” live fully the tradition of Lasallian education.
We look forward to what lies ahead. In the legacy of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, we rely upon your providence to always give abundantly both in our challenges and successes. We call upon you each step of the way and place this process in your hands as you shape Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and our call to be prophetic in all that we do.
We pray all these things through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle … Pray for us.
Mary, Patroness of our University … Pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts … Forever!
Heukeshovens preview new duet before European tour
WINONA, Minn. — Longtime Saint Mary’s music faculty members and husband-wife duo Janet (piccolo) and Eric (euphonium) Heukeshoven will perform “Birdie’s Favorite” at the free Winona Municipal Band concert Wednesday, June 27, at 8 p.m. in the Lake Park Bandshell.
Following their Winona Municipal Band preview, the couple will perform the duet with a selected group of high school musicians from throughout the state as part of the Minnesota Ambassadors of Music 2018 European tour, for which the music was commissioned. The Ambassadors concerts will take place in London, Paris, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany in July.
Eric Heukeshoven adapted and arranged “Birdie’s Favorite” from an original solo for piccolo and band by John S. Cox, one of John Philip Sousa’s most renowned piccolo players. Director Levi Lundak will lead the ensemble for the premiere performance in Winona.
Photo caption: Eric and Janet Heukeshoven performing with the Winona Municipal Band.
Saint Mary’s honors four alumni at reunion weekend
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University honors outstanding alumni each summer during Reunion Weekend. This year, four alumni will be honored during a reception Saturday, June 23, on the Winona Campus.
This year’s Distinguished Alumna Award recipient is Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83 of Rochester and Winona, Minn.; the Alumni Appreciation Award recipient is Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83 of Oak Brook, Ill.; the Outstanding Young Alumna Award recipient is Ania McNamara ’11 of Tampa, Fla.; and the Lasallian Service Award recipient is Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07 of Warwick, R.I., and Harmony, Minn.
More than 300 alumni, family, and friends will return for Saint Mary’s Reunion Weekend festivities, which begins Friday, June 22, and will run throughout the weekend. To register or for more information about the many activities and events planned, visit mysmumn.org/rw18.
2018 Saint Mary’s Reunion Weekend honorees:
Distinguished Alumna Award
Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout CST’78, ’83
In her role as vice president for Mayo Clinic, Dr. Bobbie (Smith) Gostout ’83 is accountable for setting vision and providing oversight for the Mayo Clinic Community Medicine practices, including 18 regional hospitals and 68 regional clinics. After graduating from The College of Saint Teresa, she enrolled at Saint Mary’s University to complete a biology degree in pursuit of applying to medical school. She credits the professors and learning experiences at Saint Mary’s with providing her the knowledge, vision, and confidence to get into Mayo Medical School. Following 13 years of medical training, she joined the staff of Mayo Clinic. She enjoys her surgical practice, which is focused on caring for women with gynecologic cancers. In 2007 she was appointed chair of the Mayo Clinic department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and in 2014 she was appointed as a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors. Gostout enjoys biking, cross-country skiing on the Winona Campus trails, getting out on the Minnesota lakes and rivers, and spending time with family and friends.
Alumni Appreciation Award
Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83
Judy (Mullins) Lucas ’83 and her husband, John Lucas ’84, and their families are longtime supporters of Saint Mary’s University. As an alumna, Judy Lucas has been an avid supporter of Saint Mary’s athletics, especially the women’s softball program as she was a softball player all four years at Saint Mary’s. Many of her best college memories were made on the field and with her teammates. Until recently, Lucas owned and operated their family business, Mullins Food Products, with her 10 siblings. They’ve since sold the business, but she and her brothers and sisters continue to manage it. Over the years, the Mullins and Lucas families have graciously taken leadership roles with several university events. They’ve sponsored Chicago golf outings, Saint Mary’s conventions, and the Chicago Centennial Celebration event. Lucas serves on the Saint Mary’s Athletic Advisory Board and is involved with the Bogey Bash as a member of the Chicago planning committee. In 2012, the Lucas family created an endowed scholarship, the Daniel E. ’47 and Veronica M. Lucas Legacy Scholarship, which supports children of undergraduate alumni.
Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Ania McNamara ’11
Ania McNamara ’11 is finding success in her career and in her personal passion of providing gifts to orphans throughout Poland. A senior marketing professional who specializes in digital marketing, McNamara has broad perspective on the marketing needs of small companies as well as the complex world of modern marketing and technology. She prides herself in approaching every project with a multifaceted perspective and a goal to uncover the most creative and strategic way forward. In 2016, she founded McNamara Marketing, a flexible marketing resource firm providing full-service marketing to businesses worldwide. In her spare time, McNamara organizes the CCF4Orphans Project, a 10-year initiative sending Christmas gifts overseas to children who reside in Polish orphanages. This cause is particularly close to her heart as she and her sisters were adopted as young children from an orphanage in Poland. She strives to continuously improve living circumstances and quality of life for these children.
Lasallian Service Award
Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07
Sarah (Bellingham) Laitinen ’07 has dedicated her life to Lasallian service. From August 2007 to June 2009, she served as a Lasallian Volunteer at the San Miguel School in Providence, R.I. In June 2009 she was hired full-time as the sixth-grade homeroom teacher and remained on faculty for seven years. Laitinen was appointed to the International Council of Young Lasallians in 2015. She has taken part in a number of formation programs and Lasallian gatherings, including graduating from the Buttimer Institute of Lasallian Studies in 2012, serving as a delegate to the third International Symposium of Young Lasallians in 2014, and participating in the USA – Toronto Region VEGA program in 2010. She has also served in various capacities for the District of Eastern North America (DENA), including the Young Lasallians Council, Association for Lasallian Mission Committee, and planning committees for formation programs. She was a delegate to the DENA Mission Assemblies in 2011 and 2015. Laitinen is the director of Lasallian Programs in the Office for Lasallian Education at Christian Brothers Conference. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Eric, and son, Logan.
Prayer for Father Burns
As a member of the Saint Mary’s University community, please help us to welcome Father James Burns as our next president with prayer. Leading up to this selection and announcement we have been praying for the candidates, the search committee, board of trustees, and our community.
We invite you to join us in praying for and welcoming the president by posting a comment below!
Welcome Father Burns,
We are excited for your presence at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. With the prayer below, we have been praying throughout the selection process both for you and for our community as we begin a new transition. We hope when you look at this, you will see comments written by our students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends of the university who welcome you.
Through our Lasallian tradition we value community, and we hope as you read through these comments you will feel a part of this community, even before you fully settle in. We are excited for your arrival and are praying for wisdom and guidance for your leadership.
Leader: Let us remember …
All: That we are in the holy presence of God.
God, in this time of transition for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, we seek your blessing and guidance. We lift up Father James Burns as our next president, may he rely on your wisdom and direction. In the light of our Lasallian Catholic tradition, guide him with a love for this place, for our history and purpose, and for our people.
May he come with an open heart and a clear, prophetic vision — full of faith and dedicated to service, community, and scholarship. Guide him with strength and conviction, wisdom and courage, humility and cooperation. Above all, may he be a model for our students and community dedicated to our mission to “awaken, nurture, and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.”
We pray for our community — students, educators, staff, alumni, and friends — that as we enter this time of transition we do so with anticipation, hope, and a desire to embrace God’s plan for the future. We ask for the grace to warmly welcome Father Burns into our community and “together and by association” live fully the tradition of Lasallian education.
We look forward to what lies ahead. In the legacy of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, we rely upon your providence to always give abundantly both in our challenges and successes. We call upon you each step of the way and place this process in your hands as you shape Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and our call to be prophetic in all that we do.
We pray all these things through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Leader: Saint John Baptist de La Salle …
All: Pray for us.
Leader: Mary, Patroness of our University …
All: Pray for us.
Leader: Live Jesus in our hearts …
All: Forever!
Learning in community benefits students
A new program at Saint Mary’s for undergraduate students provides opportunities for learning in a dynamic and transformational community. Inspired by the First Generation Initiative model and its strategies of providing academic, financial, social, and cultural support to scholars, the First Generation Initiative Office has collaborated with the Student Success Center to create the Cardinal Success Program. The Cardinal Success Program serves academically motivated students who benefit from membership in a dedicated learning community. Students invited to the Cardinal Success Program have a strong work ethic, are community-minded, and hold leadership characteristics. The Cardinal Success Program and the First Generation Initiative are strategically serving and unifying students who have similar needs but come from different areas and backgrounds. Students in these programs will participate in a number of community and academic events together, with the support of the Student Success Center, the Education Department, and the First Generation Initiative Office, and also have access to academic support, including:
- Guided study hall with academic coaches, Writing Studio tutors, and peer mentors
- Literacy labs facilitated through two of their first-year courses
- Academic advising and coaching
- First-year course plan with choices
- Instruction in reading and writing for college, study skills, and time management
- Workshops in academics and professionalism
Cardinal Success Program students who demonstrate an effort to meet standards outlined by the program are eligible for a $500 tuition credit per semester, totaling $1,000 for their first year at Saint Mary’s. Students can ask about program availability, but spaces are limited at this time.
Faculty participate in international Lasallian leadership program
Christine Beech, Dr. Roxanne Eubank, and Zakary Mayo at the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome.
Saint Mary’s faculty members are attending the International Leadership Program for Faculties from Lasallian Universities at the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Rome. The two-week summer seminar brings together faculty members from Lasallian colleges and universities worldwide to deepen understanding of and commitment to Lasallian partnership by studying the Lasallian charism, the Catholic intellectual tradition, and the international Lasallian educational network. Participating faculty members return to their institutions and share their new knowledge and insights with their communities.
Attending from Saint Mary’s are Zakary Mayo, Business professor, and Christine Beech, Business professor and director of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. The seminar director is Dr. Roxanne Eubank, director of our Institute for Lasallian Studies and professor in our Ed.D. in Leadership program.
Brother William Mann receives honorary doctorate
From left, Dr. David J. Livingston, president of Lewis University; Brother William Mann; and Russ Smyth, previous chair of the Lewis University Board of Trustees.
On May 20, Brother William Mann, 13th president of Saint Mary’s University, was presented with an honorary doctorate from Lewis University, a Lasallian Catholic university in Romeoville, Ill., for his service in education and to the De La Salle Christian Brothers.
Lewis University honored Brother William for “his dedication to enhancing the global family of Lasallian institutions and deepening the formation and education of the Brothers and their lay partners in the Lasallian mission.” Lewis University also noted that Brother William has “partnered with others to awaken, nurture, and empower young people; to reach out and help heal a sometimes too fragile world; and to be open to the possibility of a relationship with the living God.”
SGPP meeting covers important topics
Faculty and staff met on the Twin Cities Campus for an all Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs meeting that covered active shooter training and featured a discussion on building relationships in an effort to maintain a safe campus and provide a transformational experience for students. Mike Christianson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave an informative presentation on active shooter preparedness and response. Prior to his current role as a protective security advisor, Christianson spent 30 years in the Army and Minnesota Army National Guard. He was also an emergency manager for the City of Saint Paul and a school safety specialist for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The Retention, Persistence, and Completion Committee then lead an exercise on building relationships that generated important small group discussions. Participants submitted creative responses using their phones to the question: How do you build relationships?
Lasallian campus ministers gather
John Vitek, left, CEO/president of Saint Mary’s Press, leads a conversation on religious disaffiliation.
Several campus ministers from Lasallian colleges and universities around the country gathered last week on the Twin Cities Campus to talk about shared mission and how to continue reaching diverse populations of students. Representatives from Saint Mary’s University, Christian Brothers University (Memphis, Tenn.), Manhattan College (New York), and Lewis University (Romeoville, Ill.) met in an effort to strengthen and preserve their Lasallian Catholic identity, open avenues for collaboration, and understand their call to reach beyond borders. Campus ministers met with Brother Larry Schatz, Midwest District Visitor, and John Vitek, CEO/president of Saint Mary’s Press, to exchange ideas on serving both Catholic students and students of other faiths, and to understand the continuing trend of young people who are choosing to disaffiliate from formal religious structures. Participants also met with representatives from Lasallian Volunteers and Brothers Vocation to share ideas on promoting volunteer service and Lasallian vocational education and discernment.
Brother William Mann says farewell
“Thank you all most sincerely for a wonderful 10 years. Please know that you and this university will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.”
– Brother William Mann, FSC, 13th president of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
We thank Brother William for his service to Saint Mary’s and wish him well in his next steps. As we transition from Brother William to Father James P. Burns, president-elect, Ann Merchlewitz is serving as interim president and will continue to communicate strategic initiatives at Saint Mary’s through the President’s Update each Tuesday.
Page Series announces 2018-19 season
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Performance Center proudly announces the 2018-19 Page Series. The 32nd annual series features 10 performances of dance, music, and theatre.
The season features Mixed Precipitation’s Picnic Operetta performing Dr. Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County, a playful take on opera with farm-fresh bites throughout; Ecuadorian-Colombian marimba ensemble Rio Mira; Manual Cinema presenting a visually stunning and profoundly moving performance of The End of TV; Tout à Trac performing the classic and timeless tale of Pinocchio; and the dynamic duo of Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott of KEIGWIN + COMPANY performing their zany and fun production Places Please!, which will integrate local performers who will work virtually with Keigwin and Wolcott prior to their time in Winona. Performances will also include ODC/Dance’s enchanting production of The Velveteen Rabbit, which will include several local children performers; Path of Miracles at Wesley United Methodist Church, which will provide opportunities for community members to connect through participation and dialogue surrounding the performance; a relaxed, pay-what-you-can performance of Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad designed to be accessible for young families and those with sensory processing difficulties; Minneapolis-based orchestral indie rock band We Are the Willows, who invoke feelings of nostalgia and longing through their historical love story Picture/Portrait; and a new version of Winona artist Sharon Mansur’s dance-performance piece Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree 2.0.
Artist selection, event locations, and pricing options incorporate community feedback gathered in 2017 with help from Engage Winona. The season will offer ample opportunity for community members to connect with each other and the visiting artists.
The Page Series will continue the tradition of offering free educational programs across the community, along with new opportunities for all ages to engage with artists and performances. Activities will range from master classes with visiting dance artists to longstanding programs such as A Page in History Gatherings at the Library.
New this season is a youth ticket price for children ages 17 and under. Ticket prices range from $8 to $30, and subscriptions package discounts are available. Season subscription packages are on sale now and can be purchased online at pagetheatre.org, by calling 507-457-1715, or in person at the Performance Center Box Office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Package options range from $31.50 to $140, depending on the number of performances and types of tickets purchased. Tickets to individual performances will go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 14.
THE 2018-19 PAGE SERIES
Mixed Precipitation
The Picnic Operetta: Dr. Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County
Sunday, Sept. 16, 3 p.m. in Unity Park
The 2018-2019 season kicks off with an afternoon of fun from Mixed Precipitation! On the shores of Lake Superior, the company town is in trouble. The taconite plant has gone bust and jobs are leaving town fast. Meanwhile, the sleazy Doctor Falstaff has washed up on shore. He’s looking to sell a boat, eat herring, and seduce married women. Luckily, a trio of tough working gals has teamed up to chase the rat out of town. These working wives (a nurse, a park ranger, and a librarian) show the men in town who’s boss. Based on Otto Nicolai’s German opera The Merry Wives of Windsor, a bit of Minnesota history, and the music of Bruce Springsteen, this late summer harvest celebration offers local flavors with picnic bites shared with the audience and fun for everyone.
Tickets are not required for this event, but reservations are strongly recommended. Visit pagetheatre.org to register. Free will donations accepted at the performance.
Río Mira
Thursday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $18 youth
Taking its name from the river that runs from Ecuador into Colombia, Río Mira brings together marimba masters Esteban Copete and Larry Preciado, Ecuadorian singer Karla Kanora, and an incredible ensemble of Afro Latino folkloric musicians. With a cultural identity rooted in the East African diaspora traditions, Río Mira specializes in blending contemporary music with traditional sounds that date back hundreds of years. Both their folk sound and electro-cumbia remixes are founded on the mastery and artistry of great musicians and producers from both countries.
The story of the marimba is closely intertwined with the rebel slaves who made the region their home from the early 16th century onward. In 2015, UNESCO declared the marimba music of South Pacific Colombia and Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, to be Intangible Cultural Heritage. Recalling the history of the Pacific, Rio Mira’s music is a reminder of the unity that binds together a region divided by state borders.
The End of TV
Manual Cinema
Sunday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $18 youth
Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveliness, ingenuity, and theatricality.
The End of TV depicts the decline of an American rust belt city through the stories of Flo and Louise, both residents of a fictional Midwestern town. Flo is an elderly white woman who was once a supervisor at the thriving local auto plant. Now succumbing to dementia, her memories of her life are tangled with television commercials and the “call now” demands of QVC. Louise, a young black woman laid off from her job when the same local auto plant closes, meets Flo when she takes a job as a Meals-on-Wheels driver. The two women begin an unlikely relationship as Flo approaches the end of her life and Louise prepares for the invention of a new one. Their story is intercut with commercials and TV programs that are the constant background of their environment.
Pinocchio
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 adults, $8 youth
Based on Carlo Collodi’s classic
Written and directed by Hugo Bélanger
English translation by Bobby Theodore
A production of Tout à Trac in coproduction with Place des Arts and Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Following the internationally acclaimed Alice in Wonderland, Tout à Trac now revisits the world’s most famous puppet: Pinocchio. Born from a talking piece of wood carved by the old Geppetto, the rebellious, cheeky, and careless Pinocchio discovers the meaning of growing up through a thousand trials. To become a real boy he will have to face Mangiafuoco, the terrible Puppet Master, suffer the malice of Mr. Fox and his sidekick, the Cat, escape from Toyland, and save his father from the belly of a giant fish!
Places Please!
Starring Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 and 9 p.m. at Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 W. Howard St.
Tickets: $22
Come along on a zany trip brimming with playfulness and anxiety from life behind-the-scenes. Set backstage during the final moments before the curtain rises, this cabaret-style performance features a dance fanatic’s dream music score — from Broadway classics to contemporary classical music to ’80s pop hits — as well as some very special guest performers from the Winona community. The result is a buzz-worthy cocktail of biting satire, quick-witted physical comedy, and gentle moments of deep pathos that celebrates and extends the creative relationship of Nicole Wolcott and Larry Keigwin, co-founders of KEIGWIN + COMPANY.
With café-style seating, a cash bar, and occasional mature content, Places Please! is perfect for date night but may not be suitable for young audience members. Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will offer child care during the 7 p.m. performance. Ask about this option when ordering tickets.
Path of Miracles
ODC/Dance
Friday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 114 W. Broadway St.
Tickets: $30
Inspired by the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route across northern Spain, ODC/Dance’s Path of Miracles brings artists and community together in a shared journey. Progressing through multiple spaces, this site-specific performance in Winona’s beautiful Wesley United Methodist Church explores the journey of the Camino, from spontaneous communal gatherings to individual reflection. The experience is enhanced by a live, 17-voice choir featuring some of Minnesota’s leading vocal talent performing Joby Talbot’s score of the same name.
Path of Miracles is a communal experience, and audience members will move to different locations throughout the church. Accommodations will be available for those with mobility or other limitations. Contact the box office to discuss accessibility needs.
Founded in 1971 by Brenda Way, who trained under the legendary George Balanchine, ODC/Dance has been recognized for its rigorous technique, as well as its collaborations with numerous composers, writer/singers, actors, and visual artists. The company has performed for more than a million people in 32 states and 11 countries.
Path of Miracles is presented in partnership with Wesley United Methodist Church, and in collaboration with the Charles Wesley Center of Sacred Music and Arts.
The Velveteen Rabbit
ODC/Dance
Sunday, Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $22 youth
ODC/Dance brings to life Margery Williams’ classic tale of a well-worn nursery rabbit that becomes real. Told through music, dance, and a powerful narrative, The Velveteen Rabbit celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit and the enduring power of love. A narrated production set to selections by Benjamin Britten, The Velveteen Rabbit is brimming with wit, festive costumes, and madcap characters. This special performance will feature several local children dancing alongside the professional company.
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Relaxed performance
Tickets: Pay what you can
This stirring drama with music is a classic tribute to the great American who freed herself and hundreds of her people from the bonds of slavery. As Harriet Tubman and her friend Sarah Bradford narrate her adventurous life, we share in the joys, sorrows, and challenges faced by this brave women who changed the world through her courage. This accurate and deeply moving musical history lesson is inspiring, heartwarming, comical, and full of the good humor, determination, and charity of its subject.
This relaxed performance will feature limited sound and lighting effects as well as flexible seating options. Staff can assist patrons in setting up ticket orders and will work to accommodate any accessibility requests or special considerations.
We Are The Willows
Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 youth
We Are The Willows are a Minneapolis-based orchestral indie rock band featuring songwriter/frontman Peter Miller’s unique countertenor voice and guitar, supported by Jeremiah Satterthwaite (guitar/banjo), Leah Ottman (violin/voice/keys), Hilary James (cello/voice/keys), Travis Collins (bass), and Stephen Lindquist (drums/voice). We Are The Willows craft dynamic, intimate songs with instruments and voices combining to create energetic rhythms and intricate melodies, and heartfelt arrangements that evoke shared nostalgic feelings of love and loss. Their Page Series performance will feature songs inspired by 350 letters written between Miller’s grandparents during World War II and will explore themes of family, separation, life, death, and identity. The songs communicate complex ideas delivered with pop-sensible charm.
We Are The Willows are also offering residency activities in Winona March 25-30.
Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree 2.0
Sharon Mansur
Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree invites you to share art, food, and conversation with a Middle Eastern flavor while reflecting on Sharon Mansur’s Lebanese heritage, the complex and fluid nature of cultural identity, and the power of place in our dreams. A reimagined version of the original event that premiered in fall 2017 at Outpost Winona, Cedar Tree 2.0 integrates Mansur’s experiences during her first trip to Lebanon in spring 2018 and responds to the Page Theatre as a site-specific venue. This immersive event will feature a solo dance performance by Sharon, visual elements contributed by a variety of artists and Mansur family members, Middle Eastern food, and an open discussion with audience members.
2018-2019 SCHOOL MATINEE PERFORMANCES
Educators interested in attending school matinee performances may learn more at pagetheatre.org.
Pinocchio
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades 1-5
The Nutcracker (Abridged)
Dance Repertory Company
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 12:30 p.m.
Recommended for grades 1 and up
The Velveteen Rabbit
ODC/Dance
Monday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades pre-K-5
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Recommended for grades 3-8
Spring Concert
Dance Repertory Company
Thursday, April 11, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades 3 and up
About the Page Series
For more than 30 years, the Page Series has brought professional performing artists from across the globe to Winona. With events in the namesake Joseph Page Theatre at Saint Mary’s Performance Center as well as at locations across the Winona community, the Page Series brings dance, music, and theatre experiences that inspire, uplift, educate, and connect artists and community.
Page Series activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
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