Review: Play captures Wellstone’s energy, politics

American flags flapping in the breeze, Paul Wellstone\’s famous green campaign bus sat parked outside History Theatre, lit up in the dark by streetlights. Inside, Paul Wellstone\’s energy and politics came to life on stage for the Oct. 7 world premiere of the play, "Wellstone!"

"Wellstone!" is the result of a collaboration by two local artists and union members, playwright Mark Rosenwinkel and folksinger Larry Long. Steve Barberio is the director.

Rosenwinkel is a member of Actors Equity and AFTRA while Long is a member of American Federation of Musicians Local 1000.

Actor Kris Nelson, an Actors Equity member, plays the part of Paul Wellstone. "We told him we were not interested in an imitation," says Rosenwinkel. "What we wanted was the energy of the man."

And capture Wellstone\’s energy they do, vividly portraying Minnesota\’s fiery U.S. Senator — who died four years ago in a plane crash days before he might have won a third term.

The play traces Wellstone\’s life from college wrestling days to his move to Minnesota to teach at Carleton College and then on to his organizing campaigns and his entry into state politics.

As a playwright, says Rosenwinkel, he wants to focus on his characters\’ internal conflicts and struggles. For Wellstone, he believes, that meant answering the questions, "am I an agitator or am I a leader?" and "how can you hang on to your ideals in the face of a complicated world?"

"It\’s almost like a mythological story," Rosenwinkel says.

To research the play, Rosenwinkel — who didn\’t know Wellstone personally —read Wellstone\’s books and speeches, watched film clips, and interviewed campaign and Senate staff, including the driver of the green bus, Paul Scott.

But one of Rosenwinkel\’s first calls was to Larry Long, a friend of the playwright and a longtime Wellstone colleague. Working with Wellstone\’s community and political campaigns over many years, Long wrote songs to inspire the people involved in the struggles and to share their story with a wider circle.

Now, working with Rosenwinkel and the director, Long says, "they would say, ‘I need a song here\’ and I said, ‘well, I got one.\’" He adds: "I couldn\’t write a better song than the ones I\’ve already written that fit in the historical context."
Long did write some new songs and reworked lyrics of older songs — that\’s part of the folk process, he notes.

Parts of Long\’s songs weave in and out of the play, framing dialogue and bridging scene changes. "It\’s really a play with music," Rosenwinkel explains.

The show features just three actors: one plays the part of Wellstone, one plays the part of his wife Sheila, one plays a series of characters testing Wellstone — his father, a college president, his political mentors and opponents.

Kris L. Nelson plays Paul Wellstone and Amy McDonald is Sheila Wellstone in the History Theatre production. Photo courtesy of the History Theatre

The development of Paul and Sheila\’s relationship — and Sheila\’s emergence as an outspoken advocate in her own right — also is a central part of the story. "She deserves her own play," Rosenwinkel says.

Coming near the four-year anniversary of Paul and Sheila Wellstone\’s death, the eyes of many audience members filled with tears.

"When Wellstone died, we lost an ideal that goes way back in America, an ideal that the common person was capable of striving for the common good," Rosenwinkel says.

Long offers a different view: "Paul and Sheila\’s ultimate legacy was people who had immense hope in times of great tragedy," he says. Long adds, "we all need to get involved in the political world."

"Wellstone!" runs through Nov. 5. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.historytheatre.org. or contact the History Theatre box office at 651-292-4323.