They Took 'A Leap of Faith' and Left a Legacy

Friday, October 02, 2009

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Audiences will have an opportunity to go back to the future of Mayo Clinic. An original live stage production, "A Leap of Faith," chronicles a likely conversation between two prominent figures in Mayo history. After a catastrophic tornado that struck Rochester in 1883, William Worrall Mayo, M.D, is approached by Mother Alfred Moes, founder of the Sisters of Saint Francis, to provide surgical and medical care for a hospital the Sisters propose to build. Dr. Mayo resists, but Mother Alfred persists and refuses to take no for an answer. What follows is a lively give-and-take conversation in Dr. Mayo's office.

Playwright Tom Williams takes audiences on a journey back in time to observe how these two feisty, independent, strong-willed and dedicated pioneers finally agreed to work together in founding what became Saint Marys Hospital.

"If Dr. Mayo had not agreed to Mother Alfred's plan, she would have built a hospital anyway," notes Williams, a Twin Cities resident. "If the Mayo brothers had never set foot in that hospital, they would still have made a mark in medicine. But Mayo Clinic as we know it today would certainly not exist."

The character of Mother Alfred Moes is brought to life by Megan Cole who has appeared in more than 100 leading roles on the professional stage. Cole, from Portland, Ore., describes Mother Alfred as "a strong, purposeful, socially conscious woman from the 19th century." She adds that the dialogue between Mother Alfred and Dr. Mayo is "honest, forthright, good-humored, intelligent and empathetic of each other's position." Among Cole's professional credits are appearances on "Seinfeld," "ER," "The Practice" and "Star Trek."

Dr. Mayo is portrayed by Clyde Lund, a professional actor from the Twin Cities. "They were visionary, independent and stubborn people who met head on," says Lund. "It's great fun to get into their shoes, since they've had such an impact on so many people."

Lund describes Dr. Mayo as "irascible — restless, fierce and peppery, but committed to doing his best and sharing what he had." Lund has been an actor for 60 years, performing in productions ranging from the classics to world premieres. He starred in the regional premiere of "Tuesdays with Morrie" at the Great American History Theater. He is a member of the Children's Theater Company, the leading professional theater for young people in North America. His film work includes roles in "Herman, USA" and "A Simple Plan."

The public is welcome to attend "A Leap of Faith." The first public performance will be 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6, Phillips Hall, Siebens Building on the Mayo Clinic campus with a follow-up performance at the same location at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7. The play is made possible with a generous gift from Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst and will be performed on all three Mayo Clinic Campuses. More information is posted on the Heritage Days Web page, http://www.mayoclinic.org/heritage-days-rst.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers and 50,100 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn; Jacksonville, Fla; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. and community based providers in more than 70 locations in Southern Minn., Western Wis. and Northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education, visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.