State of the Arts Category Archive: Theater

The reviews are in for 'An Iliad' at the Guthrie

Posted at 11:54 AM on May 20, 2013 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

One of the oldest stories in literature is Homer's "Iliad" set during the Trojan War.

Playwrights Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare have given the epic tale a modern revision, allowing audiences to see the horror of war through the lens of not just one epic battle, but the wars of three millennia.

"An Iliad" runs through May 26; critics have found it raw, powerful, captivating and electric.

Stephen Yoakam as The Poet in Guthrie Theater's production of "An Iliad"
Photo by Aaron Fenster

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

A bit slow moving at the start, An Iliad is like a 400-page novel: each chapter must be set up by the previous ones before it can speed ahead to the most exciting parts. Like so often is the case, however, patience is rewarded. As the stories and emotions tumble out, layers of Yoakam's costume are stripped away until what's left is Homer in his most raw and honest state. Here standing before us is a man who's seen and experienced a lifetime's worth of pain; a man begging his listeners to heed his warning, abandon hate, and choose to love. Whether or not we have the courage to do so is up to us.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

The power of "An Iliad" is its refusal to cluck with self righteousness, as so many preachy agitprop dramas do. (You know, geeks dressed in leotards howling at George Bush.) Yoakam's Poet is a brawny and vexed man who understands the terrible beauty of this vicious sport. And by wading into that mysterious realm with honest integrity, he lets this pool of spilled blood tell its own story.

"An Iliad" runs at the Guthrie Theater through May 26
Photo by Aaron Fenster

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Throughout, Yoakam holds us captivated. The conversational script -- only short bits are in verse (and in Greek as well) -- makes the engagement between actor and audience easy, but it is Yoakam's skill that keeps our focus through a well-known story. Some of the most riveting moments come when the Poet goes off script. At times, he abandons the story to recount images from other futile battlefields of history, such as World War I. Or, in one harrowing moment, he recites war after war that has been fought since the fall of Troy. Here, Yoakam is at his best, making us feel the weariness and loss as each war is cited.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

It's a rangy, eclectic and sometimes electric performance, filled with bravura moments but utterly devoid of the look-at-me theatrics to which a lesser performer or a lesser story might be prone.

Have you seen "An Iliad" at the Guthrie? What's your review?

Next Walker Performing Arts season takes collaborations to new heights

Posted at 12:01 AM on May 17, 2013 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Dance, Jazz, Museums, Music, Theater

Philip Bither may have done the unforgivable in announcing the Walker's 2013-2014 performing arts season - he's named a favorite.

"Uh-oh, you caught me on that - don't tell any of the other artists" he laughs.

Perhaps luckily the curator's top pick comes up first in the new season announced today. The Nature Theater of Oklahoma -- "They actually took their name from a Kafka novel," said Bither -- will perform "Life and Times," a multi-part show based on a mammoth phone call with an ordinary American woman.

Nature Theater of Oklahoma performing "Life and Times" (All images courtesy Walker Art Center)

Bither says that when they began talking, they thought they would just chat for about 60 minutes.

"They ended up with 11 hours of her life," which they took, "ums" and all, and created a musical theater piece about everything the woman could remember, he says. The final show lasts eight hours. Bither saw it in Europe and was enthralled.

"I found myself remembering my earlier childhood memories while watching this woman's struggle to bring to life her earliest memories:The neighbor who scared her next door; What her dad smelled like when he came home from work. And I sense that the entire audience was going through a similar process," he said.

Bither isn't bringing the full "Life and Times" to the Walker, just the early part, which runs three hours.

"And it takes you from the earliest baby memories to the third grade. And you end at the third grade," he said.

Bither clearly takes great joy from his work, and delights in describing it all. He points out the way performance has changed in recent years, and how the convergence of disciplines is apparent in the season.

"I think the age we live in is an age of intense content and the digital era allows people to draw from many sources, and the notions of a defined type of artform just called dance or just called theater is going away," he said. "Younger artists and I think very contemporary artists are thinking about just creating performances, and it draws from many disciplines that we used to think of as separate, including visual art, and architecture, and literature and movement."

Another element which is great to see in the season is the number of performances which feature national or international figures collaborating with Minnesota artists.

"If there's opportunities for leading forces in our community to collaborate with someone nationally or internationally and the Walker can help play a role of bringing people together, we think it's a fabulous thing for us to be able to do," said Bither.

Thus Minnesota composer and director Aparna Ramaswamy, and her choreographic partner and co-artistic director, Ranee will work with award-winning jazz saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa to create a new piece called "Song of the Jasmine."

Also several local musicians including Polica lead singer Channy Leaneagh will collaborate with Seattle-based songwriter Jherek Bischoff for a piece called "Composed"

One of photographer Mitch Epstein's images for "American Power"

Cellist Erik Friedlander will perform a piece "American Power" using photographs and videos by Mitch Epstein to explore American's relationship with energy.

And in January there will be the 26th year of the Walker's exploration of the cutting edge of theater in "Out There."

"What we love about 'Out there ' is it gives people a passport to try the unexpected," Bither said. "Our audiences usually have never heard of these companies, but they know that January is a month of great adventure and great fun at the Walker."

Bither also highlights the visit by the Trisha Brown Dance Company which will disband soon, and will perform its final midwestern concert at the Walker in March. There will also be a 20th anniversary celebration of Twin Cities choreographers Kristin Van Loon and Arwen Wilder, known as HIJACK (seen left.)

And there is the latest visit by French performer Jerome Bel who will come with Theater Hora, a Swiss company featuring actors with disabilities, who don't play characters in the production, but instread, themselves.

"And it makes I think in some ways the audience both feel quiet voyeuristic and uncomfortable and at other times you realize that the company are the voyeurs and they are all lined up looking at us," said Bither.

Bither will explain it all and provide more than a few clips at a season preview on Thursday Sept. 5.

OCTOBER

THEATER: Nature Theater of Oklahoma Life and Times, Episode 1.
Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 26-28, 7 p.m.

MUSIC/FILM: Sam Green and Yo La Tengo, "The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller."
Friday, Oct.11, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

MUSIC: "Composed," by Jherek Bischoff, with special guests Sondre Lerche, Greg Saunier, Ólöf Arnalds and Channy Leaneagh and others.
Friday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m. Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange Street, St. Paul. Co-presented with the SPCO'S Liquid Music series and in association with Minnesota Public Radio.

MUSIC: CocoRosie Saturday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m.
The Cedar, 416 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis.

NOVEMBER

MUSIC/FILM: Erik Friedlander and Mitch Epstein, "American Power."
Friday, Nov. 1, 8 p.m.
World Premiere/Walker Commission

MUSIC: Tim Hecker and Oneohtrix Point Never.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.
Copresented with the SPCO's Liquid Music series.

DANCE: Jérôme Bel/Theater Hora Disabled Theater.
Thursday, Nov. 21; Saturday, Nov. 23, 8 p.m.

DANCE: Choreographers' Evening Curated by Chris Yon and Taryn Griggs
Saturday, Nov. 30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

DECEMBER

DANCE: HIJACK at 20 redundant, ready, reading, radish, Red Eye.
Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 5-7, 8 p.m.
World Premiere/Walker Commission.

JANUARY

THEATER: Out There 2014: "New World Visions."
Jan. 9 - Feb. 1, 2014

Wunderbaum and LAPD Hospital
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 9-11, 8 p.m.

Niwagekidan Penino: "The Room, Nobody Knows."
Thursday, Jan. 16, 8 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 17-18, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Clément Layes/Public in Private: "Allege"
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 23-25, 8 p.m.

Lola Arias: "The Year I Was Born"
Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 30 -Feb. 1, 8 p.m.

FEBRUARY

MUSIC: Olga Bell, "Origin/Outcome" with special guests Tom Vek and Angel Deradoorian
Thursday, February 13, 8 p.m.
World premiere, co-presented with the SPCO's Liquid Music series and the American Composers Forum.

DANCE: luciana achugar: "Otro Teatro"
Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 27 - March 1, 8 p.m.
Walker Commission/World Premiere

MARCH

DANCE: Trisha Brown Dance Company Farewell Theatrical Tour, "Works for the Stage 1983-2011."
Wednesday-Saturday, March 12-15, 8 p.m.

DANCE: Companhia Urbana de Dança Na Pista and ID, "ENTIDADES"
Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29, 8 p.m.

APRIL

MUSIC: Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile, "Intuitive Expression: A Brad Mehldau Celebration"
Tuesday, April 8, 8 p.m.

MUSIC: Brad Mehldau Trio
Wednesday, April 9, 8 p.m.

MUSIC: Burnt Sugar--The Arkestra Chamber, "Any World That I'm Welcome To: The Steely Dan Conductions."
Saturday, April or May, TBD

MAY

DANCE/MUSIC: Ragamala Dance and Rudresh Mahanthappa, "Song of the Jasmine
World Premiere/Walker Commission"
Thursday-Sunday, May 15-18.

New York's "busiest theater artist" sets her sights on Minneapolis

Posted at 6:06 PM on May 15, 2013 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Sybil Kempson has been in Minneapolis a lot recently as she helps the acclaimed troupe Elevator Repair Service prepare her latest play "Fondly, Collette Richland" which will get a preview presentation at the Walker Art Center this weekend.

She's going to be here a lot more though, having today been appointed playwright in residence at Playwrights Center.

She's really taken to the area having visited regularly as she worked on "Fondly" for the last 18 months.

"I thought you were going to ask me what it's about" she laughed on the phone the other day. "And our response that we have decided on is "About two hours."

Having sat in on part of a rehearsal at the Walker, I can see why she puts it that way. She uses the term "strange" to describe the surreal story which spins out over those two hours.

"There are a lot of traditional elements of a contemporary theater piece," she said, "But everything sort of veers off course and you are going to know right away that something strange is going on."

"I use strangeness with a lot of reverence," she adds.

There is a man and a wife, and some sort of a journey, and a lot of laughing. It's funny stuff, as in funny peculiar and funny hilarious.

Kempson is the darling of the New York theater scene, as a performer and as a prolific writer. Over the years she developed a reputation of being the busiest theater artist in the city. She has now set performing aside because she says she was working non-stop. She is looking forward to taking some of the ideas left over from "Fondly" to create a new work.

"I am excited beyond belief," she said about the residency. She wants to develop material she researched about Mary Shelly, creator of "Frankenstein."

The residency is four weeks spread over a year, with the a reading at the end. Something tells me it will be a wild and crazy time with the emphasis on strange.

Art Hounds: FOB, Get on the Grid, and Duluth goes 'Underground'

Posted at 8:25 AM on May 16, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Events, Music, Theater

The Underground, a new arts venue in Duluth. (Photo courtesy of The Underground)

This week, a multi-generational perspective on the Chinese immigrant experience, a new venue that's enlivening the Duluth art scene, and a networking party for part time musicians.

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Musician and attorney Gillian Brennan has the desire but not the time to meet similarly situated musicians to collaborate with. Enter local guitar wizard and music educator Mike Michel with Get on the Grid, a networking group that fosters partnerships between serious but not career-minded musicians. Get on the Grid will hold its next networking party this Sunday, May 19 at Icehouse in Minneapolis from 2:30 to 5:30pm.

Minneapolis visual artist and poet Simi Kang is an admirer of the playwright David Hwang, author of "M. Butterfly" and "Yellow Face," as a chronicler of the Asian American experience. Simi says Hwang's first play, "FOB," is being staged at the Southdale Library on Saturday, May 18th at 2pm. It's part of Hennepin County Library's Spice and Slice of Asian America series.

The Underground, says Duluth actor and director Lawrence Lee, has opened just in the nick of time for Duluth's burgeoning art scene. It's in the basement of the Depot, where several local arts groups are headquartered. Lawrence says the space has great architectural beauty and flexibility as a venue.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Art Hounds: Confess, Rupert Angeleyes, and a fairy tale for fearful parents

Posted at 7:45 AM on May 9, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Theater, Writing

Nathan Keepers & Christina Baldwin in The Moving Company's "Out of the Pan, Into the Fire" (Photo credit: Dominique Serrand)

The hounds are on the trail of a literary party that coaxes confessions out of revelers, a twisted, fantastical piece of theater and introspective bedroom pop.

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Danette Olson can't shake the experience of seeing The Moving Company's "Out of the Pan, Into the Fire." Not that she wants to. Danette, who's a board member of Festival Theatre in St. Croix Falls, Wis., calls the original work a multi-layered, metaphoric fairy tale about fear which will penetrate the heart of any parent. Through May 26 at the Southern Theater.

Paper Darts co-founder Courtney Algeo is giving props to fellow local literary magazine Revolver for conceiving a party where celebrants spend the evening visiting booths, making confessions and sharing secrets with strangers. The party is called "Confess," and it's happening at the Thorp Building in Northeast Minneapolis on Saturday, May 11 from 8:00 - midnight, with music from DJ Shannon Blowtorch.

Minneapolis printmaker and graphic designer Paige Guggemos has been captivated by the weird, edgy pop of Rupert Angeleyes for a while now. It's the solo project of Minneapolis musician Kyle Sobczak, who makes experimental, inward looking pop in the studio that really comes alive on stage with the help of a backing band. Rupert Angeleyes' next gig is Friday, May 10th, at Icehouse in Minneapolis.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

Terminated, Chris Kluwe becomes the Terminator

Posted at 12:19 PM on May 7, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: People, Theater

To borrow the well worn phrase Arnold Schwarzenegger rode to stardom, Chris Kluwe won't be 'bahck' as the punter for the Minnesota Vikings next year. Yesterday he was unceremoniously cut from the team, much to the chagrin of fans who appreciated his booming right leg and singular outspokenness on social issues such as gay marriage.

But Viking or not, Kluwe appeared on the New Century stage yesterday as Ahnold's cyborg assassin "the terminator" for the Minnesota Fringe Festival's annual fundraiser.

Chris Kluwe appears to be enjoying his role as The Terminator, seen here taking out actor Josh Carson
Photo courtesy Minnesota Fringe Festival

Each year the Fringe Festival chooses a well-known movie, book or play, and then assigns five different theater companies each a fifth of the story.

The event is called "Five Fifths of..."; this year it took on the 1984 movie "The Terminator."

Kluwe made his appearance during Mainly Me Productions fifth of the show, taking Arnold Schwarzenegger's role for a scene at a police station.

Kluwe appeared to be enjoying himself as he sent actor Josh Carson through a series of pratfalls to the cheers of the audience.

The reviews are in for 'Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde'

Posted at 10:58 AM on April 23, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Oscar Wilde's life was in many ways far more dramatic than his writing, yet his was a story deemed inappropriate fare for Victorian audiences.

Fortunately that's not the case today. Walking Shadow Theatre Company presents "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde," a play that chronicles Wilde's fall from the height of his career to imprisonment and ultimately his early death.

Critics found this production "gripping," "rich" and "thrilling."

Craig Johnson is Oscar Wilde in Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production of "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde"
Photo by Walking Shadow

From John Townsend at the Star Tribune:

In "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde," playwright Moisés Kaufman chronicles and analyzes that undoing almost entirely out of actual documents of the time. He weaves court transcripts, newspaper articles, reviews, autobiography, literary cuttings, comments by George Bernard Shaw, and other sources into a gripping unified whole.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Moises Kaufman's deep and rich examination of the times and motivations of those involved in the case gets a rigorous reading from Walking Shadow Theater Company and director Amy Rummenie. Craig Johnson fully inhabits the title character, bringing out not just wit, but also the depth of his mind and power of his personality and convictions.

Oscar Wilde

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Actor Craig Johnson's layered, knowing, subtle and intelligent portrayal of Oscar Wilde is by far the best reason to see Gross Indecency: The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde... Johnson's Wilde faces his homophobic tormentors calmly, emphasizing his passionate reverence for Art, for Beauty. His presence is beautifully understated. Rarely does he "act out." For this Wilde, "the love that dare not speak its name" is the platonic affection of an older man for a younger - and Johnson/Wilde's impassioned defense of this love, taken directly from the trial, thrills.

From Rob Hubbard at the Pioneer Press:

Director Amy Rummenie does an admirable job of bringing visual flair to a play built chiefly around one wit on the witness stand cleverly deflecting questions and parrying with the prosecution. Wilde was a wag nonpareil, the "Importance of Being Earnest" author extending his cocktail party persona to testimony bursting with bon mots and clever comebacks. But Johnson's rich portrayal holds undercurrents of sadness and rage while conveying why this passionate personality was so daunting to buttoned-up Britons.

Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production of "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" runs through May 4 at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

Snow storm leads some theaters to cancel shows

Posted at 5:02 PM on April 18, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

If you have tickets to a show tonight, it would be a good idea to call ahead and make sure the performance is still on.

As snowfall totals continue to rise, more theaters are announcing cancellations.

Among them:

Teatro Del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater's co-production of "Lorca in a Green Dress" at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.

Theater Unbound's production production of "Girl Group" at the Lowry Lab Theater in Saint Paul.

Freshwater Theatre's production of "Freshwater Theatre Goes Back To High School" at Nimbus Theatre in Minneapolis.

Drive safely...

The reviews are in for 'Nice Fish' at the Guthrie

Posted at 4:47 PM on April 18, 2013 by Marianne Combs (5 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Guthrie Theater presents the world premiere of a play about ice fishing built around the poetry of Duluthian Louis Jenkins.

The brainchild of Jenkins and two time Tony Award winner Mark Rylance, "Nice Fish" draws on wry Minnesota humor as well as Norse mythology.

Critics find the poetic stage piece both strong and inventive, but more than one complained it went on too long.

Jim Lichtscheidl as Erik and Mark Rylance as Ron in "Nice Fish," on stage at the Guthrie Theater through May 18. Photo by Richard Termine

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

Nice Fish is nothing less than the Waiting for Godot of ice fishing, punctuating life's long (and sometimes apparently senseless) wait with moments of reflection, physical comedy, absurdity, profound sadness, and startling delight.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

We feel part of something that is being created, in fits and starts, out of chaos. The play's wildness courts disaster at the same time it amazes with its bravery. How infrequently we get to see such raw, present and alive work at the Guthrie.

"Nice Fish" howls like a snowstorm -- in April. We can either shut ourselves away from it, or run outside for one last winter romp.

Mark Rylance as Ron and Jim Lichtscheidl as Erik in the Guthrie Theater's production of Nice Fish. Photo by Richard Termine

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Written by English actor-director Mark Rylance and Duluth prose-poet Louis Jenkins, "Nice Fish" has ample whimsy and magic but calls to mind a charming dinner guest who lingers one glass of wine longer than you'd like...Ultimately, there's not enough narrative or character exploration to make "Nice Fish" a wholly satisfying experience, and -- despite a fanciful final tableau -- the show doesn't justify its two-and-a-half-hour running time.

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

If using poems to form the structure of a play seems wonky, it's because it is. "My first thought was, 'This isn't going to work,'" says Jenkins in his contributor's note in the show's program. But for whatever reason--a.k.a. Rylance's vast acting experience and talent, Jenkins's relatable yet insightful prose, and a superb cast--it does. Just as lyrics taken out of the context of their song may read as awkward and incomplete, so too would much of the poetry used as speeches in Nice Fish. Yet delivered as a whole and given life through the cadence, nuance, and passion of the actors presenting them, each piece works together to evoke an unforgettable and altogether unique theater experience.

Jim Lichtscheidl as Erik and Mark Rylance as Ron in "Nice Fish," on stage at the Guthrie Theater through May 18. Photo by Richard Termine

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

...After a long, cold winter, the Guthrie's landed a nice, big hit. A collaboration between writer, director and actor Mark Rylance and Duluth poet Louis Jenkins, Nice Fish delighted its opening night audience, but this regionally-flavored little jewel is likely to have a long life beyond Minnesota's borders. Fanciful, imaginative and thoughtful, it's also just plain entertaining.

"Nice Fish" runs through May 18 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen the show? If so, what's your review?

The reviews are in for Frank Theatre's 'Misterman'

Posted at 12:19 PM on April 19, 2013 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

How often are our good intentions ruined by our own deep flaws?

Frank Theatre presents "Misterman", the tale of a supposedly holy man who attempts to rescue the souls of his neighbors... with tragic consequences.

Critics found this one man show a "success" and a "tour-de-force performance" but wonder if the Southern Theater was the right venue.

John Catron in Misterman by Frank Theatre
Photo by Wendy Knox

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

Thomas says he wants to help people, spreading love and peace, but his anger has a short fuse that can make him do a 180-degree turn in an instant. Catron's ability to turbo-shift from calm and sweet to monstrously enraged, and everything in between, makes the show worth watching... Michael Sommers' set and Michael Croswell's sound design are also a huge part of the play's success, bringing us more fully into Thomas' crazed world.

John Catron in Misterman by Frank Theatre
Photo by Wendy Knox

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

What the actor gives us in his tour-de-force performance is a man wrestling with demons that manifest themselves as their opposite. The contradictions are starkly embodied on the actor's face, in his popping veins and in his voice, a strained instrument that he uses to betray what is really one of the strangest figures on any stage this spring theater season.

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com

...This is one of those plays that defy easy rational interpretation. If this is going to bother you (and to a certain extent I will confess that it bothered me), you may find Misterman to be on the dull side. My advice: don't try to figure it out. Let Walsh's fervid writing wash over you, and let Catron's energetic work transport you.

John Catron in Misterman by Frank Theatre
Photo by Wendy Knox

From Sheila Regan at TC Daily Planet:

I do I think perhaps Catron would have been better served in a more intimate venue, allowing him to be fed more from the audience. While the Southern's large stage has allowed Michael Sommers free range for a cool set, I bet he could have evoked the same feeling in a smaller space, and made it more cramped, which might have aided the idea of Thomas being imprisoned by his memories.

Misterman runs through April 28 at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. Have you seen it? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Misterman, Niicugni, and five young black men and fatherhood

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 18, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Dance, Events, Theater

The hounds hunt down an eerie portrait of a mentally ill Irish evangelist, a meditation on the natural world that's informed by Alaskan Native culture, and a performance piece about being young, black and an unintended father.

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"Niicugni" is the title of a work by Minneapolis choreographer Emily Johnson and her company Catalyst. Dancer and dance follower Judith Brin Ingber discovered "Niicugni" is a term that comes from the Yupik people of Alaska, to whom Johnson is ancestrally connected. It means "listen." "Niicugni" premieres at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium on Sunday, April 21, at 7pm. Judith says expect magnificently mysterious soundscapes and a troupe of dancers in a movement exploration of our connection to each other and the earth.

Philip Bither, curator for performing arts at the Walker Art Center, has followed and supported the career of Bay Area spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph for many years now. Philip saw Joseph's piece, "Word Becomes Flesh," years ago when it was a solo show and was very moved by its exploration of African-American fatherhood. It's now been turned into a work for five young black performers, greatly intensifying its power and impact. At Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, April 18-20.

If you like theater that surprises, proselytizes, and is disorienting and delightful at the same time, Rachel Buchberger says go see "Misterman." Rachel, a proud member of the Twin Cities-based Prairie Fire Lady Choir, says the one-man Frank Theatre production, starring John Catron, is a tour-de-force character study of a small town Irish evangelist who's a little mad, in the head. At the Southern Theater in Minneapolis through April 28.

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Guthrie announces 2013-2014 season

Posted at 6:45 PM on April 15, 2013 by Euan Kerr (1 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Joe Dowling is cheerily blunt about what goes into deciding what goes into a theatrical season, particularly when the theater in question is the Guthrie in Minneapolis

"I think the main thing that goes through one's mind putting any season together is the desire to have large numbers of people come and see the plays," he said.

The season announced this evening is broad-ranging, covering everything from Shakespeare to contemporary local pieces. And there will be more once the Studio Theater schedule is set.

When asked about themes in the season Dowling says deciding to open the season with Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" and to close it with Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" which is based on Chekhov's writings was slightly tongue in cheek.

He also sees what you might call a spatial spread in the plays.

"In the Wurtele Thrust Stage there will be a fairly classical repertoire between 'Othello,' and 'My Fair Lady,' and 'Crimes of the Heart' and 'Vanya,' he said "So we are looking at big important plays, and then in the Proscenium we are doing more contemporary work."

Dowling who is a self-admitted Chekov fan will direct "Vanya," in an adaptation by fellow Irishman Brian Friel. Dowling says he loves the way Chekhov uses language and creates characters, but admits sometimes the shows can seem stodgy. He says Friel's adaptation is a stripped down version which is lighter on its feet.

"At times some of the translations can be a little bit top-heavy and a little bit more static than they ought to be. One of the great things about Brian Friel, because he is a great playwright himself, is that he brings his own signal sense of humor to it."

Another classic that leaps out from the season is Shakespeare's "Othello" to be directed by Marion McClinton, the celebrated Minneapolis director known for his work in New York, which includes productions of August Wilson's work.

"He brings a tremendous intelligence to his work," said Dowling. "So I am really looking forward to seeing what Marion will make of this. There's very few of Shakespeare's plays that are without contemporary controversy. Very few of them, if they are presented properly, won't raise some questions in our contemporary society. That's what makes him a great playwright."

Dowling also picks out Nina Raine's play "Tribes" as being a major catch. It's about a young man called Billy.

"He's deaf," said Dowling. "And the family doesn't do sign language and he discovers through a new girlfriend, how empowering sign language is. Wendy Goldberg who directed here a couple of years ago is coming back to direct it, and it's a piece I think will have a tremendous significance. It's going to open the season in the Proscenium theater."

The play will be partially presented in American Sign Language, and will also have surtitles.

Dowling is also pleased with the companies returning from overseas for the Worldstage productions.

There is Kneehigh Theater, who presented the extremely successful "Brief Encounter" at the Guthrie two summers ago. It will present "Tristan and Yseult"

Also from the UK Out of Joint Theater will return to do "Our Country's Good" by Timberlake Wertenbaker, based on a piece by Thomas Keneally.

"Max Stafford-Clark is one of the top directors in the world," said Dowling, "And his production of "Our Country's Good" which I saw recently in London is the 25th anniversary of a really great modern play about theater itself. It is about the first play ever done in Australia."

It's the story of how in 1780 an army second lieutenant seeks to advance his career by putting on a Restoration comedy using a cast of convicts from the local penal colony.

In terms of smaller productions the Guthrie is announcing two shows in the Dowling Studio for the moment. One is David Goldstein's "Skiing on Broken Glass" which was first presented at the Fringe Festival and now will receive a full production. Dowling says there will also be a production of "Freud's Last Session" about a meeting which may have taken place between Freud and author and theologian CS Lewis on the day war broke out in 1939.

"It's a debate really between the spirituality of C.S. Lewis and the atheism of Freud," Dowling said. "We will be announcing fairly soon a large number of presentations that we do in the studio, and that will be local companies."

The full schedule is listed below.

The one time Dowling seemed irked during our chat was when I brought up the controversy which swirled around the announcement of the current season. Some critics questioned the lack of female playwrights and directors in the 50th season.

When asked if the range of the new season is a reaction to that Dowling is emphatic.

"No!" he said "I said last year and I'll say it again. It was a bogus argument which didn't hold water for one second and it was encouraged by people who should have known better."

Dowling said it's unreasonable to pluck out one season. He says the Guthrie should be judged over it's years of presentations.

"The Guthrie is not misogynistic and has a lot of diversity," he said

"It certainly did some PR damage to us but I am glad to say it didn't do any damage in terms of the number of subscribers we have," he continued. "And it hasn't done any damage in terms of people's enjoyment or non-enjoyment of individual plays."

Dowling said seasons can be the result of years of planning, and he's already working on the 2014-2015 list.

GUTHRIE THEATER 2012-2013 SEASON LISTINGS
On the Wurtele Thrust Stage

September 14 - October 27, 2013
Uncle Vanya
by Anton Chekhov
in a version by Brian Friel
directed by Joe Dowling
Opening Night: September 20

November 14 - December 29, 2013
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
adapted by Crispin Whittell
directed by Joe Chvala
Opening Night: November 20

March 8 - April 20, 2014
Othello, the Moor of Venice
by William Shakespeare
directed by Marion McClinton
Opening Night: March 14

May 3 - June 15, 2014
Crimes of the Heart
by Beth Henley
directed by Marcela Lorca
Opening Night: May 9

June 28 - August 31, 2014
My Fair Lady
book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
music by Frederick Loewe
based on Pygmalion
by George Bernard Shaw
directed by Joe Dowling
Opening Night: July 4

On the McGuire Proscenium Stage

October 5 - November 10, 2013
Tribes
by Nina Raine
directed by Wendy Goldberg
Opening Night: October 11

November 23, 2013 - January 5, 2014
Born Yesterday
by Garson Kanin
directed by John Miller-Stephany
Opening Night: November 29

February 13 - March 23, 2014
The Guthrie Theater's WorldStage Series presents
a Kneehigh Theatre production of
Tristan and Yseult
by Anna Maria Murphy & Carl Grose
adapted and directed by Emma Rice
Opening Night: February 14

March 22 - April 19, 2014
The Guthrie Theater presents
a Penumbra Theatre Company production of
The Mountaintop
by Katori Hall
directed by Lou Bellamy
Opening Night: March 22

April 22 - May 4, 2014
The Acting Company in association with
the Guthrie Theater presents
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
directed by Ian Belknap
and
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
by Tom Stoppard
directed by John Rando
Opening Night: April 22

May 22 - June 29, 2014
The Guthrie Theater's WorldStage Series presents
an Out of Joint production of
Our Country's Good
by Timberlake Wertenbaker
based on The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally
directed by Max Stafford-Clark
Opening Night: May 23

July 19 - August 31, 2014
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
by Christopher Durang
directed by Joel Sass
Opening Night: July 25

In the Dowling Studio

October 29 - November 17, 2013
Skiing on Broken Glass
by David Goldstein
directed by Joe Dowling
Opening Night: November 1

February 25 - March 16, 2014
Freud's Last Session
by Mark St. Germain
directed by TBD
Opening Night: February 28

Art Hounds: Fatoumata Diawara, Edward Curtis, and Ibsen in Lanesboro

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 11, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Photography, Theater

Fatoumata Diawara, aka Fatou, will be playing at the Cedar Cultural Center Friday, April 12. (Photo by Youri Lenquette)

This week, a charismatic pan-African performer, a visionary photographer of Native Americans, and a festival dedicated to Norway's most celebrated playwright.

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Scandanavian art, food, fashion and culture will become the obsession of Lanesboro residents this weekend, and sculptor Karl Unnasch can't wait. The 16th annual Ibsen Festival gets underway in the picturesque river bluff town, organized by Commonweal Theatre and anchored by Commonweal's production of Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of the Ibsen classic, "A Doll's House." The festival runs April 12-14.

If there is an artist St. Paul photographer Tom Arndt tries to emulate, it's Edward Curtis. Around the turn of the 20th century, Curtis, who at one time lived in St. Paul, began photographing Native Americans in stunning gold tone and platinum prints which to this day haven't lost any of their luster or grandeur. Tom says Curtis' work elevated and celebrated Native culture in a way that wasn't occurring in America back then. Curtis' photographs of American Indians hang at the Minneapolis Photo Center through April 28 in an exhibition called "Driven by a Dream."

The sound of Fatoumata Diawara singing sometimes transports Minneapolis poet Nimo Farah to an African desert where Nimo imagines she's sipping tea and feeling peaceful. Diawara is a songwriter and performer who has become a poignant voice for women across Africa. She's playing the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Friday, April 12.

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Remembering Phil Kilbourne

Posted at 2:34 PM on April 8, 2013 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: People, Theater

Actor Phil Kilbourne finished performing his finest role this past weekend - his own.

Kilbourne, 61, spent much of the past two years battling cancer. A regular performer at both the Jungle Theater and Penumbra, Kilbourne's roles often had an air of mortality about them, whether he was playing the devil in "The Seafarer" or the ghost of a king in "Hamlet."

Phil Kilbourne's headshot

Friends and colleagues remember him for both his professionalism, his humor and for the grace with which he dealt with his illness.

From actor Stephen Yoakam:

Foremost in the present is how vast, far-flung and loyal his community of friends, colleagues and admirers has been over the last two years of his journey. And how incredibly generous, forthright and humorous he and especially his wife Mary Sue have been in sharing all this with all of us through Caring Bridge.

As for Mr. Phil...plain and simple, this was one hell of an actor and one fun person to be in the same room with. Witty, acerbic, most always the smartest guy in the room, he was also warm, giving and kind at the end of the day. An encyclopedic knowledge of film, Shakespeare and trivia that would leave you shaking your head and going "How the hell does he remember all this?!" For those who had the pleasure of his company, when we think of him, most times we will laugh first, then continue to smile long after at his vivid spirit. A helluva guy.

Phil Kilbourne, far left, as the devil in the Jungle Theater's production of Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Lou Bellamy, Artistic Director of Penumbra Theatre:

Phill won a place in our company several years ago. He's been in at least 4 shows at PTC. All directed by me. We've traveled together in shows in Arizona, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. What I think the company will miss most is Phil's craft and humor. He was a consummate actor who made no big deal about his mastery of craft. With Phil, it was simply "taken for granted." In several of the shows he did at PTC, he had to play multiple roles in the same show. Each character was distinct and well-rounded. I remember when he began dealing with his illness. None of us knew what was happening, but we knew that Phil's memory wasn't as reliable as it had been. In true Phil fashion, when I would call him on some detail that he had forgotten, he'd make some joke about his mistake. Something like, "Sure, blame it on the white guy." Even when he began to be seriously affected by his illness, while we were touring, he still found great humor in his situation. A model of courage and style.

Phil Kilbourne in Penumbra Theatre's production of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From actor Sam Landman:

When I first met Phil Kilbourne, he scared the s**t out of me. We were doing a show at Penumbra together. And along with a boatload of other anxieties I was having at the time, Phil seemed like an oppressive, belittling character... There's no doubt that he was an imposing presence to me. And I soon learned that THAT'S what great artists do. They challenge you to bring your A-game. They have a way of keeping you from being lazy. But mostly they live in a way that inspires you to follow. Phil was the epitome of a working actor. He travelled where the work was & brought that formidable talent with him. When he was first diagnosed with cancer, he kept working. All the way up until his body betrayed him.

Stephen d'Ambrose and Phil Kilbourne in "The Dazzle" at the Jungle Theater
Photo by Michal Daniel

From actor Joel Liestman:

Two years ago my wife and I ran into Phil and Marysue at the hospital. We were on our way in to see our newborn son who was still at Abbott (he was premature) and Phil was being discharged, finally, after his first long bout with cancer. No matter what I did to ask how he was doing and how happy I was to see him out, he only wanted to talk about our little boy. In typical Phil fashion he looked at our tired, new-parent faces and said, "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help out." That's Phil.

From Bain Boehlke, Artistic Director of The Jungle Theater:

Phil Kilbourne was a favorite Jungle actor - not just of our audiences but of mine as a director. Phil appeared in a number of shows on the Jungle stage and always turned in terrific performances -performances that were nuanced and savvy. Always fun to work with, he was upbeat, witty, and congenial. We shall miss him here.

From actor/director Charlie Bethel:

I directed Phil in a solo version of Xmas Carol he adapted. He really was a tremendous spirit with a huge heart and an incisive brain. The world will be the worse, lacking him.

Do you have memories of Phil Kilbourne that you'd like to share? Please feel free to add your story in the comments section.

Max Raabe, Tim Harmston, and something about a bear in northern Minnesota

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 4, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Comedy, Events, Music, Theater

This week, the golden age of American jazz as interpreted by a German orchestra, a gut busting Minneapolis comic, and a Russian fairy tale comes ferociously alive in a Minnesota forest.

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Twin Cities writer and bagpipe player Adam Kintopf appreciates how Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester have resurrected the timeless elegance of the 1920s and 30s with their re-interpretations of the dance hits from that bygone era. Raabe and his orchestra hail from Germany and are making their debut at the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant on Sunday, April 7, at 6pm.

Twin Cities comedian Laura Thorne took it upon herself to end the severe comedy drought on Art Hounds and rave about the stylings of comedian Tim Harmston of Minneapolis. Laura says Tim is hysterically funny, a brilliant impressionist, and slaves like few others in the business to keep his material fresh and relevant. Tim will be at the Acme Comedy Club in Minneapolis April 9 - 13, as part of its "Slash and Burn" series. The series features four headlining comics who over the course of a week try to develop an entirely new set.

Carl Atiya Swanson says Theatre Novi Most will combine veteran acting chops with new talent in its premiere production of "Something About a Bear." Carl, who's a member of Savage Umbrella Theater himself and an arts administrator, describes the play as a Russian fairy tale set in the woods of northern Minnesota which features a bear who becomes a man, a wizard, and other strange magical characters. It's a co-production of Theatre Novi Most and the University of Minnesota department of theatre and dance. On stage and open to all ages at the Stoll Thrust Theatre in the U's Rarig Center from April 11 - 21.

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Robin Gillette to step down from MN Fringe Festival

Posted at 6:35 PM on April 1, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arts management, Events, Theater

Robin Gillette, Executive Director of the Minnesota Fringe Festival, is ready to try something new.

The red-headed leader of the independent theater festival is stepping down after marking its 20th anniversary.

In a phone conversation this afternoon Gillette explained that she wants to make the break while the Festival is in good health.

Gillette took the helm of the Fringe in 2006; under her tenure attendance has increased 23% and the payout from box office returns to artists has increased 34%. The festival has also reached out to performers around the state, and worked to promote Midwestern shows to the international fringe scene.

Gillette says she's proudest of the opportunities that Fringe has provided.

"For artists, and folks who wouldn't define themselves as artists but had something they wanted to say or do in a theatrical format, to get on a stage and see what they've got. For audiences, who've had a chance to be active participants in the creation of new work with their willingness to take a risk on new materials and new faces. For my staff - there aren't words to express how proud I am of the collaborative structure that the six of us year-round folks have built, and the professional development that I've been privileged to watch in each of them over the years."

The 2013 Minnesota Fringe Festival runs August 1 - 11. In the meantime, the board is forming a search committee to identify Gillette's successor.

Art Hounds: DIY Printing, Paper Garden and Zedashe

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 28, 2013 by Molly Bloom (1 Comments)
Filed under: Arts 101, Events, Galleries, Museums, Music, Printmaking, Theater

Participants at the opening reception of DIY Printing: No Presses Required at the MMAA Project Space in St. Paul. (Image courtesy of the Minnesota Museum of American Art)

The Art Hounds are here this week to whet your appetite with a puppet production that will make you think, an exhibit that showcases inventive printmakers, and a vocal group specializing in ancient harmonies.

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Maria Santiago, who teaches printmaking at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, loved the energy on display at DIY Printing: Presses Not Required. The exhibit at the Minnesota Museum of American Art Project Space shows that limitations often give birth to great creativity, as printmakers find ways to make art without fancy equipment. The show runs through April 28, with many interactive events scheduled in the next few weeks.

In Mad Munchkin Productions' "Paper Garden: Entomos," puppets help tell the story of a girl and her beloved insects that live in her family's garden. Actor and stage manager Al Broeffle loved that this seemingly simple story raised questions of race, finding one's place in the world and the balance between science and nature -- all while making him laugh. There are five more performances of the show this weekend at the California Building in Northeast Minneapolis.

When puppeteer and public artist Soozin Hirschmugl tells her friends about the Zedashe Ensemble, she says listening to their music is like eating really rich dirt or drinking your favorite glass of red wine. The ancient harmonies from Georgia (the country, not the state) may sound foreign to ears used to western harmonies, but Soozin says they will reverberate through you and transport you. They'll be performing a concert of sacred music on Wednesday, April 3 at St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis and will also present a concert of both sacred and folk music with dancers and musicians at Concordia University in St. Paul on Saturday, April 6. They'll also be holding workshops at the Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Penumbra extends run of 'Spunk'

Posted at 8:03 AM on March 25, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Penumbra Theatre may have it's financial troubles, but that doesn't keep it from putting on a good show.

Dennis Spears and Jevetta Steele in Penumbra Theatre's "Spunk."
Photo by Rich Ryan

Case in point: the company's production of "Spunk" - the only production for this season - has been so popular that today Penumbra announced it's extending the run with seven additional performances. It now runs through April 14.

Art Hounds: The Gateway District, Robert Finkler and Jackie Robinson

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 21, 2013 by Chris Roberts (2 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Galleries, Music, Painting, Theater

The cast of Jackie and Me, directed by Marion McClinton at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. (Photo by Dan Norman)

This week's hounds are truly hypnotic as they delve into a children's play about the courageous struggles of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, a Mankato painter who's mastered his own brand of abstract expressionism, and a strictly rock band from Minneapolis that will warm your winter ravaged body.

Oh, and this week's segment is guaranteed to make you forget about winter, at least for a few minutes. We're not kidding. Listen before you kill someone.

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Twin Cities actor and singer Paul Coate has a love for baseball and a daughter who's also fallen in love with the national pastime, which means they're both headed to the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis to see "Jackie and Me." Some magical baseball cards enable a boy to travel back in time and get an eyewitness account of Jackie Robinson striving to become the first African American in Major League Baseball. On stage through April 14th.

Painter and Minnesota State University Mankato art professor Brian Frink doesn't hold back in praising fellow veteran Mankato artist and teacher Robert Finkler. Brian says Finkler has toiled so masterfully in the abstract expressionist realm for so many years he has in some ways reinvented the art form. "Robert Finkler: Before, Middle, Last, First," is an exhibition of his paintings at the Carnegie Art Center in Mankato through March 23.

There will always be a need to rock. Annie Sparrows, member of the God Damn Doo Wop Band and the Soviettes, knows you know this, which is why she feels strongly you should go see The Gateway District. Annie says this Minneapolis indie rock band practices the art of kicking out the jams. The Gateway District is releasing a new album, "Old Wild Hearts," at a private house party somewhere in Minneapolis this weekend.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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The reviews are in for Latte Da's 'The Light in the Piazza'

Posted at 5:45 PM on March 21, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Music, Theater

The musical "The Light in the Piazza" revolves around a mother and daughter on a trip to Florence. When the daughter, Clara, falls for a young Italian man, her mother Margaret worries about the future, while simultaneously regretting her own past.

The show won six Tony awards when it premiered in 2005; Twin Cities critics find themselves either gushing or dissatisfied after seeing Theater Latté Da's production.

Jessica Fredrickson as Clara Johnson and Aleks Knezevich as Fabrizio Naccarelli in Theater Latté Da's "The Light in the Piazza"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

Nobody does musical theater better than Theater Latté Da. Notice I didn't qualify that with an "in the Twin Cities." If theater were a competition (and thank heavens that it isn't) this company could offer courses in how to do it right. I don't gush often, but I'm gushing now.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Teasing this story forth in Craig Lucas' script becomes a tedious affair. Clara is written with frustrating inconsistency. She's sharp and insightful, with a growing grasp of Italian one minute; rash and temperamental as a petulant child the next. Fredrickson labors to navigate this mine field, and the result is a stagy character who never leaves us convinced that something real is at stake. Knezevich's Fabrizio is a young innocent, purposely bland.

Jessica Fredrickson as Clara Johnson and Kathleen Humphrey as Margaret Johnson in Theater Latté Da's "The Light in the Piazza"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Chris Hewitt at the Pioneer Press:

Latte Da's "Piazza" fits perfectly in the Ordway's intimate McKnight Theatre. A chamber-sized musical with a small cast and orchestra, the scale of the production feels exactly right. The moral questions in "Piazza" may be far-ranging, but the musical -- and Latte Da's appealingly modest production -- asks them quietly, without pretending to have all the answers. In fact, the real finale probably will take place not on stage but in theatergoers' cars on the way home, as they debate whether Margaret makes the right decisions.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Not that Theatre Latte Da's production wasn't tightly produced or gloriously sung. Instead, the musical from Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel (based on Elizabeth Spencer's novella) can be a difficult ride. If you come in looking for a light, romantic evening about love blossoming in Italy, you're likely to be disappointed. If you meet Piazza on its own terms, you won't be disappointed.

Jessica Fredrickson as Clara Johnson in Theater Latté Da's "The Light in the Piazza"
Photo by Michal Daniel

Theater Latté Da's "The Light in the Piazza" runs through April 7 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

The reviews are in for CTC's 'Jackie and Me'

Posted at 12:04 PM on March 19, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Children's Theatre Company's "Jackie and Me" takes its audience back to the 1940s, just as baseball great Jackie Robinson is shouldering his way through an obstinate color line.

The story, directed by Marion McClinton, is told through the eyes of a modern day white kid named Joey Stoshack who can travel through time with the aid of his baseball cards. Stoshack witnesses first hand what Robinson endures on and off the playing field.

Critics find this show grand, lively, winning... and a little bit confusing.

The cast of Jackie and Me, directed by Marion McClinton at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
Photo by Dan Norman

From Lisa Brock at the Star Tribune:

This production capably conjures the sound and feel of a baseball diamond, complete with reverberating play-by-play announcing, and director Marion McClinton choreographs the ebb and flow of the crowd scenes with an almost balletic sense. While "Jackie and Me" could easily bog down in didacticism, McClinton keeps the pace lively, while Brooks' charm keeps the audience engaged in his journey.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

"Jackie and Me" is an altogether winning story that tells -- in broad perspective and at an appropriate level for young audiences -- the story of how Robinson broke the color line in baseball. It's not a hearts-and-butterflies telling: Audiences learn about the taunting and the death threats Robinson endured, and the script speculates on what lay beneath the ballplayer's legendary grace and calm. "It's not wrong to fight," Robinson tells Joey at one point. "The question is how? With our fists or something more?"

Brandon Brooks, Spencer Harrison Levin and Braxton Baker in "Jackie and Me" at Children's Theatre Company.
Photo by Dan Norman

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

21st century children are inundated with stories about the struggle of civil rights pioneers like Robinson, Rosa Parks, the young Martin Luther King, et al. It's easy for an aging writer like me, who lived through the era, to resent the simplistic "past-tenseness" of plays like Jackie And Me: we used to have a problem; we don't any more. For the kids in CTC's audience, this is ancient history. Which is as it should be. Children need to be reminded, and often, that the rights they take for granted were fought for, by real heroes, men and women who deserve to be celebrated. Jackie And Me does this.

Ansa Akyea as Jackie Robinson in "Jackie and Me" at Children's Theatre Company.
Photo by Dan Norman

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

[Joey's] black when he travels into the past. It's a plot twist I can imagine working very well on the page, but it just doesn't translate to the stage. A second actor to play the role might work, or maybe if there were more instances where his exterior color put the boy in greater danger.

In fact, there are so many complications to Joey's tale that it feels like Robinson's own tale doesn't get nearly enough room to breathe. That's a shame, as they have one of the best actors in town, Ansa Akyea, in the role. He plays Robinson as a rock -- steady and seemingly impervious -- but there are enough signs of the pain and rage just boiling under the surface to fully round out the character.

"Jackie and Me" runs through April 14 at Children's Theatre Company. Have you seen it? What's your review?

The reviews are in for 'Spunk' at Penumbra Theatre

Posted at 10:21 AM on March 18, 2013 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Last year, Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul seemed to be in a financial freefall, appearing as though it may have played its last show.

After an outpouring of public support, including 1,400 donations, the lauded African American company is back in business with "Spunk," a play based on three stories collected by Zora Neale Hurston.

Four out of five critics agree; this show is smart, stylish, infectious and satisfying.

Austene Van and Keith Jamal Downing in Penumbra Theatre's "Spunk."
Photo by Rich Ryan

From John Olive and Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

JP: "Spunk" works. Smart, satisfying. A blend of first rate acting, seamlessly integrated music, design and storytelling. The director [Patdro Harris] and the designers did outstanding work, especially on Penumbra's tiny stage.

JO: For me, the third story is the best. Characters are beautifully developed. The husband behaves in completely unexpected ways. It's a story about forgiveness, a theme I always find appealing.

JP: But the first two have their own appeal... Hurston is a born storyteller.

Austene Van and T. Mychael Rambo in Penumbra Theatre's "Spunk."
Photo by Rich Ryan

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The company, along with the band, do a fine job throughout. You can feel the thrill that these actors, many Penumbra veterans, have on returning to the stage on Kent Street. It's an infectious vibe that quickly spreads to the audience, letting everyone have a good time.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

...as Penumbra moves into a new period, Bellamy can sit with a touch more remove and nurture the company he founded 37 years ago.

What Bellamy watched Thursday was a stylish and sure-footed staging of "Spunk," courtesy of director/choreographer Patdro Harris. The storytelling is brisk, and Harris's eye for movement and his ear for dialogue kept six talented actors buoyant in earthy, spirited depictions.

Dennis Spears and Jevetta Steele in Penumbra Theatre's "Spunk."
Photo by Rich Ryan

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Local audiences have seen Rambo, Van and Spears play characters like the ones in "Spunk" many times.

At their best, these actors have shown an ability to hone characteristics into characters. Here, though, they are swallowed up by their costumes (which are delicious, by the way, thanks to designer Amanda McGee) and their mannerisms.

"Spunk" runs through April 7 at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Kingdom Undone, Other Desert Cities, and Six Characters in Search of an Author

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 14, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Theater

Michelle Barber (Silda Grauman) and Kelly McAndrew (Brooke Wyeth) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Other Desert Cities, by Jon Robin Baitz. (Photo by Michael Brosilow; Courtesy of The Guthrie Theater)

A theater saturated segment from the hounds this week, who are following an earthy passion play, a drama about keeping secrets in an upper crust California family, and a play that bends your perception of reality.

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Art Hound stalwart and comedic actor Levi Weinhagen was entertained and challenged by Alan Berks' adaptation of the 1921 Luigi Pirandello play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author." Levi says the absurdist storyline examines relationships between playwrights, actors and their characters and blurs the line between reality and fiction. Berks' adaptation takes place on the set of a reality TV show. At Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul through March 24.

Minneapolis arts writer Laura Westlund has a tip for cabin fever sufferers who are unable to escape Minnesota before spring comes, if it ever does. Laura predicts you will be warmed by the magnificent Southern California set, funny repartee and heated drama of "Other Desert Cities," about a wealthy family turning against itself because of a terrible tragedy. Through March 24 at the Guthrie Theater.

A well-intentioned Judas, a Mother Mary with attitude and a Jesus who keeps it real. Jessica Lind Peterson and her husband Jason Peterson, co-founders of Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo, say that's what you'll get and more if you see "Kingdom Undone" at the Southern Theater through March 30. The Petersons say the production strips the passion play of a lot of its historical baggage and brings it down to a more human level.

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The reviews are in for 'Yellow Fever' by Mu Performing Arts

Posted at 9:43 AM on March 13, 2013 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Rick Shiomi is retiring from his position as Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts this fall. To mark the end of his twenty year run with the company, he's brought back one of the first shows they produced - a play he wrote called Yellow Fever.

The show is set in 1970s Vancouver; memories of the Japanese-Canadian internment camps still linger, and a new wave of Chinese immigrants are sparking another round of xenophobia. A local beauty queen has mysteriously disappeared, and a hard boiled detective finds himself up against police corruption, racism, and a determined young newspaper reporter.

Critics found Yellow Fever a fitting tribute to Shiomi's career, and gave it predominantly positive reviews.

Alex Galick as Chuck Chan, Jeannie Lander as Rosie, and Kurt Kwan as Sam Shikaze in Yellow Fever
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Shiomi's play still carries a historic message and tells us much about him. "Yellow Fever," which opened in a Mu Performing Arts production at the Guthrie on Saturday, mixes righteous anger with a noirish sense of ironic humor. Shiomi always has been a serious artist who cloaks his gravity in self-deprecating humor.

..."Yellow Fever" feels its age. Yet, there is still a charm to its style and an earnest plaint in its message. In sum, it reflects its writer well.

Kurt Kwan as Sam Shikaze and Sara Ochs as Nancy Wing in Yellow Fever
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

The new staging of the play to mark Shiomi's retirement as artistic director of Mu Performing Arts shows that the play has aged well and that its themes remain significant. ...For a play written in the early years of the culturally specific theater boom of the 1970s and early 80s, "Yellow Fever" doesn't feel like the work of young genre or a young playwright, and most of the issues it raises linger still. That's at once a complement to its creator and an indictment of the society in which it was created.

Kurt Kwan as Sam Shikaze, Sara Ochs as Nancy Wing, Eric Sharp as Capt. Kadota and Brandon Ewald as Sgt. Mackenzie in Yellow Fever
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ed Huyck at the City Pages:

Yellow Fever has the look and sound of a play by a young playwright loving the act of creation, intoxicated with the possibility of the stage, and ready to share a story close to his heart. It also sometimes uses a bludgeon when a knife would be more appropriate.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

The trick with this play is to capture the era capturing another era, playing to an audience of another era - without flat-out stereotypes marking the path. This production does this deftly; we get the laughs - and we get the point.

Yellow Fever runs through March 24 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? What's your review?

Katie Ka Vang beats cancer, returns to stage in 'Hmong Bollywood'

Posted at 10:36 AM on March 14, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Minnesota Mix, People, Storytelling, Theater

A little more than a year ago, the prognosis for Katie Ka Vang was not good.

Vang was diagnosed with stage four anaplastic T-cell large lymphoma, and had tumors in 60 - 70% of her body. She couldn't even walk.

Now she's not only walking, she's back to performing on stage with her one woman show Hmong Bollywood

Katie Ka Vang

Vang says it's great to be performing again, but it's also scary:

"Something about being in my body really makes me feel alive, again. Up until January, since being in remission, I felt I was on auto-pilot, and I didn't realize it - I mean there has to be a little bit of that in life, but it should never be the "go to". While being on chemo, I was so intentional and it was easier to be present in everything I was doing but the moment I was in remission, it's like I put some kind of expectation on myself and thrust myself back into what I was calling "normal" life; then I finally realized this is my normal now. I'm a part of a new "super hero group!"

Hmong Bollywood is about love, displacement and identity; it's also about Vang's obsession with Bolllywood films. Vang has worked on the piece for years with Pangea director Meena Natarajan; now cancer has a role to play in the show, too.

"Just like life, when you live one more day, you have a little more information about it, if you're paying attention that is," reflects Vang. "So in the midst of life, Hmong Bollywood happened, and when I got cancer it gave me a little more information about my life, it basically gave us an ending to the piece."

But the process hasn't been easy. Vang says she often found herself not wanting to work anymore because it was just too much.

"It became too hard to hold in my body and my mind and I wasn't really sure if I'd be ready for this; but then little things manifest and re-affirm my belief that art and theater should mirror life. Earlier this week I heard a 14 year-old boy say the most profound thing: 'Out of all the art forms, theater and dance are the rawest forms of being with God.' It was exactly what I needed to hear."

Hmong Bollywood opens tonight at Intermedia Arts and runs through March 24.

All photos by Marc Norberg

Jazz88 KBEM brings back old time radio drama

Posted at 4:05 PM on March 7, 2013 by Marianne Combs (3 Comments)
Filed under: Music, Theater

Ah, the good old days of radio... the family gathering around the Zenith console in the living room after dinner, getting ready for the evening line-up of news, comedy and drama. On some nights you could hear your whole neighborhood laugh to the same jokes.

Jazz88 KBEM seeks to bring back some of that old time radio feel with Jazz Noir, a new radio series starring local acting talent.

The first episode, "Charles & Avon," is slated to be recorded live at the Artists' Quarter in downtown St. Paul on April 28. The Playwrights' Center and the American Composers' Forum both helped with this initial production, which features a score composed and performed by George Maurer.

According to a release, "Charles & Avon" is set in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul in the 1920s. Avon Davis, a self-taught savant jazz pianist, has spent her entire life helping her father run his boarding house. The boarding house soon becomes a focal point for the burgeoning Twin Cities jazz scene.

More details about the series will be forthcoming on the Jazz88 website.

Art Hounds: Degenerate classical music, Howard Christopherson, and the 'N' word unpacked

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 7, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Photography, Theater

Sha Cage in N.I.G.G.E.R. (Image courtesy of Intermedia Arts)

The hounds are active this week, chasing down an upstart band of young classical musicians, a veteran gallerist and artist who's been making a mark for 25 years, and a local performance artist confronting and explaining the 'N' word.

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The movie "Django Unchained" reveled in its repeated use of the 'N' word. Local actor H. Adam Harris thinks we now need to do some serious work developing a deeper understanding of it. He's recommending "N.I.G.G.E.R.," a performance piece in which artist and McKnight Fellow Sha Cage uses puppetry, monologue, music and community interviews to unravel the "N' word. At Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, Thursday, March 7 through Sunday, March 10.

Photographer Vance Gellert credits Howard Christopherson's creative exuberance, artistic craft and uncanny eye for talent as some of the reasons behind his 25 year reign as owner of Icebox Quality Framing and Gallery in Minneapolis. Vance says you can see Christopherson's impact in "The Icebox Years," a new show commemorating the gallery's 25th anniversary.

"The Degenerate Music Club." When Shahzore Shah discovered this group of young musicians he found their name and their mission to perform the most obscure classical music they could find...refreshing. Shazore, who's a member of the male vocal ensemble Cantus, says the group performs at unexpected venues too. The Degenerate Music Club is playing at Hymie's Vintage Records in Minneapolis, Sunday, March 10 at 6pm.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Laura Osnes parlays reality TV win into successful Broadway career

Posted at 2:53 PM on March 4, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Music, People, Theater

By all accounts Laura Osnes is not just a 'flash in the pan.' This weekend the actress took to the Broadway stage in the starring role of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Laura Osnes in the title role of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella"
Photo by Carol Rosegg

Born and raised in the Twin Cities suburbs, Osnes has long been involved in musical theater, playing numerous roles throughout her youth at Eagan High School, Children's Theatre Company, and Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

But as Jeff Lunden report for National Public Radio, Osnes got her big break through a reality TV show called "Grease: You're the One that I Want." As the winner she got to star in the Broadway production.

"I let the whole Grease experience be a springboard for me," Osnes says. "I wanted to use the exposure I got from that very wisely, to continue a successful career. It's taken a lot of work and perseverance."

It's paid off. With Cinderella, Osnes will be playing her fifth lead role on Broadway in six years.

Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, says coming to Broadway from a reality TV show was not a "terribly welcoming circumstance."

"We don't like to be told by television audiences -- well, maybe now with American Idol we can be," he says. "But for Laura to have come to this town in the lead in that Grease production, and then to have turned out to be the real deal is what's so surprising, delightful and wonderful for all of us."

Director Kathleen Marshall compares Osnes to such Broadway greats Shirley Jones and Barbara Cook.

You can read the full NPR story here.

In addition, Osnes was back home in the Twin Cities last year, and sat down for this interview at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.

The reviews are in for 'Other Desert Cities' at the Guthrie

Posted at 12:47 PM on March 1, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Sally Wingert as Polly Wyeth in the Guthrie Theater's production of "Other Desert Cities"
Photo by Michael Brosilow

Guthrie Theater presents Other Desert Cities by playwright Jon Robin Baitz on the McGuire Proscenium stage through March 24.

Directed by Peter Rothstein, the show revolves around a wealthy family, and the daughter's decision to publish a memoir which recalls, among other things, her brother's suicide.

Critics offer mixed reviews of the show, but agree that Sally Wingert shines in her role as the Republican mother Polly Wyeth.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Baitz's great feat in the script is his refusal to take sides. Just when one combatant has triumphed, the foe rises like a Phoenix with a counter punch. Baitz finds resolution less interesting than a multiplicity of motivations, psychologies and ideas. This makes for delicious revelations, particularly in the second act when, after the sun goes down and the desert chill comes up, the Wyeths can release their inner vampires.

From Chris Hewitt at the Pioneer Press:

Too often, it's clear that Baitz is less interested in these characters than in making an argument about parents, children and what they owe each other. Even he seems to give up at the end, which fast-forwards to the play's abrupt and unsatisfying final scene. The good news is that Rothstein's glittering production and the Wingert-led cast are more than enough to compensate. The destination of "Other Desert Cities" may be no great shakes, but the getting-there is still well worth the trip.

Michelle Barber as Silda Grauman and Kelly McAndrew as Brooke Wyeth in "Other Desert Cities" by Jon Robin Baitz
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Peter Rothstein directs with his typical solid hand, giving the actors plenty of space to delve into their characters. This has mixed results in the end, partially because Baitz's script isn't as insightful as the playwright thinks it is, and partially due to the uneven quality in performances between Wingert and McAndrew. The play's final 20 minutes are focused on Wingert and Brinkley's characters, and that is where the show finally sings in its full voice.

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.Com:

Baitz violates a major tenet of playwriting. You can't have a character telling another character something that character already knows. If you do, you risk making your play static, contrived and past-tensey, a trap which often ensnares Other Desert Cities. The play also suffers from New York-itis; characters are rich (Brooke claims to be impoverished, but she lives in toney Sag Harbor), successful and breathtakingly self-absorbed.

Sally Wingert as Polly Wyeth and Christian Conn as Trip Wyeth in the Guthrie Theater's production of "Other Desert Cities," directed by Peter Rothstein
Photo by Michael Brosilow

Other Desert Cities runs through March 24 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? What's your review?

The reviews are in for Ten Thousand Things' 'The Seven'

Posted at 1:48 PM on February 28, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Ten Thousand Things regularly brings classic theater productions to alternative settings: prisons, homeless shelters, and drug rehab centers, among other places.

For its latest production, a Greek tragedy gets a new, street smart rendering.

Playwright and performer Will Power's The Seven a modern, hip-hop infused retelling of Aeschylus' The Seven Against Thebes.

Critics found this tale of two brothers who try to rule their kingdom peacefully despite their father's curse "energetic," "precise," "percussive" and "great theater."

Bruce A. Young in "The Seven"
Photo by Paula Keller

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The update could come off as a cheap gimmick, but Power's work, along with Ten Thousand Things' typically energetic and precise production, uncovers the ancient but still-beating heart of the play. There may be kingdoms, rulers, and battles involved, but The Seven is, at its core, a play about family, brotherhood, and the danger of lost communication.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

I saw this at the Wilder Center in St. Paul with a largely high school-aged audience, it appeared, and they were definitely into it... Even if hip-hop is outside your cultural sphere (and its language makes you squirm) you might see it all differently after this play. Everybody else? Just go. No question. This is great theater.

Bruce A. Young and H. Adam Harris in "The Seven"
Photo by Paula Keller

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Oedipus may be a wretched patriarch with only a fraction of the play's lines, but Young commands the play because of his charm and wit. His Oedipus is a magnetic mix of Morgan Freeman-esque soliloquizing and James Brown-style flair. Urban trickster and mack daddy are not the first thoughts that come to mind when I think about Oedipus, but it's nice to see an old figure in a new light.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

"The Seven" doesn't succeed on all levels, and it's a show that will not be right for all audiences: the pre-teenager, the easily shocked and those sensitive to profanity may wish to look to other venues and other shows. But, warts and all, this percussive staging gives new breath to a very old tale.

The Seven runs through March 10 at Open Book in Minneapolis. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

Ordway announces 2013-14 season

Posted at 7:00 PM on March 4, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Music, Theater

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts' upcoming season features a wide variety of performers, including some familiar big names.

Among the more familiar productions are Miss Saigon, The Wizard of Oz, Porgy and Bess, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the return of Las Vegas denizens Blue Man Group.

In addition, the Ordway will host a number of dance companies, from locally based TU Dance to Rennie Harris' hip hop inspired Puremovement. Oakland-based Axis Dance Company will perform its "physically integrated dance," a collaboration between dancers with and without disabilities.

AXIS
Image courtesy of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

The Ordway will also present its "Broadway Songbook Series." The series offers an intimate look into classic Broadway tunes, with performances by some of the Twin Cities' finest talent.

In May, cheerleaders take center stage with the musical Bring It On, inspired by the movie of the same name.

Bring It On
Image courtesy of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Ordway will be a stop on the tours of several musicians in the coming season, including modern spiritual writers Lizz Wright and Raul Midón. West Africa and the Middle East meet in Yemen Blues, while Maria de Barros takes audiences back to her Cape Verde roots.

Yemen Blues
Image courtesy of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Here's the full season:

Miss Saigon
Oct. 8 - 13, 2013

Broadway Songbook Series: Comden and Green
June 13 - 15, 2014

Art Hounds: Dark & Stormy, Duluth art, Autre Ne Veut

Posted at 7:45 AM on February 28, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Events, Music, Theater

"Troposfera/Troposphere" from the "Confluence/Confluencia" exhibit at the Duluth Art Institute (Courtesty of Duluth Art Institute)

The hounds want to bring a new Minneapolis theater company, a ruminative, dual art show in Duluth and a Brooklyn producer with a French name to your attention this week.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

Local actor Jane Froiland says Dark & Stormy Productions, a year-old theater company in Minneapolis has a lot going for it; powerful, professional actors, relatively short, hard hitting productions and a knack for presenting plays in found spaces. Jane is looking forward to Dark & Stormy's interpretation of the David Mamet classic, "Speed the Plow," which is being staged at the Miller Bag Building in Northeast Minneapolis through March 9.

"Confluence/Confluencia," according to Nickolas Monson, is an amazing, ambitious collaboration between two artists, Cecilia Ramon and Carla Stetson. Nickolas, co-founder of the Prove Gallery in Duluth, says among other things the exhibition explores the notion of place without specifically identifying any place. One of the artists is from Duluth but left, the other moved to Duluth and fell in love with it. At the Duluth Art Institute through March 12.

KUOM Radio K DJ Tom Steffes has high praise for Brooklyn producer and auteur Autre Ne Veut, aka Arthur Ashin. Tom says Autre Ne Veut's forward-looking hybrid of pop and R&B is as distinctive and fresh as Prince's music...used to be. Autre Ne Veut makes a stop at the Triple Rock Social Club on Monday, March 4th.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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New Children's Theatre season features big names

Posted at 6:00 AM on February 28, 2013 by Euan Kerr (1 Comments)
Filed under: People, Theater, Writing

"It's not exactly sausage making. It's more like making a banquet or a bouquet. We like to think we are making something really gorgeous," says Peter Brosius. "Not that I don't like sausage!"

The Children's Theatre Company Artistic Director is a bouncing spring of a man, never still in his office chair. His desk is awash in papers, books, and letters, a tideline left by the creative swells passing through his room.

His talk of sausages is not about his lunch plans, but how he put together the CTC's 2013-2014 season, which is released today.

It's a complex mix: knowing the CTC has lots of different audiences to serve, while looking at what original and classic work is available, and who might be available to do it.

"And you have a thing called 'a budget,'" he laughs.

Given all those things, Brosius appears to have put together a remarkable line-up.

"So we have a season, next year, that has three world premieres," he says. "Two extraordinary guest companies coming in, a Broadway musical, a classic that has never been on our stage before, 'Charlotte's Web' and bringing back 'Cinderella.'"

Amongst the premieres is what promises to be a remarkable stage adaptation of a book by one of the great living writers of children's literature

"It started in my child's classroom where they were reading "The Scarecrow and the Servant" by Philip Pullman," says Brosius.

Brosius' son loved it, his teacher loved it and so did Brosius when he read it. He got the rights from Pullman, author of "The Golden Compass" and the rest of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Then Brosius commissioned internationally acclaimed Twin Cities playwright Jeffrey Hatcher to develop a stage play.

"It is a remarkable and incredible story," Brosius says. "Sort of a mix. Like if you put Don Quixote and the Wizard of Oz and all kind of stories in a blender and then put them in the gorgeous and inventive comic mind of Philip Pullman and Jeffrey Hatcher. You get this story of this wonderful friendship between this grand and extraordinary scarecrow who is off to seek fame and fortune and valor, and is gorgeously both clown, and fool, and grand presence in his own mind, and this poor orphan Jack who is in need of some food."

Together the pair head out on a series of adventures and end up confronting evil forces set to destroy where they live. Brosius says the play received a number of workshop presentations and Hatcher has reworked the script several times to a point where everyone is very excited about it.

"Jeffrey has done some things that have heightened the heart and the relationship and certainly the incredible humor."

Another world premiere is a collaboration with New York's Ma-Yi Theater and Lloyd Suh who Brosius calls "one of the hottest playwrights in America today."

"And he has created a wild anime-inspired action adventure piece about identity called "The Wong Kids in The Secret of the Space Chucpacabra Go!"

It's the story of two youngsters Bruce and Violet who have to save the universe, but first of all they get over the fact they can't stand each other. Ma-Yi will open the show at the CTC and then move it to New York where it will play off-Broadway.

This is the first of two visiting companies in the CTC season. The second is the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, which specializes in black light puppetry. Brosius expects the company to mark a major milestone while it is in Minneapolis.

"I think they will have their five millionth viewer seeing Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories," he says. Mermaid has never been seen before on the CTC stage.

The third world premiere is "Balloonacy" by Ivey Award winning playwright Barry Kornhauser. The show is aimed at CTC's youngest audiences.

"For us the work for pre-schoolers is a huge priority for this theater," says Brosius. "This is the story of a little old man who doesn't like much about life, he's a grumpy old thing."

Then a balloon flies in his window and, despite the old man's best efforts, won't leave him alone. Gradually the old man softens and relearns how to play. Brosius says there's a message in "Balloonacy" for all ages.

"Sometimes age can take it away from you, and so this is a lesson for all of us, that sense of play, that sense of invention, that sense of joy, it's all there to be tapped," he says.

There is another local premiere in the list: "Charlotte's Web."

"Wildly it's going to be the first time it's been done here," says Brosius.

Another production getting it's first run is "Shrek the musical," the Broadway show which Peter Rothstein of Theater Latte Da will direct.

Rounding out the season are two returning favorites, the aforementioned Cinderella (below) with what Brosius describes as "the ugliest step-sisters. I love Dean (Holt) and Reed (Sigmund) but, boy, they are not beautiful women," he laughs.

There will also be the return of "Dr Seuss' The Cat in the Hat" (see Thing 1 above) which will be presented in May through July of 2014 as the first of what will be an ongoing series of summer programming at the CTC.

Here is the 2013-2014 season in full:

Charlotte's Web
By Joseph Robinette
Based on the Book by E.B. White
Directed by Greg Banks
September 17 - October 27
Grades K+

The Wong Kids in The Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!
Co-Produced with Ma-Yi Theater Company
By Lloyd Suh
Directed by Ralph B. Peña
October 8 - November 17
Grades 3+

Cinderella
Adapted by John B. Davidson
Original Music by Victor Zupanc
Based on the Fairytale by Charles Perrault
Directed by Peter C. Brosius
November 12 - January 5
Recommended for all ages

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites
Produced by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Adapted, directed, and designed by Jim Morrow
Music by Steven Naylor
Narrated by Gordon Pinsent
January 14 - February 23
Grades Preschool +

The Scarecrow and His Servant
By Jeffrey Hatcher
Based on the book by Philip Pullman
Directed by Peter C. Brosius
March 11 - April 6
Grades 3+

Shrek the Musical
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig Directed by Peter Rothstein
April 22 - June 8
Recommended for all ages

Balloonacy
By Barry Kornhauser
Directed by Peter C. Brosius
March 25 - May 4
Grades Preschool +

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
Based on the book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Play originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain
Adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell
Directed by Jason Ballweber
May 22 - July 20
Grades Pre-K+

(All images courtesy Children's Theatre Company, except for MPR file image of Jeffrey Hatcher)

The reviews are in for 'Elemeno Pea' at Mixed Blood

Posted at 10:02 AM on February 27, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Mixed Blood Theatre's latest production delves into the lives of the rich, and their far-from-rich employees.

Elemeno Pea takes place in Martha's Vineyard, at one of trophy wife Michaela Kell's many homes. Her personal assistant, upwardly aspiring Simone, is paid a visit by her older sister, a solidly blue collar social worker.

Critics find the story that ensues alternatively charming and muddled.

Grace Gealey, Sun Mee Chomet and Laurine Price in 'Elemeno Pea' at Mixed Blood Theatre
Photo by Rich Ryan

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Many of the things that playwright Metzler gets away with in this play, including some of the language, would bring grief to a writer of a different gender. But that's part of the charm of the show.

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

The point of "Elemeno Pea" is as muddled as the name. Does playwright Molly Smith Metzler simply want to ridicule shallow rich people -- which is awfully easy when they're presented as stereotypes we've seen a million times -- or to ultimately say we shouldn't judge others based on our perceptions? It may be the latter, but clarity is lacking.

Laurine Price, Ron Menzel and Sun Mee Chomet in 'Elemeno Pea' at Mixed Blood Theatre
Photo by Rich Ryan

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

My biggest issue with Mixed Blood's Elemeno Pea is that the play too often struggles to be funny, and I don't fully understand why. The writing is muscular and Metzler's grasp of her characters' plights is first rate. The cast is wonderful. Director Mark Valdez keeps the play crackling along nicely. The designers, working on a shoestring, have acquitted themselves extremely well. The lack of compelling comedy mystifies - but there it is.

Laurine Price, Pedro Bayon, Sun Mee Chomet and Grace Gealey in 'Elemeno Pea' at Mixed Blood Theatre
Photo by Rich Ryan

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Metzler plays with our expectations of class and status from the beginning to the end of the play, avoiding simplistic platitudes in a story that uncovers a deep darkness at the heart of the American dream. In the end, I don't think she pushes it far enough. The play is, at turns, funny, dramatic, and heartbreaking. More intensity would serve the story.

Have you seen the show? If so, what's your review?

A play about a meeting ... but not just any meeting

Posted at 11:10 AM on February 22, 2013 by Eric Ringham (0 Comments)
Filed under: Playlists, Theater

Jim Cunningham, left, and Stephen D'Ambrose as Bill W. and Dr. Bob. (Photo by Lauren B. Photography.)

If you think you've seen a postcard promoting the play "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" before, you're right. The production that opens March 8 is Illusion Theater's third outing with the story about the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. This time, though, the play has new music and a mostly new cast, and Illusion is taking the play on tour.

For people who don't know, Dr. Bob and Bill W. were a pair of hopeless drunks before they were introduced in Akron, Ohio, in the 1930s. They discovered that by talking to each other they could begin to find relief from their affliction, and that as their circle of conversation widened, they could help others as well.

The play, written by Stephen Bergman and Janet Surrey, starts with the story of what brought Bob and Bill to that point in their lives, and chronicles their later effort to spread the fellowship. The rendering of their initial conversation is speculative, because no one else was there; think of it as the first in A.A.'s tradition of closed meetings.

Michael Robins, who directs the production, said the play connects powerfully with audiences that often include people in recovery programs - "a large, diverse, eclectic group of people." This time around, those audiences will include people in several other Minnesota cities, thanks to funds from the state's Legacy Amendment. Cities on the tour itinerary include Brainerd, Mankato and Fergus Falls.

Could Illusion's third production of "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" lead to a fourth - or even to a recurring slot in Illusion's future seasons? Robins has heard the idea before, from people who say "it would be a gift" to people in recovery. "But I don't know," he said. Long-range planning isn't one of Illusion's strengths, he added: "It'd be hard to tell you what we're doing next year."
--Eric Ringham

'Pride and Prejudice' to round out Guthrie's 50th season

Posted at 11:15 AM on February 20, 2013 by Euan Kerr (1 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

The Guthrie Theater announced today it will round out it's 50th season with a production of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."
Artistic Director Joe Dowling will direct the show which will open July 12th. The comedy "Born Yesterday" which has been scheduled for that slot on the Guthrie's thrust stage will move to the 2013-2014 season.

In a release from the Guthrie Joe Dowling, perhaps not surprisingly, predicts a rich experience for the audience.

"This is one of the most loved stories ever told in the English language," he says in the release. 'Even though Jane Austen wrote it as a novel, it adapts so beautifully for the stage because the characters are so strong."

The Guthrie did "Pride and Prejudice" in the 2003-2004 season, but this adaptation of the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy will be different. The exact adaptation will be announced shortly as the Guthrie staff is working out the final details. However the press office revealed Dowling wanted to mark the 200th anniversary of the novel as part of the Guthrie's half-century season. Casting for the play will be announced at a later date.

Penumbra's Sarah Bellamy gets ready to talk theater

Posted at 10:30 AM on February 18, 2013 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: People, Theater

"Let's talk theatre" host Sarah Bellamy (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)

It's quiet in the offices of Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, but Sarah Bellamy is getting ready to get it jumping.

A few months back when a financial crisis forced the nation's premier African-American theater to cancel its entire season things looked pretty bad.

"I describe the experience as both harrowing and totally revitalizing at the same point, says Bellamy. "The first few weeks it was like somebody died round here. It was really, really sad."

Then 1400 donations from near and far rolled in and apparently set the company on the road to recovery. The company announced it will do a production in the spring "Spunk" by George C. Wolfe.

"It's thrilling. We are so excited and so honored and humbled," she says with a grin on her face.

"Spunk" opens in mid-March, but tonight Bellamy, who is officially the company's education director, will begin laying the groundwork for the production as she puts on her hat as the host of Penumbra's "Lets Talk Theater" series.

Bellamy says the series started last year.

"And the idea was how do we engage people differently around the work that we do and talk more broadly about some of the issues theater bumps against or draws out for us," she said. "What we found was our community, the people who come to see the plays, they want social opportunities to come together and talk to each other."

Penumbra launched evenings where the company offered a chance to enjoy a wine and happy hour paired with a discussion of deeper theater topics.

"So we started last year with one about James Baldwin for "The Amen Corner" and we did one on the artistic impact of Penumbra, which was neat. And people really loved them," said Bellamy.

First two attracted about 60 people, and Bellamy is expecting about the same tonight, where the topic will be the Harlem Renaissance.

George C.Wolfe based his play on three stories gathered in the 1930's by Zora Neale Hurston. While many people know her as a memoirist and author of such classics as "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Bellamy points out she was also a folklorist who doggedly traveled through the African-American community to collect the stories shared for generations that were in danger of being lost in the early part of the 20th century.

Also Bellamy says while Hurston was a pillar of the Harlem Renaissance, she may not be someone many people might recognize as having an interest in the theater and playwriting

"In fact Zora Neale Hurston was really interested in theater as a tool to change the understanding of the black image more broadly. She was a folklorist, she loved stories she loved sharing those stories with audiences. But she was really adamant about authentic African-American voices, about authenticity."

Bellamy says she's excited about talking about how that played into the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston worked with artists such as the poet Langston Hughes to spread the word about what she was doing. She also worked with many other people in the dynamic artistic community that became known as the Harlem Renaissance.

"So what I plan to do on Monday night is really have a conversation about some of the pillars, but also perhaps those people who don't know about," she said.

People like Lorenzo Dow Turner and Sterling Brown for example, who worked in comparative anonymity to preserve evidence of a vibrant culture ignored by the rest of academia.

"People who are contributing to the idea of preserving African American folklore and whose work wasn't really recognized because frankly they didn't have access to faculty positions at prestigious school and universities," says Bellamy.

"You start to see a group of incredibly well intentioned activist artists who believe they have something to contribute that will push forward social goals towards racial equity and justice. And then that picture becomes so much deeper and richer. So our engagement with the play "Spunk" becomes not just about the folklore but about the mission of these artists and what they were trying to do."

Bellamy says the activism in Harlem and the artistic developments were passed slowly through the rest of the African American community throughout the country. She says it took a while and the letters and books got pretty dog-eared, but they kept on going. She also admits there were many white patrons who didn't always appreciate the focus on what they saw as stories which should be left to fade away. There were a lot of African Americans who felt the same thing.

She says Wolfe carried on the work when he wrote the play in the 1980's. "Spunk" won an Obie in 1989.

Bellamy says the issues of cultural preservation are still alive today

"So may decades later we are still having the same conversations," Bellamy said. "About what's valuable to retain and what we want to draw forward from the past and how do we do that in a way that is authentic to our experience and not something that comes commodified and pre-packaged to shore up expectations that don't come from within our culture. And I feel that's why Penumbra exists and the artists working on the play are doing the same thing."

The ""Lets Talk Theatre" event will also include a musical selection from Sanford Moore. Harry Waters Jr., H. Adam Harris, and Austene Van will all read extracts from "Spunk".

Bellamy says people who come will have a window into the play that is unique.

"Training new audiences is important and ushering new audiences in, to see the value of theater as being more than just being entertained, especially for Penumbra that does mission critical work."

She expects the audience tonight to include people who have a deep knowledge of theatre, and those who know a lot about the community but are eager to learn about Penumbra.

"And I love sort of creating an opportunity for those people to cross-pollinate and have interesting conversations that I don't steer. At that point I kind of sit back and watch. We all sort of marvel at our knowledge of various communal things and that is really fun."

The event runs from 5.30 to 7.30 tonight. Tickets are $15

"We are really invested in Penumbra being around for, hopefully, another 36 years," said Bellamy.

Pillsbury House and Theatre helps build a creative community

Posted at 8:53 AM on February 18, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

For the past couple of weeks I've been spending a lot of time at Pillsbury House and Theatre, as I worked on the latest installment of the Art Heroes series, which airs tonight on All Things Considered.

Faye Price and Noel Raymond co-direct the center which includes Pillsbury Theatre. Over the years the two have applied techniques they've learned from theater into the center's social service programs.

PHT oversees such an amazing number of activities, that I ended up interviewing many more people than I could actually fit into the radio story.

One of them was Dee McQuarry, who enrolled her daughter Isabella in the after school program. McQuarry says Isabella used to collapse in tears anytime she had to speak in school, but gradually the artists at Pillsbury have managed to draw her out.

"They offer so much in terms of spoken word," explained McQuarry. "They teach the kids how to make a play - it just gives the kids so much inspiration, and now Bella's just all over the place. I think this place has really helped her."

McQuarry says Isabella is now working to get into a Pillsbury program, even though she'd be a year younger than the other kids involved.

And then there's Masa Kawahara, an accomplished puppeteer and mask maker, who is one of the resident teaching artists at Pillsbury, showing kids how to do everything from making stencils to walking on stilts.

"I feel very lucky to be in this place. I believe art has so much capacity - every kid has some kind of interest in the arts. Maybe not every kid likes puppetry, but some like drawing and some like dancing, movement or stilting. At Pillsbury House, through art, I think we're just giving each kid an opportunity to find where they can shine."

This summer as part of the "Arts on Chicago" project, Kawahara plans to build 30 pairs of stilts which kids can check out and use around the neighborhood. What an image!

Tune in to All Things Considered to hear more about Pillsbury House and Theatre, and how it's using the arts to transform the community and young people's lives. And later today, pay a visit to the Art Heroes web page, to see some lovely photographs of Pillsbury in action taken by MPR's Jennifer Simonsen.

Art Hounds: Vladimir Gorbach, Print Profs, and Emma Woodhouse is not a...

Posted at 7:45 AM on February 14, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Printmaking, Theater

Heidi Goldberg, Past Dark II, Intaglio, 2012 (Image courtesty of Highpoint Center for Printmaking)

This week's hounds chase down a classical guitarist extraordinaire, some Minnesota art profs with incredible printmaking chops, and a play about the richest of Jane Austen's heroines. Don't worry, she's not a...

The idea of a Jane Austen novel getting the Savage Umbrella treatment is tantalizing to Megan Hadley, co-founder the Buoyant Theater Collective in St. Paul. Savage Umbrella's adaptation is called "Emma Woodhouse Is Not A Bitch," and it's on stage at the Cedar-Riverside People's Center Theater through Feb. 23. Megan is excited about the prospects for comedy, gender switcheroos, and portraits of class, political polarization, and love.

Minneapolis artist and Minneapolis Institute of Arts Senior Editor Jodie Ahern has high praise for "Print Profs: Recent Work by Minnesota Faculty." Highpoint Center for Printmaking's latest exhibition features a diverse array of print works from 17 different Minnesota art professors.

Minneapolis classical guitarist Tim Budge says taking his lady to see Russian guitar virtuoso Vladimir Gorbach at Hamline University's Sundin Music Hall Saturday night is like getting an extension on Valentine's Day. Tim, who's also a marketing and development associate at the Schubert Club, says Gorbach's interpretations of Astor Piazzola's compositions are exquisite. The concert is at 7:30pm and is sponsored by the Minnesota Guitar Society.

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The reviews are in for Walking Shadow's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'

Posted at 10:04 AM on February 12, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

The tale of the headless horseman gets a comic reinvention with Walking Shadow Theatre Company's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

The show runs through March 2 at the Red Eye Theater in Minneapolis; critics find the show in turns 'endlessly funny,' 'lively' and 'compelling' with only a few tweaks needed.

Brant Miller, Ryan Lear and Joanna Harmon in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.' Photo by Eric Melzer.

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

You know the story: schoolteacher Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow (from far off Connecticut), determined to make his name - and wed the eerie but sexy Katrina. He encounters, one fateful night, the above-referenced headless horseman, after which he ceases to be. Crane is played by an appropriately thin and goateed Ryan Lear with jumpy comic befuddlement. Something is going on in Sleepy Hollow; Crane doesn't understand what it is but he's quite certain he can contain it. We know better and as a result Lear is endlessly funny.

Brant Miller as Brom Bones in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'
Photo by Dan Norman

From Lisa Brock at the Star Tribune:

Playwright John Heimbuch and director Jon Ferguson infuse this work with a lively blend of gothic terror and tongue-in-cheek humor that ably captures Irving's story and demonstrates why it remains so compelling. The image of the horse and rider, created out of nothing more than the scraps of wood, cloth and debris that litter the stage, becomes a tangible symbol for the way in which the mind can create fear out of half-glimpsed shadows, a creaking door and an overactive imagination.

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

Having grown up just a few minutes away from the real-life Tarry Town, the story of Sleepy Hollow was practically in my backyard, and this production's immersive design made me feel like I was right back in the middle of a New York Halloween. Given my familiarity with the material, I personally wanted the show to be just a little bit funnier or a little bit spookier - it will make you both laugh and shiver, but doesn't solidly qualify as either comedy or ghost story. But as an easily-watchable escape from the winter sleet and an utterly entertaining example of well-crafted storytelling, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a complete theatrical experience that is sure to please.

Ryan Lear and the cast of 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,' on stage through March 2 at Red Eye Theatre in Minneapolis.
Photo by Dan Norman

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

If I have one quibble with the play, it's that it could use a little tightening in the middle. There's some repetition as we hear the tale of the headless horseman more than once from different characters and the pace slows a bit during some of the storytelling, which doesn't maintain the energy of the acted scenes.

The climax of Ichabod versus the headless horseman is a nice piece of theater, with spooky smoke and flickering lights -- and the resolution is satisfying. We get the sense that if Ichabod hadn't lost his head, he might have been as happy with the ending of his story as we are.

Have you seen "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?" If so, what did you think? Share your review in the comments section.

Gremlin Theatre looking for new home

Posted at 4:58 PM on February 7, 2013 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Gremlin Theatre will be closing its performance space in St. Paul this summer at the expiration of its lease.

Artistic Director Peter Christian Hansen writes:

"Our new landlords are looking to possibly develop the building, which extends far to the rear of our performance space, in a different way. They are therefore not prepared to offer us a long term lease extension at this time and we have decided not to engage in a short term extension because of the facility upgrades and capital expenditures that we feel are necessary to both substantially improve the space in its current location as well as to deal with new challenges posed by the transit changes that have taken place on University Avenue.

Therefore, Gremlin has started its search for a new performance space, drawing on our successes and experiences over the last several years in particular. We expect that this will be a thorough and possibly lengthy process."

In the meantime, Gremlin is still producing plays on University Ave, including Six Characters in Search of an Author opening next month. Once the lease expires Hansen says the company will look for opportunities to continue producing theater elsewhere.

Art Hounds: Bollywood, Detropia, and a theater festival powered by women

Posted at 7:45 AM on February 7, 2013 by Chris Roberts (2 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Film, Music, Theater

Still image from "Detropia" (Courtesy of Loki Films)

What Art Hound wouldn't be interested in a festival of playlets written and directed by Minnesota women, a Minneapolis psychedelic rock band whose stage show nearly distracts from the music and a documentary about the Motor City that captures both its decay and potential? None, we tell you. None.

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It's easy to poke fun at Detroit. But if you're a Michigan native such as Trylon
Microcinema projectionist Peter Schilling, you're relieved and excited when a documentary comes along that doesn't exploit Motown's tragic fall as a great American city. Peter says based on advance notice, Detropia is one such film. Detropia is being screened at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis on Feb. 8 and 9th at 7pm as part of its [[ RE ]] FRAME series.

Picture it, says Twin Cities actress Michelle Guertin, an evening of bountiful theater created and directed by women who are fellow Minnesotans, neighbors, maybe even friends. Michelle says that's what the "After the Apple" theater festival promises, with each performance containing nine separate playlets. The festival was put together by Table Salt Productions and is on stage at the Playwright's Center in Minneapolis Feb. 7 - 23.

Chances are pretty darn good that if the Minneapolis indie rock band Bollywood has a local gig, writer, artist and musician Sarah Moeding will be there. Sarah confesses she's been captured by the group's swirling psychedelia and video enhanced stage shows. Bollywood celebrates the release of its new EP, "OK Animal" at Cause Spirits and Sound Bar in Minneapolis on Saturday, Feb. 9th.

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Art Hounds: Jazzed Up, Bob Hicok, and self discovery through acting class

Posted at 7:45 AM on January 31, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Music, Poetry, Theater

This week's hounds lead us to a wild rock n roll podcast broadcasting live from a revered St. Paul bar, a Michigan born poet making a brief landing in Duluth, and a play about budding thespians who find out a lot about themselves.

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Twin Cities actor, director and teacher Sean Byrd has been to more than his share of acting workshops, but none so self-revelatory as the one that's the basis of the play "Circle Mirror Transformation" at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo. Sean says a widely diverse range of characters learn more about themselves than acting through the workshop. On stage Feb. 1 - 24.

Kathleen Roberts, member of Prove Collective and editor and publisher of Proof Magazine in Duluth, is a devotee of Virginia-based poet Bob Hicok. Kathleen says Hicok's freewheeling, deceptively insightful verse takes the reader to unpredictable places. Hicok will be reciting his poems as part of the Warner Reading series at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Friday, Feb. 1, at 7:30pm.

Local music writer Ira Brooker, and current guest editor of Minnesota Playlist, is setting aside Tuesday nights in February at St. Paul's Turf Club as a time to get "Jazzed up and Bonkers." It'll be a weekly live rendition of a podcast hosted by Travis Ramin and Danny Henry, two former local rockers who dive into their whacked out vinyl collection and pull out the weirdest tunes you can imagine.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Zaraawar Mistry is a man of many stories

Posted at 12:24 PM on February 1, 2013 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Zaraawar Mistry never set out to be a master of one-man shows. And yet here he sits in the little black box theater he and his wife Leslye Orr created, called Dreamland Arts. It's the perfect space for solo performances, and over the past several years here Mistry has not only performed his own work, he has helped numerous artists nurture their own stories into stage productions.

"Doing solo shows, mentoring solo shows - this was never part of the plan," Mistry says, smiling. "The real desire was 'I have a story I have to tell' and there's nobody else interested in it, no theater that wants to produce it, so there's only one way to do it and that's to do it for yourself. Building this place was not an act of wanting to make something special - it was an act of necessity. In order to do what I wanted to do, I had to somehow find a way to build my own theater."

The Other Mr. Gandhi
Photo by Charissa Uemura

This weekend Mistry is remounting his show Sohrab and Rustum, a piece he first developed in 2000. It's the first part in what has become a trilogy of plays Mistry calls "The Sugar in the Milk." The name comes from a story he learned as a child in India.

Mistry says while the stories in his three productions are not directly linked, they all share certain themes.

"Three things that inform my work are being a Parsi, being an immigrant, and more specifically being an immigrant to America. The Parsis are dying out for a variety of reasons, including our own doing. Slowly the numbers are dwindling, so part of what fuels this storytelling is this knowledge. That is part of the psyche - that our community is dying - but it's a vibrant, successful, dynamic community."

Sohrab and Rustum
Photo by Ann Marsden

While tales of Zoroastrianism and Parsi history might seem like esoteric fare, Mistry's work has found a dedicated audience:

"I never thought that other Indians or Zoroastrians would care about what I was doing in my work, and I was totally wrong. They're not seeing or hearing these stories, this perspective anywhere else. Albeit we're in Minnesota so the numbers are small, but the response from those people who have come to the shows has been tremendous. And it's not just Indians and Zoroastrians who have liked it; people have come back again and again."

In fact, the popularity of his work has led Mistry to tour his shows in places like New York and Texas.

Indian Cowboy
Photo by Charissa Uemura

In the process of regularly creating his own one-man productions, Mistry has become a valued resource for other performers looking to tell a story.

Both Sun Mee Chomet and Katie Hae Leo worked with Mistry to create their individual pieces about adoption, which they then combined to form The Origin(s) Project.

"He is uniquely talented in collaborating with artists who want to create their own work," says Leo.

Chomet adds "Zaraawar has helped me to bring a theatrical integrity to my work, which is allowing it to reach audiences that don't necessarily have a connection with adoption."

Chomet recalls often being in tears while working through her piece with Mistry. Mistry says in some ways what he does is similar to counseling.

"It's usually not about what the show should be, but what is this person bringing to it, and what should it be for them?"

Interestingly enough, Mistry has refrained from being directly autobiographical in his own work. While the stories often draw from personal history, he keeps the references vague.

"Fictionalizing it allows me to be more theatrical, it allows me to open up the piece to different layers that purely autobiographical stuff couldn't do for me."

In the coming months Mistry will remount the second and third plays in his "Sugar in the Milk" trilogy. It's the first time all three will be staged together in a short period of time. Mistry says he's curious to see how they relate to each other, and what revelations might come from seeing - and performing - them side by side.

The reviews are in for 'Long Day's Journey' at the Guthrie

Posted at 2:31 PM on January 22, 2013 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is classic American tale of a dysfunctional family caught in the throes of addiction.

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play is being staged at the Guthrie Theater for the first time, and runs through February 23.

Critics give this production - directed by Guthrie's Joe Dowling - high marks for deftly handling a dark topic while still keeping the pace brisk and the humor and humanity present.

John Skelley (Edmund Tyrone) and Peter Michael Goetz (James Tyrone) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Long Day's Journey into Night, by Eugene O'Neill
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

...Dowling uses a script that has been nipped and tucked. The result is that a show that usually runs four or more hours checks in at just under three. Dowling achieves this compression by pacing and by having his outstanding acting company occasionally deliver lines atop each other.

Surprisingly, nothing feels lost. The production is conducted less for the solos, even though the cast is commendable, than for the effect of an ensemble that delivers at the top of their form.

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

It's nervewracking to watch Mary Cavan Tyrone anxiously wring her arthritic hands and fret about whether or not her hair looks okay. You want to run to her, gently take her by the shoulders, sit her down, and tell her to stop, just stop. Nobody is out to get you. Nobody wants anything but good things for you. And can you please, please, stop worrying?

...It's no mystery why O'Neill's heart-wrenching drama won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 1957 Tony Award for Best Play (as well as another Tony in 2003 for Best Revival of a Play). The story is one with which almost anyone can identify, whether you admit it or not: a family of four is simultaneously torn apart by one another's vices and held together by that strange, unidentifiable bond that only blood can create.

John Skelley (Edmund Tyrone) and Helen Carey (Mary Cavan Tyrone) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Long Day's Journey into Night, by Eugene O'Neill
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Chris Hewitt at the Pioneer Press:

Although "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is one of the classics of American theater and its author, Eugene O'Neill, is depicted on the side of the Guthrie, this is the first time the theater has ever performed this tough/tender play. And they have done it proud. The action may, initially, be overwhelmed by John Lee Beatty's whole lotta set, but the riveting production captures the play's eloquence, pain and -- most surprising -- humor (in fact, the first sounds we hear in the director Joe Dowling's attentive production are laughter and Edmund's ominous cough, both of which hang over the next three hours).

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

The difficulty with this play is to dramatize the disconnect without alienating the audience, too; if the characters don't care, why should we? Ah, but they do. And this is the tragedy of addiction. We know they can love. Their struggle is with their stunted ability to live as if they do.

Have you seen the Guthrie Theater's production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night?" If so, what did you think? Share your review in the comments section.

Art Hounds: Isaak Dunayevsky, Becky's New Car, and some ear-shattering rawk

Posted at 7:48 AM on January 17, 2013 by Chris Roberts (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Theater

Matt McNabb as Steve and Kristen Sawyer as Becky in Becky's New Car (Photo credit: Kevin Wicks)

You can't keep this week's hounds down as they dig up beautiful Soviet-era orchestral music, some female mid-life crisis theater, and some hard and heavy rock that will please and pound your ears.

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Stalin-era composer Isaak Dunayevsky is a household name for Russian native and pianist Denis Evstuhin, but not for his fellow Minnesotans. Denis wants people here to discover the splendor and complexity of Dunayevsky's music. He's recommending a full symphonic concert devoted to Dunayevsky that's being organized and directed by Twin Cities conductor Marina Liadova at Hamline University's Sundin Music Hall, Sunday, Jan. 20th, at 4 and 7pm.

Twin Cities director and stage manager Laura Bidgood was surprised to find that a character who gives up all the great things in her world to pursue a self-destructive mid-life crisis can still engender sympathy, compassion and belly laughs. But that's who she discovered in the play "Becky's New Car," at Lyric Arts in Anoka through Jan. 27.

Loud...fast...hard and synthesizer-free is the way local musician Johan Engevik generally prefers his musical entertainment. Johan expects to get an earful of quality Minneapolis rock at the Triple Rock Social Club on Thursday, Jan. 17th, with Skull Wizard, Buildings, Sonic J, and Blackthorne on the bill.

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Two Twin Cities theaters awarded major playwriting grants

Posted at 2:36 PM on January 8, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Funding, Theater, Writing

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced this week that it has awarded 14 theater companies in the U.S. grants to fully fund playwrights on staff for three years.

Two of those companies are in the Twin Cities.

Playwright Qui Nguyen will join the staff of Mixed Blood in May 2013, and Kira Obolensky will join Ten Thousand Things immediately.

The grant program is aimed at helping advance the work of American playwrights, while evaluating the impact of having a playwright embedded in the staff of a working theater company.

The fellowship supports and deepens what is already a longstanding working relationship between Ten Thousand Things and Kira Obolensky. Obolensky has written two plays for the company: Raskol (an adaptation of Crime and Punishment) and Vasa Lisa, a production based on Russian folk tales.

As part of the fellowship, Obolensky plans to write three plays for TTT, conduct workshops for prison audiences and assist Hensley in writing a book about the work of the theater company.

Playwright Qui Nguyen is known for incorporating comic-book style narratives and game play into his politically subversive productions, including his recent War is F**king Awesome developed at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis.

Penumbra Theatre to resume programming

Posted at 8:57 AM on January 7, 2013 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arts management, Funding, Theater

According to Penumbra Theatre Artistic Director Lou Bellamy "reports of our death are greatly, greatly exaggerated."

The Saint Paul theater company announced today that it exceeded its fundraising goal and will resume programming this spring.

Due to an income shortfall in August, Penumbra cut six full-time staff positions and suspended all programming.

Managing director Chris Widdess says the company set a goal to raise 340-thoussand-dollars by the end of 2012.

"We would find out whether what everyone had said all these years about their passion for Penumbra and their commitment to who we are and what we do could really be translated into dollars," said Widdess.

Widdess says she's humbled by the outpouring of support. Over 1,400 individuals, corporations and foundations donated 359-thousand-dollars by December 30, 2012.

Penumbra will stage a production of "Spunk" in mid-March. The play is adapted from Three Tales by Zora Neale Hurston and will feature T. Mychael Rambo, Dennis W. Spears, Jevetta Steele, and Austene Van.

WIddess says the company has also committed to develop a seven-year business plan to ensure its financial stability while also addressing 'artistic and administrative succession.'

Art Hounds: Aida, Jesters Comedy Improv, and contemporary Native American art

Posted at 7:35 AM on January 3, 2013 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Comedy, Events, Museums, Theater

"Master's Study" by Dyani White Hawk (courtesy of the Tweed Museum of Art)

The hounds start the new year by spreading the word about a Minneapolis theater company interpreting a Disney musical, a Duluth exhibition that places traditional American Indian art and culture in a modern context, and a Mexican restaurant in Roseville that's become a weekend hangout for improv comedy.

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Laurie Pape Hadley is expecting a visionary interpretation of the Disney musical "Aida" from Theater Latte Da. "Aida" hits the Pantages Theater stage beginning Thursday, Jan. 3 in preview performances. Laurie works as an 'audio describer,' describing the visual elements of performances for visually impaired people.

For Huge Theater co-founder Jill Bernard, living the dream is spending a Saturday night at Ol' Mexico restaurant in Roseville drinking margaritas, eating quesadillas and watching Jesters Comedy Improv! The improv troupe takes over the back room of Ol' Mexico every Saturday night at 7:30.

The Tweed Museum has asked five contemporary American Indian artists to respond to pieces from the Tweed's extensive, highly respected Native American art collection. The exhibition is called "Encoded: Traditional Patterns/a Contemporary Response." The result, according to Duluth independent curator and arts educator Peter Spooner, is a provocative conversation about the links between past and present native culture. The show will be up through March 17.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Art Hounds: 2012 theater and dance highlights

Posted at 12:09 PM on December 24, 2012 by Molly Bloom (0 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Theater

We've asked our Art Hounds to tell us about their Minnesota arts and culture highlights of 2011. Here are the theater dance and highlights that we didn't have to get to on air (see the first on-air installment here):

Meronymy at the Red Eye Theater
This beautiful piece by Rachel Jendrzejewski explored memory, data overload, and how we think. Through movement, text, audio, and a simple (yet beautiful) set, this performance gripped me and challenged how I arrange my memories and how technology aids in my quest for knowledge. With exceptional performances and a tight all around presentation, Meronymy is certainly a 2012 highlight.
-Bethany Whitehad, membership manager at the Playwrights' Center and board president of WARM

Penumbra's Summer Institute Second-Year Student Showcase
The sheer honesty and artistry of these high-school aged performers was astounding! Penumbra says it is training the next generation of activist artists, and I think they may be doing just that. Particularly as the funding for their parent theatre company dries up, this may be the phoenix rising from the ashes.
-Rie Gilsdorf, Integration & Arts Specialist, FAIR Schools

Theater Latte Da's Spring Awakening
I saw this twice, and I NEVER see shows twice - it was that good. The heartbreakingly beautiful vocal and theatrical performances of David Darrow and Cat Brindisi moved me to my very core, and Carl Flink's clever and athletic choreography was positively electrifying. This production shook me, hard, on every level possible.
-Leigha Horton, actor

Kevin Kling and Zeitgeist at Calvary Lutheran Church in Park Rapids
Kling and Zeitgeist were originally scheduled to play in Alexandria, and it was our good fortune that they rescheduled here. They played Kevin's work "For the Birds" that he had completed after his accident, describing the various birds that were running through his thoughts at the time. It was creative, inspiring and greatly entertaining, by far the best event of the year.
-Deane Johnson, musician, photographer, writer

The Other Mr. Gandhi by Zaraawar Mistry
This performance was stunning in its simplicity and clarity. Mistry is a masterful story teller and performer who portrayed more than 8 characters with amazing detail. Using three wooden crates and 9 hanging bare lightbulbs he seamlessly and effectively transported the audience to Bombay, Pakistan, California, in temples, hotels, cars and prisons.
-Katie Kaufmann, actor and director

The Guthrie's production of Time Stands Still
It was a relatable, human story with humor and poignancy, told effectively and enjoyably. It was timely, complex, and beautiful. Chekhov for the modern age.
-Mo Perry, actor

Donizetti's Anna Bolena at the Minnesota Opera
A surprising newfound joy was an outright wonderful Bel Canto, nearly two hundred years old! Everything about the production was elegant. The rather dark velvety sound of the orchestra allowed the singers to easily soar above the orchestra, and the singers sounded fresh, light and buoyant, as is proper I believe for Bel Canto Opera. And I had never heard any Donizetti before, it was a delight!
-David Whetstone, sitarist, teacher and composer

Guthrie Theater to offer 'Tweet Seats'

Posted at 12:25 PM on December 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs (3 Comments)
Filed under: Technology, Theater

For years at the Guthrie Theater, just before the show began, a voice has asked audiences to please turn off their cell-phones.

Are those days coming to an end?

The cast of The Servant of Two Masters
Photo by Richard Termine

Today the Guthrie announced that a dedicated section of the audience will actually be encouraged to 'tweet' during performances of the Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters.

These "tweet seats" as they're called, will be available for four consecutive Thursday evening performances, beginning December 27. They're located on the balcony level of the McGuire proscenium stage, so as not to be disruptive to other theater-goers.

"If there were ever a Guthrie show to host Tweet Seats, it's The Servant of Two Masters," said Guthrie External Relations Director Trish Santini in a Guthrie release. "This cast is an incredible ensemble of comedians, and night after night they're riffing and improvising--it's the kind of show that makes you ask, 'Did they just say that?' Usually they did--and tweeting should be a great way to talk about it."

"Tweeting" is already encouraged in some other venues, including MPR's own "Wits" series at the Fitzgerald Theater.

So what do you think? Is this a good idea? Do you like the idea of being able to text while you're in the theater watching a stage production? Or would you prefer your concerts to be free of smart phones and other digital devices?

The Ivey Awards let you be the judge

Posted at 2:32 PM on December 20, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Each year the Ivey Awards celebrate the finest performances in Twin Cities theater.

The awards are not decided on by some high powered committee, nor by insider theater professionals, nor even by theater critics.

The Ivey Awards are decided by volunteers - more than 150 of them who commit to seeing and reviewing at least five shows over the course of the year.

Sound like something you'd like to do? Well then, don't delay! Tomorrow is the deadline to RSVP your interest to info@iveyawards.com (or call 612-870-1234).

Evaluators must attend a meeting on either Tuesday Jan 8 or Thursday Jan 17 from 5:30 - 7pm. And they are expected to attend the Ivey Awards on Monday, Sept 23, 2013.

But who wouldn't want to see the results of their hard work?

Art Hounds: 2012 Highlights, part one

Posted at 7:45 AM on December 20, 2012 by Molly Bloom (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Dance, Minnesota Poets, Music, Poetry, Theater

We've asked our Art Hounds to tell us about their Minnesota arts and culture highlights of 2011. Here is the first installment (look for more next week -- and share yours here):

Luverne Seifert and Darcy Engen's production of The Cherry Orchard
This site-specific production of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard was performed in houses on the Historical Register in five farming communities around the state. Getting in the car and driving out to the production in Taylors Falls made it a great summer adventure--theatre as road trip! It was amazing to see how a historic landmark--Fulsom House--was brought to life by serving as the setting for the play. Watching some of the best actors in the Twin Cities--Luverne Seifert, Sarah Agnew, Elise Langer and Stephen Cartmell make Chekhov's characters relevant, immediate, hysterical and heartbreaking was also incredible. It was an artistic endeavor that brought the best elemenst of Minnesota -- its history, its natural beauty and its amazing artists -- together to create an extraordinary theatrical experience.
-Elissa Adams, director of new play development at Children's Theatre Company

Aniccha Arts' In Habit: Living Patterns, at the Northern Spark Festival
One of the most exciting things about it is where it happened: under the Central Avenue Bridge. Each section had a corresponding evocative word projected on the underside of the bridge that you could see as the dance unfolded. One of the sections was slow and meditative, another used fast, furious footwork in tandem, and another used only gestural language from the elbow to the hand. It felt like a dream watching bodies move with extreme individualism and unison in the middle of the night, under a bridge, against the cityscape and along the water.
-Penelope Freeh, dancer and choreographer

Todd Boss's poetry collection Pitch
In his second collection (winner of the 2012 Midwest Booksellers Choice Award for Poetry), Boss expertly balances plain-enough Midwestern subject matter and a sophisticated sense of play. His language has a music considerably more beautiful than the dropped piano recalled in the book's title poem. Pitch was my introduction to Boss. He's become a poet I expect to follow wherever his muse leads him.
-Brian Beatty, writer, comedian, poet, host of mnartist.org's You Are Hear podcast

Sufjan Stevens' at Mill City Nights
This "Christmas Paegant" was everything that I hoped for in a concert: it was community oriented (the crowd sang along and got dressed up), it was funny and joyful, the band brought a spiritual component into the mix, it was a reflective and sincere celebration of Christmas and it made me happy to see that our generation is enthusiastic in understanding the eternal meanings of the times!
-Crystal Nelson, art therapist

Guthrie reports balanced budget in difficult times

Posted at 6:30 PM on December 17, 2012 by Euan Kerr (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arts management, Theater

Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling is typically blunt, even in the face of good news.

"Any one running a theater these days that doesn't feel concern about the economy is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land" he said today as the Guthrie reported a balanced budget for the 2011-2012 season at its annual meeting.

The numbers are these: the Guthrie has a $67,000 surplus on a budget of $29,000,000.

A total of 42 productions generated 795 performances which drew a total attendance of 426,000.

Those are big numbers, and represent a 10 percent increase in the Guthrie's budget over the previous year.

"I won't pretend it hasn't been a difficult year," Dowling (above) said. "It has. It has been a very difficult year. A difficult year for everyone involved in the arts, and indeed in the community generally."

However Dowling credits the balanced budget to a number of factors, not least the generosity of donors, and the support of the state's Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.

He also believes the Guthrie has found a good balance between the productions which will draw large audiences with the artistically important work. He points to the Marcela Lorca directed production of Seamus Heaney's "Burial at Thebes" being in the same season as the summer hit "Roman Holiday."

"So within the one season you have two very extraordinary pieces of theater," Dowling said. "It's keeping that kind of balance alive and making certain that we have an appeal for all of our broad audience, that's the big concern for the future."

Dowling says that, even now, six years after opening the three theater complex on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, the Guthrie is still exploring the possibilities of the new building.

When asked to name his high points from the season, he say's it's difficult to choose just one. he eventually points to the Heaney play, but also Tracie Bennett's portrayal of Judy Garland in "End of the Rainbow."

"Those are the sort of moments in the theater when you sort of really do feel your are in the presence of something extraordinary," he said.

(Joe Dowling image courtesy of the Guthrie)

The reviews are in for Guthrie's 'Servant of Two Masters'

Posted at 9:50 AM on December 11, 2012 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

A Yale Repertory production brings together Theatre de la Jeune Lune alums on the Guthrie stage for some 18th century slapstick ridden with contemporary references.

Confused? Good.

"The Servant of Two Masters" was written in the 18th century by Venetian Carlo Goldoni in the popular Commedia dell'Arte style. The work was then adapted by Constance Congdon, with additional revising by actor/playwright Steven Epp and director Christopher Bayes.

Critics find this play to be a romp, but more than one complains it's a bit "overstuffed."

The cast of "The Servant of Two Masters"
Photo by Richard Termine

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Holy moley these artists are terrific...Here's what makes this cast so good: despite the over-the-top histrionics, the improvised anarchy, each character has an honest center to which they remain true. This makes everyone watchable; in lesser hands The Servant Of Two Masters would be self-indulgent to an extreme. This is some of the best acting in the area, ever. You could summarize the plot on a paper napkin; the prowess of the performers makes this play.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

To call this production an adaptation... is akin to calling a skeleton a person. The cast dances on the bare bones of Goldoni's story -- using the plot more as a road map to some zany destination -- and if the staging cracks a few ribs with its commedia dell'arte stomp, so much the better. From the opening moment, when a starry canopy is flung into the dark stage firmament, this show constantly reveals invention -- the imaginative plunge into fearless stagecraft and complete trust in the performer's creativity. In the bargain, Bayes accomplishes true art, masquerading as mindless comedy.

"The Servant of Two Masters" runs through January 20 at the Guthrie Theater
Photo by Richard Termine

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

The text is jammed with dozens of pop-culture references, from "Sanford and Son" and "Gangnam Style" to "The Wizard of Oz," Adele and the "fiscal cliff." Local icons and institutions are targeted, too, with Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and even the Guthrie itself serving on the butt end of jokes.

But it's too much of a good thing. It's not a matter of the in-jokes getting in the way of the story -- there's not that much story to get in the way of. Rather, the ceaseless rapid-fire jokes tend to impart a faint whiff of desperation, a we're-dancing-as-fast-as-we-can vibe that hints at a lack of confidence in the material or the production. At one point in all the mania, Epp's Truffaldino stops, turns to the audience and asks, "Is this really the play?" It's a legitimate question.

"The Servant of Two Masters" runs through January 20 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? What's your review?

Four weeks of festive fun: comedy

Posted at 12:19 PM on December 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Comedy, Theater

The holiday season brings with it all sorts of things to do, and by that I don't mean shopping and decorating. Each December artists of all striped vie for your attention, offering a dizzying array of activities to choose from.

I was going to attempt to write a complete lists of EVERY HOLIDAY SHOW on offer this month. But then I realized it would be too overwhelming, for you and for me.

Joe Leary is Crumpet the Elf in The Santaland Diaries
Photo courtesy Frank Theater

So instead, I'm going to break down the holidays into some manageable bite-sized portions, giving you an opportunity to pick and choose your personal style of holiday merriment.

We begin with a look at all the belly laughs you can get this year by attending any of these holiday comedies:

The Santaland Diaries

Once edgy and new, this tale of Crumpet the Elf and his less than merry job dealing with Santa and the kids at the local department store has become its own sort of holiday classic. Frank Theater returns with its highly acclaimed staging, featuring Joe Leary, at the Southern Theater.

Fifty Shades of White

Brave New Workshop presents its annual holiday sketch comedy show. featuring some old chestnuts along with new gems made shiny by other people's absurd behavior. Fifty Shades of White runs through January 12 at BNW's Hennepin Ave location.

Christmas: Impossible

When a global conspiracy of sinister puppets threatens to steal all the world's toys, only one man can sneak into their deadly lair and return the toys before Christmas morning: Secret Agent Santa! The creators of The Harty Boys Save Christmas return with another action packed comedy for the whole family. Performances run through December 21 at Bryant Lake Bowl.

A Very Die Hard Christmas

Yippe Kai Yay Father Christmas! NYPD's John McClane is back, and he's out to prove that Die Hard is actually a Christmas movie. This new holiday treat promises to come with all the trimmings: singing, dancing, and bloodshed. Performances run through December 15 at the Bryant Lake Bowl.

Mary Mack's St. Paul "North Star Comedy Hr & Meat Raffle" Holiday Edition

It's a meat raffle. It's a comedy show. It's the holidays. Featured acts include Mary Mack as host & house band, with accordionist Karen Townsend, poets Paul Dickinson & Annette Schiebout, tongue-in-cheek Rap Group Valley Meadows, and comedian Tim Harmston as Tony Pastrami the Butcher. Holiday sing-along to be led by the Profanity Singers with closing rock and roll music performed by Frances Gumm. One night only: Thursday December 13 at the Turf Club.

The reviews are in for Guthrie's 'A Christmas Carol'

Posted at 8:52 AM on November 29, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Guthrie's A Christmas Carol is now in its 38th year. While this year features much the same cast and set as last year, critics seem happier with this year's production.

J.C. Cutler is Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol"
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Jay Albright's impishly joyful and light-footed Fezziwig seemed more bountiful and ready to dance. J.C. Cutler's bah-humbugging Scrooge seemed more open to the redemption of his tightly closed soul. Cutler's Scrooge was itching to offer advice as he watched his younger self (played with promising generosity by Paris Hunter Paul) make bad decisions. And Maloney's Ghost of Christmas Past seemed more beneficent as she helped Scrooge's heart grow.

J.C. Cutler (Ebenezer Scrooge) and Bob Davis (Jacob Marley) in the Guthrie Theater's production of "A Christmas Carol"
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Like many Twin Cities theatergoers, I've seen "Christmas Carol" a gazillion times, but each year, I inevitably come across a new truth or two about the Dickens tale and the Guthrie's take on it. Sitting in on this year's iteration, I was again struck by the sturdy timelessness of the source material: My 11-year-old theatergoing companion -- who is on her third Guthrie "Christmas Carol" -- best summed up the strength of the story: "I know the play, but every time, I still get a little scared by Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Past and I'm still happy when Scrooge turns into a good guy at the end."

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Maybe it was that burst of adrenaline, or the work of new director Joe Chvala, but this year's edition of the venerable Guthrie holiday show seemed to crackle with more energy than last year's rather dreary exercise.

A Christmas Carol runs through December 29. Have you seen this year's production at the Guthrie? How does it compare to past years?

Art Hounds: Portraits, Yuletide radio theater, and a zydeco dance party

Posted at 9:44 AM on November 29, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Dance, Events, Music, Painting, Theater

"Sleeping Beer Salesman" by Mary Gibney (Image courtesy of the artist)

The hounds are anxious to tell you about two Minneapolis artists whose off-beat portraits lodge in your brain, a holiday radio theater drama from Winona and two zydeco heavyweights who inspire bodies to move...rhythmically.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

Winona State University Arts Administrator Kathy Peterson didn't grow up in Winona, but she is a child of the '50s. Kathy will get to re-live the holidays of her youth and learn about Winona circa 1952 through the new original play, "The Winona Family Christmas Radio Show." It's a production of Theatre Du Mississippi and is on stage at the Historic Masonic Theater in Winona on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7:30pm, Sat., Dec. 1 at 7:30pm, and Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2pm.

Poet and Riot Act Reading Series host Paul D. Dickinson is quite taken with the odd and enigmatic portraiture art of Mary Gibney and Noah Harmon. Paul says Mary's works are surprisingly empathetic and linger in your mind, while Harmon's quirky pieces provide helpful though somewhat unrealistic tips on how to live a better life. Opening reception is Sat. Dec. 1 at the One on One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis from 7 - 11 pm.

We know Stuart Klipper as a talented photographer. He also once modeled an amazing shirt on the Art Hounds Facebook page. But did you know Stuart loves to dance to cajun and zydeco music? Stuart will be in zydeco heaven this Sunday night (Dec. 2) when two cajun supertstars, accordion player and singer Jesse Lége and fiddler Joel Savoy, come to Half Time Rec in St. Paul, sponsored by Krewe de Walleye.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

The reviews are in for 'Christmas of Swing'

Posted at 12:26 PM on November 28, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

The History Theatre's holiday production this year is "Christmas of Swing," a take off of its popular "Sisters of Swing" show, featuring music and a storyline for the season.

Critics enjoyed the music, but found the storyline uneven.

Ruthie Baker, Jen Burleigh-Bentz and Stacey Lindell as the Andrews Sisters
Photo by DnK Photography

From Lisa Brock at the Star Tribune:

"Christmas of Swing" fulfills its mission well of offering up a nostalgic, warm-hearted nod to one of America's finest trios and recreating the period flavor of their music while emphasizing its timeless appeal.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Such plays tend to truck in nostalgia. They work hard to balance the light and dark aspects of the holiday season and sometimes err to one side or another. And most frequently, they are too long.

All of these things are true about the History Theatre's current production of "Christmas of Swing." ...[There are] a lot of ingredients in the stew, and while the recipe can be both sweet and savory, the flavors of this collation don't always blend and balance well.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

I don't need Hamlet from my holiday shows, but I want to be engaged enough that I can sink in and go to a different place for a couple of hours. That happens occasionally in Christmas of Swing -- the letters home are often very effective -- but I could have replicated that with an anthology of World War II writings and some Andrews Sisters 78s.

"Christmas of Swing" runs through December 23 at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul.

Have you seen "Christmas of Swing?" If so, what's your review?

Thanksgiving weekend: a feast of art

Posted at 1:15 PM on November 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Dance, Museums, Music, Theater

Four day weekends should not go to waste.

For many the Thanksgiving weekend - intended to be spent with family and friends in the spirit of gratitude - has become little more than an extended consumption binge, from the food on the table to the flat screen TVs at Walmart.

What to do?

I propose you fill your soul and spirit this weekend with something healthier and more satisfying... and most likely, cheaper.

Brave New Workshop

Here's a sampling of what you could do with your weekend; most are family friendly.

DANCE

Zenon Dance Company celebrates its 30th anniversary at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis.

Walker Art Center presents its annual Choreographer's Evening, featuring new works from a wide array of local talent.

MUSEUMS

Also at the Walker Art Center, check out the Cindy Sherman retrospective of 'self-portraits.'

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is having its own "Black Friday" special, offering free admission to China's Terracotta Warriors from 6-7am on Friday morning.

Get into the Christmas spirit at the American Swedish Institute with A Nordic Christmas. The museum opens at 10am on Friday.

MUSIC

You could spend Thanksgiving with Davina and the Vagabonds at the Dakota, or if you prefer to hang with the family on turkey day, the Cedar Cultural Center is offering a lovely line-up of bands that will make you thankful for the Minnesota music all weekend long.

FRI 23rd, 8pm - LOW with Germaine Gemberling & Rich Mattson

SAT 24th, 8pm - ROGUE VALLEY with Joey Ryan & The Inks and Meredith Fierke

SUN 25th, 730pm - PETER MAYER

Theater:

For theater companies, Thanksgiving weekend tends mark the opening weekend of their holiday shows.All the usual suspects are in place for the traditional holiday celebration.

Guthrie Theater presents A Christmas Carol

Children's Theatre Company presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Brave New Workshop presents Fifty Shades of White, an evening of holiday themed sketch comedy.

Now pass the stuffing...

The reviews are in for Children's Theatre's 'Grinch'

Posted at 10:18 AM on November 14, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Children's Theatre Company is ramping up the holiday fever for kids with its stage production of Dr. Seuss' classic tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Critics enjoyed this show, with only minor complaints. Because, really, who wants to risk being called a 'grinch' so close to the holidays?

Reed Sigmund is 'the Grinch'
Photo by Dan Norman

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

From the music, conducted by Denise Prosek and delivered with sweet cheer by the village-size cast, to the evocative design and well-considered and -executed scenes, the show is engaging and exciting. It has wide appeal to children and adults alike.

As the up-jumping, low-singing meanie, Sigmund gives the Grinch a vivid, palpable embodiment (we see just how palpable when he runs into the audience).

From Rob Hubbard at the Pioneer Press:

At an hour and a quarter, it works for the youngest,
And there's little to scare the most squeamish among us.
Director Peter Brosius has helmed quite a show.
It's a sweet slice of Seuss, so you really should go.

The cast of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at Children's Theatre Company
Photo by Dan Norman

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com

As gorgeous as the set was, it left just barely enough room for the full cast of adults and children to execute simple choreography. However, it was plenty of room for the cleverly choreographed antics of the Grinch and young Max, played by an endearing Brandon Brooks... Denise Prosek directs a live pit orchestra, which I love to hear. There's no comparison with recorded.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

When you transfer a shortish picture book into a full-length musical, things need to be added. While most of the plot additions don't detract from the story, I'll admit to having a bit of a "Come on, let's steal some presents!" feeling about midway through the 75-minute show. The restlessness didn't last long, especially when coming face to face (well, face to hairy midsection) with the Grinch during the robbery scene. That certainly will shake any dark-theater cobwebs.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas runs through December 30 at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Shujaat Khan, Hofesh Shechter, and a meditation on terminal illness

Posted at 7:45 AM on November 8, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Dance, Events, Music, Theater

Hofesh Shechter dance troupe (Photo © Gabriele Zucca, courtesy of Northrop Dance)

The hounds' highlights have a global dimension this week as they touch on a dance piece from an Israeli-born choreographer who lives in the UK, a sitar virtuoso from India and a one-man show by a New York actor.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

It's finally here for writer and vocalist David Jordan Harris, the dance concert he's been looking forward to all fall. Hofesh Shechter, the celebrated UK dance troupe founded by the Israeli-born choreographer with the same name, has won international raves for its latest production, "Political Mother." Hofesh Shechter will perform the piece at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7:30pm, presented by Northrop Dance and the Walker Art Center.

Twin Cities actor Sally Wingert has gotten to know New York actor Michael Milligan through their work on the Guthrie Theater's production of "Appomattox." Wingert says Milligan's one-man show, "Mercy Killers" will be a moving, terrific night of theater. It's about a man coming to terms with his wife's terminal illness. One night only on Monday, Nov. 12 at 7:00pm, at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis sitar player and teacher David Whetstone has an intimate understanding of the music of Indian sitar master Shujaat Khan, because he studied with Shujaat's father, the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. David says Khan's smooth singing and virtuosity on his instrument will both soothe and thrill the audience. Shujaat Khan is performing this Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7pm, at Normandale Community College's Performing Arts Center.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

The reviews are in for Jungle Theater's 'In the Next Room'

Posted at 10:58 AM on November 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Theater critics love a good pun. And so with their reviews for the Jungle Theater's "In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)" you can inevitable find a statement along the lines of "play generates a warm buzz" or a mention of how "stimulating" the production was. Puns aside, critics agree this is a show with merit.

The play, set in the Victorian era, involves the use of a new electrical device to treat women - and the occasional man - suffering from carious forms of hysteria. Critics say Sarah Ruhls play is a witty, pithy piece that speaks to issues surrounding intimacy, gender, and the role of technology in our lives.

John Middleton, Annie Enneking and Emily Gunyou Halaas in Jungle Theater's production of "In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Ah, finally, a play to love -- a play to curl up with and relish like a romantic novel on a cold afternoon. Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play" uses the trappings of 19th-century melodrama to amuse and provoke our 21st-century feelings about the efficacy of science and technology in relieving a most ancient human need: intimacy.

Christina Baldwin as Catherine Givings and John Middleton as Dr. Givings in "In the Next Room" by Sarah Ruhl
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Dominic Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Ruhl's script is billed as a comedy, and it has its share of wink-wink, nudge-nudge humor, but she is in search of other objectives here: Her script contemplates gender roles and class, art versus science, and love as a power relationship.

..."In the Next Room" is certainly not a play for the prudish. But if you like your titillation with an edge of intellect, it might just flip your switch.

Emily Gunyou Halaas as Sabrina Daldry and Christina Baldwin as Catherine Givings in "In the Next Room" directed by Sarah Rasmussen
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

While it can be easy to snicker at the endless corsets the ladies are forced to wear or the "science" that is only a bit removed from leeching blood, Ruhl is also slyly commenting on our modern-day world. After all, if serious candidates for national office can talk about "legitimate" rape and how a pregnancy cannot occur when that happens -- well, it seems as if the mental corsets are still there.

Ryan Underbakke as Leo Irving and and Christina Baldwin as Catherine Givings in "In the Next Room"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

The set, designed by the Jungle's artistic director, Bain Boehlke, was a beautifully draped and cushioned 19th-century parlor in inviting colors, adjacent to the doctor's unfussy "operating theater." Costumes were just exquisite, with Baldwin and Halaas in bustles, corsets, and hats perched on the edge of piled-high hair. Who would have thought a play about vibrators could be so proper?

John Middleton as Dr. Givings and Christina Baldwin as Catherine Givings and in "In the Next Room" by Sarah Ruhl
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

Called a comedy in its 2010 Tony Award nomination, In the Next Room is indeed funny. But it also is heartwarming, intimate, and sentimental. The last few minutes of this beautiful production are some of the most sincere, passionate moments capable of being produced in live theater, reminding us that love is not only an emotion, but also a decision: whether or not you choose to give and receive it is up to you.

In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play runs through December 16 at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

Have you seen the show? What's your review?

Looking for forgiveness in the wake of the elections

Posted at 10:34 AM on November 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Religion, Sculpture, Theater

For Dean J. Seal, founder of Spirit in the House, it's time to talk about forgiveness.

Seal, a former Executive Producer of the Minnesota Fringe Festival, is in an ordained Presbyterian minister whose work focuses on using the arts to stimulate interfaith dialogue.

For the next two weekends he's organized a symposium on forgiveness that will feature both artwork and a variety of performances, including a one-man show by Ari Hoptman, spoken word by Bobby Wilson, a staging of Dracula, and a new play called Marietta.

What inspired you to organize a symposium around forgiveness?

Three years ago, Stephen O'Toole brought me the play, Marietta, a true story about a woman who forgave the kidnapper of her daughter. We did two readings of it, one at the Playwrights Center, and it seemed to hold up. Forgiveness on that scale is like going to the moon. As Jack Kennedy said, "We don't do it because it is easy, we do it because it is hard."

Then I kept thinking about other things that could connect to it, and I suffer from "mission creep." Forgiveness is very complicated, and like a diamond, there seem to be many facets, but not all of them are beautiful.

There are a couple issues about forgiveness that bring up ugliness. First is a problem that has come up with the Amish. There are beautiful stories of them forgiving murderers and drunk drivers. But there are ugly stories about, say, a teenage girl raped by her brother, who then has to forgive him, and then he rapes her again. Or you can go into a more widespread problem of women who forgive a man who beats them up and then apologizes. There is an old Carole King song, "He Hit Me and It Felt Like A Kiss." That's about the idea that he hit me because he cares so much. That's not the realm of good forgiveness. It's the realm of wrong forgiveness.

Do you think we lack forgiveness as a culture?

Yes, I think people who forgive are considered to be losers. It's another way we are not healthy. Dr. Frederick Luskin talks about the cardio benefits of forgiveness- it can lower your blood pressure, reduce your heart rate. It's part of the us-versus-them, no-compromise fever that has taken over the media-political landscape. Chris Christie and Obama show what we could be, and we haven't seen that in 20 years.

With individuals, it can be crucial in maintaining relationship. I've been married 27 years, and you don't get that far without a lot of forgiveness. The Buddha has a great punch line on this: "Holding a grudge is like holding a hot coal in your hand, that you will throw at the person you are mad at the next time you see them." Some people would rather be right than to forgive, and that just kills a relationship, because we all need forgiveness.

Why use theater and comedy to talk about it?

Let's start with comedy. The best comedy is about serious subjects. The people with the best sense of humor are the survivors. If you saw comedian Tig Notaro's bit about getting cancer and the death of her mother, it was powerful, heartwarming, and funny. Comedy opens people up, and then they can receive a deeper, more powerful message.

Theater comes out of Greek funeral services and also Medieval Church services. They both share this intent, to make an event happen that carries meaning. Good theater is an emotional construction that brings you into someone's world, so you can live through something, and learn what thy learned, without having to actually suffer what thy suffer. Compassion is when you allow yourself to feel someone else's pain, and that is something theater can evoke.

What do you hope to accomplish?

This is all an introduction to several conversations about forgiveness that are happening. It's part of therapy, medicine, restorative justice, the Dakota Wars, the years of American slavery, the Holocausts of Jews in Europe, it's about marriage, and sanity. It's about a 20 year war in Northern Ireland- how do you stoop the vengeance? There are also spiritual and religious aspects. I hope to get people talking. There's plenty to talk about.

Is there ever a time when it is okay to NOT forgive?

In the aforementioned instances of misplaced forgiveness, where forgiving just sets you up for more abuse, then it's wrong and bad. Also, in therapy, you should not forgive if you have not worked through your anger. And that may take a while. It may take forever. But if the anger is still there, it may be too soon to work on forgiveness.

Finally, there is the ambivalent state of Jews and Native Americans, where they live in a state of awareness of a Holocaust, and the people around them either won't acknowledge the seriousness of the pain, or acknowledge that their own people are part of it. Christians need to understand that the Nazi Holocaust was mostly sold as a Christian thing. White people in America need to acknowledge that killing the Indians was a Christian thing that all of us, like me, still benefit from, and that Native Americans still suffer PTSD from. And if we cannot understand that we need forgiveness for that., we keep committing more holocausts. Like 3 million dead Vietnamese, or Army guys killing themselves faster than the Taliban can kill them. If we shield ourselves from the need for forgiveness, we become repeat perpetrators.

Finally, Bram Stoker's Dracula has a message of forgiveness? Really?

When I asked Megan Wells for a show about forgiveness, and she said Bram Stoker's Dracula, I said, "I guess I have no idea what you are talking about." But the second woman victim warned her would-be saviors, "You can't kill him with hate. He is as much under this evil power as anyone. If I fall under this spell, will you kill me with hate? You can only kill him with pity." And as a fan of Dr. King, that goes straight to his assertion that evil cannot drive out evil- only love can drive out evil. Plus, Megan is just a great storyteller.

New institute offers training for aspiring theater directors of diverse backgrounds

Posted at 4:08 PM on November 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Education, Minnesota Mix, Theater

Dipankar Mukherjee and Meena Natarajan, the founders of Pangea World Theater, want to create more opportunities for women theater directors and theater directors of color.

This December, Pangea is launching the first phase of a National Direction and Ensemble Creation Institute designed to address the lack of training and opportunities for budding directors.

The theater company has invited directors from around the nation to share lessons and help build a curriculum.

The institute is inspired by what is common knowledge amongst theater professionals, and backed up by startling statistics. In 2009 the Directors Guild of America found that out of its 967 new members in the year 2009, 72.1 percent were Caucasian males, 16.3 percent were Caucasian females, 8.3 percent were minority males and 3.4 percent were minority females.

For Dipankar Mukherjee, that means the stories produced on stage often reflect a narrow world view.

"There are different ways to access a script, different avenues of imagination. Sometimes they're contextualized in culture, politics of experience, politics of race, and so forth. There is no one lens; there are multiple lenses," says Mukherjee.

Pangea World Theater, founded in 1995, works with diverse creative talent to shepherd new works into full stage production.

Guthrie's "Thirty Below" program takes the line out of rush tickets

Posted at 5:57 PM on October 31, 2012 by Euan Kerr (1 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis today announced it's making rush tickets available over the phone for younger patrons.

Instead of requiring people to line up at the box office, the "Thirty Below" program allows people aged 30 or younger to call the Guthrie on the day of the show to reserve available rush tickets.

Guthrie Marketing director Trisha Kirk says the deal will apply to all Guthrie productions, large or small

"If for a performance of "A Christmas Carol" we have open seats on the day of the performance people can, again '30 Below' you can buy them at rush price. We are not going to exclude our big hits," she said. "We want all tickets open available."

Rush tickets can be as cheap as $15 depending on the show. Thirty Below participants can also buy up to three additional tickets at the same price for friends, and Kirk says they don't have to meet the age requirement.

"Everybody doesn't need to be 30 and under," Kirk said. "If, let's say, I was 27 years old and I wanted to bring three friends, we're not going to card those three friends."

Kirk says while she hopes Thirty Below will encourage new patrons, it's really directed at young people already using the rush line.

Art Hounds: Ensemble 61, King Lear, and the art of Soviet Russia

Posted at 9:39 AM on November 1, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Museums, Music, Theater

Some of the pieces in The Museum of Russian Art's "The Anniversary Celebration" (Image courtesy of The Museum of Russian Art)

This week's hounds celebrate a St. Paul experimental music ensemble's 'Dylan' fixation, a brilliant Minneapolis repository for Soviet-era art, and a prohibition-era King Lear.

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There are three Dylans infiltrating the upcoming performance of St. Paul new music group Ensemble 61: American troubadour Bob Dylan, poet Dylan Thomas, and Scottish composer James Dillon, who teaches composition at the University of Minnesota. St. Paul composer Abbie Betinis isn't quite sure what kind of Dylanesque connections the group will make in its appropriately titled "Dylan, Dylan, Dillon" performance, but she's intrigued. Abbie is also thrilled there will be music from other local composers, including Aaron Travers, Anthony Cornicello, and Patrick Castillo. The concer will be in the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Music Room on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7:30pm.

For Twin Cities actor and director Zach Curtis, there is little not to be excited about when it comes to Park Square Theatre's production of "King Lear." In Zach's opinion it's Shakespeare's best play, and it's a star-studded cast which includes local stalwart Raye Birk as Lear. Director Peter Moore has also set the tragedy in the days of prohibition America. The show runs through November 11.

Artist, writer and arts administrator Andy Sturdevant calls The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis one of the finest museums in the state. The museum specializes in Soviet-era art. It's celebrating its tenth anniversary with a show featuring highlights from its permanent collection and pieces from some of its more popular exhibitions over the last decade.

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The reviews are in for Theater Latte Da's 'Company'

Posted at 12:27 PM on October 31, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

As Minnesotans prepare to vote on the Marriage Amendment, Theater Latte Da presents a show that questions whether marriage is really that great in the first place.

Steven Sondheim's 'Company' portrays one man's conflicted feelings over making the leap into a longterm commitment, as he sees how marriage affects his friends.

Most critics find this show to be a well-executed gem.

The cast of Theater Latte Da's 'Company'
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Dieter Bierbrauer has been a talented presence and voice in Twin Cities musical theater for several years, providing strong turns in numerous shows, from Power Balladz (which he also performed Off Broadway) to Xanadu to several productions with Theatre Latte Da. In Latte Da's Company, Bierbrauer goes to a new level: In his performance as Bobby, he has become a bona fide star.

Sara Ochs as Kathy and Dieter Bierbrauer as Bobby in 'Company'
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Graydon Royce at Star Tribune:

Rothstein pulls off a neat trick: He preserves the sensibility of 1970 and introduces the trappings of 2012 to create something timeless...Under the direction of Jerry Rubino, the music sounds fantastic, and the singers are uniformly strong.

This show unfairly gets criticized for lacking heart. Bierbrauer -- under Rothstein's eye -- demonstrates the sincere trepidation of a person who desires marriage in his head, but isn't sure in his heart. It is, after all, a big step.

Dieter Bierbrauer as Bobby), David Darrow as Paul and Suzy Kohane as Amy in Theater Latte Da's 'Company'
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Chris Hewitt at Pioneer Press:

On opening night, Rothstein and the cast expertly balanced the cynical and romantic aspects of the show, and they've wisely used a '90s revisal of the show in which its dream ballet is omitted, as all dream ballets should be. But, somehow, the production doesn't quite sing.

The intimate McKnight Theatre is perfectly scaled for this razor-focused musical, but the vast set often seems to work against the inventive actors who, one suspects, would be grateful for a bare stage and a couple of chairs.

"Company" runs through November 18 at the Ordway. Have you seen the show? What's your review?

The reviews are in for 'King Lear' at Park Square

Posted at 1:06 PM on October 30, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Shakespeare's King Lear is given a Godfather-like treatment in Park Square's latest production.

Critics found moments thrilling, but say the show as a whole was uneven.

The cast of Park Square's King Lear
Photo: Petronella Ytsma

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

...The role in this play is Lear and [Raye] Birk is impressive... The deeper Birk's Lear descends into madness, the clearer his life becomes, and the more worthy of redemption. In this, Birk was in full control.

Jim Lichtscheidl and Jennfier Blagen in Park Square's King Lear
Photo: Petronella Ytsma

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Director Peter Moore has set Shakespeare's tale of faithless children and political intrigue in Prohibition-era America, with the eponymous ruler as a gangster kingpin straight out of a Mario Puzo novel. Imposing a strong "concept" like this on Shakespeare is always a tricky proposition, and at Park Square, it's not an entirely successful experiment.

...as the king descends into madness because of his own poor decisions and his daughters' avaricious disregard, the Italianate frame starts to take on some tarnish. When Lear rages at the storm, his rant is punctuated by the mad king taking potshots with a handgun, giving the famous and wrenching scene an almost comical bent.

Stacie Rice as Regan and Stephen D'Ambrose as Gloucester in Park Square's King Lear
Photo: Petronella Ytsma

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

To twist a phrase, the parts are greater than the sum in Park Square Theatre's production of "King Lear." This makes for an uneven experience full of equivocation. Moments shriek with grisly electricity and fearless stagecraft; others yawn with fuzzy exposition and an opaque orientation of place and narrative.

King Lear runs through November 11 at Park Square. Did you see the show? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Ghost Light, Dracula, and a festival of horrors

Posted at 7:45 AM on October 25, 2012 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Events, Theater

Evan Kelly and Tim Sislo in Renegade Theater's "Ghost Light." (Credit: Andy Miller; Photo courtesy of Renegade Theater)

This installment is not for the timid or faint hearted. The hounds have their sights on a play about a haunted vaudeville theater, the most powerful vampire who ever lay in a coffin, and a series of performances that will terrify as much as humor you.

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Twin Cities actor Jen Scott is of the theory that comedy and horror emanate from the same creative wellspring in a performer. Another reason she's excited about the Twin Cities Horror Festival is that it features some of her favorite artists, including Erin Sheppard, Tim Uren and Mike Fotis. The Twin Cities Horror Festival runs Oct. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Southern Theater.

When Duluth actor and director Lawrence Lee went to see Renegade Theater's "Ghost Light" at Teatro Zuccone in Duluth, the woman next to him kept grabbing his arm. And Lawrence says the play, about a group of college kids holed up in a haunted vaudeville theater is indeed that scary, and funny, and well-performed. It runs hrough Oct. 27 at Teatro Zuccone.

Minneapolis actor Ryan Coble has severe vampire fatigue, so Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka had a high bar to achieve with its production of "Dracula," based on Bram Stoker's late-19th century novel. But Ryan says the show exceeded his expectations for an entertaining fright because the actor who played Dracula sent chills down his spine. On stage through Oct. 28.

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The Origin(s) Project explores human longing for connection

Posted at 7:59 AM on October 22, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Minnesota Mix, Theater

Sun Mee Chomet and Katie Hae Leo are finding that their experiences as Korean American adoptees are resonating with far larger an audience than they ever imagined.

The two joined forces to create The Origin(s) Project - essentially two one-woman shows, back to back - which they staged at Dreamland Arts in St. Paul this past June.

The show was such a success that, just five months later, they've brought it back for another run.

Sun Mee Chomet in 'How to be a Korean Woman', part of The Origin(s) Project
Photo: Charissa Uemura

Their two stories look at the experience of being a Korean-American adoptee from two different angles, but both raise issues universal to the adoption experience.

In Sun Mee Chomet's "How to be a Korean Woman" she details the longing an adoptee feels to connect with their birth family, no matter how wonderful their adoptive parents are.

"In 2009 I decided to search for my birth family - a serious search. I went to Korea and like many adoptees from my generation I found that there isn't much information because of the poor records kept," Chomet explained.

"My last ditch effort was this show called 'I Miss That Person.' It's a reality show in Korea, for Koreans to search for lost relatives, and the most popular stories are about adoptees. It's pretty humiliating for some people, but I decided I didn't care, and I got on to the show."

In "How to Be a Korean Woman," Sun Mee Chomet recounts her search for her birth family, and the harsh truths she learned in the process.
Photo: Charissa Uemura

Chomet eventually reconnected with her birth mother, but it wasn't the happy reunion she imagined. The experience overtook her life, and her art.

"I've been a working actor in this town for 7 years, and you come across moments in your life where you have so much going on that you can't be generous enough to play another character," said Chomet. "I felt like I needed to work through this. But ultimately I don't really feel like it's about me because this is the story of so many Korean adoptees."

Chomet explains that as the first major group of international adoptees, Korean Americans don't have any role models to help them navigate the search for - or reunion with - birth families.

"I think Katie and I both want other Korean adoptees to know that they're not alone. It's a roller coaster; some adoptees have been united but don't communicate any more, others still haven't found their families, others are in relationships that are profoundly complicated."

Katie Hae Leo in "N/A" - her one-woman show is based on a series of essays she wrote, which is now working on turning into a book
Photo: Charissa Uemura

While Chomet's story took her to Korea, Katie Hae Leo's journey was a more internal one. Her story, "N/A," explores the frustration of suffering illness, but having no family medical history to help diagnose what's wrong. How do you fill in all the information about your body when you have no connection to your family?

"I think you do what a lot of us have done since we were kids which is make up stories. I remember when I was young having this image in my head of what my birth mom was like. And that's based on what my parents told me based on what the adoption agency told them," said Leo.

"I'm really fascinated by the stories we tell ourselves, because they reveal sometimes as much as the truth. They reveal who we think we are, who the culture has told us we are.. in fact they reveal more than the so-called truths sometimes."

Leo said that over time she's learned to see her body as source for clues about the birth family she may never meet.

Katie Hae Leo in "N/A"
Photo: Charissa Uemura

Chomet and Leo expected their audience to be filled with other Korean American adoptees, but they were not prepared for the parents, spouses and social workers who also streamed in

"We were nervous about having parents come because I think adoptees often edit how much they long for their birth families, because they don't want to hurt their adoptive families," explained Chomet.

"We had spouses write that this show cracked open conversations that they hadn't been able to have before in their marriage," added Leo.

Non Korean adoptees came to the shows first run as well, including a group from AFAAD (Adopted and Fostered Adults of the African Diaspora).

Now, as they prepare for the second run, Leo reflects that maybe it's not so surprising the show resonates with audiences.

"The heart of this play is about human longing," said Leo. "It goes beyond human adoption, to how we wonder about our past.

The Origin(s) Project runs October 25 thru November 3 at Dreamland Arts in St. Paul. After the run Leo plans to take a break from performing to focus on finishing the book that inspired her half of the show.

Chomet has plans to perform "How to Be a Korean Woman" at the Asian Artists Initiative in Philadelphia in December, at the Rochester Civic Theater in January, and in Seoul, Korea at The IKAA Gathering - a major conference for adoptees - in August 2013.

The reviews are in for 'Embers' at the Guthrie Theater

Posted at 10:49 AM on October 17, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Embers is the third and final play in the Guthrie Theater's Christopher Hampton Celebration. Embers is based on the novel by Sándor Márai, and concerns a friendship rent asunder, revisited decades later.

Critics are split in their reviews of this show, with some calling it "beautiful," "taut drama," and others finding it "indifferent to its audience" and barely flickering with life.

James A. Stephens as Henrik in the Guthrie Theater's production of Embers, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

Beautiful, sad and absorbing, this is a piece to be pondered and savored - a leisurely and delicious meal of several courses, each one more satisfying than the last.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

In Embers, Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Sandor Marai's World-War-II-era novel, two men who were inseparable friends for more than two decades meet after 41 years apart. The mystery of what caused the estrangement is played out in this often taut drama, centering on a solid performance from James A. Stephens as the aggrieved and supported by Nathaniel Fuller and Barbara Bryne in smaller but still vital roles.

Nathaniel Fuller as Konrad in the Guthrie Theater's production of Embers, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

With the opening of "Embers" in the Dowling Studio, all cylinders are now engaged in the Guthrie Theater's celebration of the work of British playwright Christopher Hampton. This last work is the smallest of the lot and is also, unfortunately, the least satisfying.

Barbara Bryne has a tiny role as the maid and nurse Nini -- a few lines at the very beginning of the play and a few more at the very end. It's an extravagant, wasteful use of an actress, particularly one as revered as Bryne. But it's a good metaphor for the play: Like its central character of Henrik, "Embers" is obsessed with itself and indifferent to its audience.

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Like parts of "Hollywood," "Embers" feels like a novel being enacted onstage. It does not take advantage of the unique opportunities that a three-dimensional space has to offer.

Fuller invests Konrad with some droll, morose humor. He makes this supporting character empathetic. Still, it is not enough for "Embers," a show that barely flickers to theatrical life.

Have you seen Guthrie Theater's production of Embers? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Joyce Sutphen, Big Cats, and the anonymity of refugees

Posted at 7:45 AM on October 11, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Events, Minnesota Poets, Music, Poetry, Theater

Image from "Anon(ymous)" at the Little Country Theater. Left to Right: Ananya Jaidev as Naja; James M. Cavo as Anon; and Alison Olson as Calista. (Photo courtesy of NDSU)

What's clicking for the hounds this week? A performance by Minnesota's Poet Laureate in Brainerd, a rising beat maker's instrumental homage to his mother, and a play about the lives of refugees in America.

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Fargo theater artist Brad Delzer has been waiting for a play like "Anon(ymous)" to come to Fargo-Moorhead, especially with its growing refugee population. "Anon(ymous)," originally written for the Children's Theater Company by Naomi Iizuka, is about what a young refugee boy encounters as he scours America, searching for his lost family. It's on stage this weekend only at the Little Country Theater at North Dakota State University.

When freelance music writer and Background Noise Crew CEO and producer Ali Elabbady heard "For My Mother," the newest offering from Minneapolis hip hop producer and beat maker Big Cats, aka Spencer Wirth Davis, he was moved. "For My Mother" is a collection of instrumental compositions converted into hip hop tracks and dedicated to Big Cats' mother, who passed away two years ago from ovarian cancer. Big Cats will celebrate the new album with a show tonight at the Cedar Cultural Center.

If you want to "feel Minnesota" through poetry, Northfield poet Joe Concannon says you need to see the state's poet laureate, Joyce Sutphen, read her work. Sutphen will deliver the goods on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7pm, at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.

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Threat of zombies forces theater to cancel show

Posted at 3:00 PM on October 10, 2012 by Marianne Combs (4 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Imagine you're at the theater enjoying a civilized evening of culture, featuring a classic play by Tennessee Williams.

Suddenly you hear pounding and screaming in the distance. Murmurs turn to disturbed whispers in the audience as even the actors are distracted by the growing noise.

Suddenly the lobby doors break open and you are confronted by a horde of zombies, dripping blood and crying out for fresh brains!

This, my friend, is all too real a concern for Theatre in the Round director Steven Antenucci.

"The last time it happened during a performance was in 2006 when we were performing, fittingly, A Plague of Angels - about Typhoid Mary. We had to lock the doors because zombies were trying to come into the lobby, " remembers Antenucci.

A participant from a past edition of Minneapolis' annual Zombie Pub Crawl
Image courtesy Zombie Pub Crawl

Since then, the Zombie Pub Crawl has always occurred on the first weekend in October, happily when TRP was in between shows. Still the theater, located at Seven Corners, suffers damage each year: smears of fake blood on the billboards, on the building, and the overwhelming smell of urine in the alley behind the theater.

"We have to hose down everything," says Antenucci.

This year the Zombie Pub Crawl moved to the second weekend in October, right on opening weekend of TRP's production of Summer and Smoke.

Meanwhile, the crawl has grown from 150 zombies in 2005 to what some claim was 15,000 flesh eaters in 2011.

That's simply too many for Antenucci.

"If we were doing a big loud musical, that might be one thing," chuckled Antenucci. "But screams for brains and pounding on car hoods doesn't quite go with Tennessee Williams."

Summer and Smoke opens Friday, will go dark Saturday for the Zombie Pub Crawl, and will resume on Sunday.

The reviews are in for 'The Turn of the Screw' by Torch Theater

Posted at 8:03 AM on October 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher has given Henry James's ghost story The Turn of the Screw a rewrite for the stage, and Torch Theater is producing it just in time for Halloween.

Critics find the show - which runs through October 27 at Minneapolis Theater Garage - subtle, powerful, and chilling.

Lindsay Marcy and Craig Johnson star in "The Turn of the Screw" at Minneapolis Theater Garage
Photo by Thomas Sandelands

From Lisa Brock at the Star Tribune:

This bravura "Turn of the Screw" crafts an atmosphere in which unseen and unspeakable horrors lurk around every corner. It's a subtle and powerful production whose fear factor will linger long after the lights come up.

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

There's none of the gore that modern horror stories depend on so desperately in lieu of depth. Instead, the tragic and terrifying heart of the secret unravels little by little, with unspeakable details left to our dangerously vivid imaginations. Like a novel, the show requires the audience to bring something to the party, engaging viewers on multiple levels.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The Turn of the Screw brings the scares, and lets a pair of talented actors chill the audience to the bone. What else can you ask for in the weeks leading to Halloween?

Have you seen Torch Theater's production of "The Turn of the Screw?" What's your review?

The reviews are in for Guthrie Theater's 'Appomattox'

Posted at 10:30 AM on October 10, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

The Guthrie Theater is celebrating its 50th anniversary with, among other things, a festival of Christopher Hampton's plays. The center of the festival is the Guthrie's production of Hampton's Appomattox, a look at civil rights in the United States from 1865 to 1965.

Critics' reviews of Appomattox range from 'breath-takingly ambitious' and 'intellectually stimulating' to 'lifeless' and 'meandering'.

Harry Groener (Abraham Lincoln), Sally Wingert (Mary Todd Lincoln) and Greta Oglesby (Elizabeth Keckley) in the Guthrie Theater's production of APPOMATTOX, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Allen Brisson-Smith

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com

Appomattox provides moment after moment of utter pleasure. Lincoln's nightmares are beautifully staged with effective projections and the vastly talented Sally Wingert's potent reading of Mary Todd Lincoln. Shawn Hamilton plays T. Morris Chester, a journalist ensconced in the Virginia Senate Room with verve and compelling energy (Hamilton also excels as MLK in Act Two). As Lincoln and later as LBJ Harry Groener is compulsively watchable. He captures LBJ's new-found passion perfectly; his rendering of the famous "we shall overcome" speech is spot-on, very moving. LBJ's belittling of the verminous George Wallace (Mark Boyett) is priceless. The newly freed slaves in Richmond crowding around "Father Abraham" thanking him for their emancipation has bittersweet power; we know what horrors of oppression shortly await them. The play is filled with such treasures. Hampton is a writer of great power.

Shawn Hamilton (Martin Luther King, Jr.) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Appomattox by Christopher Hampton, directed by David Esbjornson
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Shawn Hamilton intones the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. with vigor and, in the character's less-public moments, shows the civil rights leader's humanity and his doubts.

Those moments of humanity lift "Appomattox," but there isn't enough of that humanity to allow the production to really take flight. In the end, then, this is an admirable, somewhat dense work of theater that is more of an intellectually stimulating experience than an aesthetically satisfying one.

Harry Groener as Lyndon B. Johnson in the Guthrie Theater's production of Appomattox by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Take any five minutes of Hampton's ambitious deconstruction of American political and social change and race relations and you'll find intriguing, even compelling ideas. As a whole, however, Appomattox is a failure. A well-crafted and -acted one, to be sure, but a failure nonetheless.

The cast of Appomattox, written by Christopher Hampton, directed by David Esbjornson
Photo by Allen Brisson-Smith

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Let us be charitable. "Appomattox," the new play by Christopher Hampton that had its world premiere at the Guthrie Theater, has not discovered its identity or purpose. A meandering pageant through two painful eras of American history, "Appomattox" gives every appearance that Hampton is critiquing U.S. race relations. It's tepid stuff, though, and Hampton rarely delivers an insight that transcends the voluminous public record on civil rights.

Sally Wingert as Lady Bird Johnson in the Guthrie Theater's production of Appomattox
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

...after seeing the first two installations of Hampton's work, Tales from Hollywood, Hampton's portrayal of Hollywood from the eyes of German emigrants during World War II and into the 1950s, and Appomattox, which seeks to draw parallels between the final days of the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement in 1965, I'm sad to say that right now, neither the Guthrie nor Hampton are living up to their reputations of greatness.

Have you seen Appomattox at the Guthrie? What's your review?

Leslye Orr brings the senses to life in 'Hand in Hand'

Posted at 3:53 PM on October 8, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Education, Theater

St. Paul artist Leslye Orr is finding new life for a show she created thirty years ago, thanks to the U.S. State Department.

Right now Orr is in Israel, where she is to perform "Hand in Hand," a production inspired by the stories of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

Earlier this year the State Department brought Orr to Lithuania and Latvia.

Leslye Orr has the people in her audience close their eyes and learn to 'see' with their other senses
Image courtesy: U.S. Embassy - Lithuania

Back in 1981 Orr was the first legally blind person to perform the role of Sullivan in the play The Miracle Worker, even though Sullivan herself was legally blind. Orr says on closing night, a woman in the audience stood up and spoke after the show.

"She said, 'I'm 35 and legally blind and seeing you up there made me believe I could do something myself.' Now up to that point my whole mission as an actor had been to acclimate myself to people who have vision - to look like I'm a seeing person. But this completely changed my tune - it inspired me to be an advocate for people with disabilities."

Orr created "Hand in Hand," the story of what happens to Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan after The Miracle Worker, based on letters and lectures. Part performance, part workshop, audience members are asked to close their eyes and learn to 'see' using their other senses.

Orr says she's trying to open people up to the "possibilities of disabilities."

"I'm not going to say limitations aren't hard... but what we have to enjoy is just as good as what we're missing. To me - witnessing people overcome these limitations to reach out to one another - it's the coolest communion of humanity you could ever imagine. It's Helen Keller's gift to me."

A performance of Hand in Hand in Lithuania, hosted by the U.S. State Department
Image courtesy: U.S. Embassy - Lithuania

Orr has performed Hand in Hand for numerous schools and other organizations across Minnesota, but now it appears her message is finding new audiences on the other side of the globe.

U.S. Ambassador Anne E. Derse introduced Orr's performance in Lithuania this way:

"Through the intimacy of her play and the power of her personality, I believe that Leslye carries a very positive message of tolerance and understanding. Humans are much more similar than we realize. Though some might not see or hear or walk as well as others, we all have similar thoughts and dreams. And we all have the right to realize our full potential and live an abundant life."

Orr says she's thrilled to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of her production with a new slew of performances abroad. But she says people with disabilities here in the U.S. are still far from being accepted in mainstream society.

"We still live in a world where E.T., Edward Scissorhands, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame either have to go home, or have to live far away in a castle, but god forbid they should integrate into society."

When she's not traveling, you can find Leslye Orr at Dreamland Arts, a theater she runs with her husband, performer Zaraawar Mistry.

Art Hounds: Two Sugars, Consortium Carissimi, and a theatrical river walk in Granite Falls

Posted at 7:45 AM on October 4, 2012 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Arts around the state, Events, Music, Theater

Consortium Carissimi (Photo credit: Mark Triplett)

Two talented performers teaming up, an early Italian chorale and a communal theater installation in Granite Falls have all stirred the hounds' interest this week.

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There's an outdoor theater production in Granite Falls that seems like it's right out of photographer Wing Young Huie's playbook, which is partly why he's drawn to it. "Granite Falls: A Meandering River Walk," is a piece of "walking theater" about the 10,000 year history of the town and the Minnesota River, which flows through it. It was created from interviews with 40 residents who are also the actors in the production. It will be performed twice on Friday, Oct 5, at 5pm and 7pm and 9pm on Main Street in downtown Granite Falls. It's part of the Meander, the Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl.

Consortium Carissimi is Italian baroque music done to near perfection, according to musical comedy writer Maureen Kane Berg. The group will be marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the great Italian composer Giovanni Gabrielli this weekend with concerts Friday night at 7:30pm and Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm at the Church of Christ the King in Minneapolis. It will also perform Saturday night at 7:30pm at the Boe Chapel of St. Olaf College in Northfield. Consortium Carissimi will be collaborating with the St. Olaf Early Music Singers and musicians from the St. Olaf Collegium Musicum, who specialize in instruments from the baroque period.

Minneapolis comedy writer and performer Levi Weinhagen says "Two Sugars, With Room for Cream" pairs two performers he greatly admires, Shanan Custer and Carolyn Pool, in a musical showcase that has a lot of heart and laughs. Levi saw it at the Minnesota Fringe Festival in 2009, and he says the remount is enhanced with even more of what made it a hit at the Fringe. It's at the New Century Theatre in Minneapolis through Nov. 11.

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The reviews are in for Ten Thousand Things' 'Measure for Measure'

Posted at 10:36 AM on October 3, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Ten Thousand Things presents Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," a study of what is lost when the law shows no mercy, and instead becomes drunk with power. The company takes its production to jails, prisons, homeless shelters and other places where theater is a luxury, but it also performs for the general public at Open Book in Minneapolis.

Critics find this production of Shakespeare's play luminescent, passionate, dynamic, accessible and exciting.

Sonja Parks as Isabella and Luverne Seifert as Angelo in Measure for Measure
Photo by Paula Keller

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Director Michelle Hensley renders this "problem play" with clarity and velocity, making its themes of corrupting power, justice delayed and principle versus purpose thrum with energy and contemporary resonance. She exploits the play's humor without making it a caricature and she captures the inherent drama of the story without resorting to spectacle. This is an acutely human staging, a luminescent articulation of the human condition, highlighting its potential for both nobility and cupidity.

Suzanne Warmanen as the Duke (disguised as a friar) and Nathan Barlow as Claudio
Photo by Paula Keller

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

...thank heavens for Ten Thousand Things, which once again digs into the heart of the Bard for its production of Measure for Measure. There are no Shakespearean accents, no giant video screens to distract us. There are just eight actors on a nearly bare stage bringing the story to full, passionate life.

Sonja Parks as Isabella and India Gurley as the nun Francesca
Photo by Paula Keller

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Ten Thousand Things' staging of the Bard's ruminations on free sex, hard choices and archly comic justice illustrates how life gets complex when people act for their own reasons -- both good and bad... Hensley again has demonstrated how accessible and enjoyable Shakespeare can be when the text breathes and a production unfolds with simple clarity.

Zach Curtis as Froth and Luverne Seifert as Pompey
Photo by Paula Keller

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

There's a purity in TTT's style of theater. Its purpose is not to draw attention to the method as to help the play speak to the audience watching it. Not everything worked--there were a couple of casting puzzlers--but I so appreciate that Hensley is willing to risk it. Far better to do that than play it safe, just to play it safe. When the actors and director are skilled, passionate and reading off the same philosophical page, walking the line makes for dynamic and exciting theater.

Have you seen Ten Thousand Things' production of Measure for Measure? What's your review?

The reviews are in for 'Cat in the Hat' at CTC

Posted at 1:33 PM on October 2, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Children's Theatre Company is presenting the U.S. premiere of "Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat," a play that remains true to the classic tale by Dr. Seuss. Originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain, the script is simply the text of the book, with lots of physical embellishments.

Reviewers of this show, aimed at very young theater goers, deemed it wild, delicious, splendid... and miscast.

The cast of Cat in the Hat at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis
Photo by Dan Norman

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The adaptation, crafted by Katie Mitchell, uses the situations from the book -- and Seuss's original verses -- for the framework. The rest is Seuss-inspired madness, with sets and costumes seemingly pulled right from the book's illustrations.

The actors are up to the madness, starting with Elise Langer and Douglas Neithercott as the Girl and Boy destined to have a wild, wild afternoon. They carry the piece in the first few minutes, wringing delicious moments out of the heightened sense of boredom. Anything can be an irritant in this frame of mind -- such as a squeaky chair.

Elise Langer as Girl and Douglas Neithercott as Boy in Cat in the Hat at Children's Theatre Company
Photo by Dan Norman

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

The action, delivered with broad and small gestures by a jumping, running, leaping six-member ensemble, gives Ballweber's production a lot of zest. And the cast is, to a person, splendid, even if some are a little on the older side.

As the title character with painted-on whiskers and a black spot on his nose, Dean Holt bears the featherweight of "Cat." He pedals across the stage and jumps with flair and gusto, working up a lather. He is physically very expressive and always ready to pounce.

Cat in the Hat, which runs through December 2 at Children's Theatre Company, remains true to the book by Dr. Seuss, with no added dialogue.
Photo by Dan Norman

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

Director Jason Ballweber chose the right guy for the Cat. Veteran CTC actor Dean Holt conveys the goofy, devil-may-care attitude of the naughty, fun-loving feline with gleeful expressions and childlike athleticism.

Ballweber's decision to cast middle-aged adults as the two young children is more problematic. Although the adult actors are fine at extreme mugging, they lack a child's je ne sais quoi, and it's impossible to mistake them for kids. They feel wrong in the roles. Given all of the fine young actors who have graced the stages of the CTC, it's a puzzle why adults were cast -- especially since this is not a long play requiring difficult memorization.

Dean Holt is the Cat in the Hat
Photo by Dan Norman

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

As a reviewer I can harrumph and belch cynically as much as I choose, but with CTC the question is always: did the kids like it? The answer: yes, they did. They laughed and fell all over themselves. They will certainly have a good time at The Cat In The Hat. Parents will have to make their separate peace with the overly familiar material - and with the high ticket prices. As always, my advice is: let Grandma and Grandpa take the kids to CTC while you crack open that long-hoarded bottle of vino.

Have you seen CTC's production of Cat in the Hat? What's your review?

Art Hounds: Art, Measure for Measure, and three men challenged to re-make their lives

Posted at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Theater

"The Brothers Size" by Pillsbury House Theatre (Credit: Michal Daniel)

An 'all theater' installment this week as the hounds dive into plays about men who are forced to examine their lives and friendships and a woman who is forced to choose between her virginity and her family.

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Minneapolis actor Jane Froiland believes the plays of Shakespeare are in no better hands than those of Ten Thousand Things. The itinerant Minneapolis theater company, which also performs for low income and prison audiences, is staging "Measure for Measure" at Open Book in Minneapolis from Sept. 27 - Oct. 21. Jane expects Sonja Parks, in the lead role of Isabella, will give a magnificent performance.

Yes, that all white painting looks intriguing, especially if you're trying to keep up with art market trends, but would you spend an entire year's salary on it? St. Paul stage, screen and voice-over actor Leigha Horton says Phoenix Theater Project's production of "Art," the comedy written by playwright Yasmina Reza which premiered in 1994, is getting an injection of youth. Leigha says the play's three male characters are usually played by older men, but this production, at the Minneapolis Photo Center through Sept. 30, features three male actors in their 30s.

Pillsbury House Theatre's production of "The Brothers Size" left a deep impression on Minneapolis fiber artist Pam Broz. Pam could identify with the human struggle of the African American male characters in the play, who are trying to transform their lives amidst the push and pull of friendships, familial relationships, and negative influences. On stage at the Guthrie's Dowling Studio through Sept. 29.

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The reviews are in for 'Red' at Park Square Theatre

Posted at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Controversial painter Mark Rothko is the subject of Park Square Theatre's latest production, "Red."

Set in his studio, Rothko has been commissioned to create a series of paintings for the new luxury restaurant, The Four Seasons, on Park Avenue in New York. Rothko battles with his own success, and what that means for his art.

Critics find this production powerful, engaging and charming.

Steven Lee Johnson as Ken and J C Cutler as Mark Rothko in Red
Photo by Petronella Ytsma

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

There is so much to love about this play and this production. Cutler explodes with fury when Johnson's Ken breaks a moment of concentration with a suggestion that his canvas needs more "red." Ken gives back, later, savaging Rothko about his inability to accept the new wave of artists, just as Rothko's cohort had "stomped to death" Picasso and his school.

...the work pulsates with its chosen rhythms, and Cutler's final image is one of the most powerful tableaux witnessed on any stage lately. Logan's play is so keen and perceptive, lean and well made. Not seeing it would be a mistake.

Steven Lee Johnson as Ken and J C Cutler as Mark Rothko in Red
Photo by Petronella Ytsma

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

Over the course of the Tony Award-winning play, we explore the emotional power of the abstract works Rothko creates with the intention of engaging the viewer even as director Richard Cook's production engages its viewers, especially in the interplay between the two head-butting men, one on the verge of an art career and the other at the pinnacle, fearful that he will fall off the edge.

So what's the point? It may be summed up by a bit of dialogue. "Everything worthwhile ends. We are in the perpetual process now: creation, maturation, cessation."

Steven Lee Johnson as Ken and J C Cutler as Mark Rothko in Red
Photo by Petronella Ytsma

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Rothko may be an insufferable [your carefully chosen word here] but he is never ever boring. He pulls us in, charms us with his bristling intellect - and then makes us hate him. This tension is the essence of this piece and if you're ready to hold two opposite opinions of this complicated man, well, Red may be the play for you.

"Red" runs through October 7 at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul. Have you seen it? What's your review?

The reviews are in for 'Tales from Hollywood' at the Guthrie

Posted at 12:27 PM on September 25, 2012 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Tales from Hollywood marks two beginnings; it is the first production in the Guthrie Theater's 50th Anniversary season, and it launches the "Hampton Celebration," an exploration of work by the British playwright Christopher Hampton. Known best for his adaptation of novels for stage and screen, the celebration will feature two more plays (Appomattox and Embers) as well as movie screenings, lectures and workshops.

Lee Sellars (Ödön von Horváth) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Tales from Hollywood, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Michael Brosilow

Tales of Hollywood concerns itself with intellectuals and artists such as Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Mann who fled Nazi Germany for Hollywood in the 1940s. Hampton takes liberties with the facts - the show is narrated by Ödön von Horváth, an Eastern European playwright who never made it to the U.S.

While Tales of Hollywood is filled with meaty fare, critics give this production mixed reviews.

Lee Sellars (Ödön von Horváth) and Julia Coffey (Helen Schwartz) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Tales from Hollywood, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

Glitz and glam Tales from Hollywood is not. Thought provoking and layered it is. Go with an open mind, maybe do a little bit of homework beforehand, and give it time to sink in before you form an opinion. Love it or hate it, you'll leave with strong feelings toward it, and that, my friends, is the beauty of theater.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Directing a play at the Guthrie means having access to abundant artistic resources, but Ethan McSweeny fails to shoulder the great responsibility that comes with this great power. Though he navigates his cast very competently through the script, his undisciplined fascination with the bells and whistles of this production shows a shiny-object distraction...

...the techniques needlessly gild the lily. "Tales from Hollywood" is a sharply observed story whose words deserve to be supported, not undercut, by staging techniques.

Lee Sellars as Ödön von Horváth and Keir Dullea as Heinrich Mann
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Mira Reinberg at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

Perhaps this production is best in its orchestration of the subdued subtleties of the script: of the untold calamities that displaced the writers from their homes, the belittlement they endured from publishers and producers, and the portending practices of Congress toward their suspect Communist engagement. On rare occasions does the pain unravel forcefully, but it is throbbing all along the production.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

Yes, it is a smart script with intriguing subtexts. Given the denouement, however, one has to puzzle over the "comedy" label, in spite of the acidic humor and many laughs. It makes for an interesting night of theater, but its branding seems slightly askew.

Lee Sellars as Ödön von Horváth, Keir Dullea as Heinrich Mann and Allison Daugherty as Nelly Mann in Tales from Hollywood, by Christopher Hampton
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Hampton updated some of the language in "Tales." He might have cut the N-word, which jumps from the narrator's mouth like a noxious effluence. It momentarily ejected me from an often absorbing theatrical experience.

Tales from Hollywood runs through October 27 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? What's your review?

The reviews are in for Frank Theatre's 'The Way of Water'

Posted at 9:49 AM on September 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Caridad Svich's play The Way Of Water follows the lives of a group of impoverished people living on the coast of Louisiana in the wake of the BP oil spill.

Emily Zimmer, Eric Sharp, H. Adam Harris and Hope Cervantes in The Way Of Water. Photo by e.g. bailey

Critics agree that while Frank Theatre gives the play a solid production, the topic is a challenging one for the stage.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Svich places her characters in such dire straits that they have nowhere to go but inexorably, agonizingly down. While that might be journalistically accurate, that kind of one-way thematic provides for problematic drama.

H. Adam Harris and Hope Cervantes in "The Way of Water" at Frank Theatre
Photo by e.g. bailey

From Lisa Brock at the Star Tribune:

While Frank Theatre gives "The Way of Water" a solid production under Wendy Knox's direction, Svich's dialogue is annoyingly elliptical, leading to odd, jerky exchanges between the characters. In the throes of his illness, Jimmy repeatedly launches into flights of poetic prophesying so awkwardly transitioned that they seem affected rather than affecting.

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Plays of this nature often suffer from character flatness (after all, it's an outside force the characters confront, not something that comes, more interestingly, from inside). The Way Of Water is no exception.

The Way of Water runs through September 30 at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. Have you seen it? What's your review?

The reviews are in for Walking Shadow's 'Eurydice'

Posted at 10:11 AM on September 19, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Sarah Ruhl's play "Eurydice" retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, but this time from the perspective of its heroine.

Walking Shadow Theatre Company is staging 'Eurydice' at Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis through September 29. Critics' descriptions of the show range from "exquisite jewel" to "just clever when it should be profound."

Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production of 'Eurydice,' written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Amy Rummenie
Photo: Dan Norman Photography

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Sarah Ruhl's play "Eurydice" really should have a "handle with care" label on the script. So fragile and delicate is this dreamy meditation on love and loss that it can easily break apart in production. I have seen it happen.

Director Amy Rummenie, though, needs no special instructions. Her production, which opened Walking Shadow Theatre's season Friday at Minneapolis' Pillsbury House Theatre, is nearly perfect in its sensitivity and sensibility.

...So thanks to Walking Shadow for holding this exquisite jewel to the light with exceptional care and affection. It is that rarest of things: a sad joy.

Paris Hunter Paul and Andrea San Miguel in Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production of Eurydice
Photo: Dan Norman Photography

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities:

It is a tribute to the Walking Shadow's courage and ability that they have chosen such a challenging play and have staged it beautifully. The script is written in movements, like a symphony, and its fluid musicality is not lost on this production. Crossing back and forth between the stark world of the living and the timelessness of death, Eurydice explores remembrance and loss with delicacy, compassion and humor. In a mythical landscape where it is all too easy to give in and let memories be washed away, this production is hauntingly hard to forget.

Peter Ooley in Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production of 'Eurydice,' on stage at Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis through September 29
Photo: Dan Norman Photography

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

It's well acted and put together, but Eurydice is often just clever when it should be profound, engaging when it should be heartbreaking.

In her notes, director Amy Rummenie notes that the play's themes of loss of memory were extremely close to her heart, as her father died from Alzheimer's. That, and the fact many of us have dealt with a loved one disappearing long before they actually pass on, may be why the moments between Eurydice and her father are more powerful than any of the scenes of her with Orpheus. ...Heartbreak is at the play's center. Everything else just gets in the way.

Have you seen Walking Shadow's production of "Eurydice?" What did you think?

'Stuff' people say to people with disabilities

Posted at 2:53 PM on September 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater, Video

So you've probably seen at least one of the many "Sh*t People Say" videos floating out there. They generally disparage particular groups of people for being clueless. Sometimes the videos seem needlessly cruel, but other times they're a revelation.

For example: check out this video from the folks at Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts, highlighting things they hear people say way too often.

Preserving history, one theater at a time

Posted at 11:59 AM on September 20, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Libraries, Theater

Archivists find value in things we often take for granted: old ticket stubs, playbills, and notes written in the margin of a script.

Today and tomorrow archivists, librarians and theater professionals from around the country are gathering at the University of Minnesota to talk about the importance of archiving the work of theaters.

University librarian Cecily Marcus, who organized "The Play Within a Play: Saving the Story of Your Theater's Productions," says people often don't realize what's at stake when the work of a theater company is lost to history:

As [the McKnight Foundation's] Neal Cuthbert said in a recent talk, the question of what American culture is has not yet been fully answered. It's theaters and the work of other arts organizations that are shaping the answers, and many of these companies operate outside of the walls of the country's largest cultural institutions. Cuthbert said, "By preserving the legacy of theaters, it becomes possible that others can gain support, meaning, faith, and energy from the work theaters do today."

Marcus says the current financial situation of Penumbra Theatre, and its decision to go dark for a season, underscores the urgency behind today and tomorrow's conference:

The history of African American theater, from its earliest influences to its current artists and thinkers, is not common knowledge. It's not taught in schools, it's not part of university curricula, it's not a well known part of American history. That means that the choices made by theaters of color--from the plays selected to choices made in set and costume design--are part of a larger, often unspoken context.

Marcus says context is important, especially for theaters of color, because their histories, if written at all, are too often written--and then revised--by others. She says it's possible that the lasting, well preserved archive of a theater may do more for making history than even the productions themselves.

Art Hounds: Purity Ring, Rosy Simas, and "Dead Wrong"

Posted at 7:45 AM on September 13, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Dance, Events, Music, Theater

Dancer Rosy Simas (Photo credit: Douglas Beasley)

The hounds want to bring a play about a horrific assault and its after effects, a soulful American Indian movement artist and some hazy electro-pop to your attention.

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Carin Bratlie, artistic director of Theatre Pro Rata was riveted when she saw Katherine Glover's one woman show "Dead Wrong" at this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival. The play is Katherine's unflinching interpretation of the true story of a woman who's the victim of a sexual assault, who then sends the wrong suspect to jail. Freshwater Theatre is helping re-mount the show at Nimbus Theatre in Northeast Minneapolis. The play runs through Sept. 19.

Matt Peiken calls Rosy Simas one of the most sensitive movement artists in the rich Twin Cities dance scene. Matt, the founding editor of MNuet.com, a new online magazine for classical music in the Twin Cities, says Rosy Simas Danse concerts are always fresh and innovative while helping audience members get in touch with their own emotions. Rosy Simas Danse performs at the Southern Theater on Sept. 14 and 15.

Radio K digital media producer and DJ Tom Steffes resisted the blogospheric mania over the Montreal-based electronic duo Purity Ring at first. But when the group's debut full-length album "Shrines" came out recently, he was floored. Tom says Purity Ring juxtaposes light, lifting melodies and hip hop production values with death-obsessed, diary entry lyrics in a way that's unique in electronic music. Purity Ring plays First Avenue's Mainroom on Friday, Sept. 14.

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The reviews are in for Pillsbury House's 'The Brothers Size'

Posted at 7:42 AM on September 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

"The Brothers Size" is a compact, intense play written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and set in the Louisiana projects. It's three characters - Ogun Size, Oshoosi Size and Elegba - are all named after gods of Yoruba mythology. While their troubles - recovering from time spent in prison, staying afloat, finding love - may at first seem trivial, they soon take on epic ramifications.

"The Brothers Size" is part of a trio of plays by McCraney; last year Pillsbury House Theatre staged another play in the trilogy called "In the Red and Brown Water" to rave reviews.

Now the theater company is back with "The Brothers Size," with Marion McClinton again in the director's chair. While a couple of critics say the show has a few rough edges, all agree it's an important production that merits seeing.

Namir Smallwood as Oshoosi Size and James A. Williams as Ogun Size in "The Brothers Size"

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

Each of the three characters is performed with almost brutal compassion. In every moment of anger, resentment, resignation or discomfort, the skill of the playwright, actors, and director Marion McClinton combine to paint a vivid picture of the forces that shape and entrap each man. Freedom, for these three, is always visible and always elusive: whether hemmed in by physical bars, financial and psychological obligations, or fear of a cold legal system, each character operates in a world with very few options. Even women seem to represent a distant island which has drifted just beyond reach.

James A. Williams as Ogun Size in Pillsbury House Theatre's production of "The Brothers Size"

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

McClinton's heart-rendingly poetic production has a minimal but efficacious design. Andrea Heilman gives us layered platforms that are used variously for beds and Ogun's shop. The workman's clothes are by Kalere Payton, and the mood-altering lights by Michael Wangen.

Choreographer Patricia Brown harmonized the three actors' movements, which included a stylized high-stepping march and some Temptations-style dancing, while Ahanti Young, hitherto known as a fine interpreter of August Wilson characters, gives "Brothers Size" its rhythmic heartbeat by playing percussion on an elevated drum set.

Gavin Lawrence as Elegba and Namir Smallwood as Oshoosi Size in "The Brothers Size" by Tarell Alvin McCraney

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Director Marion McClinton and the company infuse the show with an intense physicality, while also riding gentler, musical rhythms. Midway through, Oshoosi oversleeps and is forced to walk from home to his brother's shop. His walk turns into a kind of march, aided by percussionist Ahanti Young, as he trudges along in the intense Gulf Coast heat. Decades of personal disappointment play out with each step Smallwood takes, intensified by the chanting and singing of Williams and Lawrence. Hours of dialogue may not have said as much as these brief minutes onstage.

Namir Smallwood as Oshoosi Size

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

These strong performances add up formidably in this staging of "The Brothers Size." If the whole production is somewhat less than the sum of those parts, this is still a story -- and a playwright -- that merits attention.

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Is the play flawless? No. The speaking-out-loud of stage directions ("Elegba returns", "Ogun goes back under the car") rather quickly became tiresome and the long analysis of Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" felt over-wrought, off-the-mark and, for me, interfered with the emotional build of the play. Still, The Brothers Size is grim, gritty, inspiring.

'The Brothers Size' runs through September 29 at the Guthrie Theater in the Dowling Studio. Have you seen it? If so, what's your review?

All photos by Michal Daniel

And the winners of this year's Ivey Awards are...

Posted at 9:00 PM on September 24, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Events, Theater

Tonight is what Twin Cities theater professionals lovingly refer to as "theater prom." It's the night when everybody gets to dress up in their finest and celebrate the outstanding performances of the past year.

The Ivey Awards recognize both individuals at the top of their game and shows that captured audiences' hearts. Here are this year's winners.

Rick Shiomi
Photo by Lia Chang

Lifetime Achievement Award: Rick Shiomi, Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts
Rick Shiomi is credited with not only founding Mu Performing Arts, but also training a whole generation of Asian American performers and writing plays that tell their stories. Shiomi has announced that he plans to step down from his role as Artistic Director next fall.

Isabel Nelson in The Ballad of the Pale Fisherman
Photo by Avye Alexandres

Emerging Artist: Isabel Nelson
Over the past three years Isabel Nelson has made a name for herself co-creating and starring in hit Fringe Festival shows such as Ash Land, Red Resurrected and The Ballad of the Pale Fisherman. A graduate of Minneapolis South High and Macalester College, Nelson went on to study theater at the Lecoq-based London International School for Performing Arts.

The cast of Spring Awakening
Photo by Michal Daniel

Productions:

Overall Excellence: The Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Walking Shadow Theatre Company

Overall Excellence: Spring Awakening, Theatre Latte Da

Emotional Impact: Ballad of the Pale Fisherman

Inventive Reinterpretation: Julius Caesar, Theatre Unbound

Namir Smallwood and Hugh Kennedy in 'Buzzer'
Photo by Michal Daniel

Individual Recognition

Tracie Bennett, Acting, End of the Rainbow (Guthrie Theater)

Hugh Kennedy, Acting, Buzzer (Pillsbury House Theatre)

Jody Briskey, Acting, Beyond the Rainbow: Garland at Carnegie Hall (History Theatre)

Barry Browning, Lighting Design, Dial M for Murder (Jungle Theater)

Miriam Monasch, Directing, Our Class (Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company)

Joe Vass, Musical Direction, The Soul of Gershwin: The Musical Journey of an American Klezmer (Park Square Theatre)

Congratulations to the winners!

The Ivey Awards are based on evaluations completed by the more than 150 volunteer theater evaluators who saw more than 1,000 performances in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area from September 2011 through August 2012.

Artists rally against the marriage amendment

Posted at 12:56 PM on September 18, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Music, Theater

As the November election approaches, the debate is heating up over the state's constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Meanwhile artists, who largely want to see the amendment defeated, have been donating their talents to the cause.

Some have organized cabarets to raise funds for Minnesotans United for All Families or Minnesotans for Equality, while others are simply raising awareness of the issue.

Photo by Matt Black Studios

This past weekend Patrick's Cabaret hosted The Vote No Show and Freshwater Theatre Company is currently staging Better or Worse, a theatrical examination of the way marriage has been defined - and re-defined - through the ages.

Earlier this summer Table Salt Productions completed a run of The VOW Factor at the Bryant Lake Bowl. And Hennepin Theatre Trust staged "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays."

But many of the events are yet to come. Here's what I know of:

Saturday, September 22

Writers United for All Families
4-6pm at the Carlyle Condos in Minneapolis
Come hear original works read by your favorite Minnesota authors about why Minnesotans from liberals to libertarians should vote NO on the marriage amendment. Including readings by Patricia Hampl, Greg Hewett, Marya Hornbacher, Kathryn Kysar, Jim Lenfestey, and Jim Moore, among others.

Tuesday, September 25

Music for Marriage Equality Benefit:
Jonatha Brooke, Chastity Brown and Keri Noble perform at the Dakota.

Mondays October 1, 8 and 15

Thirst: The No Round
Thirst Theater presents a series of bite-sized plays performed amongst the customers of the Eat Street Social Club.

Wednesday, October 3

AMEND THIS Cabaret, featuring music, stand up, improv, storytelling, and short plays
A production of Box Wine Theatre, held at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis at 7:30pm.

Thursday, October 4

Ten Reasons at the Ritz Theater, featuring:
John Munson and Matt Wilson of the Twilight Hours
Mixed Precipitation Picnic Operetta
2 Sugars: Shanan Custer & Carolyn Pool, and
the cast of Illusion Theatre's Love and Marriage

Saturday October 6

Making Amends at Bedlam Theater
Molly Van Avery and Harry Waters Jr each perform pieces about their personal histories at Bedlam's new space in Lowertown St. Paul.

Wednesday October 10 - October 27

Love and Marriage at the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis intersperses live performances of love songs with videotaped interviews about long-time and new-found love with notable life partners, gay, lesbian and straight.

Friday October 12

The Big Gay Comedy Show: I Do!: An Evening of Stand Up Comedy
7:30pm at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis

Friday October 12 - 28

But Not For Love
Workhouse Theatre performs at The Warren
Eleanor and Ephram, sister and brother, are both getting married on the same day. And they're each getting married to a man. With protesters, policemen and a TV news crew outside the church, inside the couples are split over what their day and their ceremony should mean, to themselves or anyone else.

Friday October 19 - October 27

Boom! Theater presents Engaged at the Cedar Riverside People's Center:
When longtime couple Ben and Josh get involved in a campaign to raise awareness about an upcoming marriage amendment, they become entangled in more than just a political issue. Misunderstandings and insecurities surface, friends new and old are pulled into the fray, the very institution of marriage is called into question as these two men fight for the right to love who they love.

Young girl takes on pirates, fosters democracy in 'Buccaneers'

Posted at 2:30 PM on September 13, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater

Pirates are getting a lot of attention in the Twin Cities.

First there was the extensive exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota; now there's the Children's Theatre Company's new production Buccaneers.

Megan Fischer is Enid Arabella in "Buccaneers"
Photos by Joan Buccina, Buccina Studios

Written by Liz Duffy Adams, Buccaneers tells the story of feisty Enid Arabella, who is captured by the tyrannical pirate Johnny Johné. Enid manages to save not only herself but the rest of the children forced to serve as crew on the ship.

Buccaneers, like two other recent CTC productions, Pippi Longstocking and A Wrinkle in Time, is a big story with a heroic gal at its heart.

Artistic Director Peter Brosius says CTC is naturally drawn to stories that show young people wrestling with real decisions and complex situations, just like they are in real life.

We live in a world where the leadership of women is literally essential for creating just and economically successful societies. CTC is also a place where we have a majority of our departments run by women. We commission and produce leading women writers consistently and consciously. It is hugely important that in a culture that objectifies and commodifies women in all manner of media that we create and support true, rich and complicated portraits of young women finding their voice, acting with agency and making a difference.

Bradley Greenwald is the tyrannical pirate Johnny Johné and Megan Fischer stars as Enid Arabella in "Buccaneers"
Photos by Joan Buccina, Buccina Studios

In Buccaneers, Enid Arabella not only saves the day, she also manages to install a democracy on board the ship with her young comrades. Not bad for a ten year-old.

While history is filled with stories of female pirates, playwright Liz Duffy Adams found her inspiration closer to home.

The play was inspired by my nieces. When the older one was 8, she was obsessed with pirates. I had written a play (for grown-ups) called Wet, or Isabella The Pirate Queen Enters the Horse Latitudes, and she wanted me to tell her about it. After I'd told her the story of that play, she began telling it back to me, except it was a completely different story, that included a wicked pirate king called Johnny Johné and a young man named Tito Orlando. So when I needed to think of something for CTC, I naturally thought of my niece, and her pirate story. I kept only those two character names (her story included a kitten rescued at sea, and a sea monster).

But most of all, I was inspired by her wild indomitable spirit, and then by that of her younger sister. Girls can be so fierce - I could easily imagine either of them ruling an empire! I wanted to tell the story of a girl fending for herself in a dangerous world, and coming out on top of it.

The Moving Company prepares for the Future

Posted at 6:27 PM on September 7, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Arts management, People, Theater

Dominique Serrand, Steve Epp (left)and Nathan Keepers are throwing a party this weekend. The founders of the Moving Company say the idea is to have some fun, but also get a little serious about what they are doing.

"To just talk about the work, and the future," said Serrand. "We call it 'Footprint.' And to talk about the past and how we will manage the work in the future."

The trio rose from the rubble of Theater de la Jeune Lune, the much celebrated company which collapsed in 2008 under the weight of accumulated debt as the economy tanked. Now Serrand says they are working on creating a three part model for a national company.

"It's a partnership with universities in terms of creating the work," he said of the first part. So far they have developed pieces at UC Davis, and more recently at the U of M, where "The War Within" was developed as a student production. Projects at UNC and the University of Iowa are now in the works.

"It's great because we get commissioned, so it is not a burden on the company," Serrand said."Not only are we developing the work when we get there, but we are teaching. And we are scouting the landscape and see new and young artists with whom we want to work in the future. So it's all benefit."

The second element in the Moving Company Grand Plan is to then develop the work for professional theater.

"The next part, which I guess is the most difficult, is once tjhe work has been researched through this collaboration is to bring the work up on its feet here in Minneapolis, which requires investment," says Serrand.

That happened with "The War Within" which received a professional production a few months after its run at the U of M.

Finally the Moving Company wants to place their shows in other parts of the country.

"The last part, which is to get picked up, takes time," says Serrand. He says companies are planning a year and a half in advance.

At the gathering this weekend they hope to spread the word to supporters. Serrand is working on a video, and they are even hoping to raise a little money.

It's not an easy time to be doing this. This week Penumbra Theater announced it laid off staff and cancelled all its shows for the season.

"I have been there so I know how it goes," said Serrand. "When I looked at the article in the paper I went 'Oh no! Not again!"

However he says he thinks Penumbra is very smart to hold on.

He says there are always doubts when you try something.

"You never know if it will succeed. But to quote the big man last night," he said referring to the convention speech by President Obama," I would say, these kinds of efforts that we are doing, that we are making on our own, give us all hope. And so we need to pursue what we are doing and hopefully things will get better."

Brotherly love in 'The Brothers Size'

Posted at 3:09 PM on September 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater

James Williams, Namir Smallwood and Gavin Lawrence star in 'The Brothers Size'

This weekend marks the opening of Pillsbury House Theatre's latest production, "The Brothers Size," on stage at the Guthrie Theater through September 29.

Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the play follows the struggles of two brothers as they try to renew their relationship after the younger one returns home from prison.

James Williams plays the part of the older brother, Ogun Size. He says the entire story boils down to unconditional love.

Anybody can love somebody when they're doing good, the trick is - how do you give somebody what they need when they need it, and allow them space to be themselves. What happens when what I want for you isn't what you want for you? And all the things I want for you are based in love.

Williams says the issue is a particularly sensitive one for African American men.

You don't see representations of love between African American men on stage a lot - it manifests itself in our lives in a different way. There's a trauma in a lot of our lives that goes all the way back to the plantation, where you don't dare love anything because it can be taken from you at any given time, and there's nothing you can do about it. So we've come up with this manifestation of manhood, of how we think it's supposed to work, that realistically covers years and years of trauma and pain... it's not an excuse, it's just there. And on top of that we're in a society where we're told men don't cry, we end up having all these great feelings - we're capable of writing great poems, making beautiful jazz, but one of the hardest things in the world is to look another being in the eyes and say I love you. And a big part of that is because I don't know what that means - I can't recognize it in you because I don't know what it's like in me.

Williams, who has starred in other work by McCraney, says he's I've never run into a playwright that says more 'in an ellypsis' than he does. Williams says there's a truth that rings out in what's not said in as much as what is said.

Tarell Alvin McCraney is also the author of "In the Red and Brown Water" which Pillsbury House Theater staged in May of last year.

Penumbra Theatre has selected next artistic director

Posted at 3:19 PM on September 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts management, Theater

This morning Penumbra Theatre put out a release explaining its decision to cut a third of its budget, lay off six staff members, and suspend all theater productions for the 2012-2013 season.

What didn't make the release was the news that Penumbra has selected a successor to Artistic Director Lou Bellamy.

I spoke with Penumbra Managing Director Chris Widdess this afternoon about the cuts; I mentioned that from a distance, it had appeared the past few years Associate Director Dominic Taylor was being groomed for leadership. Now that his position has been eliminated, I asked, what did this mean for the theater company's future?

Widdess replied that while it would have been easy to think Taylor was the heir apparent, that was never agreed upon, although he was a candidate.

Widdess says Penumbra has chosen the next Artistic Director, but is not ready to announce who that person is at this time. Instead the next few months will be spent reorganizing the company to create the best team based on the next AD's strengths.

Layoffs, steep cuts and a dark stage for Penumbra Theatre

Posted at 9:12 AM on September 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Funding, Theater

In the midst of a financial crisis, the Penumbra Theater in St. Paul is suspending plays and laying off staff to survive.

Penumbra Theater's production of The Amen Corner
Photo by Michael Brosilow

Artistic Director Lou Bellamy told MPR's Morning Edition that the decision to forgo any shows this fall was a painful one.

We found ourselves in a cash flow crunch in an income shortfall, toward the end of July. And when that stuff happens - first of all it's paralyzing, surprising, all that sort of thing - but you control the things that you have direct influence over - that's your first impulse. So right away we began to cut and try to save money - try to stop the bleeding if you will. And we took some really Draconian measures - very painful things, so we were able to cut 800,000 off this year's budget.

The theater company has laid off six staff members, including Associate Director Dominic Taylor who oversaw new play development. Bellamy says Penumbra is not alone in suffering financially, but its small size makes it vulnerable.

It was almost a perfect storm. You've got the economy struggling along; it's almost a death by a thousand cuts. A grant that would normally come in at $75,000 comes in at $50,000. An income goal of $50,000 comes in at $45,000 or $40,000 and it begins to mount up and build up, and we didn't have systems that alerted us soon enough to deal with that.

Bellamy says many people have reached out offering help when they heard the news.

When you look at Penumbra being the largest black theater in the country, it's important to not only the Twin Cities but to people all over the country - and people are calling with concern and offering help. It's not the way to find out how well you're loved, but we are finding it out, and that's good.

Bellamy says the theater won't have any shows for the fall, but could put on a musical early next year if the theater hits its new fundraising goals. Bellamy says the theater needs to raise $340,000 by the end of December. But cutting shows also has a financial downside.

You see, when you start saving money on production, that's also your product, and the way dollars come into the organization. So it compounds itself.

Bellamy said that the company's educational offerings will still be staged.

Art Hounds: Revolver, Gruesome Playground Injuries, and a host of local Latin bands

Posted at 7:45 AM on September 6, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Theater, Writing

A scene from "Gruesome Playground Injuries" (Image courtesy of Loudmouth Collective)

On the hounds' radar this week: Yet another new Twin Cities lit mag, a play about a unique relationship shaped in part by physical mishaps, and a wave of Twin Cities-based Cuban and salsa music.

(Want to be an Art Hounds? Sign up!)

When it comes to ethnic music of any kind, Minneapolis choreographer Kathryn Inoferio always has her ear to the ground. It turns out September 7-10 will be a fruitful period for seeing Cuban and salsa music in the Twin Cities. Kathryn has her eye on three local Latin bands. Havana Hi-Fi is playing Friday, September 7 at the 318 Café in Excelsior at 8pm, and then again on Sunday, Sept. 9 at the Aster Café in Minneapolis. K-Libre 24 will be at the Monarch Festival in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 3:30pm, and Salsa del Soul performs at the Crooked Pint in Minneapolis on Sept. 8 at 10:30pm.

Minneapolis actor Katie Willer was completely sucked into Loudmouth Collective's Gruesome Playground Injuries when she saw it earlier this year. Loudmouth Collective, a new theater company in Minneapolis, is re-staging the production, and Katie definitely plans to see it again. The play disjointedly traces three decades of a relationship between a man and a woman, and the emotional and physical injuries that have affected its evolution. On stage at Intermedia Arts through Sept. 16.

Writer and actor Carl Atiya Swanson fills us in on Revolver, a new Twin Cities magazine that's coming into existence during what Carl says is a very fertile period for lit mags in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Carl says the launch party for Revolver happens Saturday, Sept. 8 at the Uppercut Boxing Gym in Northeast Minneapolis. It will feature the pugilistic skills of four members of the local literati, Courtney Algeo (Loft Literary Center, Paper Darts), Tony D'Aloia, Sarah Moeding (producer of Literary Death Match Minneapolis), and Chris Baker. Yes, they'll be boxing each other.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Friends remember theater technician Andrew Wagner

Posted at 4:31 PM on September 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs (5 Comments)
Filed under: People, Theater

Earlier this week the Duluth News Tribune reported that a hiker had discovered Andrew Wagner's body inside his car on a logging road near the city of Orr, Minnesota.

The cause of death is believed to be suicide.

Andrew Wagner

Wagner, known in the Twin Cities theater community for his inventive set pieces, went missing on May 3, a week after his good friend lighting designer Jen DeGolier died.

Before disappearing Wagner said goodbye to several people, and visited the grave of a friend who had died five years earlier.

In the weeks following his disappearance, friends led a search effort for him.

Now those friends and colleagues are coming to terms with the reality of his death. I asked a few of them to share their memories.

From Bedlam Theater's John Francis Bueche:

I think of Andrew as a WHY NOT kind of person constantly ruffling feathers in an I DON'T KNOW MAYBE kind of world.

Not flashy and out front, but where it really counts, behind the scenes, grabbing on to visions and making 'em happen. He was a skilled, determined workhorse who filled the smoke breaks speaking philosophically, poetically and passionately about why performance mattered.

He was full of fun onstage as well, whether straight up theater, fronting a band or impersonating Elvis. Produced/directed consistently mad cap adventures. But his extreme generosity as a collaborator is what truly identifies him.

For Bedlam's 2002 sci-fi hit TERMINUS we had a few hundred bucks and Andrew Wagner to engineer a 36ft diameter spinning spaceship to wrap around the audience. 2004 I think of him working with the creative team of UNHINGED to help them become their own designers, in a few hours skipping over years of schooling to discover what a wide open community effort can accomplish. 2006 with a teetering load of rusty bicycle frames heading to the A Mill Machine shop to invent the world for Frank's MOTHER COURAGE. All nighters to make holiday sets for Miss Richfield through the early 2000s at Illusion Theater. Last year, one of my favorite projects was installing 178 local-made puppets into the McGuire auditorium at the Walker - Andrew was there to smoothly say, yes, this other puppet should fit, yes, its worth this one being twisted just three feet to the left... refusing to stop until every little creature was just so.

In the meantime, there were wash-tub basses to create the soundtrack to a cabaret, heading out to see what a "Draft Horse Field Day" is all about, discussing the next big idea over pancakes.

There are thinkers, and doers... Andrew was both and then some.

Andrew Wagner and John Francis Bueche transporting the wagon from Frank Theatre's production of Mother Courage
Image courtesy Wendy Knox

From Frank Theatre's Wendy Knox:

Andrew helped Bueche build the set for MOTHER COURAGE, including building a wonderful old cart out of recycled bicycle parts. It was awesome and when the show closed, we couldn't trash it. It was part of a "parade" from the A mill where the show took place to Andrew's then home in Seward, where it lived in his back yard, serving as an outdoor bar and other things for a few years. When Andrew moved from that apartment, he called me and asked if I wanted the wagon. Of course, I said yes. So he and Bueche walked/dragged the wagon through the Seward neighborhood, across the then new Sabo bridge, past the Hi-Lake shopping center, through Corcoran to my house, where it has lived for the past several years.That trip caused more people to stop and wonder than you can imagine; it was an awesome piece of performance art. Just last April, I said to Bueche that I thought the wagon needed one more outing and that I thought Bedlam should take it for a ride in the May Day parade. Bueche had been texting Andrew about that possibility just before he disappeared. During the time that he has been gone, the wagon has sat behind my garage as a kind of haunting memory of Andrew, but the memory of the absolute ridiculous day that the guys dragged the thing over here is a heart-warming reminder of Andrew's fabulous spirit.

From choreographer Megan Mayer:

I was so sad to read about Andrew's death, even though we'd suspected he wasn't coming back based on what folks had known of his leaving town. Still, so very sad.

I didn't know Andrew well, but I had the pleasure of working with him a couple times. Once when he was crew chief for the Walker/Southern Momentum New Dance Works (2009) and he made us laugh and feel so at ease backstage when I was terribly nervous. Then again a few years ago shortly after he'd left the Walker. I needed some set pieces built for a dance piece I was premiering at The Southern (June '10), and he enthusiastically offered to do the work. Not only did he make beautiful work that exceeded my expectations, he charged a generously fair price for his efforts.

I knew he'd done work with Bedlam, and my impression of him has always been to be extremely supportive of the artists involved with any work he did. He believed strongly in what people were doing and did everything in his power to help execute that vision.

If you have a memory of Andrew Wagner you'd like to share, please add it in the comments section.

Actress Kate Eifrig announces retirement from the stage

Posted at 9:18 AM on September 4, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: People, Theater

Back in March we reported on the bizarre and debilitating illness that had forced performer Kate Eifrig to take an extended break from performing.

Kate Eifrig

This weekend the Star Tribune reported Eifrig has decided that break is a permanent one.

"I've been very fortunate with work, which has kept me putting one foot in front of the other, which is what it always comes down to," said Eifrig. "But the personal toll was too great. Nobody likes to talk about the tremendous financial insecurity of it all. You win a McKnight [fellowship] and do a show on the Guthrie stage, and people can't quite believe that you have to get government assistance. You live public and very glamorous lives, and yet you have to go around the house and sell anything you can get your hands on to make the bills. If you worked every week of the year, you would make only about $30,000 a year. How are you going to pay the mortgage or keep your health insurance? Combine those with a medical issue and ... ," her voice trailed off.

"I know a lot of people who have severe anxiety and depression who are actors," she continued. "Acting sometimes can be like a fun house of mirrors. Everything is distorted and nothing is true. It is fun to lose yourself in it, slip into someone else's soul. But in this business, burnout is inevitable. I've been experiencing this sense of aging very quickly. I'm now playing myself, and it's the hardest role I've ever played."

On a positive note, Eifrig's friends and fellow theater professionals raised nearly $30,000 to help pay for a mental health service dog. Eifrig is scheduled to get the dog early next year.

The reviews are in for Jungle Theater's 'Waiting for Godot'

Posted at 11:36 AM on August 30, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater

Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' is simultaneously one of the most impenetrable and one of the most acclaimed works of theater. It's a show in which nothing happens - twice.

The Jungle Theater's production of "Waiting for Godot" is receiving rave reviews from critics who stress you don't have to understand what's going on to enjoy the show.

Jim Lichtscheidl as Vladimir and Nathan Keepers as Estragon in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com

...this Waiting For Godot is the best-acted show currently running.

As hardly needs to be said about a Jungle play, the design is exquisite in its simplicity. The set (by Boehlke) uses the entire Jungle space. The tree is perfect, and ditto the lighting (Barry Browning) and the ragged costumes (Amelia Cheever).

Don't go to Waiting For Godot expecting it to make coherent sense. Do expect to be transported.

Jim Lichtscheidl, Charles Schuminski, Allen Hamilton and Nathan Keepers in the Jungle Theater's production of "Waiting for Godot"

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Beckett's morose sense of comedy becomes clearer in these performances -- these are jokes punctuated by weary observation as well as a keen sense of timing. But both Lichtscheidl and Keepers have reputations as fine comic performers who also know their way around drama and, together, they become a formidable force in this version of "Godot," balancing the tone between resignation and desperation. They don't fear the humor in the script, nor do they overplay it. In fact, the characters often seem unaware of their own wit, which adds another layer of depth to the proceedings.

Charles Schuminski as Lucky and Jim Lichtscheidl as Vladimir

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Actors Jim Lichtscheidl and Nathan Keepers spare none of the antic fun that are staples of "Godot" productions. But ultimately, we walk away caring for Didi and Gogo -- hoping they will be OK and that the world will notice them.

Nathan Keepers and Jim Lichtscheidl in Waiting for Godot

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

Waiting for Godot is not a play with answers--it's a play with questions. Who are you? What drives your actions? Who controls your destiny? How do others see you? It's the kind of play that embeds itself within your mind; one you find yourself mulling over while staring out the window at a stoplight. It feels too real at one moment, far-fetched at another. While your takeaway will almost certainly be different than mine, one thing is certain: you won't find a cast of characters better suited to simultaneously make you think and entertain you. So: what are you waiting for?

The Jungle Theater's production of "Waiting for Godot" runs through September 30.
Have you seen "Waiting for Godot?" If so, what's your review?

All photos by Michal Daniel

The reviews are in for 'Trick Boxing'

Posted at 1:02 PM on August 28, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

I remember when Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan first came into the MPR studios to talk about their production "Trick Boxing." It was 2002, and the piece was debuting at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. It's a love story of sorts that involves high precision dancing and boxing moves all wrapped up with old showbiz charm.

Since then the show has gone on to tour internationally at fringe festivals to rave reviews. Now, on the production's tenth anniversary, the duo have expanded the show for a run at the Guthrie Theater.

According to three reviewers the show is still a knockout, while a third says there are a few missteps.

From Caroline Palmer at the Star Tribune:

The boxing scenes are a riot, with Sostek leading the play-by-play using a miniature ring and toys representing Dancing Danny and his opponents, including Johnny the Monkey. These, like so many other moments in "Trick Boxing," prove that some of the best performances come from artists who need rely on nothing more than their talent and a few simple props to create whole worlds on stage. Both McClellan and Sostek are the undisputed champs in this category.

From Rob Hubbard at the Pioneer Press:

As in Astaire-Rogers classics like "The Gay Divorcee" and "Top Hat," the leads start out somewhat adversarial, but love blooms on the dance floor where they blend ballroom, swing and tap into a delicious vintage concoction.

Those Astaire-Rogers vehicles often featured a moment that -- after an amazing dance duet -- Rogers sat stunned and confused while recognizing that she's unexpectedly falling in love.

"Trick Boxing" is the kind of show that could leave you feeling the same way.

From Amanda Bankston at Minnesota Monthly:

Trick Boxing's earned acclaim at every stop of its 10-year run, and for good reason. It's impossible to resist the feel-good brand of dance and humor, drama and love that this talented couple pours into their production.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Whatever the reason, Trick Boxing trudges along at the beginning when it should already be singing. That doesn't make this a poor experience in any way. The dancing, movement, and puppetry are delightful, as is the central relationship between Danny and Bella, which comes to life in the hands of these performers. It's clear what has made this play a success for the last decade. I just hope the special spark doesn't get lost amid the revisions.

Have you seen "Trick Boxing?" If so, what did you think?

The reviews are in for 'The Return of King Idomeneo'

Posted at 11:44 AM on August 29, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Music, Opera, Public Art, Theater

Mixed Precipitation takes opera, presents it in a community garden or other green outdoor space, and serves it along with some tasty food. If there was ever a way to make opera more popular with the masses, this is it.

Their latest show is a doo-wopified version of Mozart's opera "The Return of King Idomeneo" in which young love, sacrifice, and the God Neptune all have a role to play. It's also infused with 50s doo-wop and 60s girl-groups.

Reviewers find this summer's production sweet on the ear and the tongue...

Peter Hogan as Neptune and Jim Ahrens as King Idomeneo
PHOTO: Travis Chantar

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The mixture of light and dark can be troublesome in a show if the right balance is not struck. Reynolds and the company of talented performers bring it off. It helps that ancient Greek characters wear their emotions close to the surface, whether they are lovesick, joyful, or heartbroken. That makes the story good fodder for opera, where emotions are often outsized, and ripe for a bit of parody.

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

Performed in community gardens around the Twin Cities (and as far away as Northfield) with its dynamic cast and donation-based ticketing system, Idomeneo is nothing if not accessible. What is so refreshing about Mixed Precipitation's theatrical philosophy is that it completely throws away everything that people find unpleasant about opera (the length, the expense, the stuffy atmosphere) and keeps all of the entertaining parts.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

If you're an opera buff, you'll get a big kick out of it; if you know nothing about opera, you'll get a big kick out of it--a smattering of rolling subtitles will keep you on track. But it's not a spoof, you understand...This is like being in a musical, rather than watching it on a screen; you'll miss some things, but the experience will be memorable.The cast dashes from one end of the garden to the other, bearing set pieces and props, and dodging the onions, taking us from shipwreck to city, to the sewers and the seashore, all the while projecting over the neighborhood's ambient sounds and keeping us firmly attached to the story--loose though the story may be.

From Rob Hubbard at the Pioneer Press:

This is a production in which the performance is even more delicious than the food. So much affection and energy is thrown into both Mozart's music and the street-corner serenades of the Jive Five and the Magnificent 4 that the blend is as smooth as the cast's impressive harmonies.

You can find the times and locations of Mixed Precipitation's performances here.

Have you seen "The Return of King Idomeneo?" If so, what's your review?

Minnesota Fringe Festival: it's not curated for a reason

Posted at 12:19 PM on August 23, 2012 by Marianne Combs (3 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Editor's note: this past weekend the Star Tribune published a piece suggesting its time for the Minnesota Fringe Festival to start curating its work... or at least some of it. The festival, now entering its 20th year, has long prided itself on being open to everyone, regardless of pedigree. I contacted Fringe Director Robin Gillette for her take on the idea; here's her response:

I'm just back from a trip to the original fringe - Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering over 2,700 different shows in hundreds of venues across the city. My colleague Jeff Larson and I went out to see the festival and to take part in the inaugural World Fringe Congress- a gathering of 50 fringes from across the world to exchange experiences and build bridges.

We learned so much about the different operating models of fringes across the world. Some fringe festivals are curated while others are unjuried; some are open-access, meaning that absolutely everyone who wants to present a show can do so, while others, like Minnesota Fringe, have a cap on the number of participants. There's also great variety in the styles of work that's presented, the experience and professional aspirations of the participants, and the producing and/or educational support offered by the festival. For me, the takeaway is that every festival is a unique reflection of its culture, local arts scene, audience base, funding sources, geography (which determines venue proximity) and more, and there's no one right "Fringe" way to do it.

Curation is one of the most interesting areas of discussion, and especially relevant in light of the recent Star Tribune article. Festivals choose to curate to serve a number of different goals - to ensure a high-quality program of established artists; to highlight new work or emerging artists that wouldn't otherwise come to the attention of local audiences; to adhere to a particular theme or highlight a specific genre; to ensure a diversity of shows, i.e. a balance of local and national acts, or a certain number of kids shows; or, as is the case with FringeNYC in New York, to keep performance slots for Fringe-level artists rather than giving them over to become inexpensive commercial try-outs for professional producers. Even though the Edinburgh Fringe itself is open-access, some of the largest Fringe venues there are heavily curated.

Others, like Minnesota Fringe, have chosen not to curate because it reduces a barrier to performance opportunities for all. Our lottery system means that the longtime Fringe favorite has the same odds of getting in as a person who's never done a show before but has always wanted to try; furthermore, once those two companies come into the festival, they both have access to the same level of support - each company gets the same allocation of performance times, they play in the same venues and get equal space in our program and on our website. We're the only place in the region that offers equal access to fully-staged productions like this, and we're mighty proud of that. Being uncurated is a huge part of what this Fringe is, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. But I don't want to cast aspersions on festivals that choose another method of operation.

One notable difference between most U.S. fringes and their international counterparts is that most non-U.S. fringe festivals are presented alongside a more formal curated festival. The original fringe in Edinburgh started in this way in 1947 - a group of performers excluded from the Edinburgh Festival decided to set up their own festival on the "fringe" of the main event. Now, festivals run in tandem like this throughout the world, which naturally creates a counterpoint between the established artists on the mainstage and the emerging, more experimental shows on the fringe.

Minnesota Fringe is planning a public meeting later this fall to report back on what we learned at the World Fringe Congress. Stay tuned for all sorts of fascinating information, including discussions on how what we learned might get incorporated into our own operations.

Guthrie Theater and Film Society announce new partnership

Posted at 1:14 PM on August 17, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Film, Theater

The Guthrie Theater and the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul are partnering in a new series of film screenings with a theatrical bent.

As part of the partnership, the Film Society's St. Anthony Main Theatre will become the new home for the filmed-theater series NT Live originating from the National Theatre of London. "Theatre Thursdays" will begin on September 20 with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," based on the novel by Mark Haddon.

The Film Society will also present films inspired by the Guthrie's upcoming 2012-2013 season. It's programming begins later this month with a retrospective of films by David Cronenberg. Cronenberg's film "A Dangerous Method" featured a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, who's work for the stage is being honored at the Guthrie Theater this fall.

Fringe Festival attendance: 46,280 tickets sold to 829 performances

Posted at 2:07 PM on August 13, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Dance, Theater

Attendance for the 2012 Minnesota Fringe Festival was essentially on par with the 2011 festival.

The annual 11-day performing arts festival closed yesterday, and preliminary numbers indicate that 46,280 tickets were distributed for 163 different shows.

This year's average audience size was exactly the same as last year's: 56 people per performance, spread across 829 performances.

According to sales of the Fringe festival button (required for admission), the number of individual attendees is estimated at 16,424.

The 2012 festival featured 36 fewer performances than the 2011 festival due to last minute show cancellations.

The three top ticket-sellers of this year's festival were "Ash Land," "Class of 98" and "Nightmare without Pants."

The 20th annual Minnesota Fringe Festival is scheduled for Thurs., Aug. 1 through Sun., Aug. 11, 2013, in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Can engaging theater thrive in a culture of avoidance?

Posted at 2:03 PM on August 13, 2012 by Marianne Combs (3 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Director Bryan Bevell has a bone to pick with the Twin Cities theater scene... and he won't be surprised at all if you don't want to talk about it.

In a recent commentary for the Star Tribune, Bevell charged that much of the work he see on local stages "feels self-satisfied and uninspired, with little driving passion or evident purpose."

It is ironic that the same Minnesota culture that yields such a stunning variety of transformative, breakthrough artists is itself quite resistant to transformation and breaking through. We have our own way of doing things. We are prone to deflection. We avoid subjects that may be considered "unpleasant." And while conflict is the essence of drama, it's something most Minnesotans avoid like the Ebola virus.

These particular aspects of "Minnesota Nice" raise the question of whether a theater of engagement can thrive in a culture of avoidance.

Bevell goes on to say the Twin Cities lacks a pointed critical dialogue, in which theater professionals have the courage to speak candidly about the work of their peers. And, he says, audiences should demand performances of consistent quality.

The odd thing about our theater is that the focused and inspired usually occur right alongside the lazy and hackneyed. We've gotten so used to this kind of performance that audiences merely suffer through the boring parts without comment or complaint, then bounce back to life to acknowledge a powerful moment or funny joke. We expect musicians to exhibit craft and precision throughout an entire set or concert. We ought not be so forgiving of actors and directors who lack consistency in their craft.

The theater long has held a unique place among the arts in Western society. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the theater has been the place we go to face the deep stuff, to confront our innermost secrets and fears, and to grapple with issues we might otherwise choose to hide away and ignore. The theatrical experience is a communal event, a powerful ritual that can literally change people. As a great play works its magic on an audience it can open us up to new, previously unimagined ways of thinking and seeing.

For more than 2,000 years, the theater has been the place Western culture goes to find the truth, however unsettling the journey may be. Today's theater artists have the honor and the burden of living up to this great legacy.

So what do you think? Is the Twin Cities theater scene in a slump? How could the critical dialogue be improved?

Sheer grace: a tribute to Ann Marsden

Posted at 10:51 PM on August 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs (6 Comments)
Filed under: Music, People, Photography, Theater

Editor's Note: I attended Ann Marsden's memorial service, and thought that I might use this space to give a first-person account of the event. But I thought better of it after hearing the many wonderful eulogies offered by her friends and family, who captured the spirit of the day far better than I ever could. So here instead is the tribute of her brother-in-law Reverend Dorsey McConnell, who is also the Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Photo: Dorsey McConnell

A few weeks before she died Betsy and I were visiting Annie. For the moment things were relatively good. Her pain and her nausea were sort of under control. She wanted to talk. And she had something on her mind. She asked my wife to hand her a little box by her bedside, and out of it she took something small and precious, kissed it, and placed it in my hand. It was this little pocketknife, silvery and bright with a hammered surface to make it look like roughed up tree bark, the very essence of childhood treasure from the 1950's. I knew how much this knife meant to her, and I was nearly speechless. "Annie, it's beautiful." I said, finally. "Yah," she said. "Ya like it? It's a Camp King. It's got two blades and a bottle opener. Grampa Jack gave it to me one summer when we were in Pipestone. He said, 'As long as you got this with ya, you can do just about anything.' I thought it was magic."

I loved my sister-in-law from the day I met her, partly because she so loved my wife, and later because of how she loved my son, but also because when I was with her I felt like I was walking out into open ground where I could say just about anything, laugh about anything, be outrageous, swim way out over my head, and still find a safe way back together with her. Nearly every time I talked with Annie I found myself stumbling into that brilliant joy which we all suspect is at the core of our existence, but to which we so often can't seem to find the door, or have misplaced the key, or from which we have gotten distracted by our tasks and worries and wounds. A few minutes with her and that door would burst open with all it's open-hearted glory fueled by love. Sometimes that could feel like magic. But if there is a better word for that experience, for what I always received in her presence, it would be grace.

This photograph by Ann Marsden was projected on the screen behind the Reverend Dorsey McConnell as he gave his tribute.

Grace was what Annie gave to anyone who was ever in front of her lens. Annie had subjects for her photos, but never objects. She never treated people like things, and (as you can see from the slide behind me) even things in her field of view were handled with a kind of tenderness that made them seem both fragile and enduring. If you were the subject, she somehow made you unafraid to let out what was really inside you; you could be yourself in ways you couldn't know until they happened, and when you saw them captured in an image you marveled at the truth of it, and at how little it hurt to see who you really are in the light of love. That is more than magic. That is grace.

As a minister, I always wanted to ask her directly where she thought this grace came from, but on a few occasions she volunteered the answer. It wasn't a pat answer (no surprise here), certainly not a religious answer. She was, to put it mildly, offended and exasperated by most of American Christianity because of the countless ways we had hurt "her tribe," though she always gave me, her brother in law the preacher, a pass. She could speak frankly, even passionately, about God. "I actually really like Jesus," she once said to me. "It's just Christians I can't stand." "I understand," I said. "There are plenty of days when I feel the same way myself." So, while her answer had nothing to do with religion, it had everything to do with faith. She marveled that the grace she so freely gave away had mysteriously been given to her, was in, around and through every moment of her life. She saw the evidence everywhere-- not only in the extravagances of light and shadow revealed by her camera, but grace in the gift of her sobriety, grace in the steadfast love of her family and friends, grace above all in the devotion of her partner Ann, who gave the sometimes frenetic whirlwind of Annie's soul a calm center to return to, cool shade in the heat of the day, and a secure embrace in the end where she could lay down her head and rest.

If there was one Christian image that captivated her, it was the Sacred Heart of Jesus, not an image she would have known from her Presbyterian upbringing: the crown of thorns pressed down over Christ's wounded heart. For her it showed the beauty and the cost of true compassion. It illuminated the fierce sense of justice that burned in her heart. She was always for the underdog, the oppressed, the powerless. She would give you the shirt off her back, and frequently did. She would give you, in fact, the last glimmer of her soul if she thought it could help. Give her two days in a hospital and she would know the personal histories of most of her nurses, and would have listened helpfully to the details of their chief sorrows and joys, even in her weakness spending herself to make one more small difference in someone else's life. That bright life is now fully spent, and we are all immeasurably richer for it.

In my own prayer I have thought that when Annie woke up in whatever you want to call whatever may lie on the other side of this life, in the eternal moment when she was born into all that glory and all that love, the first thing she noticed was the light. I wonder if she reached for her camera before she got the joke that she is the camera, now. In fact, she always was. What took those pictures was not her lens, but her soul. Even the best of those images was only an approximation, a foretaste of the grace she knew and passed on to us, and that now lifts her more and more deeply into Life. And for us who are still on this side, walking our own pilgrimage, under her now fully joyful eye, she might want one thing: that we could see ourselves and one another the way she saw us, that we might learn to trust the love that is all around us waiting to be taken and given away. It isn't magic. It's just grace, sheer grace, and as long as you've got it with you, you can do just about anything.

Many thanks to the Reverend Dorsey McConnell for his permission to reprint this tribute.

Tyrone Guthrie's legacy in Stratford, Ontario

Posted at 9:55 AM on August 8, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: People, Theater

The town of Stratford, Ontario is home to one of Canada's largest cultural institutions, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. But as Bob Mondelo reports for National Public Radio, in the early 1950s Stratford was on the verge of becoming a ghost town:

The town's chief industry was repairing steam locomotives, a trade that was all but dead by the time hometown reporter Tom Patterson flew to England to plead with stage legend Tyrone Guthrie.

The town was already called Stratford, Patterson told him, the river Avon (pronounced AAH-vun in Ontario) ran through it, and kids went to schools named after Falstaff, Romeo and Juliet. Would the great British director come there and do Shakespeare?

To nearly everyone's surprise, Guthrie said yes.

"It was going to save the town," marvels Polley. "The decision to have the Shakespeare Festival was actually an economic one."

A circus tent was brought from Chicago and raised on a hillside. Alec Guinness started rehearsing Richard III, and critics and audiences flocked to see what these distinguished theater folks were up to in the Canadian wilderness. Meaning the little town that was going bust had another challenge: where to put everybody.

People opened their homes to strangers because there weren't enough hotels, remembers Polley, and churches hosted dinners. "It was all about the little town and how they got behind what was, I think for most people, a ridiculous idea," she says.

A ridiculous idea that has certainly paid off. What began as two plays in a tent is now a seven-month season, employing more than 1,000 people and attracting half a million ticket-buyers to this tiny town.

Of course, Minnesota theater fans know that Sir Tyrone Guthrie later came to Minneapolis, where he established the Guthrie Theater in 1963.

Fringe Festival sells fewer tickets to more people

Posted at 5:14 PM on August 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Events, Theater

It's a conundrum, I know, but let's break it down:

In the first four days of the Minnesota Fringe Festival 16,904 tickets were distributed to an estimated 6,974 individuals to 326 performances.

Compare this to 2011 numbers, in which 17,735 tickets were sold to an estimated 6,663 individuals to 339 performances.

So attendance is down from last year by 831 tickets, but you have to factor in the fact that this year's opening weekend had 13 fewer shows to see.

Meanwhile, each person who buys a ticket to a Fringe show needs to have a Fringe Festival button. Last year, at this point in the festival, 6,663 buttons had been sold. This year, 6,974 buttons have been issued.

So while the Fringe Festival has issued 831 fewer tickets, they did so to 311 more people.

For Fringe Executive Director Robin Gillette, that's a good sign:

We're especially excited about the increase in individuals on opening weekend - we're hoping that we've gotten them hooked while there's still plenty of Fringe left for them to enjoy.

The reviews are in for the Minnesota Fringe - part two

Posted at 12:31 PM on August 5, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Events, Theater

Saturday night I made my way back to this year's "Fringe Central," the Crooked Pint bar in downtown Minneapolis, to find out the latest buzz on shows. Just like many professional theater critics, these folks chose to spend most of their time talking about shows they loved, rather than dish on the ones they found disappointing. Still, there were a few exceptions...

Les Kirkendaal is in a whopping three productions at this year's Fringe (A One Way Ticket to Crazy Town, Men's Room Etiquette, and Fringe Orphans) but he's still managed to check out some of what else is out there.

Les: I saw StarF*cker and I loved it! It's about Jason Schommer's brushes with fame, told in an accessible way. He was doing stand-up but he was vulnerable as well -which made you want to be his friend.

Then there was Fear and Trembling by philip andrew bennett low. I think this is the best work I've ever seen him do. It was all about Minneapolis, his love of the city, its history... Not being from Minneapolis, I got to learn some things as well. The moral of the story was 'learn to love yourself and be yourself,' and that's when I thought wow, he's got me.

Another show I saw completely by accident - I thought I was seeing Fear and Trembling, but I got the time wrong, and it turned out I was in the audience for The Habits of 7 Highly Offensive People. And I wasn't mad - it was actually alright! I was thoroughly entertained and I'd recommend it to people. It's a bunch of different characters portrayed by one woman. My favorite was this female God who is mad at all of us for what we've done to the earth and what we've done to each other. She's dressed as a mom holding a basket of laundry and saying things like "Don't make me come down there!"

Joseph Scrimshaw has been a Fringe Festival favorite for years, and this year's no different based on reviews for his show Nightmare without Pants. In his free time Scrimshaw has been checking out the other comedies, and he's been impressed.

Joseph: Tonight I saw Candide by Four Humors Theater - I've known their work for years but we've only just recently collaborated on a show together. I like how they challenge themselves; they're doing something really different, a legitimate retelling of Candide. The narrative structure of Candide doesn't make sense for modern audiences. It's more about themes than an actual plot- so to see them make that work in an hour, is really wonderful.

I also saw Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror by Ferrari McSpeedy. This was back to their more classic shows, purposefully slapdash. They're taking the show seriously in that they want it to be entertaining, but they also know that what they're doing is ridiculous. Between Candide and Beechwood there were just layers of comic analysis possible.

Oh and then I saw Tom Reed in Mocking the Mockingjay. It was great! I haven't seen any of his other parodies and he really did a great job of showing why it might be absurd and even dangerous to like the Hunger Games. What's really being said in that movie?

Overall it's just really great to see such a variety of comedy shows that are all successful and intelligent.

Trista Schultz has one show to rave about and that's Mary Mack's Anti One-Woman Show: Sh*t makes Flowers Grow.

Trista: It was really good - it was funny, everyone had a good time, she had great stories about her family. She talked to people in the audience, got us involved. We had a wonderful sing-along at the end about skinny jeans. There so many hilarious lines, especially the one about her moving to LA because she was sick of people liking her for what's on the inside!

Josh Carson is one of the stars of this year's Fringe hit Class of 98. While he's seen a number of shows, the two stand-outs for him are The Love Show and Sneak Thief.

Josh: The Love Show got a standing o the night I went. It was sweet, charming, a little bawdy... they opened up their hearts and talked about past break-ups and they totally won me over. They're now my Fringe crushes. Plus if you're looking for potential Fringe disaster drama Samantha Baker Harrisis very close to giving birth! It could happen at the next show...

Sneak Thief is a show about diamonds and smuggling; it feels like a late 90s buddy comedy. Tim Hellendrung is just one of those people you want to watch do anything. His performance is just adorable - you want to hug him.

Oh and I almost forgot. I saw Candide by Four Humors Theater and there was a girl that I'd never seen before in it - Christian Bardin - she was just hysterical! I've never seen her before, but she played a number of different characters and she was excellent at each and every one of them. That's one of the joys of the Fringe - seeing new talent.

Mike McAneney is a carpenter and handyman who's "baching it" this weekend while his wife and kids are out of town. But he really wished his kids were along when he saw The Gentlemen's Pratfall Club

Mike: They do a great job with slapstick that can have a full story in 45 minutes. It was really amusing, Josh's pratfalls are just amazing. It's great physical comedy, plus it's really well written.

My only disappointment was As the Stomach Turns - I've seen Cirque Rouge perform before at the 331 Club and really enjoyed their shows in the past, but this didn't do it for me.

My two favorites were both shows I saw on a whim. I got a review in line for Scarborough Fair, a send up of Simon & Garfunkel It was great!A complete win.

And then, based on someone else's recommendation I went to see Pop Up Musical and it was REALLY COOL. It was similar to Scarborough Fair in that people performing songs everybody knows - in this case Broadway musical tunes - but in this case they had these cue cards giving sidebar information about the original performers, how they hated each other, etc. This cross between reverence for the material and yet making fun of it at the same time was just pure Fringe.

Greg Giles is the playwright behind All's Fair, and he's over the moon reading rave reviews for his show by people he doesn't even know. He's also got a few raves - and a rant - of his own to share.

Greg: John Grady's Fear Factor Canine Edition was one of those shows where I figured with that kind of title it was going to be really bad and cheesy, and it's the most beautiful thing I've seen in years. It's a valentine to his dog. It's funny, insightful, it is heart-wrenching and it's universal. After seeing the show last night, instead of coming here to Fringe Central, I went home to be with my dog. There was no way I was going to spend 30 more seconds away from my dog after that.

I also saw Carol and Cotton . It's a really lovely historical drama that boils down to two actors portraying six different characters. They're fabulous. It's about a prominent attorney who murders his wife back in the 1960s in St. Paul. I'm a history nut so I was all over it.

Then there's Mr. Elk and Mr.Seal. They're twenty years older but god dang, they're wonderful! They're smart, they're funny, they're goofy as heck. It's the same show as they did twenty years ago and that's exactly what I wanted.

As for disappointments, The Font of Knowledge was sloppy and if you're going to do satire and spoof you can't be sloppy. There were some good moments, and all sorts of inside jokes for graphic design people; at least that's what I'm guessing because small groups of people were laughing hysterically while the rest of us just sat there. But they were dropping props, smashing into the set, stepping on each others lines - you do that and you lose me. They obviously don't care enough to pay attention to the details, and I feel like I wasted an hour.

Marilyn Kales has been enjoying some really physical theater.

Marilyn: I just came from Ash Land - Oh my god! It's beautiful. It's unique, engaging and it's a beautiful story. Just the physicality of it - the players are the set - I've never seen anything like that.

Just before that I saw Sin Eater - it was intense and glorious. It's dark, with strobe light, she's on a mountain, in the woods, fighting for her life - just wonderfully intense. The story was clear, which is not always easy to do with dance and then afterward she explained the inspiration. Tonight's show was particularly special because her father was there.

Then there was BOOGIEography - that was the biggest grin! They were all just having such a wonderful time doing their many dances. At the end, people got up and danced with them.

Pretentious Conversations was my least favorite so far. It was dry.

Comedy of Edits I liked a lot. It was very intelligent, literary, and surprising, It was different for Allegra Lingo - she's actually acting instead of storytelling.

My last reviewer of the evening was Danielle Caddell from Montreal, a producer who's in town scouting for talent.

Danielle: This is my fifth fringe here and I love the shows. I really want to keep an open door between Montreal and the Twin Cities. I saw Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror and I loved it. I thought it was very funny, very good. I laughed a lot,and to me that's really important. Drama is really hard to sell to people.

I saw Ben San Del and I really like his show - it was a lot of fun.

And then there was Font of Knowledge. I absolutely loved it. I actually know something about fonts, but it was just a really good genre play. It used lots of media - shadow puppets, costume changes - and that's a big effort for an out of town show at the Fringe.

And there you have it. Know a show these folks missed that you'd like to review? Just add it to the comments section. Happy Fringe-ing!

The reviews are in for the Minnesota Fringe - part one

Posted at 2:04 AM on August 3, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Dance, Events, Theater

Theater folk of all stripes showed up at The Crooked Pint in Minneapolis Thursday night to swap reviews, work off their opening night jitters and just generally celebrate the Minnesota Fringe Festival. It was a festive occasion, and spirits were high.

I grabbed myself a booth, opened up my lap-top, and typed furiously as people talked about the productions they saw. Some of the stand outs? Class of '98 and Ash Land were both big hits. Read on for the details...

Heather Meyer is in the show Merblades, but that doesn't open until tonight so she had Thursday free to check out some other work. Her favorite of the evening? Class of '98:

Heather: I saw three shows, but this was definitely the best of the three I've seen so far. I thought it was just a delight. Its was relentlessly spirited; as soon as it started we were on a ride. It was smart and hilarious. It has these amazingly talented teenagers in it who were just going for it. I was really impressed with the teenagers . Everyone was really committed to the show. It was fast, and with a great soundtrack full of 1998 hits.

Debra Berger and Madde Gibba are also in Merblades, and had lots to share on all three shows they saw, including Class of'98, Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror, and Gay Banditos.

Debra: I thought Billy Beachwood was clever - I loved the pacing. They have a very minimalist style, with well-crafted, heartwarming characters.

Madde Gibba: It's a typical Ferrari McSpeedy show: high energy, fast-paced goofiness for the sake of goofiness.

Gay Banditos is probably going to be the best satire of the Fringe. It made some really thoughtful points in a way that made us uncomfortable, but made us think and laugh at the same time. Hysterical. You should just go for Ben Thietje's walkie-talkie voice-over scene.

As for Class of '98, you should go now because it's going to sell out. It's one of the best crafted Fringe shows I've ever seen. Fast paced, hilarious - this show has so much heart. It's a real joy to see two people so enjoying each others creativity and being tickled by that.

Friendship and honesty and just pure joy - those were really the themes of the evening. Everybody was having a blast tonight, and the audiences were, too.

Clarence Wethern has performed in previous Fringe festivals, but this year he's sticking to the audience. Wethern reports that tonight the big surprise came at the 5:30 showing of The Gentlemen's Pratfall Club:

Clarence: Co-star Levi Weinhagen busted his chin open at the end of the show, doing a pratfall. But despite this it was a really funny. His character is learning how to fall down, and the first time he actually makes a pratfall it's "an accident" but in truth he actually hit his chin. But he's totally fine, he's okay. I'm looking forward to seeing what other damage he incurs in the run of the show. Josh Scrimshaw falls down the entire show - that man is made of rubber. It's a family friendly show, but not a kids show.

Class of 98 was hysterical. I saw these guys in "Freaky Kids Show" last year and it was one of the funniest shows I saw all year, not just in the Fringe. This show has just an amazing abundance of heart. It's a time travel nostalgia comedy, and 1998 happens to be my graduating year - I'm the target demographic! Plus I'm a fan of Back to the Future and other sci-fi comedies - so it was really the perfect fringe show.

Carin Bratlie adds that Class of 98 is a production that "understands the Fringe."

Carin: It has all the elements: scrappy, balls to the wall, just cramming it in time-wise. The stakes are very high, and the performers use the high stakes in a "bringing us along for the ride" way. Everyone was so committed to what they were doing and just having a lot of fun, and the energy was infectious. I was having a lot of fun, I was rooting for them, the characters as well as the actors. It's simple in a good way. They don't try to do too much, they do the best that you can do at the Fringe.

I also saw Nucleus and other cell bodies - a modern dance piece at the Southern. It was like "Rite of Spring" for Amoebas! It was as if I was watching one of those 1950s film strips of what you see through a microscope. I didn't get it all, but I didn't need to, because their physicality was so engaging - viscous and visceral at the same time. I could really see the interaction of single cell organisms in a petrie dish being played out on the stage. I was not disappointed - the Fringe is a great place to see modern dance.

Caroline Toll and Nick Vetter met at the Fringe, fell in love, and have been devoted hard-core Fringers ever since. They saw a number of shows on opening night, but the one that really stood out for them was Ash Land:

Caroline: It was tremendous! They are one of the things you come to the Fringe for. They're so unique; they regularly get standing ovations. This company, whatever they do has this magical component because the actors are the scenery, the props...
Nick: ...a squeaky screen door or a rocking chair... It's visual and movement based storytelling about people trying to survive in the Dust Bowl.
Caroline: It's a story about a way of life that's dying out. It's also about foreclosure, so even though it dates to the depression, it's also a modern saga. I'm not a big fan of dance in general, but their shows are so compelling.
Nick: This show also had the longest artists line I've ever seen - that's the rush line for other Fringe artists - which tells you that this is one of the shows that theater people are really talking about.

Scott Pakudaitis is another hard-core Fringer. He plans to make it to all 56 time slots in this year's Fringe Festival, and in fact he hasn't missed an opportunity to see a Fringe show since 2006. His two favorites of the evening? Nucleus and Other Cell Bodies, and Ash Land.

Scott: Ash Land was a piece of beautiful physical theater, and the topic of foreclosure and profiteering is as timely now as it was during the dustbowl. With Nucleus and other cell bodies my brain went places I had no idea it was going. It was hypnotic and yet accurate. It was just beautiful to watch, a really remarkable dance piece.

Tim Wick - who co-wrote The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged) was not nearly as pleased with Nucleus and Other Bodies, a reaction he knows is partly due to the presence of his two boys, aged seven and 12:

Tim: The show was advertised as appropriate for ages and 7 and up, and technically that's true - but the problem is this is 50 minutes of hard core modern dance, and my kids were practically chewing off their limbs to get out of the theater, but we were sitting in the front row... I did not like their show - I felt it was long, the music was repetitive and dull, and there weren't a lot of moments where I was caught up in the movement. But I can't separate whether it was just the show, or because my kids were freaking out. It was billed as a silly dance show, but it just wasn't accessible show at all, which made it hard to watch. Would I have like the show if my kids weren't there? No, but I would have disliked it less probably. So don't take the age rating seriously.

Wick also took his boys to Gentleman's Pratfall Club, which they loved, despite the chin-splitting incident.

Tim: He hurt himself for his art and I think that's important! They were giggling throughout the show. Levi and Josh are really good at figuring what's going to make kids laugh and entertain adults as well.

I also took the kids to see BOOGIEography, which is directed by a friend of mine. The kids, who had just come from Nucleus, were horrified that they were headed to another dance show, but they loved it. There was an F-bomb dropped a few times at the end, so as a parent you have to decide whether or not you're okay with that.

After that I went on to see Ash Land. I'm a comedian, so I tend to prefer comedy, and I'm really picky about seeing a serious show. But this company's reputation sold me on seeing it. It's a choreographed play, excellently constructed, very well acted. I absolutely recommend it.

That's it for opening night... Tune in later this weekend for another round of reviews for shows that opened Friday and Saturday.

Two shows dropped from Fringe line-up

Posted at 5:37 PM on August 1, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Events, Theater

The Minnesota Fringe Festival gets underway tomorrow, but in the final days before showtime two productions have bowed out.

Galleria: A Series of Poetic Portraits, presented by Justus Comedy Group, LLC at Intermedia Arts, and Catch-23 Extended, presented by Addington & Kirkey Productions at Patrick's Cabaret have both been removed from the festival's calendar.

Fortunately, theater-goers still have more than 160 shows to choose from...

Art Hounds: Fringe Spectacular!

Posted at 7:45 AM on August 2, 2012 by Molly Bloom
Filed under: Art Hounds, Comedy, Dance, Events, Theater

Image from 11.6.2012, one of the pieces in Happy Hour (Photo: Stan Waldhauser)

There are 165 shows to see at the Minnesota Fringe Festival this year. Feeling overwhelmed? The Art Hounds are here to help.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

Courtney Algeo works with Loft Literary Center and the online literary magazine Paper Darts. One of the shows on her list is "Bodacious Beauties", produced by first-time Fringe producer Eileen Rosensteel. The show takes us into the lives of five sideshow "Fat Ladies" through history. Courtney is intrigued by the piece since it's looking at the issues of body image and obesity through a historical lens. The show is playing at HUGE Improv Theater in Minneapolis.

This year, Fringe is working to reach the deaf community and over a dozen shows are being interpreted. This is important to Jon Skaalen who is the access programs coordinator for VSA Minnesota, an organization that works with artists with disabilities. He's especially excited to see the deaf musical "Silence" by Jay'd Hagberg. The show explores the gap between deaf and hearing culture and features deaf and hearing performers as well as ASL interpreters. Deaf dancer Canae Weiss (whose work Skaalen calls "sublime") is taking on an acting role for the production. "Silence" is playing at the Rarig Center Proscenium at the University of Minnesota.

Betsy Maloney teaches dance at the Main Street School of Performing Arts in Hopkins and she wants us to remember that Fringe is a showcase for dance as well. This year, she's looking forward to seeing Sara Stevenson Scrimshaw's choreography in "Happy Hour". Betsy loves the comedic elements that Scrimshaw weaves into her dances. Scrimshaw has also invited four other choreographers to each create a unique piece based on their favorite drink. The show is playing at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis.

And special this week -- bonus recommendations!

From Cynthia French, spoken word artist
I saw Ben San Del working on a portion of his upcoming Fringe show, "An Agony of Fools", at one of the Balls Cabaret Fringe previews. After seeing his preview on, I have put this one on the calendar for my Fringe experience this year. He spoke about dating and relationships, assumptions men and women make about one another, problems communicating, and how the movies always leave a little too much out of their love stories to truly be educational. His comedy is honest, timely and hilarious.

From Carin Bratlie, artistic director of Theatre Pro Rata:
All three of my recommendations focus on water and disaster. Clearly this mental triptych must have something to do with our current drought.

"Going Down on the Queen of Minneapolis," by Freshwater Theater. Freshwater is making a name for themselves in Twin Cities small theater, and they have a solid group of seasoned artists working on this project. Riffing on the idea of taking social dysfunction and cramming it onto a place that the characters cannot escape, the innuendo of the title... it sounds deliciously evil.

"Merblades: The Memoirs of James Cameron," by Black Market Doctor.Heather Meyer is an up-and-coming playwright, whose work is funny, clever, and looks at life through a joyfully skewed lens. I've enjoyed seeing both her and Maddie Gibba onstage doing long form improv, and imagining them together working on this project is simply delightful. And poking fun at James Cameron and his wack-job deep sea explorations? This is a recipe for the best kind of disaster story.

"Birds of Passage" by Winding Sheet Outfit is potentially a much more abstract, physical, and poetic show. The sort of thing that can nestle inside the Fringe and find some serious love. I know many of the artists involved in this one, and I'm intrigued because they are pushing themselves in different directions and outside of their comfort zones. There is something palpable and immediate about that sort of risk, and I'm betting that the payoff will be stunning.

From Jeff Spencer, actor
"Pretentious Conversations" by Laura Buchholz skewers the silly smugness of our yoga induced, granola infused, overly effusive lifestyles. The problem with pretentiousness, of course, is that no one can possibly know everything, or even very much for that matter. Audiences will delight in seeing the gaps of understanding through which any Mac truck could drive. The snobby host, Patricia Skylar Van Humphries, attempts to keep her polished veneer, under pristine control. But alas, it all comes apart at the seams as her guests are even more pretentious than her.

The show had a lot of potential in preview, and with the addition of Mahmoud Hakima to the cast and John Haynes as director, I can't wait to see how they've brought the show to life. I've always been a big fan of John Haynes as an improv performer and instructor. The show has a lot of "smart silly" going on, and he is a perfect fit to take this show to the next level.

From Julie Swenson, make-up artist
I am looking forward to seeing Jason Schommer do his stand up act at the U of M Rarig Center next week during the Fringe Festival. Schommer has the stage presence of Dave Chappelle and name drops like Kathy Griffin. And while he is climbing the D list faster than Griffin, he's still Schommer from the block, often making references to his high school experience at Little Falls Community High School in rural MN. I am prepared to laugh out loud, and perhaps cry, as Schommer sometimes takes cheap shots at the crowd and will likely make fun of my race and my lazy Asian eye.

From Clarence Wethern, actor
Mainly Me Productions' 2011 Fringe offering "Our Freaking Kids Show" was one of the funniest shows of the festival, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the time travel nostalgia comedy "Class of 98," where characters played by Josh Carson and Andy Kraft travel back in time to meet themselves in high school. It's an appealing enough premise to this Back to the Future fan and '98 grad, but it also helps that Carson and Kraft are hilarious, genial performers with a great track record. Carson has a talent for writing comedic material that is clever without being precious, with physical gags and pop culture references hung on the frame of a strong plot and likable characters. "Class of '98" also features the always-funny Dan Hetzel and Katherine Kupiecki, who I think is one of the most talented and versatile actors in town.

From Penelope Freeh, dancer and choreographer
I don't know much about Tamara Ober's Fringe show "Sin Eater,"but I do know that I'm going. Tamara is a captivating creator and performer. As a Zenon Dance Company veteran she brings an incredibly high level of professionalism and integrity to her work. She's passionate, personal, sensuous and strong. I imagine dark and evocative imagery, solidly grounded dancing and theatrical daring. Couched in dance terms, Tamara wears her heart on her sleeve. "Sin Eater" promises to be fresh and fringy.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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10 solid bets for the Minnesota Fringe Festival

Posted at 4:47 PM on July 31, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Events, Theater

Face it - it's impossible to see every show in the Fringe Festival, so you're going to have to make some choices. Here's a selection of shows (in no particular order) which, based on previews, past performances and word of mouth, are worth your precious time and money (click on the links for show times and locations):

1. Ash Land

From the creators of Red Resurrected and Ballad of the Pale Fisherman (two previous bit hits at the Fringe) comes this Cinderella tale of a girl growing up in the Dust Bowl. Check out this preview to get a sense of how the cast uses nothing more than their own bodies to create a landscape, lighting, and to indicate the passage of time.

2. The Naked I: Wide Open

This already acclaimed 20% Theatre Twin Cities production of stories by transgender and gender non-conforming individuals is being reduced to an even more intense 45 minutes for the Fringe.

3. Nightmare Without Pants

Combine the witty writing of Joseph Scrimshaw (author of past Fringe hits "The Worst Show in the Fringe", "The Damn Audition" and "Brain Fighters") with the comedic talents of Shanan Custer, John Middleton, John Riedlinger and Anna Sundberg, and well, you've got a fringe hit. There is audience interaction, however, so if the show is less than stellar... well, it's your fault.

4. Mary Mack's Anti One-Woman Show: Sh*t Makes Flowers Grow

Um, have you SEEN Mary Mack? Those big eyes, that sweet smile, and that high, fairy-like voice that delivers killing one-liners. Her sense of humor is quirky, lovable and oh-so spot on. If you love stand-up, this show is for you.

5. Sin Eater

Tamara Ober infuses her storytelling with a physicality that only a trained dancer could manage. The creator of last year's "Flesh" is back with a dark tale, in which Glory is sent on a mission to find a Sin Eater in an attempt to save her father's soul. Here's a preview:

6. The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged) - Snikt! Bamf! Thwip!

Okay, so I admit I'm a sci-fi geek, so I may be a little biased on this one. But the reputation of the cast, and the constant laugh lines in this short preview make me believe it's about more than Star Trek, or the very VERY strange man who played Captain Kirk.

7. The Gentlemen's Pratfall Club

Josh Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen, the dynamic duo behind Comedy Suitcase, have earned rave reviews for their past Fringe exploits Smothers Brothers Grimm and The Harty Boys in The Case of the Limping Platypus. Now they're back with an uplifting comedy about falling down as a struggling actor and a cruel French clown battle for the most coveted role in children's TV: Captain Clumsy.

8. The Hungry Games: Mocking the Mockingjay

I must admit, I have yet to see a performance by Tom Reed, but I do know about his reputation for creating fast-paced send-ups of popular epic storylines. The creator of Bite Me Twilight, Parry Hotter & the Half-Drunk Twins and Disney Dethroned is back with the first of what could easily end up being a multi-part series on The Hunger Games.

9. Big Thinkers, Serious Issues, Improv Comedy

The Theater of Public Policy uses improv theater to help illuminate issues that would normally make your eyes cross. In full disclosure, my colleague Chris Farrell will be their guest for one of the Fringe shows, and I myself am scheduled to be interviewed by T2P2 at the MIA in August. And at first I wasn't going to recommend them for those very reasons. But the fact is that they are smart, funny, and trying to make the world a better place through improv theater. See for yourself:

10. Not Dead Yet! The Return of Mr. Elk and Mr. Seal

Dean J. Seal, a former director of the Fringe Festival, and his comedic partner Rob Elk have reunited to bring their particular brand of comedy - and oral hygiene - to a whole new generation.

Alright - those are my top ten. What are yours?

Guthrie Theater hires new director of Dowling Studio

Posted at 1:27 PM on July 27, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts management, Theater

The Guthrie Theater has named Lauren Ignaut to the position of Director of Studio Programming, which involves serving as a liaison with visiting theater companies as well as identifying Dowling Studio programming.

The position has been vacant since the beginning of the year, when Ben McGovern resigned. He programmed the Guthrie's black box studio for five years, in addition to directing several Guthrie productions.

This is an internal promotion for Ignaut, who has served until now as the Guthrie's Presentations Administrator.

Ignaut is a Minneapolis native who has been with the Guthrie Theater since 2006. She has worked in a freelance capacity with several Twin Cities theaters. She is also a founding member of The Strange Capers, a local company dedicated to emerging artists and theater accessibility for all audiences.

Photo credit: Hannah Grundhoefer

The reviews are in for 'Into the Woods' by Mu Performing Arts

Posted at 11:00 AM on July 27, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Music, Theater

Mu Performing Arts is breaking new ground by giving classic musical theater an Asian American re-imagining.

First the theater company performed "Little Shop of Horrors" to rave reviews, and now it's back with "Into the Woods." According to critics this show is equally charming:

Sara Ochs as Cinderella and Sheena Janson as the Baker's Wife in Mu Performing Arts presentation of Into the Woods
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

The company presents strong performances from top to bottom, led by Randy Reyes and Sheena Janson as the baker and the baker's wife. They are really modern-day folks dropped into a fantasy environment, full of doubt and conflicts that are at first out of place amid the outsized events of the other stories, and then the main light of maturity in an increasingly dark world. Both actors embrace these complexities, crafting performances that are at turns funny, touching, and heartbreaking.

Katie Bradley as the Witch in Mu Performing Arts presentation of "Into the Woods"
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Chris Hewitt at the Pioneer Press:

...director Rick Shiomi has given a nod to the universality of fairy tales by shifting the setting from a vaguely European one to a vaguely Asian one. And the witty design extends the idea that these stories know no time or place, with each of the tales seemingly set in a different corner of Asia -- the clothes in Cinderella's story bearing Indian influences, for instance, while China may be the Witch's homeland. Lighting effects sometimes make the characters resemble the shadow puppets of Indonesia, while black-clad ninjas move scenery and execute the production's simple effects.

Those subtle touches serve as a reminder of how sturdily constructed Sondheim and book writer James Lapine's show is. Whoever we are, we share the same basic needs, and wherever we come from, there is a metaphoric "woods" where we learn that growing up is no picnic.

Sheena Janson as the Baker's Wife and Alex Galick as Cinderella's Prince in Mu Performing Arts presentation of Into the Woods
Photo by Michal Daniel

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Where did he get this cast? There isn't a tinny note anywhere and we're talking large (20 by my count). They sing brilliantly and they act their hearts out. I could be wrong on this but the opening night performance had the feeling of a show finally and surprisingly coming together and the actors were as amazed and delighted as we in the audience. It gave the evening an especial edge.

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

"Into the Woods" is another milestone for a company still on the rise.

"Into the Woods" runs through August 5 at Park Square Theatre in St, Paul. Have you seen Mu Performing Arts' production? If so, what did you think?

Report from the Orchard: On tour with Luverne Siefert

Posted at 6:03 AM on July 20, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Arts around the state, Events, People, Theater

For the last couple of weeks a group of stalwart performers has been braving the heat and touring Minnesota to present a production of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard." The wrinkle is the actors mount the show in, and around, historic houses in small towns. Audience members sit sometimes just inches from the actors as they perform, and then follow action as it moves to other rooms, or even outside the house.

As the play details the trials of an impoverished aristocratic family losing its long-time home, each of the historic venues become a character in the production.

Luverne Siefert during rehearsals of "The Cherry Orchard" in Kenyon, Mn (All pictures MPR images by Euan Kerr.)

Luverne Siefert and his wife Darcy Engen organized the tour, and both act in the play. With the trip well underway Siefert agreed to answer some questions about the show and what the cast is learning about it as they perform.

MPR sent him five questions, and in true creative spirit Siefert decided to combine some of them.

1) You are approaching the halfway point of the tour: what has the high and the low of the trip so far?

4) You add local actors and musicians into the cast at each venue. How have they localized each show?

1, 2 and 4) The lows of the trip so far have certainly been dealing with the heat. However, we have been quite successful in keeping the audiences cool by serving ice water and keeping the air conditioning on high. The actors probably struggle the most running around in their period costumes. But they are keeping a positive attitude and keeping hydrated.

Also, the houses each provide their unique characterizations as well. We are currently at the Musser Mansion in Little Falls and the house is jaw-dropping. Our outdoor scenes all take place with the mighty Mississippi roaring in the background. The house is stunning and we are fortunate enough to stay in it while we are performing here. We spend the evenings after the show preparing meals and dining on the back porch. We are living the life of the characters in the show during more prosperous times.

Actor Sarah Agnew chases Luverne Siefert with a lawn mower during the production of "The Cherry Orchard."

3) This production of The Cherry Orchard mixes bawdy comedy with the deep sadness of a family losing its home. How has it resonated with the audiences during the tour? Do you see differences in the communities?

It's remarkable how well the Cherry Orchard works as a tragic-comedy. The audiences have universally embraced these flawed and quirky characters through the comedic choices we have made. By making the characters likable, the audience builds a much stronger understanding of the devastation that the family faces at the end of the play. We root for these people to overcome their plights, but realize that they are too flawed to succeed.

Since Taylor's Falls and Blue Earth are almost sold out and Worthington is 3 plus hours away, I would say that if people from the Twin Cities want to see the show they should come to Little Falls this weekend. It is really a magical place and we get numerous comments from the audience members that they feel like they are watching a film. You won't be disappointed if you make the trek up.

5) You have worked with many different companies in your career, and now also teach drama at the U of M. What does working on a show like this bring to you personally as a performer?

As an artist I always struggled with, if given the chance to lead a project, what story would I tell? I feel deeply connected to people who don't have the same opportunities as those with the greater resources because I grew up in a small southern Minnesota township and my family had little money and my dad only attended school till 8th grade.

And we hear these stories from the community after the performance. A teary-eyed man in Kenyon told us the story of recently having to sell the family farm in his family. There is so much history in these homes; babies being born, people dying, the great storms, the great floods, the lean times, the fruitful times. It brings back memories from my Grandfather's farm. My grandpa feeding chickens on the front lawn, the sound of the squeaky windmill in the distance, the smell of the fire from the wood burning stove in the basement. Being back in these communities, I'm flooded with the emotions of my childhood.

The Cherry Orchard tour continues to Taylors Falls (July 25-29,) Worthington (August 1-5) and Blue Earth (August 8-12.)

The reviews are for ''The Sunshine Boys' at the Guthrie Theater

Posted at 3:35 PM on July 16, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

A play that draws its inspiration from Vaudeville is finding some new life at the Guthrie Theater.

Penned by the beloved Neil Simon, The Sunshine Boys premiered on Broadway in 1972, which is also the year in which the main characters - the one-time famous duo "Lewis and Clark" - are coerced to reunite for a TV comedy special.

The show stars two theatrical veterans, Peter Michael Goetz and Raye Birk; critics say while the jokes may be old, they still get the laughs.

Raye Birk (left) as Al Lewis and Peter Michael Goetz as Willie Clark in the Guthrie Theater's production of 'The Sunshine Boys' by Neil Simon.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

Although I'll be the first to say the phrase "dream team" is cliché in most respects, it definitely applies to this acting duo. Birk's quiet humor forms the foundation upon which Goetz's showy, look-at-me antics thrive, and the men are able to read each other as if they've worked together every day of their 50-plus-year careers...

As a whole, every element of The Sunshine Boys is near perfect: the script is flawless, the casting is spot on, the set is beautiful. Give it time, and, like its lead actors, it will just keep getting better.

Greta Oglesby (left) as Registered Nurse and Peter Michael Goetz as Willie Clark in the Guthrie Theater's production of 'The Sunshine Boys' by Neil Simon.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys" premiered on Broadway 40 years ago, and its vaudeville-flavored humor -- telling the tale of two ancient, crotchety comedians thrust together for one last performance -- is even older than that. But the durable script still has plenty of life in it and, supported by the solid scaffolding of a strong production at the Guthrie Theater, its laughter endures...Despite its gray whiskers and old joints, the play moves along pretty well.

The Sunshine Boys runs through September 2 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? Share your review in the comments section.

Raye Birk (left) as Al Lewis and Peter Michael Goetz as Willie Clark in the Guthrie Theater's production of 'The Sunshine Boys' by Neil Simon.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Unfortunately, in my not-so-humble opinion, The Sunshine Boys is not a Simonian highpoint. It's extremely repetitive ("Uncle Willie, open up, it's Ben." "Is that you, Ben?" - ad nauseum). The play is often static and predictable; I found myself wearing a get-on-with-it scowl. And, most serious, I found myself unconvinced by the hostility of the two leads; it seemed a diminishment of the characters.

But maybe I'm wrong, and in any event, who cares: The Sunshine Boys provides a grand playground for Birk and Goetz and you are unlikely to encounter better actors anywhere.

The Sunshine Boys runs through September 2 at the Guthrie Theater. Have you seen it? Share your review in the comments section.

Your weekend, four ways

Posted at 12:40 PM on July 13, 2012 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Events, Galleries, Music, Theater

Does the weekend ahead look pretty tame? Here are four ways to add a little zing...

Zaraawar Mistry in his latest production "The Other Mr. Gandhi"
Image courtesy of the artist

1. Are you looking for love? So is Marcus Young, and he's hoping his latest art exhibition will help him find it. Called "I'm looking for love, so let's fix the system", Young's latest show is a mix of art and life, where the boundaries between the two are completely challenged. Join him tonight at MCAD, buy some of his old apartment furniture, and help him find Mr. Right.

2. Got money on your mind? Check out the latest exhibit at Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, titled Medium of Exchange: The Art of Cash
. If you go tonight, you will also be treated to Dylan Hicks reading from his new book "Boarded Windows" and performing music from his new album, Sings Bolling Greene.

3. Zaraawar Mistry is an excellent storyteller. His latest one-man show "The Other Mr. Gandhi" runs this weekend only at the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis. It's filled with his signature twists, simple-but-dramatic scene changes, and fabulous characters.

4. Want to put a little rhythm in your step? Tomorrow the Drum Corps International takes over the TCF Bank Stadium as part of its 40th Anniversary summer tour. 26 drum corps will be marching, including Minnesota Brass and the Madison Scouts.

Art Hounds: Strange Capers, Bridget Beck, and a "Jazz Implosion"

Posted at 7:45 AM on July 5, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Sculpture, Theater

Bridget Beck's "Poetry Studio" at Franconia Sculpture Park

If you're interested in an urban, outdoor Shakespeare experience, a sculptor who makes playgrounds out of recycled wood and metal, and what happened to the "Jazz Implosion" series, the hounds are happy to share the deets.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

What's not to like, says musician Claudia Holt, about a band of crazy, cross-dressing thespians who make Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis into a rolling, idyllic Shakespearean stage every summer? Strange Capers only performs the bard's comedies at Powderhorn and this summer it's "The Comedy of Errors." Free shows during the weekend through July 15 with families, children and dogs welcome.

Minneapolis jazz pianist and composer Bryan Nichols is happy to report there's a new haven for JT Bates' revered "Jazz Implosion" series, which used to be a fixture at the Clowne Lounge of St. Paul's Turf Club. "Jazz Implosion" has moved across the river to the restaurant and music venue Icehouse in Minneapolis, which Bryan says is even better equipped sonically for the adventurous improvisational music the series is known for.

Painter Carolyn Swiszcz thinks sculptor Bridget Beck has captured her daughter's heart. The two recently went out to Franconia Sculpture Park in Franconia, Minn. to see two Bridget Beck works and actually played on one for more than two hours. Beck is known for her explosively colorful enamel painted metal pieces people of all ages can climb on or interact with. She's also developed "The Locomotive Sculpture Project," which is a mobile sculpture park she brings to senior living spaces around the Twin Cities.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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Mu Performing Arts begins search for new Artistic Director

Posted at 2:48 PM on June 28, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Culture, Minnesota Mix, People, Theater

Mu Performing Arts is looking for a successor to founder Rick Shiomi beginning in September 2013.

Rick Shiomi

Today the Asian American theater and taiko drumming ensemble posted a job listing for a new Artistic Director, stating that it is "is looking for a strong visionary leader to bring the organization through the next phase."

Required qualifications and skills for the position include:

• Passion for working with Asian American artists and helping them succeed
• Ability to build and nurture trusting working relationships with a diverse group of artists,
volunteers, funders, board of directors and peers in the arts community

You can learn about Rick Shiomi's career, and how he came to found Mu Performing Arts, here.

Art Hounds: Matt Rasmussen, The Vow Factor, and beatmakers who get booties shakin'

Posted at 7:45 AM on June 28, 2012 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Comedy, Events, Minnesota Poets, Music, Poetry, Theater

Hip hop producers Audio Perm (Image courtesy of Audio Perm)

The hounds highlight a Walt Whitman Award winning poet from Robbinsdale, satire of the most divisive institution on the ballot this year, and Twin Cities hip hop producers who know how to win over a crowd.

(Want to be an Art Hound? Sign up!)

As co-creator of the Minneapolis-based Theater of Public Policy, Brandon Boat embraces art that tackles hot button issues, like who can marry whom. But Brandon prefers that theater strive toward creating a mutual understanding rather than deepening divisions. He predicts everyone will find something to laugh at in "The Vow Factor," Table Salt Productions and The Recovery Party's send-up of the institution of marriage.

What's with all the talented Twin Cities poets named Matt? Earlier this year Robbinsdale poet Matt Rasmussen sang the praises of local poet Matt Ryan. Now, it's Rasmussen's turn to be celebrated by another poet named Matt, Matt Mauch. Mr. Mauch says Mr. Rasmussen will be reading from his forthcoming book "Black Aperture" at the Robbin Gallery within the Robbinsdale Library on Thursday, June 28 at 7pm. Rasmussen won the distinguished Walt Whitman Award for the book, which is an extended series of poems contending with the suicide of a close family member. June 28, 2012 has also been declared Matt Rassmussen Day by the City of Robbinsdale.

Getting Minnesotans to move to any rhythm is usually a tall order, but Minneapolis spoken word artist Magdalena Kaluza says not for Audio Perm. Audio Perm is a coalition of Twin Cities hip hop producers who supply the beats and soundscapes for a host of local rappers. The group will be holding "Permed Out Showcase #2" at the Cabooze on Friday, June 29. Magdalena says it's a chance for the beatmakers to show some love for the emcees they work with, including Art School Girls, Bobby Raps, and Fresh Squeeze.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

Summer Shakespeare troupe shines light on emerging talent

Posted at 11:31 AM on July 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Education, Theater

Many theater officianados have heard of the Public Theater in New York.

But have you heard of the Public Theater of Minnesota?

Nathan Cheesman, Ross Destiche and Briana Patnode in the 2011 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Photo by Andy Blenkush

In its third year, PTMN has been keeping a low profile while building a grassroots following in the west metro presenting summer productions of Shakespeare in Wolfe Park.

Now it's preparing for its first season of indoor professional productions in 2013.

Opening night of Romeo and Juliet in Wolfe Park
Photo by Mark Hauck

Artistic Director Mark Hauck comes with strong credentials - he founded the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona. But Hauck took a five year break from the theater business, instead teaching it to Hopkins High School teenagers.

Working at the high school and outside the cocoon of the arts world I started discovering anew how important the arts are for everyone. The act of art-making--creating something "special" and sharing it with someone--is fundamental to our health as individuals and as a community.

Jason Rojas as Oberon and Joshua Walker as Puck in the Public Theater of Minnesota's 2011 production of Midsummer Night's Dream
Photo by Andy Blenkush

Currently PTMN is performing Romeo and Juliet at Wolfe Park, and Hauck expects more than 2,000 people will attend the show by the end of its run.

Key to our success is the New Artist Company concept behind the summer productions. We hire 10-12 talented young artists (under age 24) from theater training programs. The combination of youthful energy, talent, evolving production values (as a our small budget allows), and a pleasant relaxed setting has proven magical for audiences and artists. We are thrilled that members of our New Artist Company have gone on to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Acting Company, The Guthrie Theater, and other well known theaters.

The ultimate vision for the organization, said Hauck, is to have three companies, one comprised of theater professionals, another by community members and a third made up of emerging artists ages 15 - 25.

The vision was in many ways inspired by the Citizens Theater of Glasgow, which has built a reputation for artistic excellence and community based programming by embracing the gifts and passions of artists of many ages and across the spectrum from amateur to professional.

Phil Eschweiler as Bottom and Anthony Simone as Peter Quince in the 2011 PTMN production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Photo by Andy Blenkush

According to Hauck, working with young artists is key to creating civic-mindedness and to fostering a greater passion for art-making.

Our summer audience so far has trended a little younger--something we want to encourage. The connection between young artists and their peers or near peers is exciting to watch. For years we theater folks have talked about "greying" audiences and have tried to devise marketing and pricing and programming schemes to attract younger playgoers. Why not support highly visible work by young artists? What new understanding can they bring to the work?

Hauck says the company is still working on finding its new indoor performance home. Romeo and Juliet runs through July 22 at Wolfe Park in St. Louis Park.

Immigration raid inspires new play

Posted at 1:27 PM on June 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater

Four years ago, immigration authorities raided a kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa. It was one of the largest single roundups in U.S. history, resulting in the arrest of nearly 400 undocumented workers.

Actors Pedro Bayon and Terry Hempleman take on the roles of slaughterhouse workers in the play Clandestino at the Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.
Photo couresty of Stephen Cartmell

MPR's Nikki Tundel reports that event is the focus of a new play at the Mixed Blood Theater in Minneapolis.

When the workers left, so did their money. Stores were forced to close. Houses went empty. The school system brought in grief counselors to help children cope with what had happened.

"Kids come to school and their fellow students are gone because they've gone away with their families," Hinkle said. "All these details really show the effect on a community and how interdependent we are."

The show's director, Jeremy Wilhelm, hopes "Clandestino" will allow audiences to see beyond the politics often associated with immigration.

"I want them to walk away just trying to tap into the humanity of this thing. There's a human cost to cheap meat production or cheap anything production," Wilhelm said. "We're trying to stay focused on those human stories.

The play is a way to take the story of Postville's immigration raid out of the news and put it on stage, where, says Wilhelm, it might feel more real.

You can find out more about the Postville raid and "Clandestino" here.

The reviews are in for 'Radiate Live!' at Pillsbury House

Posted at 9:24 AM on June 20, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Daniel Alexander Jones is on tour with his production of "Radiate Live!" in which his alter ego, disco diva Jomama Jones, is out to soften the hardest of hearts with love... and some great music.

The critics have all been caught up in the positive vibe of Jomama Jones' performance, and couldn't be happier with the show.

Daniel Alexander Jones is Jomama Jones in Radiate Live! at Pillsbury House Theatre
Photo by Michal Daniel

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com

Jomama Jones and her piquant band of accompanists have arrived at the Pillsbury House Theatre with a terrific show, Radiate Live! My firm advice: call the Pillsbury BO and make your rezzies. This show will take you through the summertime theatrical doldrums and the goodvibes will last - well, almost - until the Fringe. You need to see this one.

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Since the show's creator and star, Daniel Alexander Jones, dons gowns and heels to channel Jomama, it would be technically accurate to call "Radiate Live!" a drag show, but any comparisons to, say, Miss Richfield 1981 or Dame Edna end right there. Where those estimable ladies go for the jugular while aiming for laughs, Jomama is an infinitely gentle spirit more interested in lifting the human condition than jamming a satiric stick into it.

Jomama Jones performs Radiate Live! at Pillsbury House Theatre through June 24
Photo by Michal Daniel

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Musically, the songs fit well into the soul and funk mode, concentrating mostly on spreading positive vibes. This isn't a traditional musical, or even something like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, where the songs serve to tell the story. Instead, they merge with the narrative to underscore Jomama's basic message: Open your heart, love one another, and be positive to make changes. It's hard to argue with that.

Have you seen Jomama Jones? If so, what do you think? Share your review in the comments section.

Workhouse Theatre stops its stage work, for now

Posted at 12:42 PM on June 19, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater

Workhouse Theatre Company is canceling an upcoming production and has announced it's taking a year-long hiatus from producing theater until the fall of 2013.

Workhouse has canceled its production of "Dog Sees God." It will close out its current season in October with Matthew Everett's "But Not For Love"; a co-production with The Flower Shop Project.

A release from the company states:

In order for us to continue bringing you the quality productions you have come to expect from us, we have collectively decided that we need to build and strengthen the core of our organization. In pursuit of these goals, we will take a hiatus until the fall of 2013 to reorganize and revitalize. We have already recruited several new board members, and will be announcing our new Artistic Director in mid July.

Workhouse Theatre Company is based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota and should not be confused with the Workhaus Collective, another theater company also based in Minneapolis.

Leadership changes at Mixed Blood Theatre

Posted at 10:48 AM on June 19, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts management, Theater

Two Mixed Blood Theatre staffers are moving up the ranks of leadership.

The director of Mixed Blood's Radical Hospitality program is moving up to the position of Managing Director, just in time to launch the company's 37th season.

Amanda White Thietje replaces the retiring Pj Doyle, who has been with Mixed Blood since 2009.

And long-time Mixed Blood Director of Touring Charlie Moore will assume the new position of General Manager. Moore has been with the company since 1984.

In a news release Thietje said her experience working with radical hospitality will fuel her new position as Managing Director.

The reviews are in for Guthrie Theater's 'Roman Holiday'

Posted at 8:44 AM on June 19, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

The Guthrie Theater's latest production, "Roman Holiday," takes the storyline from the classic 1953 film, and turns it into a musical featuring the songs of Cole Porter.

Critics say the the staging, acting and music more than make up for the lack of a real plot.

Edward Watts (Joe Bradley) and Stephanie Rothenberg (Princess Anne) in the Guthrie Theater's production of Roman Holiday

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

What you can expect from Roman Holiday is an entertaining, light-hearted, makes-you-feel-good evening out in one of the most beautiful places in the Twin Cities. Nowhere else this summer can you find so much talent (both on stage and and backstage--Mathew J. LeFebvre's costumes are simply gorgeous, completely spot-on in period-accuracy, and entertaining on their own [see Francesca's gown in "Just One of Those Things"])--and energy in one place. Yes, you could go see The Avengers or Men in Black: III, but what you should do is spend the extra money on this: what could very well turn into "just one of those nights; one of those fabulous flights; a trip to the moon on gossamer wings; just one of those things."

The cast of "Roman Holiday" at the Guthrie Theater

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Yes, "Roman Holiday" is old, but as the new musical that opened at the Guthrie on Friday ably demonstrates, "old" can be "timeless." This fragile confection is built with elegance and sophistication around the idea that here we have a fairy tale about escape and impossible love. And try as we might -- in our edgy hauteur -- we cannot help but appreciate the sleek nostalgia wrapped in a love story. So sue me, I'm sentimental.

Edward Watts (Joe Bradley) and Stephanie Rothenberg (Princess Anne) in the Guthrie Theater's production of "Roman Holiday"

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

...although the storyline lacks genuine suspense, the music is lovely -- even if some of the song lyrics don't quite fit the action of the plot...Although this version of "Roman Holiday" doesn't merit the Academy Awards that the classic movie garnered, it still is a charming way to spend a Twin Cities holiday.

The Guthrie Theater's production of "Roman Holiday" runs through August 19

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

So you must make a decision: do you like Porter's amazing music, and fabulous design, and outstanding acting and singing enough to ignore a garbled and uninvolving story? If so, by all means, see Roman Holiday. You won't be disappointed.

Have you seen Roman Holiday? If so, what did you think?

All photos by Michael Brosilow

Penumbra shepherds black theater from the page to the stage

Posted at 10:00 AM on June 16, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater, Writing

This weekend a new play by a veteran playwright will get its first reading at Penumbra Theatre.

Ed Bullins, a major voice of the Black Arts Movement, is now in his 70s. His latest work, "In Search of Assata" looks back at the tumultuous life of Black Panther Assata Shakur through the lens of the media and her personal memories.

Associate Artistic Director Dominic Taylor says the reading is part of Penumbra's ongoing effort to develop new works that explore African American identity, culture and history.

The goal of these readings and of OKRA, our new play development program, is to make Penumbra like Hitsville used to be in the 60s. I'm trying to set up an environment where people can explore and find the 'right sound' for their work.

Dominic Taylor
Photo courtesy Penumbra Theatre

Taylor says while each play is not guaranteed to end up on stage, since the OKRA program started several of the plays have gone on to be fully produced across the country.

In the past, the staged readings have been all the works of emerging playwrights, Taylor says he decided it was time for a change, and this year brought Ed Bullins into the mix.

We want to keep finding new ways of looking at theater; looking at new work doesn't have to mean just the work of new playwrights. We're trying to find that elusive thing that makes art shine.

Penumbra presents a staged reading of "In Search of Assata" tonight at 7:30pm.

Three ways to blur the gender lines this weekend

Posted at 10:16 AM on June 15, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Music, Theater

Face it, the old "boy meets girl" story is as old as the hills. So why not mix it up a bit?

Jomama Jones, with her back-up singers Bianca McClure and Kalean Ung
Photo by Michal Daniel

This weekend features an array of performances where gender lines are bent, blurred or completely rewritten. Here's a sampling:

Dykes Do Drag

Now in its 12th year, Dykes Do Drag is a monthly gender-bending cabaret show, mixing pop and politics and featuring dykes of all stripes strutting, singing and storytelling. Performances are tonight and tomorrow at 10pm at Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis.

Radiate Live!

Pop diva Jomama Jones is back on tour singing tunes from her latest album, Radiate. Performer Daniel Alexander Jones says Jomama chose him as her vessel for spreading her message of love. Through June 24 at Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis.

The Naked I: Wide Open

Created and produced by 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities, The Naked I: Wide Open is made up of monologues, short scenes, and true stories by transgender/gender non-conforming individuals and allies. Performances tonight and tomorrow at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis.

A Scottish vampire on a boat

Posted at 4:35 PM on June 14, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Education, Music, Theater

While drama students study the classics all year at the University of Minnesota, the biggest dose of theatrical reality for many of them comes in the shape of melodrama on an old boat.

Chelzie Newhard practices an entrance from the ceiling as Emily Grodnik bows. "The Vampire!" begins its run on Friday, June 15 and ends Aug. 25 at the Minnesota Showboat on St. Paul's Harriet Island.
MPR Photo/Euan Kerr

MPR's Euan Kerr paid a visit to the cast and crew of "The Vampire" where he found out they're learning some serious theatrical lessons.

Scene designer Meg Kissel met one challenge head on as she cut a trapdoor in the stage. Working on a boat she knew there wasn't much room for error.

"It didn't sink!" she said. "We did puncture something and a little geyser happened and we were worried it was going to sink for a second."

There are challenges for the actors too. In addition to learning lines, and perfecting scene changes, they deal with things that could only happen on a boat: noise from passing barges and logs floating under the hull.

"You just hear thud! Bump, bump, bump," said actor Ryan Colbert. "It really is a shock at first, but then ... it's fine."

Colbert plays Lord Ruthven the vampire. This is his second production on the Showboat. He is a BFA acting student at the university, as is Joseph Pyfferoen who takes the role of the vampire's foe Lord Ronald. Pyfferoen admits this play leans more on spectacle than fact.

"Set in Scotland where there is absolutely no history of vampires whatsoever," he said. "It's quite interesting seeing a Scottish vampire in a kilt."

Find out more about "The Vampire" - and what the students are learning about melodrama - here.

The reviews are in for 'Fela!' at Ordway

Posted at 9:43 AM on June 14, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Dance, Music, Theater

FELA! is a musical directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones about the tumultuous life of Afro-beat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk, and African rhythm and harmonies), FELA! explores Kuti's controversial life as an artist, political activist and revolutionary musician. A three-time Tony Award winner in 2010, this production arrives at the Ordway direct from Broadway.

Critics say you' should be prepared for the high energy and emotional turmoil of this star-powered musical.

Sahr Ngaujah stars in FELA!
Photo courtesy Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Anyone who sits through "FELA!" may be forgiven for feeling wrung out after two-and-a-half hours of ecstatic Afrobeat music, pulsing dance, emotional turmoil and epic resolution.

From Ross Raihala at the Pioneer Press:

As the title character, Sahr Ngaujah not only has the moves like Fela, he has the stature, the voice and the star power. It's a stunning performance in a demanding role that requires Ngaujah to spend nearly every moment of the 165-minute show front and center.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

I don't usually give points just for energy. (Broadway musicals generally try to top each other as calorie-burning affairs for their actor/dancers.) But this one has a different kind of energy that feels organic to the piece - essential, really, and a natural part of the music, the story and the emotions that drive it all. He proclaims as a young man, "I'm going to change the world." In the final number, when he sings "They wan bury and forget, but we won't let them," it's possible to think that maybe he still can.

FELA! runs through June 17 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Have you seen it? If so, what's your review?

Art Hounds: Jomama Jones, The New Monarchs, and a rooftop bog at MCAD

Posted at 7:45 AM on June 14, 2012 by Chris Roberts (2 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Public Art, Theater

Christine Baeumler's installation "Reconstituting the Landscape: A Tamarack Rooftop Restoration." (Photo courtesy of Minneapolis College of Art and Design)

The hounds have uncovered a "soul sonic superstar" diva, an anthemic electro-rock band, and a reconstituted wetland just above the entrance to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design.

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Jomama Jones' aura is too strong for Twin Cities theater director, producer and educator Bonnie Schock to resist. Bonnie says Minneapolis native and performer Daniel Alexander Jones is bringing his alter ego, the soulfully smooth chanteuse Jomama Jones to Pillsbury House Theatre as part of her comeback tour, "Radiate Live." Jomama fronts a five piece band with back-up singers and performs all original music. "Radiate Live" is on stage through June 24.

Greg Swan likes to crank up Minneapolis electro-rockers The New Monarchs when he's stuck in traffic, or looking for music to make the blood move in his veins. Greg, founder of the local music blog "Perfect Porridge," says The New Monarchs are releasing its appropriately titled new album "Stay Awake," at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 17.

"Giddy" is the word Minneapolis sculptor Aaron Dysart uses to describe how he feels about artist Christine Baeumler's installation "Reconstituting the Landscape: A Tamarack Rooftop Restoration." It's an actual bog, an artist's recreation of a wetland with tamarack trees and other plant life, and it sits one floor above the entrance to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Aaron appreciates its beauty, metaphoric power, and how the piece brings a somewhat invisible but fragile ecosystem into view.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

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The reviews are in for 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor'

Posted at 9:32 AM on June 13, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Chaos is king backstage at the Max Prince Show, a popular 1950s comedy-variety TV series. The stress of slipping ratings is eating Max alive, but his staff hurls nonstop zingers at each other and everyone within earshot.

Neil Simon's play "Laughter on the 23rd Floor," playing through July 8 at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, was inspired by his big break on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows."

Critics say you'll get your share of good laughs with this well-cast production. Scroll down to read excerpts of their reviews, or click on the links to read them in full.

Michael Paul Levin, Ari Hoptman and Karen Wiese-Thompson in Laughter on the 23rd Floor
Photo courtesy Park Square Theatre

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Yes, there is something of a plot, but it really doesn't matter. The joy of this show is just watching the characters pitching and catching one-liners and breezing through the light nostalgia of TV's golden age. Isn't that what summer is for?

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

It's often said that a director either solves or creates his problems when he casts a play and director Zach Curtis has put together a terrific ensemble for Laughter On The 23rd Floor.

Michael Paul Levin in Laughter on the 23rd Floor
Photo courtesy Park Square Theatre

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Two towering presences dominate the script, and the respective actors fully inhabit them. First is Ari Hoptman as Ira, an extremely funny and extremely difficult-to-work-with writer (based on Mel Brooks), which is topped by Michael Paul Levin's absolutely mad performance of the oft-addled and more than a bit paranoid star of the show, Max Prince.

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

Director Zach Curtis keeps the action as fast-paced as the zingers, so we don't have time to linger on the darker side of plot developments. This "23rd Floor" may not leave you rolling on the floor, but it's definitely got some genuine laughter.

Have you seen Laughter on the 23rd Floor at Park Square Theatre? If so, what did you think?

The reviews are in for Jungle Theater's 'Noises Off!'

Posted at 11:06 AM on June 12, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Sometimes the best drama - and comedy - in a theater is to be found backstage.

That's what inspired British playwright Michael Frayn to write his farcical play-within-a-play Noises Off!, which runs through July 29 at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

Noises Off! follows the on and off stage antics of an acting troupe as they make their way from dress rehearsal to closing night. While the show has received one rave review, other critics are decidedly mixed. Read on for more...

Cheryl Willis in "Noises Off!" at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis
Photo: Michal Daniel

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com:

Sass has orchestrated an amazing, wonderful "mess" of a show, and assembled a cast who showed up with their own bags of tricks, including impressive skills in clowning and dance. It's such an ensemble show, and they were all so perfectly cast, that I don't find it necessary to single anyone out. Terrific performances--without exception.

From Jay Gabler at TCDailyPlanet.com:

Frayn's play was inspired by the observation that the backstage drama at many plays is often wilder and more interesting than what's happening onstage. That's absoluely true: real life is amusing, especially when dramatized in such elegantly absurd fashion as Frayn manages in this classic script. The script is so good that it's hard to ruin--I must admit to laughing hard during the opening minutes of Act Three, but I think I would have been laughing much more often if Sass and his team had let these characters keep their feet on the ground.

Kimberly Richardson and E. J. Subkoviak in Noises Off! at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis

From Mira Reinberg at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

...the Jungle Theater has rallied a team of talented contributors under the direction of Joel Sass who turn the intimate space into a thriving theatrical universe, teeming with minute-to-minute disfunctionality and frustration, along with empathy and responsiveness....The ensemble builds up a dynamic that increasingly blurs the line between the real and fictional play and demonstrates once again that human creativity and outrageousness are not mutually exclusive.

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

If Sass's staging does not always grab me by the seat of the pants, it is because of timing and casting. When it's working, the production is tightly wound and everything clicks. At other times, it drags, and you can see the thinking of both actors and director. This on/off quality is supposed to peel back the workings of the theater for laughs. Instead, it slows down the production that should be a tour-de-farce.

Did you see Noises Off! at the Jungle Theater? If so, what did you think?

Broadway hit 'Doubt' transformed into an opera

Posted at 3:31 PM on June 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Film, Opera, Theater

This week, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley joined members of the Minnesota Opera to work on a new adaptation of his play "Doubt."

Director Kevin Newbury, left, discusses a point with librettist John Patrick Shanley and composer Douglas Cuomo. Conductor Christopher Franklin works with singers in the background.
MPR photo/Euan Kerr

MPR's Euan Kerr met up with Shanley, who says that telling the story through opera allows him to further explore nuances in the tale.

Shanley is unusual in the writing world. Not many playwrights get to write the screenplay for a movie based on their play. Even fewer get to write the operatic libretto. It's been a learning experience.

For the movie, Shanley says he has to re-write the story so that the dialog-heavy scenes work better for the camera. For the opera, he has had to learn new ways of working with nuance as the story is sung.

"I said to Doug Cuomo the composer that two people in the scene can be in complete disagreement but in musical terms they are very much in agreement, and that is a fascinating different kind of subtext," he said.

Each version of the story has built on the one before, Shanley said.

"I would say it would be rough to go in reverse order, because it's hard to give things up, and in opera you got it all."

You can read/listen to the full story here.

Art Hounds: Deanna Durbin, Cory Grossman and an audacious, angst-ridden, messy play

Posted at 7:45 AM on June 7, 2012 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Film, Music, Theater

Actors (l-r) Sarah Hollows, Anna Carol, Mason Mahoney, Kathryn Fumie, Adam Scarpello, and Santino Craven in Savage Umbrella's "Care Enough" (Photo credit Stacy Schwartz of Staciann Photography)

The hounds highlight a wild piece of theater by some radical 20-something practitioners, a film festival dedicated to a '40s-era screen star who sang and acted her way into the hearts of her admirers, and a local cellist who can improvise in a number of genres.

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mnartists.org editor Susannah Schouweiler says "Care Enough," the latest production from the Minneapolis group Savage Umbrella Theater, is not theater for the faint-hearted, or for your children. It's an incredibly ambitious, somewhat non-linear collection of ideas, scenarios and states of mind that form a portrait of the state of our world. And it's the kind of risky theater Susannah yearns for.

Shahzore Shah, a tenor with the all male Twin Cities vocal ensemble Cantus, deeply respects musicians who effortlessly glide from genre to genre. Shazore says Cory Grossman is one such cellist, a classically trained artist who can also improvise within a broad stylistic spectrum of music. Grossman will perform as part of his cello duo with Liz Draper, Grossman Draper, on Tuesday June 12 at Cafe Maud in Minneapolis. He also be performing on Wednesday, June 13 at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar in St. Paul with poet Lisa Brimmer and friends.

Singers Maria Jette (left) and Maud Hixson (right) so admire the singing and acting chops of their '40s-era idol Deanna Durbin, they took a tag team approach to talking about the festival of her films at the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights. "Deanna Durbin: The Queen of Universal," will feature a Deanna Durbin movie every Thursday in June and the first Thursday of July.

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Jomama Jones radiates love

Posted at 12:04 PM on June 11, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Music, Theater

If you ask Daniel Alexander Jones how he came up with the character of Jomama Jones, he will tell you she is not his creation - she just chose him as her vehicle.

Starting Wednesday, Jomama Jones takes to the stage at Pillsbury House Theatre for her musical show "Radiate Live!" The tour is earned warm reviews from the New York Times and Time Out New York. I asked Daniel Alexander Jones a few questions about Jomama, her past, and what "Radiate" is all about.

1. Who is Jomama Jones? What's her story?

Jomama Jones was part of a wave of dynamic performers who hit the scene in the early 1980s. Like other children of the Civil Rights Era, she sought to live the dream freely in the space that had been made for her by the previous generations. Her records were staples on R&B and pop radio and her appearances on Soul Train, Solid Gold and American Bandstand are the stuff of legend. When she left America, for reasons she discusses in the show, she did not look back. She traveled the world and continued to perform; she became, as had others before her, an expatriate presence. She returned to the studio in 2009 and has now released three new recordings, Lone Star, Radiate and Six Ways Home. She's performed in several venues nationally and enjoyed a sold-out run of RADIATE at Soho Rep in NYC. She is currently at work on two new projects and has a lot to sing about and share.

2. How did her creation come about?

I didn't create Jomama. She chose me to come through. In truth, I channel her, versus perform her. I am an actor and writer and believe me I would be the first to take credit for her if I could (smile) but I cannot. It's a kind of collaboration. She first appeared to me when I was 25, then living in Minneapolis on a Jerome Fellowship at the Playwrights' Center. I wove her through one of my early performance pieces and she stole the show. Then she went away. In 2009, I went through a series of huge personal upheavals, which included a complete reassessment of my work and role as an artist. In the midst of my plans and schemes, like a comet returning from a long arc, Jomama reappeared to me, with incredible force and clarity. The first things she demanded were the reins, and that I contact Bobby Halvorson. Straight up. What is unfolding artistically is the most exciting process of which I've ever been a part.

3. What's Jomama's mission? Put otherwise, why is she taking Radiate on tour?

Stories shape realities. The stories we tell, the stories we are told, the stories within which we are asked to live, the stories we need to keep ourselves here, the stories we encounter that function like cages, the stories that open portals to new ways of seeing... Songs are sites and delivery systems for stories of incalculable power. What are the songs that sing our truths individually; and what are our collective songs? Jomama Jones is on a mission to sing to you; to invite you to play inside the stories-as-songs that speak to some aspects of our collective resilience and radiance which may - in some cases not all - have been dampened, or which may have lost their strength of signal in the static of our age. She is also deeply curious, looking for evidence of us, here, now - what is the melody we are making?

4. What do you get out of performing her?

These are two true things about my work: one, it is only when the people have gathered and we are all in the live experience together that the work happens; two, there are phases of the creative process which give me great pleasure privately, but the point is always the sharing/the dialogue with others; I chose theatre because it is ultimately a public, participatory form. I have the great blessing of collaborating with artists on this project who engage their full potential and do so with grace, presence and humor. They do not hide behind irony or cynicism. They go all in; they bring it. I get to work with Bobby Halvorson, whom I consider to be a musical genius (the wonderful work he does on this project is but one aspect of his wide ranging practice); the singers, musicians, designers, crew... all of them golden. And I get to return to Pillsbury House Theatre - an organization that embodies what I believe a 21st Century theatre needs to be - a place for gathering inside of and around artistically rigorous adventures; a place where truly everyone who wishes to be there is welcome to be a part; a place that debunks the practice of maintaining theatre as an elite art form. Faye Price and Noel Raymond are two of my art-heroes. It is an absolute honor to work with them on this project.

5. Why is now the time for Jomama Jones to make a comeback on American stages?

A dear friend, the playwright Erik Ehn, often says "what you water will grow". There is an overgrowth of cynicism, irony and anger which I experience in my country. No one ever told me love was easy. No one ever told me life wasn't work. If, as an artist, in collaboration with other artists (and forces of nature like Jomama) I can contribute to the remembering of our collective capacity to engage the hard work of love and presence, then I am fulfilling my purpose. I believe that now is Jomama's time to be back because she has the technology to do this; every time we perform, I learn from her. I am not kidding when I say she comes through - I think, in fact, that she may be able to see the future.

Radiate Live! runs through June 24 at Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis.

The reviews are in for 'Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays'"

Posted at 9:42 AM on June 6, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Hennepin Theatre Trust and Frank Theatre are both jumping into the gay marriage debate with the staging of "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays."

The show, which runs through June 16, features a series of vignettes that celebrate the courage to be in a relationship. It's being produced in cooperation with Minnesotans United for All Families, the official statewide campaign working to defeat the constitutional amendment that would exclude gays and lesbians from marriage in Minnesota.

According to these reviews you're likely to have a great time... if you support gay marriage.

Mark Rhein and Jim Lichtscheidl in "Standing On Ceremony"
Photo: Karen Nelson

From William Randall Beard at the Star Tribune:

The plays are by turns thought-provoking, politically astute and bitingly hilarious. Frank Theatre Artistic Director Wendy Knox offers sharp direction to her ensemble of six actors, playing 26 characters. This is one of the smartest, most satisfying evenings of theater I've experienced in quite some time.

From HowWasTheShow.com:

The pieces are solid, deeply felt, always entertaining. Will dyed-in-the-wool homophobics be swayed by the material? Probably not, but Standing On Ceremony effectively keeps this vital issue alive. It's well worth seeing.

Shawn Hamilton and Jim Lichtscheidl
Photo: Karen Nelson

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

....the conservative characters are not presented with as much compassion as the homosexuals and their allies. While some of these portrayals are funny, biting, and utterly recognizable - as in the re-enactment of a real-life Facebook debate in Doug Wright's On Facebook - others revert to familiar stereotypes of conservative paranoia and denial. If this play has a flaw, it is that it prepares audiences very well for blatant, outspoken conservatism, but perhaps less well for the more subtle homophobia that one might encounter in the workplace or a social situation.

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

On balance, Standing on Ceremony works when the politics are left in the background -- still there, but not our main focus, as in the sweet, moving closer, "Pablo & Andrew at the Altar of Words." In Jose Rivera's piece, two men share self-written vows that illustrate all that they love about each other. That's something theater can do that all the political statements, billboards, and bumper stickers can't: show us the powerful, beautiful, brilliant love at the heart of the issue.

Jim Lichtscheidl and Laura Adams
Photo: Karen Nelson

From Kathleen Watson of Lavender Magazine:

As a whole, the plays provided the perfect balance of side-splitting laughter, gut-wrenching honesty, and loving tenderness which reflects the constantly changing emotional dynamic of marriage.

Standing on Ceremony is a must-see for anyone who cares about marriage equality. Both inspiring and honest, these short plays provide a night of entertainment centered around an issue very near and dear to our hearts: our right to love.

The Real Housewives of Shakespeare

Posted at 12:34 PM on June 5, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Theater, Video

The Great River Shakespeare Festival of Winona always has a good time touting the charms of the old bard. This year is no exception, with the company creating its own modern take on Shakespeare's leading ladies. Enjoy!

Dancer, choreographer Deborah Jinza Thayer hit by car

Posted at 5:30 PM on June 4, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Dance, People, Theater

Dancer and choreographer Deborah Jinza Thayer was set to perform a new solo work June 14-17 at Red Eye Theater as part of its new works series, but that now appears to be impossible.

Red Eye Theater's Miriam Must shared on Facebook the news that Thayer was run over by a car yesterday.

She has 4 cracked vertabrae and 2 cracked ribs, among other injuries. We will keep you posted on her condition and how to reach her. Right now she is not answering the phone, but has friends in the room with her. We will keep you posted about her condition and the best way/s to reach her and assist. Obviously, she will not be able to perform in two weeks...we will make an announcement about that weekend's offerings as soon as possible.

Thayer was to be part of a dance and theater double feature, alongside actor/musician Stephen Peabody.

Is nudity obscene?

Posted at 10:46 AM on May 31, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Dance, People, Theater

Artist Patrick Scully has lost his most recent battle for the right to swim naked in a public area.

The founder of Patrick's Cabaret, Scully's own performances have often involved nudity. Last July he was ticketed for swimming at Twin Lakes in Golden Valley (it's a misdemeanor offense to not wear proper attire in a public park, with the exception of theatrical, musical and other artistic performances).

Scully had intended to battle the ticket in court on the premise that he is an artist and was performing in the park that day.

Patrick Scully
Photo courtesy of the artist

But the afternoon before the trial two additional charges were added, including indecent exposure. That meant if Scully lost the case, he would potentially be placed on the Minnesota Sex Crimes Registry. Scully posted on his Facebook page that "I did not feel that what I could gain in this struggle by trying to fight the new charge was worth what I might lose, if I lost fighting that charge."

I will find other ways to work for my goals (resisting encroachment on artistic freedom and obtaining our collective right to be naked in the sun and water). The good news is that I am headed to Berlin in a few weeks where I can enjoy a month of being naked in various lakes without having to worry about such idiotic laws.

Scully pleaded guilty Wednesday, and was fined $378. If he's charged with a similar crime in the next year, he will have to serve 60 days in the Hennepin County workhouse.

Ganymede and the Eagle, by Bertel Thorvaldsen is on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which is visited by 500,000 people each year, including tens of thousands of school children.
Image courtesy of the MIA

All this begs the question, is nudity obscene? Why is it we can stare at sculptures and paintings of naked men, women and children in a museum, but to see the real thing is considered by many to be vulgar?

In San Francisco, nudists recently protested to protect their rite to sit in a restaurant in the buff. While in Barcelona it only recently became illegal to walk the city streets naked.

Each society has its own standards in regard to what's appropriate dress... but why the disconnect between what we are willing to look at in a gallery or a museum, and what we are willing to see "in the flesh?"

Art Hounds: Ten minute plays, Korean adoptees and an African pop band born in a refugee camp

Posted at 7:45 AM on May 31, 2012 by Chris Roberts
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Music, Theater

Rehearsal photo from "MISC Amendments," one of the 12 plays in Bedlam Theatre's Ten Minute Play Festival (Photo by Farrington Starnes, courtesy of Bedlam Theatre)

This week the hounds have their eyes on two one-person shows from the adult Korean adoptee perspective, a festival of ten minute theater pieces, and a cadre of refugee musicians from Sierra Leone who've become one of the most joyous live acts around.

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St. Paul composer Mike Croswell will be camped out at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis this Tuesday, June 5th, waiting to get a dose of joy and hope. Mike says Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, which mixes reggae, West African traditional music and pop, and rhythm and blues, formed in a refugee camp in Guinea in the late '90s. He says the band is a testament to music's ability to transcend human suffering.

Having been a performer in Bedlam Theatre's annual Ten Minute Play Festival last year, Minneapolis multi-media performance artist Kelley A. Meister would now like to celebrate it as a fan. Kelley says the festival, which runs through Sunday, June 3 at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, promises a wide-ranging, eclectic performance showcase on stage, with 12 ten minute blasts of theater each night.

Twin Cities theater educator and actor Stephanie Lein Walseth predicts "The Origin(s) Project" will provide a fuller picture of the Korean adoptee experience in Minnesota. It matches the talents of two Korean adult adoptee artists, Sun Mee Chomet and Katie Hae Leo, in two one-person shows about their search for family and identity as adults. On stage at Dreamland Arts in St. Paul through June 9.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

The reviews are in for 'Compleat Female Stage Beauty'

Posted at 9:40 AM on May 29, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

In the flamboyant reign of King Charles II, London's most renowned leading lady is a man named Edward Kynaston. But when royal decree puts women onstage and Kynaston finds his role reversed, he must learn to adapt with the times.

Walking Shadow Theatre Company presents the regional premiere of "Compleat Female Stage Beauty," Jeffrey Hatcher's play which was turned into a film in 2004.

Wade A. Vaughn as Edward Kynaston in Compleat Female Stage Beauty
Photo by Dan Norman

Critics deemed this production a winner - here are excerpts of their reviews:

From Anna Rosensweig at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

In Walking Shadow's production (on which Hatcher consulted), it's Wade A. Vaughn's portrayal of Kynaston that really stands out. Vaughn embodies this fascinating character with a complexity that is nothing short of remarkable. Navigating several layers of performance, Vaughn must play Kynaston on stage as Desdemona, Kynaston in drag in St. James Park, and Kynaston as a fallen star attempting to re-fashion his persona. Vaughn succeeds at every level, often with staggering amounts of emotional depth and complexity.

Anika Reitman, Katie Kaufmann, Wade A. Vaughn and Duncan Frost in Compleat Female Stage Beauty
Photo by Dan Norman

From Graydon Royce at the Star Tribune:

Kynaston discovers his inner man through a tryst with his dresser, Maria, although this experience doesn't quite feel profound enough to effect such a transformation. Suddenly, he is up for the testosterone-fueled role of Othello and is throwing Hughes' Desdemona around stage like he's Stanley Kowalski dispatching Blanche. But Hatcher's play is so enjoyable and his love for backstage drama so genuine that we suspend disbelief at this point and ride with the action.

Jane Froiland, Duncan Frost and Wade A. Vaughn
Photo by Dan Norman

From Dominic P. Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Director John Heimbuch offers a telling of the tale that captures its paradoxes well. A trio of live musicians plays sweet period music on the hammer dulcimer and period-appropriate string instruments. Every frill and corset stay is in place in Katherine B. Kohl's costume design. But both Hatcher's script and Heimbuch's direction show a shadier side of this proper society -- debauchery and petty jealousies; gossip, ambition and the price of pride.

Jane Froiland and Wade A. Vaughn in Compleat Female Stage Beauty
Photo by Dan Norman

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

What we have is a play rich in the gaudy excesses of the age. Think of the DayGlo 1960s, when the shackles of the gray postwar years were released and people were allowed to go more than a little mad. Now magnify that by 100. The explosions in culture, art, fashion, and more base pursuits all find their place in Compleat Female Stage Beauty, reminding us that the Baby Boomers didn't discover sex, and theater is a constantly evolving game that remains the same at its heart.

Compleat Female Stage Beauty runs through June 2 at Minneapolis Theatre Garage. Have you seen the production? If so, what did you think? Share your review in the comments section.

Sandglass Theater to perform in Twin Cities this week

Posted at 7:52 AM on May 28, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: People, Theater

For those of you who are missing winter after the muggy weekend Vermont's Sandglass Theater arrives just in time with "All Weather Ballads." It's a lyrical production capturing the delights of rural life in a northern climate. Led by celebrated puppeteer Eric Bass, Sandglass explores ice-fishing, apple-growing, and the delights of sawing logs.

Here's the company's trailer for the show. Be warned there is a brief display of puppet nudity.

Sandglass will be the guests of In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater and Pangea World Theater. the shows will be at 8pm Friday and Saturday at HOBT theater on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Details at the In the Heart of the Beast website.

Art Hounds: Michael Crouser, Edgar Varese, and Crimes of the Heart

Posted at 7:45 AM on May 24, 2012 by Chris Roberts (1 Comments)
Filed under: Art Hounds, Events, Galleries, Music, Photography, Theater

"Dog Run #60" by Michael Crouser (Image courtesy of the artist)

This week's hounds direct us to a Minneapolis/Brooklyn photographer who develops his own pictures, a 20th century French composer as interpreted by the SPCO, and a play about dysfunctional, impulsive southern passion.

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Minneapolis photographer Bernadette Pollard calls Michael Crouser an increasingly rare breed of photographer, who still shoots on film and develops images in his own darkroom. Bernadette says it's resulted in a strong, clear artistic vision that distinguishes Crouser as a craftsman. His work is the subject of the exhibition, "Michael Crouser: Mid-Career Retrospective," on display at the Minneapolis Photo Center through June 16.

Everyone knows about Mozart, but St. Paul composer Justin E.A. Busch says what about the adventurous 20th century French composer Edgar Varese? Both are getting the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra treatment this weekend, but Justin is especially excited about the Varese works on the SPCO program. They include what Justin calls a musical exploration for strictly solo flute with no other accompaniment. The concerts will be held on May 25 & 26 at 8pm at the Ordway in St. Paul and on the 27th at 2pm at Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis.

"Crimes of the Heart" drew freelance director and actor Joshua James Campbell to the Bloomington Civic Theatre recently, and he was thoroughly charmed and captivated. It's a play that delves into southern culture by focusing on the lives of three dysfunctionally emotional sisters. Joshua says it's directed by Minnesota theater institution Wendy Lehr, and he could feel her imprint on the production.

For more Art Hounds' recommendations, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. Art Hounds is also available as a podcast on iTunes.

Art Hounds is powered by the Public Insight Network.

Guthrie announces shows rounding out 50th season

Posted at 4:25 PM on May 22, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Theater

The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis has now revealed the final details of its 2012-2013 season. The initial line-up for what will be the theater's 50th season drew controversy from some quarters due to the lack of diversity amongst its playwrights and directors.

In a final announcement the Guthrie revealed it has added a Pillsbury House Theatre production of "Buzzer" by Tracey Scott Wilson, directed by Marion McClinton. Pillsbury House and the Guthrie co-commissioned the play, which premiered at the south Minneapolis venue in February this year. The play explores the impact of gentrification on a neighborhood from the perspective of a mixed couple and their friends.

The Guthrie also announced Lisa Peterson will direct the production of the Pulitzer Prize winning "Clybourne" Park. Peterson directed the Guthrie's recent productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Major Barbara." She also worked with Denis O'Hare to co-adapt "An Iliad," a one performer presentation of Homer's classic tale. Guthrie veteran Stephen Yoakam will take on the role.

The Guthrie also set the dates for the Dowling Studio Theater season: Shakespeare's "As You Like It," presented by The Acting Company in association with the Guthrie, will run January 12--February 3, 2013. "Buzzer" runs February 8th through March 3rd 2013, followed by Mu Performing Arts production of Rick Shiomi's "Yellow Fever" March 8th - 24th 2013. "An Iliad" finishes the season in a run from May 4th through 26th.

Details are available at the Guthrie website.

Walker Art Center announces 2012-2013 performance season

Posted at 2:00 PM on May 17, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Dance, Museums, Music, Theater

The Walker Art Center announced today the coming year's performance season, and there's lots to like. From fresh new voices to familiar icons, the program includes six commissions and three world premieres. Here's a look at just some of what's coming up:

Back to Back Theatre presents Ganesh Versus the Third Reich as part of the Walker Art Center's 2012-2013 performing arts season
Photo courtesy the artist

The season gets started in September with a performance by Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People, Commissioned by the Walker, And lose the name of action melds dance with neuroscience and paranormal phenomena.

Later that month Sō Percussion comes to town and collaborates with, among others, local choreographer Emily Johnson.

Patrick Scully and Aparna Ramaswamy will co-curate the Walker Art Center's 40th Choreographers' Evening
Photo: Gene Pittman, Courtesy Walker Art Center

In October Voices of Strength: New Dance and Theater by Women from Africa features new works by five female director-choreographers from across the African continent.

Then BodyCartography Project returns to the Twin Cities to perform Super Nature, in which it explores "the wild and
civilized aspects of human nature with idiosyncratic movements drawn from bodily impulses and social interactions."

Iconic performance artist Laurie Anderson performs at the Walker Art Center November 2 and 3
Photo: Lucie Jansch

November marks the return of the iconic performance artist Laurie Anderson to the Walker Art Center for the first time in ten years. Her latest work Dirtday! brings together Darwinism, feminism, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Willie Nelson, alien popes, and other pressing matters.

On November 24 Patrick Scully and Aparna Ramaswamy curate the 40th Choreographers' Evening, a one evening snapshot of the Twin Cities vibrant dance scene, presenting emerging talent alongside seasoned pros.

Fatoumata Diawara performs at The Cedar in April 2013
Photo: Youri Lenquette

Before taking a break for the holidays, the Walker presents a two day celebration of the work of choreographer Deborah Hay, appropriately named "Hay Days."

Then in January it's the 25th annual Out There series, presenting cutting edge works from around the globe, including Back to Back Theatre's Ganesh Versus the Third Reich.. Back to Back hails from Australia and creates new forms of contemporary theater "imagined from the minds and experiences of a unique ensemble of actors with disabilities, giving voice to social and political issues that speak to all people."

With the onset of spring comes a whole host of musical guests, including Ben Frost, Glenn Kotche, John Zorn, Fatoumata Diawara, and Craig Taborn, among others.

Five questions for David Hanbury, a.k.a. Mrs. Smith

Posted at 4:00 PM on May 17, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Comedy, Theater

Freshly traumatized from her appearance on "America's Got Talent!" Mrs. Smith is back with an evening of story and song about the heart-stopping highs and perilous lows of fame, fortune and superstardom.

Mrs. Smith is the alter-ego of David Hanbury. I asked Hanbury to answer a few questions about Mrs. Smith, and to give a window into the life of a theater queen.

David Hanbury as Mrs. Smith, along with Broadway boys Tony Milder and Rick Latterell
Photo: Dan Norman

1. Tell me about Mrs. Smith - who is she?

Mrs. Smith is a well-to-do lady of a certain age who's more than a little kooky. Audiences report an uncanny feeling of familiarity when they first see her; it's very likely you have an eccentric aunt that's a lot like her. Her cat Carlyle has been missing for three and a half years and her main quest is to be reunited with him. She is the kind of woman who is enamored with psychoanalysis, New Age therapies, psychics and the rest. Most surreal is her ability to "shred" on electric guitar. This is not a theatrical illusion, I really play guitar live so when you see Smithy two handed tapping like Edward Van Halen it's REAL!

2. What inspired you to create her?

I fell in with a crew of Charles Ludlam'esque theater queens in Provincetown, Massachusetts a few years ago lead by a brilliant artist named Ryan Landry. I was a young character actor at the time, waiting to mature into character acting but Ryan saw a crazy old lady deep inside me, somehow. He was the first to put me in a grey wig and I played all kinds of Schoolmarms, nosey neighbors and whatnot in comedies. Then one night at a variety show I did an improvised bit as this character named Mrs. Smith, a depressed woman searching for her missing cat. The audience loved her.

David Hanbury
Photo courtesy the artist

3. What's the appeal of being a female impersonator? Put differently, what do you get out of inhabiting the character of Mrs. Smith?

I don't consider what I do "female impersonation," that's actually a very specific genre of club performance that has to do with drag artists impersonating celebrities. At it's best, female impersonation creates incredibly convincing illusions wherein the artist transforms himself into Marilyn Monroe, Cher, or Madonna, etc. The most amazing part of female impersonating is the fact that one performer will usually switch into a dozen different celebrities within the course of a single performance, it's a quick change miracle what these guys do.

I see what I do as being more within the realm of theater, specifically what's come to be known these days as "club theater." It's part cabaret, part character acting, and part improv comedy. I sing live, play guitar live, and perform scripted sequences so it's sort of like a play where the main character is likely to burst out of the narrative to interact with the audience.

I keep returning to Mrs. Smith because she keeps demanding that I tell her stories. She can be placed in an endless array of contexts and always have a fresh take on them. As an actor I love performing all kinds of roles but with Smith I can perform, write, sing, play guitar and interact with an audience. Its a thrill. I'm so grateful she chose me as her vessel!!

4. Who are your inspirations/influences? What is it about them that you admire?

I would say Charles Ludlam, PeeWee Herman, Lily Tomlin, Tracey Ullman, Jennifer Saunders, Monty Python. These were all artists that captivated me all the way from when I was a kid to present day. I suppose what they all have in common is an element of comedic physicality and audacity, whether you're talking about Jennifer Saunders doing a prat fall into an open grave on Ab Fab or Lily Tomlin re-shaping her body and voice to become a different human being.

5. Why should someone who has never been to one of your shows give it a try?

I think it combines a lot of unexpected elements of live performance in a way that's surprising and lots of fun. There's comedy with a little dash of pathos and some heart thrown in as well. There's live music performed with a sense of abandon. There's an interactive element as well (but not the stupid, annoying, or boring kind of interactivity). There are hard-scripted sequences that have been rehearsed a great deal but she is constantly popping out of the story and commenting in ways that surprise even me. At the end of a Mrs. Smith show audiences consistently report feeling as if they have seen something that can never be repeated. It's a lot of fun!

Mrs. Smith Live at the Bryant Lake Bowl runs tonight through May 26.

Does diversity sell theater tickets?

Posted at 11:26 AM on May 21, 2012 by Marianne Combs (2 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Technology, Theater

In the wake of the recent controversy over the Guthrie Theater's upcoming season, the arts unit here at MPR was left with a few nagging questions.

The debate revolved around the need to sell tickets (approximately 2,000 a night), and determining which shows would manage to do that. Artistic Director Joe Dowling stated that he only looks at the quality of the play and the talent of the director when planning his season; he does not look at the gender or color of the people doing the writing or the directing.

That left us wondering - how important is diversity to the audience? Would knowing that a play was written by a woman or a person of color sway their attendance? How about the director?

Using MPR's Public Insight Network, we sent out a query asking these questions and a few others.

Answers tended to fall into one of two categories: "I appreciate and seek out diversity in my theater experience" or "I buy tickets based on reviews, and don't really think about who wrote the play or is directing."

While the results are too small to be statistically conclusive, we found the answers enlightening. Here's a sampling:

Would knowing that the author or director of a play was a woman influence your decision to go? Please tell us why or why not:

Dollis Scheele of Green Isle:

Yes. I am a woman and would like to see a wide diversity of choices in actors, directors, stage designers, costumes etc. If you do not attend plays with minority leadership they will soon be unemployed.

Kaohly Her of St. Paul:

I think that women and minorities bring a different perspective to theater. I seek opportunities to support plays directed by people who are generally under represented groups. BTW, I like to seek out plays that reflect different cultural perspective but also my own cultural perspective. Likewise, I prefer to see plays are familiar to me but I also love plays that are also new.

I have two young girls so the plays I attend are no longer just for my enjoyment. Seeing the classics are important (Cats, Les Miserable, etc...) but seeing smaller shows that are educational, that speak to our cultural heritage, deal with social justice issues, are thought provoking and educational are really important to me.

Aditi Kapil of Minneapolis:

Trick question: it depends on which woman. most of my favorite local directors are women, so in that sense yes. Just a female director on the basis of gender alone, no. But I do expect from female directors a greater interpretive boldness, an inventiveness that comes from having a new perspective, particularly when dealing with classics, so maybe... I'm more likely to go to a familiar classic play when directed through the lens of Lisa Peterson or Michelle Hensley.

Q: Would knowing that the author or director of a play was a person of color influence your decision to go?

Eric Pone of Brooklyn Center:

I don't want to relive bad times in my life. As an African American, I get tired of the same civil rights, social justice, why don't Black men value Black women plays. I want to be entertained I don't want an agenda thrown at me. How about an action oriented African tale, or any other cultural tale. I love Macbeth but c'mon there are other countries!

As for the Guthrie, I have always wanted to go to their new space, but the shows they pick frankly, been there done that. The Guthrie is for the wealthy corporate executives and their wives who have a lot of money and want shows that appeal to them. I don't feel that the Guthrie is geared toward the middle class. I certainly don't feel that welcomed as a Black male. Maybe that is just their niche.

Heid Erdrich of Minneapolis:

When I go to a play, I am seeking what is lacking in readily available dramatic art forms, such as film. I am seeking voice and presence and I am more interested in the voice and presence of women and people of color than I am in the established voice and vision of regularly represented artists.

I go to the theater to be transported. To examine artistic choices. To be moved by passionate voices that both touch on my own worldview and interrogate it. To have a special evening out. To understand other artists and other people better. To feel human pity and wonder. To enter a conversation about art.

Minnesotans hold strong opinions about theater--we are so lucky we can! There's enormous talent here, too, but the divide between what the people love and what gets supported for the larger stages is enormous, a gulf that many of us see and increasingly find harder to cross for production value alone.

Thomas Noerper of St. Paul:

Yes. I might be suspicious that the play is produced not for the quality of the writing, but to "give voice" to diverse peoples. I'm glad that is done, but I spend my time and money for the highest quality experience I can have. That is primary to me.

What else should we know about this topic?

Markeeta Keyes of Brooklyn Center:

There is a defined demographic of individuals that attend Guthrie plays. The customers or the plays don't tend to reflect my culture. Risk taking is key, yet unchartered here in terms or race/women's issues. The plays at the Guthrie are great, it's a great idea to draw more people of color and diverse backgrounds, by a diversification of play type and actors/actresses. I LOVE the Guthrie and most plays I've seen there.

Elizabeth Leaf of Red Wing:

I have lived my life in Minnesota and have gone to theater productions and been a part of productions since the age of 5. As a person of color one of the great things about theater is that it is not restrictive to age, race, gender or sexual orientation. I grew up in a community that was restricted in its ideas of diversity. Theater is always a way to break stereotypes. I'm now 41 and can see how much support is needed for actors/writers/directors that produce plays that are not what we expect to see.

Why do you go to the theater? Would knowing the playwright or director was a woman or a person of color sway your decision? How so? Share your responses in the comments section.

The reviews are in for Penumbra Theatre's 'The Amen Corner'

Posted at 10:06 AM on May 15, 2012 by Marianne Combs (1 Comments)
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Penumbra Theatre presents "The Amen Corner" at the Guthrie Theater through June 17. Here's the plot summary:

The fiery and unfaltering Sister Margaret, leader of a devoted congregation in Harlem, has dedicated years of her life to serving the Lord. But when her son unexpectedly reunites her with her estranged husband, a jazz musician, she risks losing her standing in the church and the son she has tried to keep on a religious path.

While the opening weekend was marred with a few technical issues (actors adjusting to microphones, among other things), the majority of reviewers found this show meaty and rewarding, worthy of the three-hour investment it demands. Read on for excerpts of reviews, or click on the links to read them in full.

The cast of Penumbra Theatre Company's production of The Amen Corner by James Baldwin.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

"Amen Corner," James Baldwin's first play, is impressive for its meatiness. It packs many issues into three hours -- conflicts between the spiritual and the carnal, pastor and congregation, parent and child. The drama is suffused with themes that Baldwin, a disgruntled onetime preacher, dealt with in other writings, including the hypocrisy and holier-than-thou mores in so many churches.

Greta Oglesby (right) as Sister Margaret Alexander and Crystal Fox as Odessa in Penumbra Theatre Company's production of The Amen Corner by James Baldwin.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

The performances in The Amen Corner are outstanding. Greta Oglesby plays Sister Margaret beautifully, fearful of what Luke represents, yet drawn, inevitably, to his deathbed. She never wavers from her religious convictions, even as old passions rise up unbidden. She is able to give expression to gorgeous defiance in the face of her congregation's (egregiously unfair) accusations. Oglesby is also a terrific vocalist and she does some highly tasty singing - ditto the wonderful Dennis W. Spears. As Luke, Hannibal Lokumbe amazes, as he pants and weaves through his scenes - and plays them with can't-look-away fervency. Plus, as a bonus, Lokumbe is a gifted trumpeter. What more could you ask for? As Odessa, Crystal Fox does quietly lovely work, as does Faye M. Price. Thomasina Petrus is a hoot.

And Eric Berryman as David. Wow. Quiet, understated, poised, sweet, drawn to his father's musicianship, in love with his mother's safe religiosity. Quietly defiant: "I have things I have to do," he says, making you feel the pressing burden of his future. Berryman dominates every scene he's in. Bravo.

Eric Berryman as David Alexander and Greta Oglesby as Sister Margaret Alexander in Penumbra Theatre Company's production of The Amen Corner by James Baldwin.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Dominic Papatola at the Pioneer Press:

Things pick up steam after intermission, when both the emotion and the rhetoric swell to poetic heights. But Baldwin, the playwright, seems unwilling to let these characters go. As the play moves toward an anti-climactic climax and a swift, shallow denouncement, Bellamy, the director, can't get the script to keep its pace.

Greta Oglesby as Sister Margaret Alexander and Hannibal Lokumbe as Luke in Penumbra Theatre Company's production of The Amen Corner by James Baldwin.
Photo by Michael Brosilow

From Ellen Burkhardt at Minnesota Monthly:

The scenes with lengthy bouts of dialogue tend to drag, likely due to Baldwin's unfamiliarity with writing for the stage and the actors' unfamiliarity with the expansiveness of the Wurtele versus their more intimate Penumbra stage. Balancing the lulls, however, is the incredible music, courtesy of the actors (many of them trained vocalists) as well as the members of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, whose powerful voices and harmonies revitalize the action.

As is the case with any performance, these small lows will likely disappear by the end of the play's run, leaving only the powerful piece of art that is The Amen Corner--a work that, although written 50 years ago, still resonates with today's society.

Have you seen "The Amen Corner?" If so, what did you think? Share your review in the comments section.

The reviews are in for 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...'

Posted at 10:01 AM on May 8, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

In 1953, poet Langston Hughes was required to appear before the Committee on Un-American Activities to answer Sen. Joseph McCarthy's accusations on being a Communist.

"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..." is playwright Carlyle Brown's imagining of Hughes' sleepless night before appearing in court, as he wrestles with how best to answer the panel.

Gavin Lawrence (Langston Hughes) in Carlyle Brown & Company's production of 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...'
Photo by Charissa Uemura

The play, produced by Carlyle Brown & Company and directed by Noel Raymond, has received strong reviews for its seamless merging of poetry and politics.

From Janet Preus at HowWasTheShow.com

The bulk of the play is a one-man show, with Gavin Lawrence as Hughes revealing many more things about himself and his writing life. But these are the context in which his poems are born, and the context that the Senate committee, late in the play, does not have the patience to hear. Lawrence is wonderfully engaging as the writer... Lawrence's performance of Hughes poems is reason enough to see this show. He really makes the poetry live!

Gavin Lawrence (Langston Hughes) in Carlyle Brown & Company's production of 'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...'
Photo by Charissa Uemura

From Sophie Kerman at AisleSayTwinCities.com:

...Playwright Carlyle Brown's way of interweaving speculative musings, impassioned diatribes, and Hughes' poems themselves is so seamlessly done that the play itself is like poetry to watch...

Are You Now... is a play that, like Hughes' poetry, opens many doors and refuses to close them or to give the audience too many obvious signposts. Themes circle back on themselves, expanding out or spiraling inward in new and unexpected ways.

The cast of Carlyle Brown & Company's production of Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...
Photo by Charissa Uemura

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Playwright Brown, who also plays Hughes' lawyer at the hearing, infuses this one-act with Hughes' poetry. In fact, Lawrence often makes the poems sing, delivering them with such force and power that audiences interrupt the action with applause.

Its intellectual heft is part of what's so compelling about "Are You Now." This is a play about the power of ideas and also the difficulty of pinning down the imagination.

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

My companion was so infuriated by the actions of the committee that he said he had to keep reminding himself these were actors. The McCarthy era was a dark one for America, and Brown's story shines some light on how it affected those victimized by the violent prejudice against "communists" - while also reflecting on attitudes toward race and art.

"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..." runs through May 20 in the Dowling Studio of the Guthrie Theater.

Have you seen it? If so, share your review in the comments section.

The reviews are in for CTC's 'Pippi Longstocking'

Posted at 9:39 AM on May 7, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Criticism, Theater

Pippi Longstocking may be the archetype for the truly liberated woman. She's strong, livers on her own, doesn't conform to current fashion trends, and has a little bit of magic about her.

Children's Theatre Company has brought back the classic tale, and Pippi appears to be as beloved as ever. Scroll down to read excerpts of reviews; click on the links to read them in full.

Katie Adducci is Pippi Longstocking at Children's Theatre Company

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Pippi Longstocking, the mischievous, independent-minded youngster who thwarts authority for pleasure, has returned to the Children's Theatre stage with freshness and fun. Director Peter Brosius' production... with newcomer Katie Adducci as the rambunctious title character, teems with physical humor, including door-slamming and pratfalls.

Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund in Pippi Longstocking at Children's Theatre Company
Photo: Dan Norman

From John Olive at HowWasTheShow.com:

Brosius takes the energy level to 11 and leaves it there for long stretches. No one taps anyone on the shoulder without a scream and pratfall. The two bungling burglars, Bloom and Thunder (played brilliantly - as always - by Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund), are so over-the-top they make the Three Stooges look Chekhovian. Autumn Ness's Mrs. Prysselius (one of the finest character names in theatrical history) is a bumbling and shrieking hoot and a half. She tries so hard to be nasty you want to kiss her on the nose.

The cast of Pippi Longstocking
Photo: Dan Norman

From Renee Valois at the Pioneer Press:

CTC's version of "Pippi" includes serious scenes not found in Astrid Lindgren's lighthearted book, such as a stunning interlude in which Pippi dreams of her missing parents. Swirling dancers and changes in lighting and sound skillfully move the fantastical sequence from joyful to nightmarish.

Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking may be a little long for very young children, but the two-hour show will fly by for older ones - because every child would like to meet her - or be her.

Pippi Longstocking runs through June 10 at Children's Theatre Company. Have you seen Pippi Longstocking? If so, what did you think? Share your review in the comments section.

The role of the ethnic theater company

Posted at 11:12 AM on May 4, 2012 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts management, Culture, Theater

In covering the Guthrie Theater's 50th anniversary season last week, one thing became very clear; the lack of diversity on the theater stage is an ongoing national problem.

20 years ago the lack of roles for Asian American actors, and the lack of learning opportunities for aspiring Asian American actors, led Rick Shiomi to found Mu Performing Arts.

Rick Shiomi
Photo by Lia Chang

Today Shiomi can list an impressive number of young actors who got their first acting opportunities at Mu, and are now regularly employed by other theaters around town.

On McKnight Foundation's "State of the Artist" blog, Shiomi wrote that while theaters may be gradually diversifying their plays- and their casts - there will always be a need for his theater, and other similar ethnic theaters.