Kim Schultz

THE ROOT BEER LADY

Written and performed by Kim Schultz

Directed by Addie Gorlin-Han

Remounted by Jess​  Yates​​

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Coming back to St. Paul, MN this SUMMER!

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW:

https://www.historytheatre.com/2026-2027/root-beer-lady​​​​​​

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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.

 

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RBL PRODUCTION HISTORY:

History Theatre, St. Paul, MN:

January-February 2025

January-February 2023

​February 2021 (virtual performance)

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Theatre L'Homme Dieu, Alexandria, MN

​July 2025

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​​​AND ON TOUR FALL 2026!!!

Contact Andrew Bourgoin, for booking:

andrew@bourgoinproductions.com 

 

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Nominated for FAVORITE NEW PLAY  in 2023 by Twin Cities Theater Bloggers!

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“Schultz delivers a bravura performance that makes Molter a fascinating companion.”

Ron Hubbard, Pioneer Press, January 26, 2025

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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. 

Lettered in Theatre 2023 Year in Review

 

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.

Cherry and Spoon, January 29, 2023

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REVIEWS:

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“Root Beer Lady will leave you impressed by the extraordinary gumption and grit of Dorothy Molter, and marveling at the independence of this singular woman” – Talkin Broadway

• https://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/minn/minn1331.html

 

“Schultz embodies Dorothy so completely that one comes away feeling you’ve just spent 90 minutes with the real Root Beer lady of the north” – Stages of MN

• https://bit.ly/TSOMNRootBeer

 

“A beautiful homage to [Dorothy Molter] and the place that she loved and was lucky enough to call home” -Cherry and Spoon

• Cherry and Spoon: "The Root Beer Lady" at the History Theatre

 

“Schultz delivers a bravura performance that makes Molter a fascinating companion.” -Pioneer Press

• https://www.twincities.com/2025/01/26/review-history-theatres-root-beer-lady-a-captivating-portrait-of-a-woman-of-the-wilderness/?clearUserState=true

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ADDITIONAL REVIEWS:

• The Root Beer Lady blazes her own trail at History Theatre (Rob Dunkelberger, thestagesofmn.com, 1/28/23)

• A simple story, but beautifully told (Jill Schafer, cherryandspoon.com, 1/29/23)

• 'Root Beer Lady' a love letter to Boundary Waters (Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press, 1/30/23)

• Enjoy Northern Minnesota...this show is for you (lifeinrevue.blogspot.com)

• Find inspiration in Dorothy's story to live life your own way (twincitiesstages.com)

• Schultz imbues Dorothy with humor, spunk, generous spirit (Arthur Dorman, talkinbroadway.com, 2/2/23)

• 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:

• Friends of the Boundary Waters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=388YtVryEDI

• Kim Schultz on WDIO TV: https://www.wdio.com/lift-online/history-theatre-brings-dorothy-molters-story-to-the-stage/

• Midwest Access:  https://www.kttc.com/video/2025/02/04/midwest-access-the-root-beer-lady-history-theatre/

• MN Live: https://kstp.com/special-coverage/minnesota-live/the-root-beer-lady/

• Sweet treat: Play explores life of Boundary Waters' 'Root Beer Lady' (Jacob Aloi, MPR News, 1/26/23)

• History Theatre shines spotlight on trailblazing 'Root Beer Lady' (Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, 1/25/23)

• Some Obscure, Some Beloved (Jearlyn Steele, WCCO, 1/30/23)

• Watch interview with playwright and performer Kim Schultz

• Insider look at 'The Root Beer Lady' with Kim and Addie (Friends of the Boundary Waters, 2/1/23)

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