"Salomé" at PAIKKA

Who knew there was an Oscar Wilde play that has never been professionally produced in the Twin Cities? Grant Sorenson, that's who. The actor-turned-director (he directed a couple of really great plays in the pre-pan years) moved home last year after receiving his MFA in directing from Boston University. Last fall he created a monthly play reading series called Table/Read, in which the audience doesn't know what play is being read until moments before it begins. And now he is producing and directing Salomé, hopefully the first of many unique and creative theatrical endeavors to come. Because Salomé is not just a play, at least not in the traditional sense of a stage and an audience separated by space and darkness. It's an immersive (but not interactive) experience that literally puts you right at Herod's banquet table. Which is not always a comfortable place to be, but always thoroughly captivating. With a talented eight-person cast performing literally a few feet in front of you and gorgeous 360-degree design, Salomé is not to be missed, especially if you're interested in theater that pushes the boundaries of what we think theater can be. But hurry - there are only three remaining performances and seating is limited.

"Ghost Quartet" at Theatre Elision

This fall, Theatre Elision will bring us the regional premiere of the 12-time Tony nominated 2017 Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. But that's the time of the year they typically do composer/ lyricist/ playwright Dave Malloy's lesser known work Ghost Quartet. Not wanting to miss a year, they're presenting their 7th production for three nights only, featuring many past cast members, in what they're calling "the reunion." I've seen three of the six previous iterations, and I think this is the best one yet. Maybe it's because this non-linear song cycle interweaving many related stories and characters gets better with repeated viewings, maybe it's because the supersized cast makes the score sound even more gorgeous, maybe after seven productions Elision and these artists know this piece better and better. Or likely a combination of all of the above. If you've seen Ghost Quartet before, I recommend this reunion version as a way to deepen your experience. And if you've never seen it, this is a great introduction because it's really well done and feels like a welcoming and communal experience. But hurry, here are only two shows left - tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night! Click here for info and tickets.