As host of "A Prairie Home Companion," writer Garrison Keillor works up to the Saturday performance deadline, tinkering with his script. Playwright Garrison Keillor knows that will not work in the theater – although he's pushing things as far as he can with "Radio Man," at the History Theatre in St. Paul.
Keillor delivered a significant rewrite on Wednesday. An aide delivered the copy to director Ron Peluso, who leafed through a few pages and muttered something about "having a heart attack." But he put on his best smiling face when the playwright arrived at rehearsal for the show, which opens Sept. 27.
"You've been busy," Peluso joked when Keillor arrived at rehearsal a little later. In an interview, Keillor said he felt he owed it to the actors to be finished with the script by Saturday – which coincidentally is the opening show of the 40th annniversary season of "A Prairie Home Companion."
Keillor mentioned this Saturday deadline to Peluso as they walked into the rehearsal hall after a break. "Saturday? I was thinking maybe tomorrow," the director said. They agreed on Friday and then got back to work.
