Harvey Milk ( Will Brandenburg) talks to the public at his San Francisco supervisor’s office. He and his partner Scotty Smith (David Bergstrom) ran his campaign on a gay rights platform.
The Arrowhead Center for the Arts was packed on Monday night, January 10, 2011 as notable and notorious figures met with the public to explain, discuss and sometimes defend their life or career decisions.
The characters were actually Cook County High School students who were enrolled in Ivy Church’s College Writing 1120 class this year. As part of the University of Minnesota course, students meticulously researched a topic and selected a spokesperson to bring it to life at the ACA. There were 20 presenters at this very popular event this year—so many that some visitors didn’t have the opportunity to talk to everyone. However, all who chatted with the notable and notorious greatly enjoyed the evening.
Some presenters brought lesser-known characters to life, such as Dorothy Segal (Jennifer Curtis), one of the first women veterinarians. Curtis brought reality to her role with the assistance of a real ferret.
An Indian woman (Ailee Larson) explains why she decided to act as a surrogate mother for an American couple. She stunned the audience when she said her husband’s concern was not that she was carrying someone else’s child, but that she would be bringing more income to the household than he. She said the $5,600 she will receive would be used for her own children’s education.
Other less commonly known figures were Bram Cohan (Max Simonowicz), a digital piracy pioneer; and Richard Hofstadter (Reid Shepard), an American history professor who wrote of the dangers of anti-intellectualism.
Several presenters chose topics addressing women’s issues. Latifa (Katrina Axtell) is an author who made her way to Paris to write a book about living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and the practice of selfimmolation. Ailee Larson was an impoverished woman in India who raised money for her family by bearing an American couple’s child as a surrogate mother. Many in attendance joined her on the floor on her woven mat to learn more about this very common practice.
Others enjoyed arguing with the flamboyant Helen Gurley Brown (Sarah Warren), who explained her work at Cosmopolitan magazine. Twiggy Lawson (Brea Boomer) called attention to the teen eating disorder trend some say were triggered by the waif-like 1960s model. Nellie Bly (Molly Rider) tackled both women’s rights and the rights of journalists to be protected under the U.S. Constitution.
Anne Frank (Kristina Rude) spoke to the public from her attic hiding space, where she and her family lived for two years and one month.
Debate was underway at the tables where Clarence Darrow (Will Petty) and William Jennings Bryan (Ryan Martinson) sat as if they had just stepped out of the courtroom where teacher John Scopes had been prosecuted for teaching evolution.
Another philosophical question was raised by Sky Woman (Autumn Clearwater-Day), an Anishinabe spiritual figure, who triggered discussion about the differences—and similarities— between the Anishinabe Creator and the Christian God.
“Dr. Death” Jack Kevorkian (Sebastian Schnobrich) and Alex Schadenberg (Clay Gruber- Schulz) argued about the right of the individual to choose assisted suicide, with members of the public joining the discourse.
The founder of Gamblers Anonymous (Darrin Waha) argued that the casino industry’s cost to society outweighs any financial benefits. His corner booth was filled with willing assistants playing with poker chips and cards and insisting that casinos were just for fun.
Sky Woman Geezhigo-Quae (Autumn Clearwater-Day) was the first Anishinabe woman to arrive on Earth.
Other audience members turned the tables on Joseph McCarthy (Daniel Ditmanson) and interrogated “McCarthy” on his views and tactics. Also coming under fire was Environmental Liberation Front (ELF) leader Craig Rosebrough (Amber Todd).
Two world leaders also presented their respective cases well—Kim Jong Il (Karl Ingebrigtsen) defended his right to nuclear weapons in North Korea and George W. Bush (Jake Plahuta) asserted that innocent citizens have nothing to fear in the Patriot Act.
Anne Frank (Kristina Rude) earned the audiences’ sympathy with a quiet description of her life in the secret room behind a bookcase for “two years, one month.”
Harvey Milk (Will Brandenburg), too, brought to life a tragic figure. Milk was the first openly gay man elected to a major office in the United States. Milk campaigned for gay equality and was gunned down by former co-worker Dan White in 1978. Brandenburg was assisted in creating his persona by the appearance of his partner, Scotty Smith (David Bergstrom).
Clarence Darrow ( Will Petty), left and William Jennings Bryan (Ryan Martinson) both fielded questions about their beliefs regarding evolution and creationism. Darrow defended teacher John Scopes, who was accused of teaching the theory of evolution to his science class. Jennings Bryan successfully prosecuted Scopes, but died five days after the trial. Scopes was fined $100 and was not allowed to teach evolution.
Thanks to all of the students who shared what they had learned throughout the semester, everyone learned something at Night of the Notorious 2011.
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