"The Book Club Play" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Sometimes a book can change your life. Sometimes so can a book club. Such is the premise of Karen Zacarías' hilarious play The Book Club Play, which I first saw at Theatre in the Round two years ago* but was more than happy to revisit at Lakeshore Players Theatre. The play is essentially a study of humanity as seen through the very specific phenomenon known as the Book Club, and the life changes brought about in all of our characters through several very eventful meetings. It's also an exploration of books, literature, art, and what makes some worthy and some not, some popular and some not. And are those two things mutually exclusive? You can see the very funny, real, and relatable The Book Club Play at the Lakeshore Players Theatre in lovely downtown White Bear Lake through March 23 only.

"Legacy of Light" at Theatre in the Round

A historical fiction rom com featuring female scientists? Sign me up! Playwright Karen Zacarías' Legacy of Light, now on stage at Theatre in the Round, is just my kind of play. It has a little of everything - comedy, romance, history, philosophy, poetry, science, fantasy, love, grief. The true story of 18th Century French mathematician and physicist Émilie du Châtelet is told alongside of the story of a fictional modern female scientist, the two stories speaking to each other in expected ways. A smart and funny play about smart, funny, strong women, their ambitions and accomplishments, as well as the obstacles they face because of their sex, is just what we need right now. See this lovely production at Theatre in the Round weekends through March 16.

"Shane" at the Guthrie Theater

"The farmer and the cowman should be friends," says the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! But in the classic American novel Shane, now with a brilliant new adaptation on the Guthrie stage, the farmer and the cowman most certainly are not friends. This Shane tells the story of a Mexican-American family trying to eke out a living on their farm in Wyoming, being threatened by a big time rancher, who wants to drive all of the farmers off the land and raise cattle. A lot of cattle. Enter Shane, a Black cowboy with a dark and mysterious past and a dangerous streak, who helps the family keep their land. But of course, the land used to be occupied by the Indigenous peoples of this land, who were previously driven off by the US government (using settlers like these). In the same way that the recent revival of Oklahoma! brought out all of the complexities of the origins of America, particularly the American West, that were always in the script, Karen Zacarías' adaptation of the 1949 novel by Jack Schaefer pulls in more voices and more stories to show a truer picture of the history of America, the people of color who were always there but often not seen in classic representations. But yet, it remains true to the spirit of the original story, and it's still a wildly entertaining and gorgeously told tale of the mythical American West, just a little more diverse and authentic. This new play (which the Guthrie co-commissioned and co-produced with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) is a dynamic conclusion to a truly excellent 60th season at the Guthrie Theater.

"Native Gardens" at Daleko Arts

It's a good time for Karen Zacarías' smart, funny, socially relevant comedies. On the heels of Theatre in the Round's hilarious production of The Book Club Play, DalekoArts is presenting Native Gardens (last seen in #TCTheater at the Guthrie in 2017). Both are really fun and entertaining shows, but with a depth that might make you think a little about some important themes, while perhaps making you a little uncomfortable (in a good way). Native Gardens deals with subtle racism (and agism, sexism, and classism), inherent biases, immigration, the environment, and what it means to be a good neighbor. With a wonderful cast and excellent design on their small stage, Daleko brings out all of the humor and the nuances in this great script. Take advantage of the mild weather this February and make the drive down to New Prague to see Native Gardens (continuing through February 26).

"The Book Club Play" at Theatre in the Round

I used to be in a Book Club with a group of work friends. Once a month we would gather at someone's house, eat good food, drink wine, catch up on each other's lives, and maybe eventually get around to talking about the book. Which not everyone read, but I always did, and I would get frustrated that not many people wanted to actually talk about the book, at Book Club! I relate perhaps a little too much to the character Ana in Karen Zacarías'* hilarious play The Book Club Play, now on stage at Theatre in the Round. It's essentially a study of humanity as seen through the very specific phenomenon known as the Book Club. It's also an exploration of books, literature, art, and what makes some worthy and some not, some popular and some not. And are those two things mutually exclusive? You can see the very funny, real, and relatable The Book Club Play at the oldest theater in Minneapolis weekends through February 19.

"Native Gardens" at the Guthrie Theater

"I think comedy is disarming. I mean literally. You let down your armor so you can laugh. And if you laugh, you're taking things in. I want people who disagree to watch this play and be able to laugh at themselves." Mission accomplished. The new play Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías (from whom this quote comes), now playing on the Guthrie proscenium stage, accomplishes this and more. Through the lens of neighbors disagreeing about a fence, she exposes our many prejudices, fears, and defenses. Everyone in the audience can recognize themselves and the prejudices they harbor, or the ones they've faced, and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. The two couples in the play are on opposite sides of many issues, but through this dispute they eventually come to realize that despite their differences they both want the same thing - a nice yard to live in and friendly neighbors.