"Much Ado About Nothing" by Frosted Glass Creative at Rustic Roots Winery

On my way home from St. Croix Festival Theatre to see their super fun production of Kate Hamill's Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B last weekend, I stopped at the gorgeous Rustic Roots Winery in Scandia to catch the final performance of Frosted Glass Creative's production of Much Ado About Nothing. It turned out to be a lovely theater road trip day. Outdoors really is my favorite way to experience Shakespeare; it's so much more fun, playful, and accessible. Frosted Glass Creative has performed at Yellow Tree and other locations around town and along the St. Croix River, but this was my first experience with them. And hopefully not my last; their next show is my sentimental favorite The Sound of Music, performed outdoors in Stillwater for one weekend in August. They seem to have taken up the mantle of "Broadway on the St. Croix" after Zephyr Theatre dropped it, and I'm glad they're continuing this fun tradition of outdoor musicals in beautiful Stillwater.

"An Act of God" at Six Points Theater

The 2015 (and 2016) Broadway play An Act of God, written by former The Daily Show head writer David Javerbaum, is delightfully irreverent but still respectful of faith. Think The Book of Mormon (which is referenced), or that scene in Spelling Bee in which a contestant asks Jesus to help them win the spelling bee and Jesus shows up to say, "It's not the kind of thing I care that much about." On Broadway the character of God, who speaks directly to the audience, was played by a man, but Six Points Theater wisely chose beloved #TCTheater veteran Sally Wingert to star in their new production, and I truly cannot think of anyone better to embody God. The play is so smart, so funny, so relevant, and this production, with a talented cast and sharp design in the intimate space in Highland Park Community Center, is really just the best. If you're looking for a hilarious comedy with substance, that'll make you laugh and nod your head in agreement and maybe gasp a time or two, don't miss An Act of God!

"Witch" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Open Eye Theatre

The new play Witch, by Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Jen Silverman (author of The Roommate and The Moors), is an absurd and funny little play that's difficult to describe. It's a loose retelling of the 17th Century play The Witch of Edmonton, which is based on the real-life case of Elizabeth Sawyer, one of tens of thousands of women accused of and executed for being a witch in the middle ages and early modern era across Europe and the US. But the play also focuses on a wealthy landowner and his heirs, and the idea of selling one's soul to the devil, and things take many unexpected turns. The themes of women's agency, and selling your soul to gain power, make this four hundred year old story scarily relevant. Walking Shadow Theatre Company's production is well-executed in the intimate space of Open Eye Theatre, with a talented six-person cast. Witch continues through April 13 (note: "intimate" means small audience, so don't wait too long - some performances are already sold out).

"The Messenger" at Six Points Theater

I don't know when Six Points Theater decided to produce the new play The Messenger by Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Jenny Connell Davis as part of their 30th season, but it really could not come at a better or more relevant time. But let's face it, anti-Semitism has never gone away, racism has never gone away, hate has never gone away. It feels like as long as there are humans on this planet, this story will be relevant. The inter-related stories of four women are woven together in this riveting 80-minute play, centered around the true story of Holocaust survivor Georgia Gabor, who faced anti-Semitism as an 8th grade math teacher a wealthy community in California in the '80s and '90s, simply because she told her story. She believed that she survived, escaping from the Nazis three times, in order to share her story, to be a messenger. She died in 1994, but she continues to be a messenger through this wonderful and moving play, and thanks to Six Points for bringing us this message that we have to be vigilant, we have to stand up for injustices big and small wherever we see them, because it absolutely could happen here. Go see The Messenger at Six Points Theater's Highland Park space through March 23 only.

"Rope" at Gremlin Theatre

The 1929 play Rope, which was adapted into a 1948 film by Alfred Hitchcock, is now receiving fine treatment on the Gremlin Theatre stage. Written by English playwright Patrick Hamilton (who also wrote Gas Light, which was also adapted into a film, and later become a term for psychological manipulation), it was inspired by the real life case of two college students who murdered a child in 1920s Chicago as an intellectual pursuit. In this version of the story, two university students murder a fellow student, put his body in a chest, and then hold a dinner party with food served on top of the chest, just to prove they could get away with murder. It's sickening really, but also makes for a riveting and suspenseful tale, because - spoiler alert - they don't get away with it. Watching their carefully plotted plan unravel like so much frayed rope is a thrill. A fantastic cast and spot on design chillingly bring this story to life. See it at Gremlin Theatre in Vandalia Tower in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood now through August 4.

"The Moneylender's Daughter" at Six Points Theater

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice can be problematic, with its ant-Semitic representation of the greedy Jewish moneylender, yet it also contains the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes... if you prick us, do we not bleed" speech that argues for a shared humanity. In a post-show discussion, Six Points Theater's Artistic Director Barbara Brooks noted that she's interested in depicting the character of Shylock onstage, and how it might be different at a theater that specializes in telling Jewish stories. But since their home stage at Highland Park Community Center is small, they can't really do a large-scale Shakespeare play, so instead they're presenting the world premiere of Brooklyn-based playwright Martin Coren's sequel The Moneylender's Daughter. I've only seen The Merchant of Venice once, pre-blog in 2007 (more on that later), so I'm not that familiar with it and pretty much viewed this as a standalone play. If you do have familiarity with the original it might have a deeper meaning, but I still found it to be a fascinating and moving play dealing with issues of identity, family, and the anti-Semitism that unfortunately is still very much a part of our world.

"Cold Planet Warm Heart" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Crane Theater

Fortune's Fool Theatre's new original musical Cold Planet Warm Heart is billed as "a warm-hearted, family-friendly science fiction tale that explores themes of immigration, inclusion, and the need to both discover and follow our heart's desire." I found it to be really cute and sweet, and definitely appropriate for kids (although I didn't see any in the audience on opening night). It's a feel-good piece for adults too, about community, and finding love in unexpected places, and creating a peace-filled world. Teaming up again after 2017's lovely The Lady with a Lap Dog, Daniel Pinkerton (book and lyrics) and Robert Elhai (music) have created a fun musical with great songs that are both comic and poignant. The six-person all-female cast, some of whom play multiple characters, give earnest, heart-felt, and funny performances and sing the at times intricate score well. Check it out, with or without kids, at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis now through November 19.

"The Wanderers" at Six Points Theater

Fresh from a successful Off-Broadway run, the new play The Wanderers by Anna Ziegler opened at Six Points Theater last weekend. The compelling story of two seemingly different couples is well told by this cast and creative team. The thought-provoking and relatable play explores themes of marriage, the parent/child relationship, identity, and legacy. The Wanderers continues at Six Points Theater's home in the Highland Park Community Center in St. Paul through May 14.

"Doubt: A Parable" at Theatre in the Round

To open their historic 71st season, Theatre in the Round is presenting the 2005 Tony-winning best play Doubt: A Parable. In roughly 90 minutes, the intense and tautly written play explores ideas of faith, doubt, gender, race, class, sexual abuse, and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church that allowed such abuses to continue. Presented in a series of mostly two-person scenes, expertly written and well performed by this cast, the play is not so much about whether the accused is innocent or guilty, but about how we as humans deal with the doubt and uncertainty that exists in many areas of life. Doubt is truly a parable that can be applied to so many situations (especially today with so many sources of "truth" flying at us), with no clear answers, leaving the audience feeling a bit unsettled. 

"Romeo and Juliet" by Zephyr Theatre at Aamodt's Apple Farm

Zephyr Theatre's summer outdoor Shakespeare tradition continues with the rom-com-turned-tragedy Romeo and Juliet at an idyllic spot on Aamodt's Apple Farm. It always feels like Shakespeare was meant to be experienced in the great outdoors, in a more intimate and relaxed setting like this. Despite the tragic outcome of the play (I always hope that somehow the friar's message will get through to Romeo and those two crazy kids get to run away together as they planned, but nope), it's a lovely evening in a perfectly gorgeous setting. So check the weather, dress and hydrate appropriately, and go see some Shakespeare in Stillwater this weekend!

"Marjorie Prime" at Theatre in the Round

Now playing at the oldest theater in Minneapolis: the 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime. This is the third show in Theatre in the Round's abbreviated five-show 70th season, which is an eclectic mix of traditional works and more interesting pieces like this. In just 80 minutes, the trippy and futuristic Marjorie Prime explores issues of aging, dementia, grief, depression, suicide, artificial intelligence, and complicated family dynamics. It's a fascinating and layered look at a multitude of relevant topics, well done by this cast and creative team. Continuing weekends through March 6 (click here for details).

"Daddy Long Legs" by Minneapolis Musical Theatre at the James J. Hill House

The first act of Minneapolis Musical Theatre's Daddy Long Legs, playing at the historic James J. Hill House, is perfectly lovely. I assume the second act is too; I didn't get to see it because I had to move my car due to a snow emergency and there was nowhere else to park. I had no other choice but to go home, which breaks my heart because never in my life have I left a show at intermission and I never voluntarily would, I think it's disrespectful. But despite the unfortunate early end to the show, I still enjoyed the experience. This regional premiere of the 2015 Off-Broadway musical, based on the 1912 novel of the same name, is well worth seeing; it's a charming story with a beautiful score, and this is a lovely and intimate production by MMT.

"Samuel J. and K." at Gremlin Theatre

"A sports play written by Mat Smart? I'm in! (See also Tinker to Evers to Chance.)" I wrote this on Instagram last night, but as it turns out, Samuel J. and K. is not really a sports play. It's a play about brothers, family, betrayal, loss, and love. In the same way that Tinker to Evers to Chance (seen in a fantastic production at Artistry earlier this year) is not a sports play, but a play about family, grief, love, connection. There's something about sports that loosens people up and allows them to connect and talk about deeper things, and Playwrights' Center core writer Mat Smart uses that to great advantage in these plays. Here, two brothers (one adopted from Cameroon when he was three years old) bond over a game of basketball. Gremlin's production features two talented actors in their cozy intimate theater space, transformed into a basketball court and a hut in Cameroon by deceptively simple design.

"Mary Poppins" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Do you know who your local community theater is? There are so many great community theaters in the #TCTheater area that it's impossible to keep track of them all. But I encourage everyone to find one in your area and support them. There are so many people working so hard for little reward other than seeing your smiling face in the audience. My local community theater is Lakeshore Players Theatre* in White Bear Lake, which opened a gorgeous new building about a year ago. The final production in their first full season in their new space is Mary Poppins, a show that celebrates imagination, determination, play, and family. I'll admit that the biggest draw to see this show was seeing one of my #TCTheater favorites Quinn Shadko as Mary Poppins, but the whole show is just darling. If you're in the Northeast metro be sure to visit them in the Hanifl Performing Arts Center, or check out what theater is happening in your neighborhood.

"Equivocation" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Gremlin Theatre

The subtitle of Bill Cain's play Equivocation could be, It's Hard to Be the Bard. It's hard to be the bard at a time when one of England's longest reigning monarchs to date, who has kept the country relatively stable and supported your artistic career, is gone, and you're dealing with a tumultuous and changing political and religious landscape, with a choice to either support the new ruler and his lies or tell the truth. Can you imagine such a situation?! This is the fictionalized version of true events proposed in the play, in which playwright William Shakespeare (or Shagspeare) is commissioned by the newly crowned King James I to write a play of the recent failed plot to kill the king and members of Parliament, known as the Gunpowder Plot. The play mixes history, religion, theater, and politics in an immensely clever, if a bit too long and involved, way. Walking Shadow Theatre Company's staging of Equivocation, playing at Gremlin Theatre through June 24, is engaging and entertaining (or at least as engaged and entertained as this morning person can be at 10:30 pm).

"The Crucible" by Theatre Coup d'Etat at Zion Lutheran Church

I first saw Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible last spring at the Guthrie, and was wowed at how this story about the infamous Salem witch trials of the late 17th Century, during which twenty people were put to death for the crime of witchcraft, speaks to the issues of the day. Things have changed a lot in the last year and a half, making the play's themes of religious fanaticism, mob mentality, and persecution of people who are different even more scarily relevant. How terrifying to live in a world where one person's false accusation can incite mass hysteria and result in the persecution of innocent people, a world that sadly isn't too far from the current reality. I'm not saying that our president elect is Abigail Williams, but I, and this excellent and intimate production by Theatre Coup d'Etat, am suggesting that we need to take a breath and look at the facts before we rush to condemn someone based on a spiteful rant. The Crucible dramatizes one of the greatest failings of the American, or rather pre-American, judicial system, and 60 years after it was written still remains a cautionary tale.

"The Best Brothers" by Loudmouth Collective at Open Eye Figure Theatre

Consider this my annual plug for Loudmouth Collective, one of my favorite new theater companies, if you can still call them "new" after four seasons of smart, intense, funny, beautifully executed theater. They only do two shows a year (often including one at the Fringe), and typically only run for two weekends, so you need to be quick to catch them. And trust me, you will be rewarded. I've been with them since the beginning and they never disappoint. Firstly, their choice of plays is interesting and excellent, small-cast (often one or two actors), smartly written, bitingly funny or darkly absurd or heart-breakingly beautiful or some combination thereof. Secondly, the production always brings out the best in the play thanks to the great artists involved. Daniel MacIvor's two-person drama about brothers coming together after the death of their mother seems tailor made for Loudmouth. It would behoove you to get your tickets now to see this funny, bittersweet, and well-acted gem before it's gone!

"The Red Box" at Park Square Theatre

I love a summer mystery at Park Square Theatre. Taking a break from Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the Suicide Club last year and The Ice Palace Murders next year), this summer's mystery comes from American author Rex Stout, who wrote over 70 novels and short stories over a period of 40 years about his crime-solving hero, Nero Wolfe. Nero is similar to Sherlock in that he's a brilliant and quirky character who relies on his sidekick to help him function in the world. Although Stout's stories have been adapted into numerous films and TV shows, this world premiere production of The Red Box is the first stage adaptation. Smartly written by playwright Joseph Goodrich, sharply directed by Peter Moore, with beautifully detailed period costumes and set, and energetic, precise, yet loose and comfortable performances by the entire cast, The Red Box is fun and entertaining summery mystery theater.

The Red Box is the fourth Nero Wolfe novel and is set in 1936 in Nero's NYC brownstone. Nero rarely leaves the house, preferring to spend time with his orchids, his beer, and the delicious gourmet meals prepared by Fritz, his personal chef. Instead, he sends his "boy Friday" Archie Goodwin out into the world when required. In the case of the titular red box, Nero is hired by a young man named Lew Frost who's concerned about his cousin Helen's safety after her friend is poisoned. Soon Lew's father and Helen's mother get involved, as well as family friends. What unfolds is a complicated family drama full of secrets and half-truths. Nero attempts to untangle this mess and get to the truth of the murder(s) by interviewing the parties involved, while Archie dutifully takes notes and adds his two cents. He also works with a police inspector, although it's unclear who's helping whom. It's a suspenseful mystery that will keep you guessing, but the real fun is watching these characters as they navigate the waters of this story.

This fine nine-person cast is led by E.J. Subkoviak and Sam Pearson, both of whom are on stage for most of the show. E.J. is just perfect as Nero Wolfe - smart and stoic, thoughtfully pouring and drinking his beer, taking pleasure only in the descriptions of the meals he's about to eat. Sam is obviously having a great time playing Archie Goodman, which means he's great fun to watch, delivering the prologue and epilogue directly to the audience with a smirk and a wink, doling out one-liners with an arched brow and a flip of his hair. Other standouts in the cast include Michael Paul Levin as the frazzled police inspector, and Jim Pounds, in a dual role as Nero's chef/butler and the mysterious Frenchman.

the cast of The Red Box on the set

The set by Rick Polenek is a beautifully detailed reproduction of Nero's NYC brownstone office, full of fine furniture, books, and artfully placed objects. I'm a sucker for period costumes, and these (designed by A. Emily Heaney) are gorgeous. From the men's three-piece suits and fedoras, to Archie's sweater vest, to the women's demure dresses and hats. The whole production is top-notch; even the scene changes are done well - the lights dim, characters remain in character as they leave or enter the room, Fritz comes through to clear glasses and rearrange props.

The Red Box is about halfway through its six-week run at Park Square Theatre in lovely downtown St. Paul. It's smart, sharp, funny, suspenseful, and entertaining - the perfect summer mystery play.

"Disenchanted" by Casting Spells Productions at the Ritz Theater

If watching a Disney princess movie has ever left you feeling let down, betrayed, dismayed, frustrated, or downright pissed, Disenchanted is just the cure you need! In this new musical comedy by Dennis T. Giancino, the Disney princesses are allowed to tell their true stories about what living in a Disney fairy tale is really like, and what happens after the "happily ever after." Featuring catchy and melodic tunes, clever and funny lyrics, and a stellar cast, it's a really fun and fantastic 90 minutes! But hurry - there are only six performances left at the Ritz Theater!

The host of the evening is the sharp and bitter Snow White (a dynamic and commanding performance by Jen Burleigh-Benz), like you've never seen her before. Her back-up princesses are the ditzy Cinderella (a very funny Bonni Allen) and Sleeping Beauty (the always delightful Suzie Juul, with a voice as clear as a bell). They introduce us to the "P.C." problem - the princess complex - in which girls are taught they need to be pretty, simple, and obedient while they wait for their prince to come and save them. These princesses will cure you of that notion! Mulan (Pegah Kadhodaian, excellent in this and her second role as Pocohantas, a historical figure turned pin-up girl) makes an appearance and tells us "maybe I'm a lesbian" since she's the only princess who doesn't get the prince. Rapunzel is an angry German princess who won't accept her Disney transformation, and the Frog Princess is "the princess that's finally gone black" (Joy Dolo in both roles). We also meet an insane Belle and a drunken Little Mermaid (a scene-stealing Vanessa Gamble). The princesses lament about body image, dieting ("All I Wanna Do Is Eat" is a highlight), housework, and the commercialization of their image. In the end they declare that those days are "Once Upon A Time," and they're finally free to be themselves!

Friends, this is a really great show. Fun and original, turning fairy tales on their head, sung in solos and gorgeous harmonies by six talented women, tongue in cheek, a cast that's so comfortable in their roles and with each other, Ivey-winning Music Director Raymond Berg in perfect musical conversation with the cast, costumes by A. Emily Heaney that are a modern take on princess attire (my favorite: Snow White's dress!), performed in a kitschy old theater, and only 90 minutes long so it's short, sweet, and to the point, leaving you wanting more rather than outstaying its welcome. Catch it this weekend while you still can!

the princesses