Open Window Theatre to Present THE ORIGINALIST Beginning This Month

Open Window Theatre will present The Originalist, by John Strand, directed by Stephen O'Toole, September 30 through October 30 at Open Window Theater. Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm, with a preview performance on September 29 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at https://openwindowtheatre.org.

"...[W]e've bought into this stupid, childish left-right crap, the whole world divided into darkness and light, like there's nothing you can learn from the person on the other side. It's poisonous. You answer hatred with more hatred, where does that leave you?" -CAT

So says one of the principal characters of The Originalist, a contemporary play that explores what it means to engage with (and even learn from) people with whom you passionately disagree.

When a young, liberal, Harvard Law School graduate embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with fearsome conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. John Strand's critically acclaimed drama asks the question: What does it cost us to suppress our fear and distrust, and sit down with the monsters?

The cast features James Ramlet, a long-time veteran of the professional stage in the Twin Cities as Supreme Court Justice Antonin SCALIA paired with a rising new talent Kalala Kiwanuka-Woernle as Scalia's Law Clerk, CAT, both of whom will have their Open Window Theatre debut in this production.

Jim has been seen Off-Broadway at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, which received the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. He has appeared at the Guthrie Theater, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Theatre Latté Da, American Repertory Theater, Children's Theatre Company, History Theatre, Frank Theatre, Illusion Theater, Six Points Theater, Old Log Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Theatre Coup d'Etat, Theatre L'Homme Dieu, Theatre Pro Rata, The Ordway Center, Nautilus Music-Theater, and Lyric Arts. Jim brings his incredible experience and presence to the stage, befitting of his role as SCALIA.

Originally from Boston, MA, Kalala is a recent graduate of Macalester College with a B.A. in Theater and Dance. Her professional credits include appearances at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in CT, and locally at Penumbra Theater.

The cast also includes Jonah Smith as Recent Law School Graduate, BRAD. Jonah is a recent theater graduate from the University of Northwestern - St. Paul, and appeared as the Young Ebenezer Scrooge in last season's production of A Christmas Carol at Open Window Theatre.

The production is directed by Stephen O'Toole and stage managed by Lauren Volkart with design work by Nate Farley, MaryBeth Schmid, and Jeremy Stanbary.

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