MinneFest of New Musicals 2021
Five readings of three original musicals, each written by a local playwright, and featuring a woman director and composer.
A House Divided: An Intimate Musical of the Lincoln Presidency
By Maureen Kane Berg & Michael Salmanson
A House Divided is a play with music that traces Lincoln’s development in office from conciliator who tolerated slavery to leader who issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It includes the perspective of Elizabeth Keckley — the formerly enslaved seamstress and entrepreneur who became Mary Lincoln’s close friend.
Water From Snow
By Janet Preus, Robert Elhai & Fred Steele
Water from Snow is a contemporary musical set in rural Minnesota that tells the story of a single mom struggling to come to terms with her past, reconnect with old friends, and prove to herself that she deserves true love and peace in her soul at last.
The Allen Street Yiddish Theatre Palace Presents: Cinderesther
The Allen Street Yiddish Theatre Palace Presents: Cinderesther uses the style and form of Yiddish Theatre to tell the tale of the hardships and triumphs of Jewish immigrants in New York’s Lower East Side in the early 20th century.
Update: Maureen Kane Berg’s A House Divided went on to premiere in Philadelphia — a testament to the power of developing new work locally.
This activity was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.