Glensheen

My friend and I toured the Gleensheen mansion in Duluth about 20 years ago together.  I think I have visited it at least three times and it has been the same number of visits for her.  Last night we got together for dinner and went to the History Theater's production of Glensheen.  We laughed, we cried, we were shocked, we were appalled, and we were entertained. The woman who played Marjorie was very good but not as good as the woman who played Elizabeth Congdon and Ron Meshbesher.  Yes, she played Ron too and she was hilarious.  After the intermission she takes the microphone and we think she is going to talk to the audience about turning off our phones or something but she starts by telling us to raise our hands if we have ever read a romance novel, if we ever saw the tv shows of Dallas and Dynasty, or if we aspired to be a housewife.  We figure out that she is asking actual jury selection questions.  Sometimes I thought the production went too far.  These are real people in this story.  Elizabeth Congdon still has family around.  They must be appalled by this play. When the actors held up black and white faces on sticks with the actual faces of the jury that acquitted Marjorie Caldwell of accessory to murder I thought they went too far.  These people didn't ask to be in a play or have their images put on stage.  They were real people doing their civic duty.  When the production mocked them for inviting Marjorie out to lunch with them after the trial I quickly looked around the theater.  Who knows?  Maybe one of those jury members is sitting in this theater right now!  The truth is Glensheen is a classic murder mystery story that occurred during my lifetime.  People do love murder mysteries.  The play mocks the Glensheen Mansion tour policy of not talking about the murder which I have to agree does deserve a little mocking.  The nurse who was murdered was named Velma and the play did a nice tribute to her and her story.  If the purpose of a play is to provoke and entertain then Glensheen gets high honors.  If the purpose of the play is to honor the memory of those who have suffered then it falls short.  Frankly, after last night, I am grateful I grew up in a middle class family instead of Glensheen.  I read that one of Elizabeth Congdon's grandchildren wrote a book about Elizabeth's life because she wants her Grandmother to be known for what she did instead of what was done to her.  I requested the book at the library.  I think Elizabeth deserves my time and attention.