"The Rainmaker" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Sometimes something or someone comes along in life that changes everything. Such is Starbuck, aka The Rainmaker, to the Curry family in Depression era middle America in N. Richard Nash's play 60-year-old play. Yellow Tree Theatre is mounting a lovely new production of this play with an all-star team of YTT regulars and newcomers. It's funny and sweet, hopeful and devastating, a prime example of the beautiful theater that Yellow Tree has been doing for going on seven years, made only richer by the influx of talent from the larger Twin Cities theater scene.

The Curry family consists of patriarch H.C., smart and capable daughter Lizzie, older son Noah who runs the ranch, and the youngest, the easygoing Jimmy. The boys are worried about Lizzie's future and try to marry her off, first by sending her to a nearby town to stay with a family with six sons, then by inviting the local deputy over for dinner. But Lizzie isn't like other the other girls in town, flighty and flirty and intent on "getting a man the way he needs to get got." She speaks her mind, and thinks that no man would want her because she's always been told that she's plain. One hot, dry night, a stranger shows up and offers them something they're all craving - rain. Gullible Jimmy believes him, practical Lizzie and Noah do not, but H.C. wants to give it a chance just in the hopes of something happening.

Something does happen, maybe not what they expected, but something that changes all of their lives. Whether or not Starbuck is a rainmaker as he claims remains to be seen, but what he is is a dreamweaver, a catalyst for change to get them out of this rut they've fallen into. He's Professor Harold Hill, come to sell River City, or in this case, the Curry family, something more than a big band or rain, something much more vital - hope for the future, faith in something, and a belief in oneself. He teaches Lizzie to say "I'm pretty" and mean it, but it's not really about being "pretty," it's about believing she's a beautiful woman deserving of love and happiness and all that life has to offer. Even though the plotline about "marry her off before she becomes an old maid" could seem sexist and offensive, it's a product of its time and really represents any longed for and almost given up dream.

Lizzie and Starbuck (Dawn Brodey and
Peter Christian Hansen, photo by Keri Pickett)

Ivey Award winning director Craig Johnson brings out the best in this excellent cast. When Peter Christian Hansen's Starbuck says that he can bring the rain, I believe him, so perfectly does he portray this con man's confidence and determination, but also his uncertainty and insecurity that he only reveals to Lizzie in quiet moments. I've been a Dawn Brodey fan for a few years, but this may be the best I've ever seen her - so real and raw and natural; you can read Lizzie's every thought and emotion in her facial expressions and body language. Pat O'Brien brings a warm compassion to the role of H.C., who only wants the best for his three very different children. Nathan Cousins is adorable as the simple young Jimmy, and provides much of the humor, while James Rodriguez as the pragmatic Noah is the strong center of the family who may act like a jerk sometimes but has the best of intentions. Rounding out the cast are Tim Tengblad as the friendly town Sheriff who talks Jason Peterson's reluctantly charming Deputy File into letting go of past pain and his life of solitude for something more.

the Curry family at breakfast (photo by Keri Pickett)

Yellow Tree's intimate stage is crowded with furniture in the cozy Curry home, with an elevated part in the back as the Sheriff's office and, later, the tack room, allowing for easy and subtle transitions between scenes (scenic design by Eli Schlatter). It's so wonderful to be in that small intimate space, where you can see the expressions on the actors' faces up close and personal. There's nowhere to hide and no need to; each of them is so present in every moment, you could spend the entire show just focused on one of their faces and get a full experience of the story, although a slightly different one depending on who you chose.

This play marks the opening of Yellow Tree Theatre's 7th season in the little strip mall in Osseo. I've been with them since the 3rd season, and it's been a pleasure to watch them grow and succeed. They have a wonderful pool of talent that they regularly pull from, but to see them bring in the likes of Ivey Award winners Craig Johnson and Peter Hansen says a lot about how far they've come. I love to see the mixing and mingling of talent at theaters around town; I think it makes everyone better, as can be seen in this piece. The Rainmaker is a beautiful play and a beautiful experience at the theater. Head up to Osseo and spend some time with these warm, funny, stubborn, flawed, relatable people as someone comes into their lives and shakes things up so they'll never be the same.

Fringe Festival: "Sex and Sensibility"

 Day: 2

Show: 5

Title: Sex and Sensibility

Category: Comedy

By: The Recovery Party

Written by: Joshua Will

Location: Intermedia Arts

Summary: A dozen or so comedy sketches, most of which are not nearly as risque as the title implies, interspersed with Jane Austen quotes.

Highlights: Not much to say about this one other than it's very funny and very clever. The sketches cover a wide variety of topics, from learning through spontaneous osmosis, to "The Housewives of Isanti County," to an ad for a new drug Limpital (the anti-Viagra), to a kid Jesus complaining that he never gets Christmas presents because his birthday is on Christmas, to perhaps my favorite, an alternate animal alphabet. The cast is great, whether working solo, in duos, or as a group. Highlights include: Dawn Brodey as the bitter bridesmaid, Jim Cunningham sternly reading the alphabet (if you've been to a Twins game in the last 17 years you'll recognize his strong radio voice - he's the "P.A. Guy"), Eriq Nelson as a New York tough answering phones at an Isanti County dairy company, Amy Shomshak serenely reading an alternate version of "Footprints in the Sand," and Joshua Will reciting facts from physics formulas to "The Modern Major General." It's funny, clever, sketch comedy, perhaps like what Saturday Night Live is supposed to be.

"The Odd Couple" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

Neil Simon's 1965 play The Odd Couple is an American classic. How many Broadway plays are made into not just a movie, but also a TV sitcom? Everyone knows the story of the two bachelor friends Oscar and Felix living together despite the fact that they're complete opposites and drive each other crazy. Famous Oscar/Felix pairs you may remember include Walter Matthau and Art Carney from the original Broadway version, Matthau and Jack Lemmon from the movie, Jack Klugman and Tony Randall from the TV series, or even Pat Harrington and Tim Conway from a late '80s tour (which I saw, if only I could remember it!). Bloomington Civic Theatre presents another great Odd Couple team in Sam Landman and Wade A. Vaughn (truthfully, the only reason I made the 25 mile drive to see it). Along with the great supporting cast, they present a very funny and entertaining interpretation of a classic.

The play opens on a weekly poker game at newly divorced Oscar's messy eight-room NYC apartment. He and his colorful poker buddies (Dave Gangler, Eric Knutson, Joel Raney, and Ben Tallen, all distinctly hilarious) are worried when Felix doesn't show up. A phone call to his wife informs them that he hasn't been heard from since she threw him out the day before, when he vaguely hinted at suicide. When he finally does arrive, they tread gingerly around him and pretend they don't know what has happened, even though it's obvious he wants their attention and support. They finally give it to him, and Oscar invites Felix to stay with him until he gets back on his feet. Fast forward two weeks, and the boys have settled into their routine, which mainly involves Felix cooking and cleaning and badgering Oscar when he strays from the newly defined rules. Oscar decides it would be a good idea to double date with the Pigeon sisters (Dawn Brodey and Katie Willer, delightfully giggly and weepy in their mod dresses and go-go boots). Needless to say things don't go as planned, which leads to a falling out between Oscar and Felix. But the two friends, despite not being able to tolerate living together, are still supportive of each other as they navigate their new lives as divorced men.

Felix and Oscar
(Wade A. Vaughn and Sam Landman)

This really is genius casting by director David Mann, who I believe got the idea after seeing both Sam and Wade in their terrific one-man shows with Loudmouth Collective last year (Thom Pain and Cul-de-Sac, respectively). Sam's cigar-smoking, sarcastic, sloppy, gruff Oscar plays very well off of Wade's sensitive, fastidious, tidy, emotional Felix. It's hugely entertaining to watch the two of them together or with the rest of the cast, in some nicely choreographed poker party scenes. Add Neil Simon's fast and funny dialogue, and you have a great night at the theater.

The Odd Couple is virtually sold out for the rest of it's run through June 8, but you might be able to snag a few seats if you call the box office. While the play feels dated, especially in the depiction of the women, it's great fun, and it is a comfort to return to that familiar world of '60s movies/TV (aided by a very detailed set designed by Tamatha Miller and great period costumes by Cindy Forsgren). I've long been a fan of BCT's musicals, but they're doing great work on the play side as well. They have some great shows on the line-up for their 2014-2015 season, both plays and musicals, which may see me making that drive to Bloomington more often.

"The Things They Carried" and "Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq" at the History Theatre

The History Theatre is currently producing two plays in rep, both dealing with the effects of war on the soldiers who fight in them. The Things They Carried is based on the semi-autobiographical collection of short stories by Tim O'Brien, a Minnesota man who was drafted out of college in 1968 and sent to Vietnam. Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq is also based on a book - a series of interviews with women who served in the Iraq War. I saw both plays in one day, which makes for a pretty heavy day. But it's a nice pairing of plays that show different perspectives of war. Both tell really powerful and important stories and feature fine acting, but one affected me much more deeply.

Lonely Soldiers: Women at War in Iraq
After seeing this play I was completely devastated. I had a hard time shaking it. It was one of the most powerful experiences I've had at the theater in quite some time. Because it's not just theater, and it's not just history (both of which the History Theatre does so well), it's about very real and devastating issues facing women in the military. Based on the 2009 book by Helen Benedict, who also wrote the play, Lonely Soldiers tells the stories of seven women who served in the military in Iraq. Helen spent countless hours interviewing these and other women over a period of several years, and their words form the text of the play. The result is a very real and brutal examination of how our military, and our society in a broader sense, tolerates harassment and assault of women.

The play is constructed as a series of monologues using the women's own words. They speak directly to the audience, sharing their varied reasons for joining the military (economic, family pressure, rebellion) and their experiences that were so different from their expectations. Each story is different, yet they're all the same, as they all experience various forms and degrees of harassment from their male counterparts and superiors, with no one to talk to about it. The stories unfold separately, and it's not until the end, when they're home and trying to process what they've been through, that the women start to look at each other and talk to each other, and there's a feeling of relief that can finally share their stories, with each other and with the audience.

the cast of Lonely Soldiers (photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

This cast of seven women (and one man, Santino Craven, who has the thankless job of portraying the mostly not-so-nice men in the women's stories), so completely embodies these characters that you almost believe that they are them. Jamecia Bennet, Shana Berg, Dawn Brodey, Hope Cervantes, Tamara Clark, Meghan Kreidler, and Rhiana Yazzie all give such devastatingly real performances, under the direction of Austene Van, who noted in the program, "The notion that someone who takes on the responsibility to serve and protect with their very lives is left unprotected and damaged forever by those who should be trusted is difficult to fully grasp." Indeed. These women's lives is so far from my experience, I can't even imagine a world like that, but now I don't have to because this play allowed me to experience a little bit of it. And that's about as close to war as I ever want to get. I had tears in the back of my eyes for the entire ninety minutes, and I don't even know anyone in the military.

There was a talk-back after the show I attended, with the playwright, director, and cast onstage to answer questions. There were several women vets in the audience, and those who worked with them in their recovery, and some of them stood up and told similar stories to what we had just heard, which brought another level of reality to the experience. Because of the book and the documentary that it inspired, The Invisible War, there is hopefully more awareness now of how women are treated in the military, but it's certainly still going on.

The Things They Carried
In this one-man show directed by Leah Cooper, Stephen D'Ambrose plays Tim O'Brien, the author of the book. He begins by sitting at his desk writing, and soon speaks directly to the audience, telling stories of his time in Vietnam. It's as if he's reliving the stories as he's writing them down. He occasionally repeats a line as he goes back to his desk to write it in his notebook, almost as if he's telling it for the first time and wants to get it down on paper before he forgets it. As he's telling the story, Stephen also plays many other characters, including his buddies, his family, and the man who "saved his life."

Stephen D'Ambrose in The Tings They Carried
 (photo by Scott Pakudaitis)

Many stories and vignettes are told in the two-act play, but the most compelling are about his trip to the Canadian border shortly after he was drafted, where he contemplated leaving the country to avoid going to war. It's an extremely compelling story, well-told by the author and actor. The second act largely focuses on the death of his best friend, and his journey back to Vietnam 20 years later to attempt some closure. All of the stories are told with beautiful, almost poetic language (most of which I assume comes from the book), wonderfully delivered by Stephen. This is theater at its most basic form - storytelling.

Since the two plays alternate dates over the next several weeks, they share the same basic set (designed by Sarah Brander). The sand-colored floor and weathered wooden slat backdrop works for both. The steps and rock formations in Lonely Soldiers are replaced by office furniture in The Things They Carried. It's an efficient sharing of space.

These two plays really fit well together, but if you can only see one of them, I would recommend Lonely Soldiers. Stories from Vietnam, although still important and relevant, have been told in many forms over the past 40 years. But the stories told in Lonely Soldiers have only recently begun to be heard, and they need to be heard. See the History Theatre website for more info on both plays (and you can find discount tickets for Lonely Soldiers on Goldstar).

Fringe Festival: "They Called Her Captain"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: They Called Her Captain

By: Less Traveled Productions

Written by: Dawn Brodey

Location: Playwrights' Center

Summary: A local actress plays her mother, who joined the Army in WWII and became a captain, as well as almost a dozen other characters in telling the story of this remarkable heroine.

Highlights: First of all, this is a true story; who knew that women were in the Army in WWII? Maybe I'm ignorant, but I didn't. Second of all, she's still alive (and was in the audience), and her daughter is the sole performer in this show. That's pretty cool. But besides that, it's a great play, in fact it's the first Fringe show I've seen that's just begging to be expanded into a full-length play. The subject matter is so rich that they could easily fill two hours, and I hope that they continue to work on the piece so that we get to see it again, in a fuller version. Maggie Bearmon Pistner plays her mother, Jeanne Goldoff Bearmon, during her years as a young Jewish woman from Brooklyn who decides to join the Army. After boot camp, she's sent to London to work in the personnel department, and eventually travels all over Europe. We hear about this through her best friend in the States, her friends overseas, her host family in London, and other people she meets along the way. Maggie effortlessly transforms into these diverse characters with the help of the costumes (by E. Amy Hill), adding a jacket or hat. It's an inspiring story told by people directly involved with it. It left me wanting to know more.

NOTE: the show I attended was sold out, so if you want to see it you should make reservations in advance (see the Fringe website).

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

"The Ultimate Pajama Party" at the Lab Theater

I tend to be a little leery of things referred to as "for girls only!" I'm afraid that it'll be chock full of gender stereotypes that will offend my feminist sensibilities more than entertain. But when I received an invitation to the opening night of The Ultimate Pajama Party at the Lab Theater, I couldn't resist the idea of going out to the theater in my comfiest and cutest pajamas (I have a weakness for pajamas, and can never walk through the Target pajama section without throwing something into my cart). The Ultimate Pajama Party is more party than theater, and since I'm a theater geek who enjoys theater more than parties, it's not really my thing. But everyone seemed to be having a great time, and I can see that it could be a really fun thing for a group of girlfriends who like this type of thing. The gorgeous space at the Lab Theater is decked out to full effect and everyone involved has worked really hard to create a fun and welcoming space for this experience.

As expected, this "girls night out" event does play on every stereotype of What Women Like, from the Kardashians and Fifty Shade of Grey (no, thank you) to shopping and jewelry (yes, please). Even the cast of characters assembled fit into stereotypes - the frazzled mom, the single girl, the gay best friend. The evening is set up as a party for Lisa, who is late in arriving to the party (allowing us party-goers time to visit the tiki bar and enjoy the free snacks). Lisa has invited her friends to celebrate, and the evening continues with a few skits and musical numbers interspersed with party games. I wish that the scripted play parts were more developed. They've assembled a fantastic cast of local actors whose talents I would like to see more of. What's there is good (written by James Detmar, who brilliantly played many roles in Spring Awakening last year), there's just not enough of it. The website says "After a bad breakup with Steve, a dead-end job and years spent not pursuing her dreams, Lisa is ready to celebrate new beginnings," but I didn't really get that from the show. I would prefer more scripted parts and less interactive games (diet bingo, walk like a Kardashian). But again, I'm a theater geek so maybe that's just me.

On the plus side is that fantastic cast of local actors I mentioned:

• Bonni Allen - I got a kick out of her presiding over the strange puppet show since she played Kate Monster in Avenue Q.
• Doug Anderson - he makes a smooth transition from playing the stereotypical Minnesota guy in A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol to the stereotypical gay best friend.
• Betti Battocletti - always musically comedic in such shows as 42nd Street and The Full Monty.
• Dawn Brodey - one of the standouts in last year's fantastic Fringe show Joe Dowling's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet...
• Janet Paone - I've never seen her before but she's very funny and bawdy in the show.
• Melanie Wehrmacher - the guest of honor Lisa, a totally different role from the last time I saw her in Diary of Anne Frank.
• Lisa Weiland - the frazzled mom, which I'm sure many women in the audience can relate to.

Many of them go by their real names in the show, and seem to be sharing some real stories about their lives, so I'm not really sure where the actor ends and the character begins. They all meander through the audience during the show, chatting with guests, and are all very fun and open, creating that party atmosphere. The evening concludes with a performance by Lisa's favorite local band (and actual local band), Belladiva. They sing a collection of current pop hits (which I like to call Glee songs) as well as classic female power pop anthems like "I Will Survive" and "It's Raining Men." This loosely theatrical interactive event turns into a dance party.

the Lab Theater all decked out for a party

I love the Lab Theater - it's like a big, beautiful blank slate. Joshua Barnd has transformed it into an elegant space, with comfy white couches and chairs, black tables, zebra print floor, gorgeous drapery, and a fun setup for photo shoots (if that's your thing). It's just an all around lovely space to be in. There are also party favors and t-shirts to be had, and free food - always a plus at a party!

The Ultimate Pajama Party is super cheesy, both literally (snacks!) and figuratively. They're definitely targeting a specific market and might become a huge success. Personally, I prefer more traditional theater (did I mention I'm a geek who would a million times rather go to the theater than a party?), but if you're looking for a fun and silly night out with your girlfriends, you might want to give this one a try. The party continues through February 10, and don't forget to wear you favorite pajamas! (Half price tickets available for select dates at Goldstar.com.)

Fringe Festival 2012: Joe Dowling's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet on the Moon, Featuring Kate Mulgrew as Lady Capulet

Day: 1

Show: 3

Title: Joe Dowling's William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet on the Moon, Featuring Kate Mulgrew as Lady Capulet

By: The Peanut Butter Factory

Written by: Christopher Kehoe

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: In this play-within-a-play, a renowned local theater is doing a completely ridiculous version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set on the moon with the Capulets as aliens, the Montagues as humans, and the Friar as a robot, complete with stunt casting (for those non-Trekkie's like myself, Kate Mulgrew played Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager). Five audience members give us their varying opinions and experiences with the play - a critic, a Star Trek fangirl, an understudy, a professor, and man who's attending the play with a woman who is not his wife.

Highlights: This is by far the best of the four shows I saw on my first day at the Fringe. First, the brilliant writing by Christopher Kehoe (who's also hilarious as the pretentious theater critic), in which he very successfully weaves together certain pivotal scenes from Romeo and Juliet with the commentators critiques. He also uses the actors' real names and backgrounds as fodder for the satire (e.g., Alex Brightwell really did recently graduate from the U of M/Guthrie BFA program, Max Wojtanowicz really did appear in the Children's Theater's "Ivey-Award-winning" production of Romeo and Juliet). This play pokes fun at just about everything about this sort of big budget spectacle theater, but in a good-hearted way (see the lovely note below about the real Joe Dowling, Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theater). It also illustrates that everyone's experience with theater, or any art form, is different, depending on what we bring to the theater that day. Whether it's "I have to pee," or our education and past experiences, or the person we're sitting next to, it all affects what we get out of the show. What is seen as crap and a waste of time to most of the audience turns out to be, for one man, what "saved my life." And that's the beauty of art. I have to mention the cast that is all-around fantastic (even the robot!), from the play-within-a-play actors who manage to give such convincing, if slightly over-the-top, performances of this classic play seemingly oblivious to the craziness going on around them that I almost wish I could see the entire fictional production, to the five outsiders who lets us see the play through their eyes, especially Dawn Brodey as the professor who lectures her students about the obvious (to her) misogyny of the piece. This is the second play produced by The Peanut Butter Factory (a producing company, not a theater company) and directed by Natalie Novaceck that I've loved (see also Gruesome Playground Injuries), and it makes me excited to see what they'll do next.

Tip: If you go to see this show (and you should), you might want to consider buying tickets in advance. I went to the first performance and it was almost sold out. This show clearly had a lot of pre-show buzz, which is only going to increase as people see it.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections...

a note from the playwright about the play's namesake
(click on image for a larger view)