“The freedom to play rock music was understood as a human freedom…to express and defend the various social and political interest of society.” — Vaclav Havel

Sunday I had the time of my life. I drove to St. Paul to see the play “Rock ‘N’ Roll” by Tom Stoppard at the Park Square Theater, and there I am traveling the speed limit on the St. Paul interstate freeway trying to locate Park Square Theater, 20 7th Pl. in St. Paul. I have been in Myrtle, Minn. more than I have been in St. Paul.

So there I am on the freeway pulling out my Minnesota map, attempting to unfold it and get to the St. Paul map and attempt to locate this 20 7th Pl. and all I am seeing our small towns in Minnesota. Finally I find St. Paul and the map is torn, and I’m hoping to find 7th Place and of course I don’t so the map ends up on the floor looking like it had been used in combat.

I get to Kellogg and turn right as directed by Jeanne before I left. She wasn’t sure of the 7th Place location, and she spends a fair amount of time there. I see nothing but traffic and the wonderful park crowded with folks looking at the ice sculptures. I take a left on some street that is taking me by the library, and it’s free parking in St Paul on Sunday except that the one spot that is open has a brown cloth bag over it saying it is set aside for something. I park there anyway and decide to go to the library for help. A young lady is walking down the corridor that works there, and I ask her if she knows how to get to 7th Place. “I’m sorry. I don’t. But, she says, If you go up these stairs, there will somebody who can help you.”

There is nobody up there except a lot of adults using computers and then I see a gentleman behind a bench and I ask him if he knows how to get to 20 7th Place. He does and attempts to tell me how to get there. However I have no idea what direction he is talking about. He pulls up a small area map and tells me to turn at the corner and go right for two blocks and take a left and I will see a big parking ramp that is free on Sundays. (I was told this too when I ordered the ticket last Friday.)

There is a small parking area on the corner that I assume is close to where I am going with open spaces but it asks for money even though there is no one there. I ask a couple and he is putting money in the money devise. “Do you have to?” I ask.

“I suppose they could tow your car away.” He says.

And how do you know what car is yours? It’s quite confusing by the ticket sign. Then the woman who is now waiting for her husband who is not there helps me get the $3 in the machine that will give me a receipt to put in my car. She walks with me to my car, and I put my ticket on the dash and then she sees him waiting by the sidewalk. I join them. We walk to the corner then take a right and about half way down the block is an entrance into the building. I enter with them, and there are stores in there. Then we go through another door and take a left and walk about 30 yards down the hallway and see the room filled with folks. We’re there.

I check my coat in and put the receipt in my pocket and then investigate the hearing devises they are offering for folks with failing hearing, I inquire. We’ll give you one, and you just have to leave your driver’s license.

I have to wonder about that. I pick up my ticket and head for my seat. I’m seated on the second level about the third row up, the last seat on the left. The place is filling up. I decide to go get the hearing device. With it, the play is almost too loud.

The theater review read “His trenchant “Rock ‘n’ Roll” plunges us into a Shakespearean thicket of music, politics, Marxism, Sapphic love, spy games and existential philosophy.”

It did.