"Two Gents" by Ten Thousand Things at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Ten Thousand Things' new Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans is making their directorial debut with the company, and I'm happy to report that TTT is in good hands that will continue the tradition of making theater for everyone. I'm not surprised; Caitlin has been with TTT for a little while and delivered charming and endearing pre-show speeches, but it's a thrill to see their work on stage. Or rather, in a square on the floor surrounded by a few rows of chairs in a room with All the Lights On where TTT performs, replicating their community performances in treatment facilities, shelters, prisons, and other spaces that don't have regular access to theater. As Caitlin notes in the program, Two Gentleman of Verona, affectionately called Two Gents here, is an appropriate choice for this first - it's believed to be the first play  that Shakespeare ever wrote, and it's the first time TTT is doing it in their 30+ year history. I've seen this play a couple of times before, but there's no one I'd rather see do any Shakespeare play than TTT, and this production continues in making these 400+ year old plays clear and understandable, modern and relatable. Two Gents is an effervescent romcom that's also about friendship, loyalty, and accountability, with an impossibly talented cast of just five actors playing all of the roles in the play. It continues at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church through the 26th (across from the Walker with a large free parking lot), with one performance at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis, and concludes the run at 825 Arts in St. Paul on University. You can find the full schedule and ticketing details here.

"The Effect" at Jungle Theater

In my day job, I work in clinical trials. I'm not a researcher in the clinics working with patients, I sit at home in my living room analyzing the data they collect. But still, the themes and situations in the brilliant play The Effect are familiar and fascinating to me. Written by Lucy Prebble, a writer and executive producer on the brilliant and brutal HBO show Succession, the play asks thorny and relevant questions about the ethics of clinical research, for-profit pharmaceutical companies, and the health care industry in general. It also explores the very stuff that makes us human, our feelings and emotions, and if that resides in our brain, or in our heart, or in situations or the substances we're taking. (If you're getting Severance vibes, you're not alone.) In short, The Effect is my favorite kind of play - smart and thought-provoking, asking difficult questions and not answering them, populated with complex, interesting, and engaging characters. And as expected, Jungle Theater's production really couldn't be better, with a fantastic four-person cast and spot-on design. If you like smart, thoughtful, relevant plays, The Effect is not to be missed (continuing through the end of March).