Grand Forks, North Dakota

ISSUE 6

TA K E A B I T E
 INSIDE
music / theatre / food / lit

4 8
Featured poem by local writer | pg 5

THEATRE CULTURE

5 10 Theres more to roller derby than meets the eye | pg 8

LIT EATS

6 11
LINEUP SPECIAL
SEE YOUR FEATURE Take a walk in someone elses shoes | pg 11
AD HERE
The Beat is a publication of the
Empire Arts Center. Find out more about the Empire
Empire Staff:
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for a story? Contact us at info@empireartscenter.com. Emily Montgomery, Executive Director
Mackenzie Teepen, Development & Communications
Affordable advertising opportunities are now available Jenna Paintner, Communications Intern
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profit rates. Email mackenzie@empireartscenter.com for
more information.

2 THE BEAT | SUMMER 2017

ARTS & CULTURE

SUMMER 2017 | THE BEAT 3

ARTS & CULTURE
THEATRE

North Dakota Shakespeare: In the park

By Maddie Sharpe

T
hanks to the brilliance of William
Shakespeare, nowadays you cant
hear the title Romeo and Juliet
without resisting to proclaim Romeo,
Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? If
you were wondering just wherefore Romeo
art, look no further.
I recently had the chance to virtually sit
down with Stephanie Faatz Murry, founder
and artistic director of North Dakota
Shakespeare: In the Park! This exciting
new theatre company exists for exactly
what its title entails: to bring Shakespeare
to North Dakota- in a park!
So Stephanie- can you give us a brief
overview of the program?
Why Shakespeare?
We are focusing on Shakespeares work
because it really is timeless. There is a
reason his plays have survived for 400
years! Also, he wrote for the common man.
His pieces, in todays day and age, often
have the stigma of being inaccessible or
created for a specific sect of society. Not
true! He wanted his pieces to reach the
average man and woman. Romeo and
Juliet, specifically, is particularly timely is
this period of division in our nation. It is
a story about two warring families who
ultimately lose their children because they
couldnt set aside their differences. I think
we could all use a reminder that, together,
we stand stronger.
How can the people of Grand Forks
get involved?
The biggest way to get involved is to come
to the show! Theatre cannot exist without
an audience. Considering its free of charge,
theres no reason not to give it a try! We
are also looking for ushers to help hand out
programs and extra man power to help with
set-up and tear-down each night. Email
stephanie@northdakotashakespeare.com
to get involved and/or visit our website at
northdakotashakespeare.com.
Where do you hope to see this
program five years from now?
Five years, from now, I hope North Dakota
Shakespeare: In the Park! will be an eagerly
anticipated annual tradition, with audience
members from the Red River Valley and
beyond. Wed like to play some small part
in putting Grand Forks on the map as an
artistic destination.
When: June 13th-18th, 2017 at 7:00 each
night
Where: Town Square Park in downtown
Grand Forks
What: Shakespeares timeless classic,
Romeo and Juliet
Cost: Free!

North Dakota Shakespeare: In the Park! is

a professional theatre company, comprised
of artists from all over the nation. Our
goal is to bring professional theatre to the
community, regardless of economic status,
fostered by the belief that access to the arts
is a human right.

This year we will present the classic,

romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.

Starting a company like North Dakota

Shakespeare has been a dream of mine for
years, but, like so many dreams, I didnt
have the financial means to make it a reality.
Now a faculty member at UND, I had the
opportunity to apply for a College of Arts
and Sciences grant to further my Creative
Activity and it seemed like the perfect
chance to pitch my idea. Several grant
proposals later, here we are, launching this
exciting new project! I am so thrilled to
bring these talented actors and technicians
to Grand Forks and show the community
just how powerful Shakespeare can be!

4 THE BEAT | SUMMER 2017

 ARTS & CULTURE
LIT

Houses We Die In
By Shawn Brokke

i
know we havent
talked the past few days
and im sorry.
its hard to find
the courage
to get to something inside me without
bumping in to
all the things you left there.
how is your mom? and what about your
father,
is he still begging you to
play some catch
or work on the car?
i swear you thought sometimes
that he loved that car more than
he loved you,
but i think it was you in it
that made his heart swell.
please tell me if
you see my grandparents up there,
dancing the polka or having lunch,
i havent seen them since 03.
ive been eating better
and going outside more.
to the park where we laid out
staring at the sea of stars,
to the coffeehouse
down the street,
to the cemetery.
the amount of nights a person
can linger in
someone else after theyre gone;
the sum of nights
spent warm and swollen
in the same bed
as love and longing.
your phone has been disconnected
for three weeks now.
i dont know how ive made it this far
without having your
voice at the end
of a string
that i could tug at any time.
now im living
with whats left;
photos, voicemails,
the clothes you left at my house.
im told that being angry is normal,
but all i feel is empty.
33 South 3RD Street Downtown Grand Forks
i want to think of you as
more than just a stain
on the wood grain
of my bookshelf.
i want this love to be more
than a planet
being sucked in
to a void.
i havent felt home
since you left.

i dont know
where my shoes are and
i wont
be leaving
here WORK MEET NETWORK ROCK ON
anytime soon.

the houses we live in Ready to cowork?

and E collin@evolvegf.com
the houses we die in.
you are the former, T 701.335.7638
you are the latter. W the-701.com

SUMMER 2017 | THE BEAT 5

MUSIC
MUSIC PICTURES ALI ROOD & PENUMBRA THIRD STREET SUMMER MUSIC
May 7 May 18 FESTIVAL
Presented by Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra The Backstage Project June 23
Empire Arts Center Empire Arts Center Presented by Joe Blacks, The Hub Pub
701.746.5500 / empireartscenter.com 701.746.5500 / empireartscenter.com & Ward and Diana, Inc.
Riverview Center parking lot
FRIDAY NIGHT MUSIC:
SHOVELS JOSH TUINDER
May 8 May 26 BLUES ON THE RED
Ojata Records The Ember June 24 & July 29
Australian psych-post-punk band 701.757.4012 Presented by Downtown Development Association
701.757.4002 Downtown Grand Forks
701.757.4051 / downtowngrandforks.org
POISON
May 27
Alerus Center
800.745.3000 / aleruscenter.com

THEATRE/DANCE
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS ROMEO AND JULIET: THE MUSIC MAN
May 11-20 SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK! July 14-17
Presented by Fire Hall Theatre June 13-18 Presented by Summer Performing Arts
Fire Hall Theatre Presented by North Dakota Shakespeare Grand Forks Central High School
701.777.4090 / ggfct.org Town Square 701.746.2205 / spacompany.com
www.northdakotashakespeare.com

ACADEMY SPRING CONCERT CAROUSEL

May 12 THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM
Presented by North Dakota Ballet Company COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Chester Fritz Auditorium June 29- July 15
www.northdakotaballet.org Presented by Empire Theatre Company
Empire Arts Center
701.746.5500 / empireartscenter.com
July 22-25
Presented by Summer Performing Arts
Red River High School
701.746.2205 / spacompany.com

6 THE BEAT | SUMMER 2017

ART
ART ACROSS THE AGES EXHIBIT MOLLIE DOUTHIT: PAINTINGS ART & WINE WALK
May 2 EXHIBITION OPENING June 17
Presented by UND Art Collections May 7 Presented by Downtown Development Association &
Empire Arts Center Presented by North Dakota Museum of Art Public Arts Commission
701.746.5500 / und.edu/art-collections North Dakota Museum of Art Downtown GF & EGF
701.777.4195/ ndmoa.com downtowngrandforks.org

ART ON THE RED

June 10 & 11
Presented by Public Arts Commission
Downtown GF & EGF
novac.org

POTPOURRI
ONE MILLION CUPS BAGEL SUNDAY GREATER GRAND FORKS
May 3 & every following Wednesday May 7 & every following Sunday COUNTY FAIR
Presented by One Million Cups Grand Forks Amazing Grains Food Co-op June 21-25
The 701 coworking space 701.775.4542 / amazinggrains.org Grand Forks Fairgrounds
1millioncups.com 701.330.1238/ grandforksfair.com

DONUT AND BEER PAIRING

ALLEY ALIVE June 2 SUMMERTHING KIDS
May 4 Presented by Brick & Barley June 28 & 29
Alley between DeMers and 1st and 3rd and 4th Brick & Barley Bar & Restaurant Presented by Grand Forks Park District
alleyalive.com 701.757.4012 / brickandbarleygf.com University Park
701.746.2750 / gfparks.org
MOVIE IN THE PARK
TRIVIA MAFIA THURSDAY June 13, 29 & July 11, 20, 25
May 4 & every following Thursday Presented by Grand Forks Park District SERTOMA 4TH OF JULY
Green Mill Restaurant and Bar 701.746.2750 / gfparks.org FESTIVAL
612.868.4070 / greenmill.com July 4
Downtown Grand Forks & Greenway
DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET gfsertoma.org
DOWNTOWN DERBY RUN June 17 & every following Saturday
May 6 Town Square
Downtown Grand Forks 701.746.2736/ tsfarmersmarket.com BOURBON AND PIE PAIRING
701.775.1115 / rundick.com July 4
WORLD REFUGEE DAY Presented by Brick & Barley
DOWNTOWN DERBY PUB CRAWL June 17 Brick & Barley Bar & Restaurant
May 6 Presented by Global Friends Coalition 701.757.4012 / brickandbarleygf.com
Downtown Grand Forks Town Square
701.746.8233 / gfcoalition.org
CATS INCREDIBLE CATFISH DAYS
July 29 & 30
LaFave Park
218.399.3474

SUMMER 2017 | THE BEAT 7

ARTS & CULTURE
CULTURE
Sugar Beaters
By Katie Sullivan
I
come from an unusual family. No not
my biological family. But just like a
biological family I didnt chose them,
and they didnt chose me. We are all the
same in one way though. We all bleed
derby. Yeah, thats right. Roller Derby. I am
a member of Forx Roller Derby League
and the Sugar Beaters are my family.
If there is anything I have learned from
this team it is how to challenge myself to
be more than I ever imagined.
Let me demonstrate. Picture this in your
head.
You can do anything for thirty seconds.
Now repeat that again.
You can do anything for thirty seconds.
You hear those words ringing in your ears
as your feet are burning and your saliva
8 THE BEAT | SUMMER 2017
thickens. Youre skating hard back and
forth on the track, pushing yourself and
smiling at your teammates. You are all
barely putting out joking complaints about
how you are about to fall apart. Coach yells
out that there are 30 seconds left. You tell
yourself you can make it until the next rest.
While you are out of breath and sweating
bullets, you remember again. You can do
anything for thirty seconds. And you know
what? Its true. Its easy to know that thirty
seconds can kill you, but who knew thirty
seconds can make you stronger? Stronger
than you ever thought you could be.
Once or twice a week I hear that phrase,
and I remember what its like to dig deep
inside and pull out a force from deep
within to keep myself going. Even when I
think Im unable to. I wouldnt be able to
do this without my sisters. They all create
a fire inside of me to power me through
to my next move. And I think all of them
would agree that we do that for each other.
Photo credit: Dennis Beck / Broadway Tour
We are a team made up of chemists,
teachers, moms, and many more types of
women. Women who empower, women
who build each other. Women who will
tear you apart with their stare on the track
but will warm your heart with their smile
on the sideline.
The best thing about this sport is how
empowering it is. It teaches you that
no matter who you are, no matter what
you do, you are important, and you are
needed. I dont think any of the members
of the league ever thought that every inch
of them could be so vital. From their overly
muscled left glute from skating thousands
of miles turning left on the track, to each
and every inch of their wonderful minds.
Everyone is important on the track. You
could have a broken leg and you are still
vital. Even if you are broken you are still
important, no matter how broken you
are, or how you are broken, YOU ARE
IMPORTANT.
photo courtesy of katie sullivan
Our team is unique because we are a
group of women who were able to come
together with the same passion and lots
of differences and make a team filled with
love and acceptance. We made the team,
the team didnt make us. Roller Derby is a
safe place to find who you really are with
the support of others who are doing just
the same.
Forx Roller Derbys Sugar Beaters have
games all summer at the Blueline Club
behind Red River High School. Come
support this group of women on April
29, June 17, August 12, and September
30. The games are family friendly, tickets
are $5 and kids get in free! Find them on
Facebook for more information.
Katie Sullivan is a 2015 graduate from Central
High School. She works in the childcare industry
and has aspirations to pursue a career in
broadcasting and journalism. She has been a Sugar
Beater for two seasons.
 ARTS & CULTURE
CULTURE
Streetstyle
By BJ Welle
h
ello...im baaaaack for another
segment of streetSTYLE. by now
most of you have cut your losses
and have given up on your new years
resolutions...so you are ready to hit the
town...but since you chose the gym over Joe
Blacks you have no idea what people are
wearing...well lucky for you i havent left and
i know exactly what people are wearing...let
us begin...if you want to be the queen of
3rd street on a Saturday night then follow
these simple rules. rule one...dont dress
for the weather...nobody wants to carry a
jacket when you are going bar to bar (unless
you are just going out for one drink...which
you arent because nobody just goes out for
a drink...) you will survive i promise. rule
two...if you arent comfortable in it then
wear it...Saturday night is new york fashion
week of Grand Forks, ND and if you
arent feeling it before you get downtown
trust me...you will be feeling it when you
get downtown. rule three...the pre-party is
the most important for style TBH because
that is where you will be looking your best,
you will snap a few photos maybe upload
an Instagram, Snapchat friends or text
somebody you shouldnt saying Meet me
@ Joe Blacks. rule four...if you want to go
casual then do it...you wont stick out but
you might not get as many Instagram likes
as your friends...i call it a chill night. are you
still in a rut?...dont know if you are ready...
dont see anything in your closet that you
like? well if you want to plan ahead look
at sites like asos.com, tobi.com, make a
screaming trip to Fargo or simply see what
Kittsona or Curious have to offer. I promise
whatever you decide will look amazing and
if it doesnt well sorry.
my name is b.j. welle and i am a communications
student at the university of north dakota. i enjoy
making people laugh by sometimes i end up making
them cry...ihave a blog where i post every so often...
bjwelle.com...check it out!
WORD SEARCH
photo courtesy of b.j. welle
FOOD & DRINK
EATS
Amazing grain of wonder
By Jenna Paintner
B
eing a Grand Forks native, many
would expect me to know all that
the city has to offer. I would like to
lie and say they would be absolutely right,
however that is not the case. In order to
rectify my almost lie, I decided to expand
my knowledge on local eating. First Stop?
Amazing Grains.
Amazing Grains, located on Demers
Avenue, is a food co-op known for providing
local and organic foods to promote a healthy
lifestyle within the Red River Valley. A co-
op is short for cooperative. A cooperative
is a distribution outlet that is connected
with customers who become members.
The members guide the direction of the
business, volunteer, provide feedback, and
receive benefits. Essentially, a co-op is a
collectively owned natural grocery store.
I wanted to dig deeper and understand
why there was a need for a natural grocery
store. Co-ops have multiple benefits. The
10 THE BEAT | SUMMER 2017
first benefit of a co-op is the bulk food aisle.
Not only is there a wide variety of items to
buy in bulk, but food in bulk tends to be
cheaper because you are no longer paying
for packaging.
Another benefit is supporting local foods.
Not only is it important that our community
supports our local farmers (given that we
have 32,000 farms in North Dakota alone),
this grocery store than meets the eye...it has
tasty smoothies from the deli!
but because of the close location, food is
exposed to less greenhouse gas emissions
due to less transportation on trucks.
I sat down with owner, Betsy Perkins,
and discussed what they have in store for
the summer season. This summer will be
unique because Perkins, along with the
new deli manager, have ideas in the works.
Amazing Grains will start offering Saturday
cooking classes aimed at kids and teenagers.
One idea that Perkins mentioned that is
currently in the works is a Sunday offering
that could include brunch or more...and if
you didnt know already, there is more to
a cafe too!
Now that I have turned my almost lie into
the truth, you can find me in the outdoor
seating in front of Amazing Grains eating a
breakfast sandwich and drinking one of the
Amazing Grains is open Monday-Friday
at 8am-8pm, Saturday at 8am-6pm, and
Sunday 11am-6pm. To follow up with
summer activities, visit Amazing Grains
website at amazinggrains.org.
Jenna is a communications major at UND and the
events and communications intern at the Empire
Arts Center.
SPECIAL FEATURE

A day in the life...of a farmer

By Staff Writer

W
e know farmers are busy, hard
working people, but how does
that play out in real life? The
Beat staff reached out to Tyler, a farmer
from Langdon, ND. Though we realize
every farmer has a different story to tell,
here is a glimpse into a day in the life of
Tyler.

5:00 am
Time to wake up and head out the fields.

L VE
8:00 am
I fix equipment needed for the day.

10:00 am
Depending on the time of year, Ill fill up the

Wine
sprayer and start spraying.

12:00 pm
Around this time I eat lunch in the tractor.

3:00 pm
w
After lunch I will get back to spraying. Being in
the cab of the sprayer is my favorite because I am
able to survey the field and watch the crops grow
to their potential throughout the season.

YOURE WITH
5:00 pm
If Im lucky, someone in my family will bring
me dinner to eat in my truck, or Ill have another
meal in the tractor.

7:00 pm
Back on that spraying grind.

9:00 pm
I leave the fields and go home.

10:00 pm
Family time. My son is already asleep so I spend
time with my wife and dog.

11:00 pm
GRAND FORKS 2702 GATEWAY DR 2051 32ND AVE S
Headed to bed so I can continue this schedule for
FARGO 4001 53RD AVE S 1621 45TH ST SW 1125 19TH AVE N
tomorrow.
WWW.HAPPY-HARRYS.COM
VisitGrandForks.com

/VisitGrandForks