"The Savannah Sipping Society" at Lyric Arts

Last night was a bitterly cold April night with sharp snow flurries in the air. But inside Lyric Arts, it was a warm and cozy celebration of female friendship in a springy Savannah garden. The comedy The Savannah Sipping Society may be a bit cliche (lots of jokes about bad husbands), but the cast is charming and it's wonderful to see a play about women of a certain age supporting each other through life's hardships, and encouraging each other to take risks, try new things, and live the lives they want to live. "It's never too late to make a new old friend," and it's never too late to see a feel-good comedy in Anoka - at least until May 7, then it will be too late!

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "Meemaw McPhearson's Magic Mushrooms"

Day: 2

Show: 3

Performance Type: In Person

Location: Gluek Park (outdoors)

Length: 55 minutes

Title: Meemaw McPhearson's Magic Mushrooms

By: Brick by Brick Players

Summary: A family returns to their favorite cabin in the woods after the death of their father/husband/son, and it's complicated.

Highlights: This is a great family dramedy created by young artists (playwright Grace Ward, director Hadley Evans Nash) that features a multi-generational cast. We have the titular Meemaw (Kathleen Winters), mother of the deceased; the newly widowed Peggy (Gina Sauer); her teenage daughters Burgundy (Simone Reno) and Lily-Pearl (Sarah Anne Munson); prodigal son Roper (Timothy Kelly), who shows up with new girlfriend Lena (Gillian Gaunt) in tow; and camp employee Toby (Dan Patton), whose known the family for decades. To say they have issues is putting it mildly. Peggy mourns her husband, but cheated on him; Meemaw resents Peggy for changing her son; the girls are thrilled to see their brother, yet resentful that he's been away so long; and Lena is just trying to fit into this family unit. They argue, they run away, they see Big Foot and a puppet show in the woods, but in the end this family loves each other and is there for each other, even when it's hard and messy. The engaged and present cast really feels like a family, and although it's not a musical, music is incorporated nicely into the storytelling. Bonus: the setting is gorgeous in a pretty little park on the Mississippi.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "The Womyn's Mysteries"

Day: 3

Show: 8

Title: The Womyn's Mysteries

Category: Drama / Physical Theater / Storytelling

By: See-Saw Theater Lab

Directed by: Chava Curland

Location: Minnsky Theatre

Summary: An ensemble created piece telling the stories of the women in the Bible.

Highlights: Using music, movement, scarves, and stories, this diverse and talented 8-womyn ensemble (Erika Kunk, Gina Sauer, Jex Arzayus, Jody Bee, Kate Kennedy, Katherine Engel, Samantha Joy Singh, and Vinecia Coleman) tells stories from the Bible you may have heard before, but not quite like this. The piece is arranged in four parts (the beginning, matriarchs, warriors, and lovers or harlots), and the ensemble members take turns narrating and acting out scenes. They make these ancient women seem modern and relatable. There's also a bit of fourth-wall breaking, when someone will call cut in a questionable scene and the cast will proceed to discuss the story they're telling. There are also scenes in which they truthfully speak their own personal fears and wants. It's a beautiful thing to see a group of womyn on stage supporting each other in telling their stories and the stories of womyn in history and mythology, and how that history and mythology has shaped where we are today. A timely and timeless piece.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Apples in Winter" by Uprising Theatre Company at St. Peder's Lutheran Church

Uprising Theatre Company has been around for a few years now, but I saw my first Uprising show just last night. Now I'm sorry I waited so long. I completely agree with the statement on their about page: "Uprising Theatre Company really, truly believes that stories can change the world." But they don't just tell the story, and choose plays with relevant topics that need to be explored in today's world. They partner with community organizations that are actively working towards changing the world. That's pretty cool, friends. Their current production, the intimate, site-specific, intense, and heart-breaking Apples in Winter explores the issues of drug addiction, the treatment of criminals and prisoners, and the death penalty, so they've partnered with three relevant organizations: Cornerstone, Friends for a Non-Violent World, and the Twin Cities Men's Center. Each organization has a table with information in the lobby, so if you're inspired by the show, you can find out what immediate specific actions you can take. A post-show discussion follows every performance, which helps you process the show you've seen along with fellow audience members. So yeah, Uprising not only "really, truly believes that stories can change the world," they actively work towards it.

"You Can't Take It With You" at Lyric Arts

You can't take it with you. Meaning money, meaning when you die. What's the point of racking up piles of money at the expense of living? It's more important to rack up experiences and time spent doing the things you love with the people you love. At least that's the moral of the story in the classic play You Can't Take It With You, now playing at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage in Anoka. This 80-year-old play may be a little dated and old-fashioned, and I don't really see the urgency of doing this play at this moment in time. And of course, it's a privileged class of people who can contemplate giving up their high-paying job to spend more time on their hobbies. That being said, this is still a charming, funny, and uplifting play, a good way to spend an evening and a good reminder to not overlook the important things in life.

"Persuasion" by Aethem Theater Company at the Wellstone Center

"Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands." These words were written by Jane Austen 200 years ago, spoken by Anne Elliot, the heroine of Persuasion, but they're just as true today. OK maybe we've evened things out a little bit in the last 200 years, but women's stories told by women are still in the minority. Fortunately, Jane Austen was able to tell her story despite the obstacles, a story of strong women who are determined to decide their own fate despite living within the confines of early 19th Century English society. One of the less common iterations of this story, her final novel Persuasion, has received a new adaptation by local theater artist Kayla Hambek for Aethem Theatre Company, and it's just delightful. Full of the Jane Austen charm, the familiar story of a strong, determined, principled woman who won't settle for less than her heart's desire, brought to life by a large wonderful cast with creative use of movement to convey emotions - it's a must-see for Janeites.

"A Christmas Story" at Lyric Arts

The 1983 movie A Christmas Story has become a holiday classic, thanks in part to TBS running it for 24 hours on Christmas Day every year. Full of humor, nostalgia, and heart, this story of 9-year-old Ralphie and his quest for a very special BB gun for Christmas is a charmer. Fans of the movie are sure to enjoy Lyric Arts production of the play version of the movie, written in 2000 by Philip Grecian (which is different from the musical version that the Ordway did a few years ago). While this story based on a 30-year-old movie based on memories of a time 40 years before that is a bit dated, and viewed a bit differently in today's environment, the heart of the piece is still there. At the Sunday matinee performance some of my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (from Artfully Engaging, No Filter Reviews, One Girl, Two Cities, and Twin Cities Stages) and I were greeted with a Christmas cocktail, and after the show we chatted with the adult members of the cast and toured the set, with more Christmas cocktails of course. We bloggers always welcome the opportunity to talk to artists about their work and to learn about what happens behind the scenes.* Lyric Arts is one of the top community theaters in town (along with Theatre in the Round), and it was a treat to get to know them a little better and enjoy this festive and fun holiday show.