Whoosh!
Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards
Whoosh! At the History Theatre is a new play by Andrew Erskine Wheeler that got started at the Minnesota Fringe Festival as a one act play. Now it’s a full two act play.
Before the play even begins, you can enjoy the scenery by Erik Paulson. It’s a nice slice of Minnesota. There’s rock formations, fir trees, an old campground, bridges, and projection screens depicting Minnesota beauty. The projection screens are used throughout the play.
It’s a fun one person play about Michael Mickey, played by actor/playwright Andrew Erskine Wheeler. Whoosh! tells the story of Irish brothers who immigrated to the USA in the 1800’s. They become loggers in northern Minnesota. Joined the Minnesota regimens during the Civil War. Locations for the story, are a logging camp off of the Rum River, Fort Snelling, a battlefield in Tennessee, Minneapolis, St. Anthony and the St. Anthony Falls.
Here’s what I really like about the shows at the History Theatre. Is the history that you learn. Like when the St. Anthony Falls were a natural formation. They had great importance to the Native American tribes in Minnesota and Wisconsin. There used to be an island near the falls called Spirit Island that had a significant importance to the Native American tribes. Spirit Island is no more.
Back when the falls were the natural falls. Michael Mickey was the only person to go over the falls and survive.
The Band known as Northern Shores are part for the play. They play background music, they sing songs. Sometimes the character of Michael Mickey joins them in song or sings a song himself. Whoosh! Is not a musical, it’s a play with music. Northern Shores will have a concert at The History Theatre on February 15th.
I learned a lot with this play. Learned a lot about the loggger’s, not known as Lumberjacks yet, Minnesota’s involvement in the Civil War, the Irish in Minnesota, and the St. Anthony Falls. There’s a couple of pages of information on these topics in the program. As well as the inner lobby at the History Theatre.
Whoosh! Plays at the History Theater through February 22, 2206. WWW.Historytheatre.com for tickets.
Northern Shores and Andrew Erskine Wheeler, before the play begins.
