SMU’s Myers to direct play about Rockwell Kent

WINONA, Minn. — Judy Myers, associate professor and department chair of the Saint Mary’s University Department of Theatre and Dance, is serving as the director of “Angels in the Trees: Rockwell Kent in Winona,” a locally written and produced play about Rockwell Kent.

Theatre du Mississippi will present “Angels in the Trees” Feb. 8-10 at the Historic Masonic Theatre as part of Winona’s Rockwell Kent Centennial Celebration.

Kent came to Winona in 1912 as a liaison for a New York architect designing the Prentiss and Bell Briarcombe mansions.  An internationally known artist and illustrator, Kent is perhaps best known for his illustrations for “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” and “Moby Dick.”

Myers has worked with Theatre du Mississippi on numerous projects, and she worked with developing playwrights in Chicago. “I really like working on new pieces; you have to take a new approach,” she said. She began collaborating with the play’s author, Lynn Nankivil, early in the writing process.

“Angels in the Trees,” Myers said, has a unique storyline because Kent was such a character. An adventurer and a philanderer, the artist’s time in Winona made for an interesting tale.

Myers said other highlights include old photos of Winona, which have been incorporated into the production, and stories about the other people in Winona who crossed paths with Kent.

“The best part has been getting to know these community actors and musicians and the collaboration that has occurred to tell Rockwell Kent’s interesting story,” Myers said.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9, and again at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. More information can be found at http://rockwellkentwinona.org/events/play.html. Tickets are $15, $7 for students and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com.