Red Jacket 1913

CALUMET  HISTORY REVISITED WITH  POPULAR HISTORICAL FILM

 Red Jacket 1913" will be screened at 3 pm on Saturday, August 20 at the Calumet Theatre as part of The  Big 150 Celebration in Calumet. The drama about a family in Red Jacket during the 1913 strike was produced by the Calumet Theatre and directed by Patricia Helsel from an original script by Charles Solomon and adapted by James B Harris. The play premiered at the Theatre in 2014 and was recorded on DVD by Red Jacket Media.  The film was first shown in August 2015 and was very well-received.

“The play is a fictional piece based on historical events,” says Director Patricia Helsel, MTU Associate Professor. “What’s different is that it is not about the Italian Hall, though it impacts the story.  It provides insight and understanding of all sides – the Western Federation, the miners, and the Citizen’s Alliance. It is a story about people, not events.”

The cast includes veteran and novice actors.  Dennis Kerwin plays Milan Horvath, a miner and the father of the family. Dede Tepsa is daughter Rosie. Mitch Bolo plays the son of the family, a striker. Chip Rohrer, a graduate of Tech’s VPA, is Christian Ovaska, Milan’s friend. Others in the cast of thirteen fill the roles of mother of the family, friends, miners, and townspeople. They include:  Ian McDowell, Ian Hyslop, Kris Kyro, Mark Oliver, Paulina Payment, Samantha Plante, Kimberly Tober, and George Wagner. 

The play takes place in the family kitchen, a saloon, and Italian Hall with familiar buildings of Calumet in the background. A montage of historical photos and period music play during scene changes.