>> Eric: THE "SKETCHES OF MINNESOTA TOUR" CONTINUES.

DANGER BOAT PRODUCTIONS AND THE MINNESOTA HUMANITIES CENTER HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE STATE GETTING PEOPLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND THEN TURNING THOSE CONVERSATIONS INTO LIVE IMPROV THEATER.

AN "ALMANAC" CREW FOLLOWED ALONG TO BIGFORK FOR SKETCHES OF MINNESOTA: EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS.

PART OF OUR VOICES RISING: STORIES FOR AMERICA’S 250TH INITIATIVE.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS SCENIC BYWAY CUTS THROUGH 46 PICTURESQUE MILES OF TIMBER FOREST IN ITASCA COUNTY.

MANY COMMUNITIES IN THIS PART OF THE STATE DEVELOPED ALONG WITH THE LOGGING INDUSTRY.

[ SAW BUZZING ] >> YOU KNOW, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WOODS AND LIGHT PINE IS WHAT WE LIKE TO USE MOST OF AND IT'S PLENTIFUL AROUND THIS AREA.

>> YEAH, AND WHEN WE DON'T FEEL LIKE CARVING WE'LL GO OUT IN THE WOODS, SO THAT KINDA HELPS.

KIND OF GROUND YOURSELF, YOU KNOW >> GRAND RAPIDS ANNUAL TALL TIMBER DAYS FESTIVAL THAT CONNECTION TO LOGGING IT FRONT AND CENTER.

JUAN LAZZO IS THE FORMER MAYOR OF GRAND RAPIDS AND ONE OF THE DIRECTORS OF TALL TIMBER DAYS.

HE'S LIVED IN AREA FOR DECADES AFTER IMMIGRATING FROM PERU.

>> I LEFT A COUNTRY WHERE THE MILITARY DICTATORS TOLD US WHAT TO DO AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES AND LEARN ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY, AND I HAVEN'T LEFT YET.

IT'S BEEN 48 YEARS, SO, AND THIS COMMUNITY EMBRACED ME FROM DAY ONE.

>> A VOCAL SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP JUAN FEELS THAT DEMOCRACY IS STRONG THROUGHOUT THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS AND HE WELCOMES PEOPLE WITH OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS TO COME TO HIS PRINT SHOP FOR OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENCES.

>> SO FAR WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN A FAIRLY HEALTHY DIALOGUE.

I THINK THAT E UNDERSTAND HAT WE CAN DISAGREE IN POLITICS AND STILL SHAKE HANDS AND STILL COME TO FESTIVAL LIKE THIS AND HAVE SOME GOOD BARBECUE HOT DOGS OR PULLED PORK OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE.

I THINK WE'RE A PRETTY DIVIDED COUNTRY AND WE NEED TO ORK AT, AGAIN, REMINDING OURSELVES WHAT WE CAN DISAGREE, WE CAN STILL SHAKE HANDS, WE CAN STILL BE INVITED TO THANKSGIVING DINNER.

>> DINNER WAS SERVED IN NEARBY BIGFORK OO, WHERE THE SKETCHES OF MINNESOTA IMPROV EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

>> SO WE ARE GOING TO ASK YOU TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AT YOUR TABLE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS.

>> MANY ITASCA COUNTY COMMUNITIES HAVE A MIX OF LONGTIME RESIDENTS AND RECENT TRANSPLANTS WHO MOVED NORTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

IT'S CREATED SOME INTERESTING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES.

>> I MEAN, I LIVE IN HIBBING NOW, USED TO LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS.

>> BEEN HERE SINCE '57.

>> WE'RE NEW TO THE AREA.

>> THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS HOSTED THE EVENT AND HAS BECOME A PLACE KNOWN IN PART FOR STAGING WORK TO GET PEOPLE THINKING AND TALKING.

>> OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN AN ONGOING EXPERIMENT FOR 250 YEARS.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT AMERICA THAT YOU SEE IN THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS?

>> THE EDGE CENTER IS A GEM IN THE WILDERNESS.

>> BUILT A THEATER WITH A LOT OF HELP, A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE HERE WHO HELPED WITH THAT.

>> EVERYBODY S ALWAYS AMAZED AT THE TALENT THAT COMES OUT OF THE WOODS!

WHO KNEW?

>> BARRY FELD AND HIS WIFE PATTY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE EDGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR DECADES.

>> SO THERE'S A LOT OF ART THAT ALSO RAISES REALLY DEEP, PROVOCATIVE QUESTIONS.

THE ARTS ARE REALLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE COULD BECOME.

AND SO IT'S REALLY INTEGRAL TO A THRIVING DEMOCRACY.

>> I THINK A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY REALLY ENABLES PEOPLE TO HAVE INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY AND SELF-EXPRESSION, AND TO ME THAT'S WHAT THE ARTS REALLY IS.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLACE IN A TOWN LIKE THIS THAT'S SO REMOTE AND INDEPENDENT, THAT THEN STILL HAS A THEATER WHERE YOU CAN GO AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES.

>> AFTER SOME SPIRITED DISCUSSIONS, THE IMPROV CAST BROUGHT PIECES OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS TO THE EDGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS STAGE.

INCLUDING SOME OF THE CULTURAL CLASHES.

♪ ♪ >> THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING ME ON MY KAYAK.

>> YOU'RE WELCOME.

>> HEY, YOU THREE!

>> HEY!

>> WHAT?

>> THAT LAKE ISN'T AS COOL AS YOU THINK IT IS, YOU SHOULD COME TO MY LAKE INSTEAD!

>> HEY, GUY JUSTICE I GOT A NEW OUTBOARD MOTOR, YOU WANNA SEE?

[ APPLAUSE ] AND A REMINDER, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME LAKE, IF NOT THE SAME BOAT.

>> I LOVE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS?

YOU CAN BE A WATER SKIER!

AND THE TWO OF US CAN SHARE THIS WATER AND FIND A WAY TO MAKE PEACE BETWEEN THESE LOUD GUYS AND THAT QUIET KAYAK!

WE'RE ALL IN THIS ... [ SINGING ] WATER TOGETHER ♪ ♪ >> IT'S THE SAME LAKE, IT'S THE SAME ... >> THE COMMUNITY HAD A CHANCE TO REPORT BACK ON WHAT THE IMPROVERS GOT RIGHT AND WHAT THEY MAY HAVE MISSED.

>> I AGREE THAT THE JET SKI AND CANOEISTS GETTING ALONG TOGETHER IS ABSOLUTELY UNREASONABLE.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> AUDREY JOHNSON IS ANOTHER TRANSPLANT TO THE AREA.

A FORMER MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SHE SPOKE UP ABOUT SOME OF THE SERIOUS CHALLENGES SHE SEES.

>> AND ONE OF THEM IS THE POLITICAL DIVIDE THAT WE HAVE HERE.

AND IT'S SCARY.

AND I THINK THAT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE 250 YEARS WE SHOULDN'T BE AT THAT SPOT.

>> AND ALTHOUGH SHE'S ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE AISLE SHE AGREES WITH JUAN LAZO THAT TALKING THROUGH DIFFERENCE IS CORE TO A THRIVING DEMOCRACY.

>> WHAT U