"The Language Archive" at Park Square Theatre

The language of Esperanto is a universal language that was invented in the late 19th Century as a way to heal the divides that speaking different languages can cause. A beautiful idea, isn't it? In a nutshell, this is what Julia Cho's lovely play The Language Archive is all about. It's about the different languages that we all speak, not just the actual language, but also the more intimate informal languages that we develop in relationships with the different people in our lives. Even though the characters in the play all speak English, they struggle to communicate with each other on a deeper level, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, as we all do. This play had me laughing through my tears as I contemplated life and relationships. Friends, it doesn't get much better than that.

George is a linguist who is obsessed with studying and recording endangered languages. Ironically, he is unable to communicate with his wife, Mary, who is unhappy and decides to leave him. So George goes to his work, at a place called The Language Archive, where he records rare languages before they disappear. Along with his assistant Emma (who is, of course, in love with him), his current task is to record the (fictional) language of Ellowa as spoken by a couple that he has flown in from a remote village somewhere in the world. But on this particular day, the couple is fighting and doesn't want to speak their precious language in anger. George struggles with how to accomplish this task while his world is falling apart, Emma struggles with how to tell George how she feels, and Mary struggles with finding a happier life. Watching them do so is a bittersweet joy.

Mary and George (Sara Ochs and Kurt Kwan,
photo by Petronella J. Ytsma)

Rick Shiomi, recently retired founder and Artistic Director of Mu Performing Arts, directs this wonderful seven-person cast. As the wounded linguist, Kurt Kwan gives a sensitive, heart-breaking, funny, and very real performance. Sara Ochs is sympathetic as the wife who doesn't quite understand him and wants something of her own. Emily A. Grodzik plays the eager young assistant (like a Season 1 Peggy Olson) with a simple open spirit hiding deeper feelings. Claudia Wilkens and Richard Ooms are perfection as the Ellowa speakers, extremely believable as the bickering yet loving couple (perhaps because they are married in real life). Rounding out the cast are Melanie Wehrmacher and Robert Gardner, bringing depth and interest to several smaller roles.

Joseph Stanley's remarkable set fills the stage with huge shelves upon which books, typewriters, files, tapes, and other objects associated with words are stacked. Words in many different languages adorn the walls, and the center section rotates to reveal the recording room. Shrouded stage hands quietly move set pieces on and off stage during scene transitions, which are many but fluidly handled.

The Language Archive is one of those rare plays that satisfies on so many levels. It's smartly written, funny, a bit fantastical but very grounded in reality, superbly acted, features a huge and fascinating set, and most importantly, touches the heart as well as the mind and the funny bone. I'm catching this one near the end of its run, but if you can make it to one of the four remaining performances on Park Square Theatre's main stage, it will be well worth your time and effort.

"Long Day's Journey Into Night" by The Gonzo Group Theatre at the James J. Hill House

I saw Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical masterpiece Long Day's Journey Into Night for the first time just a few weeks ago, at the Guthrie Theater. It's a wonderful production, as to be expected from the Guthrie. But what fascinated me most about this play is that fact that it is autobiographical, and is so painfully true that O'Neill did not allow it to be published or produced until after his death. The Gonzo Group Theatre also seems to be fascinated with this idea; they have created a production that is as much about the playwright as it is about the play. Gone is the character of the housekeeper (not a big loss, mother Mary's conversation with her turns into a monologue), while a new character is added - O'Neill's wife Carlotta. She wanders around and through the action of the play, collecting the papers that are strewn all over the set (more on the magnificent "set" in a moment), assisting her husband as he tries to make peace with his family and his past through the process of writing (as explained in the note by director Jennifer Harrington). When I first saw the play, I wanted some sort of resolution at the end. But there is none, only hopelessness, and a bit of relief for the audience that they can leave the dark place they have entered into and go back to their lives. But as this version of the play makes clear, the only resolution is in O'Neill's mind, as he was hopefully able to release the demons of his past by writing about them. And leaving us with this poetic, depressing, moving, gut-wrenching, masterful play.

the play takes place on and at the bottom
of the grand staircase at the JJ Hill House

The location of this unique production is the main hall of the James J. Hill House in St. Paul. If you've never been there, it's worth a visit to see this grand home of one of Minnesota's most wealthy historical families. The house also hosts special events, concerts, and occasionally, works of theater. I saw Gremlin Theater's After Miss Julie in the basement kitchen a few years ago, which I found to be an entirely appropriate and authentic setting for the play. This magnificent mansion is not exactly a summer home on the sea, but the period is right (Long Day's Journey takes place in 1912, at which time the Hill family was still living in the house), as is the weighty atmosphere of history and grandeur. And with just 25 seats, it's an intimate experience; you're practically sitting at the table with the Tyrone family, sharing a drink with them. They make great use of the space - the entire long hallway, the out of sight dining room, and the grand staircase, going in and out of doors and looking out the windows at the foggy sea. The house is open before the show and during intermissions, and guests are free to roam around and soak in the atmosphere.

Another unique feature of this production is that it's a true family affair. Real-life married couple Claudia Wilkins and Richard Ooms play Mary and James Tyrone, and their son Michael Ooms is the elder son Jamie. It's kind of trippy to watch a real-life family acting out the life of another real-life family that lived 100 years ago, and they all give great performances. Claudia and Richard once again play a believable married couple (they also played a married couple in The Birthday Party at the Jungle last year), as Mary grows more and more unhinged due to her morphine addiction, and James, himself an alcoholic, gradually accepts their fate. Michael shines in the third act when Jamie is seriously drunk, funny and heart-breaking and a little scary. Luke Weber plays younger son Edmund (aka Eugene O'Neill) and fits in well with the family. Edmund is quiet and sickly, and comes alive when reciting his beloved poetry. It's a tragic story, except that the ever-present Carlotta (Evelyn Digirolamo) is able to successfully gather up the pieces of her husband's life and put them in some kind of order.

If you're reading this on Saturday, you might still be able to catch this unique theatrical experience - call or email now to see if there are any seats left for tonight's final performance (the price couldn't be better - free, with a suggested donation if you like what you see). I love seeing theater in non-traditional spaces, and this is an incredible space, a classic American play, and a really great production. I think this is the first time I've seen two different productions of the same piece in one year, much less in the same month. At first I was reluctant, not wanting to compare the two, but they turned out to be really nice companion pieces that gave me further insight into this play and the mind of the playwright.

"The Birthday Party" at the Jungle Theater

I don't get Harold Pinter.  This is the second of his plays I've seen in the last year or so, and although the plots were very different, both left me with a feeling of "what just happened" as I left the theater.  Which I guess is kind of the point with the acclaimed English playwright, whose "style mixed domestic turmoil, evasive dialogue and not-so-heroic characters with experimental storytelling styles and an atmosphere of comic menace" (according to a note in the playbill).  It's more about the language and the fascinating characters than the plot, which is intentionally vague.  In The Birthday Party, two mysterious men show up at a boarding house by the English sea, inquiring about its sole resident, for some unexplained but clearly malevolent purpose.  It's bizarre and inscrutable, but the cast assembled by the Jungle Theater is fantastic in creating these crazy characters that are somehow still sympathetic.  I can recognize that it's a great production of a classic play, even if I don't really get it.  And it's still a lot of fun, albeit perplexing fun.

Real life husband and wife Richard Ooms and Claudia Wilkins portray the married proprietors of this shabby boarding house, and not surprisingly, they're quite believable as an old married couple.  Stephen Cartmell is particularly effective as the depressed, haggard, mysterious resident Stanley.  He's hiding out in this little seaside town, from what we never learn.  But it has turned him into a skittish, angry, frightful man.  Stephen dives into the role whole-heartedly, and somehow engenders sympathy for this mess of a man who just wants to be left alone.

Mr. Goldberg, one of the two nefarious men who show up to claim Stanley, is played by Tony Papenfuss, aka "my brother Daryl" from Newhart (he's returned home from L.A. to continue his career on Twin Cities stages, how did I not know that?).  Mr. Goldberg is deliciously evil and up to no good, as you can tell from his slicked back hair and mustache.  His companion, Mr. McCann (Martin Ruben), is the muscle of the organization.  The sensitive Irishman is nervous until they actually start doing the job.  The two are a great comedy team with rapid-fire dialogue, especially as they're questioning Stanley.  Not surprising that the interrogation ends in screaming!  Rounding out the cast is Katie Guentzel as Lulu, who seems much too pretty and normal to be hanging out with this crowd.  But she obviously has a story of her own, which we never really learn, that attracts her to these misfits.

The dingy and unkempt boarding house comes to life in the precise and detailed little diorama that is the stage at the Jungle Theater.  As is common at the Jungle, the director is also the set designer, in this case Joel Sass, which always seems to create a cohesive vision for the story.  It's so lifelike, with dust and dirt on the surfaces, that I wouldn't want to set foot in that room!  But I did enjoy peering into it for two and a half bewildering, engrossing, entertaining hours.

"The Burial at Thebes" at the Guthrie Theater

The Burial at Thebes is a typical Greek tragedy - someone defies the will of the gods and their life falls apart as everyone they love dies.  But what's not so typical is the musical accompaniment that adds to the story.  This is a Greek chorus that actually sings!  Combined with powerful performances by the entire cast, it's a wonderful and jam-packed 90 minutes of theater.

The Burial at Thebes is a translation of Sophocles' Antigone by Irish poet Seamus Haeney.  In Greek mythology, Antigone is a daughter of Oedipus (you remember him - the one who killed his father and married his mother).  So it's fair to say her life was doomed from the start.  When her brother is killed as an enemy of the state, King Creon (her uncle) declares that his body cannot be buried in the traditional way.  Feeling that she must obey the laws of the underworld rather than the laws of the mortal world, Antigone defies the King and attempts to give her brother a proper burial, knowing that it means her own death.  Creon will not back down and insists that she be put to death.  He realizes too late that he chose wrong, and is unable to prevent the tragic events that befall everyone he loves.

This is a large and talented cast in a show with a relatively short running time, which means the audience is treated to little gems of performances throughout the play, from Brian Sostek's comic relief as the guard who delivers the news to Creon that someone has broken his decree, to Greta Oglesby as the prophet with creepy unseeing eyes and a powerful voice, to Sun Mee Chomet as the doomed heroine, to Regina Marie Williams' brief appearance as the grief-stricken mother Eurydice.  And through it all Stephen Yoakam gives a powerful leading performance as Creon, transforming from a strong, confident, unyielding ruler to a grieving and remorseful father and husband.

On top of the great acting performances, or rather intermeshed with them, is some amazing music (composed by J.D. Steele of the fabulous Steele family, with piano accompaniment by his brother Billy and percussion by Marc Anderson).  The incomparable Robert Robinson leads the Greek chorus that sings and speaks with equal melodious beauty.  Every time Robert opens his mouth it's a "lift up your hands" kind of moment; add to that the beautiful harmonies created by Lee Mark Nelson, Richard Ooms, T. Mychael Rambo, and Joe Nathan Thomas, and you have some powerful music that really heightens the emotion of the play.  An imposing set of towering walls and flowing dramatic costumes add to the overall effect.

What more can I say, it was another amazing evening of theater, music, emotion, and drama at the Guthrie Theater.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" at the Jungle Theater

Since hearing Stephen Sondheim talk about his life in musical theater last year, I've been on a mission to see more of his shows.  And I've done pretty well so far: A Little Night Music on Broadway last year, Into the Woods at Bloomington Civic Theatre earlier this year, and the filmed concert version of Company at my local movie theater last week.  A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is definitely the lightest of these pieces.  Nothing serious or thoughtful about it, just a ridiculously good time.

As usual, the Jungle puts on a wonderful production.  I wasn't sure how they would fit a big musical onto their tiny stage, but it works!  As Jungle Artistic Director Bain Boehlke said to director John Command when he asked about the space limitations, "well, Rome is crowded."  But the show doesn't feel crowded, it feels intimate and immediate, as if we were all gathered in some ancient Roman theater, watching the spectacle unfold before us.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is based on Roman farces, but also includes a few jokes about the current state of affairs.  Featuring slaves, whores, soldiers, long-lost children, and mistaken identities, the plot is completely silly, and really less important than the songs and performances.  The most familiar song is "Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight," the lyrics of which very accurately sum up the show:

Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

The cast of 20 features real life married couple Richard Ooms and Claudia Wilkens as married couple Senex and Domina.  Richard is hilarious and slightly creepy as "That Dirty Old Man," and Claudia is a commanding presence as his wife.  Senex has two slaves, the dedicated Hysterium (Jon Whittier), who only wants things to return to normal, and our narrator Pseudolus (Christopher Teipner), who dreams of being "Free!"  It's this dream that spurs on the action of the play, as Pseudolus finagles and manipulates to bring together Senex's sweet and earnest son Hero (Eric Heimsoth, who also appeared in Into the Woods) with his love Philia (Amanda Schnabel).  If he succeeds, Hero promises to give Pseudolus his freedom. 

One big obstacle keeping the lovebirds apart is the soldier Miles Gloriosus, who has already "bought" the lady in question.  Bradley Greenwald (one of my favorite local actors) plays Miles in all his pompous splendor.  What first drew me to Bradley was his incredible voice, but he's also a very fine actor.  He brought such depth to his performance as the emcee in Frank Theatre's Cabaret earlier this year.  But there's nothing deep about Miles Gloriosus, he's all bravado.  And Bradley steals every scene he's in, with just the look on his face or the way he walks across the stage in his full and glorious armor.  My favorite comedy moment is when he imitates a Glockenspiel.  If you get the joke, it's hilarious.  Bradley and the Jungle are reprising the show I Am My Own Wife, for which he received an Ivey Award, later this season, which I'm very much looking forward to.

The rest of the cast is entertaining as well.  I particularly enjoyed "The Proteans" - five men who play various roles and also perform some impressive and inventive choreography.  Josiah Gulden is the smarmy, overly tan, mustachioed owner of the whorehouse, in which half a dozen lovely and diverse "courtesans" reside (reminding me of another Sondheim show, Gypsy - “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”).  The whole cast plays together beautifully and hilariously.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is playing through the end of July.  It's a fun, light, entertaining, ridiculous, great summer show.


P.S. Topping my Stephen Sondheim wishlist are Sunday in the Park with George and Assassins, in case any local theaters are looking for Sondheim shows to fill their schedule next season.  :)