THE ROOT BEER LADY
Written and performed by Kim Schultz
Directed by Addie Gorlin-Han
Remounted by Jess
COMING BACK TO THE HISTORY THEATRE IN 2025!
January 25, 2025-February 23, 2025
Nominated for FAVORITE NEW PLAY by Twin Cities Theater Bloggers!
Written and performed by Kim Schultz, it’s something like a memoir in monologue that chronicles how a nurse from Chicago heard the call of the loon and left civilization behind, paring her life down to essentials and cultivating a profound connection with nature. Schultz convincingly taps into Molter’s gruff, tough, no-nonsense bearing, but never allows Molter to lose touch with the wonderstruck woman she was on her first foray to the North Woods. It’s a ceaselessly engaging chronicle of a life quite unlike any other.
Ron Hubbard, St. Paul Pioner Press
The Root Beer Lady at History Theatre was so good I had to go twice! A true love letter to nature and fun way to learn more about Dorothy Molter (aka The Root Beer Lady) and the 56 years she lived in the beauty of north woods. It was stunning storytelling and performance by Kim Schultz that made you laugh out loud then leave you misty eyed and inspired to live your life a little more like Dorothy.
The world premiere new play The Root Beer Lady at History Theatre, in which playwright/performer Kim Schultz so beautifully captures the spirit of the BWCAW and the inspiring life and personality of Dorothy Molter. The Saturday Evening Post once called her "the loneliest woman in America," but throughout the play Dorothy shows us why, in fact, she was "the luckiest woman in America," because she lived an authentic life that was exactly what she wanted, despite society's and her family's expectations of what a proper young woman should do. Whether or not you have a personal connection to the BWCAW... The Root Beer Lady will engage and entertain you for 80 minutes, make you laugh, and maybe even inspire you to go for a hike, look up at the trees, or jump in a lake.
Performance History:
History Theatre, St. Paul, MN
Jan 28-Feb 19, 2023
1986. The story of the indomitable Dorothy Molter, the last legal non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters. The story reflects the beauty and hardships of Molter’s solitary yet satisfying life beginning in 1934. The play, funny and passionate, explores her independence, fortitude, and love of nature. and pushes back against the premise that her time in the North Woods made her the “Loneliest Woman in America,” as the Saturday Evening Post claimed in 1952. Dorothy Molter’s story will delight all, young and old.
REVIEWS:
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The Root Beer Lady blazes her own trail at History Theatre (Rob Dunkelberger, thestagesofmn.com, 1/28/23)
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A simple story, but beautifully told (Jill Schafer, cherryandspoon.com, 1/29/23)
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'Root Beer Lady' a love letter to Boundary Waters (Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press, 1/30/23)
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Enjoy Northern Minnesota...this show is for you (lifeinrevue.blogspot.com)
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Find inspiration in Dorothy's story to live life your own way (twincitiesstages.com)
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Schultz imbues Dorothy with humor, spunk, generous spirit (Arthur Dorman, talkinbroadway.com, 2/2/23)
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Schultz brings the story to life in a beautiful and memorable way (Mary Aalgaard, playoffthepage.com, 2/6/23)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLAY AND PLAYWRIGHT:
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Sweet treat: Play explores life of Boundary Waters' 'Root Beer Lady' (Jacob Aloi, MPR News, 1/26/23)
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History Theatre shines spotlight on trailblazing 'Root Beer Lady' (Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, 1/25/23)
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Some Obscure, Some Beloved (Jearlyn Steele, WCCO, 1/30/23)
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Insider look at 'The Root Beer Lady' with Kim and Addie (Friends of the Boundary Waters, 2/1/23)
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