What Really Happens at Deer Camp?

This is not real life and is not really what goes on in a deer camp…right? But, if you hunted deer at a “shack” in northern Minnesota you probably have heard someone mention the stuff that goes on in Deer Camp, The Musical. If you are a significant other who “keeps the home fires burning” while your “other” hunts from a deer shack, this show might raise an eyebrow or both. If you are neither and just want to get some good belly laughs and hear some good music, this show is for you too. It was on stage at The Edge Center in Bigfork last night. It will be shown again today Sunday October 16 at 2 PM. Deer Camp, The Musical is presented by Great North Show Providers and not the local Edge Wild Players. If you want to go, tickets are available at the door and cost $26.00.

Cars and Art in Bigfork

It can be easy for vintage car lovers to relate to art since vintage cars and art take lots of love and work to complete, and when finished, appreciative audiences welcome both. That combination happened in Bigfork at The Edge Center for the Arts Saturday October 8. Some 38 members of the Paul Bunyan Vintage auto Club made Bigfork one of its stops on a northern Minnesota fall color tour. Though many of the leaves had turned already they got to see some bright and colorful art being exhibited by native artist Gordon Coons. The club also got a chance to see the center's performing arts theater and hear about the center’s colorful history. The current gallery exhibit is Gordon Coons: Language of Color From My Inner Voice and runs until October 29 on Thursday through Saturday 10 AM until 4 PM with a closing reception on October 28 at 5 PM. There is no charge for gallery admission.

Marcie Lindgren gave the tour and did an on-stage description of The Edge Center and made the cookies. Some of the tour group wanted the recipe. Here it is.

AUNTIE MARCIE’S
CRANBERRY-PUMPKIN COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:

½ CUP BUTTER/MARG. SOFTENED
1 TSP. BAKING SODA
1 CUP WHITE SUGAR
½ TSP. SALT
1 TSP. VANILLA
1 CUP CRANBERRIES (I USED DRIED)
1 EGG
1 TSP. CINNAMON
1 CUP PUMPKIN
1 TBLSP. ORANGE ZEST (I USED A GRATED
2 -1/4 CUPS FLOUR FRESH ORANGE)
2 TSP. BAKING POWDER
½ CUP WALNUTS

MIX ALL TOGETHER – DROP BY TSP.
BAKE 375 DEGREES FOR 10-12 MINUTES

THE RECIPE DIDN‘T CALL FOR ICING HOWEVER I ADDED THAT LITTLE TREAT.
PWD. SUGAR MIXED WITH A TAD OF WATER AND A TAD OF ALMOND FLAVORING

Laugh Your Antlers Off

The Edge Center is doing something new…again! Another organization, NOT the local EdgeWild Players, is using the theatre to present their musical. Great North Show Providers is bringing Deer Camp, The Musical to the folks in the heart of deer hunting, north Itasca County! This is the original cast from Bemidji. Written by Gene Jurek with music by Doug Spartz, this show takes four buddies from Elmwood, mixes in plenty of cold beer, lots of songs, a hunting shack, and the only ones safe in the woods are the deer!　For years, these mighty hunters have spent all their time in the "hunting" shack doing nothing but shooting the bull and sipping some suds. But this year they have a problem. The guys are under a threat from their wives to "bring home a deer instead of a hangover". What to do to solve this dilemma-shoot one? Buy one? Steal one? They try everything with hilarious results! "Performances are Saturday, October 15 at 7:00 and Sunday, October 16 @ 2:00. Tickets are $23.00 in advance, $26.00 at the door and are available by calling 218-536-0589.

Language of Color Fom My Inner Vioce

A very colorful and special exhibit of art is at The Edge Center gallery until October 29. On October 28 there will be a free closing reception with the artist from 5 to 7 PM. The exhibit is titled Gorden Coons: Language of Color From My Inner Voice. The artist, Gordon Coons, because of his Ojibwa and Ottawa heritage, has chosen to work in the Eastern Woodland and the Ledger styles of Native American art.

His heritage is Ojibwa from Lake Superior Chippewa Band of Wisconsin (from his father) and Ottawa from Michigan (from his mother). He is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe of northern Wisconsin, who now lives in Minneapolis.

Coons is a self-taught artist, creating works in a variety of mediums including linoleum block prints, paintings, pen and ink, and carvings in stone and wood. Although his artwork is more contemporary, each piece portrays a unique view of traditional native stories, incorporating strong family influences into the image.

Native American art, in general, depicts spiritual power and uses spirit lines that often radiate from the spines of animals or emanate from both the interior and the exterior of animal or human figures.

Coons’ block prints and paintings are often in the Eastern Woodland style. Elements that identify Woodland Art, in particular, are:
1. Figures that are outlined and look like X-rays (animals, fish, birds, plants, and humans).
2. Balls or seeds of spirit power, which often float within the picture, circles, which represent the sacredness of the circle in Aboriginal spirituality.
3. Simple forms outlined in black filled with bright colors that reflect the mood of the painting.

Some of Coons’ acrylic paintings are in the Ledger Art style associated with Plains Indians. It is called that because it is painted on antique ledger paper, the newest of which Coons uses is from 1913. Gordon Coons explains, ”In my ledger art I use the wolf/coyote in his role as a trickster. As with the trickster, I add a component of humor.”

Gordon Coons has been showing artwork at juried shows around the country, including Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, Indian Art Northwest of Portland, Trail of Tears in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and Red Cloud Art Show in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He has won numerous recognition awards in graphics/prints categories since he started showing his work in 1998. His works have become part of many permanent collections of institutions around the country.

Coons has been an artist-in-residence at multiple schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. He will be working with the students of Bigfork School on October 28.

Spanish Flamendo Dance by Patricia Feld

Clicking heels, bright costumes, Spanish guitar and singing? Si... I mean...yes, on the Edge Center Stage, Friday April 1st for a student daytime concert demonstration and for the community at 7pm.

Debra Elias, a dear Minnesota woman who has been a professional flamenco dancer with the nationally famous Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre for fourteen years will bring her talents and those of “La Conja,”Conja Abdessalan, a Spanish singer; Colette Illarde, Dancer; and Trevor May, Guitarist. They all have long professional resumes and we are so fortunate to be able to have our second dance concert be another such high-quality one.

Debra is also a very popular Young Audiences and college instructor, bringing her talent and enthusiasm for Spansh culture to school groups all over Minnesota.

Tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for 12 years and under, with $3 student rush ten minutes before curtain. Please join our lively Edge audience is something brand new for the northwoods! Ole!


COMING EDGE EVENTS
• 1 April - Spanish Flamenco Dance concert, Debra Elias’ DeDanza Dance Company, school & evening.
• 28-29 April - The Ann Reed “Heroes” concert.
• 30 July - John Perkins concert
• 20 August – Piano “Bar” dancing and listening ON stage
• 11 September – The Original Pretenders, 2pm
And keep watching here and the website for the upcoming events like an experience for children in the summer, classical concerts, and much more!

Polar Revue Hits Their 6th Year

…and the talent of the north woods can shine on the Edge Center’s welcoming stage. Bring your act to the Edge Center between noon and 4:00pm on Saturday, February 19, so the volunteer Sports Booster’s crew can get sound levels and lighting set. The talent show will take place the next day, on Sunday, February 20, at 2:00pm. Proceeds benefit Bigfork School’s sports teams.

OTHER UPCOMING EDGE EVENTS

• 1 April - Spanish Flamenco Dance concert, Debra Elias’ Zorongo Dance Company, school & evening.
• 28-29 April - The Ann Reed “Heroes” concert.
• 30 July - John Perkins concert
• 20 August – Piano “Bar” dancing and listening ON stage
• 11 September – The Original Pretenders, 2pm
And keep watching here and the website for the upcoming events like an experience for children in the summer, classical concerts, and much more!

"WIT" Coming to the Edge

Award winning play, Wit, at the Edge Center in Bigfork

The Boston Globe reviewer described Pulitzer Prize winning play Wit, "Every once in a while a play comes along that bonds people together in extraordinary ways. The play isn't a tearful lecture on how to die; it's a dry-eyed lesson on how to live--with simplicity and kindness." This is an extraordinary play for a community theater to tackle, but with the direction of professional Linda Kelsey, the starring performance of Patricia Feld, professional actor Dan Hopman and the supporting roles by the EdgeWild Players, the Edge Center Theater is again taking on challenging and thoughtful work. Performances at the Edge Center Theater in Bigfork are on Friday, January 28, Saturday, January 29 at 7 pm and on Sunday, January 30 at 2 pm.

Linda Kelsey performed at the Edge as The Belle of Amherst in 2003 and may be best known her Emmy nominated role as for as Billie Newman in the television’s Lou Grant Show. Since returning to St. Paul 14 years ago, Kelsey has been gracing the stages of Twin City theaters including the Guthrie and Park Square. According to director Kelsey, "Wit is the story of a brilliant professor, Vivian Bearing who journeys to a state of grace through a serious illness. The playwright (Margaret Edson) has created an evening of theater that is not only uplifting, but even makes us laugh at the ups and downs of Vivian’s journey as she learns that she is much more than her intellect or her education – that she is a woman with a heart and a soul. Patty has wanted to do this Pulitzer prize-winning play for years, and now I understand why, as I start to delve into all of its depths and surprises."

Patricia Feld is well known to Edge Center Theater goers as the Artistic Director of the Edge and director of most for the EdgeWild productions, but many remember her marvelous role in the EdgeWild production of Three Tall Women.

Wit about coming to terms with life while facing a life threatening illness. Vivian, the main character in Wit, is a college professor and John Donne expert who is dying from cancer. However, as a Boston critic stated, "To say that Wit is about cancer is misleading; it is really about finding a balance between head and heart."

"This is a rich and resonant piece of writing," asserts an Atlanta reviewer, "a play about language and ideas, philosophy and religion. It is at once funny, sad, tragic and life-affirming, complex and simple--yes, a metaphysical paradox" and well worth seeing and talking about. Because Wit offers so much depth and complexity, there will be several opportunities to learn more about the play. Audience members are invited to join the discussions after each performance. Patricia, Linda, and guests will participate, and each performance’s discussion will have a different theme. Friday’s discussion will focus on medical issues, on Saturday on student questions and observations and the Sunday discussion will have a religious emphasis.
The Edge of the Wilderness Book Club, Bigfork Valley Hospital, Bigfork High School and Itasca Community College students, as well as church groups are studying the themes of the play before the performances.
Director Linda Kelsey says about her experience working in Bigfork, “the chance to work with Patty, who is not only a wonderful friend but a great actress, is very exciting. Everyone I’ve been working with on the EdgeWild ‘team’ has brought professionalism and heart to this project. This is a community theater in the best sense of that word, and I want more people to know about it.”

Tickets for the performances on January 28 and 29 at 7:00 and January 30 at 2:00 are available online at www.the-edge-center.org , at Cenex Two Rivers Convenience Store in Bigfork, or at the door. Adult tickets are $10, children 12 and under are $5, and student rush tickets are $3 ten minutes before curtain.

The performances of Wit are funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, and an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature. Wit is being underwritten by the Bigfork Valley Hospital.