Hidden Herald Tells the Secret Stories of St. Paul

Beginning in early July, Wonderlust Productions started their second season of Hidden Herald, a series of immersive audio plays that reveal the hidden histories of St. Paul’s downtown and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. These plays, designed to be experienced on location, blend storytelling with place, allowing listeners to engage with the city in a new way.

“We were inspired by the streets of downtown themselves,” says Wonderlust’s Alan Berks. “We wanted to do something that would help create community and hidden stories and community happen to be our thing,” he adds.

Creatively, the idea for Hidden Herald grew from Wonderlust’s past projects involving audio based storytelling. “We had recently done a podcast and recorded a play specifically for audio so it was something we were definitely thinking about,” Berks tells me. But the thing that pushed Wonderlust to pursue the plays the most was curiosity. “The idea that people can stand in a place they think they know and experience it in a whole new way was something that was very captivating to us.”

Once the process began, it didn’t stop. An open call for writers and actors was put out, and following Wanderlust’s guidelines, whatever the writers sent in is what the audience will hear. “Wonderlust trusts writers,” Berk says. “We like to call writers who care about the people in the community where they live, and who have the ability to reflect on that community,” Berks tells me. “Once we find people like that, we trust them. That said, we work hard from first idea to final recording, collaborating with other writers and actors to make sure the final product an audience hears has reached its full potential.”

After collaborative circles and conducting research, Wonderlust’s writers turned to St. Paul itself for inspiration. They worked with the Payne-Phalen District Council, while actors contributed their own experiences of the city. The result is a series of plays that reflect both the historical and present stories of St. Paul residents.

The first season of Hidden Herald was already a success. Thousands of plays were streamed, and many listeners appreciated the scavenger hunt aspects of stories hidden around downtown. 

From that response, Wonderlust has expanded the project for its second season, featuring more locations, more playwrights, and more actors. 

As for what he is most excited for, Berk tells me that, “There are a few series where you’ll have to scavenger hunt and find the play in the first place,” Berks says. Wonderlust as a whole is also excited about expanding their historical outreach to tell the stories of often unappreciated neighborhoods, such as Payne-Phalen.

Looking ahead, Berks hopes this form of storytelling continues to grow. “The thing for those who make plays this way is that the work can run for much longer than a live performance,” he says. With many of the plays marked by sidewalk stickers, listeners can find them at any time as well as listen from home. “They also live online so if people can’t get downtown or to Payne Phalen, they can still be able to hear them.” 

Ultimately, Wonderlust hopes Hidden Herald encourages people to listen and see the city in a new way. “We just hope people tell others about the plays,” Berks says. “Because sometimes, all it takes is a story to change the way you see a place.”

Learn more

For more information, including a digital map and where to find an illustrated map of the plays, visit wlproductions.org/hidden-herald.