"Tristan Tzara Was My Best Friend in Junior High" at Mirror-Lab

And now for something completely different: Tristan Tzara Was My Best Friend in Junior High. The subtitle of this odd and charming little play is "A dinner party ritual," and that's exactly what it is. It's been around in various incarnations for about ten years, but this was my first experience with it. I'd tell you to go see it if you're looking for a different kind of theater experience, but there are only four performances and it's sold out (self-produced by the artists). Here's hoping they'll bring it back again - follow this website for more info.

"Hatchet Lady" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Red Eye Theater

On a Wednesday night with a nearly full house at the parking-challenged Red Eye Theater, I saw a bizarre and possibly brilliant creation. Walking Shadow's new bio-musical Hatchet Lady about temperance activist Carrie Nation is in some ways neither a biography nor a musical. There is music and it is somewhat about Carrie Nation, but it doesn't follow the structure of any musical I've seen. And that's a good thing. I'm at a bit of a loss how to talk about this one, but if you're looking for music-theater storytelling that is outside of the norm, you might want to try to snag a ticket to one of the few remaining performances. Going into its 3rd and final weekend, it seems to have built up quite a following based on word-of-mouth that has transcended the usual theater crowd. It's a wild 70-minute ride.