"And Then There Were None" at Lyric Arts

Well-dressed people staying in a fancy and isolated house keep getting murdered. No, I'm not talking about The Traitors, I'm talking about Agatha Christie's novel-turned-play And Then There Were None, which I'm now convinced was the inspiration for The Traitors. Watching this gripping and deliciously suspenseful play is a little like breakfast in the castle, wondering who won't enter the room (and the audience reacts almost as big as the cast of The Traitors does!). As there are fewer and fewer of them left, they all begin to suspect each other of being the murderer, the traitor. Who is it? I won't say (and I haven't watched The Traitors finale yet so don't tell me), but even though I had seen this play eight years (and 1000+ shows) ago, I didn't guess who the murderer was. This play is a classic and a lot of fun, even though the original title is extremely offensive. But if you can put the origins aside, Lyric Arts' production of this classic is well cast and expertly designed and executed. See it at on their Main Street theater in Anoka through March 22, and don't forget the popcorn!

"Proof" at Gremlin Theatre

The 2001 Tony winner for Best Play, Proof ran for two and a half years on Broadway, had a national tour (rare for a non-musical), and was adapted into a 2005 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Gyllenhaal. There have been several local productions, but not in 5+ years, so it was time to revisit this brilliant play, and thankfully Gremlin Theatre is doing just that. I fell in love with the play when I saw it on tour 20+ years ago; in contrast to my current nearly 15 years as a theater blogger, I was a math major, so I love all of the math references and discussions of proofs and higher mathematics. But it wasn't just math nerds who made this play so popular. Despite the fact that I like to call Proof my second* favorite math play, it's about so much more than math. It's about family dynamics, caring for aging parents, relationships between very different siblings, mental illness, and what we inherit from our parents vs. making our own life separate from them. As per usual, Gremlin's production is practically perfect in every way - an excellent cast, clear direction, and spot-on design. See it in their Vandalia Towers theater (in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood) between now and March 30, and for one of the best and most convenient dinner-and-a-show pairings in town, visit Lake Monster Brewing in the same building, where you can now order delicious OG Zaza pizza from across the patio (bonus: as spring weather arrives, you can enjoy your beer and pizza al fresco).

"Homo Dramaticus" by Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater at the Southern Theater

Teatro del Pueblo and Pangea World Theater are combining their resources and talents for their new production of Homo Dramaticus, a series of three short plays by Argentinian playwright Alberto Adellach. Written in response to the Dirty War in Argentina (disclaimer: pretty much everything I know about Argentinian politics is from the musical Evita), these plays are a bleak look at the war and violence in his world, and in ours. They're written in the absurdist style, which means they're not so much narrative stories as a series of characters, scenes, images, feelings. It's beautifully acted and directed, and gorgeously designed. And while I didn't always understand what was happening, this production succeeds in evoking feeling of grief, horror, and dismay at the violence that seems to be intertwined with all of human history. This short run concludes on Sunday, with just three more performances at the Southern Theater.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" at Theatre in the Round

The 72nd season at the oldest theater in Minneapolis, Theatre in the Round, is a mix of new plays and classics, and they're starting with a classic - the 1939 dark comedy about sweetly murderous sisters, Arsenic and Old Lace. The 1944 film adaptation starring Cary Grant is a popular one, but of course it was a play first (and not surprisingly I've only seen it on stage). Theatre in the Round has gathered a large and talented cast to portray these oddball (but sometimes lovable) characters, with a detailed design in their in-the-round space, and beyond. It makes for a fun and entertaining night at the theater, continuing through October 1 (click here for info and tickets). Content warning: murder.