"The Murder on the Links" at Theatre in the Round

For this year's Agatha Christie play, Theatre in the Round has commissioned an adaptation of her third novel The Murder on the Links, the second featuring famed detective Hercule Poirot. This is essentially a sequel to their 2022 Christie play, a new adaptation of her first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, with the same playwright Kate Danley, director Linda Paulsen, and two leads. Everything about this production is so delightful, I would be happy if they continued with this team to adapt all of the Poirot/Hastings stories. But for now we can enjoy this fictional murder (or murders?) on the links at the oldest theater in Minneapolis. The show continues weekends through December 21, and Christie plays are always popular at TRP, so don't wait too long to get your tickets to this counter-holiday programming.

Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" at Theatre in the Round

Theatre in the Round, the oldest theater in Minneapolis, has a tradition of presenting Agatha Christie mysteries. For their 71st season, they're premiering a new adaptation of Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920 and featuring what would become one of her most popular characters, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. I have to admit, I've never read any of her novels or seen any movies based on her mysteries, and I've only seen a couple of her plays (that tracks for a theater nerd), so I was previously unfamiliar with Papa Poirot. I found him to be a thoroughly delightful character, and this Mysterious Affair to be a well-plotted, suspenseful, and entertaining mystery. And after seven straight Christmas shows in a row, it was a nice palate cleanser from all the carols and figgy pudding and such. TRP's mysteries are quite popular and most shows are close to selling out, so if you want to catch this non-holiday offering before it closes on December 18, get your tickets soon!

"These Shining Lives" at Theatre in the Round

"Dip this paintbrush in radium and then put it in your mouth. Don't worry if it gets all over your skin, clothes, and hair, you'll be fine!" If any of our employers told us this today, we would all likely walk out the door. But in the 1920s, when workers had much fewer rights than we do now, if you needed the job to feed your family, and especially if you were a woman and your bosses were men, you likely would have accepted it. These Shining Lives tells the true story of women who did just that, until their hands started glowing and their bones started aching. It's because of a couple of lawsuits brought by the real life "Radium Girls" against their employers that companies are held responsible for injuries or illnesses their employees acquire on the job. Theatre in the Round tells these pioneering women's story, via a female playwright and director, with humanity and grace.

"Fahrenheit 451" at Theatre in the Round

Books are important. Books are where we express ourselves, share ideas, record history, and dream about the future. In the age of the internet, hundreds of cable channels, and short attention spans, one has to wonder if books are in danger. Over 60 years ago, perhaps inspired by the censorship and paranoia of the McCarthy era, novelist Ray Bradbury imagined a world in which people were not allowed to read or even possess books, in fact all books were burned. He later adapted his novel Fahrenheit 451 into a play, currently being produced by Theatre in the Round. The themes of censorship, control of information, and the dangers of reality TV ring eerily true as brought to life by this large and talented cast and interesting staging. It makes for a fascinating, disturbing, and thought-provoking evening of theater.