"The Good Person of Szechwan" by Ten Thousand Things at St. Paul's ELCA

Michelle Hensley, retiring Artistic Director and Founder of Ten Thousand Things, is a gift. A gift to theater, a gift to Minnesota, a gift to the world. She taught us a new way to do theater, a new way to experience theater, one that considers who the audience can and should be, which is everyone. Read her book All the Lights On if you want to know more about it, or go see her beautiful swan song The Good Person of Szechwan (continuing through June 3), which is also the first play that TTT ever did nearly 30 years ago when Michelle started it in California. We've been lucky enough to have TTT as a vital part of the #TCTheater community for 25 years, a tradition that will continue after Michelle's retirement under the leadership of new Artistic Director Marcela Lorca. One can only hope that all of the artists and audience members she's worked with and influenced in those years will continue on this tradition of inclusive, accessible, imaginative theater that is unlike anything else.

"Park and Lake" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Friends, I love Ten Thousand Things. Seeing a Ten Thousand Things show (in their trademark bare-bones All the Lights On style) never fails to make me happy, and often also moves or inspires or thrills me. Their newest creation Park and Lake, an original piece written by playwright in residence Kira Obolensky and the ensemble, is no exception to that. It's a light-hearted, funny, optimistic fairy tale of a story about a community of people working together to make their lives better. It's as sweet and hopeful as it is ridiculous and silly. Under the co-direction of soon to be retired Artistic Director Michelle Hensley and ensemble member Luverne Seifert, with uniquely comic performances by this wonderful cast, Park and Lake is a delightful place to visit for a few hours. In fact I wish I could move there for an extended stay with these charming oddballs!

The 2017 Ivey Awards at the State Theatre

On Monday night, #TCTheater celebrated another year of amazing theater with the Ivey Awards. This was my 11th time attending the awards, and despite being the first award show after found Scott Mayer stepped down, the transition was seamless and it was another wonderful evening. Pre- and post-show parties (with plenty of opportunity for mingling with your favorite #TCTheater artists) were held at Crave, which despite being a bit crowded was a great location (I suspect they might have used their rooftop space if it wasn't cold and raining). The show was hosted by Mark Benninghofen and Thomasina Petrus (charming and funny, and Thomasina wowed with a musical medley during the In Memoriam segment), directed by Whitney Rhodes, written by Lauren Anderson and Joy Dolo, and with a fab onstage band directed by Denise Prosek. Read on for a list of winners and performers, and a few thoughts about the show.

"Fiddler on the Roof" by Ten Thousand Things at Augsburg College

It never fails. Whenever I go to see a Ten Thousand Things show, the storytelling is so clear it's as if I'm truly seeing it for the first time, even if it's a piece I've seen one or many times before. In their signature bare bones theater style, they've cut out all the fluff from the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof (and let's face it, there's a lot of fluff in this show that often feels too long) to get right to the heart of the story. Even though I've seen the show twice in recent years (at the Chanhassen and Artistry), I've never been so caught up in and felt so deeply the story of one man's struggle with holding to his traditions, while still loving his family as they begin to change and grow out of those traditions. The brilliant Steve Epp makes Tevye so real and human, and along with the other eight members of this terrific ensemble playing multiple characters, makes the world of Anatevka palpably real and somehow modern, despite still being anchored in time and space. Because 50 years after it was written, this story about a family of refugees fleeing persecution and violence in their beloved homeland to find safety in America is as timely as ever. Fiddler on the Roof continues through March 19 at various locations and it is a must see.

"Pericles" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

When I first saw Pericles, at the Guthrie earlier this year, I wrote, "I had a bit of a hard time with the play (as I often do the first time I see a Shakespeare play, unless Ten Thousand Things is doing it)." Lucky for me, Ten Thousand Things is doing it! And while I appreciated that production of Pericles, it didn't resonate with me the way that TTT's new production does, it didn't get inside me and make me feel for the characters and understand their plight. I should just give up seeing anybody else do Shakespeare, because no one does it like Ten Thousand Things. They make these 400-year-old plays so relevant and relatable and current, in a way that makes me love Shakespeare! The complicated plot of Pericles, filled with many characters and locations, is made simple through the use of smart editing, props, costumes, and most of all these eight incredible actors who make Shakespearean language sound so natural and easily understandable. Trust me, you've never seen Shakespeare quite like this.

"The Changelings" by Ten Thousand Things at Bedlam Lowertown

The final show in Ten Thousand Things' 2015-2016 season is another new play from their playwright in residence, Kira Obolensky. Ten Thousand Things is in the business of telling stories and sharing human truths through fairy tales, because that distance and sense of fantasy allows their non-traditional audiences (they perform for free in prisons, homeless shelter, community centers, etc., as well as paid public performances for more traditional audiences) to see their own lives and experiences reflected back at them, without the harshness of reality.* The Changelings, like last year's Forget Me Not When Far Away and Dirt Sticks two years ago, is a new original fairy tale set in an unspecified time and place (the playbill tells us the three plays exist in the same universe). And like those two plays, it's charming and funny and poignant as it speaks of love, loss, grief, hope, family, and community, a relatable human story set in a made-up world that appeals to traditional and non-traditional theater audiences alike.

"Henry IV Part I" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Typically, if I heard "Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I," my immediate reaction would be - ugh. Sounds heavy and difficult and confusing and exhausting. But given the Ten Thousand Things treatment, with Michelle Hensley at the helm and an incredibly brilliant cast of eight women, it's anything but. Sure there are still a heck of a lot of characters with weird names, and alliances more difficult to keep straight than the latest season of Survivor, but TTT always breaks things down to get to the truth of the story, characters, and emotions at play. So while maybe I wasn't always clear on who was warring with whom, I was still caught up in the power of the story. And with a cliffhanger ending suitable for any movie franchise, I found myself wondering, when's Part II?

As assistant director Per Janson told us in the traditional pre-show spiel (filling in for Michelle Hensley, who is in San Francisco being named to the YBCA 100, because she's awesome), Henry IV Part I is about King Henry IV of England, who recently took the crown from Richard II. But it's really the story of his son, Prince Hal, and whether he will decide to back his father or join with the rebels who are springing up all over England to remove him from the throne. Michelle notes in the playbill:

The stark choice faced by Prince Hal in this 400-year-old play is actually one still facing many young men today: to become a leader in an often ruthless world of competition, dominance, and conquest - whether in business, politics, sports, or war - or to rebel against it all through a life of thievery, drunkenness, and debauchery. We decided it would be interesting to look at this story through the lens of an all-female cast.

Interesting, indeed. Eight women (some of the Twin Cities' finest actors) play over 20 characters and tell this layered story of conquest, loyalty, rebellion, and the complicated politics of 15th century England. The aforementioned "Ten Thousand Things treatment" means that we watch the play in a small, fully lit room, with minimal sets and costumes, Peter Vitale's evocative and eclectic soundtrack, and none of the usual tricks of the theater to come between cast and audience. We are all a part of this experience, which somehow feels more real and immediate.

I'm not going to bore you with a complicated plot summary, Wikipedia can tell you that. Instead I'll tell you that Michelle Barber reigns over the proceedings as a fierce and indomitable King Henry; recent Ivey-winner Shá Cage is empathetic as the conflicted Prince Hal; Thomasina Petrus is the King's loyal comrade; Anna Sundberg and Austene Van are strong as rebel leaders; Meghan Kreidler, making her TTT debut, plays a number of roles and fits right in with her expressive spirit; George Keller is a very entertaining drunk, among other characters; and Karen Wiese-Thompson is, as always, a comic delight, here as the foolish knight Falstaff, spot-on hilarious in every choice she makes. And may I say, it's such a treat to see these amazingly talented women, without the glamorous make-up, hair, and wardrobe usually associated with the theater, and looking all the more beautiful and strong because of it.

One more thing I need to tell you - there are some really brutal and real-looking fight scenes, sometimes several fights happening at once. It's so real and close that at times I almost feared for the actors' and the audience's safety, except that I know these people are pros. Kudos to fight coach Annie Enneking for her intricate choreography and to the cast for pulling it off.

Go to the Ten Thousand Things website to see a fun and cool trailer for the show and to purchase your tickets. Seating at Open Book is limited so make plans soon!

"Forget Me Not When Far Away" by Ten Thousand Things at Minnesota Opera Center

The village of Farmingtown has been devoid of men for so long that when one returns from the far away and long-lasting war, the first woman he meets rushes up to him and inhales him deeply. This hilarious and oddly touching moment at the beginning of Kira Obolensky's new play Forget Me Not When Far Away sets the tone for this playful and poignant fairy tale about a soldier returning to a home he once knew. Ten Thousand Things has been on the road with the show for a few weeks, performing at correctional facilities, community centers, and other unlikely venues. As director Michelle Hensley said in her introduction of the show (which has come to be one of my favorite parts of a TTT production), the fact that this play has resonated with such diverse audiences in different ways is a credit to the skills of the playwright, who has created a world outside of time and space that somehow feels familiar and relatable to everyone. This world is brought to life in the beautifully sparse way that only Ten Thousand Things can do, with a brilliant cast of six performing in a fully lit room in a space so small that they literally trip over the audience. The fanciful story is grounded in truth and made to feel very real by the universality of the story, the charming accessibility of the language, the up-close-and-personal performances by the actors in whom you can feel every nuance of every emotion through a look in the eyes, the twinge of a facial muscle, or a subtle movement of the body. Ten Thousand Things harnesses the magic of theater in its most basic form like no other company can.*

Farmingtown is a quaint village in which news is passed by the town crier, the main employment is farming and working in the morgue, and the men all go off to war while the women stay home. The women have adjusted well to this man-free life, taking charge of all systems and businesses in town. They're in for a shock when one John Ploughman returns from war, discharged due to an injury. The more than 20 women depicted in the play (portrayed by just five actors) all react to him in a different way, from the aforementioned inhaling, to surprise, to skepticism, to a determination to win him. Lacking the necessary paperwork to prove that he's not dead as was announced, John faces a tough road readjusting to life in Farmingtown. He's searching for a woman he knew before the war, a woman he now loves but scorned in the past, when he was a bit of a playboy. It turns out Flora Crisp has been pining after him all these long years, or at least the idea of him. But this isn't your typical love story; the people of Farmingtown find love and fulfillment in different ways, as the war ends and a new chapter of their lives begins.

John Ploughman at the bar (Ron Menzel with Shá Cage,
Photo by Paula Keller)

Ten Thousand Things often casts their show without much regard to gender, changing the gender of characters or casting women as men or vice versa. But in this play it's quite specific that there is only one man in town, surrounded by women (and one awkward and adorkable little boy). Ron Menzel is that man, his masculinity standing out in a soldier's uniform against the women in their cute but functional dresses and colorful Keds (costumes by Sonya Berlovitz). Ron is one of my long-time faves from the Guthrie (beginning with the memorable Intimate Apparel nearly ten years ago), and it's a thrill to see him in this setting as he fully inhabits this character in every moment of his journey, effortlessly portraying the frustration, hope, desperation, brokenness, determination, and above all humanity in this man in all his flaws and glory.

three of the bewigged women of Forget Me Not When Far Away
(Elise Langer, Shá Cage, Karen Wiese-Thompsonm
photo by Paula Keller)

I can't say enough about these five women who play over 20 characters, differentiated not only by the wigs on their heads but also by a unique voice and carriage of the body. All of them give sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching, always specific performances, including:

• Sun Mee Chomet as the wounded Flora, the tough landlady, and the steady barkeep
• Annie Enneking as a prim and proper government worker, John's ex, and a singer at the bar (singing songs she wrote)
• Elise Langer as a possibly drunken postal worker, a ditsy blond, the town crier, and perhaps my favorite character - a little boy who's slightly off but open and loving and wise
• Karen Wiese-Thompson as a cigarette-smoking trench coat-wearing PI, a dentist, and Flora's concerned grandmother
• Shá Cage as a fortune teller, a timid little girl, and a woman chasing after John who turns out to be a good friend

Ten Thousand Things travels light in terms of props and set pieces, which only seems to make them more creative. Irve Dell's clever and efficient set consists of four standing metal frames that hinge down to represent a door, window, or bar, with two metal boxes serving as all the other necessary furniture. Peter Vitale creates a delightful soundtrack for the story, subtly setting the tone. For some reason there's clog dancing, which provides a reason to show off Jim Lichtsheidl's charming choreography.

Forget Me Not When Far Away is a delightful story about returning home, reconnecting, and re-establishing your identity in a changed world. Like other TTT productions, the show feels like the neighborhood kids have gotten together to put on a play in someone's backyard, if your neighborhood were populated with some of the most talented theater artists in town. Paid public performances continue at the Minnesota Opera Center and Open Book through the end of May. Go see it, and then make plans for next season when TTT continues their pattern of Shakespeare-musical-new play with Henry IV Part I, Dear World, and Changelings by Kira Obolensky.



*To find out more about the magic of TTT, check out founder and Artistic Director Michelle Hensley' book All the Lights On.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"The Unsinkable Molly Brown" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

No one does musicals like Ten Thousand Things does musicals. And even though it defies everything we know about musical theater, after seeing a TTT musical I think that maybe that's the way musicals should always be done. The music, like everything else about the show, is stripped down to the very basics, extraneous layers removed to reveal the very heart of the matter. A one-man orchestra provides the minimal accompaniment, and the small cast imperceptibly transitions from speaking to singing, so that you can't even tell where songs end and begin, it's just all one seamless story. And above all else, Artistic Director Michelle Hensley and all of the artists at Ten Thousand Things are storytellers. Whether it's Shakespeare or a classic American musical, they share the story in a pure and unadorned way so that all of their audiences, whether prisoners or seasoned theater-goers, can hear it and see themselves in it. One such masterpiece is their latest musical venture, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a reprise of their very first musical venture 15 years ago. It's lovely, spirited, sweet, funny, moving, heart-warming, and real.

I had never seen the 1960 musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown (with music and lyrics by Meredith Wilson, who also wrote The Music Man, which happens to be TTT's last musical), nor heard any of the music. The only thing I knew about Molly Brown is that she was on the Titanic (remember Kathy Bates in the movie?). But now she's my new hero. Or at least, this fictionalized version of her as played by the indomitable Maggie Chestovich. I'm not sure how much of it is Molly and how much of it is Maggie, but this character has so much spirit, determination, and hope wrapped up in a tiny package. She wants a better life for her and her pa, and she goes out and gets it. From humble beginnings in Missouri, she decides to move to the big city of Denver, stopping at the mining town of Leadville to earn some money as a waitress and singer. There she meets Johnny Brown (Tyson Forbes, tall and lanky with plenty of aw-shucks charm), who eventually woos her with the promise of riches as well as happiness. He delivers on both, but eventually it becomes obvious that they want different things in life. Johnny wants a simple life in Leadville with his friends, while Molly longs for riches and high society. It drives them apart, but Molly is a woman who doesn't stay down for long and always gets what she wants. And after she survives the great disaster, she decides she wants Johnny.

Johnny and Molly Brown (Tyson Forbes and
Maggie Chestovich, photo by Paula Keller)

Maggie and Tyson make a most charming pair in one of the sweetest love stories I've seen in a while (the song "I'll Never Say No" is irresistible). But don't worry, it's not cloyingly sweet, these are two strong people who know what they want and don't always agree, but also love each other. The wonderful leads are backed by a fantastic ensemble who each play multiple characters and are all just a delight in each one. Highlights include H. Adam Harris as the genial bar owner, George Keller as Denver and European royalty, Eric Sharp as Molly's loving father, Austene Van as the friendly princess, Max Wojtanowicz as the nasal butler and charming prince, and the always entertaining Kimberly Richardson as a particularly snooty Denver socialite, who might just be hiding a bit more depth underneath it all. And as always in a TTT production, another character is the sound, even more so in a musical. The one and only Peter Vitale plays a banjo, a toy piano, and everything in between, and manages to create a full and complete soundscape for this world (with occasional support by Max on trombone). Like the music, the choreography (by Kimberly) is also simple and organic to the story, but ever so charming, including a delicious slow-mo fight scene, an intense wrestling scene, and a bit of party dancing.

Perhaps I should mention, for those of you unfamiliar with Ten Thousand Things (seriously, where have you been?), that in addition to paid performances at Open Book and other locations, they routinely tour their shows to prisons, homeless shelters, and community centers in the area. This requires them to travel light, literally and figuratively. Performances are in a small fully lit room with just a few rows of chairs creating a square on the floor where the magic happens. Actors look you in the eye from just a few feet away, or brush past your knees with swaying skirts, creating an intimacy and connection between audience and cast unlike any other. Set pieces are minimal and easily transportable, leading to some wonderfully creative choices. In this case, that means tiny furniture mounted on wavy poles, which the actors adorably lay a finger on to represent sitting. Costumes must also be minimal and easily transitioned between, and for this show range from drab rural clothing, to fashionably black, to European gold, and of course, Molly's red silk dress. (Sets by Stephen Mohring and costumes by Sonya Berlovitz.)

I'm quite certain that The Unsinkable Molly Brown is ruined for me as a musical now. If I ever see the typical full production of it, I might not even recognize it. But if I did, I'm sure it would pale in comparison to this sparsely lovely version that, like all TTT shows, strips away the unnecessary and serves us up a simple, unadorned, beautifully true story. See it for yourself - performances continue through March 8.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Dirt Sticks" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

What Ten Thousand Things does better than any other theater company I know is harness the power of collective imagination to transport the audience to another world. Because they often perform in prison cafeterias and community centers, they cannot rely on the usual theatrical tricks of lighting, costumes, and set. The audience can clearly see what's going on and that this is make-believe, which somehow makes it even more magical when we willingly forget our surroundings and go on this journey with the cast, who are always so fully committed to and immersed in the story they're telling. In the case of Dirt Sticks, a new play written by playwright in residence Kira Obolensky, the experienced theater audience is in the same boat as TTT's inexperienced theater audiences - we're all approaching the show with no prior knowledge of the piece. It's a rare and wonderful thing to go to the theater with no idea of what to expect, and to be thoroughly entertained and completely transported to another world.

Henry Wand (H. Adam Harris) and
his mother (Sun Mee Chomet)

Dirt Sticks tells the story of a young man named Henry Wand, an orphan raised by his aunt, whom he calls Mother Spindle because she's tightly wound. He and Laurel, another stray that Mother Spindle has taken in, work in a ladder factory. They live a pretty uneventful life, until a peddler comes to town with the full moon. Along with the usual goods, he sells visions of the future and the past. Through this, the story of Henry's birth is told as his mother's ghost visits her sister and son. Henry's life is changed forever as he learns the truth of his history. It's a simple story really, but feels like an ancient fairy tale as it unfolds in front of us, occurring somewhere outside of time and space.

the peddler (Stephen Cartmell) and
Mother Spindle (Thomasina Petrus)

This five-person cast is just delightful and very interactive with the audience (if you're sitting in the front row, be prepared to be asked to buy a penny for a nickel). Stephen Cartmell is absolutely mesmerizing as the mysterious peddler, spinning tales as peddles his wares. Kimberly Richardson is her usual nimble clownish self, particularly when Laurel buys the magical dancing shoes that never rest. Sun Mee Chomet is lovely as Henry's ghost mother, full of life, happy to be alive again, and trying to entice Henry to join her. Thomasina Petra is the stern Mother Spindle, eventually revealing a softer side with a long ago hurt. And last but not least, H. Adam Harris is charming as our hero Henry Wand, so curious about life and his past, eager to move forward.

Helping to create this magical world are the extremely sparse set pieces by Irve Dell, including a whimsical flying pigeon (manned by Stephen Cartmell), a lopsided ladder, and a large bowl in which Mother Spindle cooks soup and her healing elixir. Peter Vitale again creates the sound world of the story, which almost makes you want to close your eyes and just listen. These elements and this cast under the able direction of Artistic Director Michelle Hensley create a very specific world that is a pleasure to live in for a few short hours.

Dirt Sticks continues through June 1 in an upstairs room at Open Book. These shows have a tendency to sell out so get your tickets now. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again - if you're a Twin Cities theater fan and you've never seen a Ten Thousand Things show, you're missing a huge part of what makes this community so special. Check out Dirt Sticks, and then come back  next season for Romeo and Juliet, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and another new Kira Obolensky play, The New Don Juan.

"The Seven" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Friends, I know I rave about Ten Thousand Things often on this blog, but I'm telling you, The Seven is crazy good. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Using an adaptation by Will Power, they've taken an ancient Greek tragedy and reinvented it as something entirely modern, fresh, relatable, energetic, contemporary, and understandable. The New York Times review of the 2006 premiere at NY Theater Workshop referred to it as "a hip-hop musical comedy-tragedy." This cast of eight includes some of the top talent in this town, and they all bring it. There's really no choice but to do so; in the small fully lit space at Open Book with minimal sets and costumes, there's nothing to hide behind. What you see is what you get, and in this case, what you get is awesome.

Artistic Director Michelle Hensley introduces the show, as she always does, and sets the stage for those of us unfamiliar with the story. The original play, Seven Against Thebes, tells the story of Oedipus' sons, upon whom he levied a curse - that they would kill each other. Despite their best intentions to avoid the curse, they of course fulfill it, as always happens in Greek tragedies. The Seven also shows us Oedipus, explaining his own curse (that he would kill his father and marry his mother) and bestowing it upon his sons after they cast him out, and later appearing to them to encourage them in falling victim to it. It's a universal tale of family, war, power, fear, and destiny.

The cast is comprised of eight talented actor/singer/rappers (most of whom I've seen in theaters around town), directed by Sarah Rasmussen, fresh off the completely delightful In the Next Room at the Jungle. We are guided through the story by the narrator/DJ, mixing tunes and tales, played by the fabulous Aimee K. Bryant. Bruce A. Young is strong and powerful as Kind Oedipus, with a scary turn as one of the Seven who wage war against Thebes. As his sons, H. Adam Harris and Kinaundrae Lee give their all, vocally, physically, and emotionally, as the loving brothers who unthinkably turn against each other. One tough and kingly, the other a nature-loving poet, but both sons of the cursed family. The excellent Greek chorus consists of Katie Bradley, Brian Sostek, Ricardo Vazquez, and Joetta Wright, who also play the worried people of Thebes and the titular Seven, a parade of superheroes. Particularly impressive is Ricardo (see also Next to Normal), who possesses a voice that was made for musical theater, ringing out across the room with no amplification necessary. He also has a pretty cool fight scene with himself.

Even though hip-hop and rap are not my favorite musical genres, the music here is fantastic (directed, as always, by Peter Vitale, who also accompanies on percussion). Fast raps are combined with more pop sounding tunes, much of it a capella, all ably performed by the talented cast. The costumes (by Annie Cady) are simple but effective, modern mixed with classic (and to-die-for green gloves worn by the chorus to represent nature).

I don't know how Ten Thousand Things does it. In a fully lit room with minimal sets and costumes, you're more aware that this is just pretend, but somehow, because of their particular brand of genius, it's so easy to be carried away into their world, and never want to leave. I was so engrossed in the world created in that room, that when it was over and I walked outside, I forgot for a moment where I was and what I was supposed to do next. Reality is jarring when you realize that what you truly believed was reality for a short space in time was only make-believe. That's theater at its best, and that's what Ten Thousand Things consistently does. Three more weekends of paid public performances remain (in addition to their usual schedule of performing in prisons, schools, and community centers). Go see it.

"Measure for Measure" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Ten Thousand Things brings their totally unique, stripped-down, bare-bones, get-right-to-the-core-of-it style to another Shakespeare play (one I've never seen or read), Measure for Measure. And they do it in a way that's fulfilling for everyone, from Shakespeare experts (like the people sitting behind me who noticed which lines were cut), to avid theater goes who still sometimes have a hard time getting into Shakespeare's world (like me), to the homeless people and prisoners that comprise TTT's non-traditional theater audience. It's in the way the actors clearly and slowly say the words, with emphasis in the right places to make it more understandable; the humor and lightness they bring to certain moments in the play; the interaction and eye contact with the audience; the playful sounds (from Peter Vitale) that set the tone and highlight certain actions; and the simple but entirely appropriate set pieces and costumes. All of it adds up to really great storytelling, which is what theater is all about, no matter who the audience is.

I did not know that Measure for Measure was a comedy until I read the Wikipedia page. It definitely has comedic moments and the trademark disguises and mistaken identities, but it doesn't have that light-hearted slapstick feel of many of Shakespeare's comedies (it's known as a "problem play" because it doesn't easily fit into one category). The undertone is a bit darker, as it deals with issues of justice, judgement, and mercy. The plot concerns a man named Claudio who is sentenced to death for "fornication" with a woman whom he considers his wife, although the law doesn't. Claudio's sister Isabella, who's about to become a nun, pleads with Angelo, the man who sentenced Claudio, for her brother's life. Angelo agrees to spare Claudio if Isabella sleeps with him, the very act for which Claudio is condemned. Fortunately there is someone observing this mess and plotting to make it right - the absent Duke, who is in disguise as a Friar. Things eventually work out in the end, which is I guess how you know it's a comedy (in Shakespeare's tragedies half the characters end up dead). To summarize, it's like the TV show Undercover Boss, as observed by a homeless man who was in the audience at one of the shelters where TTT performed. The Duke, the boss of Vienna, is observing her subjects in disguise and righting their wrongs.

As usual, TTT found some of the best actors in the Twin Cities for this play. Suzanne Warmanen is wonderful as the Duke, bringing an interesting perspective re-imagining the all-powerful ruler as a woman. Luverne Siefert is his usual clownish self (I mean that as a complement) as Pompey, but there's nothing funny about his portrayal of the deadly serious Angelo. Sonja Parks brings dignity and power to her role as Isabella, despite her tiny frame. A couple of students from the U of M/Guthrie BFA program really shine - India Gurley in a variety of roles, and the utterly charming Nathan Barlow as the accused Claudio and the goofy cop Elbow. Karen Wiese-Thompson is funny as the town prostitute, and sympathetic as Angelo's rejected betrothed. Kurt Kwan is solid as a soldier, a friar, and the exasperated prison provost who helplessly watches the events play out, and Zach Curtis is a range of funny as simple-minded Froth, the well-meaning Lucio who puts his foot in his mouth, and the prisoner who's too drunk to be executed.

Ten Thousand Thing's Artistic Director Michelle Hensley, who directs this piece, also directed Measure for Measure for The Public Theater in NYC a few years ago, and they are continuing the idea of performing for free to atypical theater audiences in the community. I've said this before and I'll say it again - if you've never seen a Ten Thousand Things production, you must go. It's truly unlike any other theater you'll see anywhere, and once you get a taste, you'll be hooked like I am.

"Vasa Lisa" by Ten Thousand Things at the MN Opera Center

Do you know when you go to the theater (or a movie or concert) and become so engrossed in the experience, that it feels like the only reality you've ever known, for that short space of time? And then it's over, and your feet carry you out of the building and into the street, and the world seems a little different, a little strange and unfamiliar. It may take you a few minutes to snap out of it, like you're in a trance. I had such an experience upon seeing Vasa Lisa. I should be used to it by now, but it never ceases to amaze me how Ten Thousand Things can carry me away into a different time and place with just a few makeshift costumes and set pieces, and those words, lots of words truthfully and authentically spoken. This is story-telling at its best and most basic, and it feels like something we as humans have been doing for tens of thousands of years.

Vasa Lisa is a new play by Kira Obolensky based on the Russian fairy tale Vasilisa the Beautiful, directed by Artistic Director Michelle Hensley. The title character is a young woman whose mother has died and left her with a little doll to help her. She goes through many trials and tribulations because of her drunkard father, evil stepmother (is there any other kind in fairy tales?), and the village witch who reportedly eats people! She only wants to have enough bread to eat, and to see her mother again, and ends up learning that the little doll who helps her is the truest, wisest part of herself. This all sounds very trite and and simple, but the way it unfolds is wondrous in the hands of the talented artists of Ten Thousand Things. Tracey Maloney makes Vasa Lisa very relatable, real, and sympathetic. The other four members of the cast play various human and animal roles to hilarious and delightful effect. The incomparable Sally Wingert is equally good as Vasa Lisa's beloved mother, the voice of the doll (sitting just two seats away from me), and the witch. Frequent TTT player Elise Langer is the hilariously annoying stepsister, a hungry cat, and everything in between. The two clowns from the Guthrie's sharp and silly production of 39 Steps are reunited here - Jim Lichtsheidl and Luverne Seifert. Both of them are so talented at creating multiple distinct characters, and so entertaining to watch. It's really a pleasure to watch the entire cast play together.

As usual, everything about the production is sparse but effective, proving you don't need a lot of fancy tricks to create a fantasy world. (For those of you unfamiliar with Ten Thousand Things, they take their shows on the road to such unconventional places as prisons and homeless shelters, and their paid public performances share the same full lights and minimal sets and costumes.) The few set pieces are really cool, intricate, and functional pieces of art (created by Irve Dell). Peter Vitale once again provides an expressive soundtrack, which includes a few little songs sung by the characters in a natural and unintrusive way. This time he has a few musicians to help him, creating a fuller sound.

I often get more out of the children's stories at my church than the sermons for adults, and that's how I felt seeing this show. There were several children in the audience who seemed just as captivated as I was by this story. It's delightful and joyous and wondrous. This final show of Ten Thousand Thing's 2011-2012 season runs for runs for one more weekend. And their newly announced 2012-2013 season looks just as exciting as this one has been - Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, a "hip hop retelling of Aeschulus' The Seven Against Thebes" (say what?), and the American classic A Streetcar Named Desire with a non-traditional cast (which is sure to be better than the version currently running on Broadway). I know I've said this before, but you really can't call yourself a Twin Cities theater fan if you've never experienced Ten Thousand Things.

"As You Like It" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

I know I gush a lot on this blog, but there's a lot to gush about when you're talking about theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  No more so than when you're talking about Ten Thousand Things, the theater company that takes their work out into the community, to people who don't normally have the opportunity to see theater (prisons, homeless shelters, community centers, libraries, etc.).  If you're a theater fan who lives in the Twin Cities and you've never seen a TTT show, you really must go as soon as possible.  I guarantee you're in for a theater experience unlike any you've ever known.  With full lights, minimal sets and costumes, a small intimate space, and nothing but a few feet of air between you and the actors, it's as raw, immediate, authentic, and thrilling as I've ever known theater to be.  It's a strange thing; you're more aware that this is make-believe because you can see everything that's going on with no illusions, so you know it's not real.  But in a way, that makes it even more magical when you're completely transported into a new world purely through the power of collective imagination.  Mere words cannot adequately describe it - you have to experience it yourself.

Ten Thousand Things' current show is the Shakespeare comedy As You Like It (paid performances continue weekends at Open Book through March 11, as well as a number of free performances throughout the area).  I saw this play several years ago at the Guthrie, but I don't remember a whole lot about it other than the trippy 60s vibe of that production and the inclusion of music (always a plus in my book).  But it wasn't hard to get into the story and the language in the hands of TTT.   As You Like It is your typical Shakespearean romantic comedy, full of disguises and mistaken identities and banishments and declarations of love and hate, with everyone appropriately coupled off and happy at the end.  But the journey to get there is pure delight.

Ten Thousand Things always attracts the best theater artists in the deep pool of talent that is the Twin Cities theater community, and this six-person cast is no exception:

• Maggie Chestovich is the slacker in the group - she only plays one character.  ;)  But in her defense Rosalind is more or less the main character, and she also dons the clothes of a man through much of the play so as to travel more safely in the forest after her banishment from the court.  I've seen Maggie several times in TTT productions, and she's always fully present and real in her portrayal.  
• The busy and talented Randy Reyes is Orlando, hopelessly in love with Rosalind and also banished from court by his greedy jealous brother.  Randy also plays an old shepherd, which gives him the opportunity to ham it up in funny glasses and a hat.  He's always entertaining in everything he does, and he's particularly good at engaging the audience here.
• Aimee Bryant (who just recently left the role of Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray at the Chan) is Rosalind's cousin/friend, and lucky for us, she also takes on the role of Amiens, which means she gets to sing and play a ukulele (with only two strings!).  It's a joy to sit around the pretend campfire and listen to her sing, along with this guy...
• As I've said before, I don't think there's anything Bradley Greenwald can't do - comedy, drama, and that voice!  Whether singing or speaking, silly or serious, I love to listen to him.  He plays a pompous wrestler, the cruel duke who banished his brother as well as the kinder banished duke, a lowly shepherd, and a "country wench" who hilariously delivers a calf.
• Pearce Bunting (the only member of the cast I hadn't seen before) does a wonderful job creating three vastly different characters who bear little resemblance to each other.  He's the entitled elder brother of Orlando, a smart-talking clown who falls for the aforementioned country wench, and a friend of the banished duke mired in thoughtful and hopeless melancholy.  Each one is a distinct character.
• Kimberly Richardson's roles are pretty diverse too.  She's a frail old man who is loyal to his master until death, a stuffy and formal court messenger, and a silly country girl, each with a specific physicality that would tell us who she is even without the costume changes (which in some cases are very quick!).
• The sound by Peter Vitale is almost like a seventh actor in the cast.  It's like a soundtrack for a silent movie, accentuating every emotion and movement without distracting from it.

Some TTT plays are more serious, like last year's exquisite Doubt, A Parable.  But with a comedy like this, they can be more relaxed and play a little more.  If unexpected things happen, the audience is in on the joke and goes along for the ride.  Artistic Director Michelle Hensley always introduces the show and tells a little bit about their experiences so far (for more information on that you can read the TTT blog, with commentary by Bradley Greenwald).  She talked about how their audiences have been hungry.  For laughter, for love, and for language.  As You Like It is definitely just what the doctor ordered.

"Il Campiello" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

OK.  First I need to go through my usual spiel about how Ten Thousand Things makes theater unlike anything you've ever seen.  It's as raw, immediate, up-close-and-personal, and in-your-face as theater gets.  Without the usual tricks of lighting, fancy costumes, extravagant sets, or big production numbers that you often see in theater, there's nothing to distract you from the work of the actors and the emotions of the piece (which might be why they consistently attract the top talent in the area).  There's no separation between actors and audience; depending on where you sit you might get stepped on, flirted with, talked to in an aside, or fist-bumped.  Combine this bare-bones intimate style with their mission, to bring theater to audiences that don't normally have the chance to see theater (prisons, homeless shelters, community centers, etc.), and you have something truly special.  You simply cannot call yourself a Minnesota theater fan if you've never seen a TTT production.  You have two more weekends to see this show, and if that doesn't work out, they have two more shows this season.  Go see them.

Now on to the show.  TTT Artistic Director Michelle Hensley, who directed this piece, introduced it by saying that sometimes they like to do a show that's pure fun, and that for some of their audiences, just to laugh openly and whole-heartedly is a profound act.  Il Campiello is profoundly frivolous and fun.  The 18th century Italian comedy was adapted by the brilliant Steven Epp, who played the title role in TTT's Man of La Mancha earlier this year, and whose own company The Moving Company "does theatre."  He really modernized the language of the play to great comic effect.  The characters speak like today's kids obsessed with potty humor (I don't think I've ever heard the word poop uttered so many times in 90 minutes); the language is accessible and absurd and entertaining.  The play takes place in a little square in Venice, where neighbors bicker, gossip, play games, and plan marriages.  The plot is almost secondary to the characters and their interaction with each other.  Basically, a rich man from out of town shows up to enjoy the Carnivale celebration, three marriages are arranged after a few misunderstandings, and they feast.  And by the end of the show, when one character says good-bye to the little square which is the only home she's ever known, I could almost see it - the quaint little Italian square, the twinkling stars above, soft music playing in the background.  That's the magic of what Ten Thousand Things does.  They transform the ugliest of rooms* into something else entirely, purely through collective imagination.

This nine-person cast is so much fun to watch, and they're obviously having just as much fun as the audience and enjoy playing together.  Sarah Agnew (who also displayed her comedic chops in 39 Steps at the Guthrie last year) is almost unrecognizable as the homely old toothless woman trying to marry off her daughter so that she can find a husband for herself.  Karen Wiese-Thompson is the tough mama trying to give her daughter away and protect her at the same time.  Thomasina Petrus as the "fritter-fryer" completes the trifecta of the doting mothers.  The three future brides are all delightfully different.  Elise Langer (who was also in TTT's Life's A Dream last year) is the young woman who's almost an old maid (she's 18!) and in love with the peddler, even though she continually calls him poop-turd and other similar insults.  Her young, innocent "best friend" across the square is Kimberly Richardson, with a girlish voice and pigtails, who likes the neighbor boy (the charming Brian Curtis James) but isn't quite sure she wants to be married.  The third young woman is the subject of gossip because she lives with her strange "uncle" and has a healthy self-esteem.  It was fun to see Christiana Clark**, who was so good in the very serious In the Red and Brown Water earlier this year, get the chance to be silly and light.  Nathan Keeper (also from The Moving Company, whom I saw in their production of Come Hell and High Water earlier this year) plays dual roles - the brash young peddler/groom, and the strange uncle who is very stern and ... short.  Both allow him to use his great onstage physicality in different ways.  Last but not least, Randy Reyes (suddenly Seymour!) is the gentleman who comes to town, so suave and elegant except when he's doing the strange bow/greeting that is the custom of his land.

In typical TTT style, the sound, set, and costumes are minimal, but just enough.  In addition to being reluctantly pulled into the action of the play on several occasion, Music Director Peter Vitale provides the music (including some lovely accordian) and creates an atmosphere of sound in which the story takes place.  He's a one man traveling band and sound effects man.  The costumes by Amelia Cheever manage to look both charmingly homemade and professionally appropriate at the same time.  The set by Stephen Mohring consists of four adorable little "houses" around the square, which are really just ladders with a little platform/window on top from which the residents chat, spy on their neighbors, and wave.  All of this allows the action of the play to take center stage (or in this case floor), and doesn't distract from, but only enhances, the story.

Another fun thing about Ten Thousand Things is that in the program, instead of lengthy bios, each actor answers the question, "Why Do Theater?"  I enjoy reading their answers; they talk about connection, joy, play, being in the moment, problem-solving, spirituality, listening.  But I think my favorite statement about theater is this from Randy Reyes: "It's make believe about truth."  Ten Thousand Things represents the highest form of make believe, requiring their audience's participation and imagination, with the highest payoff of truth and entertainment and magic.


*The lovely space at Open Book is certainly not among the ugliest of rooms, I'm just imagining what some of their other locations must be like, in prisons and the like.

**Christiana is blogging about the show and the tour.  It's quite interesting to read about how the show goes over with other audiences - check it out.

"Doubt, A Parable" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Ten Thousand Thing's Doubt was number two on my list of shows to see this year.  After seeing my first show last year (My Fair Lady, one of my 2010 top 10), I was hooked on TTT's bare-bones style of theater that cuts right to the core of the matter, without interference from the elaborate sets or luscious costumes or dramatic lighting you so often see in the theater these days.  The short but intense four-person play Doubt, A Parable was the perfect choice for this kind of theater.  I had never seen the play on stage before but I did see the 2008 movie starring Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman so I was familiar with the plot and themes.  The plot is fairly straight-forward: a nun and principal of a Catholic School in 1964 accuses a priest of molesting a student.  But everything that happens around that is anything but straight-forward.  I was left at the end of the play not knowing who to believe.  And that's really what the play is about.  In a note from playwright John Patrick Shanley, he says, "You may come out of my play uncertain.  You may want to be sure.  Look down on that feeling.  We've got to learn to live with a full measure of uncertainty.  There is no last word."

Ten Thousand Things always attracts top-notch talent, and Doubt is no exception.  The play is directed by Peter Rothstein of Theater Latte Da and stars Sally Wingert (the Meryl Streep of the Minneapolis/St. Paul theater scene) as the stern and traditional Sister Aloysius, Kris Nelson as the charismatic and progressive Father Flynn, Jane Froiland as the young naive Sister James, and Regina Marie Williams in the short but pivotal role of Mrs. Muller, the boy's mother.  They were all brilliant in their roles, and it's a truly remarkable thing to be that close to them in a bright room and watch these masters of their craft.

So much happens in the short 75 minute run time that it leaves your head spinning.  What I found most fascinating was the strict hierarchy of the Catholic Church and the power struggles between the men and women in the institution. Sister Aloysius is limited in what she can do about the situation she believes is occurring and has to follow a strict order of reporting her suspicions, which often leads to a dead end.  I think she truly does believe Father Flynn is guilty, but she's also using the accusation as a power play.  Sister James wants to believe the best about people, and because Father Flynn is kind to her, she believes he's telling the truth.  This is likely not the first time Father Flynn has been accused, and although he's devastated to leave his parishoners, he knows how to work the male-dominated system so that he moves on to another parish in what amounts to a promotion.

Another issue that the play deals with is racism.  The boy who is the (alleged?) victim is the only African American in an all-white school in the early 1960s.  We find out from his mother that he needs to make it through June and complete the 8th grade so that he can get into a good high school and make something of his life.  In the absence of any concrete evidence, Mrs. Muller is willing to let things continue as is for just a few more months, believing in the end it's the best opportunity she can give her son.

The full title of the play is Doubt, A Parable, which I found to be an interesting choice.  At one point Sister James asks Father Flynn about a story he told in his homily.  He told her that it was something he made up to illustrate a point - a parable.  She asked him if it wouldn't be better to talk about a true story.  He said no, the truth is too complicated and messy.  And it certainly is in this story.

If you're interested in learning more about Ten Thousand Things and their mission to "bring lively, intelligent theater to people with little access to the wealth of the arts," watch this short piece from Minnesota Originals.  You'll get to go with TTT into a prison, hear from some of their non-traditional audience members, and learn about the origins of the theater from Artistic Director and Founder Michelle Hensley.  Or you can attend their next show - the musical Man of La Mancha.  I guarantee you've never seen theater like this.