Northern WordNorthern Word | Writing and Photography from Susan McNerney

Directed by Terry Johnson – at the Guthrie through March 11, 2012.
At some point in the career of a legendary artist their outward persona becomes a kind of public cultural property. They start to appear in books, plays, and more recently, films, first as references, later as characters. Mark Twain, for example, has landed in everything from Star Trek to stage plays. At a time when our culture is increasingly locked down by trademark and copyright, this kind of art seems refreshing; here, just like the old days, one set of artists can build on the work and legacy of another and make something new that has value of its own.

End of the Rainbow takes on the troubled persona of Judy Garland in the last weeks of her life and tackles addiction, celebrity culture, and exploitation. The play revolves entirely around the wondrous performance of British actress Tracie Bennett, who becomes Judy Garland in voice, movement, and every visual aspect; the performance is so convincing, so immersive, that even when she seems to be going over the top, it’s impossible not to believe her. This Garland is both a force of nature and a vulnerable woman mired in addiction and trapped by a rolling financial disaster. It’s hard not to feel sympathy, though she is certainly not portrayed as a victim. Garland here is the logical result of a lifetime of exploitation and personal choices. There is not so much an arc for her character, as a steady downward trajectory. This is a play that doesn’t just have an ending, it’s entirely about an ending.

But despite the subject matter, the show isn’t particularly dark. The script is smartly written with plenty of ironic humor, and the composite character of the pianist (Michael Cumpsty) adds a gentler energy to the stage which balances well with Bennett’s Garland. And the musical numbers, in which Bennett’s characterization comes to life to its greatest extent, fill the room, sometimes brilliant, sometimes fragmented. The final rendition of “Over the Rainbow” is the highlight of the show.

This is an easy play to recommend – and an unusual opportunity to see a West End production from London as it stops in Minneapolis on its way to New York. Even the set (built at the Guthrie), which consists of a perfectly opulent hotel room with a surprise inside, will pack up and move east after the Guthrie Run is over. According to the stage manager, who commented during an excellent post-play discussion, this also includes costumes (also created at the Guthrie) such as a glittering pantsuit that evoked both Garland’s style and a bit of that magic that followed her from Oz throughout her career.

The theater was packed and advance reservations are recommended. The play contains mature themes and strong language. Just like the post-Oz Judy Garland.

Other Resources:
Review of End of the Rainbow at The Morning After Blog (Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine)
Review of End of the Rainbow at the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Review of End of the Rainbow at the Minneapolis Star Tribune (may require subscription)
Minnesota Public Radio interview with Tracie Bennett
Review of End of the Rainbow at Howwastheshow.com
CBS Local (WCCO) feature piece on Tracie Bennett

If the sight of hundreds of ice age mammals caught in a deep pit interests you, there’s that and plenty more geological and paleontological wonders in the Black Hills. Stan the Dinosaur, petrified trees, and buffalo jumps all fascinate the science-minded visitor. And don’t get me started on the fantastic rock shops. We’ll take a look at the full variety of rock and bone related attractions in the Hills in this edition of the Black Hills Travelogue.

Mammoth Site

We’ll start with the Mammoth Site itself, the premier tourist-oriented scientific attraction in the Hills. Despite it’s relative isolation from other Black Hills attractions, a trip to the Mammoth Site offers a nice drive and can be combined with a trip to the nearby Wild Horse Sanctuary. We arrived in the sleepy town of Hot Springs and park in a large lot on a hill above the main part of town. The building itself is cathedral-sized and perches at the very top of this hill, but didn’t inspire at first glance. Once inside, though, the size of this active dig becomes obvious.

Mammoth Site, South Dakota

This colossal animal trap was created when an underground cavern collapsed 26,000 years ago. The resulting pit included a lovely spring which bubbled up fresh water and lured animals ranging from Mammoths to saber-toothed cats to their deaths. Eventually the sinkhole filled up and nobody was the wiser, until the discovery of the fossils in recent times. At the attraction visitors take a guided tour and though the guides are quite young, they are very well trained and can answer even complex questions (I bring this up as this is not the case at most private geological attractions). The facility could use some upgrades – their phone-based tour guide amplification system is something straight out of the 60′s – so try to stay near the front of the pack if you have trouble hearing. But what you’re here for is the science, and the spectacle of hundreds of years of wildlife frozen in time.

A highlight of the Mammoth Site is also the small attached museum. There’s some gorgeous reproductions here:

Mammoth at the Mammoth Site, South Dakota.

I especially enjoyed their pygmy mammoth, a species which lived nearly until historical time on the islands off the coast of Southern California (now Channel Islands National Park). Just the right size of for a family pet. Not so good as a family pet would be this fellow:

Saber toothed bear or cat at Mammoth Site, South Dakota.

If you happen to know the species, please drop me a comment. It’s either a bear or a cat. It’s big enough to eat you.

The Black Hills Institute – Home of Stan™ the Dinosaur

One of the treasures of South Dakota is the Black Hills Institute, a museum and nonprofit which celebrates geology and paleontology in a densely packed but impressive collection in downtown Hill City. Hill City is a delightful stop for many reasons, but this is a big one.

Reproductions of ancient creatures at the Black Hills Institute, Hill City, South Dakota.

The Institute is probably most famous for its involvement in the controversy over Sue the Dinosaur. A massive T-Rex, Sue was excavated by Institute’s staff, but after a contentious dispute ended up in Chicago, where she would go on to play fetch with Ben Stiller in “Night at the Museum.” Well ok, that wasn’t actually her, but I’m sure she would if she could.

But that controversy is of little matter to the visitor, who can still see Stan™ (yes, he’s trademarked), an enormous original T-Rex skeleton. Stan™ towers over the small museum. This is an opportunity to get a sense of how extraordinary these creatures really were. There are two creatures have the power to remind apes like ourselves of how small we really are: a living elephant, and a dead dinosaur.

Stan the Dinosaur at the Black Hills Institute, Hill City, South Dakota.

Because the museum is so crowded, it feels like the T-Rex is running in a herd of dinosaurs, a la Jurassic Park. The smaller specimens are all fascinating. Many are originals, a few are replicas.

In addition to the displays the Institute has a large gift shop full of rocks, fossils, geological equipment, and an excellent selection of books on relevant subjects. If you actually ARE a scientist of some sort, or an amateur enthusiast, you’ll geek out.

Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is one of those old geological attractions that has an authenticity to it you don’t see in too many museums these days. Some of the exhibits are 30 or 40 years old, hand made, but explain the geology of the black hills to a layperson better than anything else I’ve seen. The site is on a ridge top on the property of the Elk Creek Resort and is in the city of Piedmont, a northern suburb of Rapid City. The forest is up a very steep, but short, dirt road in back of the resort (note: a shuttle is available at the resort if you don’t think your car can make it up the grade).

All visitors are given an introductory video on VHS – yes, VHS still exists – which though filmed at least 25 years ago, is an excellent overview of the geology of the area. The Black Hills are unique, and the story of how these isolated mountains erupted from a stark plain will change the way you look at this landscape. From there, visitors tour through a museum of carefully designed dioramas which further illustrate the point. If you are short of time though, you can just continue on to the trail with your self-guided tour card and walk out into a lovely forest. The trail passes numerous examples of petrified wood from the site, in some cases not moved from the original position.

Petrified tree stump at the Petrified Forest in Piedmont, South Dakota. That wood looks almost real, but in fact it is roughly 125 million years old. The trail is littered with these stumps and logs which are strewn as casually as the day they fell. There’s so much, it can be stacked up like cord wood.

125 million year old cord wood at the Petrified Forest in South Dakota.

This walk isn’t just nice for the petrified wood. The views from the ridge top are lovely.

Petrified wood and a view of the trees in Piedmont, South Dakota.

Don’t let the lack of a sophisticated web site or the presence of a VCR put you off – this really is worth it for the geologically inclined. Kids might enjoy hunting for petrified logs, and trying to tell the difference between modern and ancient from a distance.

And one final thought: I have no idea if the owner is looking for a sponsor, or donations, but if someone has a pile of money to throw around, this place could be even more awesome. People with piles of money: please contact this guy. But let him do his thing, he’s good at it. See website link above.

Located at 8229 Elk Creek Road in Piedmont, SD, just a short drive off of I-90 northwest of Rapid City.

Vore Buffalo Jump

(Note: Closed during winter) There are probably several other places where Native Americans rounded up bison to be pushed off cliffs back when there were enough bison for this strategy to be both effective, and useful. This, however, may be the most accessible to a modern day visitor. On a windy rise right next to I-90 in Northeastern Wyoming, the Vore Buffalo Jump is an active paleontological and archeological site which got a brand new protective building in 2010 to help preserve the layers yet to be excavated. You pay a small fee to a volunteer and then hike down a spiral path into the pit. It’s like a miniature version of the Mammoth Site, but focused on Bison and Native American culture. Multiple tribes probably used this site over many years.

The Vore Buffalo Jump excavation site, Wyoming

The jump is a good stop on the way back to Rapid City from Devil’s Tower (take exit 199) or a short trip out of Rapid City from the east (exit 205). Better directions are here. The day we were there, a couple of volunteers staffed the dig site and answered questions.

Before leaving, take a moment to look up at the ledge above. Though not the original contour of the land, it gives you an idea of how bison might have gone flying over the edge in a stampede.

Looking up from the bottom of the Vore Buffalo Jump, Wyoming.

Other geological attractions

There are several other ways to enjoy the rocks and the bones of the Black Hills.

Rock shops: It seems like the rock shops are scattered every few yards. Some of these are run by geologists with advanced degrees, others by knowledgeable enthusiasts, and any one of these intriguing stores can suck up an hour of your time (and a portion of your wallet). Tip: figure out if you need bookends before you leave home.

Turtle skeleton at Reptile Gardens: I’ll be posting a separate installment of this travelogue to cover the Reptile Gardens, but that attraction also has an ancient sea turtle skeleton that is pretty impressive:

Giant Sea Turtle skeleton at Reptile Gardens, South Dakota.

I don’t know about you, but with the glass dome and all the plants that scene looked like the visitor’s center in Jurassic Park to me.

Museum of Geology: Finally, one attraction we missed on our trip was the Museum of Geology at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City. Their collection is said to be both vast and unexpected, including full skeletons of seagoing dinosaurs and giant hunks of gold. You can satisfy your scientific cravings and your inner greed in one stop. They even have a baby Plesiosaur from Antarctica and a gigantic Mesasaurus, which is a seagoing lizard that would have eaten you if you had taken a dip in the ocean way back when.

Don’t miss the rest of my Black Hills Travelogue – see the Table of Contents, here.