"Beowulf" and "Feast" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Black Forest Inn

Iowa-based Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Megan Gogerty wrote (and performed in) her play Feast, an alternative version of the Beowulf story as told from the point of view of the monster Grendel's mother, in 2019. Walking Shadow Theatre Company premiered their production in 2023, and have brought it back a few times since. But seeing it last night (for the first time in three years), it felt like it was written for this moment, for this place. They're performing at the Black Forest Inn at the corner of 26th and Nicollet in Minneapolis, mere feet from where Alex Pretti was murdered by federal agents five weeks ago. The play is about a lot of things, not the least of which is the abuse of power perpetrated upon people by "strong men," and some of the lines and themes resonate so strongly with today that it's unsettling. But also reassuring, to know that humans have been dealing with these issues for thousands of years, and still, somehow, we survive. The closing line of the play is "justice, now," which has never felt more urgent. A lot of us have "little baby rage" these days, and it's comforting to see it reflected in this new version of an ancient story. The eerie resonance of this play is one reason to see it, the other is Isabel Nelson's masterful and mesmerizing performance. And if you see it on a Saturday, I recommend going early to see John Heimbuch's solo performance of Beowulf, a one-hour one-person version of the original story. It's a great companion piece, and unless you're a Beowulf scholar or have recently read the ancient epic poem, it provides some nice background to the main event. The Feast continues weekends through the end of March, with one pay-what-you-can Monday performance on the 2nd. It's a must-see theatrical event, whether you've seen it before or not.

"Red and the Mother Wild" by Transatlantic Love Affair and Illusion Theater at Center for the Performing Arts

This spring, Transatlantic Love Affair is back at Illusion Theater, the artistic partner of this Minnesota Fringe-born physical theater company for a decade and a half. TLA typically debuts new original pieces at Fringe, and then in the next year or two continues to develop and expand the show into a 75-ish minute piece produced by and staged at Illusion. This year, they're remounting/revisiting their 2011 Fringe hit Red Resurrected, which I first saw in 2013 in the expanded Illusion Theater version. Retitled Red and the Mother Wild and with some additional content/themes added, it's still an exquisitely lovely and achingly beautiful piece, as all of TLA's work is. It's essentially a coming of age story of a young orphan girl who finds her purpose in the supposedly dangerous woods, told without any props or set pieces (or shoes), but simply using the voices, bodies, and souls of the talented seven-person cast. Experience the magic that is TLA at Center for the Performing Arts in Uptown through April 12.

"Feast" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Black Forest Inn

Walking Shadow Theatre Company's newest production Feast is aptly titled. Yes, you are served a meal in the event space at the Black Forest Inn, a German restaurant on Nicollet in Minneapolis, but that's not the feast I'm talking about. This is a feast of theatrical storytelling delights. This solo play written (and originally performed) by Megan Gogerty is a retelling of the classic story of Beowulf from the point of view of the mother of Grendel, the monster slain by Beowulf. Naturally, the story is a lot different from the perspective of a grieving mother, and the script brilliantly ties this ancient story into modern issues and themes. As director Allison Vincent notes in the playbill, "Sometimes plays speak to the current state of our world. Megan Gogerty's Feast screams at it." Isabel Nelson fully embodies this character, and even though it's only March, I can confidently say that this will prove to be one of the best performances in #TCTheater this year. I recommend getting your tickets now; seating is limited in the space, and word of mouth is going to spread as more people see this show. It continues through April 1 but with only a few performances each weekend, and trust me, you do not want to miss this unique experience.

"After the Fires" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

Transatlantic Love Affair is a unique #TCTheater company. Unique in their process (ensemble created work rather than a set script, although other companies in town do that too), unique in their execution (they create the entire world of the play with their bodies and voices only, without the use of sets or props), and unique in the feeling evoked by their work (indescribable). They often reintrepret fairy tales or classic stories that we all know, but sometimes create new fairy tales as well. Their latest work After the Fires, playing at Illusion Theater through February 22, is an example of the latter. It's an original story that feels like an old story, a story of courage, adventure, nature, and community.

"The Devout" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

In their first all female ensemble piece, devised physical theater troupe Transatlantic Love Affair takes on the myth of Medusa. If I didn't know that going in, I wouldn't have known it from the show, which is typical of TLA's reimagining of fairy tales that is more about exploring the theme than telling the exact same story as we think we know it. In this case, Director Isabel Nelson and assistant director Joy Dolo have focused on this part of the Medusa myth (per Wikipedia): "In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.770), Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, 'the jealous aspiration of many suitors,' but because Poseidon had raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. In Ovid's telling, Perseus describes Medusa's punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned." This is 2019, and we won't stand for that anymore. TLA imagines a world in which Medusa (here called Demeres) isn't punished for being raped, but rather is supported by her sisters while her attackers are brought to justice. That's a wonderful narrative to put out into the world, and the six-person ensemble does so with TLA's trademark beautiful and evocative physicality.

"Promise Land" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Guthrie Theater

Twin Cities Theater Bloggers' favorite theater of 2016, the charmingly named Transatlantic Love Affair, is making their Guthrie Theater debut as part of the Guthrie's new Level Nine Series. This series makes theater more accessible (all tickets for shows in the Dowling Studio are just $9), and also endeavors to engage theater-goers with what they call "community engagement activities," which often include post-show discussions or displays in the golden lobby. Hopefully TLA's participation in this series will allow people who don't know that TCTB knows about them to get on board with this truly unique and special physical theater company.

"Ballad of the Pale Fisherman" by Transatlantic Love Affair at the Southern Theater

Devised physical theater company Transatlantic Love Affair won an Ivey in 2012 for Ballad of the Pale Fisherman, an original work based on the legend of the selkie, a seal who takes human form. I did not see that production (part of Illusion Theater's "Fresh Ink" series), having only "discovered" TLA shortly before their Ivey win through their Fringe show Ash Land. I saw it at the final "audience pick" show because it was the talk of the festival that year. Seeing TLA for the first time was one of the most moving theater experiences I've had, and I haven't missed a show since. I'm thrilled they're bringing back Ballad of the Pale Fisherman as part of the Southern's ARTshare program. Seeing it last night, it's obvious why it won the Ivey (but then, I would give them an Ivey for every one of their shows, and in fact the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers awarded them two "favorites" last year). No one casts a spell like Transatlantic Love Affair, as they tell a story and create an entire world with nothing but their bodies, voices, and souls. Ballad of the Pale Fisherman is an achingly beautiful and completely engrossing 75 minutes of storytelling.

"emilie/eurydice" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

I love Transatlantic Love Affair, the Fringe Festival darlings who often work with Illusion Theater to continue to develop a piece after the Fringe. What they do is so unique and special, telling a story with no set or props, using their bodies and voices to create everything in a very specific world. The result is often achingly beautiful. Their new piece, emilie/eurydice, did not appear in the Fringe (maybe because they didn't get in last year) and is instead premiering at the Illusion. This original story of a woman in a coma and those who love her is another example of the beautiful storytelling that TLA does.

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" at Children's Theatre Company

Children's Theatre Company's latest offering 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea isn't what we usually think of as theater. But it is the best game of make-believe ever, and what is theater if not an elaborate game of make-believe? CTC is an expert at playing to their target audience while still creating art that we grown-ups can enjoy as well. And kids are quite familiar with playing make-believe, acting out their favorite stories, TV shows, books, or movies. That's pretty much what this show is - fan fiction (created by the wonderfully inventive team of Ryan Underbakke and Nick Ryan) about Jules Verne's novel with a fantastic team of actors playing the characters and leading the audience, who are also playing characters, through the story. It's an exercise in the collective power of imagination, something that comes naturally to kids, but that's necessary for adults to take part in occasionally as well. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a super cool and totally unique experience.

I don't want to tell you too much about the experience, because the uncertainty and surprise is part of the fun. But you should know that you will be required to get physical, running, crouching, doing jumping jacks, as you are led through backrooms, staircases, and hallways of the theater (a great way to see some theater and get in a good workout at the same time!). The premise is that the 20 or so audience members on each "launch" (see website for times) are on a mission to capture Captain Nemo aboard her (yes, her) submarine Nautilus and rescue Professor Arronax (having never read the book, I found a quick perusal of the Wiki page to be helpful). You'll be in spaces large and small (claustrophobics beware), dark and bright, with cool electronic equipment that looks like something out of Star Trek, sometimes projecting scenes going on in other rooms. And there's one particularly detailed and homey looking Victorian designed room. The scenic and projection design (by Jorge Cousinea), lighting design (by Craig A. Gottschalk), sound design (by Sean Healey), and costume design (Annie Cady) all combine to create a completely immersive multi-media underwater experience so lifelike I almost wish I had taken Dramamine!

The cast and creative team merges CTC veterans with artists from the physical theater/comedy/improv world. The roles of the two mission guides are double cast (likely due to the frequent launch times), and I was happy to be guided by Isabel Nelson (whom I will gladly follow wherever she leads me, underwater or with her lovely and inventive company Transatlantic Love Affair) and Matt Spring (of the hilariously clever Four Humors). Both give performances so committed and real that even though my plan was to let the kids go first, I found myself rushing to the front to follow their commands. Watch for CTC company members Dean Holt as the good (?) professor and a completely transformed (as usual) Reed Sigmund in a scarily convincing performance. Jame Froiland's strong performance as Nemo makes the audience question just what side we're on. And in fact, we're asked to make a choice at the end, like a live action Choose Your Own Adventure book.

Immersive walk-through theater is a bit of a trend right now (see the recent Crime and Punishment, and NYC's Sleep No More), and CTC is doing an amazing job bringing it to children, perhaps its most susceptible audience (I heard parents whispering, "don't be scared, it's just pretend"). Part of the fun of the experience is watching the wide-eyed children as a totally in character actor gets down to their level and speaks directly to them (don't worry parents, you're not asked to respond or do anything, just follow along and obey commands). For kids and adults alike, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is the awesomenest game of make-believe you've ever experienced (the mission continues through August 23).

Captain Nemo and her crew (photo by Dan Norman)

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"These Old Shoes" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

I'll never forget the first time I saw Transatlantic Love Affair. It was the "Audience Pick" show at the end of a long and exhausting 2012 Fringe Festival. I was tired and crabby and fringed out, but from the moment the lights went down on Ash Land, TLA transported me to another world, a world so specifically and beautifully created on a bare stage by a group of performers using nothing but their bodies, voices, and souls to communicate the story. I've seen them a number of times since then, both at the Fringe and as part of Illusion Theater's "Lights Up" series, and they continue to move me beyond what just "ordinary" theater is able to do. TLA returned to Illusion Theater last night with a remount of their 2013 Fringe hit These Old Shoes, a touching story of time, memory, regret, second chances, and long lost love rediscovered. In everything they do, TLA is nothing less than exquisite (not a word I use lightly, usually reserving it to describe the epitome of the art form that television can be, aka Mad Men). But disappointingly, the theater last night was not as full as it should have been. My goal in writing this piece is to get as many people as possible to go see These Old Shoes. You cannot call yourself a true Twin Cities theater fan if you've never seen Transatlantic Love Affair, and there's no better place to start than with this achingly lovely show.

In an original story conceived and directed by co-Artistic Director Diogo Lopes, These Old Shoes introduces us to a group of people living at a retirement community, and a man named Jim (Derek Lee Miller) who is reluctantly moving in. Jim's granddaughter Beatrice (Adelin Phelps) comes to town to help him pack up his house and move into the community. As Jim goes through his things, memories of days and people long past are stirred up. He remembers a young woman named Marjorie (Peyton McCandless) whom he once loved and planned to spend his life with, until his experience in the Korean War changed him and came between them. They both went on to live seemingly happy lives apart, but never forgot each other. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Marjorie lives in the community that Jim is joining; the true beauty of the piece is watching the two stories unfold - past and present - and how they come together again.

In typical TLA style, there are no props or set pieces on stage. Barefoot actors in simple clothing create everything in this world - furniture, a grandfather clock, trees, doors, gravestones. They mime with invisible props. Sometimes you don't quite know what action they're miming or inanimate object they're embodying, but at other times, it's so clear you can almost see it. As we move from the past to the present, each of the ensemble members (also including Heather Bunch, Eric Nelson, co-Artistic Director Isabel Nelson, and Allison Witham) physically transforms from a young person to an old person, each in their own unique and specific way, whether it's the subtle droop of the shoulders and sinking inward, or a back that's fully bent over, or a slower less stable way of walking. Age affects people differently, and this cast allows you to see those differences. One addition to the piece since the Fringe version is that we get to see each of the members of the retirement community in their past, whether as an actor, or a secretary, or a doctor. This glimpse into the past helps to flesh out each of these characters and inform who they are in the present story.

Jim polishes these old shoes of Marjorie's
(Derek Lee Miller and Peyton McCandless)

Transatlantic Love Affair also knows how to harness the power of music to maximum emotional effect. Dustin Tessier provides the soundtrack to this story on electric guitar, alternately melancholy and hopeful as the story requires. The one theatrical "trick" that's employed is the lighting (by Michael Wangen), which along with the music helps to accentuate the mood created by the ensemble. All of these pieces combine to create a world that feels so real and specific, it's positively jarring to the soul to leave the theater and go back into the real world, a world that now feels too bright and garish, and somehow colorless at the same time, compared to that sparsely beautiful world experienced on stage.

It's not possible to adequately describe what it is that Transatlanctic Love Affair does. It's a style so unique and specific, you just have to see it for yourself. Let go of what you think is reality, let your imagination take over, and let them take you on this exquisitely lovely journey. These Old Shoes is playing now through February 14. Trust me when I tell you you need to see it, and be sure to take advantage of the discount tickets on Goldstar.com.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Ash Land" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

On the last night of the 2012 Fringe Festival, I went to see an "Audience Pick" show that I had been hearing a lot about. A play called Ash Land by a theater company called Transatlantic Love Affair, with which I was unfamiliar at the time. By that point in the fest I was fringed out - sick of the crowds and lines and parking and traffic. But sitting in the Rarig Center, I was completely transported by what was happening on stage in front of me and moved to tears. Such is the power and beauty of what Transatlantic Love Affair does, a style of physical theater that is so unique and special. They are currently remounting an expanded version of Ash Land as part of Illusion Theater's "Lights Up!" series, and it's just as heartbreakingly beautiful as it was the first time I saw it.

Conceived and directed by TLA's co-Artistic Director Diogo Lopes, Ash Land is a very loose re-imagining of the classic Cinderella tale, in which our heroine is now a farmer's daughter somewhere in the plains of middle America in the last century. Ellie's beloved mother dies, leaving her and her father devastated and with a farm to care for in a drought. Ellie's aunt marries her father in order to help care for her and the farm, but decides to sell it. Ellie goes to the town banker's party to try to stop the sale, where she meets his kind and handsome son. And then, it begins to rain.*

On a completely bare stage, this wonderful cast of eight (seven of whom were in the original production) create everything in the world of the story with their bodies and voices. They are the doors and windows, the waving wheat, the wind, the livestock, the water pump, furniture, a car, and most poignantly, the rain. Along with the subtle lighting (by Michael Wangen) and the melancholic sound of a steel guitar (played by Harper Zwicky), the movement of the cast is so evocative of a specific time and place that you can feel the dry heat, see the tumbleweeds blowing, and revel in the release of the long-awaited rain. The cast also sings a few songs from the traditional Americana canon that I love so much, including "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot," "Ain't No Grave," and "Poor Wayfarin' Stranger." The show has been expanded from its original Fringe length (under an hour) to about an hour and a half, which has allowed them to add a few new scenes, as well as given other scenes the room to breathe and expand a little.

Ellie (Adelin Phelps) and her mother (Isabel Nelson)
drinking lemonade on the porch swing

At the heart of this piece is the relationship between Ellie and her mother, which continues long after she dies. This relationship is beautifully expressed by the actors - Adelin Phelps as Ellie and Isabel Nelson (the other co-Artistic Director) as her mother. Along with Derek Lee Miller as Ellie's father, you can truly feel the love and loss in this family trio. Adelin is just wonderful as our heroine, with an open expressive face. Heather Bunch brings a gritty humanity to the role of the "evil stepmother." Nick Wolf, as the banker's son, is the one new ensemble member and fits right in, tall and lanky and adorably awkward when confronting Ellie. All of the other roles of the animal, vegetable, and mineral variety are filled by these actors along with Peytie McCandless, Eric Nelson, and Allison Witham.

Ash Land plays through February 22, and if you've never seen Transatlantic Love Affair before, you really need to experience their unique and beautiful style of theater. And with tickets for as low as $5 on Goldstar, you'd be a fool to miss this one! (Tip: bring tissues.)

I'll leave you with how I concluded my blog the first time I saw the show.

Friends, this one really touched me. And that's all I ask from theater - to move me in some way, whether it's to laughter or tears, or a different way of thinking about something, or a different way of seeing something. To leave the theater knowing that I'm different than when I walked in, that I've been forever changed (in some small way) by what I've seen. That's what this show did for me. 

*Yes, I plagiarized myself by copying the plot summary from my previous post about the show.

"Red Resurrected" by Transatlantic Love Affair at Illusion Theater

My favorite show of the 2012 Minnesota Fringe Festival was Transatlantic Love Affair's Ash Land. I was incredibly moved by their simple and eloquent storytelling; the company of actors created a rich and complex world using nothing but their bodies and voices. I was completely transported into another world, which is all I ask for from theater. Transatlantic Love Affair's 2011 Fringe hit Red Resurrected is currently being presented as part of Illusion Theater's "Lights Up!" series. Like Ash Land, it's another innovative piece of theater, and it deserves a much larger audience than the one at the Illusion Theater last night. At just 70 minutes, it's well worth your time to see something fresh and unexpected and completely lovely.

Red Resurrected, written and directed by 2012 Ivey emerging artist Isabel Nelson, loosely re-imagines the familiar fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, combining it with other myths and legends in a way that makes it feel like a completely new story, yet familiar. Red lives in a small town called Primrose in the hills of Appalachia; she has no family of her own, and instead is literally being raised by the village. She's a happy child, doing chores and playing with her friends, but warned never to go down to the woods. Red is fascinated by the woods, and as she grows up she begins to find that the woods are the only place she feels at home. When her safe and familiar world is shaken (the wolves that young women face are not always of the canine variety, but are just as dangerous), she escapes into the woods on a path that runs west out of Primrose. There she meets a woman who can heal the broken, and learns from her. Eventually she decides to return home to see if she can bring healing to her friends and family in the village.

the wise woman and Red in her hut in the woods

In Transatlantic Love Affair's signature style, this seven person cast tells their story on a completely bare stage with not a single set piece or prop. This is a true company; all of them have appeared in previous TLA shows, and that connectedness shows. At times they move as one unit, representing everything in Red's world from the trees to the dripping faucet to every sound you've ever heard in the woods. They also beautifully sing traditional Appalachian music, which adds so much in creating this world. I hesitate to call out any members of this true ensemble because they're all just wonderful, but I will. Heather Bunch brings levity to her role as Red's friend and the grim Mrs. Quinn, but also brings out the serious side of both of these characters. Anna Reichert is also great as the narrator and wise woman of the woods, and Adelin Phelps once again embodies a completely relatable heroine to root for.

the family sits down at the dinner table

I love the way that Transatlantic Love Affair tells such simple and beautiful stories, combining movement, music, and words in a completely innovative way. It's really indescribable, so you should go see it for yourself (playing at the Illusion Theater in downtown Minneapolis now through March 2). If I may paraphrase the moving final words of the show, sometimes a woman finds herself on a path in the woods, fixing things that are broken, singing with a full voice to the mountains. I'll camp a little while in the wilderness, and then I'm goin' home.

The 2012 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

The Ivey Awards is always my favorite theater night of the year, and this year's awards ceremony was my favorite of the six I've attended. Why? I saw seven of the ten awarded productions, the host was perhaps the best I've seen, I completely agree with the choices for this year's Emerging Artist and Lifetime Achievement awards, the featured performances included some of my favorite shows of the year, and I had a fabulous time at the after party with my blogger buddy The Playbill Collector talking to many of my favorite theater artists. That all adds up to perhaps the best local theater night I have ever experienced! Once again, I'm blown away by the level and diversity of talent in the Twin Cities theater community, and I'm truly honored to be a part of it in my own small way.

The hilarious Shanan Custer was a perfect choice to host this year's awards (as we have learned from TV awards shows, it's always better to ask a comedian). I didn't know who she was when she did a skit at last year's Iveys, but I have since seen her in several things, including one of my favorite shows at the Fringe this year. She was funny and charming and natural, a great guide to the evening's activities. Many of her funny words were written by Joseph Scrimshaw and Zach Curtis, but she ad libbed a bit too. After a particularly moving acceptance speech, she came on stage and said, "I'm crying already, I just want to make art!"

The show opened with a slideshow of the over 70 local theater companies, and then sadly, a rather lengthy "In Memoriam" segment (including the co-host of my favorite radio show, Tom Keith aka Jim Ed Poole). And then, the opening number. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was Places!" (Reminding me of one of my favorite sounds in the world - "The call is places!" announcement at the Guthrie.) Beth Gilleland and Dane Stauffer gave a history of sound and light in the theater, with actors Brian Sostek, Katie Bradley, Madde Gibba, Taj Ruler, and Neal Skoy interpreting their words to amusing effect. As they've have done in the past few years, the Ivey people managed to turn what could be the most boring segment (thanking the sponsors) into one of the most entertaining. Shanan introduced a scene from that great American play, Angry People in a Living Room, starring the comedy team of Scrimshaw and Middleton as very dramatic brothers who just happen to name sponsors in their argument about whom their father loves most.

Ten Ivey Awards were given out this year. Many of last year's winners returned to present awards to this year's winners (for the shows that I saw, click on show name to read my thoughts at the time).

1. Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Walking Shadow Theatre Company (Overall Excellence)
   I didn't really know what to expect from this play when I saw it, but I ended up loving it. A play about theater, gender roles, and figuring out your place in a changing world, with a great cast, costumes, and music - much deserving!
2. Spring Awakening by Theater Latte Da (Overall Excellence)
   This was the least surprising award of the night. As the mythical and mysterious Ivey said, "this is the reason the Iveys were created." Such a gripping, energetic, and powerful production with amazing choreography and a fantastic young cast, it was a sure thing.
   
   

   

   Group hug!
   Peter Rothstein and the cast of Spring Awakening

   
   
3. Miriam Monasch, director of Our Class by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company
   This was a really powerful play about a group of friends, Catholic and Jewish, growing up in Poland at the time of the Soviet and Nazi invasions. I don't usually notice the direction (which I think probably means it's good), but when I think about the ten-person cast and everything that's going on in this play, and how smoothly and effectively it ran, it makes perfect sense that the director would be awarded for it.
4. Barry Browning, lighting designer for Dial M for Murder by the Jungle Theater
   This was a deliciously tense murder mystery. Like direction, I tend not to notice lighting (again, that means it's effective), but thinking back, there were some creepy lighting situatious that added to the overall tone of the piece.
5. Tracie Bennett, Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow by the Guthrie Theater
   Tracie so completely inhabited the legend that is Judy Garland, as well as the very human woman behind the legend, that I was sure that she was going to win a Tony (the show went on to a six-month run on Broadway after closing at the Guthrie). She did not. Instead, the British actress returned to Minnesota to pick up an Ivey. Who needs a Tony when the land of Judy's birth loves you!
6. Ballad of the Pale Fisherman by Illusion Theater (Emotional Impact)
   I am so bummed I missed this one, but in my defense I didn't really know who Transatlantic Love Affair were at the time. After seeing their amazing Fringe show Ash Land, I now know that they're a truly inventive and lovely and heart-breaking physical theater company, and I will not miss another one of their shows.
7. Hugh Kennedy, Don in Buzzer by Pillsbury House Theatre
   I would have given Hugh an Ivey for playing Hamlet at the Jungle last year, so I'm happy he got one for this intense little play. He played a privileged but underachieving recovering drug addict whose best friend is an underprivileged but now successful lawyer. He ranges from sympathetic to maddening throughout the play. And the great thing about this one is that if you missed it, you can see it at the Guthrie Studio Theater early next year (hopefully with the same cast).
8. Julius Caesar by Theater Unbound (Inventive Reinterpretation)
   The idea of an all female production of Julius Caesar sounds completely amazing, how did I not hear about this? I just liked Theater Unbound's Facebook page so hopefully I won't miss any other good stuff.
9. Joe Vass, Music Director of The Soul of Gerswhin by Park Square Theatre
   Another one I missed, sadly. If it comes back around I won't make that mistake again.
10. Jody Briskey, Judy Garland in Beyond the Rainbow by the History Theatre
    I'm so thrilled that Jody's portrayal of Judy was not overshadowed by that other fabulous Judy this year. She plays a different Judy, younger and more in control of her life, so it's really not fair to compare the two performances. But she is definitely equally as deserving of this award.

This year's Emerging Artist is Isabel Nelson, co-Founder and co-Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. She directed the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman. As I said above, I was so moved by TLA's Ash Land at the Fringe this year that I plan to see everything this woman creates with this completely unique company, including a remount of their 2011 Fringe show Red Resurrected at the Illusion early next year.

The final Ivey awarded was the Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Rick Shiomi, the founder and (soon-to-be-retiring) Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts, one of the most influential Asian-American theater companies in the country. The interview/film package they showed was fascinating, as it told how Rick created this theater company and built the talent pool around it. I have enjoyed many productions by Mu over the last several years, including the incredible taiko drumming ensemble Mu Daiko, and I can't think of a more deserving recipient of this award this year.

Interspersed with the award presentations were six varied performances from shows this year. Musical numbers were accompanied by the fabulous Ivey band, led by Denise Prosek. The performances included:

• A short scene from the Ivey-winning production Ballad of the Pale Fisherman that left me wanting more.
• "The Bitch of Living" from Theater Latte Da's Ivey-winning production of Spring Awakening. Perhaps my favorite scene of anything I've seen on stage this year, I could watch it every day for the rest of my life and never tire of it. The choreography is amazing, the cast is energetic (as Shanan said, "I like those boys!"), it's fan-freaking-tastic.

•  A truly bizarre and wonderful little scene from Psst! by Off Leash Area, a strange little workplace romance in which the actors wear not just masks, but full animal heads.

• A flying dragon and a boys choir in a scene from the delightful musical fable The Dragons are Singing Tonight, a show I very much enjoyed.

• Regina Marie Williams and Austene Van in a number from Penumbra's Dinah Was. Another one I'm sorry I missed. When the magnificent Penumbra Theatre gets up and running again, I will not miss another one of their shows (please consider donating to help them get back on their feet!).
• An appropriate closing number to the evening was a medley of songs from the Chanhassen's super-fun summer musical, Xanadu (closing this weekend!). I was a little concerned that Sonny Malone (aka Dieter Bierbrauer) would not make it home from the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, where he was performing in George Maurer's Autumn Song, in time for the show. But gladly, he was there, along with Jodi Carmeli's they-call-me-Kira-because-that's-my-name and the rest of the fabulous cast. A great end to a wonderful show - this night was my Xanadu!

So ended an awesome celebration of Twin Cities theater. It truly was a wonderful evening that highlighted many theater artists and companies for the great work they did this year. If you're a local theater-goer and you've never attended the awards, you should go next year. It'll inspire you to go to even more local theater!

Celebrity Sighting

Too many to recount here!! On the red carpet, inside the theater, at the after party, it felt like every other person I saw was someone I've seen in a show. My blogger buddy The Playbill Collector and I made the rounds at the after party and talked to many of our favorites. Everyone was so gracious and sweet, and many said lovely things about my blog, which I very much appreciate. It was truly a pleasure to meet and chat with each and every one of you, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

with Ivey winner Tracie Bennett

Fringe Festival 2012: Ash Land

Day: 5

Show: 16

Title: Ash Land

By: Transatlantic Love Affair

Created by: Diego Lopez

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: A very loose re-imagining of the classic Cinderella tale, in which our heroine is now a farmer's daughter somewhere in the plains of middle America in the last century. Ellie's beloved mother dies, leaving her and her father devastated and with a farm to care for in a drought. Ellie's aunt marries her father in order to help care for her and the farm, but decides to sell it. Ellie goes to the town banker's party to try to stop the sale, where she meets his kind and handsome son. And then, it begins to rain.

Highlights: I saw this show at the Sunday night "Audience Pick" encore performance, and I'm so grateful I had a chance to see it. I found it to be achingly beautiful. A steel guitar (played by Harper Zwicky) accompanies the action and sets the tone for the show (if there's an instrument more mournful than a steel guitar, I've never heard it). Transatlantic Love Affair (what a cool name for a theater company) does physical theater (see also Live Action Set), which means that the eight actors in the cast portray everything in the world they create, not just the characters. They are the waving wheat, the water pump, the pigs, the doors and windows, the car, and most delightfully - the rain. It's so playful and inventive, and reminds me of a phrase I often use to describe Ten Thousand Things - the power of collective imagination. With zero props or set pieces the cast (with the help of the music) is able to transport everyone in the room to a specific time and place. Of special note in the cast are Adelin Phelps as our heroine Ellie, Derek Lee Miller as her grief-stricken father, Isabel Nelson as her gone but not forgotten mother (you can just feel the love between them in this sweet little family), and Heather Bunch as the "evil" stepmother, who's just trying to get by like everyone else. This is the first show I've seen by Transatlantic Love Affair; I missed Ballad of the Pale Fisherman when it was at Illusion Theater earlier this year, but you can bet I won't make that mistake again when Illusion again hosts them for Red Resurrected early next year.

Friends, this one really touched me. And that's all I ask from theater - to move me in some way, whether it's to laughter or tears, or a different way of thinking about something, or a different way of seeing something. To leave the theater knowing that I'm different than when I walked in, that I've been forever changed (in some small way) by what I've seen. That's what this show did for me. What a wonderful way to end an amazing Fringe Festival.

Read more of my fringe fest reflections...