As part of her community connector work with Great Plains Theatre Commons, Omaha playwright Ellen Struve leads story sharing workshops with women at MICAH House shelter in Council Bluffs. Residents tell her how scary it is losing everything and having to navigate unfamiliar social service systems to try and find safe refuge and a new start.
When Anastasis Theatre Co. artistic director Haley Haas suggested Struve create a story about their experiences, the writer thought of “Hansel and Gretel.” Like the siblings of that classic fairy tale brave dark, dangerous woods, unhoused and food insecure women in the metro report feeling lost in a harsh world where threats loom large.
Struve’s resulting adaptation, “Ways to Win the Woods,” is a new play with music that uses metaphors inspired by that folk tale to shed light on the challenges of homelessness in America. It will make its world premiere with free performances at Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center in Council Bluffs on Feb. 12-13 at 7 p.m. and at Yates Illuminates in Omaha on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
“I thought I would like to do something unusual,” said Struve (“Recommended Reading for Girls,” “The Dairy Maid-Right,” “EPIC”), who’s formed deep bonds with the shelter and its residents. “It’s a place and a population that I care deeply about.”
Her take on “Hansel and Gretl” focuses on foster sisters Hannah and Greta. While negotiating treacherous woods, they intersect with labor exploiter Witchey, unscrupulous speculator Wolf, slum landlord Owl, bad ex-boyfriend Bucky, struggling mother of two Mary Jane, and the ever-helpful Duck.
Two MICAH House residents, along with a professional actor in the cast, have personal experience with homelessness.
The project is the latest Anastasis play around pressing issues – previous works dealt with incarceration (“More Than a Number,” “By a Thread”) – as part of its immersive, community-based mission “lifting unheard voices.” Anastasis uses real-life, human stories from vulnerable communities as the basis of its plays.
“This work is my calling,” said Haas, director of “Ways to Win the Woods.” The work has brought her and frequent collaborator Struve into shelters and prisons as well as refugee and immigrant communities.
“I’m continually inspired by the folks I get to serve,” Haas said.
In the face of federal assaults on DEI, Anastasis is doubling down on diversity, equity and inclusion, even launching new restorative justice programming.
“We believe every human deserves dignity and respect no matter their background,” Haas said.
The new production is a collaboration between Anastasia, Great Plains Theatre Commons, the Omaha Symphony, MICAH House and PACE (Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment).
“It is a pretty big team to try to wrangle, which is a beautiful problem to have,” Haas said. “Having so many invested partnerships means that our scale can be bigger.”
Extra resources allow Anastasis to bring to life Struve’s vision. Her daughter, classically trained pianist Reese Pike, composed the show’s jazz and blues inspired music. Liz Stinman is music director. Musicians from the Omaha Symphony Forte Initiative will perform the score at the Feb. 12 and 13 shows in Council Bluffs. Maestra Serena Reuten will conduct.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre properties artist Taylor Adams designed the whimsical set.
“This set is playful, but it has some grunge to it,” Adams said. “It is supposed to feel like the box forts we played with as children.”
Coat racks suggest trees. Bird houses refer to the transience of the women’s comings and goings. Jenny Pool designed the costumes.
Struve said just as “Hansel and Gretel” came out of the ravages of famine, plague, and oppression in Europe, her play reflects this uneasy time for women and families impacted by America’s affordable housing crisis, rising food prices, SNAP reductions. food deserts, social service opponents and sometimes less than friendly attitudes.
Extracting and interpreting women’s stories takes trust. It’s built from the start in story circles and sense journaling sessions Struve conducts.
“I always start workshops by saying, ‘Listening is the greatest act of care we can give to one another,’ so that they know it is a space where they will be listened to,” said Struve.
MICAH resident Shannon Lowe gave a thumbs-up to the process.
“I felt truly seen and heard by Ellen and Haley,” she said. “They seemed to listen to all our stories with their whole hearts.”
As much as Lowe and her fellow residents take away from the experience, Struve feels she may come away with more.
“I’ve gained so much perspective on what other people go through and how you can’t make a rush to judgment for anyone in any situation because their lives and experiences are so varied,” she said. “I think it’s made me recognize what real strength is. Real strength is caring for other people even when you may not have enough to take care of yourself. Real strength is moving forward with optimism and belief in a better situation tomorrow. And real strength is being giving of yourself in your community, which I’ve experienced every time I have gone there.”
She is also protective of the women’s personal journeys.
“Using the fairy tale frame created a way to engage everyone creatively without exploiting anyone’s individual story during a vulnerable time,” Struve said. “What excites me most is creating something people can participate in that inspires them to tell their own story, their own way and on their terms.”
Struve said in developing the piece with the women as sources, she kept top of mind “what they wanted people to know about the experience.”
“One of the resounding messages the women wanted to put in the play is that homelessness can happen to anyone, through medical bills, a bad relationship, a lost job,” she said. “It can result from any number of things that many people go through. It isn’t a bad decision. It’s bad luck in a lot of cases.”
MICAH program manager Jennifer Determan said she suspects, “There’s a large majority of the general population that’s one crisis away from a catastrophe. A lot of women come to us through domestic violence. They come to us through numerous different ways.”
Anastasis board member and actress Doriette Jordan, who plays Witchey, served a liaison role with MICAH during the play’s developmental process. She now understands how narrow the margin is between stability and instability.
“You never know when life will hit you like a ton of bricks,” she said. “Your world could fall apart literally within the next minute. This play is an eye-opener and makes you take a step back and reflect on not only your own life but lives of others who may not have resources.”
Shannon Lowe never thought it would happen to her.
“I first became homeless after a heart attack with a related brain injury while living in Spokane, Washington,” she said. “I was lucky to find shelter at MICAH House a year after returning to Iowa. I didn’t know what it would be like to fall below the poverty line. I thought being homeless would be a little like camping. The rules change for people who don’t have a home. In some places it is against the law to sleep in spaces you haven’t secured with money. I didn’t realize how driven by money the world had become. A wealth gap is often not a gulf that can be traversed alone.”
SaVonni Yestanti ended up homeless after a string of reversals that began when she fell into debt handling her grandmother’s affairs, then quit a job for a new opportunity that fell through during the pandemic. Major surgery, contracting COVID, and protracted disputes with rental property companies found her living in her car.
“People need to know what’s happening out here and they need to understand that you don’t have to be drug or alcohol addicted or mentally ill in order to be homeless,” said Yestanti. “A lot of times other factors have everything to do with an individual becoming homeless.”
Determan confirmed that at any given time, some MICAH residents are experiencing homelessness for the first time.
“They’ve never accessed any type of social programs,” Determan said. “They don’t know anything about these systems and agencies. Usually the only clothes they have are what they can fit into a trash bag. They’re coming into a place where they don’t know anyone. They’re sharing rooms with people. All while trying to figure out their next step. It’s all very terrifying for them.”
Determan said there’s always high demand for MICAH services, thus always a wait list.
“What we are seeing due to the housing affordability issue is a higher demand for people needing emergency rental or utilities assistance,” Determan said.
She added until more affordable housing becomes available, an uptick in evictions can be expected, which can have a cascade effect.
“Once a person has an eviction, their ability to have housing stability greatly decreases and the housing they’re able to access is going to be less desirable. As people continue to get more evictions it gets worse and worse for them,” Determan said.
Determan added that MICAH resident stays vary.
“We want to meet people where they’re at,” Determan said. “As long as they’re working on the things they need to work on – whether obtaining employment, their mental health, substance use, they can stay here because we do understand that obtaining housing can be really difficult. If a family doesn’t have a subsidy or voucher to help with rent, finding a place to afford just from their job income can be really difficult. It can be really difficult to stay in that housing once they get it.”
Yestanti values the play for giving audiences a dramatic glimpse into the world of homelessness and the issues bound up in that experience.
“I’m concerned that renters have very few rights when it comes to dealing with landlords who act questionably-unjustly. There’s a lot of unnecessary things that happen to keep people unhoused, and the project that some of us are acting in goes into some of these issues.”
When Yestanti learned about the project, she said she made sure to audition because “having this lived experience of dealing with homelessness I wanted to be part of the narrative.”
In sharing their stories on stage, Yestanti and Lowe will be doing what Haas sees happen with each project.
“My big joy always is seeing theater light new people up and starting their journey as advocates for their community,” said Haas.
In Yestanti’s case, the project actually reconnects her with theater, something she did earlier in her life.
“It’s a blessing, as I get to tell the story and relay the facts in a way that will help people understand,” she said. “I can put real feeling into something that requires the range of human emotion. This experience has been opening other doors for me. It’s putting me where I always should have been.”
Meanwhile, Shannon Lowe said even though there were tryouts at MICAH House, she was not expecting a part, “But I hoped to be able to be a part of the conversation about homelessness and help generate hope that might make ‘the woods’ seem less dark for others like me.”
Now that she’s in it she’s happy to add her voice to the mix.
Anastasia veteran Xavier Carr is a professional actor who has lived experience with the topics the company illuminates.
“People with the lived experiences can ‘coach and mentor’ actors on exactly what the piece is trying to portray and what it’s really like in that situation,” Carr said. “If the professional actor makes a choice, the new actor with lived experience can tell them if that choice is accurate or not and how to make that choice more authentic.”
Having people in her play who know homelessness first-hand, Struve said, makes her “feel the weight” of being true to the reality of that experience.
“You have a constant reminder of why you want to get it right or who you want to honor in that creation,” she said. “Also you’re so grateful that they have trusted you and that they are willing to engage in the material.”
The women in “Ways to Win the Woods” traverse the dark and its various predators and threats armed with sharp humor.
“Choosing humor came very much from the amazing spirits I have encountered at MICAH House,” said Struve. “It can be a real dark humor but they have such an amazing sense of humor. Everyone there is just an amazing survivor and humor is indeed a coping mechanism. It can enable us to be more open to examining things we may otherwise not want to look at.”
In her play, Struve also tried being true to the community the women embody.
“There’s just a large expanse of life that happens there,” she said. “Certainly the power of friendship and loyalty is on full display.”
Lowe said that sense of community is tangible.
“There are elements of women’s stories that are hard to share,” Lowe said. “The hurts too personal and the wounds too deep. At MICAH House, women learn to lean on and support one another. Hope blossoms. I have received tireless support from shelter staff and caseworkers. I always feel like I have someone to turn to when life hands me ‘lemons.’ My wish is that together we can find new ways to ‘make lemonade’ together.”
Yestanti is glad to lean into fellow travelers.
“It’s always great to connect with people who understand what you’ve gone through because they’ve gone through it themselves,” Yestanti said.
As the play representing their truth came together, the MICAH women were consulted. It started with Struve facilitating reading the original tale together and discussing its meaning and relevance.
“We talked about our own various temptations that the witch might use and participants shared what they wanted people who hadn’t had this experience to know, from the everyday challenges of riding the bus to the big takeaway that this can happen to anyone,” she said.
As Struve shared drafts of her adaptation, Haas said, the emerging new play became “very integrated with the ideas of the women.”
“She’d bring in versions and they’d give feedback,” Haas said. “We switched out some of the songs. We added some more realistic and maybe more serious moments to the script. This is why we do readings because the feedback is essential. It’s very productive. We really centered the women at every step. Ellen would present a part of the story and say, ‘What does this look like in the world today,’ and then they would spin ideas. Ellen has no ego as a playwright. She really wants to be of service.”
Struve recalled a significant change that came from the back and forth.
“One (musical) number in particular hit the wrong tone,” said Struve. “Despite having already orchestrated it, we scrapped it and started over with input received and incorporated changes. It’s always easier to go darker than lighter, so I changed some script details. Participants had the opportunity to voice the need for change, know they were being listened to, and see their recommendations implemented, which is what we hope happens with the societal issues in the play.”
Some of those darker moments, Lowe said, “closely echoed my own experience of feeling very stuck and hopeless.”
Nothing was spared, said Yestanti.
“We talked about the very real fact that if the cycle of homelessness is not broken, it ends in death most of the time. Trying to survive homelessness is very real and it is no walk in the park,” she said.
The play also reveals the light that helps women like Lowe and Yestanti find their way out of the woods to move forward in their lives.
“I am grateful for the classes offered at MICAH House and for help accessing counseling to help me navigate through that time,” Yestanti said.
The play’s optimistic ending is vital, Yestanti said, to show that homelessness doesn’t need to be the end as long as there’s support.
“It is my hope that we are able to enlighten people on some of the topics that put people in this situation and keep people here,” she said. “It is my hope audiences are able to come away from this project ready to help out in any way they can, without judging or placing stereotypes upon them. These are issues we all can, and should, help out with because everybody has a turn at the wheel.”
Struve described as a “tricky high wire act” balancing the traditional form of fairy tale and musical with gritty social themes and hope. Composer Reese Pike found balancing the light and dark in her music challenging, too.
“It can be really difficult to capture the incredible difficulties of these situations but also the hope that people and dreams for a better future they still have,” she said. “Those are things I took away from the workshops and was thinking about as I was writing the music.”
It’s the mother-daughter team’s first collaboration on a full stage production. It also marks the first time Struve wrote lyrics.
“I usually have a song or something in work I do but these are the first original songs I’ve done,” she said.
A talk back will follow each performance. Actor Xavier Carr said that exchanging ideas about the life and death issue the play raises is important.
“It will give people in the community a chance to ask questions and in some cases, get a better understanding of the issues that are not only portrayed on the stage, but happening in real life, in real time, within our local community,” Carr said.
Just don’t look to Struve or her play for solutions.
“I don’t pretend to offer any answers,” she said. “I do believe that we can find them as a community. I hold tremendous hope for the women I’ve met through this process.”
Yestanti’s journey from struggling alone to finding help is a reason for hope.
“Since being at Micah House,” she said, “I’ve started a new job as a case manager. Good things are happening and I know more good things are coming my way.”
The same is true for Lowe.
“I genuinely like who I am becoming.”
The women are excited to see the fruits of the hard work they, their fellow residents, Struve, Pike, Haas and Co. have put into making their stories live on stage for others to see and feel.
Tickets are free but reservations are required. Go here or here for reservations.
Learn more about the project and Micah House.