"Dracula (a feminist revenge fantasy)" by Night Fire Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

NYC-based actor/playwright Kate Hamill is most known for her Jane Austin adaptations (including Emma, commissioned by and premiering at the Guthrie in 2022), and sometimes stars in the world premieres. She's also taken her pen to other classics, like Sherlock Holmes and Little Women (commissioned by and premiering at the Jungle in 2018). And now, thanks to Night Fire Theatre's regional premiere production, we have her adaptation of Dracula, subtitled "a feminist revenge fantasy." Like all of her adaptations, it's feminist and funny, and a little fantastical (in this case fitting the subject matter). A huge cast brings the new twist on the old story to life on stage (and off) at the Historic Mounds Theatre in St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, which is a beautiful but slightly creepy old theater that may or may not be haunted, i.e., the perfect setting for this story. The Twin Cities Horror Festival starts this weekend, and I'm unable to attend due to the busy October #TCTheater season (and my general dislike of horror), but I feel like I got a taste of the horror fest in this show; the one difference between this and other Kate Hamill adaptations it the amount of blood! If you're a fan of feminist retellings of classic stories, or copious blood on stage, Dracula is the show for you! (Continuing through Halloween night.)

"Violent Delights" by Night Fire Theatre at the Crane Theater

#TCTheater artist Penelope Parsons-Lord developed Violent Delights, a compilation of scenes from Shakespeare that explicitly or implicitly connote violence, nearly 20 years ago in her native Australia. Last seen locally in 2019, it's only gotten more relevant, as our culture seemingly gets more violent every year. Violence is everywhere around us - on the news, in the games we play, in our language, and even in Shakespeare. Violence is so pervasive in our world that we sometimes don't even notice it (e.g., using the phrase "you killed it" to mean you did a great job), which is the premise of this piece. Penelope has reexamined these familiar works, pulling out "small moments of violence," and maybe now we can begin to recognize them in the real world. A talented nine-person cast plays too many characters to count, the scenes well chosen and woven together, combined with pop songs and movement to create a gripping tale that isn't one cohesive narrative, but still tells a story. You can witness these Violent Delights at the Crane Theater in Minneapolis through February 14.

Musical Mondays at LUSH, March 2024

This is your regular reminder that if you're not at LUSH Louge & Theater on the first Monday of the  month, you're missing some fabulous music-theater entertainment! Earlier this week Max Wojtanowicz hosted the 94th Musical Mondays, featuring some super talented local singer/actor/performers. The good news is that if you missed it, you can catch the next one on April 1 (no foolin'). Just follow them on Facebook or Instagram for all the deets. 

"In a Stand of Dying Trees" by Uprising Theatre Company at Off-Leash Art Box

In 2019, Uprising Theatre Company has been presenting plays around one of the most important and controversial issues in our country today - gun violence. The conclusion of this excellent and necessary series is an original play by Artistic Director Shannon TL Kearns. But In a Stand of Dying Trees, playing at Off-Leash Art Box through November 23, is not just a play about gun violence. It's also a play about transgender rights, about the conflict between urban and rural communities, about when to overlook differences in the interest of peaceful coexistence and when to have the uncomfortable conversations. It's not an easy play to watch, and doesn't offer any solutions, but what it does do, what Uprising always does with their work, is open up a conversation. Their community partners for this play are Moms Demand Action, an organization working to end gun violence, and Better Angels, which hosts workshops and conversations to depolarize America. This partnership, along with the discussions that Uprising hosts after every show, make In a Stand of Dying Trees not just a thought-provoking, timely, relevant play, but also, hopefully, a catalyst for real conversation and change.