"King Lear" at Theatre in the Round

To begin their 73rd season, the oldest theater in Minneapolis is going back to a classic - the Shakespearean tragedy about a king gone mad and his scheming heirs, King Lear. In an interesting twist, Theatre in the Round has tapped veteran #TCTheater actor Meri Golden to play Lear as a pants role (meaning Lear is still a King not a Queen, and referred to as male). She's fantastic, and it's wonderful to see a female actor get a crack at this iconic role. She's supported by a large and talented cast, and sparse but effective design, for an engaging take on this classic that I haven't seen in so long I didn't remember the details of the story or characters. When the board member introducing the show (as they always do at TRP) said "we do murder well," he was referring to their annual Agatha Christie play (this year: The Unexpected Guest opening in November), but he could just as well have been talking about this show. There is a lot of murder, some of it bloody, and it is, indeed, done well. King Lear continues at Theatre in the Round through October 6.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" at Theatre in the Round

The 72nd season at the oldest theater in Minneapolis, Theatre in the Round, is a mix of new plays and classics, and they're starting with a classic - the 1939 dark comedy about sweetly murderous sisters, Arsenic and Old Lace. The 1944 film adaptation starring Cary Grant is a popular one, but of course it was a play first (and not surprisingly I've only seen it on stage). Theatre in the Round has gathered a large and talented cast to portray these oddball (but sometimes lovable) characters, with a detailed design in their in-the-round space, and beyond. It makes for a fun and entertaining night at the theater, continuing through October 1 (click here for info and tickets). Content warning: murder.

"Rhinoceros" at Theatre in the Round

What a year it's been, friends! How fitting that my first #TCTheater show of 2018 is the same as one I saw in January last year, and it's just as timely and relevant as it was then (even though it was written nearly 60 years ago). My first experience with Eugene Ionesco's absurdist masterpiece Rhinoceros was 7th House Theatre's "pop up production" last year, which they intentionally premiered the night of the inauguration of the 45th president. Now a year has passed, and this absurd, funny, yet deadly serious little play, now playing at Theatre in the Round, resonates in whole new ways. Written in response to the rise of Fascism in pre-WWII Europe, Rhinoceros reminds us to be wary of large lumbering beasts running through our town and destroying everything we've worked so hard to build. Theatre in the Round's production makes great use of their in-the-round space and a wonderfully committed cast to entertain while also disturbing. As I wrote last year, "It would be terrifying if it weren't so funny. It would be funny if it weren't so terrifying."

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" at Theatre in the Round

The longest-running theater in Minneapolis, Theatre in the Round is opening their 65th season with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the familiar story of the doctor who turns into a sociopath. An intriguing feature of this adaptation by local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher (whose adaptation work can also currently be seen in Lyric Arts' chilling Wait Until Dark) is that while Dr. Jekyll is played by one actor. his alter ego Mr. Hyde is played by four different actors who alternate and sometimes are all present on stage, sometimes along with Dr. Jekyll. This provides a unique glimpse into the fractured and frightening psyche of Jeckyll/Hyde. The story is well-told by the eight-person cast and well-staged in TRP's in-the-round space.