"The Belle of Amherst" at The Woman's Club of Minneapolis

The Woman's Club of Minneapolis has been around since 1907, and they've been in their current home since 1928 - the big beautiful building adjacent to Loring Park, which was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. I saw a handful of shows there pre-pan (including Minnesota Fringe Festival shows, a Skylark Opera Theatre production, and that time I met Gavin Creel). I'm excited about their ongoing Arts and Culture program, which includes concerts and, hopefully, more theater events. A limited engagement of the solo play The Belle of Amherst, starring TV/film/theater actor Linda Kelsey, was there last weekend. There is a 600-seat theater on the lower level (where I saw Nickel Creek perform over 20 years ago), but the upstairs lounge area is a great performance space too (that's where Sue Scott's podcast Island of Discarded Women records live once a month or so). This play was in that space, which was just the perfect location for this story of Emily Dickinson's life and poetry. Unfortunately the short run is over (and sold out or very nearly), but keep an eye on The Woman's Club for upcoming events.

"The Boys Room" at Gremlin Theatre

It's been nearly three years since Gremlin Theatre's last production (the dark comedy Becky Shaw in January 2020). They've of course hosted other theater companies in their Midway St. Paul space in that time (including a few outdoor productions in summer 2020). But now they're back with the family dramedy The Boys Room, which premiered at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater a little over ten years ago. A stellar four-person cast brings this family, that puts the fun in dysfunctional, to such vivid life that it's a bit startling when it ends after 90 short minutes, with nothing really resolved, but a whole lot exposed. None of these characters are very likeable, but the actors are as they make these people, and the awkward situation they find themselves in, seem very real.

"Our Town" at Artistry

Thornton Wilder's Our Town is an American classic, first produced over 80 years ago, and continuing through the years with frequent productions in theaters and schools around the country. It's a simple story really; its three acts explore the ideas of "Daily Life," "Love and Marriage," and "Death and Dying" through the interconnected residents of Grover's Corners. But it's really quite profound in its simplicity, the final act being especially poignant as it forces us to look at the beauty of every day life and communion with our fellow human beings, something that is often overlooked in the busyness of life.* The new production by Artistry, perhaps best known for their musicals, features a fantastic cast that brings out all of the humor, heart, and meaning in this classic. There's a reason that Our Town continues to be produced, and audiences continue to see it - it speaks to us in a very real and deep way.

"The Children" at Jungle Theater

The Jungle Theater produced some of my favorite work in #TCTheater last year, and they're showing no signs of stopping that trend in 2019. Their first show of the year (my fifth, but who's counting), is the first post-Broadway production of The Children by Lucy Kirkwood (not to be confused with the re-imagined Medea play The Children by Michael Elyanow produced by Pillsbury House a few years ago). In a pre-show speech by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen (who has only made the Jungle better in her short tenure), she said that this team of actors, designers, and director are a master class of putting together a piece of theater. I couldn't agree more. Everything about this play is impeccable, from this very specific design that transports the audience to a seaside cottage after a nuclear disaster, to the three-person cast of beloved veterans of stage and screen, and everything else that allows this magic to happen. Get yourself to Uptown (as much of a pain as that sometimes is) to see this brilliant work of theater that will leave you contemplating life for days to come.

"Taking Shakespeare" at Gremlin Theatre

I wish I had had a professor like the one in Taking Shakespeare, maybe I'd have a better appreciation for the Bard. As it is I struggle the first time I see a Shakespeare play, as does the student in the play. But by the end he seems to really get it, and like in any good teacher/student relationship, the teacher also learns from the student. In Gremlin Theatre's staging of the new(ish) play by John Murrell, directed by Artistic Director Peter Christian Hansen, we get to watch this relationship play out in the hands of two talented actors (a beloved veteran and an exciting newcomer). It's an exploration of not just Shakespeare, but the changing phases of life, and whatever one's passion happens to be.

"Amy's View" at Park Square Theatre

Shortly after Mother's Day, Park Square Theatre brings us a mother/daughter story that is just one of the "complicated relationships" (the name of the signature drink accompanying this show) in Amy's View. Theater, criticism, art, finances, and messy relationships of all sorts are exposed in this play that spans 15 years. The play perhaps tries to cover too much, in time and topics, but the excellent cast and design make it worth the ride.

"Calendar Girls" at Park Square Theatre

"This is my favorite kind of play because it celebrates how deliciously human we are while also revealing how incredibly generous we can be when one of our own is in need of hope." This quote from director Mary M. Finnerty perfectly sums up the spirit of Park Square Theatre's Calendar Girls, the play based on the movie based on the real life story of a group of average, every-day, extraordinary women who come together to support one of their own by taking their clothes off. How does getting naked, or rather nude, help their friend? The calendar they pose for and sell raises hundreds of thousands of dollars, er... pounds, for Leukemia and Lymphoma research, the disease that took her husband. The play based on this inspiring story is truly a feel-good summer comedy with tons of heart and sisterhood. You'll laugh, you'll squirm in your seat, you'll shed a few (or many) tears, and you'll fall in love with these women (both the characters and the incredibly talented actors who play them) as they embrace their womanhood and their strength, and each other.

"The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" by Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company at Highland Park Center Theatre

Sometimes theater can be profound, thought-provoking, or even life-changing, and sometimes it's just highly enjoyable entertainment. There's room for both, and Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company's production of the 2000 Tony-nominated Broadway play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife falls squarely in the latter category. It's a chance to laugh at ridiculous people in this very funny play, presented with sharp direction by Warren C. Bowles and fantastic comedic performances by the five-person cast. The theater at the Highland Park Community Center was packed on a Wednesday night, and a good time was had by all. Sometimes that's everything you need.

"The Other Place" at Park Square Theatre

The Other Place is the name of the play now playing in Park Square Theatre's "other place," the new Andy Boss thrust stage* that opened just last fall. Even though it still smells like new construction, it already feels like a solid and necessary part of Park Square's programming. It allows room for plays like this, a short, compact, and impactful story of a woman in crisis and the people that love her.

Juliana is a top neuroscientist who has discovered a breakthrough drug that she is promoting to doctors around the world. While lecturing at a conference in St. Thomas, she has what she calls an "episode." She assumes that it's brain cancer because of a family history, but perhaps it's something different and even more scary. She's convinced her husband is cheating on her and filing for a divorce, even though he appears nothing but supportive. Something isn't quite right about her relationship with her daughter, who ran away years ago. All of this unfolds almost in a stream of consciousness sort of way, as we move around in time, place, memory, and possible hallucinations. The plot is like a puzzle, with pieces falling into place until we finally get the whole picture of what's going on with Juliana and what happened to her daughter. It's almost like we're inside Juliana's head as she struggles to make sense of a life she no longer recognizes.

James A. Williams and Linda Kelsey
(photo by Petronella J Ytsma)

The story is brought to life on the sparse and breezy set through strong and believable performances by the four-person cast. Linda Kelsey inhabits the character of Juliana as someone who varies between flustered and in control, uncertain and confident, belligerent and loving. James A. Williams is her supportive but frustrated husband. Joy Dolo smoothly transitions between several women in Juliana's life - willful teenage daughter, exasperated adult daughter, concerned therapist, and annoyed woman she encounters. Matt Wall rounds out the cast as Juliana's estranged son-in-law and several other characters. Juliana's interactions with these minor characters reflect her declining state of mind.

At under 90 minutes, The Other Place is cleverly and smartly written by playwright Sharr White, with language and interactions efficiently used to convey emotion and tell the story of this once strong and now lost woman. The ending is achingly beautiful, as Juliana comes to a sort of peace with the state of her life, reflected in lovely video projections (by Kristin Ellert, who also designed the set). It's moving, poignant, funny, devastating, and hopeful. Playing now through April 19 on Park Square's Boss Stage.


*Click here to read about Shooting Star, now playing on Park Square's Proscenium Stage.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"4000 Miles" at Park Square Theatre

Is there a sweeter word in the English language than "Grandma?" Maybe it's because I don't have one anymore, but there's something about the grandchild/grandparent relationship that strikes me as so unique and special. Your grandparents are sort of like your parents, only much cooler and wiser. Park Square Theatre's production of playwright Amy Herzog's 2011 play 4000 Miles explores this relationship in a really beautiful way. With a small cast and a simple and profound story, it's perfectly suited to their new thrust stage* in the basement of the historic Hamm Building.

The title refers to Leo's cross country journey by bicycle, starting from his current home in Seattle, through his childhood home in St. Paul, and ending at his grandmother's Greenwich Village apartment. The journey took some unexpected turns, and Leo is suffering from more than just the usual angst of youth. He and his grandma Vera don't know each other well, but he has nowhere else to go. He needs to heal and figure out where to go from here, and Vera helps him do that, just by being there, listening (when she has her hearing aid in), and providing that no-nonsense sage advice of those older and wiser than us. Vera comes to rely on Leo as well and enjoy having him around. They develop a comfortable rapport, but alas, by definition of the relationship the situation can't continue as it is, and once Leo has healed, he's ready to leave the nest again.

Leo and Vera (Gabriel Murphy and Linda Kelsey,
photo by Petronella Ytsma)

Under director Gary Gisselman, this four-person cast really shines. Brief appearances by Becca Hart as the estranged girlfriend and Joann Oudekerk as his date shed more light on Leo's character, but the show belongs to Linda Kelsey and Gabriel Murphy. Linda's performance as Vera is so lived in and real, it's easy to imagine sitting down at her table for coffee and frozen pastry. She gives Vera a vital spirit that's struggling to get through her aging body and mind. Gabriel hits all right the notes as this cocky youngster who thinks he has it all together, slowly peeling back the layers as Leo lets his grandmother (and the audience) see the trauma he's experienced and the pain that he's feeling. The two of them together are just so charming as they portray a really beautiful multi-generational relationship.

This is only the second play in the new Andy Boss Stage, so it's fun to continue to explore what it can look like and be. In this case, scenic designer Rick Polenek has transformed it into a very detailed and realistic NYC apartment. The back of the stage is lined with shelves filled with books and tchotchkes, while dated grandmotherly furniture extends into the thrust part of the stage.

4000 Miles is one of those wonderful plays that's not big on action, but that really digs into relationships and characters, through sharp, funny, poignant dialogue, as well as through things left unsaid. Unfortunately I'm catching this one towards the end of its short run; it closes this weekend. But if you have some free time in your holiday schedule this weekend, it's definitely worth a visit.


*I was not able to see 2 Pianos, 4 Hands, now playing on Park Square's main stage, due to scheduling issues, but I saw it two years ago and found it to be quite delightful! Read more of my thoughts here, and buy your tickets for this year's show here.

"Mary T. and Lizzy K." at Park Square Theatre

Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, has a reputation in American history as being difficult and, well, somewhat crazy. Last year's hit movie Lincoln gave us a more sympathetic portrait of this woman who not only lived in the public eye during the Civil War, but also suffered the deaths of three of her four sons and her husband. The new play Mary T. and Lizzy K. by Tazewell Thompson gives us yet another view of this fascinating woman through her friendship with her seamstress Elizabeth Keckly, a former slave who bought her freedom and became dressmaker for the most famous woman in America. It's a small and intimate play, with just four characters in a room talking (we also meet Lincoln and Lizzy's young assistant). But through the performances of these four wonderful actors, the world of the Lincolns is brought to life for a short time on the Park Square stage.

The play takes place on the day of Lincoln's assassination, when the couple is planning a trip to the theater, unaware of the real tragedy that awaits them at Ford's Theatre. The play also flashes forward to when Mary is institutionalized by her son and receives a visit from Lizzy, who was written a book about their time together which has angered Mary. But on that day in 1865, things were relatively happy. Lizzy (another strong performance by Shá Cage) is making a new dress for Mary (Linda Kelsey, beautifully portraying the range of Mary's emotions and moods), with the help of her assistant, the eager young Ivy (Nike Kadri, shining in the light-hearted moments of the youth and sympathetic in her stories of abuse). Abe (Stephen D'Ambrose, with a quiet dignity and congeniality) stops in to visit his wife. They are still mourning the death of their son just a few years earlier, and dealing with the aftermath of the Civil War which has only recently ended, with great cost to both sides. There's a genuine love and affection between the two of them, despite the fact that Mary flies off the handle at the slightest provocation, met with kindness and understanding from her husband. Lizzy tells Ivy to ignore these incidents and continue her work. Lizzy is Mary's friend and confidante, but the relationship is not without its problems. Mary has not paid Lizzy for any of her work, and Lizzy has in turn not paid Ivy. Ivy, who has suffered greatly in her time as a slave, insists that Lizzy pay her with her cloak and hat, so that she too can feel the pride of being a free person who is paid for her work. All four of these distinctly drawn characters have a story to tell.

The set (the third one designed by Michael Hoover that I've seen in as many weeks) is simple and effective, with four stately columns and four tall panels with a door in each, and just a few chairs and tables in the space. Extras in period clothing open and close doors, cover furniture, and make other slight changes in arrangement to signal the change of time and location. Clothing is a central part of this play, and the costumes (by Merrily Murray-Walsh, who also designed the costumes for the original production at the Arena Stage in D.C.) live up to that importance. In the first act Lizzy and Ivy construct a dress before our very eyes, placing and pinning pieces on Mary, beginning with a large hoop skirt. The finished work is even more impressive, as are all of the dresses, shawls, cloaks, hats, and suits we see on stage.

Mary T. and Lizzy K. is a fascinating look at a pivotal time in American history through the eyes of four characters (three of them based on real people). You, too, can enter the world of the Lincolns from now through November 10 at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul.

 
Mary T. & Lizzy K. from Park Square Theatre on Vimeo.