I love outdoor ambulatory theater. I'm not sure if there's anyone who does it besides TigerLion Arts. There's definitely no one who does it better. I first fell in love with their outdoor walking play Nature, about the life, work, and friendship of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in 2014, and have seen it every chance I get (5 times total, in different locations). Then in 2023 I saw the remount of the piece that predated Nature - The Buddha Prince, celebrating the life of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan culture. Now they're adding a new outdoor theatrical experience to their repertoire - Big World, with a workshop performance this weekend only at Theodore Wirth Regional Park on the West side of Minneapolis. This one has less of a throughline narrative story than the other two pieces, and is perhaps geared more towards children, although all of their work can truly be enjoyed by people of all ages. The theme of a group of scientists trying to save the world with love (what a concept!) is the loose structure that provides a framework and an excuse for being in Nature, being in community, and laughing at the things humans have laughed at since the beginning of time. If you're free tonight or tomorrow night, I highly recommend you head out to Theodore Wirth on this perfect spring weekend to experience the joy. And follow TigerLion Arts for updates on the future of this piece, as well as (hopefully) a return of Nature.
