Bullets and Beaut esBullets and Beaut es by Urban Landreman 7:00 p.m., Nov 1, 2, 8, 10, 11, 2000, JAN 3, 5, 2001 1:00 p.m., Nov 12, 2000 The Lexington Restaurant Lex-Ham Community

Bullets and Beaut esby Urban Landreman

7:00 p.m., Nov 1, 2, 8, 10, 11, 2000, JAN 3, 5, 20011:00 p.m., Nov 12, 2000The Lexington Restaurant

Lex-Ham Community Theaterpresents

The period from 1920 to 1936 in St. Paul was marked with gangster activity, police corruption, and cries for reform. One quote of the day said that if you wanted to find a gangster, you should either look in prison or St. Paul.

The groundwork for this was laid a few years earlier. Minnesota Congressman Andrew Volstead's 1917 initiative, which resulted in the 18th Amendment to the Constition, started a 17-year period of Prohibition in America. It also started a period of active bootlegging. John "The Big Fellow" O'Connor, who was Chief of Police in St. Paul from 1900 to 1912 and 1914 to 1920, started a system where the police would not harass gangsters in St. Paul as long as 3 criteria were met: no crimes could be committed within St. Paul, no one was killed, and the gangsters spent their money here.

St. Paul, thus, became known as a safe city for gangsters and drew virtually all the who's who of gangsters for at least part of the time. The Hollyhocks Club on Mississippi River Boulevard and the Green Lantern Saloon on Wabasha became meeting places for gangsters from across the country. Efforts locally by newspaper editor Howard Kahn among others and by the Bureau of Investigation at the national level eventually exposed how widespread the corruption was and led to reform.

One major landmark from 1929 to 1934 was the Boulevards of Paris nightclub. The club, located at the southwest corner of Lexington Parkway and University Avenue, claimed to be 'The Northwest's Smartest Night Club'. The club was decorated to match many famous restaurants from Paris and featured a large dance floor, European dishes of Old World origin and rare delicacy, a new floor show every Friday, and a casino in the basement.

The Boulevards of Paris attracted many top-notch musicians. Black musicians, who had trouble finding housing elsewhere in town, were offered some food and a bed at the home of John Lane, one of the owners, if they would come and play at the nightclub. Patrons would come in tuxedos and evening gowns for an evening of fine food and hot jazz music.

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(Above) The Boulevards of Paris when it opened in 1929.(Cover) The interior of the Boulevards of Paris nightclub.

Background of the Play

Cristopher Tibbetts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorAlexis Reller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage ManagerElmer Pierre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music Director

Characters(in order of appearance)

A gun will be fired during the performance.

Original music by Elmer Pierre

by Urban Landreman

Boulevards of Paris nightclub, Lexington Parkway and University Avenue in Saint PaulSummer 1932

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Bullets and Beaut es

Boulevards of Paris Orchestra . . . . . Elmer Pierre, Bill Mattocks, Paul ZennerClaude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John PikalaMarjorie LaFleur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melissa GeradsPeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David ZellerAlice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katrina Hannemann (Nov shows). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexis Reller (January shows)Louise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holly Lindsay

Joey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nick PetersCharlie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zak FordeFrances Hoffman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennelle Wax

Earl “Kid Kelly” Peterson. . . . . . . . . Ralph HolcombFast Eddie Van Dyke. . . . . . . . . . . . . Stuart Alger

Maria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maureen StantonWillie Thornton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonathan StierwaldDetective Gus Steinmetz. . . . . . . . . . Brian BeermannRuth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holly WindleTommy Acapella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Craig AndersonRay Angelucci. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Heffernan

Irene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judith James

The Cast and CrewStuart Alger (Fast Eddie Van Dyke) - Stuart has lived in the Lex-Ham neighborhood for eight years, and although this is his first production with the Lex-Ham Theatre, he has played the roles of president and secretary of the Lex-Ham Community Council. Stuart grew up in a theatrical family and performed periodically throughout high school and college, including roles in Three Sisters and As You Like It. He has been active recently performing the cowboy poem "Bear Ropin' Buckaroo," which, he says, is a big hit with the six- to seven-year old crowd.

Craig Anderson (Tommy Acapella) - Craig is happy to be returning to Lex-Ham Theatre after playing the evil Mr. Prescott in the company's production of George Washington Slept Here last summer. Craig holds a B.A. in English with a focus on Literature of the Theatre from the University of Iowa. He has studied acting at the Guthrie Theatre and has co-written and starred in the Craig and Tom Show, an experimental comedy show which aired (and still occasionally airs) on the Metro Cable Network.

Brian Beermann (Gus Steinmetz) - Brian has performed on a number of stages throughout the Twin Cities. Most recently he appeared in Earlville, IA with Paul Mathey's Earlville Laugh In and with the Prior Lake Players in Trouble in Tumbleweed. He is married to the lovely Jacquelyn, they have one son Lukas, and they live an idyllic life that would cause even Martha Stewart great envy. To prove that point he is willing to trade bank accounts with her at any time. A huge thank you to Urban and Cris for taking pity on him and casting him in this wonderful play!

Zak Forde (Charlie) - Zak is almost 11 years old and is in the 5th grade at Jackson Magnet School. He has performed in several Steppingstone Theater summer camp plays and also two school plays. He loves to make up stories and would like to be a writer when he grows up.

Melissa Gerads (Marjorie LaFleur) - After taking a short break from the theatre, Melissa is happy to be back on the boards and having fun with her dear friend, Cris Tibbets and the entire cast of this show. Melissa holds a B.A. in theatre and mass communication from St. Cloud State. She has appeared in a number of shows for various Twin Cities theatre companies and is a singer with the venerable WCCO Blues Band. To earn her keep, Melissa does voice over work, and manages the video promotions department for TPT - Twin Cities Public Television.

Katrina Suzanne Hannemann (Alice for November shows) - Katrina is studying to be a high school history teacher at University of Minnesota, Duluth. She just got married this August to a wonderful man named John. While John finishes his degree this year Katrina took a year off to work full time as a Personal Care Attendant for her younger sister who is in a wheelchair. She plans to continue her drama exploits in Duluth next school year. Her roles have included Kim in Bye Bye Birdie, and Molly in Annie. She was also a VanTrapp child in the Sound of Music and was in the Rimers of Eldrich at Concordia University in St. Paul.

David Heffernan (Ray Angelucci) - David is a graduate of the University of Massachusettes, Lowell with a B.A. in art. He now makes his home in Minneapolis. David has run both the Twin Cities and Grandma’s Marathans. Bullets and Beauties will be his Lex-Ham Community Theater debut.

Ralph Holcomb (Earl “Kid Kelly” Peterson) - Ralph lives in the Desnoyer Park area where he teaches college (St. Thomas - yeah, dat’s da one). Though he hasn’t trod the boards since college, he practices theatrics in front of a captive audience - his social work students.

Judith James (Irene) - Judith's work as an employee of the Saint Paul Public Schools has prepared her well for the part of Irene in Bullets and Beauties. Most recently she has been using her acting skills in workshops designed to prepare today's teachers for tomorrow’s schools. She would like to thank her pets for their continued support and also Cris Tibbets for having confidence in her ability to make the stretch to play a gangsta gal.

Holly Lindsay (Louise Miller) - Holly is delighted to join the cast in her first role with the Lex-Ham Community Theater. She has been joyfully playing the role of Kindergarten Teacher for the last 15 years at Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul (a simple, wholesome town). Her portrayal of Louise is not based on any real person that she has ever met-- not a teacher, not a sister, not a friend, and certainly not her mother. Holly would especially like to thank Nathan Lindsay-Levine for feeding himself, unloading the dishwasher and doing his homework throughout the month of October, without the usual maternal reminders.

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Nick Peters (Joey) - Nick is a third grader at Randolph Heights Elementary. He played Jack in a Backyard Theater production of The Magic Bookshelf directed by Pam Scott. Nick is also involved with puppet theater at Living Word Christian Center. Nick enjoys sports, reading, and has a real-life brother named Charlie.

John Pikala (Claude) - John is NOT from Grinnell, Iowa! (And he's not from France either.) For most of his life, John has lived in Minnesota where he has enjoyed the rich theater experiences of the Twin Cities area. John is delighted to be making his debut with the Lex-Ham Community Theater.

Maureen Stanton (Maria) - This is Maureen’s first show in the Twin Cities, but has performed at Central Lakes College in Brainerd in Pump Boys and Dinettes, Evita, and Tommy to name a few. She has two daughters, Katie and Emily. Maureen’s favorite fantasy was being a gangster’s girl. Imagine!

Jonathan Stierwald (Willie) - Jonathan is a St Paul area resident and carpenter/independant contractor by day and sometime amateur actor by night returning to community theater after just a brief decade-long hiatus ..... a little rusty but you do what you can.

Jennelle Marie Wax (Frances Hoffman) - Jennelle is happy to be making her debut at the Lex-Ham Community Theater. She is a freshman at the U of M Twin Cities and is learning that parking at the U is not fun! Some favorite roles include: Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street and Juanita from Splendor in the Grass.

Holly Windle (Ruth) - Ruth is a more high-strung character than Holly usually plays. Her theatrical career began at the age of 7 as Godmother Beauty in a production of Sleeping Beauty and has included Little Women with Bloomington Civic Theatre, a couple of ensemble appearances with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, and numerous productions with The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company. By day a mild-mannered arts administrator and by night a wild-eyed gangster's moll -- what fun!

David Zeller (Peter) - This is David’s second show with the Lex-Ham Community Theater. He’s a freshman at the University of St. Thomas and is trying to survive. Hope you enjoy my performance. Unfortunately, I don’t get to wear a cool hat. Shout outs to my Mom, Dad, Jean, Grandma, and Grandpa. Thanks for everything. I couldn’t do anything without everyone.

The Cast and CrewUrban Landreman (Author and Producer) - Urban wrote Bullets and Beauties in 1998 and has since written two other plays - Fielder’s Choice and The Road to Romance. When he is not telling stories on stage, Urban tells stories with statistics for the Hennepin County Community Health Department’s Assessment Unit.

Elmer Pierre (Music Director) - Elmer is happy to be back in the shady confines of the Boulevards. This is his fifth Lex-Ham appearance. Thanks Pat for your support.

Alexis Reller (Alice for January shows and Stage Manager) - Alexis is an 8th grade student at Valley Middle School in Apple Valley. Despite what some people think, I’m not 16, I am 13. I was born in San Diego, California and lived there for five years. I have been in a couple of plays, including The Lex-Ham Follies of 2000 and Voices from the Titanic.

Cristopher Tibbetts (Director) - Cristopher is pleased to begin his association with Lex-Ham Community Theater with this production. He has worked as an actor, director, playwright and performance teacher at theaters and schools across the state. Most recently, he directed John and Jen for Counterpoint Musical Theatre and played Polonius in Hamlet for Theatre of Happiness.

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Author’s Notes

Director’s Notes

When I learned that the Boulevards of Paris nightclub had existed just a few blocks from my current house and home, I knew that it would be the setting for this show. St. Paul often has a reputation for being a bit stodgy, but a nice place to raise a family. The events in St. Paul of the early part of the 20th century show that reputations are sometimes based on false, or at least incomplete, information.

The theme of things and people not being what they seem to be comes up repeatedly during this show. We come to understand that almost every character in the show is not totally who we, or someone else in the show, originally thought they were. Some of this comes from simple misunderstandings or intentional misrepresentations. Other times, however, it come from efforts we make to conceal our real feelings.

I hope you will find that some of these false impressions can lead to humorous consequences. But one of my favorite moments in the show [I have LOTS of them] is when Maria poignantly tells Fast Eddie how deeply she feels towards him and gets what she really wants and needs. All too often, putting on a false front prevents us from allowing others to touch us and experiencing our real humanity.

So, I hope you enjoy the food, the music, and the show. In the future, though, think twice before you pretend to be something that you’re not. People may take you for a gangster hitman.

Urban Landreman

There's something about a good mystery that has the capacity to enthrall even the most die-hard cynic. Why is that? Is it that solving a mystery gives us some sense of control in a world that may otherwise seem random, overly complex and frightening? Is it the voyeur in all of us--wanting to peek behind our neighbor's curtains and see what lurks there? How else do you explain that for twelve years, television's top-rated dramatic program concerned a globe-trotting senior citizen who always managed to stumble upon a murder, and solve it, without shootouts or car chases, in one hour (including commercials)? In bringing Bullets and Beauties to life for you, we have endeavored to give you a sense of the suspense and guilty pleasure of Murder, She Wrote (sorry, no has-been movie stars), the glamour of St Paul in the 1930s, and the danger of the era when gangsters roamed these very streets. I hope you will become enthralled in the mystery we present for you tonight. And, hey, be careful whom you talk to.

Cristopher Tibbetts

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Sponsors

The Lex-Ham Community Theater would like to thank the following for their in-kind support

University of St. ThomasConcordia University-St. Paul

Peter CudworthMarie McMahon

Pavek Museum of BroadcastingGuthrie Theater Costume RentalTheatrical CostumeTwin City Group

Great American History Theater

Treadle Yard Goods

The Lex-Ham Community Theater supports efforts to reduce violence of all types and encourages you to do your part too.

Some of these ways you can help include:

! Keep all guns locked and away from children

! Speak out against domestic violence of all types

! Get to know your neighbors to develop a stronger sense of community

Contact the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse at 612-624-0721 or www.mincava.umn.edu for more information.

How Gene Sarazan gambled with the golfing fates - and scored five birdies - in that record-shattering round of 66 in the national open is graphically portrayed above.

A special Thank You to:Chris Dart and Jenny Roeberfor handling ticket sales

The Lex-Ham Community Theater is a program of the Lexington-Hamline Community Council (LHCC). Throughout its history, the LHCC has provided the neighborhood with programs that help to maintain good housing, a healthy environment, facilities for recreation and strategies for protection from crime. The original fundamental purposes of the LHCC remain the same: to improve the quality of life in the Lexington-Hamline neighborhood and to bring about long-term, sustainable community change for the neighborhood, by the neighborhood.

For several years, the LHCC has used the Arts as one of its tools to assist in building a sense of community

among Lex-Ham residents. Some of the LHCC’s arts projects include a neighborhood quilt with squares

created by residents and the Lex-Ham Community Band.

Since its start in 1995, the Lex-Ham Community Theater has striven to achieve its mission of producing

quality theatrical experiences by and for the residents of the Lexington-Hamline and surrounding

neighborhoods in St. Paul. The company has enhanced the local theatrical scene by selecting lesser-known

works by noted playwrights and giving the regional and world premieres of works by local authors. All of its

shows have provided people with little previous experience an opportunity to be on-stage or work off-stage

side by side with those who have more experience.

Finally, the company strives to help build community by involving people across generations and walks of life

with each of its productions.

Call (651) 645-3207 to get involved.

Check out the Lex-Ham Community Theater’s web site at:

www.lexham.org/theater

Lex-Ham Community Theater

Lex-Ham Community Theater2001 Season

March 1-10 - Short Play FestivalFour plays each with the theme of “Neighbors”

Cabin Fever - Joan SchenkarChinamen - Michael Frayn

Is That The Bus To Pittsburgh? - Jean Lenox ToddieThe Neighbors - Zona Gale

July - Full-length comedyNovember - Melodrama

Auditions for the March shows will be held January 13 & 16, 2001.Watch the website www.lexham.org/theater for details