A Tough Act to Follow

Flo Goodrich spent a lifetime bringing youth and adults together on stage.

By Steve Penick

Flo Goodrich had a way about her. She had an ability to inspire people to be their best through a warm, inviting personality. “She was about the sweetest person you could imagine,”

Al Hams said in a St. Cloud Times article. A long-time St. Cloud music store owner, Hams worked with Goodrich on many theater productions beginning in the 1960s at St. Cloud State College. For the next 40 years, Goodrich helped build community theater, bringing youth and adults together on stage.

Goodrich transplanted her influence to St. Cloud from her Brooklyn, New York, upbringing. Born in 1923, Goodrich demonstrated interested in the arts while in grade school with her inaugural performance as a door mouse in Alice in Wonderland. “From elementary school on, I was interested in the theater and theatrical things,” Goodrich said years later. She continued to develop this passion throughout her education, earning a Master’s Degree in Theater from St. John’s University in Queens. In 1954, she met her future husband Herbert Goodrich in western New York, marrying two years later. Opportunities brought them to the University of Illinois where Herb pursued a doctorate in Mass Media and Race Relations. An open faculty position at St. Cloud State in the early 1960s drew the couple to Central Minnesota. The decision greatly impacted the community. Herb taught for nearly 30 years in the Sociology Department, educating the region about anti-Semitism. His work matched the couple’s spiritual beliefs as they connected with other local Jewish residents through the

St. Cloud Chapter of Hadassah.

Goodrich threw herself professionally into St. Cloud State’s theater department, participating in productions, developing friendships, and sharing her theatrical knowledge. By 1970, there was enough interest for a local community theater to be successful. She, along with other passionate people such as Sister Judine Suter and Jim Shaffer, formed St. Cloud’s Troupe Theatre. Their enthusiasm inspired supporters to join the ranks and Troupe became a popular summer arts activity.

Goodrich’s ability to bring people together was one of many skills. She became involved in directing productions, did voice-over radio ads and television commercials, and served on nonprofit boards. She also cultivated business sponsors as St. Cloud Troupe Theatre grew in popularity. Through acting, her star often shined the brightest. Flo never lost her Brooklyn accent, adding a distinguishing stage presence to the many roles she played. Herb Goodrich remembered, “She was totally immersed in every show.” She also formed an acting studio in the late 1970s where interested individuals could learn the basics of acting. Goodrich believed performing could be a learned, regardless of an individual’s experience.

Roles in front of the camera added to her impressive portfolio, including the 1980s film The St. Cloud Sleep. “The idea is not only to involve the community in filmmaking, but to demonstrate that worthwhile filmfare can be produced,” WJON’s Andy Hilger observed. Goodrich’s touch, along with the many other participants, created a unique production to showcase St. Cloud’s talent on film.

By the 2000s, Goodrich had established a rich, theatrical legacy. “She was really the lady of the theater in St. Cloud, as an actor, director, spokesperson for the arts and teacher,” recalled Phil Welter, a music instructor at the College of St. Benedict.

“I think it’s a way to bring people together as well,” Flo said.

Herb died in 2006 and Flo in 2011. What they left behind was an active community theater, making Flo Goodrich a tough act to follow.