They Sold Their Homesteads

These days, Stockholm, Wisconsin, is a sweet daytrip for retirees looking to buy Amish quilts or decorative objets from discerning folks who’ve escaped the big-city rat race. But in 1854, this town was the promised land for two hundred Swedish settlers; their compatriot, Eric Peterson, had left Bjurtjärn for America with his two brothers, who then went back to spread the good news to their former neighbors. These brothers must have been highly persuasive—can you imagine your neighbor inspiring you to go anyplace other than perhaps the new Trader Joe’s? Anyway, a good chunk of Bjurtjärn decamped for Wisconsin. After 152 years, the descendants of those who stayed in Sweden have now crossed the Atlantic to present a musical version of a play based on the exodus. As many as fifty members—not counting the animal actors—of this eighty-person troupe appear on stage at a time, a true feat of stage direction. 2600 Park Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-871-4907; www.americanswedishinst.org