"The Adding Machine" by Clevername Theatre at the Hive Collaborative

Clevername Theatre's production of the 1923 play The Adding Machine feels like a sequel of sorts to last year's production of the 1928 play Machinal, or at least a continuation of the theme. Both plays are a little weird and dark, performed in an Expressionist style, are about the mundanity and absurdity of everyday life, and even share some cast and creative team. Where Machinal focused on a woman trapped in societal expectations and the extremes she goes to to escape, The Adding Machine tells the story of a man fired from his boring job of 25 years, also going to extremes to escape, only to find more of the same. Once again, Clevername has taken a hundred-year-old play, performed it in the style it was intended, and made it relevant to today. See it at The Hive Collaborative through June 22.

"Matt & Ben" at The Hive Collaborative

When friends and #TCTheater artists Serena Brook and Shinah Hey were working at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres on Beautiful last year (Shinah playing songwriter Cynthia Weil, Serena in the ensemble and understudying Carole King), they had the idea to do the play Matt & Ben. Before The Office, Mindy Kaling wrote and starred in Matt & Ben (with Brenda Withers), which became something of a phenomenon and helped her land the job on The Office. It's a perfect 70-minute vehicle for two female actors/friends to play this famous Hollywood friendship. One year later, Serena and Shinah's idea has come to fruition; they recruited friend Derek Prestly to direct, and are collaborating with The Hive on the production (which is all about collaborating with and supporting artists in doing something new). The result is a hilarious buddy comedy about the creative process, celebrity, show business, and friendship. The short two-week run concludes on June 8 - click here for details and to purchase tickets on a sliding scale basis.

"Bart and Arnie" by Melancholics Anonymous at The Hive Collaborative

Adam Szymkowicz's play Bart and Arnie is a sweet, odd, funny, and relatable little play about friendship and existential angst. Using familiar characters from most of our childhoods, he explores ideas of mental health, relationships, careers, and just the difficulties of getting through the day. Melancholics Anonymous' production, now playing at The Hive Collaborative, is super sweet and genuine, and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. Their work is sometimes a little dark, a little weird (they're making their debut at Twin Cities Horror Festival this fall, which seems like it's a long time coming), but this one is dark only in the sense of dark thoughts that we all have, and weird in the most charming way. It's playing through May 18 only, so head to The Hive for some nostalgic fun.

"The Birds" by TheatreX at the Hive Collaborative

Irish playwright Conor McPherson's play The Birds could be a series in The Walking Dead Universe, but with birds instead of zombies. Like the ever-expanding TV world, the real trouble comes from the humans, not the dangerous creatures that have launched humans into a post-apocalyptic world. The play is based on the same short story that the 1963 Hitchcock movie is, but from my understanding (never having seen the movie), the characters and plotline are different. This story is an intimate, almost claustrophobic, one, focusing on just four characters and how they react to this new world order. This is the first production I've seen by new-ish #TCTheater company TheatreX, which launched in 2018 with an adaptation of the novel The Haunting of Hill House, staged in St. Paul's own Hill House, which I somehow missed. I'm happy to have finally caught one of their productions, the slow build tension filled examination of the human psyche that is The Birds. See it at The Hive Collaborative through April 27.

"Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully" by Elena Glass at The Hive Collaborative

My favorite thing about artists is the way that they take pain and trauma and turn it into art, releasing it to the world to help us mere mortals process and perhaps heal from our own pain and trauma. #TCTheater artist Elena Glass, who has been performing professionally on stages around town for the last ten years or so, has done just that in her aptly titled solo show Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully playing at the intimate Hive Collaborative. Elena's dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when she was 14, and died when she was 30, during the height of the COVID epidemic. I had a similar experience; my dad was diagnosed with MS when I was very young and lived almost 50 years with the disease, most of it confined to a wheelchair and in the last few years, to bed, and died just over two years ago. So this show touched me deeply. But you don't have to have a parent with MS to relate to this well-constructed and beautifully performed show. Its themes of grief, loss, family, love, growing up, and moving on are universal, as told through Elena's specific story. If you'd like to see an artist share their personal story with honesty, humor, authenticity, and gorgeous vocals, go see Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully before it closes on January 31.

A Feature on Leslie Vincent's "Cabaret Open Gym" Series at The Hive Collaborative

In just over a year, The Hive Collaborative has become a welcoming home for artists and audiences with a variety of programming including theater, music, movies, bingo, and other events. One such unique series of shows is local theater and music artist Leslie Vincent's "Cabaret Open Gym," a sort of open mic evening in which anyone can get up and sing a song or tell a joke or do any kind of performance. I attended the inaugural show back in September, which was a really fun way to experience a wide variety of performance and support local artists in various stages of their careers. A nice feature of the event is that the first half is curated, meaning Leslie invites more established local artists to present something they're working on, so you know you'll see some great stuff by people you're likely familiar with from stages around town. The second half of the show is open, meaning anyone can sign up and be added to the list to perform. Some of these artists are new to performing, some have more experience, some may lack polish, but you also may discover a diamond in the rough. I love supporting artists in creating new and inventive work, and this is a great way to do that. Read on for an interview with Leslie, and make plans to attend the next Cabaret Open Gym on January 13 (tickets start at $10) and/or sign up to perform yourself!

"Santa's Surprise Party" by The Mechanical Division at The Hive Collaborative

The best surprise of this holiday* season is the return of DalekoArts! Sort of. Amanda White and Ben Thietje, founders of the New Prague theater company that closed its doors last year after 11 successful years, have returned to their former company The Mechanical Division to create a silly holiday comedy of the type frequently performed at Daleko. Written by Ben and directed by Amanda, and featuring actors we know and love from Daleko, it's almost like returning to that beloved theater, without the long but gorgeous drive. It's playing at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul, which over the last year has become one of my favorite venues for its welcoming vibe and variety of programming, and this time of year is particularly cozy with holiday lights and decorations (owners Laura and Eric live next door and their house is the brightest on the block!). Even better, it's a 7pm show with a 70-minute runtime so you can be in bed by 9 go out after the show and do other fun holiday things! Santa's Surprise Party is sweet and silly and stupid and wonderful, with just three shows remaining and few tickets left!

"The First Lady of Song: Ella Sings The Irving Berlin Songbook" at The Hive Collaborative

For their first season, The Hive Collaborative has been exploring the idea of a concept album. Local singer/songwriter Monica Livorsi's new album of Jane Austen-inspired songs (now available for purchase or streaming). Hive co-owner Eric Morris singing from a couple of Frank Sinatra concept albums. The "original concept album" Schubert's Winterreise performed by a couple of fabulous local classical musicians. And last but not least, Deidre Cochran sings Ella Fitzgerald singing Irving Berlin. Each one of these shows has been unique, but they definitely feel like part of a collection. Ella Sings is 60 minutes of music, joy, fun, and community. Check out one of the four more performances this weekend, and then visit Hive's event page to see what else is buzzing this summer (not just music and theater!).

"Winterreise: A Winter's Journey" at The Hive Collaborative

The Hive Collaborative continues their series on concept albums with the original concept album, Austrian composer Franz Schubert's 1828 song cycle Winterreise, setting the poems of Wilhelm Müller to music. I don't think albums existed in 1828, but nevertheless, the idea of a set of songs conveying a common theme or mood did. This "Winter's Journey" is performed by baritone Justin Spenner and pianist Carson Rose Schneider in a unique collaboration with the kind of staging not usually associated with classical music. They're only doing two performances; the final one is this Saturday at 5pm, and with a runtime under 90 minutes, you'll be out in time for dinner at one of the many great St. Paul options.

"Mood Swings: An Exploration of the Concept Albums of Frank Sinatra" by Buzz Music Theater at the Hive Collaborative

When I chatted* with Laura Rudolph Morris and Eric Morris, new owners of The Hive Collaborative (the sweet intimate St. Paul theater space formerly known as Dreamland Arts) and co-founders of Buzz Music Theater, Eric talked about his love of the concept album, from Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift, as the perfect intersection of pop culture and theater. Now he's bringing that idea to the stage in the first of four events in a series they're calling "Conceptual Beginnings." In Mood Swings: An Exploration of the Concept Albums of Frank Sinatra, Eric sings some two dozen songs as a sort of song cycle around the themes of "relationships and the human experience." We do indeed go on "an emotional roller coaster" over the course of an hour, in a theatrical expression of classic songs from the American Songbook, from the Gershwins to Cole Porter. It's a fun evening that expands the idea of music-theater. But hurry, this short run concludes on Monday.

"All About Jane: The Eras of Austen" by Buzz Music Theater at The Hive Collaborative

There's a new theater space in town, and it's hosting its first theatrical event this weekend. But The Hive Collaborative (in the space formerly known as Dreamland Arts in St. Paul's Hamline-Midway neighborhood) has plans to be more than just a theater space. New owners Laura Rudolph Morris and Eric Morris want it to be a community hub, a place for theater as well as classes, celebrations, game nights, and even sound baths. I interviewed the couple on episode 2.10 of "Twin Cities Theater Chat" (listen here or wherever you get your podcasts, and get a discount code for the show), and their excitement for and passion about this project is contagious. They also have a theater company called Buzz Music Theater, which is producing All About Jane: The Eras of Austen, a concept album by local singer-songwriter Monica Livorsi. She's planning to release the album next spring, but this weekend only you can hear her perform it live in the new Hive space, that's been transformed into a cozy Regency Era sitting room. It's a fantastic collection of songs in various modern pop styles, each of which features a heroine from Austen's work - a must see for Jane Austen fans. But quick - only three performances remain!