"Mother Courage and Her Children" by Pangea World Theater at the Lab Theater

Pangea World Theater began in 1995 with the following mission: "Pangea illuminates the human condition, celebrates cultural differences, and promotes human rights by creating and presenting international, multi-disciplinary theater." Inexplicably, I have not seen any of their work until last weekend. I'm happy to jump on board with their thoughtful and thought-provoking production of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children, performed at the gorgeous Lab Theater in Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood. Written at the start of WWII, it tells the story of a woman and her children during Europe's 17th Century Thirty Years' War, but its themes translate to any and all wars occurring around the world. Specifically the way some parties seek out war and encourage it because of the profits that can be gained, while others pay the ultimate price. A strong ten-person ensemble and cool design elements effectively tell this important story.

"Miracle on Christmas Lake" by Actors' Theater of Minnesota at Camp Bar

I'm a big fan of Yellow Tree Theatre in general and their four original and very Minnesotan Christmas* plays in particular (see also: A Gone Fishin' Christmas, no seriously go see it, playing now through the end of the year). So I jumped at the chance to see another theater company, Actors Theater of Minnesota, perform the play that started it all - A Miracle on Christmas Lake. Written by Yellow Tree co-founder Jessica Lind Peterson, it's inspired by the real life predicament they faced when they lost the rights to the show they were planning to do and had to come up with something in a short amount of time. This wacky, sweet, ridiculous little play chock full of Minnesota references and stereotypes was the result, and it's great fun to see another company's take on it in the intimate space of Camp Bar.

"Macbeth" at Park Square Theatre

Macbeth. There I said it. In addition to being one of Shakespeare's darkest, bloodiest, and most violent plays, Macbeth has also inspired a silly theater superstition in which it's bad luck to say the name in a theater. But it's certainly not bad luck to produce it, also being one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Wikipedia tells me that "it dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake." Which is something we still see examples of today. While it's not as bloody good fun as I remember the Guthrie's 2010 production being (one of my favorites of that year), Park Square Theatre's Macbeth is intense, intimate, and striking.

"The Liar" at Park Square Theatre

Playwright David Ives' adaptation of the 17th Century French farce The Liar, now playing at Park Square Theater, is a like a Shakespearean mistaken identity comedy (two women are mistaken for each other, and there are twins) mixed with a bit of Jane Austen (it's all about who marries whom and what they can offer), told with a sort of Spamalot wackiness, but instead of music there is rhyme. Sure the plot is sort of sexist (a man woos a woman he barely knows, then quickly switches to another woman he barely knows, and the women only care about getting married), but that blow is somewhat softened by the casting of a woman in as the most offending man, the titular liar. And the silly plot is just a frame upon which to hang the clever and beautiful pentameters and the hilarious performances by this fantastic eight-person cast.

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" by Classical Actors Ensemble at Lake of the Isles

The best thing about living in Minnesota is: a) theater, and b) lakes. Combine those two, and you have about as perfect of a Minnesota experience as you can have. Classical Actors Ensemble is presenting Shakespeare's comedy Two Gentlemen of Verona at Lake of the Isles (and other select locations) this summer. I saw the matinee yesterday, and it was a lovely way to spend a picture perfect Minnesota summer afternoon. The show is utterly charming, and something about doing it outdoors in a public space makes Shakespeare seem more immediate, natural, and real, like this is a story that's happening in our world here and now. I sometimes have a hard time getting into Shakespeare, but this company makes it extremely accessible and so easy to become engaged in the stories, characters, and Shakespeare's beautiful words, which sound modern and fresh in this context. Their mission is: "Classical Actors Ensemble is dedicated to engaging audiences by capturing the spirit in which plays of the English Renaissance were originally performed - with immediacy, passion, and as popular entertainment." Mission accomplished.

the cast of Two Gentlemen of Verona

Walking down the hill by the lake towards the stage area feels like walking into the Renaissance Festival. A dozen or so young people are cavorting in Renn Fest peasant garb, talking, singing, playing instruments. The pre-show show is a going away party for Valentine, who's leaving Verona to find his fortune in Milan (which they adorably pronounce MILL-un). It feels like a modern day outdoor party among friends, except for the charming dances to Beetles and other pop songs played in Renn Fest style. The cast is comfortably chatting with each other and the audience, and as showtime approaches, the language suddenly switches to Shakespeare and the play begins, but that modern immediate feeling is never lost. The show is playful, loose, and fun, full of youthful exuberance, but not at the expense of the material. On the contrary; it feels like this is how Shakespeare is meant to be done. It's not supposed to be stiff and formal, but, like their mission says, "with immediacy, passion, and as popular entertainment."

the royal Silvia with outlaw Valentine
(Megan Volkman-Wilson and Daniel Joeck)

Verona is portrayed as a provincial little town (Renaissance Festival), and Milan the slick big city (as the wardrobe changes to a sharp black, gold, and pink, with a '20s flair). Valentine leaves fair Verona and his best friend Proteus behind, and finds love in Milan in the form of Silvia, daughter of the Duke. Proteus soon follows his friend to Milan, leaving behind his own beloved, Julia, and being a fickle man soon falls in love with Silvia too. But Silvia's father already has a husband picked out for her, and banishes Valentine from Milan, whereupon he falls in with a band of outlaws. Proteus' attempts to woo Silvia come to naught, and she goes in search of her love Valentine. Proteus follows with his page (Julia in disguise), finds Silvia and Valentine, who is none to happy with his friend's behavior. But this is a Shakespearean comedy, so the appropriate couples are reunited, and all's well that ends well!

the clowns Speed and Lance
(Marci Lucht and Michael Ooms)

Everyone in the cast is great and so much fun to watch, and these well trained young actors project beautifully over the noises of traffic, animals, and people to the small crowd gathered on the hill. As the titular gentlemen, Daniel Joeck (Valentine) and Joseph Papke (Proteus) portray a great bromance and are charming in their individual stories as well. Marika Proctor makes the bespectacled Julia appealing and empathetic, while Megan Volkman-Wilson is posh and sophisticated, but no less true in her love. As usual, the servants get the funniest, smartest lines, and Marci Lucht (Speed) and Michael Ooms (Lance) deliver them with gusto. Marci is a wisecracking tomboy, and Michael is an endearing goofball (not unlike his father). As Silvia's foppish suitor Turio, Timothy Daly is over-the-top (in a good way). But perhaps the biggest scene-stealer in this cast is the dog Karma, playing the role of Lance's dog Crab. Following along where he's led, doing as he's told, playful and adoring of his master (I'm loving the recent trend of live animals in theater!).

bespectacled and in love - Proteus and Julia
(Joseph Papke and Marika Proctor)

Director Hannah Steblay nicely reigns in the chaos of people, animals, music, and the natural elements to create a focused and engaging story. And just because it's outdoors doesn't mean they skimp on costumes and set. Several large wooden platforms are moved around, flipped over, and stood on end to create the different settings. The provincial Renn Fest costumes give way to the sleek city wardrobe of smart suits, fedoras, and flapper dresses. (Scenic design by Shannon Morgan and costume design by Sarah Sakry.)

I love the use of music throughout the play in appropriate places, as the band consisting of various combinations of horn, accordion, guitar, and voice play Renaissance-style pop songs. Perhaps the most appropriate is the curtain call song "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" which could be a theme song for just about all of Shakespeare's comedies. In this play as in others, it's a mystery why these fools fall in love, and then fall out of love, and then fall back in love again. But we love to watch them! These two gents are a particular joy to watch - a charming and energetic production in the unparalleled setting of the great Minnesota outdoors. Be sure to put this one on your Minnesota summer to do list! They perform Fridays at 7 and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 through July 12, mostly at Lake of the Isles but with a few other Twin Cities locations sprinkled in (see their website for details).

my view of the stage - could it be more charming?!

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Stop Kiss" by Fortune's Fool Theater at nimbus theatre

In 1998, a young gay man named Matthew Shepherd was brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyoming. This incident increased the conversation about hate crimes and eventually led to changes in legislation (and a really beautiful play). I couldn't help but think about Matthew Shepherd while watching Fortune's Fool Theatre's production of Stop Kiss, which was coincidentally (or not?) written and first produced off Broadway the same year. The defining moment of this play is an act of violence against two women, similar to what happened to Matthew. It's a sweet, funny, and sad play that uses fiction to explore the very real issues of hate crimes and violence against women.

Stop Kiss takes place in the greatest city in the world, New York City, which almost functions as another character. Callie (Ariel Leaf) has lived there since college, when into her life comes Sara (Katie Starks), who has moved to the city on a fellowship to teach children in Brooklyn. Callie shows Sara around town, and the two become friends, and then something more, despite previous (and current) relationships with men. The action of the play flashes back and forth between two timepoints - before and after a pivotal moment in their relationship and their lives. Soon after their first kiss on a park bench, the women are brutally attacked. We see scenes of Callie and Sara getting to know each other and falling in love, building up to that moment, interspersed with scenes of the fallout from the attack. It's quite effective, although the build up seems to go on a little too long (a few of the scenes could have been combined or cut to get to the conclusion quicker). It ends on a sweet note and we never see the violence, but it hangs over the play like a black cloud.

The moment that really struck a chord with me is when Sara's ex asks if the man who attacked her was bigger than him, implying that if Sara had been with a man instead of Callie, she wouldn't have been hurt. Firstly, it doesn't matter how big the attacker is if he has a weapon, but secondly, it's sad that we still live in a world where in some places a woman can't walk alone or with other women for fear of being harassed or worse.

The two leads have a sweet and believable chemistry, with nice turns by the supporting cast, including Andy Chambers as Callie's genial buddy George and Michael Ooms as Sara's grieving ex. The set (by Ursula K. Bowden) looks like a cute and homey NYC apartment, with a curtain drawn to reveal a hospital bed on the side. All in all this is very nice production of a sweet, tragic, and all too relevant play. (Playing through February 8 at nimbus theatre.)

"Long Day's Journey Into Night" by The Gonzo Group Theatre at the James J. Hill House

I saw Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical masterpiece Long Day's Journey Into Night for the first time just a few weeks ago, at the Guthrie Theater. It's a wonderful production, as to be expected from the Guthrie. But what fascinated me most about this play is that fact that it is autobiographical, and is so painfully true that O'Neill did not allow it to be published or produced until after his death. The Gonzo Group Theatre also seems to be fascinated with this idea; they have created a production that is as much about the playwright as it is about the play. Gone is the character of the housekeeper (not a big loss, mother Mary's conversation with her turns into a monologue), while a new character is added - O'Neill's wife Carlotta. She wanders around and through the action of the play, collecting the papers that are strewn all over the set (more on the magnificent "set" in a moment), assisting her husband as he tries to make peace with his family and his past through the process of writing (as explained in the note by director Jennifer Harrington). When I first saw the play, I wanted some sort of resolution at the end. But there is none, only hopelessness, and a bit of relief for the audience that they can leave the dark place they have entered into and go back to their lives. But as this version of the play makes clear, the only resolution is in O'Neill's mind, as he was hopefully able to release the demons of his past by writing about them. And leaving us with this poetic, depressing, moving, gut-wrenching, masterful play.

the play takes place on and at the bottom
of the grand staircase at the JJ Hill House

The location of this unique production is the main hall of the James J. Hill House in St. Paul. If you've never been there, it's worth a visit to see this grand home of one of Minnesota's most wealthy historical families. The house also hosts special events, concerts, and occasionally, works of theater. I saw Gremlin Theater's After Miss Julie in the basement kitchen a few years ago, which I found to be an entirely appropriate and authentic setting for the play. This magnificent mansion is not exactly a summer home on the sea, but the period is right (Long Day's Journey takes place in 1912, at which time the Hill family was still living in the house), as is the weighty atmosphere of history and grandeur. And with just 25 seats, it's an intimate experience; you're practically sitting at the table with the Tyrone family, sharing a drink with them. They make great use of the space - the entire long hallway, the out of sight dining room, and the grand staircase, going in and out of doors and looking out the windows at the foggy sea. The house is open before the show and during intermissions, and guests are free to roam around and soak in the atmosphere.

Another unique feature of this production is that it's a true family affair. Real-life married couple Claudia Wilkins and Richard Ooms play Mary and James Tyrone, and their son Michael Ooms is the elder son Jamie. It's kind of trippy to watch a real-life family acting out the life of another real-life family that lived 100 years ago, and they all give great performances. Claudia and Richard once again play a believable married couple (they also played a married couple in The Birthday Party at the Jungle last year), as Mary grows more and more unhinged due to her morphine addiction, and James, himself an alcoholic, gradually accepts their fate. Michael shines in the third act when Jamie is seriously drunk, funny and heart-breaking and a little scary. Luke Weber plays younger son Edmund (aka Eugene O'Neill) and fits in well with the family. Edmund is quiet and sickly, and comes alive when reciting his beloved poetry. It's a tragic story, except that the ever-present Carlotta (Evelyn Digirolamo) is able to successfully gather up the pieces of her husband's life and put them in some kind of order.

If you're reading this on Saturday, you might still be able to catch this unique theatrical experience - call or email now to see if there are any seats left for tonight's final performance (the price couldn't be better - free, with a suggested donation if you like what you see). I love seeing theater in non-traditional spaces, and this is an incredible space, a classic American play, and a really great production. I think this is the first time I've seen two different productions of the same piece in one year, much less in the same month. At first I was reluctant, not wanting to compare the two, but they turned out to be really nice companion pieces that gave me further insight into this play and the mind of the playwright.