"Helen" by Ten Thousand Things at The Capri Theater

Six years after taking over as Artistic Director of Ten Thousand Things from founder Michelle Hensley, Marcela Lorca is directing her final show with the company before moving on. For this, she returns to one of her favorites - Greek tragedy. Specifically, she worked with playwrights John Barton and Kenneth Cavander on their adaptation of Euripides' Helen, a different retelling of the tragedy of the Trojan War than we usually hear. This adaptation, Marcela's direction and choreography, and this uber talented cast make this two thousand year old play feel refreshingly modern and relevant. And don't let the word tragedy fool you; this Helen is full of lightness and humor and music, albeit tinged with tragedy, specifically around the senselessness and destruction of war. My theater blogger friend asked me if this was a must see, and I said - of course it is, it's Ten Thousand Things! Marcela Lorca is concluding her tenure at TTT on a high note, and I look forward to how this uniquely special company created by Michelle Hensley continues into the future. In the meantime, you can see Helen at The Capri Theater, Open Book, United Methodist Church, or various locations around the community through November 10.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "The Dumb Waiter"

Day: 3

Show: 5

Title: The Dumb Waiter

Category: Comedy / Drama / Physical Theater / Political content

By: Jackdonkey Productions

Written by: Harold Pinter

Location: Open Eye Theatre

Summary: A one-act play by British playwright Harold Pinter about two hit-men waiting to do a job.

Highlights: As I've written several times, I don't get Pinter. His plays are so bleak and often absurd, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to get out of it. But maybe because The Dumb Waiter is not a full-length play (Pinter is easier to digest in small bites?), maybe because of Jackdonkey's excellent production, this is my favorite Pinter yet. It has a Waiting for Godot feel, with these two men sitting in a bare room (per the script they're supposed to be sitting on beds but per this Fringe aesthetic they're sitting on stools with a few props in a bucket, which works well), waiting for word from their boss about their next job. They have conversations about nothing (tea and snacks), and talk about past jobs that they can't forget. Ben (Dominic Shiro) is the calmer quieter one, reading a newspaper, while Gus (Robert Wood Frank) is a bit more restless, wandering around, leaving the room to make tea or use the bathroom, filling the silence with chatter. Both actors along with the director Zach Christensen are U of M/Guthrie BFA grads and continue a summer of excellent work by the Guthrie farm team. Everything is crisp, precise, and thoughtful, with the actors, particularly Robert, performing with interesting and specific physicality. The staging, lighting (by Matthew Walsh), costumes, minimal props, and use of the trap door as the dumb waiter are all so cohesive and well done. Fringe is a great place to see new work, but it's also a great place to see excellent new interpretations of established plays, and this is one of those.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Spitfire Grill" by Ten Thousand Things at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Ten Thousand Things musicals are my favorite. When their trademark "All the Lights On" barebones style is applied to a musical, we get a few acoustic instruments accompanying unmiked singers performing a few feet in front of us, and the result is magical. The lovely Americana score and intimate story of the Off-Broadway musical The Spitfire Grill is a perfect choice for this treatment. The only problem with "all the lights on" is that everyone can see when you start to cry at the emotions brought on by the story and the music! But that's OK, they're probably crying too, and it's all part of being human, which is what this show exemplifies so beautifully. A simply stunning cast and simply charming design allow the true heart of this piece to shine, which is what Ten Thousand Things does so well. You can see The Spitfire Grill at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church this weekend (an easy-to-get-to location with a large free parking lot) or the following two weekends at The Jungle Theater, with free community performances continuing through June 9.