"Henry and Alice: Into the Wild" at Park Square Theatre

Three years ago, we met Henry and Alice in Sexy Laundry at Park Square Theatre, an "old married couple" with three kids who checked themselves into a swanky hotel to reconnect and spice up their relationship. They're back again in the sequel Henry and Alice: Into the Wild, this time downsizing from an expensive hotel to a camping trip due to Henry losing his job. At the time I called Sexy Laundry a "smart, funny, relevant play." But a lot has changed in three years, and a play about a rich white couple's troubles isn't so relevant anymore. Listening to a woman complain about not being able to buy Asiago cheese and having to cancel her yoga studio membership feels uncomfortable in a world with such inequality in wealth (see ≈ [almost equal to] at Pillsbury House for an excellent examination of that), at a theater in downtown St. Paul where I'm nearly always approached by someone asking for money (twice yesterday). There's still value in the play as it explores relationships and the downsizing required with economic downturns, which certainly is relatable to some people, and the winning cast makes it enjoyable to watch. I'm just not sure it's the play we need right now.

"Elliot: A Soldier's Fugue" at Park Square Theatre

A quick Google search presented me with two definitions of the word fugue: "a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts" and "a state or period of loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy." Quiara Alegria Hudes could not have chosen a better title for her play Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue, now playing on Park Square Theatre's main stage. This story of three generations of soldiers is like a great fugue composition, variations on the personal and devastating effects of war, woven together through time and space. While the soldiers depicted aren't exactly in a fugue state, they definitely struggle with loss of identity, flight from their environment, and maybe even a kind of hysteria as they deal with the aftereffects of being in combat. As brought to life by this terrific four-person cast, Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue is a powerful, poetic, and sobering look at war.

Elliot in his mother's garden
(Adlyn Carreras and Ricard Vázquez, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

We first meet Elliot as the returning war hero after his first tour in Iraq, welcomed and celebrated by his family and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Phillies game. He has a week to decide if he's going to return for his second tour, despite an injured leg. He seems raring to go on the surface, but as the playwright peels back the layers of Elliot and his close-knit Puerto Rican family, we see that things aren't as simple as they seem. Elliot's grandpop played the flute in the Korean War, and his pop served in Vietnam, where he met Elliot's mom, an Army nurse. We see flashes of each man's time in the service, often in parallel at the same time, as each tells their similar but unique story. Elliot's mom also talks about her wartime experiences and the effects on the men that she loves. She has created a beautifully wild garden, an oasis for the family. Hudes expertly weaves the scenes from the three different wars together with the present to create a moving portrait of a soldier.

Elliot is injured (Ricard Vázquez with Pedro R. Bayón,
Rich Remedios, and Adlyn Carreras, photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

First time Park Square director Robert Rosen, with a background as a performer trained in physical theater, is an interesting choice for this production. The physicality of these characters is so important, the strong young soldiers, the injured returning vet, the stooped old man. All four actors, relatively new to the Park Square stage, step up to the task in this challenging piece, giving strong and committed performances. None more so that Park Square Artistic Associate and recent Ivey Emerging Artist Ricardo Vázquez as the title character. Ricardo is always a treat to watch, whether as a lisping little boy or the godfather of Minnesota Rock and Roll, and here he gives a beautifully layered performance. He's strong and arrogant as the returning young soldier, showing moments of pain and confusion when alone with his injury, and heart-breaking as he's lying injured on the battle field, crying out for his mom. This believable family unit is completed with Rich Remedios as Pop, Pedro R. Bayón (who played Ricardo's father in River Road Boogie earlier this year) as Grandpop, and Adlyn Carreras as Mom.

Kit Mayer's simple and eloquent set design begins with a bare stage painted with American colors and five large rotating panels. On one side is a natural wood representing the desert of Iraq, the jungle of Vietnam, and the cold landscape of Korea. On the other side is the colorful and tropical garden of home. Panels are organically turned as appropriate, or left partially open to create a third effect. The bare stage gradually becomes littered with letters, leaves, and other remnants of war.

Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue is one of those 90-minute no intermission plays that fully immerses you in their world for a short period of time, creating a full and epic experience (while still allowing for an early bedtime). Playing now through October 4, it's definitely worth checking out to see a moving portrait of a solider and ruminations on war and returning vets, a topic that sadly never goes out of style. (Find discount tickets on Goldstar.com.)

"Shooting Star" at Park Square Theatre

A chance meeting with an ex-lover at a snowed-in airport, the opportunity to say all the things you couldn't say when things ended 25 years ago. Such is the premise of Steven Dietz's play Shooting Star, a two-hander now playing on Park Square Theatre's Proscenium Stage. When the two hands are Sally Wingert and Mark Benninghofen*, with a premise as full of promise as this one is, you know you're in for a treat. And a treat this is - a funny, engaging, and bittersweet play that leaves you with a wistful feeling and a pleasant ache in the heart where long-ago memories are held.

It's 2006, and Elena and Reed meet at an airport in Canada in the middle of what could be the "blizzard of the century," never mind that the century is only a few years old. We learn from asides by both characters that they immediately recognize each other from a pretty serious relationship that ended 25 years ago, during the free-love '70s. Turns out love is not so free, as these two have definitely carry around some leftover baggage through the intervening years. Elena is still a bit of a free spirit, but could never find anyone better than Reed, who's now a conservative businessman with a difficult relationship with his wife and daughter. With both of their flights delayed and nowhere to go, the two are unable to avoid each other, and engage in some awkward small talk that leads to something deeper as the barriers of time come down. A trip to the airport bar means things get even more real, and Reed and Elena realize they still have a connection. But is it something worth pursing after fate has brought them together again, or is it something that's better left in the past?

Mark Benninghofen and Sally Wingert
(photo by Petronella J Ytsma)

Shooting Star is one of those real and messy love stories, perfectly encapsulating an intense and intimate experience between two people that may or may not result in "happily ever after," but is meaningful and true nonetheless (see also Once). Steven Dietz's clever choice to give both characters multiple asides in which they speak directly to the audience in a conversational way gives us insights into their thoughts, making us feel like confidantes and drawing us right into the story. Sally Wingert and Mark Benninghofen use the sharp writing to create two characters that feel very real; Elena and Reed are both flawed and very human. Mark and Sally are both incredibly natural on stage and have a beautiful chemistry that goes from prickly to familiar, bitter to loving. They're given a fantastic playground in Kit Mayer's set that is the perfect model of a cold, linear airport, familiar to travelers everywhere.

Shooting Star is a funny, tender, bittersweet gem of a play about closure, connection, and coming to terms with the past. It's a comedy with depth and heart (continuing through April 19).


*You can also see Mark Benninghofen (and James A. Williams, pictured on the bottom half of the playbill and currently appearing on Park Square's Boss Stage in The Other Place) on the big screen in the locally made movie The Public Domain, now playing at the Lagoon in Uptown.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.