"The Jungle" at Mixed Blood Theatre

One of the best things that theater can do is put a human face on an abstract political issue. That's what The Jungle does for the refugee crisis. Commissioned by London's National Theatre from Good Chance Theatre and premiering at the Young Vic in 2017, it's an immersive experience that tells the story of a refugee camp in Calais, France in 2015 known as The Jungle. Mixed Blood Theatre's production is the first since that original production, which moved to the West End, then Off-Broadway, then a few other US locations. It's a nearly three-hour play that flies by in what feels like half that time, telling the stories of so many different characters that feel like real people. A cast of 18 actors and two musicians fill the historic firehouse that is Mixed Blood Theatre, with perhaps the best use of this space I've seen. It felt like I was inside the camp, and I didn't want it to end. This is a truly special one-of-a-kind piece of theater that we're so lucky Mixed Blood is bringing to us. It's playing Tuesday through Sunday for the next two weeks and I highly recommend you spend a little time in The Jungle. With Mixed Blood's "radical hospitality" program you can attend the show for free, but if you're able, please pay whatever amount you can for the ticket to support important work like this.

"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.

"Re-memori" at Penumbra Theatre

Inspired by her own life and family history, playwright Nambi E. Kelley has written this solo play about a woman dealing with generations of trauma and resilience. In a tight 75 minutes, we travel with Memori through time as she pieces together her history. It's a powerful, affecting, and engaging piece that's very fitting for Penumbra, which is not just a theater but also a Center for Racial Healing. See it at the St. Paul theater now through November 5.