Play Recommendation – Glensheen – The Cabaret
As my spouse could testify under oath: my favorite play of all time is the History Theater’s production of Glensheen. Glensheen tells the story of the real-life 1977 Duluth murders and subsequent court trials, with both humor and humanity. This very Minnesotan play fits perfectly in my recommendation series for estate/will-driven plays, books, and movies.
Before I can recommend the play, I must first introduce the underlying story to those of you who have never heard of this historic case. In June of 1977, the heiress Elisabeth Mannering Congdon and her night nurse, Velma Pietila, were murdered at Glensheen, the historic home of the famous Congdon family. The murders themselves were tragic and horrible for everyone involved. After a complex investigation, the heiress’ son-in-law, Roger Caldwell, was convicted of the murders. His motive: the inheritance that his wife would receive from Elisabeth Congdon upon the latter’s death. Roger’s wife—Marjorie Congdon Caldwell, Elisabeth Congdon’s daughter—was tried but not convicted for her involvement in the murders.
Although she was not convicted criminally, Marjorie was involved in a civil suit following the trials. Under Minnesota law, you are not permitted to profit from the decedent’s death if you are involved in the decedent’s murder. Five of Marjorie’s seven children brought a civil suit to prevent Marjorie’s inheritance due to the circumstances of the case and Elisabeth Congdon’s death. The civil suit settled, but dramatically limited Marjorie’s inheritance from the Congdon trust. In the following years, Marjorie was convicted of several other (serious) crimes. To my knowledge, she remains alive and at-large today.
These murders occurred nearly 50 years ago, and during that time they have been memorialized in newspapers, an illuminating nonfiction book penned by the lead investigator and prosecutor, and in other books and articles. I have read and would recommend many of them to you! You can also tour the actual Glensheen estate today. While Glensheen is primarily a historic house tour, the interpreters will answer some questions about the murders if they are directly asked. One year, the Minnesota State Bar Association hilariously rewrote the crime into an “even-handed trial” for its annual high school Mock Trial case; I was lucky enough to still be coaching high school mock trial at the time. Minnesota isn’t New York or England, and we don’t have the same kind of high-society stories and lore. But: Minnesota has Glensheen.
Finally, in 2015, Jeffrey Hatcher and Chan Poling created the dark and fascinating musical retelling of this chapter of Minnesota history: Glensheen. I attended excitedly, and I was not disappointed. I laughed. I cried. I cried while laughing during the lawyer’s brilliant performance of a trial in the song “Conspiracy”.
Glensheen is funnier than it should be, well-acted, and with a lovely set—but what makes Glensheen remarkable (to me, as an uninformed and nonprofessional spectator) is the care that it uses in understanding the crime itself. This is never more apparent than during the night nurse’s solo, “Stay With Me”. It would be easy to lose the humanity of the victims and families in the sheer nonsense and detail of the trial and strange circumstances. Somehow, Hatcher and Poling, with the magnificent actress Wendy Lehr, keep us grounded in the tragedy of the deaths. Glensheen tells a story, and entertains the audience, but it also respects the sorrow and humanity of the women who died.
I have attended a show during every run of Glensheen in the ten years since the show began. Is this because I am a probate lawyer? Probably not. I suspect that it’s simply because I’m a nerd who likes musicals and historic jokes.
This year, the History Theater is unfortunately not bringing back Glensheen for a full run, or for the full play. However, they are showing a new version in Glensheen – The Cabaret. I have not seen this production, but I recommend it wholeheartedly to those of you interested in a deeply Minnesotan musical about murder, Minnesota humor, and humanity. You can learn more here.
