"Indecent" at the Guthrie Theater

Fresh off of Broadway, Indecent has arrived at the Guthrie Theater. Ingeniously written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel (who made her Broadway and Guthrie debuts with this play and is currently the toast of the town), the play tells the story of a play, the history of the world around it, and the interaction of the two. It's about so many things, among them the depiction of a lesbian romance on stage in the early 20th Century, the role of theater in the world, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, and the resulting decline of a language and a culture because of it. This new production is gorgeously designed and beautifully performed by the seven-person mostly local cast, for an incredibly moving, enlightening, thought-provoking evening of theater.

"Watch on the Rhine" at the Guthrie Theater

"Shame on us. Thousands of years and we cannot yet make a world." This line comes near the end of Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine, now playing on the Guthrie's proscenium stage, and is one of the most devastating moments in this gorgeous play. Written in 1941, it's part war story, part multi-generational family dramedy, part romance, and part social commentary that still rings true 75 years later. It eerily shows us how history repeats itself, and how frustrating that is. Frustrating that Europe hadn't even recovered from what was then called The Great War before it embarked on another one. Frustrating that after witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust we allow genocide to continue to happen all around the world. Frustrating that we've seen the evils of fascism but it still exists. When will we learn? I'm sorry if this sounds hugely depressing, and this show is that to a certain extent. But it's also hopeful in its focus on a family that bands together, despite their differences, to stand up for what's right. So that maybe one day we will get it right, we will figure out how to make a world where all children eat a good breakfast every day, where no one is persecuted for their religion or gender identity, where women don't have to fear for their safety walking down the street or going to work. Watch on the Rhine shows us, while keeping us enthralled with its gripping storytelling, that we all have to keep watch.

"You Can't Take It With You" at the Jungle Theater

About a year and a half ago, I cut down the hours on my day job so that I would have more time to do what I love - seeing and writing about theater. Which essentially means I took a pay cut in order to have more time to enjoy my life. This means that my bank account is a little smaller, but as the man said, you can't take it with you! It's a motto I live by, but had yet to see the play by that name until last night. I was pleased to discover that it celebrates this very spirit - doing what you love, surrounded by people you love (no matter how crazy they might be), and not sacrificing these things for a paycheck. Granted, not everyone is in a position to reduce their paycheck to spend time blogging, or dancing, or making fireworks, but it's a good thing to assess how you're spending your time (more precious and rare than money) every once in a while. Jungle Theater's production of You Can't Take It With You is funny, quirky, heart-warming, and with a cast so delicious it'll make you drool.

Hugh Kennedy and Anna Sundberg
(photo by Kerri Pickett)

It's 1937 New York, and the extended Sycamore family is about as eccentric as they come. Grandpa quit his job 35 years ago because he didn't enjoy it, and spends his time raising snakes and attending commencements. Daughter Penny and her husband Paul keep busy writing plays and making fireworks, respectively, while their daughter Essie, who lives in the house with xylophone-playing husband Ed, studies dance and makes candy. Various other oddball friends and employees fill the house, with daughter Alice as the only seemingly "normal" one. She works in an office on Wall Street, and falls in love with the boss' son. As you can imagine, when Alice brings Mr. Kirby and his conservative wealthy parents home to meet the family, much hilarity ensues. Will these two very different families ever make peace so that these two crazy kids can get hitched?

Angela Timberman, John Middleton, and a kitty!
(photo by Kerri Pickett)

This is a huge and star-studded cast, with many favorites from the Jungle and other local stages, including three real-life married couples (although only one of them actually plays a married couple). And there's not a weak link among them, including the two kittens! Each actor is so committed to the role and bringing out each character's delightful and specific quirks, while still making them seem like real people. In fact I don't know where to begin in singling out individual performances, for fear of leaving someone out! But I'll give it a go:

Angela Timberman, Cathleen Fuller, Hugh Kennedy,
Nathaniel Fuller, and Julia Valen
(photo by Kerri Pickett)

There's Angela Timberman as the loveable flake of a mother (I don't think it's possible for a human to upstage her, but a kitten can, especially when it starts playing with her earring!); John Middleton as her fireworks-obsessed husband; Cathleen and Nathaniel Fuller as the stiff and conservative Kirbys, both of whom have a little more life inside them than initially seen; Anna Sundberg as the sweet and relatively normal Alice; Hugh Kennedy, as charming as ever as her Mr. Kirby; Elisa Pluhar and Peter Lincoln Rusk as a couple of loyal employees that fit right in with this odd family; Charity Jones as a boozy actress who spends most of her time onstage collapsed in a heap; the delightful Julia Valen as Essie, constantly dancing and fluttering in her ballet slippers, frequently getting up on those toes; sharing a cute and easy chemistry with Max Wojtanowicz as her husband who accidentally distributes communist messages; Jay Albright, goofy as ever as Paul's fireworks buddy; Allen Hamilton as the frighteningly intense Russian dance teacher; Wendy Lehr as the Grand Duchess who makes blintzes, a third-act appearance that's worth the wait; Gabriel Murphy as the shocked IRS agent who enters the home and doesn't know what he's getting into; and last but not least, Raye Birk who, like Grandpa, is the heart and center of the show. Phew! Trust me, they're all fantastic and play together so well under Gary Gisselman's direction that every performance is a joy to watch. In fact there's often so much goodness going on at once on different parts of the stage that it's impossible to take it all in!

All of this craziness takes place in the Sycamore home, beautifully designed by Tom Butsch to use every inch of the Jungle's small stage. There's a foyer, office area, alcove for Ed's xylophone and printing press, stairway, dining table, and several doorways with set decoration continuing outside the doors. The walls are covered with framed photos and artwork, and every corner is crammed with books and tchotchkes. Amelia Cheever's '30s period costumes are beautiful (including several pairs of shoes I would like to own) and perfectly suited to each character. The lighting by Don Darnutzer and sound by Montana Johnson complete this specifically defined world (including several fireworks tricks on and off stage), with period music playing during intermissions and a post-curtain call song that perfectly sums up the evening: the best things in life are free!

What else can I say about You Can't Take It With You than it's an absolute delight and utterly joyful. Head to the Jungle between now and through August 9 for a pick-me-up and to revel in the good things in life.

"Tribes" at the Guthrie Theater

The new play Tribes, by British playwright Nina Raine, is about nothing less than the nature of love, family, language, words, books, emotions, music, and the interaction of all of these things. The framework in which these issues are explored is a dysfunctional family with three adult children, one of whom was born deaf, all living with their parents in North London. The deaf child never learned to sign, and instead learned to read the lips, faces, and bodies of his family. But still, the nuances of their boisterous interactions are lost to him. He meets a woman who grew up hearing in a deaf family, but is slowly losing her hearing. This introduction to the deaf community opens up a new world to him and makes him look at his family differently, with devastating results. While the element of deafness vs. hearing and the use of sign language (with surtitles to translate) is a fascinating element of the play, at its heart is a very real and human story of belonging and finding your place in the world, and how to navigate that journey within the family you were born into. Tribes is an excellent play and the Guthrie has assembled a stellar cast, which makes for a completely absorbing night at the theater. This is the first play I've seen of the Guthrie's 2013-2014 season (I see Uncle Vanya next week), and judging by this example, it's going to be an extraordinary season in the big blue building on the river.

Billy has returned home from university to live with his parents, both authors, and his older brother and sister who are both trying to find their way in life, to "find their voice." This is a family that shows its affection through arguing with and insulting each other (something those of us coming from "Minnesota nice" families may not recognize). Siblings Dan and Ruth pick on each other relentlessly, and father Chris is constantly haranguing his children and their life choices. The opening scene of the play is one big long argument over dinner, with Billy sitting quietly, occasionally asking what's going on, and being told "it's nothing." He's alone in the storm that is his family. Perhaps for this reason everyone loves Billy the best, but maybe they don't really know him. He meets Sylvia at a party, a woman who's fluent in sign and dealing with slowly losing her hearing, and is instantly smitten by her and the deaf community he has so far avoided. He learns to sign and becomes a part of this community, at the same time Sylvia is longing to leave it for the bigger world. Billy decides to stop talking to his family until they make the effort to learn sign language for him. He tells them he doesn't feel like he belongs, and he doesn't need them anymore. Billy is finally fully able to express himself, and everything he's been holding back his whole life comes out, and it's absolutely devastating.

This play lulled me into thinking it was a sharp and acerbic comedy, and then the second act delves into these deep and painful issues like a knife to the heart. The exploration of the idea of language and how that relates to feelings is fascinating. At one extreme is the family patriarch, a retired professor and author who believes that you can't feel something unless you have the words to express it. And therefore, he believes that people who speak in sign language are somehow shallower than people who use spoken words. Ruth is an aspiring opera singer trying to "find her voice," who believes that the music itself expresses emotions even without words. Signing is like music, and is as beautiful as poetry. It can also be harsh and ugly, as when Billy lets loose his pent-up feelings. He tells his father this is the first time he's really listening to him, and it's because he stopped speaking. This is the kind of play that's so full, I wish I had time to go back and see it again to let it soak in more completely.

an uncomfortable family dinner
(photo by T. Charles Erickson)

This six-person cast is a dream. Most of them are known and beloved to me from their work on the Guthrie and other local stages, along with two cast-members making their Guthrie debut - one of those accomplished soap/theater actors, and a deaf actor who so completely embodies his character physically and emotionally. At the head of this crazy family is Stephen Schnetzer, who is best known for playing Cass Winthrop on Another World for many years (and whom I know for taking that character to my beloved soap As the World Turns when AW went off the air). But he's also an accomplished theater actor (as many NYC soap actors are), and he's fantastic on stage. He's so good at playing this selfish, arrogant, egotistical man that I almost wanted to boo him at curtain call! Matching him as his wife Beth is our own beloved Sally Wingert, who makes the most of every moment (I particularly enjoyed Beth's befuddlement while answering her cell phone), and also conveys the deep love for her very different children in the midst of the craziness. Anna Reichert and Hugh Kennedy are so great as the bickering siblings, walking the fine line between spoiled brat and sympathetic young adult. Hugh Kennedy absolutely ripped my heart out. His character is so mean to his sister and parents in the first act that you wonder why he is so mean, and soon learn that his attitude is covering a deep sensitivity and mental illness. By the end of the play his childhood stammer and the voices in his head have returned, and he wears a slouchy sweater like armor around his wounded soul. Tracey Maloney has the Herculean task of speaking in several languages - sign, spoken English, and the high-pitched and slightly broken English of someone who can no longer hear their own voice - and she does it all beautifully. Last but certainly not least is John McGinty as Billy. The most powerful moment of the play is when Billy finally finds his voice and tells his family that he feels left out. It's devastating, but in John's hands it's a thing of painful beauty. When he begins signing is when his acting finds depth.

I know you're already saying to yourself, "I've got to see this play!" But just wait, I haven't told you about the set yet! And what an incredible set, unlike anything I've ever seen. The three walls of the family's living space are covered floor to very high ceiling in books, like some giant library. It's the kind of room I'd like to be trapped in for days, weeks, months, and just escape from the world into the world of books (which is what several members of this family do). The wood floor curves over the end of the stage and spills into my lap in my front row seat of the proscenium theater. The large space is filled with a dining room table, couch, a few chairs, and a piano (used to beautiful effect). A party scene and a bedroom are achieved by the lowering of a wall and the entrance of a table or bed. This is a play that would be brilliant on a bare stage, but the addition of this wondrous set by Alexander Dodge takes it one step further.

Tribes continues on the Guthrie's Proscenium Theater stage through November 10. I highly recommend it. Yes, I'm a big fan of the Guthrie (this is my 11th year as season subscriber) and enjoy pretty much everything they do, but this is one of the best plays I've seen there in quite a while. My favorite play of last season was Clybourne Park, and this reminds me of that in the harsh and real way it opens up issues. But this I think has more heart to it. It's emotional and thought-provoking, beautifully written and acted. In short, it's everything I want a play to be.

"Pride and Prejudice" at the Guthrie Theater

Pride and Prejudice is the final production in the Guthrie's 50th anniversary season, and my tenth season as a subscriber. It's also the first repeated show in that 10 years (not counting the annual production of A Christmas Carol). Pride and Prejudice was the first production in my first season as a subscriber in the summer of 2003 (that has a nice symmetry to it, doesn't it?). It almost didn't work out that way - when the season was announced last year, the final show was Born Yesterday. Earlier this year the decision was made to move that show to this winter, with Pride and Prejudice replacing it. Which I imagine caused a bit of a ruckus, getting all the required ducks in a row for this scale of a production on a shortened timeline, including a last-minute actor change. You wouldn't know it, as this is a gorgeous production, impeccably cast, and a charming rendition of a classic literary love story.

Jane Austin's most popular novel centers on the Bennet family in early 19th century England - five daughters of marriageable age, an exasperated father, and a mother whose only goal is to see her daughters married and taken care of, since none of them can inherit their father's estate under English law. Wealthy gentlemen arrive in the country, and the Bennets are all aflutter. Balls, witty repartee, misunderstandings, scandals, and reconciliations continue for two hours, in a story I'm sure most of you are familiar with (if not - see Wiki). This adaptation by Simon Reade (a different one than they used 10 years ago) stays pretty faithful to the story as I remember it, condensing it nicely for the stage and keeping much of Austin's prose in the form of letters that are read by both the sender and recipient.

Ashley Rose Montondo
and Vincent Kartheiser
as Elizabeth and Darcy

The Guthrie has assembled an excellent cast of familiar faces and new, beginning with Ashley Rose Montondo as our heroine, the smart and spirited Elizabeth. Ashley was a last-minute replacement, stepping in just a month before previews began, and a fortunate one at that. She is so natural and charismatic as Lizzie; it's a star-making turn for someone with a relatively short bio (it's worth noting that Ashley, along with five other cast-members, is a product of the U of M/Guthrie BFA program). As her Darcy, Minnesota-actor-turned-TV-star Vincent Kartheiser* is initially stoic, disagreeable, and cold - as Darcy should be (he is the "pride" in Pride and Prejudice). But as he shows his softer side, Elizabeth warms to him, and so do we (it's lovely to see a natural smile on Vincent's face, something his Mad Men character never quite manages). They make quite a charming pair, and it's easy to root for and celebrate their happiness when it comes at long last. All of the Bennet sisters are perfectly cast, from Christine Weber as the eldest, the sweet and beautiful Jane, to Thallis Santesteban as the amusingly bookish Mary, to Aeysha Kinnenun, stealing scenes as the young and flighty Lydia. Completing the family, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are played by the appropriately frazzled Peter Thomson and ridiculously silly Suzanne Warmanen. Kris Nelson is excellent as always as the quite creepy Mr. Collins (showing quite the range from his last role - the creepy-in-a-different-way Stanley Kowalski). Hugh Kennedy is charming as always as the good Mr. Bingley, and Anna Sundberg does haughty privilege well as his sister. Last but not least, Sally Wingert has a couple of nice turns as two completely different aunts - the girls' friendly aunt and Darcy's hilariously stern aunt.

The set is dominated by a gorgeous and fascinating moving showpiece (set design by Alexander Dodge). The floor of the thrust stage is cut into concentric circles that rotate in opposite direction, the outer supporting a set of huge stately white columns, the inner a wall with three glass doors. As the circles spin in opposite directions, the set pieces are arranged in seemingly infinite combinations to represent various indoor and outdoor settings. The stairs around the familiar thrust stage are covered with green grass, with green topiary adorning the back of the stage. The only downfall of this relatively simple set is that it's difficult to see the difference between the Bennet's modest home and the more extravagant homes of the Darcys and Bingleys, but that's what the imagination is for. The costumes, hair, make-up, etc. are of course stunning; I expect no less at the Guthrie. Adding a little visual action to the drama, Joe Chvala has choreographed some charming English country dances. I was particularly impressed that Darcy and Elizabeth carry on a complete conversation while effortlessly performing the steps of an intricate dance.

Pride and Prejudice is a great choice to close the Guthrie's landmark season. A classic and well-loved story; a cast that features Guthrie vets, new young local talent, and one of Minnesota's famous sons; and gorgeous production values. I found it to be quite charming.




*I have to admit, when Vincent Kartheiser was announced as Mr. Darcy, I was very excited. You see, before I was a theater junkie, I was a TV junkie, and I still am. I believe Man Men to be the highest form of the art that television can be. And I love it when my fellow Minnesotans make it big on the national scene and then come home to share their gifts. I met Vincent a few weeks ago at the Guthrie's 50th Anniversary Gala and made a blithering idiot of myself, so in shock I was to see him live and in person instead of on my TV screen in 60s period garb. It took a minute to get used to him in a different role, but I saw no traces of Pete Campbell in Mr. Darcy. He's in a position of success where he has many choices before him, and the fact that he chose to do a play in his hometown is a pretty cool thing.

"The Primrose Path" at the Guthrie Theater

I admit it - I've never heard of the 19th century Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, much less read any of his books. The closest I ever came was getting about halfway through Anna Karenina by his contemporary Leo Tolstoy (at which point I couldn't bear to read another sentence about the Russian socio-political system). So it was with completely fresh eyes and no previous knowledge that I went to see the new adaptation of Turgenev's novel Home of the Gentry by Crispin Whittell (whose adaptation of A Christmas Carol has played at the Guthrie for the last few years), developed with director Roger Rees (whom fellow TV addicts might know as Cheers' Robin Colcord). In an interview in the playbill, Roger says of the novel, "It manages to be both funny and sad at the same time, and it's inhabited by characters who seem to be able to laugh and cry almost at the same time. I love that." I love that too, but this adaptation is heavy on the funny/laugh, and light on the sad/cry. Still, as a comedy, I found it quite enjoyable. With a great cast playing intriguing characters on an interesting set, with a bit of music thrown in, it's an fun if not particularly deep night at the theater.

The Primrose Path takes place in Russia in the mid 19th century. Maria is trying to marry off her daughter Elizaveta (aka Lisa) to the pompous but wealthy Panshin, but Lisa would rather join a convent. Maria's cousin Lavretsky returns home from Paris without his wife - how scandalous! Lavretsky is the opposite of Panshin, a smart, humble, good-hearted man, and therefore Lisa falls in love with him (this was a time when it was OK for cousins to marry, something George Michael Bluth would approve of). The mystery of Lavretsky's missing wife stands between them, an obstacle they think they've overcome, until they find out they haven't. This basic storyline is surrounded by much talking and joking, a little music (including a piano played live on stage), romping through the woods, and skinny-dipping. It felt to me like a Shakespearean comedy, almost a farce with all of the jokes, antics, and falling prostrate on the ground. So I was expecting that our favorite couple would magically get together at the end, as typically happens in Shakespeare's comedies. But that was not the case, and I was left a bit jarred by the decidedly not happy ending.

Kyle Fabel and Suzy Kohane
as the star-crossed lovers

This is a truly fantastic cast, and a nice mix of Guthrie favorites, favorites from other local stages who are new to the Guthrie, and actors from on and off Broadway making their Guthrie debuts. In the latter category, I quite enjoyed Kyle Fabel as Lavretsky, the straight man amidst these over-the-top characters. Smart and stable but with a bit of a solemn air, it's easy to see why Lisa falls in love with him. As Lisa, Suzy Kohane (so delightful as the frazzled bride in Company last fall) makes her Guthrie debut and is sweet and genuine as the solemn and serious young woman with the lovely voice. Hugh Kennedy (last seen in the Studio Theater in Buzzer) is, as usual, endlessly watchable as he creates this pretentious idiot of a character, carrying his stiff and proper physicality to the very edge of the stage as he leaves scenes. Broadway actor Jim Stanek made his Guthrie debut in last summer's musical Roman Holiday, and I'm happy to see him return, and to find out that he's just as charismatic this time around. He lights up the stage as Lavretsky's friend Mikhalevich, a lovable rogue. Playing his love interest is Christian Bardin, another local making her Guthrie debut. She's entertaining as the harried maid, but unfortunately the role doesn't allow her to use the full range of her unique comedic talents. The divine Sally Wingert (veteran of over 75 Guthrie productions) is a hoot as the overbearing mother with ambitions of marrying her daughter off "well." Last but not least, Ann Michels steals the scene with her over-the-top performance as Lavretsky's wife, exaggerating every gesture and word, topping it off with a hilariously overdone aria as she takes her stunning voice for a comedic turn.

The Guthrie's thrust stage is sparsely furnished, yet makes an effective transition from Lavretsky's abandoned and run-down estate, with furniture covered in sheets and broken down chairs scattered around, to his cousin Maria's more elegant home, with a staircase ascending from the floor. Huge columns adorn the back of the stage, weathered and stained, with pristine white columns being dropped in for scenes at Maria's grand house. There's also a charming scene of Lavretsky and Lisa floating on a raft across the stage. The costumes are beautiful, Maria's gowns as over-the-top as her personality, contrasting with Lisa's more simple and elegant attire. (Set design by Neil Patel, costume design by Fabio Toblini.)

As other reviewers have suggested, the creators of Primrose Path may not have succeeded in their goal of mixing the comedy and heart-felt emotion of Turgenev's novel. Having never read the novel, that doesn't really bother me too much, although as I said the ending left me feeling like something was lacking. But for me, it's enough to watch old and new favorite actors play together on stage. If that's enough for you too, check it out soon - the show closes next weekend (June 8).

"Buzzer" by Pillsbury House Theatre at the Guthrie Studio Theater

The new play Buzzer by Tracey Scott Wilson premiered at Pillsbury House Theatre last year. It explores issues of race, class, gender, and gentrification in this seemingly post-racial world. It's one of those plays that'll leave you with a slightly uneasy feeling because of the very real and intense issues it brings up. Like all theater by Pillsbury House, it's more than just a play, it's an exploration of ideas, conflicts, and issues that are extremely relevant to the world we live in, but that we may be reluctant to face. That's what great theater does, make us face those issues head on. If you missed it last year, you have a second chance to see it at the Guthrie studio (playing now through March 3), where the entire cast and creative team has reassembled. The play may have been tweaked a bit since its last run, but I didn't notice any drastic changes from when I saw it last year; it's as if the entire production was plucked out of Pillsbury House and placed intact in the Guthrie Studio. It was one of my favorite plays last year, and the kind of play that almost requires repeat viewing, so I was more than happy to see it again.

Tracey Scott Wilson has crafted an intense one-act drama, with the action and the tension constantly building. Scenes overlap; a character will be having a conversation, then turn and begin a new scene and conversation with another character without taking a breath. It never lets up, until the final painful confrontation. Here's the plot summary I wrote last year:

Jackson is a successful lawyer who grew up poor in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, and was able to get himself out and make a better life for himself. He rents (to own) a newly remodeled apartment in his old neighborhood, which is transitioning from a "bad neighborhood" to one with coffee shops and lofts and restaurants. He and his girlfriend Suzy, a teacher in the inner-city schools, move in. Jackson convinces Suzy to let his down-on-his-luck best friend Don move in with them, despite her reluctance. Don is from a privileged background, and despite constantly getting himself into trouble, has been able to get out of it thanks to his rich and powerful father. Jackson was given nothing and worked hard to achieve the life he wanted, while Don squandered every opportunity he had. But somehow the two men remained friends. Their friendship is tested when Suzy tells Don that she's being harassed on the street, and they grow closer. Each member of the trio has their own plan to end the harassment. Suzy thinks that if she stays strong and ignores the bullies, they'll eventually stop. Jackson wants to threaten them with violence, while Don thinks reasoning with them and being friendly will solve the problem. The conflict grows inside the apartment and outside on the street.

Namir Smallwood, Sara Richardson, and Hugh Kennedy

Hugh Kennedy won an Ivey Award for his performance as Don, and seeing it again it's even more clear why.  He completely embodies this damaged character struggling with his demons and trying to live a better and sober life. It's a very physical performance; Don's addiction is apparent in his jittery hands and frenetic energy as he moves uneasily around the apartment. Namir Smallwood and Sara Richardson are also great as the troubled couple Jackson and Suzy. Each of these three actors creates a complex character, all of whom make bad choices at times but are very real and relatable. Marion McClinton returns as director and brings all of this complexity together in a cohesive way (check out this feature on MN Original about his amazing career journey). Lastly, the simple and elegant set by Dean Holzman (which looks very similar to what I remember from last year's production) provides a great space for the story to take place.

The title refers to the broken buzzer in the apartment building, and who the residents are willing to let in based on their own prejudices and assumptions, which may not agree with what they claim to believe. In the program notes, the playwright says, "The young characters in Buzzer think they are beyond race. They were raised on ethnic food, multi-cultural TV and hip-hop. They don't discuss race because they don't see race. They know slavery was an abomination and all men are created equal. What's to discuss? They discover that there is a lot to discuss and keeping silent is much more destructive than speaking the truth." This play breaks through the silence and speaks the truth, at least from the point of view of each of these three complex characters. It doesn't offer any solutions, but addressing the issues and bringing them to light is a great beginning.

"A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie Theater

You can always count on the Guthrie's annual production of A Christmas Carol* for perfectly satisfactory holiday entertainment. Charles Dickens' 1843 novella is such a classic story of gratitude, forgiveness, and appreciation for one's life and the people in it, that no matter how many times I see it, it never gets old. This is my ninth year in a row attending A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie, and while the core story is always the same, there are enough changes from year to year to keep me interested. Whether it's a new adaptation (by Crispin Whittel, which the Guthrie began using in 2010), new direction (this year by Joe Chvala of Flying Foot Forum, bringing his signature style of motion to the dance numbers and the way characters move around the stage), or new actors playing familiar roles (more on that later), every year brings a slight twist to a familiar and beloved story.

I spent some time this morning looking through my nine (and counting) scrapbooks full of ticket stubs and playbills, remembering past versions of A Christmas Carol. It was fun to see the revolving cast, with many constants returning year after year along with a few newbies every year. About two-thirds of last year's cast returns, with notable newcomers including Chanhassen fave Jay Albright (applying his entertainingly expressive face to the diverse roles of the jolly Mr. Fezziwig and the somber priest at the graveyard), the newly crowned Ivey Award-winner Hugh Kennedy (charming and natural as usual in the role of nephew Fred), and yet another graduate of the U of M/Guthrie program Paris Hunter Paul as young Scrooge. J.C. Cutler returns as Scrooge after his magnificent performance as artist Mark Rothko in Red at Park Square, his performance even more poignant and delightful than last year. Kris L. Nelson returns for the third year as Scrooge's hard-working clerk Cratchit, a likeable fellow who is eventually rewarded for his loyalty to the old Mr. Scrooge. Also returning for the third year is Angela Timbermann as Scrooge's housekeeper Merriweather, once again stealing scenes with her singing, drinking, and general disdain for everything. Returning ghosts include Tracey Maloney as the lovely but sad past, and Robert Berdahl as the merry present that turns much darker (also appearing as the boy Scrooge's literary friend Ali Baba and old Scrooge's fellow stingy businessman). But the award for longest tenure with the show has to go to Suzanne Warmanen as Mrs. Fezziwig. She has played the role in all but one of the nine productions I've see (I guess she was busy in 2009?), and who knows how many years before that. She's got the role down pat, but continues to make it fresh and funny. Rounding out the cast are countless children and adults playing "rich men, poor men, carolers, Fezziwig guests, villagers, Londoners, and Morris dancers." The children are especially impressive as always, including the little darling playing the all important role of Tiny Tim, singing a beautifully clear and high carol so slowly and patiently while standing all alone on stage. Judging by these kids, the future of Twin Cities theater continues to look bright.

My favorite scene in A Christmas Carol is always the Fezziwig party, or rather parties, as we see young Scrooge change over several years at the annual event held by his generous employer. Filled with music, dancing, food, and lots and lots of people, it always looks like the most wonderful party you've never been to. The dancing (choreographed by director Joe Chvala) is delightful, and everyone joins in. But this show is not all fun and games; the special effects involving the forlorn future shown to Scrooge are pretty creepy. Which makes the final transformation all the more satisfying. And it goes without saying that the sets and costumes are a feast for the eyes.

If you've never seen the Guthrie's production of A Christmas Carol, it really is something you must experience at least once. And if the last time you saw it was prior to 2010 when they started using the darker, sharper, funnier adaptation with completely new sets, you'll probably want to see it again to see how much it's changed. Finally, if you're like me and you see it every year, rest assured that this year's production does not disappoint. Playing now through December 29.

*I received two complementary tickets to A Christmas Carol as part of Blogger Night at the Guthrie.

"Buzzer" at Pillsbury House Theatre

Pillsbury House Theatre's production of the new play Buzzer (by playwright Tracey Scott Wilson) is a very modern play about race, class, gender, relationships, and gentrification of neighborhoods.  Three characters, an interracial couple and their recovering addict friend, struggle to find their way in this seemingly "post-racial" world.

Jackson is a successful lawyer who grew up poor in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, and was able to get himself out and make a better life for himself.  He rents (to own) a newly remodeled apartment in his old neighborhood, which is transitioning from a "bad neighborhood" to one with coffee shops and lofts and restaurants.  He and his girlfriend Suzy, a teacher in the inner-city schools, move in.  Jackson convinces Suzy to let his down-on-his-luck best friend Don move in with them, despite her reluctance.  Don is from a privileged background, and despite constantly getting himself into trouble, has been able to get out of it thanks to his rich and powerful father.  Jackson was given nothing and worked hard to achieve the life he wanted, while Don squandered every opportunity he had.  But somehow the two men remained friends.  Their friendship is tested when Suzy tells Don that she's being harassed on the street, and they grow closer.  Each member of the trio has their own plan to end the harassment.  Suzy thinks that if she stays strong and ignores the bullies, they'll eventually stop.  Jackson wants to threaten them with violence, while Don thinks reasoning with them and being friendly will solve the problem.  The conflict grows inside the apartment and outside on the street.

The three-person cast is fantastic in bringing these characters to life, and making them all at times sympathetic and at times maddening.  Sara Richardson, who was fabulous as Fraulein Sally Bowles in Cabaret last year, is equally good here playing this completely different and much more real character.  Namir Smallwood (the exiled prince in Ten Thousand Things' Life's a Dream) plays her boyfriend Jackson with great intensity, and possesses a powerful angry stare (as was pointed out in the post-show discussion), which he wears as a weapon.  Hugh Kennedy (my favorite Hamlet) is the third wheel, Don, and plays him with a restless frenetic energy that's appropriate for an addict trying not to go back to his old ways (a little like David Arquette on a talk show, all fidgety nervousness).  The play is written in such a way that the scenes almost overlap.  One scene has barely ended when the next scene picks up immediately, which I found interesting and a great way to keep the momentum building.

In the audience the night I attended was a group of high school students.  It was really fun to watch them watch the play.  They were so present, so in the moment, so reactive to what was happening on stage.  I love theater, but perhaps a bit of the magic and wonder wears off when you see as much theater as I do.  But for these kids it was all still there.  It was refreshing to see.  They also had some interesting comments at the post-show discussion.  I love post-show discussions at Pillsbury because they always bring in someone from a community group that is working on some of the issues explored in the play.  With this piece it's the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, which "provides and fosters stewardship of perpetually affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income and moderate-income families and individuals."  It felt like a great community discussion, thoughtfully led by Artistic Associate and actor Kurt Kwan, rather than just a Q&A session with the actors.  There were comments from people who live in the neighborhood in which the theater resides (35th and Chicago), and someone who was a victim of gang violence, as well as the aforementioned students.  Theater is at it's best when it engages the audience in a conversation about very real issues facing people today, or at least gets you thinking about things in a different way.  That's something Pillsbury House Theatre does very well.

Buzzer is playing now through March 18, and all seats are "pay what you can," from $5 to $50, which is a pretty cool thing when theater tickets for the big touring productions go for $100.  You'll definitely get your money's worth and more, no matter what you pay!

"Hamlet" at the Jungle Theater

I have a season pass to the Jungle Theater this year for the first time.  And I have to admit, when I saw Hamlet on the list of shows, I wasn't overly excited as I've seen it a few times.  But I've never seen Hamlet like this.  It's a truly inventive production that manages to make it feel current without changing any of the language or meaning of the piece. 

From the moment you walk into the intimate theater space at the Jungle, you know you're in for a truly unique Shakespeare experience.  Modern rock music is playing, and images and words are flashing across the screens onstage.  The action opens, not on a castle rooftop, but in the basement surveillance room, with a bored security guard flashing through security camera images of the floors of the castle.  It's through these cameras that the king's ghost is seen.  Hamlet's friend Horatio and one of the guards hop in the elevator to confront him while the other guard watches, as the action seamlessly moves from the stage to the pre-taped video.  It's an ingenious idea and flawlessly executed.  The use of images and videos appears in various parts of the play, as Hamlet scrolls through photos on his cell phone and the images are projected on screen, and later, as the queen watches the action of a party on a TV screen.  Yes, this is a modern-day Hamlet.  In addition to cell phones and TVs, characters also use laptops and iPads.  The costumes are modern, ranging from classic and refined (as in the queen's gorgeous wardrobe), to a more youthful and edgy look on Hamlet and his young friends.  The set (designed by Bain Boehlke, who also directed) is brilliant.  In addition to all of the audio-visual devices, it consists of huge columns that are moved around the stage to represent different areas of the castle.  The settings are as varied as a busy airport bar, the dark basement of the castle, and an airy breakfast room.  In between scenes, as the set is being changed, the time and setting of the scene are flashed on the screen, guiding the audience through the action.  This may sound like a lot of stuff going on that could distract from the story, but I found that it really enhanced it and drew me in.

I've seen Hugh Kennedy in a number of productions at the Guthrie and I've always liked him.  He's a very natural actor and has great charisma and stage presence.  But I've never seen him in a lead role like this (although I'm not sure there is another lead role like Hamlet).  His Hamlet is real and raw, tortured and crazy, lost and vulnerable.  You can feel his pain at the loss of his father and the changes it's brought to his life.  The words sound so natural coming out of Hugh's mouth, and Shakespearean language does not always sound natural.  He really made this play come alive for me.  I sometimes have difficulty concentrating on three plus hours of Shakespeare, but Hugh's performance, along with the inventive set design and contemporary setting, made it easy.

Bradley Greenwald (one of my favorite actors from the musical theater world) is deliciously smarmy and evil as Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and his father's murderer.  His voice is melodious even when merely speaking.  Michelle Barber is regal as Hamlet's newly widowed, newly wed mother Gertrude, who aches for her son and can't understand why he isn't as happy as she is with the new way of things.  The scene near the end of the play in which Hamlet visits Gertrude's room is particularly poignant and heartbreaking.  It's so nice to see Michelle outside of the Chanhassen (where she's a regular) and see what else she can do.  Gary Briggle (who was so wonderful in my favorite Fringe show this year, Twisted Apples) is also excellent as the King's councillor Polonius, and Erin Mae Johnson is a sufficiently crazy Ophelia.  I was happy to see Doug Scholz-Carlson from one of my favorite original musical theater pieces this year, Heaven.  He plays Ophelia's brother and Polonius' son, and has a wonderful fight/death scene at the end.

Hamlet is playing into October.  If you like your Shakespeare contemporary, real, and a little bit shook up, but still true to the original, you should check it out.  I probably don't need to warn anyone that it's not a short play; with three acts and two intermissions, it's well over the three hour mark.  I wouldn't recommend hanging out at a campfire until the wee hours of the morning a few nights before you see it (although the dollar Dunn Brothers coffee in the lobby helps).  Make sure you're well rested, fed, and watered.  You'll want to be alert for this one.

"In Conversation with Rainn Wilson" at the Guthrie

It's fairly obvious that I'm a huge theater fan.  But I also watch way too much TV, and I love it when those two obsessions intersect, as they did at the Guthrie today.  Before becoming famous as Dunder-Miflin's assistant (to the) regional manager Dwight Schrute on The Office (one of my favorite TV comedies ever), Rainn Wilson was a theater actor in New York and around the country, including right here at the Guthrie.  His busy TV and movie schedule prevents him from coming back to the Guthrie to do a play (for now, anyway), but he was kind enough to spend the weekend in Minneapolis and share some of his experiences acting in theater, TV, and movies.  Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling conducted an informal interview of Rainn on the deck of the H.M.S. Pinafore on the thrust stage, followed by a question and answer session.  Rainn was charming, funny, and spontaneous as he interacted with the audience, and the two men obviously have a lot of respect for each other.


Rainn Wilson and Lee Mark Nelson in
Philadelphia, Here I Come!



Joe's questions led Rainn through the chronology of his career as an actor, beginning with earning an MFA from NYU and traveling around the country doing Shakespeare with The Acting Company (which partners with the Guthrie and presented The Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet here in January).  Rainn first appeared at the Guthrie in 1996 in Philadelphia, Here I Come!, which he called "a singular moment" in his life and career.  His favorite plays are ones in which there's no limit to how funny and how tragic it can be.  He returned a few years later for The Importance of Being Earnest and The Venetian Twins (which included a planned "stabbing" of an audience member, followed by an ambulance driving onto the stage).

Rainn worked as a struggling actor in NYC and around the country for about ten years.  He had other odd jobs during that time, including owning a moving company called "The Transcendent Moving Company" with the slogan, "A man, a van, and a sense of higher purpose."  He moved from New York to L.A. when he saw that actors with a TV credit on their resume were more likely to get cast at some theaters.  He thought he'd do a few TV roles so that he could return to theater and have an easier time getting roles.  Turns out he had some early success in L.A., including bit parts in the movies Galaxy Quest and Almost Famous.  But then he didn't work much for a year and half, so he returned to what he loved.  He did Taming of the Shrew at the Old Globe in San Diego, and did "what he does best" - crazy, hammy comedy using every trick in the book to get laughs.  He had a great time, and upon returning to L.A. he started booking roles in TV and film.  He was cast as apprentice mortician Arthur in HBO's brilliant series Six Feet Under (starring native Minnesotan Peter Krause), which changed his life and eventually led to his role as Dwight on The Office.  Before he got the role he had seen the original British version, calling it "a revelation" because of, among other things, the awkward pause and the way they used the camera as another character.

Rainn also talked about a couple of other projects he's involved in; causes he's been able to support and promote because of his celebrity status.  He created the website (and companion book) Soul Pancake - a way for people to grapple with life's big questions in a way that's cool and accessible for young people.  Rainn and his wife (writer Holiday Reinhorn, who was in the audience) also work with the charity The Mona Foundation, "non-profit organization that supports grassroots initiatives focused on education and raising the status of women and girls in the US and abroad."  He spoke about his experience teaching the arts to adolescent girls in Haiti as one example of the foundation's work.  It's quite obvious that in addition to being a talented stage, film, and TV actor, Rainn is also a pretty cool person.

Rainn had great things to say about his time at the old Guthrie and the new facility, and commended Joe Dowling's leadership in bringing it to life (even if he did compare him to the Lucky Charms Leprechaun).  He also joked about the annoyance of the thrust stage and having to include the people on the sides.  There were a few people sitting there, and he directed them to other open seats so that he wouldn't have to worry about them.  He's very funny and quick-witted (despite never having done improv or stand-up) and would go off on tangents or get distracted by things or people in the audience.  He gamely answered many questions from the audience, everything from audition tips to "do you hang out with your co-stars."  Rainn ended the afternoon by encouraging everyone to support the Guthrie and local theater, a sentiment with which I heartily agree!

"A Christmas Carol" at the Guthrie

The Guthrie Theater presents A Christmas Carol every year, and this is the sixth year in a row that I've seen it.  They've been using the same adaptation for years, although last year was a condensed 90 minute version of it.  This year they're using a brand new adaptation by Crispin Whittell, directed by Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling.  The old version was great, but after so many years you know what's going to happen when, so it was a lot of fun to see a new twist on the classic story.  This version seems a little crisper, a little more modern.  There's no narrator like in years past, and it's a little funnier too.  The set is entirely new and features Scrooge's office with a safe full of money and a loft upstairs, from which he watches some of the action.  The ghosts fly in on wires, Christmas Past was right over my head!

One thing that hasn't changed about A Christmas Carol is that it features a great cast.  Guthrie favorites include Isabell Monk O'Connor, Nathaniel Fuller, Suzanne Warmanen, Hugh Kennedy, and the brothers Nelson.  Kris plays Scrooge's clerk Bob Cratchit and Mark plays Marley's ghost in chains and gray face paint.  Mark's daughter Ella is one of the children in the cast, who were all wonderful.  I've seen quite a few productions with great child actors lately (Joseph, Billy Elliot), and I realized today that I shouldn't be surprised that kids are great actors.  All kids love to play make-believe, and kids are much more open and imaginative than adults, so it's no surprise that some of them thrive on stage.

This year's younger and heartier Ebenezer Scrooge is Daniel Gerroll (another theater actor with dozens of TV credits) in his second role at the Guthrie.  His dark wit and singular focus on making money believably transform into an openness and joy at life after witnessing his past and what's waiting for him in the future.  Angela Timberman is very entertaining as his drunken housekeeper Merriweather who's startled at his change in demeanor.  Nic Few plays the Ghost of Christmas Present with joyous energy and laughter that's contagious.  The streets of London and Fezziwig's party are populated with dozens of men, women, and children who laugh, dance, and sing.  I was sitting in the front row and felt like I was at a great party!

I enjoy A Christmas Carol every year and was delighted at this fresh new take on it.  Sets, costumes, and staging are always incomparable at the Guthrie, but it's the heart of the story embodied through the excellent cast, from Scrooge down to Tiny Tim, that make this a memorable show.