"Henry V" by Jackdonkey Productions at Theatre in the Round

Sixteen months ago, I had one of my best and most memorable days at the theater when I saw Guthrie Theater's production of the History Plays,  Shakespeare's Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, all in one marathon day. One continuing story and one incredible cast of actors bringing it to life over three plays, for a total of 8+ hours of theater. The taglines for the three plays were: "a king becomes a man," "a man becomes a king," and "a king becomes a hero," respectively. But Jackdonkey Productions' new take on the finale of this trilogy, Henry V, brings a little different perspective to the story. Because in reality, war is much more complicated than that. There are no heroes, there are no winners, there's only death and destruction. This is a theme that is very relevant to what's going on in our world today, with wars, violence, and power-hungry leaders everywhere you turn. Jackdonkey brings this ancient story right into the present in this innovative production, playing at Theatre in the Round this weekend only (through August 18).

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: Wrap-Up and Favorites

The wonderful theatrical whirlwind that is the Minnesota Fringe Festival is over for another year, and I'm left with great memories of friends, fun, and theater, and also not a little exhaustion (I took an afternoon nap yesterday and then slept nine hours last night). I never cease to be amazed, impressed, and moved by the incredible talent in this festival, both local and touring artists. This year I saw 39 Fringe shows in 10 days, but technically I saw 42 shows within the 11 days of the festival, because I took the first day off to drive to Duluth and see Zeitgeist Theater's incredibly immersive and intimate production of my favorite musical RENT, and I took a few afternoons off to see a NEXT new works reading at Theater Latte Da and Artistry's fabulous production of the beloved classic Singin' in the Rain (continuing through August 31). But other than that, I saw a show in every timeslot that I could (not counting 10pm shows because #morningperson). And I did not see a bad show, in fact the majority of the shows I saw were excellent. Which makes narrowing my list of favorites down from 39 to something less than half of that a nearly impossible task. So here's a list of some (but not all) of the shows I loved at Minnesota Fringe this year. But Fringe is never really over; they continue activities and programming year-round, so be sure to follow them on social media and sign up for their email list (if you're not already). And most of the artists and companies in this festival do work all year round, so if you saw someone or something you really loved, check out what else they're doing this season. The 2025 Minnesota Fringe Festival is over, but #TCTheater never ends!

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2025: "503"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: 503

Category: Drama / Original Music / Physical Theater / Sci-fi / Audience participation / Literary adaptation / Political content

By: Jackdonkey Productions

Created by: Jeffrey Nolan and Zach Christensen

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: An adaptation of the 1921 dystopian novel We by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin about a totalitarian state based on numbers.

Highlights: As much as a society based on order, numbers, equations, and schedules kind of appeals to me, the world described in We, and 503, is not good. The multi-talented Jeffrey Nolan adapted and performs in this (mostly) solo show (with direction by Zach Christensen), playing all of the characters, er, numbers, in the story. In this strictly regimented world, everyone is referred to as a number; our protagonist is D-503, who is happy with his life until he meets a woman known as I-130, who shows him a different way that the world can be and convinces them to join the revolution. They need him because he designed the new spaceship Integral, which is part of their plans. D-503 is torn between his loyalty to the "One State" and his new love, especially when he hears of an operation that results in "perfect happiness" (if you're getting Severance vibes, you're not wrong). The story is clearly and succinctly told, Jeremy embodying every character and making them all distinct. The sparse set includes just a metal folding chair and a white screen for some scenes in silhouette. The daily schedule and directions for audience participation are displayed on the back wall of the theater (we become fellow numbers, stamping our feet, singing the patriotic song, and participating in the election), the visible tech person adding to the utilitarian feel. Hawken Paul provides a soundscape on violin and percussion, a short refrain announcing the beginning of each scene. He also plays a character or two towards the end of the play, which is why this isn't quite a solo piece. Like all of Jackdonkey's work, 503 is thoughtfully constructed with great attention to detail, and well executed by the cast and creative team. It's an engaging story that's not a little terrifying, showing a society with blind loyalty to the state and one ruler. (you can catch Jackdonkey's production of Shakespeare's Henry V at Theatre in the Round just after Fringe).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here. 

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2024: "The Dumb Waiter"

Day: 3

Show: 5

Title: The Dumb Waiter

Category: Comedy / Drama / Physical Theater / Political content

By: Jackdonkey Productions

Written by: Harold Pinter

Location: Open Eye Theatre

Summary: A one-act play by British playwright Harold Pinter about two hit-men waiting to do a job.

Highlights: As I've written several times, I don't get Pinter. His plays are so bleak and often absurd, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to get out of it. But maybe because The Dumb Waiter is not a full-length play (Pinter is easier to digest in small bites?), maybe because of Jackdonkey's excellent production, this is my favorite Pinter yet. It has a Waiting for Godot feel, with these two men sitting in a bare room (per the script they're supposed to be sitting on beds but per this Fringe aesthetic they're sitting on stools with a few props in a bucket, which works well), waiting for word from their boss about their next job. They have conversations about nothing (tea and snacks), and talk about past jobs that they can't forget. Ben (Dominic Shiro) is the calmer quieter one, reading a newspaper, while Gus (Robert Wood Frank) is a bit more restless, wandering around, leaving the room to make tea or use the bathroom, filling the silence with chatter. Both actors along with the director Zach Christensen are U of M/Guthrie BFA grads and continue a summer of excellent work by the Guthrie farm team. Everything is crisp, precise, and thoughtful, with the actors, particularly Robert, performing with interesting and specific physicality. The staging, lighting (by Matthew Walsh), costumes, minimal props, and use of the trap door as the dumb waiter are all so cohesive and well done. Fringe is a great place to see new work, but it's also a great place to see excellent new interpretations of established plays, and this is one of those.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" by Jackdonkey Productions at Phoenix Theater

William Shakespeare wrote 37(ish) plays, an astounding feat for any playwright, but especially when you consider that they're still being performed 400 years later. I'm not even the biggest Shakespeare fan, I don't seek out Shakespeare, but after being a Twin Cities Theater Blogger for 14 years and a Guthrie season subscriber for 20, I've seen about two-thirds of his plays, and some of them multiple times (over a dozen Romeo and Juliets alone!). That's a lot of hours of Shakespeare. But if you don't have time to see 37 plays (who does?), now you can see them all in under two hours! In Jackdonkey Productions' version of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), three talented actors take you through them all, well sort of. Each play at least gets a mention or a line, with a couple of them getting a bit longer treatment. The script (by Reduced Shakespeare Company) is really just a framework upon which the cast and creative team build a silly, fun, fourth-wall-breaking romp of a show. And you don't need to have seen any of Shakespeare's 37 plays to enjoy it (although if you have, you'll get a few more of the references). See it now through July 21 at Phoenix Theater in Uptown (still open despite the construction on Hennepin). Or you can catch it in Lanesboro or Stillwater the following week.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2023: "Dock Work"

Day: 9

Show: 32

Title: Dock Work

Category: DANCE - MODERN / DRAMA / PHYSICAL THEATER / HISTORICAL CONTENT /NON-VERBAL / POLITICAL CONTENT

By: Jackdonkey Productions

Directed by: Zach Christensen

Location: Rarig Thrust

Summary: A multi-media performance around unions and workers' rights using dance, music, spoken word, and scenes.

Highlights: This is definitely unlike anything else I've seen at Fringe. An experimental devised work like this is exactly what Fringe is for. Directed by Zach Christensen, performers Caiti Fallon, Tessa Dahlgree, and Sri Peck represent dock workers, and really all workers. Wearing black pants and tank top with an orange hat, they dance, perform repetitive movement like someone might do on a dock or in a factory, and perform spoken word or storytelling, alone or as a trio. They're all incredibly expressive, in their movements, facial expressions, and emotional delivery of text. The dances are accompanied by recorded music and later, a live rock band in similar costumes (Karsten Mink, Leo Lerner, and Clark Amann). The only set pieces are three stools, sometimes used as stools, other times as props, and a ball of red yarn that becomes impossibly entangled in the stools and forms a triangle for performance. The spoken pieces are poetry or stories, including the attempts at unionization at a Starbucks. With the prominent current strikes by TV and film writers and actors, it's a timely, powerful, and affecting show that explores the theme of workers' rights in an unconventional way.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.