Map of My Kingdom

The Grinnell Area Arts Council will present Map of My Kingdom, a one-woman play written by Mary Swander, Iowa’s Poet Laureate, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, in the Loft Theatre at the Grinnell Arts Center. Tickets are $5.00 and are available for purchase at the Arts Center, Browns Shoe Fit, and McNally’s.

“This production is a companion piece to Vang – that highlighted the stories of recent immigrant farmers – performed at Grinnell College in mid-October,” stated Christian Lutz, the Arts Council’s executive director. “Map of My Kingdom is very timely as our society is beginning to witness the largest transition of wealth – including farm land – between generations in the United States.”

Commissioned by the Practical Farmers of Iowa, the production focuses on one central character – Angela Martin, a lawyer and mediator in land transaction disputes – as she shares stories of how farmers and landowners have approached their land transitions. Some families struggled to resolve the sale or transfer of their land, dissolving relationships. Others found peacefully rational solutions that focused on keeping the land – and the family – together.

The show stars Madeleine Russell, a professional actress based in Ames, and will be directed by Matt Foss, professor of acting and theatre history at the University of Idaho.

Before being appointed Poet Laureate in 2009, Mary Swander published over 13 books of poetry and non-fiction. A dual citizen of Ireland and the United States, Swander serves as Professor of English and a Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts at Iowa State University.

The production is sponsored by Charnetski, Lacina & Clower LLP, the Center for Prairie Studies at Grinnell College, Paul & Mark Kolpin - Edward Jones Financial Advisors, Key Cooperative, Mahaffey Law Office, St. Francis Manor, and Schild Law Office.