Children's Theatre Company (CTC) and School of Minneapolis Alumni Archive

Illustration by scenic designer James Waters. Rear projection.

"If you carry your own lantern, you can make your way through the dark."

In 1986, The Children's Theatre Company created a new adaptation of a little-known work by the most famous of Yiddish authors of the early 20th century, Sholom Aleichem (Solomon Rabinowitz). Much like his better known creation, Tevye the dairyman (the father in Fiddler on the Roof), young Mottel narrates and comments on his life's story, also set in the now-vanished villages of Russia during the time of widespread persecution -- yet always maintaining a sense of humor and hope.

The Adventures of Mottel, the Cantor's Son was brought to resident playwright/literary manager Thomas W. Olson's attention by his volunteer assistant, Judith Luck Sher, who was instrumental in researching and identifying experts in Yiddish culture and Russian Judaism, and also influenced the adaptation with incidents from her own family's immigration story. Mrs. Sher also contributed significantly in the actual scriptwriting of the play. Olson chose only the first half of the novel (translated from the Yiddish by Tamara Kahana) for CTC's adaptation -- beginning in the shtetl of Kasrilevke and ending with Mottel's arrival at Ellis Island (the plucky youngster's further adventures in New York City would be left undramatized).

From the original cast L to R: Randy Latimer as Fat Peshe, Buck Busfield as Eli Rabinovich,
Michael Gallagher as Mottel, Suzanne Koepplinger as Mama.

The Adventures of Mottel was adapted for the stage by Thomas W. Olson and Judith Luck Sher and directed by artistic director Jon Cranney. Music was composed, orchestrated, conducted and performed (keyboards) by resident composer/artistic associate Alan Shorter (the score was recorded, with Bruce Allard on violin/trumpet and Brian Grivna on clarinet). Scenic design by James Waters (a stunningly beautiful Chagall-inspired proscenium and rear projections), costume design by Sandra Nei Schulte, lighting design by James F. Ingalls, and sound design by Sam Gauthier. Produced by special permission of the family of Sholom Aleichem. The play was presented a second time ten years later as part of CTC's 1995-96 season.

Video clip: "Adventures of Mottel, the Cantor's Son." 1986. Finale. As the sun sets, Mottel and his family must spend the night on Ellis Island as it is the beginning of the sacred Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Unknown to the immigrants is the devastating news that their former home, the shtetl Kasrilevke, has been obliterated by pogrom.

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/p3wifolsxtdh1tw/Adventures_of_Mottel_-_Shtetl.mp3
Audio clip: Adventures of Mottel. 1986. Music composed by Alan Shorter. "Shtetl."

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/5ypv67m9pd6x3ix/Adventures_of_Mottel_-_Goodbye_Kasrilevke.mp3
Audio clip: Adventures of Mottel. 1986. Music composed by Alan Shorter. "Goodbye to Kasrilevke."

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/ia97b3ictiixcv5/11_The_Cantor%27s_Son_%28Finale%29.mp3
Audio clip: Adventures of Mottel. 1986. Music composed by Alan Shorter. "The Cantor's Son (Yom Kippur) - Finale.

CTC performs commedia dell'arte at Minnesota Renaissance Festival. 1971.

PLEASE BE ADVISED that co-founder and artistic director John Clark Donahue, as well as a number of staff and/or school faculty members of the theatre (actor/instructor Jason McLean, for one) have been convicted and/or charged with criminal and/or civil crimes of sexual abuse of minors. In winter of 2019, in civil court, the Children's Theatre Company was also found guilty of negligence in these matters which occurred during the time period of the 1970s and 1980s (and probably earlier). Consequently, please be aware that the images and links within this blog include the contributions and participation of certain minors who were victims/survivors/witnesses of sexual and emotional abuse and residual trauma, as well as certain adult perpetrators, enablers, and/or former victims.

Come late summer/early autumn in the Twin Cities, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a cherished event to hundreds of thousands. Since the Festival's first year in 1971 in a field in Jonathan, and for about a decade thereafter, The Children's Theatre Company and School had a presence at the Festival, performing commedia dell'arte plays on the portable stage designed and decorated by Jack Barkla while also maintaining a "booth" -- whether it be the Flemish "Meat Hat Hut" or the fully-operational Italian bakery "La Casa degli Allegri Panini" which still stands at the Festival grounds in Shakopee. Although the CTC resources were always challenged by the building, maintenance, and staffing of this project (particularly at a time when the Theatre and School were embarking on a new performance season and school year), CTC's involvement in the "Ren Fair" was deemed important for its public relations/publicity goals and proved to be a splendid partnership with an organization of sympathetic aesthetic and audience demographics.