"In the Green" at Theatre Elision

Theatre Elision is remounting what was their most ambitious musical, until their epic regional premiere of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 last fall. But In the Green is still pretty ambitious, despite the fact that it fits their typical one-act small-cast female-focused model. After all, a musical about 12th Century nun/ composer/ scholar Hildegard von Bingen that incorporates her own compositions, along with original rock and pop music including the use of a looping device, isn't your average musical. With book, music, and lyrics by NYC-based Grace McLean (who hilariously played Woodrow Wilson in the original Broadway cast of Suffs, the touring production of which is coming soon to Minneapolis), In the Green is a really incredible creation that's beautifully realized by the returning cast and creative team of Theatre Elision's 2024 regional premiere production. As I wrote at the time, this show "taps into something deeply human, specifically what it means to be a female human in the world, and the performances by the five-woman cast, accompanied by a three-piece band, are simply stunning." It once again moved me to tears, and today, in 2026, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Epstein victims, the survivors, these brave and resilient women who finally are being heard decades after crimes were committed against them. They don't yet have justice, but at least they're being listened to across the globe. Like Hildegard, they are sharing their darkness with the world, in search of the light. I hope that everyone who bought a ticket to Great Comet (and there are a lot of you, the entire run was virtually sold out) also buys a ticket to see this show (continuing through March 7), to see what Theatre Elision does best - rare musical gems that illuminate and elevate the female voice, from 900 years ago to today.

"In the Green" by Theatre Elision at Elision Playhouse

For seven years, Theatre Elision has been filling a niche in #TCTheater that we didn't know we needed - small cast, one act, original or rarely done musicals by mostly female creators and artists. In that time they've become one of my favorite theater companies, consistently producing high quality work that you just can't see anywhere else locally. That's definitely the case with the regional premiere of In the Green, less than five years after it premiered Off-Broadway. In a pre-show speech on opening night, resident Music Director Harrison Wade said it's the most difficult piece they've ever done. With its unique subject matter (12th Century nun/composer/scholar Hildegard von Bingen's years spent living secluded in a cell with her teacher), mix of modern and medieval music, and use of looping technology, it definitely feels like their most ambitious work, and perhaps the most rewarding because of it. I found myself moved to tears for reasons I can't explain. The musical taps into something deeply human, specifically what it means to be a female human in the world, and the performances by the five-woman cast, accompanied by a three-piece band, are simply stunning. If you like unique, original, boundary expanding music-theater, you do not want to miss this show. In the Green continues at Elision Playhouse in Crystal through March 9.