"The Cottage" at Gremlin Theatre

It's the summer of Noël Coward in #TCTheater, and after the long hard winter we had, we deserve some summer escapist comedies. Last month, Theatre in the Round brought us the ghostly and hilarious Blithe Spirit, about a man who is haunted by his ex-wife, much to his current wife's dismay. The Guthrie is about to open Private Lives, about exes honeymooning with their new spouses. And Gremlin Theatre is throwing their hat into the ring with a new play that, according to Wikipedia, is "described as a modern take on a Noël Coward comedy." The Cottage is a straight up farce that is definitely reminiscent of Coward's plays, but since it was written by a modern female playwright (Sandy Rustin,* one of the most produced playwrights in America last season, in part because of her adaptation of the movie Clue) it gives a bit more agency to the female characters, with an atypical ending for a romantic comedy. Gremlin's regional premiere production of The Cottage, that premiered on Broadway just a few years ago, is perfectly cast, impeccably designed, and utterly delightful from start to finish. Playing now through August 2.

"Twelfth Night" by Zephyr Theatre at the Great Banquet Hall

Stillwater's Zephyr Theater is back with a very short run of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, presented in the Grand Banquet Hall in Stillwater. It's billed as "a 1960s tropical comedy romance," with some inspiration from the iconic TV series Gilligan's Island. This allows for some fun with the costumes and design, which also incorporates Christmas decor, as Twelfth Night is traditionally celebrated as the 12th night after Christmas. I wish they had leaned more into the Gilligan's Island theme, I didn't really get much of it other than that the twins are dressed like Gilligan in the bucket hat, red long-sleeved shirt, and jeans. But it's a fun show, with seating at large round tables and food and beverages available to enjoy before and during the show, giving it a holiday celebration sort of feel. If you're in the Stillwater area, check out one of their three remaining performances this weekend.

"Tolkien" at Open Window Theatre

Five years ago today, I landed in New Zealand for my second visit to this magical land that I fell in love with (as many of us did) watching Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A story that I first encountered when my aunt gave me The Hobbit for my 12th birthday. For nearly 40 years I have continued to read and re-read J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, finding new inspiration in it every time. Open Window Theatre was scheduled to produce the U.S. premiere of Tolkien, by Canadian playwright Ron Reed, shortly after my return from New Zealand in the spring of 2020. We know how that story goes, but happily, they are finally bringing this beautiful story of Tolkien and his friendship with C.S. Lewis to their intimate stage. It's a must-see for fans of Tolkien and/or Lewis, but even if you've never read The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, you still might enjoy this play about friendship, faith, loss, literature, myth, and inspiration. Tolkien plays weekends through the end of March at Open Window Theatre in Inver Grove Heights.

"Mauritius" by Stage North at 480 Arts

Who knew a play about a stamp could be so riveting?! Of course, the 2007 Broadway play Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck (who also wrote Bernhardt/Hamlet, produced by Theatre Pro Rata last year) is about much more than stamps and the cut-throat world of philately. It's about grief, and family dynamics, and the way death can bring out the worst in people, and grifters trying to make a buck off of someone else's grief. It's kind of a mystery dramedy thriller of a play, brought to life in an excellent production by Stage North. They've unfortunately moved out of their original home the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis and into a new space known as 480 Arts in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood. I can't imagine this work on the Capri's stage in their proscenium theater, it's so much more suited to this intimate in-the-round staging (although the Capri also has a black box space where Ten Thousand Things regularly performs). The talented five-person cast, clear and smart direction, and almost immersive staging make for a very entertaining evening of theater. Mauritius plays Thursdays through Sundays until November 17.

"The Ugly One" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Open Eye Figure Theatre

The Ugly One (aka Der Häßliche auf Deutsch) is a funny and absurd little play that skewers our obsession with looks, in particular the concepts of "beautiful" and "ugly." Unfortunately the protagonist is an able bodied white male of average height and weight, which is the least likely person to be discriminated against because of looks. In the workplace, women are expected to wear make-up, people of color sometimes can't have natural hairstyles, older people are expected to color their hair to look younger, and people with different body shapes, sizes, or abilities face looks-based discrimination most often. Which makes the story of a man who's so ugly he's overlooked at work seem a little unlikely, but maybe that's the point. Maybe he represents how silly and unfair all looks-based discrimination is. Regardless, Walking Shadow Theatre Company's 70-minute production is well done - delightfully odd, funny, and does make one think about all of the above issues.

"Bent" by The BAND Group at the Phoenix Theater

Partnering with OutFront Minnesota, The BAND Group is bringing us the 1979 play Bent about the imprisonment and murder of gay people in Nazi Germany. A look at the daily news should tell you that those days are not as long ago and far away as they may seem, with increasing violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ community. One of OutFront's current campaigns is to end conversion therapy, which is still legal in Minnesota. You can find more information about this and sign the petition here. And you can see The BAND Group's powerful and sobering production of Bent at the Phoenix Theater in Uptown through this weekend only.

"The Pillowman" by Theatre Coup d'Etat at SpringHouse Ministry Center

Theatre Coup d'Etat's production of The Pillowman is the third play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh that I've seen, and the darkest and most twisted. And that's saying something, considering I've seen The Beauty Queen of Leenane about an extremely unhealthy mother-daughter relationship and A Behanding in Spokane about a man in search of his missing hand. McDonagh has a knack for writing really fascinating characters, darkly funny dialogue, and extremely twisted situations. All of those are true about The Pillowman (best play Tony nominee in 2005), which explores the brutal interrogation of a short story writer whose stories of violence against children start coming true. With a fantastic cast, inventive design, and an intimate performance space, Theatre Coup d'Etat brings this creepy story to life almost too viscerally.

"Twelfth Night" by Orchard Theater Collective at Calvary Baptist Church

New #TCTheater company Orchard Theater Collective, founded by a quartet of U of M/Guthrie BFA grads, has brought us some interesting and innovative shows over the past year or so. They continue that tradition with Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, a clever choice to stage in early January when this actual holiday (aka the 12th day of Christmas) falls. And they've made it feel like a holiday. What is essentially a church basement theater has been transformed into a warm, cozy, festive space with lights and colorful decorations, as well as drinks and a lovely spread of cheese, hummus, bread, and cookies, all included in the price of admission. The intrepid cast of eight brings many more characters to life in this gender-swapping mistaken identity romantic comedy, performed on the small stage and in a square in front of it, with the audience sitting at tables on three sides. This Twelfth Night is playful and fun, an evening of pure frivolity. Fortunately this show runs a little longer than their previous shows (sometimes one weekend only); you have until January 19 to celebrate Twelfth Night with Orchard Theater Collective (click here for info and tickets).

"The Last Schwartz" by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company at the Highland Park Center Theatre

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company brings us another modern (well, late '90s) Jewish family trying to maintain their cultural identity while living in the melting pot of America. Four siblings gather at the family home in upstate New York for their father's Jahrzeit (one-year anniversary of death), and disagree about just about everything. At times funny, at times heart-breaking, The Last Schwartz is an intense 90 minutes spent with a family that puts the fun in dysfunctional. Or as one character puts it when another laments "why can't you be a normal family?" - "this is a normal family."

"Awake and Sing!" at Artistry

I love sad plays. I love stories of miserable families who love each other but don't know how to express it in healthy ways. Awake and Sing!, now playing at Artistry's black box theater, is one such tragically beautiful and beautifully tragic play, like Tennessee Williams set in the Bronx. Or rather, since Clifford Odets' 1935 play predates Williams' major works, I guess I should say that Tennessee Williams is like Odets set in the South. The multi-generational Berger family has become beaten down by life, with the younger generation trying to break free and make a new life in this new country, if only it will let them. With a strong cast and detailed design in an intimate space, Artistry's production is beautiful and heart-breaking.

"And Then There Were None" at Theater in the Round

And Then There Were None is the best-selling novel by one of the world's most popular mystery writers, Agatha Christie. If one can overlook the horribly offensive original title and the song from which it came (which, to be honest, I'm not sure one can), it's a suspenseful and gripping tale of the most deadly game of Survivor. Christie herself adapted the story into a stage play, even changing the ending. I'd never seen or read it, and I love a good mystery play, so I found Theatre in the Round's production to be an entertaining and surprising afternoon at the theater.

"We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!" by Candid Theater Company at the Black Forest Inn

Jacleen Olson and Shanna Eisenberg
(photo by Christopher Mogel)

I last saw Candid Theater Company in 2014 at the People's Center Theater on the U of M campus, a space that is no longer. I'm not sure why I haven't seen them in three years, but I was happy to catch their funny, relevant, and intimate production of the 1974 Italian play We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! last night. Performed in the charmingly kitschy banquet hall of the Black Forest Inn, just off their lovely outdoor patio, the play tells the story of two families who cannot pay their bills due to wage cuts and layoffs. Forty years later and in a different country than where it originated, it feels like a current problem, and a few modern references are added in the English translation (although the strictly defined gender roles remind us we're in the past). It's a funny farce of a play, one that almost makes you forget the issues behind the comedy, timely issues of fair wages, unemployment, and the rising cost of living.

"Wit" at Artistry

I don't know where to begin with this one. Artistry's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Wit is simply devastating. But it's also funny, and smart, and philosophical, and enlightening. This is my first experience with the play, and I really can't think of anyone I'd rather see in the lead role than the incomparable Sally Wingert. She gives a masterful performance in what has got to be one of the juiciest roles in theater - a smart, educated, independent, confident woman who experiences life in a whole new way while approaching death from cancer. This professor who is an expert in the metaphysical poetry of John Donne has spent her life contemplating life, death, and the afterlife in theory, and has to rethink everything she believes when faced with the stark reality of it. It's a brilliantly written play given an excellent and interesting staging by Artistry, and Sally's performance is one not to be missed.