"Hamlet" by The Gray Mallard Theater Company at Sociable Cider Werks

Shakespeare at the Pub is back! This is the 5th year of The Gray Mallard Theater Company's summer Shakespeare productions outside Sociable Cider Werks, their only show of the year. For the 3rd year in a row, I sat on a folding chair in a parking lot enjoying a locally made cider and an intimate, accessible, and engaging production of one of the Bard's best works. And this is perhaps the best weather I've had for this outdoor production, with a lovely cool summer day in the '70s, a welcome break from the unbearable heat and dangerous smoke coming down from the fires in the Northland (which cancelled their opening night last week). I had to put on a jacket as the sun went down, the stars came out, and the stage lights went on, appropriate for this story of Prince of Denmark as it descends into darkness. Head to Northeast Minneapolis some Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday through August 2 to see this excellent production of Hamlet in a unique setting. Bring a chair or get there early to claim one of their padded folding chairs, grab a cider or other beverage inside of Sociable and/or a burger from Smashed Patty's (house-made tofu burgers also available), and settle in for some FREE Shakespeare.

"Nobody, No Time" by Illusion Theater at Center for the Performing Arts

In History Theatre's new original musical Whoa, Nellie! this spring, I was introduced to the Black Vaudevillian Bert Williams, one of the most popular and successful performers of his time. And now he deservedly gets a show of his own, the new play with music Nobody, No Time (named after his most well-known song) written and directed by Illusion Theater's playwright-in-residence Carlyle Brown. It's a multi-layered story of a Black man from the Bahamas achieving huge success in early 20th Century America, while dealing with racism off-stage and leaning into racial stereotypes on-stage performing to White audiences. Set at the end of his life with flashback performances, the play gives us a full picture of the man and the artist. The talented cast brings Bert and his contemporaries to life, and perform over a dozen songs of the era. Head to Center for Performing Arts now through October 25 to experience this important part of entertainment history, of American history.

"The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington" at Mixed Blood Theatre

It's been almost two years since Mixed Blood Theatre produced a mainstage play; The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington is the first play since the departure of founding Artistic Director Jack Reuler, the first under new Artistic Director Mark Valdez. To which I say: welcome back Mixed Blood! This kind of risk-taking envelope-pushing social commentary, with a focus on accessibility and diversity of voices and stories, is much needed in our community. While their last play, an original called imagine a u.s. without racism, was an inspirational fairy tale that encouraged audiences to do just that, The Trial (as I'll refer to it) is a brutal look at the racism upon which this country was built. Specifically through "the mother of America," Martha Washington. Written by James Ijames, recent Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony nominee for his play Fat Ham, The Trial is an ingenious mix of storytelling styles, using fantasy, music, and pop culture in this wild exploration of history and present. The cast and creative team do an incredible job of navigating this tricky script and challenging themes, for a wholly successful, entertaining, and thought-provoking work. See it in the old brick firehouse that is Mixed Blood Theatre in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis now through the end of the month.

"Diesel Heart" at History Theatre

Several years in the making, the new play Diesel Heart is now on stage at History Theatre. Adapted from the autobiography of the same name by Melvin Carter, Jr., one of St. Paul's first Black police officers (and father of the current mayor), this is a story of the history of America. Specifically, the migration of Black Americans from the rural South to Northern cities (like Minneapolis and St. Paul), the displacement of Black communities through the building of interstate freeways (see also History Theatre's 2017 play The Highwaymen), the violence faced by many Black men and women growing up in this country, and the perseverance through those hardships into a better future. Melvin Carter, Jr. is an ordinary and extraordinary man living an ordinary and extraordinary life, that's beautifully brought to life on stage by the talented cast and creative team. See it at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul now through April 2.

"Parks: A Portrait of a Young Artist" at History Theatre

When I saw a reading of the then-titled The Gordon Parks Play Project three years ago, I wrote: "Friends, this is one of those experiences that transcended theater." When the reading is that good, and the playwright is one of #TCTheater's most talented and prolific, Harrison David Rivers, adding in acclaimed director Talvin Wilks, you know the finished product is going to be something special. Parks: A Portrait of a Young Artist, which has finally opened at History Theatre, is just that. Beautifully written, directed, and acted, with evocative images, well-chosen period songs, and an almost constant underscoring of music, Parks traces the origin of photographer, musician, and filmmaker Gordon Parks during his decade or so living in St. Paul as a youth. Once again his great-niece Robin P. Hickman-Winfield, a collaborator on the piece, was in attendance and spoke before the performance I attended, and it's clear that Gordon's legacy of Black artistry lives on in her, the students at Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul, and any other Black youth who picks up a camera, or a paintbrush, or a pen as their weapon against racism and injustice.