WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Performance Center proudly announces the 2018-19 Page Series. The 32nd annual series features 10 performances of dance, music, and theatre.

The season features Mixed Precipitation’s Picnic Operetta performing Dr. Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County, a playful take on opera with farm-fresh bites throughout; Ecuadorian-Colombian marimba ensemble Rio Mira; Manual Cinema presenting a visually stunning and profoundly moving performance of The End of TV; Tout à Trac performing the classic and timeless tale of Pinocchio; and the dynamic duo of Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott of KEIGWIN + COMPANY performing their zany and fun production Places Please!, which will integrate local performers who will work virtually with Keigwin and Wolcott prior to their time in Winona. Performances will also include ODC/Dance’s enchanting production of The Velveteen Rabbit, which will include several local children performers; Path of Miracles at Wesley United Methodist Church, which will provide opportunities for community members to connect through participation and dialogue surrounding the performance; a relaxed, pay-what-you-can performance of Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad designed to be accessible for young families and those with sensory processing difficulties; Minneapolis-based orchestral indie rock band We Are the Willows, who invoke feelings of nostalgia and longing through their historical love story Picture/Portrait; and a new version of Winona artist Sharon Mansur’s dance-performance piece Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree 2.0.

Artist selection, event locations, and pricing options incorporate community feedback gathered in 2017 with help from Engage Winona. The season will offer ample opportunity for community members to connect with each other and the visiting artists.

The Page Series will continue the tradition of offering free educational programs across the community, along with new opportunities for all ages to engage with artists and performances. Activities will range from master classes with visiting dance artists to longstanding programs such as A Page in History Gatherings at the Library.

New this season is a youth ticket price for children ages 17 and under. Ticket prices range from $8 to $30, and subscriptions package discounts are available. Season subscription packages are on sale now and can be purchased online at pagetheatre.org, by calling 507-457-1715, or in person at the Performance Center Box Office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Package options range from $31.50 to $140, depending on the number of performances and types of tickets purchased. Tickets to individual performances will go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 14.

THE 2018-19 PAGE SERIES

Mixed Precipitation
The Picnic Operetta: Dr. Falstaff and the Working Wives of Lake County
Sunday, Sept. 16, 3 p.m. in Unity Park

The 2018-2019 season kicks off with an afternoon of fun from Mixed Precipitation! On the shores of Lake Superior, the company town is in trouble. The taconite plant has gone bust and jobs are leaving town fast. Meanwhile, the sleazy Doctor Falstaff has washed up on shore. He’s looking to sell a boat, eat herring, and seduce married women. Luckily, a trio of tough working gals has teamed up to chase the rat out of town. These working wives (a nurse, a park ranger, and a librarian) show the men in town who’s boss. Based on Otto Nicolai’s German opera The Merry Wives of Windsor, a bit of Minnesota history, and the music of Bruce Springsteen, this late summer harvest celebration offers local flavors with picnic bites shared with the audience and fun for everyone.

Tickets are not required for this event, but reservations are strongly recommended. Visit pagetheatre.org to register. Free will donations accepted at the performance.

Río Mira
Thursday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $18 youth

Taking its name from the river that runs from Ecuador into Colombia, Río Mira brings together marimba masters Esteban Copete and Larry Preciado, Ecuadorian singer Karla Kanora, and an incredible ensemble of Afro Latino folkloric musicians. With a cultural identity rooted in the East African diaspora traditions, Río Mira specializes in blending contemporary music with traditional sounds that date back hundreds of years. Both their folk sound and electro-cumbia remixes are founded on the mastery and artistry of great musicians and producers from both countries.

The story of the marimba is closely intertwined with the rebel slaves who made the region their home from the early 16th century onward. In 2015, UNESCO declared the marimba music of South Pacific Colombia and Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador, to be Intangible Cultural Heritage. Recalling the history of the Pacific, Rio Mira’s music is a reminder of the unity that binds together a region divided by state borders.

The End of TV
Manual Cinema
Sunday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $18 youth

Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveliness, ingenuity, and theatricality.

The End of TV depicts the decline of an American rust belt city through the stories of Flo and Louise, both residents of a fictional Midwestern town. Flo is an elderly white woman who was once a supervisor at the thriving local auto plant. Now succumbing to dementia, her memories of her life are tangled with television commercials and the “call now” demands of QVC. Louise, a young black woman laid off from her job when the same local auto plant closes, meets Flo when she takes a job as a Meals-on-Wheels driver. The two women begin an unlikely relationship as Flo approaches the end of her life and Louise prepares for the invention of a new one. Their story is intercut with commercials and TV programs that are the constant background of their environment.

Pinocchio
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 adults, $8 youth

Based on Carlo Collodi’s classic
Written and directed by Hugo Bélanger
English translation by Bobby Theodore
A production of Tout à Trac in coproduction with Place des Arts and Tennessee Performing Arts Center

Following the internationally acclaimed Alice in Wonderland, Tout à Trac now revisits the world’s most famous puppet: Pinocchio. Born from a talking piece of wood carved by the old Geppetto, the rebellious, cheeky, and careless Pinocchio discovers the meaning of growing up through a thousand trials. To become a real boy he will have to face Mangiafuoco, the terrible Puppet Master, suffer the malice of Mr. Fox and his sidekick, the Cat, escape from Toyland, and save his father from the belly of a giant fish!

Places Please!
Starring Larry Keigwin and Nicole Wolcott
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 and 9 p.m. at Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 W. Howard St.
Tickets: $22

Come along on a zany trip brimming with playfulness and anxiety from life behind-the-scenes. Set backstage during the final moments before the curtain rises, this cabaret-style performance features a dance fanatic’s dream music score — from Broadway classics to contemporary classical music to ’80s pop hits — as well as some very special guest performers from the Winona community. The result is a buzz-worthy cocktail of biting satire, quick-witted physical comedy, and gentle moments of deep pathos that celebrates and extends the creative relationship of Nicole Wolcott and Larry Keigwin, co-founders of KEIGWIN + COMPANY.

With café-style seating, a cash bar, and occasional mature content, Places Please! is perfect for date night but may not be suitable for young audience members. Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will offer child care during the 7 p.m. performance. Ask about this option when ordering tickets.

Path of Miracles
ODC/Dance
Friday, Jan. 25, 7:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 114 W. Broadway St.
Tickets: $30

Inspired by the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route across northern Spain, ODC/Dance’s Path of Miracles brings artists and community together in a shared journey. Progressing through multiple spaces, this site-specific performance in Winona’s beautiful Wesley United Methodist Church explores the journey of the Camino, from spontaneous communal gatherings to individual reflection. The experience is enhanced by a live, 17-voice choir featuring some of Minnesota’s leading vocal talent performing Joby Talbot’s score of the same name.

Path of Miracles is a communal experience, and audience members will move to different locations throughout the church. Accommodations will be available for those with mobility or other limitations. Contact the box office to discuss accessibility needs.

Founded in 1971 by Brenda Way, who trained under the legendary George Balanchine, ODC/Dance has been recognized for its rigorous technique, as well as its collaborations with numerous composers, writer/singers, actors, and visual artists. The company has performed for more than a million people in 32 states and 11 countries.

Path of Miracles is presented in partnership with Wesley United Methodist Church, and in collaboration with the Charles Wesley Center of Sacred Music and Arts.

The Velveteen Rabbit
ODC/Dance
Sunday, Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $27 adults, $24 seniors/students, $22 youth

ODC/Dance brings to life Margery Williams’ classic tale of a well-worn nursery rabbit that becomes real. Told through music, dance, and a powerful narrative, The Velveteen Rabbit celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit and the enduring power of love. A narrated production set to selections by Benjamin Britten, The Velveteen Rabbit is brimming with wit, festive costumes, and madcap characters. This special performance will feature several local children dancing alongside the professional company.

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Relaxed performance
Tickets: Pay what you can

This stirring drama with music is a classic tribute to the great American who freed herself and hundreds of her people from the bonds of slavery. As Harriet Tubman and her friend Sarah Bradford narrate her adventurous life, we share in the joys, sorrows, and challenges faced by this brave women who changed the world through her courage. This accurate and deeply moving musical history lesson is inspiring, heartwarming, comical, and full of the good humor, determination, and charity of its subject.

This relaxed performance will feature limited sound and lighting effects as well as flexible seating options. Staff can assist patrons in setting up ticket orders and will work to accommodate any accessibility requests or special considerations.

We Are The Willows
Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 youth

We Are The Willows are a Minneapolis-based orchestral indie rock band featuring songwriter/frontman Peter Miller’s unique countertenor voice and guitar, supported by Jeremiah Satterthwaite (guitar/banjo), Leah Ottman (violin/voice/keys), Hilary James (cello/voice/keys), Travis Collins (bass), and Stephen Lindquist (drums/voice). We Are The Willows craft dynamic, intimate songs with instruments and voices combining to create energetic rhythms and intricate melodies, and heartfelt arrangements that evoke shared nostalgic feelings of love and loss. Their Page Series performance will feature songs inspired by 350 letters written between Miller’s grandparents during World War II and will explore themes of family, separation, life, death, and identity. The songs communicate complex ideas delivered with pop-sensible charm.

We Are The Willows are also offering residency activities in Winona March 25-30.

Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree 2.0
Sharon Mansur
Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15

Dreaming Under a Cedar Tree invites you to share art, food, and conversation with a Middle Eastern flavor while reflecting on Sharon Mansur’s Lebanese heritage, the complex and fluid nature of cultural identity, and the power of place in our dreams. A reimagined version of the original event that premiered in fall 2017 at Outpost Winona, Cedar Tree 2.0 integrates Mansur’s experiences during her first trip to Lebanon in spring 2018 and responds to the Page Theatre as a site-specific venue. This immersive event will feature a solo dance performance by Sharon, visual elements contributed by a variety of artists and Mansur family members, Middle Eastern food, and an open discussion with audience members.

2018-2019 SCHOOL MATINEE PERFORMANCES

Educators interested in attending school matinee performances may learn more at pagetheatre.org.

Pinocchio
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades 1-5

The Nutcracker (Abridged)
Dance Repertory Company
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 12:30 p.m.
Recommended for grades 1 and up

The Velveteen Rabbit
ODC/Dance
Monday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades pre-K-5

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Recommended for grades 3-8

Spring Concert
Dance Repertory Company
Thursday, April 11, 10 a.m.
Recommended for grades 3 and up

About the Page Series

For more than 30 years, the Page Series has brought professional performing artists from across the globe to Winona. With events in the namesake Joseph Page Theatre at Saint Mary’s Performance Center as well as at locations across the Winona community, the Page Series brings dance, music, and theatre experiences that inspire, uplift, educate, and connect artists and community.

Page Series activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.