"Henry V" by Jackdonkey Productions at Theatre in the Round

Sixteen months ago, I had one of my best and most memorable days at the theater when I saw Guthrie Theater's production of the History Plays,  Shakespeare's Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, all in one marathon day. One continuing story and one incredible cast of actors bringing it to life over three plays, for a total of 8+ hours of theater. The taglines for the three plays were: "a king becomes a man," "a man becomes a king," and "a king becomes a hero," respectively. But Jackdonkey Productions' new take on the finale of this trilogy, Henry V, brings a little different perspective to the story. Because in reality, war is much more complicated than that. There are no heroes, there are no winners, there's only death and destruction. This is a theme that is very relevant to what's going on in our world today, with wars, violence, and power-hungry leaders everywhere you turn. Jackdonkey brings this ancient story right into the present in this innovative production, playing at Theatre in the Round this weekend only (through August 18).

"Rope" at Gremlin Theatre

The 1929 play Rope, which was adapted into a 1948 film by Alfred Hitchcock, is now receiving fine treatment on the Gremlin Theatre stage. Written by English playwright Patrick Hamilton (who also wrote Gas Light, which was also adapted into a film, and later become a term for psychological manipulation), it was inspired by the real life case of two college students who murdered a child in 1920s Chicago as an intellectual pursuit. In this version of the story, two university students murder a fellow student, put his body in a chest, and then hold a dinner party with food served on top of the chest, just to prove they could get away with murder. It's sickening really, but also makes for a riveting and suspenseful tale, because - spoiler alert - they don't get away with it. Watching their carefully plotted plan unravel like so much frayed rope is a thrill. A fantastic cast and spot on design chillingly bring this story to life. See it at Gremlin Theatre in Vandalia Tower in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood now through August 4.

"Only Ugly Guys" at Open Eye Theatre

After adapting/directing/producing a play last fall that was "unlike anything I've ever seen before" (an adaptation of the Norwegian novel Naive. Super, with a different actor performing the solo play each night), Kurt Engh returns with an original play that once again inventively uses sound, video, and technology to tell a story. In this case, it's the story of four young gay men in a modern rom com that's very funny and engaging, and well performed by this cast of new-to-me young actors. Only Ugly Guys is presented as part of Open Eye Theatre's Guest Artists Series, which has already brought us Madeleine Rowe's charmingly odd solo piece Honey, I'm Home. It's great to see this established theater host the next generation of theater makers on their sweet little stage, and the group of artists behind Only Ugly Guys makes the future of #TCTheater look bright. The short run concludes on June 30.