"Kunene and the King" by Octopus Theatricals at the Guthrie Theater

I admit that when the Guthrie announced their 2026-2027 season, I didn't know what Kunene and the King was, and I didn't know who John Kani was. I do now. John Kani is a legendary Tony-winning South African playwright, actor, and activist with a career that spans more than half a century, who wrote and stars in this play. He's traveled with it from London, to South Africa, to Washington, DC, and now, fortunately for us - Minneapolis. A two-hander about a White South African actor with terminal cancer and the Black South African nurse who cares for him in his final days, the play beautifully and brutally encapsulates the history of apartheid through the relationship between two humans, who use Shakespeare to connect. The Guthrie doesn't often host touring productions, but I'm so grateful that they brought this play here (a production by Octopus Theatricals). It's beautifully written, directed, acted, and designed, and does that thing that theater does best - bring you into a world that is different from your own, and create empathy and understanding. See Kunene and the King in the Guthrie's proscenium theater through November 8.

"Blues for an Alabama Sky" at the Guthrie Theater

Escape the bleak Minnesota midwinter to spend a few hours in the Harlem in the summer of 1930. The dramedy Blues for an Alabama Sky has romance, betrayals, friendship, grief, fashion, and even a little music. There is tragedy in this story of a group of friends living in NYC's large and thriving Black community in the early part of the 20th Century, but the focus is on aspirations and dreams as they strive to make their lives and their community even better. A talented cast and gorgeous design bring this story to vibrant life. See it on the Guthrie Theater thrust stage now through March 12.