"Ludlow" by nimbus theatre at the Crane Theater

What I love most about nimbus theatre (other than the fact that they perform at the Crane in Northeast, a 15 minute drive from my house) is that they usually perform new works, often historical, always interesting and thoughtful. Their latest creation is Ludlow, about the Colorado Coalfield War of 1913-1914, the deadliest labor dispute in US History, resulting in the deaths of dozens or even hundreds of people. Playwright Josh Cragun and director Liz Neerland, Co-Artistic Directors of nimbus, have created an ambitious new work with a large and talented ensemble that not only brings the lives of the victims and survivors to life, but also speaks to current issues of unions, immigration, and the haves vs. the have-nots.

"The Storms of November" at nimbus theatre

What I love about nimbus theatre is that they often present original work, usually based on history, that, while not always flawless, is always interesting and thought-provoking and sheds new light on their subject. Such is the case with their newest work The Storms of November (written and directed by Co-Artistic Directors Josh Cragun and Liz Neerland, respectively), about sailors, ships, and shipwrecks on Lake Superior. November is a notoriously dangerous month on Minnesota's great and mysterious inland sea, and this play explores the lives of fictional characters on and off the ships, inspired by real people and events.

"In the Age of Paint and Bone" at nimbus theatre

nimbus theatre's newest original theatrical creation, In the Age of Paint and Bone, deals with the very oldest of recorded history. Tens of thousands of years ago, the earliest humans painted on the walls of caves, many of which have been rediscovered in the last century or two. Co-Artistic Director Liz Neerland directs and wrote this piece, along with the ensemble in their unique workshop process. It's a fascinating subject, and one of those plays that makes me want to know more (fortunately the playbill includes a reading list, gotta love that!). I've long been fascinated by the pre-historical era, and used to be a bit obsessed with the Earth's Children series (aka The Clan of the Cave Bear books), which are part cheesy romance novel and part historically accurate description of a time long past. In the Age of Paint and Bone brings this era to life, but subtly and not in sharp focus, as we don't really know what these pre-historic people were like. The play also looks at the people who first rediscovered the paintings, and what they mean to us today.

In the Age of Paint and Bone takes place in three time periods, the present, the ancient past, and the recent past when the caves were rediscovered. The nimbus stage has been transformed into a cave, with paintings either drawn on the wall or projected. Before the show the audience is invited to explore the area, while actors, in the form of museum tour guides, answer questions. The play begins as a presentation in a museum, and we flash back to the discovery of the cave paintings in Altamira, Spain in 1879. An amateur explorer and his daughter find the paintings, but his belief that the paintings are ancient are disbelieved, until he's finally proven right after his death. We also witness the accidental discovery of the cave paintings in Lascaux, France in 1940 by a couple of teenage boys. But the most fascinating scenes of the play are the flash-way-backs to the people who created this art. The light is dim, music is playing, and we never hear them speak (perhaps they didn't speak in the way we currently do). But we see them painting (including a cool trick of projection that shows the lines of one of the drawings appearing as the artist moves his brush), performing rituals, and communicating with each other.

a painting of a bison in Altamira

The seven members of the ensemble (Timothy Daly, Erin Denman, Jeffery Goodson, Shira Levenson, Derek Meyer, Brian O'Neal, and Alyssa Perau) play multiple characters in all time periods, and change in and out of the varied costumes so quickly it feels like there are more than just seven actors. Brian Hesser's multi-level cave-like set, Mary C. Woll's ancient, period, and modern costumes, and Caitlin Hammel's inventive video design all combine to define these specific worlds.

This piece doesn't answer any questions about why the paintings were created (probably for the same reason anyone creates art, which are many and varied), but rather it plants a seed of interest in the audience, or at least it did in me. What a different life our long ago ancestors lived, but maybe they're not that different from us than we think. Minnesota has its own version of cave paintings in the Jeffers Petroglyphs, which are carvings rather than paintings, that I hope to visit someday. What fun this piece must have been to explore and create. I wish I could take a leave of absence from my day job to re-read the Clan of the Cave Bear books and some of those suggested in the playbill. But if you don't have time for that either, you can spend 70 minutes in nimbus theatre's exploration of the Age of Paint and Bone (playing now through March 1).

a progression of light in the three time periods
(photo by Mathieu Lindquist)

"Tesla" at nimbus theatre

Following Bohemian Flats, nimbus theatre again tackles a true historical story, creating an original ensemble piece. Unlike Bohemian Flats, a series of short vignettes about the Minneapolis immigrant neighborhood on the river's very edge, Tesla has more of a linear through-line and a hero to root for - the Serbian-American scientist Nikola Tesla. Both plays used historical documents and writings of the time to construct the very realistic world in which the story takes place. Writer/director Josh Cragun and his talented ensemble manage to tell an entertaining and informative story about a long-dead scientist, with some cool science tricks in the midst. I admit to being a bit of a science nerd (I toyed with a physics major), so maybe that's part of why I liked this piece so much, but it works as a theatrical story too. Tesla lived a fascinating life that's well told by nimbus.

Nikola Tesla, a contemporary and one-time employee of Thomas Edison, is best known for developing an efficient and safe alternating current motor, and has a unit of measurement named after him. But like all geniuses, he was also a bit eccentric, and by the end of his lifetime was seen as something of a "mad scientist." The play covers Tesla's life from his arrival in America in 1884 to his death in 1943, with a few flashbacks to earlier times. After leaving Edison's employ, he became quite successful and well-known, with famous friends such as author Mark Twain and architect Stanford White (who was killed in the "crime of the century!"). Unfortunately not all of his inventions were successfully realized, such as his idea for a wireless transmission tower, for which he ran out funds before it could be completed. Tesla was a forward-thinker, imagining a day when people could instantaneously communicate worldwide with a wireless device that could fit in their pocket. Imagine that!

Zack Morgan as Nikola Tesla

Zach Morgan very naturally inhabits the character of Tesla and brings him to life. Tall and well-dressed, polite but firm in his ideas, it's easy to root for his success, which makes it all the more tragic when his success starts to fade. Tesla has a bit of OCD in him, constantly wiping his hands or suit where someone has touched him, an act that seems to increase in desperation as his eccentricities begin to overtake his creative genius. Zack is supported by an ensemble of two men and three women (Heidi Berg, Jesse Corder, Nissa Nordland, Brian O'Neal, Heather Stone) who play many various roles. Interestingly but effectively, the women often play men (19th century science was a man's world), even while dressed in period dresses. I was particularly fascinated by one convertible dress, with a skirt that could be pinned back to reveal pants and a jacket that could be removed. Very slight costume changes such as this help to distinguish characters (costumes designed by Andrea M. Gross). The two-level set (designed by Ursula K. Bowden) with a prominent central staircase serves as a good background for various locations, but most impressive of all are the working science gadgets, various motors and machines, including the huge Tesla coil which gives off glorious sparks in the dark. It's a little like when Steve Spangler visits the Ellen Show - isn't that cool?

Yes, science is cool, and inventors like Nikola Tesla are responsible for all the cool technology we've come to depend upon. nimbus theatre gives us a glimpse into the life of the man behind some of these inventions, and it's quite compelling. They're taking the weekend off for Memorial Day, but return for two more weekends - you can make reservations here. Recommended for science nerds and normal people alike.