"Next to Normal" by Wildwood Theatre at the Capri Theater

"The Wildwood Theatre unravels the stigma of mental health and mental illness by creating safe spaces where individuals can feel comfortable to ask personal questions, explore feelings, investigate social norms, and excavate truth." I'm not sure there's a better musical for this newish #TCTheater company to tackle than Next to Normal, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical about a family dealing with mental illness. I was lucky enough to see a preview of Next to Normal on Broadway in 2009, and was blown away. I've loved it ever since, and seen several local productions, but it's been over seven years since I've seen it on stage. Wildwood's new production is so lovely and heartfelt, with beautifully sincere performances from the talented (and mostly unknown to me) cast, and the Tony-winning rock score sounds fantastic as played by the seven-person orchestra. It's playing for two weekends only at Capri Theater in North Minneapolis.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2021: "Campsite"

Day: 5

Show: 13

Performance Type: In Person

Location: Boom Island Park (outdoors)

Length: 40 minutes

Title: Campsite

By: Lady Z Productions

Summary: Four friends, old and new, go on a camping trip.

Highlights: Boom Island Park is a gorgeous location that's perfectly fitting for this story that takes place in a campsite in a park. They perform in a shelter with a fireplace in the middle (unlit, because summer heat), and it's easy to imagine that this is the place where lifelong BFFs Terry (Colin Healey) and Jimmy (Maureen L. Bourgeois, who also created and directed the piece) are camping with their friend Allison (Leah Indrelie) and new friend/set-up Debby (Sarah Catcher). Not a whole lot happens in the show, there's a lot of talk about setting up campsites, tomorrow's plans, and what a great guy Terry is. Turns out Jimmy and Allison are conspiring to set their almost-40 friend up with Debby, which makes for a lot of awkwardly sweet moments. The storytelling feels very casual and naturalistic, almost improvised at times, with multiple conversations occasionally going on at once. It's a sweet little inconsequential story about friends, and the free snacks are great!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Laramie Project" and "The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later" by Uprising Theatre Company at Howard Conn Fine Arts Center

Twenty years ago last month in a small college town in Wyoming, a young gay man was brutally beaten and tied to a fence post, left to die. The name Matthew Shepard has become synonymous with gay rights and in particular with the national hate crime legislation that bears his name, passed into law 11 years after his murder. Unfortunately Matthew's story is not unique, but for some reason it capture the nation, and he became a symbol for a larger movement toward equality and justice. Much has changed for the better in the last 20 years, including the hate crime legislation and the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act. But hate crimes still happen, against members of the LGBTQ community, against Jews, against people of color, against immigrants. As demonstrated by this sad fact, along with the current White House resident's threat against the very existence of our transgender citizens, the good work being done in Matthew's name is far from over. This Tuesday offers a great opportunity to continue that work by voting for equality, for compassion, for humanity, for the environment, for justice. Thanks to Uprising Theatre Company for sharing the spirit of Matthew Shepard by presenting The Laramie Cycle at this moment in time.