Hell on Wheels: The Winter Strike of 1934
Description
The true story of the families and truckers in Minneapolis who organized in order to survive the Great Depression. This first strike of 1934 led to the transformation of the North Star State.
Venue – Barker Center
Content Warnings – Adult Language, Loud Noises, Mental Illness, Violence, Other Divisive Content
Genre and Content – Comedy, Drama, Physical Theater, Historical Content, Political Content, Religious Content, Audience Participation
Ages 12 to 15 and Up
Some of you already know this, but for those I haven’t told yet, I was part of organizing a new union at the Guthrie Theater, representing the front-facing staff of Box Office, Guest Services, Housekeeping and Ushers, and was part of the team that sat across the table from management for the 15 months it took to negotiate the first contract, which went into effect this past April 20th (because IATSE Local 13 has a sense of humor). I also sort of stumbled sideways into being a union steward for my department.
All of which is to say, I will likely be a sucker for union stories for the rest of my life.
Also, the press packet materials for this one include the alternate synopsis of:
“Minnesotans banding together to fight their oppressors in the bleak mid-winter.”
Hmmm, where have I encountered that situation before… sounds familiar but I can’t quite place it? :)
This show covers the first of three strikes in the year 1934, the Winter Strike that started it all.
The More Information tab on the show page for this one is crammed full of fun stuff:
“There were three Minneapolis strikes in 1934. By August 2nd, Governor Floyd Olson had ordered the National Guard to raid both the Teamsters’ and the wealthy owners’ Citizens Alliance strike headquarters, arresting the leaders of both sides of the class conflict. Two strikers had been shot and killed in cold blood by the police a week before. They were already calling it Bloody Friday, and had no idea that it would continue to be commemorated 92 years later at the very spot.
By the third Summer Strike, an all out war broke out across Minneapolis that changed the social fabric and identity of Minnesota. Before that, all the truckers in the Spring Strike took on the powerful Citizens Alliance directly for the first time, and held their ground.
None of it was possible without the Coal Drivers’ Strike in the Winter of 1934 first. By building a small movement in the rank and file coal drivers, the radical Dunne brothers were able to chart a path towards an industrial union that led the Midwest through the rest of the Great Depression.”
The glossary included there contains the definition:
“Scab - someone who crosses a picket line and works during a strike. Don’t be a scab.”
As well as some new information that I probably should have been able to figure out for myself if I’d stopped to think for a minute:
“Teamster - a worker, usually in a union, involved in transport of any kind, originally referencing a “team” of horses.”
There will, of course, be music, which you can catch snippets of on the company’s Instagram page here.
The Director and Playwright/Dramaturg’s notes also intrigue me:
Director, Libby Wasylik - The stories we tell matter. They build our broader narratives, develop our beliefs and ultimately shape our behavior. This story invites us to question hierarchy. It encourages us to expand our definition of us and narrow our definition of them. Most of all this story demands that we accept the limits of self reliance. As Marvel says, “we must seek each other to find ourselves.
Playwright/Dramaturg, Theo Barb - It is difficult to think about the world like it’s 1934. Much is familiar, but other parts are so deeply changed. Minneapolis was less than one hundred years old in the 1930s, a time of disaster. This was also fertile ground to organize the masses of people required to keep the system running. We still benefit from the bravery of those who survived the Great Depression. This speaks to the fluid nature of our present moment, as we collectively write the first draft of history.
And I appreciate a theater company with a clear, specific mission statement:
“Local 574 is a company of artists committed to telling stories of radical struggle in Minnesota. They believe in theatrical work rooted in economic justice, historical optimism, and universal equality for all.”
So, naturally, in solidarity, I feel drawn to be in the audience of this one.
Interested in hearing about other artists I recommend based on past outings in the Fringe? Here's a link to a list of all the coverage of returning favorite artists from past pre-Fringe Top 20 lists of mine that are part of this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. And here's links to the 2026 versions of my pre-Fringe Top 10 list and Top 11 through 20 for the 2026 festival as we ramp up toward the start of the Fringe on August 6th.
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