"Our Town" at Lyric Arts

Thornton Wilder's 1938 play Our Town is a classic of the American theater for a reason. It's a slice of life kind of play (or rather, three slices of life), in which not a lot happens, but everything happens. Our Town tells the story of an average American town in the early 20th Century, filled with average people. While the gender roles feel dated (the men go out to their jobs while the women stay home and take care of the home and family, and everyone is married), the themes still resonate. In fact I find the older I get, the more bittersweet the play becomes. The idea that it's the ordinary days that are the very stuff of life, and we rarely realize their value while we're in them, only becomes more relevant the more those ordinary days stack up behind you. Lyric Arts' new production uses the traditional bare bones style, and adds movement and music to help color the world of Grover's Corners. With beautifully sparse design and a talented cast, they've created something heart-breakingly lovely. You can visit Grover's Corners on Main Street in Anoka weekends through the end of June.

"Perfect Arrangement" at Theatre in the Round

Just in time for Pride Month, Theatre in the Round is bringing us the story of two gay couples in the '50s, and what they have to do be with the person they love and still have a career and acceptable public persona. What starts out as a comedy turns tragic as this Perfect Arrangement falls apart. As a time when LGBTQ+ rights are threatened, it's good to look back at history and the people who worked so heard to achieve those rights, to remember how much things have changed, and how much they haven't. But this is no dry history lesson, it's an entertaining comedy with an emotional pull that makes you feel for each of the characters as they navigate this sticky situation. A strong cast and spot-on design make this play a Perfect Arrangement indeed (playing weekends throughout June).

"Marjorie Prime" at Theatre in the Round

Now playing at the oldest theater in Minneapolis: the 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime. This is the third show in Theatre in the Round's abbreviated five-show 70th season, which is an eclectic mix of traditional works and more interesting pieces like this. In just 80 minutes, the trippy and futuristic Marjorie Prime explores issues of aging, dementia, grief, depression, suicide, artificial intelligence, and complicated family dynamics. It's a fascinating and layered look at a multitude of relevant topics, well done by this cast and creative team. Continuing weekends through March 6 (click here for details).

"God of Carnage" at Lyric Arts

In 2009, God of Carnage won the Tony Award for best play. It closed in 2010, and the Guthrie produced it the following year, when I called it "a tightly wound, intense, darkly hilarious four-person play about what happens when our baser natures come to the surface." I still have vivid memories of it (which is noteworthy, considering I've seen over a thousand plays since them). It's a treat to revisit this smart, sharp comedy again in a well done production at Lyric Arts. The strong four-person ensemble is a great team, director Scott Ford has paced the 90-minute four-way conversation well, and the design tells us immediately where we are and who we're dealing with. To my knowledge, no #TCTheater has done this play since the Guthrie in 2011, so kudos to the little community theater in the 'burbs for tackling this prickly and sometimes unpleasant (in a good way) play and doing it so well.

"Sylvia" at Yellow Tree Theatre

Have you ever wondered what your pet would say if it could talk? Playwright A.R. Gurney did, and he wrote a play about it. The result is a funny, sweet, slightly wicked, and very entertaining story that will resonate with anyone who's ever loved an animal. Yellow Tree Theatre is bringing back Sylvia from their first season, starring Yellow Tree favorite Mary Fox as the titular dog. It's a perfect role to showcase her many talents, and the play is a perfect fit for Yellow Tree's small and intimate stage.

I've never had a dog, but one of my two cats (the one that's not named after a character from a musical), is somewhat dog-like. He always has to be next to me, he comes when I call him, he drools, he can never get enough attention, he loves everyone, and he's bigger than some dogs. Nobody loves me like my Maxie, and such is Sylvia's feeling for Greg when he finds her as a stray in the park and brings her home. But the difference is that Sylvia can express her feelings in words, and boy does she! And the humans she interacts with can understand her, which makes for an interesting exploration of the relationship between a man and "man's best friend." Unfortunately, Greg's wife Kate is not as keen on the idea of a dog, having recently moved to the city after the kids left home for college. She reluctantly agrees to keep Sylvia, but begins to get jealous when Greg spends more time with the dog than with her. His version of a mid-life crisis is skipping out on work to walk the dog. Sylvia knows that Kate doesn't like her, and vacillates between trying harder to win her love, and flaunting her relationship with Greg. After many walks in the park, a painful spaying, heated arguments, and a therapy session, the situation comes to a head and Greg is forced to choose between his dog and his wife.

like most dogs, Sylvia makes a beeline
for the one person in the room who
doesn't like dogs

Mary Fox is one of those actors that I love to watch in whatever show she's in. She's a very natural actor and is always doing something interesting. She's very expressive, and this role allows her fully explore that as she embodies all the emotions of a dog - love, fear, frustration, pain, joy. All the emotions of humans, only bigger. She's dressed in human clothes (costume design by Sarah Bahr) that match her mood - fresh from the groomer, missing her master, sore from surgery. Sylvia's human family are played by Sean Byrd and Katie Wodele, who realistically portray the varying emotions of the situation. Tristan Trifft is a scene stealer whenever he appears as one of three completely different characters - the macho dog owner doing calisthenics at the dog park, Kate's cultured (woman) friend, and the ambiguously gendered therapist with some unexpected advice.

As per usual at Yellow Tree, the choice of music for scene changes is perfect. From "I Want You to Love Me" and "I've Got a Crush On You" to various dog songs ("Hound Dog," "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo") at intermission.

man's best friend (Mary Fox and Sean Byrd)

Sylvia is the final show in Yellow Tree's 5th season, which was expanded from their usual four to five shows. Judging by the packed house on a Thursday night when I saw the show, they're doing all right. It's really exciting to see a thriving theater in an unremarkable strip mall in the suburbs, and to experience the community that they've built around it. Next season looks to continue this trend, opening with the classic family drama On Golden Pond and closing with the hilarious 39 Steps. Although my theater group's favorite pre-show dinner spot, Nectar Wine Bar and Bistro, has closed (hopefully temporarily), it's still and always worth a trip to Osseo to see some great theater in a cozy and intimate setting.