"Two Gents" by Ten Thousand Things at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

Ten Thousand Things' new Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans is making their directorial debut with the company, and I'm happy to report that TTT is in good hands that will continue the tradition of making theater for everyone. I'm not surprised; Caitlin has been with TTT for a little while and delivered charming and endearing pre-show speeches, but it's a thrill to see their work on stage. Or rather, in a square on the floor surrounded by a few rows of chairs in a room with All the Lights On where TTT performs, replicating their community performances in treatment facilities, shelters, prisons, and other spaces that don't have regular access to theater. As Caitlin notes in the program, Two Gentleman of Verona, affectionately called Two Gents here, is an appropriate choice for this first - it's believed to be the first play  that Shakespeare ever wrote, and it's the first time TTT is doing it in their 30+ year history. I've seen this play a couple of times before, but there's no one I'd rather see do any Shakespeare play than TTT, and this production continues in making these 400+ year old plays clear and understandable, modern and relatable. Two Gents is an effervescent romcom that's also about friendship, loyalty, and accountability, with an impossibly talented cast of just five actors playing all of the roles in the play. It continues at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church through the 26th (across from the Walker with a large free parking lot), with one performance at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis, and concludes the run at 825 Arts in St. Paul on University. You can find the full schedule and ticketing details here.

"RENT" at Artistry

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite musical is, I usually respond that while there are many musicals I love, only one is permanently tattooed on my body. Ever since it exploded in 1996, when I was a grad student living on my own for the first time, RENT has had a special hold over my heart, unmatched by any of my other musical theater loves. Something about Jonathan Larson's story of friendship, community, living fully in the face of death, and appreciating life every day, struck a chord with me and continues to do so. Seeing Artistry's new production last night was my 18th time seeing it live, and I was reminded all over again why I love it so much. This brilliant cast pouring their hearts and souls into every poignant, funny, heart-breaking, or inspiring moment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical brought tears to my eyes, frequently. And although I've seen the show many times, the majority of those productions were the Broadway/touring production, which I know like the back of my hand. So it was fun and exciting, as someone who has loved this musical for 28 years (likely longer than some of the cast has been alive), to see a fresh new take on it, and discover new things in it. Whether you've seen RENT a hundred times, or never seen it, you truly need to get yourself out to Bloomington to experience this wonderful new production. No day but today to get your tickets! (Continuing through October 27.)

"devoured: notes on love and enmeshment" at The Southern Theater

devoured: notes on love and enmeshment is a meditation on codependency through three queer intimate relationships. Weaving text and movement, it explores complicated relationship dynamics between people who are struggling to love and be loved, but can't help but hurt each other in the process." This description of the new play by Playwrights' Center's Many Voices Fellow Liqing Xu is apt, but doesn't cover how beautiful, funny, and moving it is. Over the course of 70 minutes, we see three different relationships play out, with no happy ending in sight. But perhaps a bit of personal growth. There are only three more chances to see this fascinating, innovative, and thoughtful new work at the Southern Theater.

"The Hatmaker's Wife" by Ten Thousand Things at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church

The Hatmaker's Wife by Lauren Yee (whose most recent work produced in #TCTheater was the epic Cambodian Rock Band by Theater Mu and Jungle Theater) feels like it was written for Ten Thousand Things (it wasn't - it premiered over ten years ago). It's in the vein of their magical fairy tale stories, that I think is my favorite kind of TTT show (even more than their clear-eyed Shakespeare or stripped down musicals). I can't imagine a "normal" theater company doing this play, meaning on a proscenium stage separated from the audience, with fancy lights, sets, and costumes. It's so well suited to the TTT All the Lights On style, weaving a magical and moving tale simply through the talents of the performers and the power of collective imagination (that makes even the aggressively religious paintings in the room at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church fade into the background). It's a story of love, and disconnection, and grief, and hope, a wistful and whimsical story of talking walls, golems, and connections across time. These hats continue to sing at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church this weekend (with a huge free parking lot) and then will move on to Open Book for two final weekends.

"The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior and Cannibals" by Theater Mu at the Luminary Arts Center

The Walking Dead would be so different if the zombies could do kung fu. If you're curious what that looks like, go see Theater Mu's world premiere play The Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior and Cannibals, a compilation/update of two previous plays by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay. It's not only a thrilling zombie apocalypse story with great fight scenes, not only a coming-of-age tale of a couple of young women on opposite sides of the planet, but it also draws on the culture and history of Laos and the Laotian diaspora. It's a wild ride, with fantastical elements and sci-fi mixed with real family drama and an exploration of grief, loss, and identity. At nearly three hours in length, it is a saga (you can't say they didn't warn us), so have a cup of coffee, take a nap, or see a matinee because you'll want to be awake and alert to experience this epic journey. And if you're curious to know more about the creation of the show, either before or after you see it, listen to Episode 8 of the Twin Cities Theater Chat podcast, in which we interview the playwright along with actor Michelle de Joya.

"Passing Strange" at Yellow Tree Theatre

The latest offering at Yellow Tree Theatre, the little theater in the 'burbs with big bold theatrical offerings, is Passing Strange, a loosely autobiographical musical by the musician known as Stew (with help from Heidi Rodewald on the music composition). This rarely done musical (last seen in #TCTheater at Mixed Blood in 2014) is a coming of age story about a young black man from L.A. who travels to Europe in search of what he calls "the real." The narrator (played by Stew himself on Broadway) and his younger self take us on this epic journey with them, filled with the highs of love and music and the lows of grief and heartbreak, and it's a beautiful thing when he comes out the other end with a better understanding of life, love, and art.* The talented cast and creative team at Yellow Tree bring out all of the passion and poignancy of the piece, for a truly unique experience. See it in Osseo through May 8 (click here for info and tickets).

"Sherwood" at Yellow Tree Theatre

The last play seen on the Yellow Tree Theatre stage was the powerful drama Skeleton Key in February of 2020, a co-production with New Dawn Theatre Company. Their next scheduled show, the new Robin Hood comedy Sherwood, was cancelled due to the pandemic, and now, almost a year and a half later, it's finally onstage at Yellow Tree. But things have changed since then, in the world and in theater. Audiences have to show proof of vaccination (or negative COVID-19 test) and wear masks, and New Dawn Artistic Director Austene Van, who directed Skeleton Key, is the new Artistic Director of Yellow Tree (following the departure of co-founders Jessica and Jason Peterson to the North). But what hasn't changed is that this cozy little theater in a strip mall in Osseo is a warm and welcoming place with wonderful theater that entertains and challenges audiences. The super fun and playful Sherwood is an excellent start to this new chapter of life, theater, and Yellow Tree.

"Chicago" by Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

Women in prison, treated unfairly, not given adequate legal representation, having to pay prison staff for favors, immigrant women not provided with a translator, society's glamorizing of crime but disregard for and mistreatment of criminals. No, I'm not talking about the Netflix hit series Orange is the New Black, which just concluded its brilliant seven-season run. I'm talking about the Kander/Ebb/Fosse/Verdon*/Reinking creation, the 1975 musical Chicago whose 1996 revival was even more successful and is still playing on Broadway. This ahead-of-its time musical, about crime, celebrity, and the justice system, only gets more relevant as the years pass, which is perhaps the reason for its long lasting success. Typically a show that is still running on Broadway and touring (it most recently came to Minneapolis last year) is not available for regional productions. But somehow Theater Latte Da snagged the rights and has created their own unique take on this classic. The cast is absolute perfection, the Ritz Theater (which opened in the same era in which the show is set) has never looked more gorgeous and detailed, and this Peter Rothstein directed production brings out all of the glitz, humor, and biting social commentary of the piece, while putting the audience right in the middle of the action. It's absolutely thrilling.

"The Brothers Paranormal" by Theater Mu and Penumbra Theatre

For the first time in their long and celebrated histories, #TCTheater's African American and Asian American theaters (Penumbra and Mu) are joining forces in the regional premiere of the new play The Brothers Paranormal. In it, an African American couple hires two Thai brothers to investigate some mysterious happenings around their house. The result is a totally captivating thriller that also deals with some pretty serious issues surrounding culture and mental health. It's a play that's both wildly entertaining, and speaks to our world today in a meaningful and thought-provoking way. And as usual with these two theaters, the production is top notch, with an excellent cast and spot on design. Don't miss this historic and fantastic #TCTheater collaboration!

"The Wolves" by Jungle Theater at Southern Theater

The Jungle Theater's production of playwright Sarah DeLappe's story of a girls' soccer team, The Wolves (a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize), was so successful that they've brought it back in a new venue. With The Children continuing on the Jungle's stage, this is the first time in their history that the Jungle has had two shows running simultaneously. I attended the first preview on a night when the temperature was 20 below zero, not to mention the windchill, and it was a nearly full house. This play has really struck a chord, both with audiences and with the cast and creative team, all of whom return this year. It's such a beautiful and real exploration of nine very different young women, their lives, and their friendship - just the kind of story we're craving right now. That these nine young and talented actors (the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers favorite dramatic ensemble of 2018) have the opportunity to play these complex and interesting roles that go beyond the usual stereotypes of teenage girls we see in plays/movies/TV, beyond the wife/girlfriend/mother role, is also a reason to celebrate. If you missed one of the best #TCTheater performances of 2018, now's your chance to get in on the action (click here for info on the show and complementary programs on women and sports).

"Houdini" by Sandbox Theatre's Swingset

Sandbox Theatre is known for their ensemble-created original plays. Judging by their inaugural production, their new offshoot The Swingset does the same thing, only with aerial work. Like all of Sandbox's work, Houdini is a thoughtful and playful exploration of a subject (in this case the famed escape artist) that uses physical theater. But in this case the physical theater extends into the air on aerial silks hung from a contraption that does indeed look like a very large swingset. Performed outdoors in a couple of locations (I saw it at Pioneer Park in Roseville, where it continues tonight), it's a fun and magical experience.

"The Wolves" at Jungle Theater

I don't do sports. Except for being a lifelong Twins fan (and running an occasional marathon), I have zero interest in sports. I didn't even watch the recent Olympics. But for some reason, sports makes a compelling subject for theater (e.g., Mixed Blood's 2014 production of Colossal). Maybe because of the inherit drama in sports (teamwork, villains, exciting wins, devastating losses), playwrights are able to use sports as a metaphor for life and tell a really compelling story. The latest example of this is Sarah DeLappe's story of a girls' soccer team, The Wolves, a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Jungle Theater's Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen worked hard to get this play at the Jungle, and directs it herself, leading an excellent all-female cast and creative team. The result is a very real look at young women today, touching on many issues without exhausting any of them. It's a fantastic 90 minutes of theater that truly feels like eavesdropping on these characters' lives, in which the simple becomes profound.

"600 Years" by Sandbox Theatre at the Southern Theater

Confession: I, like millions of people, love The Walking Dead. I'm fascinated with the idea of people working together to build a new society out of nothing. But what I don't love, and what I'm becoming increasingly disheartened by, is how in their version of the post apocalyptic world (zombies, natural disaster, it doesn't really matter what caused the end of the world as we know it), people turn on each other instead of working together to combat the very real enemies and dangers in the new world. Sandbox Theatre has envisioned a different version of the post apocalyptic world using their unique ensemble created, devised theater method. This world, where women called Seekers run between villages to create connections (they're kind of like the new internet) and all humanity works towards a common goal, is a much more hopeful world than that of The Walking Dead, and one I would much prefer to live in.

Fringe Festival 2016: "Circus McGurkus"

Day: 7

Show: 32

Title: Circus McGurkus

Category: Dance

By: Mike's Brass

Choreographed by: Erinn Liebhard

Location: U of M Barker Center for Dance

Summary: Dr. Seuss' If I Ran the Circus, told through music, clowning, acrobatics, and dance.

Highlights: Circus McGurkus is a delight for children of all ages, even us grown-up children. Andrew Chambers reads excepts from the book about a fantastical circus, while the dancers and musicians interpret the words through movement and music. The brass quintet Mike's Brass plays a variety of circus-sounding songs (with a little Lady Gaga thrown in as an encore). Dancers Lori Ledoux, Derek Meyer, Rachael Schlee, and Sydney Swanson perform playful and charming dances with wonder and joy (choreographed by Erinn Liebhard), and acrobats Michelle de Joya and Brandon Wharton perform some thrilling Circque du Soleil-style acrobatics. It's great fun to watch Dr. Seuss' silly words and creations come to life before your eyes in such imaginative and joyful ways.

"Tot: The Untold, Yet Spectacular Story of (A Filipino) Hulk Hogan" by Mu Performing Arts at Park Square Theatre

I attended the Saturday matinee of Mu Performing Arts' world premiere play Tot: The Untold, Yet Spectacular Story of (A Filipino) Hulk Hogan with all three of the Minnesota Theater Lovers (my friends and fellow theater bloggers). As we chatted over our post-show meal at the Afro Deli, it soon became apparent that we had very different experiences at the show. I find this fascinating and actually kind of cool, how two people can watch the same thing and see something entirely different. That's the beauty of theater, a beauty that, like for any art, is in the eye of the beholder; the theater-goer is just as important as the theater-makers in creating the experience. You'll have to head over to Minnesota Theater Love to read their perspective, and read on here for mine. Which is that Tot is, while a bit wacky and unclear in parts, a compelling and moving story of a boy whose world is turned upside down and who deals with it through a rich fantasy world.