The Center’s annual dinner-theater produc-tion
on June 14th at the Oaks Convention Cen-ter
once more featured the deft musical and
dramatic pen of Professor Ron Robinson and
the talents of nearly a score of the city’s finest
thespians. The theme of the struggles and tri-umphs
of the women of the American West in
story and song was an engaging one, and 275
diners interrupted Tuesday’s performance often
with their applause—and with a standing ova-tion
at the closing curtain.
The sixteenth production since 1990,
Women of the West was the eighth that Profes-sor
Robinson has written, or directed, or
revived, or performed in or has done all of the
above in assisting the Center in raising funds
and recruiting supporters. The Board and staff
of the Center are deeply indebted to Ron for
sharing his time and talent in this way. He is
also the author of several plays and two novels, writes art commentary for etc. Magazine, and with his wife Margaret edits and pub-lishes
regional books for Ex Machina Publishing Company.
Joining Robinson in bringing Women of the West on stage was Eugenia Hartig as the Narrator, a long-time television personal-ity
with KELO-TV and an actress and vocalist in such musical productions as The Merry Widow and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well.
A retired professor of voice at Augustana, and now living in Omaha, Eugenia continues to give private lessons in voice.
Terry Walter was once again the musical director for a Robinson production. She teaches piano, accompanies and conducts,
With its release date set for Septem-ber
2005, A New South Dakota History
will soon be available to readers at the
CWS Gift Shop and online. Featuring
essays by nationally recognized authors as
well as full-length chapters by noted
scholars, the history is intended for gener-al
readers, college students, and teachers
of South Dakota history.
This is a new story of South Dakota’s
past—a new telling of South Dakota’s
often colorful yet sometimes painful his-tory.
The first new interpretation of the
state’s history in more than thirty years, A
New South Dakota History emphasizes
the geographic and cultural diversity of
the state.
Among the topics included are Lako-ta
spirituality, Native American peoples,
Missouri Valley Culture, Yankee and
European immigration, the African Amer-ican
experience, farming and ranching,
the Black Hills, small-town and urban life,
geography, territorial and statehood poli-tics,
modern Sioux tribes, religious insti-tutions,
health care, communication tech-nologies,
women authors, performing and
visual arts, transportation and tourism,
and the challenges and promises facing
South Dakota in the twenty-first century.
The 650-page book features over 150
photographs and illustrations, chapter
chronologies, copious notes, a selected
readings list, and a full index. The book is
available in two editions: paperback, for
$39.95, and hardcover, for $59.95.
The Center forWestern Studies Newsletter
Vol. 25 Number 2 SUMMER 2005
Women of the West Win Hearts and Minds
A New South Dakota History Arrives
(continued on page 2)
(continued on page 2)
Curtain call for the cast of Women of the West: l. to r.: Pat Timm, Tammy Coffey,
Lisa Grevlos, Julia Bennett, Calli Stenseth-Brick, Elizabeth Rusch, Janet Brown,
and Margaret Robinson.