Cherry and Spoon 15th Anniversary Fundraiser for #TCTheater!

This summer marked 15 years of being a Twin Cities Theater blogger. My very first post on July 27, 2010, titled Origins, is very nerdy and idealistic. (Go ahead and read it; I'll wait here with my hands covering my eyes.) I've changed since then, my writing has improved (I hope), my worldview has broadened, and most importantly my experiences with #TCTheater have increased by leaps and bounds. When I started this blog in the summer of 2010, it was for the purpose of recording my experiences as a theater-going, and sharing them with others who might be interested (hear more of Cherry and Spoon's origin story on this episode of The Stages of MN YouTube show). I never imagined that 15 years later I would be at the theater 3-5 nights a week, receiving press comps to every theater in town, meeting my favorite artists, and being part of a theater blogging community (follow the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers here). I would like to celebrate this milestone by giving back to the #TCTheater community that's given me so much, and I need your help.

"Nobody, No Time" by Illusion Theater at Center for the Performing Arts

In History Theatre's new original musical Whoa, Nellie! this spring, I was introduced to the Black Vaudevillian Bert Williams, one of the most popular and successful performers of his time. And now he deservedly gets a show of his own, the new play with music Nobody, No Time (named after his most well-known song) written and directed by Illusion Theater's playwright-in-residence Carlyle Brown. It's a multi-layered story of a Black man from the Bahamas achieving huge success in early 20th Century America, while dealing with racism off-stage and leaning into racial stereotypes on-stage performing to White audiences. Set at the end of his life with flashback performances, the play gives us a full picture of the man and the artist. The talented cast brings Bert and his contemporaries to life, and perform over a dozen songs of the era. Head to Center for Performing Arts now through October 25 to experience this important part of entertainment history, of American history.

"One in the Chamber" by Three Saints Theater Company at the Hive Collaborative

New theater company Three Saints Theater Company is coming out of the gate with a brutal play that's tough to watch, but so relevant to our world today. One in the Chamber by L.A.-based playwright and screenwriter Marja-Lewis Ryan tells the story of one fictional family dealing with the aftermath of gun violence, at a time when so many real families in America are dealing with this. The play doesn't have an overtly political message, it just lets the devastating grief of this family speak for itself. This is a really powerful production, and an impressive and bold start for a new theater company. If you're looking for theater that is not an escape from our dark reality, but a reflection of it, check out One in the Chamber at The Hive Collaborative through October 25.

"Misery" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Yellow Tree Theatre is remounting their 2023 production of Misery, but with an all new cast, and it's just as thrilling as before! The stage adaptation of Stephen King's 1987 novel is relatively new, written by William Goldman, screenwriter of the 1990 movie. This story of a popular novelist's "number one fan" and the lengths she goes to is set in 1987, but it's themes of unhealthy obsession, mental illness, and violence are very timely. As returning director John Catron says in a note in the program, "This is not a story about monsters. This is a story about people pushed to their narrative breaking points. It's a sloppy beautiful mess of love, insecurity, fanaticism, co-dependence and addition. It's a story about the violence that is all around us and within us. If it's 1987. If it's 2025." What follows is my review of the 2023 production, updated to reflect the new cast, who absolutely make this worth seeing again. Or if you missed it last time, this is your chance to enjoy this tight thriller on Yellow Tree's cozy and intimate stage (continuing through October 19).

"The Book of Will" by Theatre Pro Rata at the Crane Theater

We all just take for granted that Shakespeare's 30+ plays have always been available - to put on a play, to read in school, to make a parody of. But it turns out that like many playwrights from centuries past, his plays might have been lost to us forever. A theater world without Shakespeare is unimaginable, and we have his good friends and actors in his company to thank for it. And we have this season's most produced playwright Lauren Gunderson to thank for giving us this story, and Theatre Pro Rata for bringing us the regional premiere of The Book of Will. It's a compelling and dynamic tale about 17th century publishing, as shocking as that may sound, and Pro Rata gives it fine treatment, with a great cast and simple yet effective design. See it the Crane Theater through October 11, and find out how Shakespeare's First Folio came to be.

"It's Only a Play" at Park Square Theatre

If you love theater (and if you don't, why are you reading this), you must get to downtown St. Paul ASAP to see Park Square Theatre's production of It's Only a Play, the first show in their 50th season. Written by great American playwright Terrance McNally, this is a play about theater and theater artists. It hilariously makes fun of theater and everyone and everything surrounding it (including too many celebrity references to count), but in the end it's a real love letter to theater that would have brought tears to my eyes in the way it speaks to what theater means to us, if I weren't laughing so much. It premiered Off-Broadway in the '80s but was updated to bring it into the 21st century for its 2014 Broadway debut, and feels as if it may have been updated even since then, so current are the references. Park Square is putting on a superb production in every way, including an impeccable local cast. This feels like a play that was made just for me, and every theater-lover (continuing through October 19).

"Red" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

I first learned about Russian-American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko when I saw the regional premiere of the 2010 Tony-winning play Red at Park Square Theatre in 2012. I really loved this play, and have not seen it since then. But I have been lucky enough to see several Rothko paintings in person in museums in New York and/or Chicago; in fact I seek them out whenever I'm at a museum that houses modern art. At first glance, they're simple blocks of color, usually dark rich reds. But when you look deeper, they're so layered and endlessly mesmerizing. So is the play - just a simple two-hander, i.e., two people sitting in a room talking, but so layered in the way it explores the life of an artist and the meaning of art, and in a broader sense ideas of legacy, grief, friendship, purpose. I was so thrilled to see it announced as part of Lakeshore Players Theatre's 73rd season, and even more thrilled to report that it's a fantastic production with wonderful performances and gorgeously, messily detailed designed observed up close in the intimate space of Lakeshore's black box theater. Friends, it's only playing for three weekends, and seating is very limited with performances already beginning to sell out, so don't snooze on this one.

"A Lesson in Love" at Pillsbury House + Theatre

The new play A Lesson in Love is a really sweet and funny (and a little bit heartbreaking) romcom that ultimately is not about the love between two specific people, but about being open to love in general, in all its forms. It's beautifully and cleverly written by #TCTheater artist Nubia Monks, whom I know primarily as an incredibly talented singer and actor, in a way that feels real and grounded. With complete, complex, and lived-in performances by the two-person cast, and simple yet elegant design, A Lesson in Love feels like a little bit of a balm to a weary world. It may make you forget about all of the hate and fear that pervades our world, and remember what is possible with love. At least for 75 minutes or so. See it at Pillsbury House + Theatre now through October 19.

"A Doll's House" at Guthrie Theater

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's class1879 play A Doll's House was ahead of its time in its exploration of gender roles and societal expectations, with its famous (or infamous) ending in which a wife walks away from her husband and children in order to save her own humanity. In 1879, can you imagine?! 146 years later we're still dealing with those very same issues; even though things have changed and women can now get a loan without a man co-signing (at least in this country we can, for now), women's place in society and in the family is still very much debated and talked about. The Guthrie is producing the regional premiere of Amy Herzog's new and very modern adaptation, which premiered on Broadway in 2023. It's riveting and stunning and so relevant, with fantastic performances from the six-person cast and gorgeous design. See it on the Guthrie's thrust stage now through October 12.

"The Ruins" at Guthrie Theater

For the first time since the pandemic, Guthrie Theater is doing a show in the 9th floor Dowling Studio. This is very exciting news, and feels like a continuation of the slow return to normal. Even more exciting is that the piece they have chosen to bring back this intimate black box space is nothing short of exquisite, and could not exist anywhere else in the building. The world premiere new play with music The Ruins, by Broadway actor George Abud who was in the original cast of The Band's Visit, a uniquely special musical that I loved, is simply everything I want theater to be: original, philosophical, musical, funny, eye-opening, thought-provoking, moving, intimate, epic, and profound. No doubt my words will come up short in attempting to describe why this piece is so special, but if you trust me, just go see it (now through October 12), and thank me later.*

"Don't Miss Doris Hines" at History Theatre

Once again, the History Theatre has introduced me to a local historical figure I'd never heard of. Singer Doris Hines performed in Minneapolis and around the world for decades, interacting with stars like Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Della Reese but never rising to their level of fame and name recognition. She was one of those hardworking journeyWOman performers who loved to entertain people, and never stopped pursuing her dreams. The new play with music Don't Miss Doris Hines, written by The Playwrights' Center Affiliated Writer Tylie Shider, covers over three decades of her life, through which we get to know the artist and the human. See it at History Theatre in downtown St. Paul through October 12.

"Pride and Prejudice" at Theatre in the Round

Perhaps best known for her modern, feminist, and funny Jane Austen adaptations, Kate Hamill was the most produced playwright in America last season. For some reason, we can't get enough of strong and relatable female heroines right now. Theatre in the Round is continuing this trend with the first show of their 74th season, Pride and Prejudice, everyone's favorite Jane Austen story by everyone's Jane Austen interpreter. Park Square Theatre produced the regional premiere of this play in 2019, and while I appreciated the fun and fresh look at the story, I felt it went a bit too far into over-the-top slapsticky territory for me. But I'm pleased to report that this production strikes just the perfect balance between comedy, modernity, and the traditional story we all love. So while I stated that I loved about 75% of Park Square's version, I love 100% of this show. It's so much fun, with a huge and talented cast portraying the endearing Bennet sisters and their charming beaux, and a really great use of music and movement, well staged in the unique in-the-round space. Pride and Prejudice continues for two more weekends, but this beloved story is already selling out shows so don't wait too long to get your tickets!