All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914

December 17 - 21, 2014
CLOSED DEC. 21
Pantages Theatre

By Peter Rothstein • Music Arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach • Directed by Peter Rothstein

A co-production of Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust.

The Western Front, Christmas, 1914. Out of the violence comes a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man's Land singing "Stille Nacht." Thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, peace. A remarkable true story, told in the words of the men who lived it.

Peter Rothstein on the creation of All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914: “I am interested in creating performance where the content dictates the form. In the creative process I continually ask myself: If the characters were left to their own devices, how would they tell their story? What language, what tools were available to them? There was our answer – radio. Radio was critical to military operations; it was the primary means of mass communication and mass entertainment. Our piece would be a radio musical drama, using only the tools of radio: music and text. The music ranges from trench songs to patriotic and sentimental tunes, as well as Christmas music from the participating countries. The text is taken from a wide range of sources including letters, journals, official war documents, poetry, grave stone inscriptions – even an old radio broadcast.”

This activity is 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.

THE CAST

CANTUS
Zachary Colby, tenor
Aaron Humble, tenor
Blake Morgan, tenor
Paul John Rudoi, tenor
Shahzore Shah, tenor
Matthew Goinz, baritone
Matthew Tintes, baritone
Chris Foss, bass
Samuel Green, bass

ACTORS
Patrick Bailey
Matt Rein
David Roberts