"Beowulf" and "Feast" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Black Forest Inn

Iowa-based Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Megan Gogerty wrote (and performed in) her play Feast, an alternative version of the Beowulf story as told from the point of view of the monster Grendel's mother, in 2019. Walking Shadow Theatre Company premiered their production in 2023, and have brought it back a few times since. But seeing it last night (for the first time in three years), it felt like it was written for this moment, for this place. They're performing at the Black Forest Inn at the corner of 26th and Nicollet in Minneapolis, mere feet from where Alex Pretti was murdered by federal agents five weeks ago. The play is about a lot of things, not the least of which is the abuse of power perpetrated upon people by "strong men," and some of the lines and themes resonate so strongly with today that it's unsettling. But also reassuring, to know that humans have been dealing with these issues for thousands of years, and still, somehow, we survive. The closing line of the play is "justice, now," which has never felt more urgent. A lot of us have "little baby rage" these days, and it's comforting to see it reflected in this new version of an ancient story. The eerie resonance of this play is one reason to see it, the other is Isabel Nelson's masterful and mesmerizing performance. And if you see it on a Saturday, I recommend going early to see John Heimbuch's solo performance of Beowulf, a one-hour one-person version of the original story. It's a great companion piece, and unless you're a Beowulf scholar or have recently read the ancient epic poem, it provides some nice background to the main event. The Feast continues weekends through the end of March, with one pay-what-you-can Monday performance on the 2nd. It's a must-see theatrical event, whether you've seen it before or not.

"Whoosh!" at History Theatre

For the third iteration of #TCTheater artist Andrew Erskine Wheeler's solo piece Whoosh! The Civil War Mythology of Michael Hickey and His Perilous Precipitation Over St. Anthony Falls, he has partnered with History Theatre. What began as a 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival show was expanded into an outdoor show performed very near the falls themselves, and now has been fully realized in this perfect partnership. Andrew has created several compelling solo historical Fringe shows, which are all great and succinct as they were, but it's lovely to see this one fully realized. Some Fringe shows are destined to be more - Illusion Theater often works with Transatlantic Love Affair to produce expanded versions of their Fringe shows, and Theatre in the Round supported the creators of the fantastic new original musical Endometriosis: The Musical as they expanded it into a full-length musical, producing it as part of their season last year. Whoosh! is somewhat of an anomaly for History Theatre; typically they commission, develop, and produce new works, participating in every step of development. Andrew developed Whoosh! independently, but its very Minnesotan and historical themes make it a natural fit for History Theatre, and they provided the resources and additional creative talent to help make it all that it can be. As much as I love the intimate solo storytelling nature of the original, this expanded version is just as moving and compelling, and even richer and more thrilling. Take a trip over the falls and through the history of this great state now through February 22.