Photos Project for Pride in Living founder Joe Selvaggio Richard Thompson directs, "Joe," at History Theatre Resources Project for Pride in Living Great American History Theatre Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

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History theater reviews life of activist still very much alive
by Dan Olson, Minnesota Public Radio
January 23, 2004

The Great American History Theatre production, "Joe," is about Project for Pride in Living founder Joe Selvaggio (MPR photo/Dan Olson)

The St. Paul-based Great American History Theatre's current production, "Joe", is about a former Catholic priest who becomes an advocate for poor people. The one man play chronicles the work of Minneapolis activist Joe Selvaggio, the founder of Project for Pride in Living (PPL). PPL helps poor people find housing and work. Actor Jim Stowell shows Joe the rebellious Catholic priest, the protester and Joe the self-described pest as he raises money from rich people.

St. Paul, Minn. — It's unusual for a history theater to portray a living figure. But friends lobbied the Great American folks and suggested the story of Joe Selvaggio would make for a good show.

As it happens, director Richard Thompson has a history with the subject. Thompson's mother was a south Minneapolis civil rights activist, her home a meeting place for the likeminded. Thompson says a young priest, Joe Selvaggio, and many others were visitors.

"She and Joe's paths crossed many times, in fact I remember Sunday dinners sitting at my mother's house and there was Joe, eating with us," Thompson says.

In l965, before his arrival in Minneapolis, Selvaggio had finished the seminary and was ready for ordination. He was a summer intern at a parish in Louisiana. He'd taken a group of black kids to a white's only swimming hole.

Actor Jim Stowell who wrote the Great American History Theatre production, Joe, interviewed Selvaggio, his friends and associates to create the play. In his portrayal of Selvaggio, Stowell flashes back to the exchange with the parish priest who was angry the color line had been crossed.

"Father with all due respect even the laws have changed. There's no white-only anything anymore, not even swimming holes. Times have changed."

"Not around here they haven't," the older priest responds. Stowell portrays him, too. "Let me ask you something, did I see you talking with one of the black parishioners about taking communion with the white church members? We just don't do that around here!"

	Richard Thompson directs, "Joe," at History Theatre

When Joe Selvaggio arrived in Minneapolis in the late l960s as an ordained priest he was assigned to Holy Rosary, the Catholic Church Richard Thompson's mother attended. Selvaggio says he and other activists were inspired by the people and events of the time.

"When we came out of the seminary in the '60's, we had the tailwind of Pope John XXIII and Vatican II and the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King and Ghandi and the war in Vietnam so we were really pumped and were much more effective," Selvaggio says.

Selvaggio was not long for the priesthood. He fell in love and got married. Facing life without a steady income he improvised.

He hit on the idea of asking rich people to give him money. He told them he would invest the funds in building homes for the poor. He promised the givers a no-frills approach, no big salaries or fancy offices for the organization that would become Project for Pride in Living.

Selvaggio says he told them, "'You know it's not frosting on the cake. This is the bare bones kind of thing you need for living, you need a decent house and you need a decent job, and the right attitude and that's what we teach.' And people do respond to that and understand it."

In the production, Joe, actor Jim Stowell displays Selvaggio's knack for extracting cash from the wealthy. He quotes Selvaggio associates who say it's his priestly demeanor, his humility, his organizational talents.

"Nonsense," one says. "It's because he's a pest."

Stowell says people say about Selvaggio, "He doesn't get it because he's organized... he gets it because he whines them into submission." Near the end of the production Stowell shows how Selvaggio's quiet and friendly demeanor co-exists with fierce views on social justice. He portrays a sunny day on the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis in l970. Two businessmen cross the Mall and see a figure dressed as Death, in a black robe with an executioner's hood, face painted white, holding a sickle and carrying a sign, "Death Wins All Wars."

The Death figure is Joe Selvaggio. He recognizes one of the businessmen as a friend and calls out a cheery hello.

Stowell portrays the other businessman asking, "Who the hell was that? (Joe's friend responds) Oh, that. That's Joe Selvaggio. He's a man with a mission."

Director Richard Thompson says Jim Stowell's, "Joe", reveals Selvaggio's many faces, from his childhood to priesthood to activist for the poor.

"He's actually quite common, but as a result of his interest, his passion for wanting to see justice be done in this world, that's what made for Saint Joe.

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