Iowa-based
Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Megan Gogerty wrote (and performed in) her play
Feast, an alternative version of the
Beowulf story as told from the point of view of the monster Grendel's mother, in 2019.
Walking Shadow Theatre Company premiered their production in 2023, and have brought it back a few times since. But seeing it last night (for the first time in three years), it felt like it was written for this moment, for this place. They're performing at the Black Forest Inn at the corner of 26th and Nicollet in Minneapolis, mere feet from where Alex Pretti was murdered by federal agents five weeks ago. The play is about a lot of things, not the least of which is the abuse of power perpetrated upon people by "strong men," and some of the lines and themes resonate so strongly with today that it's unsettling. But also reassuring, to know that humans have been dealing with these issues for thousands of years, and still, somehow, we survive. The closing line of the play is "justice, now," which has never felt more urgent. A lot of us have "little baby rage" these days, and it's comforting to see it reflected in this new version of an ancient story. The eerie resonance of this play is one reason to see it, the other is Isabel Nelson's masterful and mesmerizing performance. And if you see it on a Saturday, I recommend going early to see John Heimbuch's solo performance of
Beowulf, a one-hour one-person version of the original story. It's a great companion piece, and unless you're a
Beowulf scholar or have recently read the ancient epic poem, it provides some nice background to the main event.
The Feast continues weekends through the end of March, with one pay-what-you-can Monday performance on the 2nd. It's a must-see theatrical event, whether you've seen it before or not.
I arrived at 5pm for
Beowulf, written by the late playwright/performer Charlie Bethel, who did several solo versions of classic stories at theaters and Fringe Festivals around the country, including
The Odyssey with Walking Shadow in 2014. Artistic Director John Heimbuch has been performing
Beowulf since 2019, at our Fringe Festival and others, but I've not seen it before. It's the perfect piece to complement
Feast, and is also dynamic and captivating storytelling, but in a more traditional way. I only knew the basics of the story, so it was quite revelatory to hear all of the details, and then later, in
Feast, to see the parallels in certain lines and in the performances. When Grendel's mother is talking about seeing her son's arm hanging on the wall, gazing painfully at something imagined, we remember just an hour or two ago listening to Beowulf talk about hanging it up in that same spot. John performs the show in normal street clothes, with little asides to the audience checking in on us, drinking a full mug of beer throughout the show as the characters feast. He narrates the story and plays all of the characters, from Beowulf to the monster Grendel, embodying each and differentiating characters with a different voice, or grin, or location in the space. It's a great Fringe-style piece on its own, and also perfectly set us up for what's to come.
If you go for the dinner option with Feast (show-only tickets also available), you'll be able to order a delicious German beer (or other drink options) from a server, who then brings you soup, bread, and entree (I had the delicious stuffed squash, which sadly did not come with spätzle). During dinner you can enjoy live music from a couple of rotating musical acts; I enjoyed the traditional sounds of the band Sycamore Gap. And then after the dishes are cleared, the feast truly begins.
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| our host Isabel Nelson (photo by John Heimbach) |
The lights dim at showtime, and Isabel Nelson enters the space doubled over and growling like a beast. She slowly works into this human body, and the monster Grendel's unnamed mother begins to tell her story. She speaks directly to the audience, she knows we're there, in fact she invited us so that she could tell us her story. She's studied humans and decided that a dinner party was the best way to get our attention. What follows is a very funny, very entertaining, very engaging journey through this classic tale that makes us look at in a whole new way. A way that brings up issues of abuse of power, the haves and the have-nots, sexism, and justice vs. revenge. It's shockingly modern and relevant, and strangely inspiring as she urges us to join the fight.*
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| Isabel Nelson (photo by John Heimbach) |
The play is directed by Allision Vincent, and it's worth nothing that both Allison and Isabel are founding members of the physical theater company
Transatlantic Love Affair. You can see a lot of TLA's sensibilities here. Yes there are actual set pieces (a solid regal table and chair) and props (a mug and silverware, and an incredible "special prop" designed by Whittney Streeter which I won't spoil here). But Isabel employs her physical theater skills well here as she embodies the primal monster, the elegant host, and several other characters in the story. We can imagine the setting and people in her story thanks not just to the words but also Isabel's performance; she sees something there, and so do we.*
This is a very up-close-and-personal experience; Isabel walks around the space looking the audience directly in the eyes and feeding off of our reactions. But don't worry, no one dislikes interactive theater more than I do, and this is not that. You're not expected to talk back or get out of your seat, although you might be given something to eat or asked to nod or shake hands. It's immersive and a little participatory, but in a non-threatening way.*
This is the kind of theater that reaches right into your soul in a way that's hard to describe. It's more than just a play, it's an experience. Theater is always about give and take between audience and performer, but that can get lost in traditional theater spaces. But not here. It's obvious we're all in this together, although the artists thankfully are doing most of the work and all we have to do is listen, be open, and go along for the ride. Isabel's performance is dramatic, and hilarious, and surprising, and moving. In short, she's everything.*
