"The Prom" at Lyric Arts

Lyric Arts production of the 2019 multiple Tony nominated musical The Prom (only the second in #TCTheater) is so joyous and big-hearted, so funny and inspiring, that it deserves to sell out every performance, like their recent production of Mamma Mia! did. Despite being about the seemingly radical idea of two teenage girls in small-town America going to the prom together (inspired by a real-life event), The Prom really is a good old-fashioned musical comedy. It's hilarious, chock full of musical theater references, and full of big musical numbers. Lyric Arts has assembled a fantastic cast and creative team and put together a show that will make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time! Do your heart a favor and get a ticket to this Prom, whether you have a date or not, and experience the joy.

"Mamma Mia!" at Lyric Arts

Last night, Lyric Arts opened their joyful production of the perhaps the most beloved jukebox musical, Mamma Mia!, and the entire run is already sold out. This is extremely rare, and speaks to both the draw of this great little theater in the 'burbs, and the popularity of Mamma Mia! Although it didn't win a single Tony Award, it ran for 15 years on Broadway, making it the 9th longest running Broadway musical (soon to be eclipsed by The Book of Mormon), and was adapted into a movie starring no less than Meryl Streep, which also inspired a sequel, and potentially a third movie to come. Why do people love Mamma Mia! so much? Maybe because it's chock full of familiar (to people of a certain age) songs from ABBA that are upbeat and endlessly singable. Maybe because it's set on a Greek island that we'd all love to escape to, especially after a long and difficult Minnesota winter. But I like to think that the reason we love Mamma Mia! is that the central love story is between a mother and a daughter, and between female friends. At its heart, inside the silly and contrived story of a young woman looking for her father, it's a story of friendship, community, and family, especially those that look different from the norm. It's a feel-good heart-warming musical that appeals to all generations. And Lyrics Arts' production, with a talented and gorgeously diverse cast, is a great one.

"Plaid Tidings" at Artistry

What's better than a '60s boy band with men in sharp suits singing tight harmonies and performing smart choreography? When the suits are plaid, or Christmas cardigans, and the music is accompanied by comedy. I had never seen any rendition of the popular jukebox musical Forever Plaid, or its holiday* sequel Plaid Tidings, until seeing Artistry's production of the latter yesterday. I found it to be utterly delightful, and surprisingly poignant as it ends in a rumination on the fleeting nature of life, the afterlife, and the joys of being together at the holidays. Featuring a fantastic cast of four that is a musical and comedy dream team, and direction by Church Basement Ladies' Greta Grosch with her signature zany humor with heart, Plaid Tidings is, in a world, heaven. The Plaids will perform in Bloomington, Earth through December 28. Weekends are already selling out, with greater availability on weeknights and the weekend after Christmas.

"Sister Act" at Lyric Arts

The 1992 Whoopi Goldberg hit comedy movie Sister Act was adapted into a stage musical in the late aughts, with music composed by frequent Disney composer Alan Menken. Lyric Arts is bringing it to their stage this season, and it's a whole lot of fun, with a wonderful message of sisterhood, faith, friendship, community, and standing up for what's right. What's not to love about that?! Lyric's production features a large and talented cast (many of them newcomers to Lyric's stage) and is a joyful and high energy celebration. It's playing through May 11, but musicals do well at Lyric Arts, especially a known name, so don't wait too long if you want to experience the joy.

"The Reunion" by Trademark Theater at Gremlin Theatre

The reunion of a high school friend group, complicated relationships both current and past, a role-playing murder mystery game, and not one but two actual murder mysteries add up to a whole lot of wicked fun in Trademark Theater's world premiere new play The Reunion. Trademark focuses on developing new work, so they only do a full production maybe once a year. And when they do - you'll want to go. And then stick with them to support the development work that they do, including readings of new works and fundraiser concert events. The Reunion is smartly written, well performed by the talented seven-person cast, and features design elements that ramp up the spooky factor. See it at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood now through October 12.

"They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues" by Full Circle Theater Company at Gremlin Theatre

In the new play They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues by #TCTheater artist Siddeeqah Shabazz, a family therapy session turns into a '90s sitcom. But the cheesy laughs soon give way to some heavy drama, as painful secrets are revealed. Produced by Full Circle Theater Company, the play walks the fine line between comedy and drama, as does the talented cast. Come for the funny and comforting sitcom tropes, stay for the emotional truth of this dysfunctional but loving family. They Wear Teal Ribbons Around Their Tongues continues this weekend and next at Gremlin Theatre.

"The Pavilion" at Lyric Arts

After opening their 2023-2024 season with the smash hit sell-out quintessential musical about musicals A Chorus Line, Lyric Arts is bringing us something quieter and more intimate, but no less meaningful, and no less deserving of sell-out crowds. Written by Minnesota screenwriter and playwright Craig Wright, The Pavilion is a lovely, funny, and bittersweet play that's filled with beautiful, poetic, profound, airy language, interspersed with very real and grounded scenes of average humans at their 20-year high school reunion. The story itself is not very original (in life or literature) - high school girl gets pregnant, boy leaves her to deal with it alone, forever changing both of their lives. The original thing about this Pulitzer Prize nominated play is that this very common idea is used as the seed to explore themes of time, regret, happiness, letting go of the past, and second chances. It's funny and earthy at the same time that it's deep and philosophical.* The talented three-person (plus one musician) cast and creative team do a beautiful job of bringing this story to life on Lyric's stage. They're already halfway through their short three-week run, so don't miss out on seeing this lovely show before it fades into the past.

"The Wedding Singer" at Lyric Arts

I've never seen the 1998 Adam Sandler movie The Wedding Singer, and am unfamiliar with the 2006 musical adaptation (which was nominated for five Tonys). I went into Lyric Arts' new production of the musical with zero expectations, and found it to be a very fun, very funny show. It's not a particularly revolutionary story, boy meets girl, etc., but it's a whole lot of fun. The huge cast's energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to the campy '80s era is infectious, and the original score (by Matthew Skylar and Chad Beguelin, who also wrote the score for another super fun show, The Prom) is cute and catchy. The Wedding Singer might be just what you need to bring a little light and joy into these last dregs of winter.

"Airness" at Park Square Theatre

Park Square Theatre finally returns from their extended intermission with a really fun and feel-good play about a national air guitar competition. It sound ridiculous, but truth is stranger than fiction - this is actually a real thing. LA-based playwright Chelsea Marcantel has set Airness within this world where people travel the country to compete with 60 seconds of playing an imaginary guitar. But like any story, it's not really about air guitar; air guitar is the backdrop against which is set this sweet and funny story of community, friendship, finding your people, and pursuing your passion. The fantastic cast embodies this lovable group of oddballs so well that you find yourself rooting for them and becoming invested in their story. With the stage appeal of a rock concert and the heart of a chosen family story, Airness is a great welcome back for Park Square (continuing through June 5).

"Dog Act" by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Gremlin Theatre

Dog Act is a little like The Walking Dead, but with entertainers. Because even in an apocalypse (zombie or otherwise), we still need to tell our stories, and be entertained by storytelling. In Dog Act, produced by Fortune's Fool Theatre at Gremlin, a traveling performer and her dog/person try to survive in a post-apocolyptic world that, much like the TWD universe, consists of scavengers and worse, people who will stop at nothing to survive. Those are the ideas explored in this weird but oddly sweet play, well executed by the Fortune's Fool team.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Knifeslingin'"

Day: 9

Show: 37

Title: Knifeslingin'

Category: Comedy

By: The Theatre Cosmic

Written by: J. Merrill Motz

Location: HUGE Theater

Summary: The creator of a series of videos and books about self-defense, Ted "Critter" Montana, is put on trial for inciting violence among his fans and followers.

Highlights: This wacky and funny show switches back and forth between the Critter videos, in which he instructs on the six rules of a proper knife fight, and the trial. The assistant district attorney (played by a rotating series of guest actors, Michael Terrell Brown the night I saw the show) questions Critter about his videos, life, and philosophy. Which in the end seems to be commenting on the "stand your ground" law. But the video excerpts are the highlight of the show; this is my first time seeing a J. Merrill Motz show and he's very consistent and detailed in his portrayal of the crazy ball of energy that is Critter. I particularly enjoyed the long lists of various knife grips or stances, and his repetitive redundancy (which elicited such laughter from the crowd that the show used up every last second of the 60 minutes of allotted time).

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Never Wonder Land"

Day: 5

Show: 22

Title: Never Wonder Land

Category: Something Different

By: Laughing Nomad Productions

Directed by: Katherine Skoretz

Location: Crane Theater

Summary: A mash-up of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan told with movement and humor

Highlights: To be honest, I wanted to like this show more than I did. It's a great concept - what happens when Wendy meets Alice? But the story lacks momentum and moved a little too slowly for me. Still, dancers Tamara Koltes and Kit Shelton are both lovely and childlike as they wander through this mix of Neverland and Wonderland, and Michael Terrell Brown is charming as he portrays multiple characters from the Cheshire Cat to the Mad Hatter.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" at Park Square Theatre

I first saw director and playwright Alan Berks' adaptation of the 1921 Italian play Six Characters in Search of an Author three years ago at Gremlin Theatre (one of the last shows in their space on University in St. Paul). I called it "a weird, trippy experience, one that's difficult to explain or make sense of. But it sure is fun to try." I was eager to take that trip again with a slightly revamped version of the show, featuring some of the original cast members and some new ones. It was fun to see it in a new space with some new additions, and with a little more preparation for what I was in for. It's still pretty weird and trippy, and still asks some intriguing questions about reality, fiction, and theater itself. What follows is what I wrote three years ago, but with some updates about this production.

"La Cage aux Folles" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

The best of times is now.
What's left of summer but a faded rose?
The best of times is now.
As for tomorrow, well, who knows?
So hold this moment fast,
And live and love as hard as you know how,
And make this moment last,
Because the best of times is now.*

La Cage aux Folles is such a heart-warming show. Despite all the glitz and glamour of the drag nightclub in which it is set, at its core it's a simple story about love, family, and having the courage to be who you are. Bloomington Civic Theatre plays up both sides of this show, with big production numbers featuring men (and a few women) in drag with glitzy costumes and sets, but a really sweet heart beating underneath it. As my companion stated, it's "sheer joy."

If you've seen the 1996 movie The Birdcage starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams you're familiar with the story, which began as a 1973 French play called La Cage aux Folles, and then became a 1983 Broadway musical written by Harvey Fierstein (book) and Jerry Herman (music and lyrics). La Cage tells the story of gay couple Georges and Albin. Georges runs the nightclub where Albin is the star, performing as his alter ego ZaZa. Georges' son Jean-Michel, whom Albin has helped raise, comes home to announce that he's engaged to Anne, the daughter of a conservative politician who wants to shut down all drag entertainment. The in-laws are coming to town, and Jean-Michel asks Albin to leave for the evening, instead inviting his birth mother to pretend that they're a "normal" family. Albin is understandably hurt that the man he considers his son is ashamed to introduce him to his fiance. He can't stay away, and poses first as "Uncle Al," and then, in drag, as Jean-Michel's mother. Of course the deception doesn't last, but they're able to convince Anne's father to give his consent with some good old-fashioned blackmail. Jean-Michel realizes what a mistake he made and tells Albin he thinks of him as his mother. And they live happily ever after, for "the best of times is now."

Georges and Albin
(Jim Pounds and Rich Hamson)

At the heart of this piece is the relationship between Albin and Georges, and BCT has found two perfect actors to portray them. Acclaimed costume designer Rich Hamson has come out of the costume shop and onto the stage in a glorious and heartfelt performance. Perhaps it's appropriate for a costume designer to play a role involving so many varied and fabulous costumes, but his performance is about so much more than just the costumes. It's a beautifully real and tender-hearted portrayal of a parent, lover, and performer who just wants to be who he is ("I Am What I Am") and love his family. As Georges, Jim Pounds has never looked or sounded more suave, and the two men have wonderful chemistry and portray such a beautiful and real relationship of an old married couple who still love each other despite, or because of, their eccentricities. Everyone in the supporting cast is great, especially Michael Terrell Brown who is delightfully over-the-top as Albin's butler, er... maid.

Joe Chvala directs this fabulous ensemble cast and choreographed the Cagelles' fantastic dance numbers. And the Cagelles are all stunning. In the exaggerated make-up common to drag performance (which they each apply themselves), it's difficult to tell the experienced drag performers from the men who are donning heels and a wig for the first time or the women who are thrown in just to keep the audience guessing. Benjamin Olsen's sets are big, bold, and colorful. Ed Gleeman has designed the over-the-top nightclub costumes, as well as some fabulous '70s street wear that includes bell-bottoms, super wide lapels, hippie dresses, and one stunning orange/green/gold jumpsuit that I covet.

With the recent passage of marriage equality in Minnesota, and increasingly, across the country, it's timely to see a show that's about two men who have created a long-lasting, loving, stable family. A family that may be a bit more flamboyant than most, but one that's a model of love, support, commitment, and acceptance. La Cage aux Folles is a lot of fun, it's really sweet, and it has a great message - a message of acceptance of all kinds of family, and of being proud to be who you are. Playing now through February 15, BCT shows have a tendency to sell out, so get your tickets now (a few discount tickets remain on Goldstar).


*This sentiment can also be stated as "No day but today," from Jonathan Larson's beautiful creation RENT, which was on my mind because I happened to see this show on the 19th anniversary of his death.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Proof" by Candid Theater Company at People's Center Theater

I like to refer to the 2001 Tony winner for best play Proof as my second* favorite math play (yes, I am a math geek in addition to being a theater geek). But of course it's not about math. Math is the language with which this very relatable story about family, identity, and mental illness is told. And even though I saw this play less than a year ago at Bloomington Civic Theatre, I welcomed the chance to spend more time with this complicated, dysfunctional, yet loving family. Candid Theater Company's production is nicely done in the intimate and sparsely decorated People's Center Theater on the U of M West Bank campus.

Proof tells the story of a young woman named Catherine whose father, a renowned mathematician, has just died. She took care of him in the final years of his life as his mental health deteriorated. In that time he filled 100 notebooks with gibberish, or is it mathematical genius? Similar to the movie A Beautiful Mind (based on the biography of mathematician Jon Nash), he sees patterns and codes everywhere, and it's difficult to decipher the difference between madness and genius. One of his former students, Hal, comes over to the house to go through the journals to see if there's anything of value. At the same time, Catherine's sister arrives from New York and tells her she's sold the house, and wants Catherine to move to New York with her. When Hal discovers one beautiful, complicated, ground-breaking proof, Catherine says that she wrote it. No one believes her since she's had little schooling; she dropped out of college to take care of her father. It's obvious she has inherited her father's mathematical skill, but has she also inherited his mental illness? That's the question that Catherine struggles with as she tries to figure out who she is without her crazy genius father to take care of and define her life.

Kendall Anne Thompson shines in the central role of Catherine. She beautifully, deeply, and physically conveys the complex emotions of Catherine, from the joy of discovery to deep loss and despair. The more I see of Kendall the more convinced I am that she's on her way to becoming a star of the Twin Cities theater scene (see also RENT). Steven Flamm is appropriately befuddled as Catherine's mentally ill father, seen in flashbacks and hallucinations. His final descent into his illness is devastating. Rounding out the cast are Katherine Prebel as Catherine's pragmatic, over-protective, and controlling sister, and Michael Terrell Brown as young mathematician Catherine falls for.

Proof is a great play, and you don't have to be a math nerd like me to enjoy it. But if you are, you'll learn some interesting facts about prime numbers and mathematician Sophie Germain, and enjoy a few inside jokes, like the one about a song called i. Proof continues through August 24 (discount tickets available on Goldstar).


*My favorite math play is Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, which I first saw almost 20 years ago in London, and haven't seen in over 10 years. Some local theater needs to produce this play soon!

"Dogwood" by Candid Theater Company at The People's Center Theater

One of the most fun parts about being an independent theater blogger is getting to see theater by many different companies in many different venues. I've seen work by over 60 local theater companies (click here for the full list), but there are still some that I've never seen. Last weekend I saw one of these theater companies I'd never seen before (although it was founded 15 years ago) in a location I'd never been to. Candid Theater Company's new play Dogwood, written and directed by Founders Seraphina Nova and Justin M. Kirkeberg, respectively, is a dysfunctional family drama, complete with secrets, illness, affairs, arguments, dark humor, and love.

The Dogwoods are a family living in suburban Milwaukee. Dad is retired and spends most of the day in a fog watching his "programs," while Mom flutters around pretending everything is OK. Daughter Evelyn lives just down the street and has put her own life on hold to take care of her parents (or is she using them as an excuse not to live a fuller life?). Rachel and Nathaniel have moved away, and their trips home are becoming fewer and farther between. They all congregate at the family home for Dad's favorite holiday, Independence Day. Rachel brings her assistant instead of her husband, and Nat arrives without his much talked about but never seen fiance. Secrets come out and old grievances come back around as this not-so-happy family finds themselves under the same roof again. After the holiday is over, not much has changed, except perhaps a better awareness of the situation.

James Napoleon Stone, Katherine Preble, and Angela Walberg
as the Dogwood siblings

The cast does a fine job with the material and feels like a comfortable family. Angela Walberg is painfully sympathetic as the responsible daughter Evelyn, and along with James Napoleon Stone and Katherin Preble form a believable sibling trio. As the parents, David Roberts and Meri Golden are excellent, David poignantly playing the extremes of a dead-eyed stare and an anger and frustration at the situation he finds himself in, and Meri is all motherly love and concern hiding a deeper pain. And kudos to the talented Michael Terrell Brown who just joined the cast a few days before opening and seems like he's been with the group all along. This play does not have a happy ending, as there is an impression that things will only get worse, especially for Evelyn as she's left to care for her parents after her siblings leave. In the end I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to take away from the play, other than frustration that this poor girl is destined to live a lonely life caring for her aging parents while her siblings enjoy their independent lives hundreds of miles away.

The new-to-me venue is The People's Center Theater. It's a nice intimate space on the third floor of the People's Center Health Services' Cedar Riverside Clinic. The set looks like a typical lived-in Midwestern home, with blankets on the couch and tchotchkes on the shelf. At one point during a heated scene the table broke, and the cast dealt with it so well I thought it was part of the script.

Dogwood is a compelling and entertaining dark family drama. If, like me, you're unfamiliar with Candid Theater, check it out to take a chance on something new (discount tickets available on Goldstar).

"Boundary Waters" by the History Theatre at Minnesota History Center

Last night I attended the first of four new works being presented by the History Theatre as part of their Raw Stages festival. On a bare stage with just a few chairs and music stands, actors read the play from the script. But with fine accomplished actors such as these, it becomes something more than just a reading, although not a fully staged production. In a reading with no visual stimulation, it's all about the words, and in this case they are beautiful descriptive words that paint a picture of a landscape and the people who inhabit it.

Boundary Waters, written by Carlyle Brown and directed by Marion McClinton, uses a real-life event in Minnesota history as a metaphor for exploring several ideas. George Bonga was a fur trader of African-American and Native American descent living in Northern Minnesota in the 19th century who became a legendary figure. One of his more famous exploits was tracking down and capturing a suspected murderer, an Ojibwe man named Che-ga-wa-skung, who was then sent to trial at Fort Snelling. This event is at the center of the play as we learn how these events changed the two men and bonded them.

The play opens in the late 1860s (post Civil War and US-Dakota War, both of which are referred to), when George Bonga (beautifully voiced by James A. Williams) is being haunted by dreams about the man he once tracked across the frozen Minnesota winter. He tells his wife (George Keller) the story, and the action flashes back to the chase in 1837. After capturing Che-ga-wa-skung (who, thanks to the writing and Jake Waid's talent in bringing him to life, becomes a sympathetic character despite being a murderer), the two have many deep discussions as they try to survive the cold. Che-ga-wa-skung asks Bonga a simple question, "who are you?" Bonga doesn't really have an answer, he's always living on the boundaries, the son of an Ojibwe mother and a black father, and living the "white ways" as a fur trader. Bonga struggles with the question until the two men meet again later in life and continue the discussion. Rounding out the cast are Jon Andrew Hegge as two colleagues of Bonga's, and Michael Terrell Brown in a too small role as Che-ga-wa-skung's brother.

I very much enjoyed the reading of this new play; it's a fascinating exploration of a chapter of Minnesota history I was previously unfamiliar with, as seen through two well-drawn characters. That's not to say my mind didn't wander on occasion during the dense political sections, but for the most part the captivating and descriptive language held my attention and painted the world so well that I could almost see it. The lakes area north of Brainerd is one of my favorite places on the planet, where I've spent many peaceful and contemplative weeks. It's a thrill to hear that place come alive and to learn a bit more about the region's rich and complicated history. Most of all, I love getting a glimpse into the creative process of what it is to have an idea, write a play, and bring it to life. I look forward to the next incarnation of Boundary Waters.

The History Theatre's Raw Stages festival continues at the Minnesota History Center tonight with Debutante Ball (about a Filipino-American Valentine's Day ball), followed by Glensheen (a musical retelling of the murder in the mansion) and Radio Man (a new play by one of my favorite Minnesotans, Garrison Keillor).

"Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Alan Berks & Company at the Gremlin Theatre

I must confess, I'm a reality show junkie. But only the good ones - competition shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, Project Runway, Top Chef (congratulations Kristen!), American Idol, and Dancing with the Stars (my pick for the new season - Dorothy Hamill and Tristan!). I love these shows, but I'm very aware that they're a heightened and manipulated version of "reality." So when Alan Berks & Company's Six Characters in Search of an Author started out as a clever spoof of a reality show, I was in familiar territory. But soon the play took an unexpected turn into something much darker and deeper, a surreal exploration of reality vs. fiction and the creative process. Not what I was expecting, but a fascinating ride.

Director Alan Berks and his talented company of actors have created a new adaptation of the 1921 Italian play of the same name, in which six people appear during the rehearsal of a play, saying they're characters from an unfinished story, searching for a new author. In this version, the play rehearsal has been replaced by a reality show called The Maze, in which contestants live in a mansion, searching for a key that will lead them to the hidden treasure (a show I might watch). Three contestants remain, with convenient reality show labels (and bearing the actors' real names) - the jerk Sam (Landman, so brilliant in Thom Pain a few months ago), the flirt Rachel (Finch, the highlight of Theatre in the Round's recent Rabbit Hole), and the dude Michael (Terell Brown, a standout in Theatre Coup d'Etat's Angels in America last summer). Along with the weary cameraman Joe (Weiner, who ably handles the camera as we view the footage live) and hotshot young producer Bryan (Porter*), they settle in for another day of trying to make something interesting happen. And boy, does it.

the cast and crew of The Maze

The six characters drop in from a story all their own, fully formed, aching to complete their story but forever stuck within it. There's a stern father (John Middleton), a grieving mother (Colleen Barrett), a neglected son (Max Wojtanowicz*), a rebellious stepdaughter (ShaVunda Horsley), and two young children (creepily represented by white garden statues). To say they're a dysfunctional family is an understatement. They tell their story in pieces, each one interrupting and contradicting the others. Producer Bryan begins to think there's a story here, and agrees to tell it on The Maze. He gets his contestants to act out the scenes, in the house and via confessional (that reality show staple). But the characters are not happy with this depiction, and insist on telling their story to it's final and terrible conclusion.

The use of video in this play is unlike anything I've seen on stage. We see the action play out from the production room in the house, full of cameras, monitors, and wires, with just a bit of the actual house visible through the glass door in the back wall. Two monitors show live feed of the kitchen and entry way, just on the other side of that wall. Another monitor shows either taped footage of other areas of the house (bedrooms, hallways, the pool) or live feed from the camera as Joe films what's going on right in front of us. It's a lot to take in, you're never quite sure where to look, but it shows the audience several different perspectives of what's happening, and adds another layer to that reality/truth conundrum.

Six Characters is a weird, trippy experience, one that's difficult to explain or make sense of. But it sure is fun to try. What is reality? What is fiction? And what lies in between? (Reality shows, and maybe theater too.) It's a really clever new adaptation of a classic play. The cast is so talented (the reality show cast so natural, the "characters" appropriately dramatic) that it's fun to watch them play; the only problem is it's impossible to watch all of them at the same time. Add in the innovative use of video, and you have a unique and entertaining evening at the theater. The Six Characters continue searching for an author at Gremlin Theatre** through March 24. (Discount tickets available on Goldstar.com.)



*I was quite tickled when I realized that this play brings together two Cliffs from Cabaret - Bryan from the recent BCT production, and Max from Frank Theatre's production two years ago.
**Gremlin Theatre is losing their current space on University in St. Paul, and are looking for a new space. They will produce one last show there in June. I'll be sad to see it go. It's a nice space (that also hosted Fringe Festival shows) in an easy location with free parking. But I've really come to appreciate the Gremlin's work, so I'll follow them wherever they go.

"Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" by Theatre Coup D'Etat at the Lowry Lab

I had never seen Tony Kushner's masterpiece two-part play Angels in America live on stage before last week (in fact the only time I've seen Kushner plays is at "KushnerFest" at the Guthrie three years ago). But I fell in love with Angels in America through the 2003 HBO mini-series and have since been eager to see it on stage. So when I heard that local theater company Theatre Coup D'Etat (which I'd never heard of before) was performing the first part, Millenium Approaches, I jumped at the chance to see it. It was as I remember the TV adaptation to be - powerful, compelling, perplexing, and moving. After it ended, I found myself wondering when Theatre Coup D'Etat will present the second part, subtitled Perestroika, so that I can spend more time with these sympathetic and/or infuriating characters.

The play centers around two couples. Joe and Harper are a married Mormon couple that is struggling: Joe because he's gay but, like a good Mormon, has learned to "Turn it Off," and Hannah because of her addiction to pills in attempt to cope with that unspoken fact. As a result, she's clingy, terrified, and suffers from hallucinations. Joe has been offered a job in DC but doesn't want to take it because of how it will affect Harper. Joe's co-worker, Louis, is the first to confront Joe with the fact that he's gay. Louis himself is having a hard time because his partner, Prior, has AIDS and is in declining health (Louis is the infuriating character I referred to earlier). He turns his partner's illness into his problem; Prior is lying on the floor in pain, and Louis cries, why is this happening to me! He ends up leaving Prior, unable to handle his illness. It's easy to label Louis as a jerk because of this, but who really knows how they'd react to that situation unless they're in it? We'd all like to think we'd stand by someone we loved going through a terminal illness, but Louis is the embodiment of that tiny part of us that questions if we'd have what it takes. But Prior isn't left totally alone, he has his fiercely supportive friend, the drag queen/nurse Belize. And he has his hallucinations - of his ancestors who also died young, and an angel who comes to visit him in his sickbed. This is where the play ends, with much more to be explored.

Prior (James N. Stone) and Harper (Megan Dowd),
who only meet in a dream

The staging of the play is very simple, with black boxes serving as chairs, beds, bars, coffins. That and the intimate space at the Lowry Lab puts the focus on the actors and the emotions of the piece. At the heart of the piece is James N. Stone as the ailing Prior. He takes the character from healthy and making light of his illness, to writhing on the floor in pain, to dressing in drag as a comfort, and he carries the audience on the journey with him. Veteran actor Steven Flamm (he's been acting in the Twin Cities for over 40 years) is the gay lawyer who also has AIDS, but denies both facts to maintain his reputation as a high-powered attorney. Despite this, Steven manages to make him a likeable and compelling character. Michael Brown (that promising young actor from American Family at Park Square) shows more of his talents as Prior's friend Belize (think True Blood's Lafayette). Megan Down manages to make Harper crazy and sympathetic (in a much different role that her recent appearance in the farce Absolute Turkey at the Gremlin). Also good are Peter Beard as the closeted Joe who slowly comes unhinged, Brandon Caviness as Louis, and Katherine Preble as the wise rabbi who later transforms into a nurse and an angel.

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches continues through August 4 at the Lowry Lab in downtown St. Paul, and will then move across town to In the Heart of the Beast for a few weeks in late August. Definitely worth checking out to see this American classic. But it's not a short play - with three acts, two intermissions, and a total running time of 3+ hours, you'll want to go in fully rested and/or get some caffeine (advice that I unfortunately did not take). And with any luck, we'll have a chance to see Part 2 sometime in the not too distant future. (Goldstar half price tickets available for the Lowry and In the Heart of the Beast).

"American Family" at Park Square Theatre

American Family.  That's kind of a loaded title.  These days the definition of "American Family" is pretty broad; family is what you make of it.  But in 1964 that definition was much narrower.  A family that's made up of a divorced white woman and her daughter, a black man, and their mixed race child, had a hard time existing anywhere in 1964, much less in Alabama.  Such is the subject of the new play commissioned by Park Square Theatre and written by Carlyle Brown.  And the result is a heart-wrenching exploration of family, love, betrayal, pride, prejudice, and the long-lasting effects of childhood injuries.

The central character in this family and this story is Mary Ellen, a 9-year-old girl in 1964 (played by the delightful star-in-the-making Megan Fischer, aka Annie).  The story begins as the adult Mary Ellen (the very talented and appealing Tracey Maloney, a newcomer to Park Square but a veteran of the Twin Cities theater scene) returns to her childhood home on a mission.  She meets and interacts with her younger self, and watches from the sidelines as her young life is changed for good, but not for the better.  Tracey and Megan mirror each others movements and expressions so that they really do look like they could be two versions of the same person.  Except that the grown-up Mary Ellen has lost much of that spark, that confident feeling of youth that everything is ahead of you and nothing can hurt you.  She knows what a tough road young Mary Ellen has in front of her and tries to warn her, even though she knows she must live through it.

In the first act, we watch along with the adult Mary Ellen as her mother (the sympathetic Noël Raymond, who directed Tracey last year in The Pride at Pillsbury House Theatre) marries Jimmy (a likeable Gavin Lawrence, who will next play Langston Hughes in the next Carlyle Brown project) and they move in with Jimmy's parents on their farm.  Grandma Richardson (the great Greta Oglesby) quickly warms to her new white granddaughter, but grouchy old Grandpa Richardson (played by the playwright himself), who is opposed to the marriage because of the difficulties it brings, takes a little longer to be "charmed" by the spirited young girl.  Just when the family seems to have settled into a kind of happiness, Mary Ellen's biological father (John Middleton, playing an unlikeable jerk) shows up to take her away, which is where the heartache (and need for tissues) begins.

The second act shows us what happens when the adult Mary Ellen meets her 16-year-old brother (Michael Terrell Brown, a promising young talent), whom she only knows from her mother's letters.  Tommy grew up in the shadow of the memories of his older sister, even though he never met her.  Both have assumptions about the other that prove to be incorrect.  Tommy's life is not easy, despite living the life that Mary Ellen wished she had, and Mary Ellen doesn't conform to the image in Tommy's head of his missing and much-missed sister.  Maybe it's too late to undo the hurts that have been done, but you can't help but wish for healing in this American family as the play ends.

I found this play to be a really moving look at a family that tries to survive when the whole world seems to be against them.  It's playing at Park Square through April 7 (if you go, be sure to bring tissues!).  And I look forward to seeing Carlyle Brown's play Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..., about writer Langston Hughes, playing at the Guthrie Studio Theater in May.