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The Northfield Experience

Performances- May 4, 5, 6, 2018

COMMISSIONED by

 St. Olaf College and Carleton College

With support from the Northfield City Council and following institutions: 

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The Northfield Experience was an immersive experience that included ten different works of media/visual arts, theater, dance and music. The aim was for audiences to experience their previously known town with new “eyes” and be immersed in different art forms, each medium specifically selected for the themes and spaces they inhabit. Audience members for each performance were divided up into "tour groups" and traveled through the town by foot and by bus to experience all of the works. Everyone started at the Grand Theater (for the video installations and the theater work A Special Place and regrouped for the finale, The Beginning which took place at the Northfield cemetery.

The inspiration for The Northfield Experience, was born out St. Olaf and Carleton College desire to collaborate on the creation of a site-specific performance event. When I made my first visit to both campuses, it was clear that the site they share, is not their campuses, but the town of Northfield whose town center is located directly between these two historic institutions. Creating a work, an event that would not only bring the two colleges closer together but also bring the community of Northfield into their vision for collaboration was part of my vision. The Northfield Experience, a true site-specific work of performance, utilized the history and the architecture of Northfield as the themes and content of work. A collection of linked performances, all sited in Northfield, became a true civic collaboration between the two colleges and the city government and stakeholders of the city of Northfield.

I was most excited me to partner with an entire community, create new works of dance, theater and media all in collaboration with students, faculty and community members of both colleges and the city of Northfield.

The Northfield Experience had five sold out performances and was seen by close to 1,000 people.

Conception and Artistic Direction: Stephan Koplowitz 

Lead Producer (St. Olaf) and Project Manager: Janice Roberts 

Producer (Carleton): Steve Richardson 

Production/Technical Manager: Todd F. Edwards 

Assistant Production Manager: Ashley E. Stock 

Costume Designer: Andrea M. Gross 

Assistant Project Manager: Harrison Hintzsche 

Experience Guides: Susan M. Carlson, Mary Moore Easter, Mishia Edwards, Rolf Ragseth, Marie Vogl-Gery and Susan Hvistendahl (Friday) 

Costume Shop Managers: Aimee Jillson (St. Olaf) and Mary Ann Kelling (Carleton) 

Video Documentation: Brittany Shrimpton (Producer), Stephan Koplowitz (director), Amelia Laughlin (editor), Jack Davis, Hunter Johnson (videography).

 

The Northfield Experience gratefully acknowledges the following sources of funding:     NEA, MSAB and Northfield EDA, and SEMAC 

Selected Press

Video Promo (3 months before premiere)

Video and photos of the artistic elements of The Northfield Experience

all photos by Dan Iverson and Stephan Koplowitz

Photo Gallery: Northfield Depot: Moving Past the Past

Photo Gallery- Northfield Public Library: Reading Time

Photo Gallery: Northfield Cemetery:  The Beginning

Photo Gallery: The Grand-Installations

Photo Gallery- The Grand-A Special Place 

Photo Gallery: Law Office Installation

Photo Gallery: Northfield Historical Society-Bank room

Photo Gallery: Orphaned Ole Singers,  Parade  and Guides

Photo Gallery: Theater (De)Tour

The Northfield Exhbition Experience
The Northfield exhibition Experience pos
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