"For the People" at the Guthrie Theater

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal for a world premiere new comedy at the Guthrie. To watch the creation process at one of my favorite theaters, where I have been a subscriber for twenty years, is an opportunity I would jump at no matter what! But as I learned more about this piece, and finally had the chance to see it last night, I realized just how special this opportunity was. For the People is a special kind of play, one like I've never seen before. It was written by Native playwrights, stars an almost all-Native cast, and features stories of our own Native community, which sadly is a rare thing. Too long Native voices have been stifled, even though they've been around on this land for the longest. But happily, there seems to be a renewed focus on telling Native stories lately, from TV shows like Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, to plays like For the People. Much like those series, this play shows modern Native people in all their complex humanity, just going about the business of living their lives. It's a wonderful opportunity to support Native artists and our local Native community, and it's also a really funny and engaging play featuring some great performances and thrilling technical effects. See it in the Guthrie's proscenium theater now through November 12.

"Naive. Super" at Norway House

Last night I saw a play that was unlike anything I've ever seen before. That's an unusual occurrence for someone who's been writing about theater for 13 years. #TCTheater artist Kurt Engh's adaptation of the 1996 Norwegian novel Naive. Super is unique not just in the fact that it's a solo play in which a different actor performs the piece each night of the run, but also in its use of technology. Because a dozen people are not going to memorize a 90-minute solo play for a one-night-only performance, the entire script of the play is on stage in some form, either in video projections, or on transparancies on an overhead projector (remember those?), or in notecards or physical pages on the set. It's a fascinating, trippy, thought-provoking story told in a fascinating, trippy, thought-provoking way; I can think of no better way to adapt this work. Whenever you go to the theater, you're going to experience something different every night, but that's never been more true than here, where you have a different actor bringing their own perspective and background to the work for something truly unique every time. What's more exciting than that?! Naive. Super continues at Norway House* through September 17 (click here for a list of performances and performers and to purchase tickets).