"King Lear" at Theatre in the Round

To begin their 73rd season, the oldest theater in Minneapolis is going back to a classic - the Shakespearean tragedy about a king gone mad and his scheming heirs, King Lear. In an interesting twist, Theatre in the Round has tapped veteran #TCTheater actor Meri Golden to play Lear as a pants role (meaning Lear is still a King not a Queen, and referred to as male). She's fantastic, and it's wonderful to see a female actor get a crack at this iconic role. She's supported by a large and talented cast, and sparse but effective design, for an engaging take on this classic that I haven't seen in so long I didn't remember the details of the story or characters. When the board member introducing the show (as they always do at TRP) said "we do murder well," he was referring to their annual Agatha Christie play (this year: The Unexpected Guest opening in November), but he could just as well have been talking about this show. There is a lot of murder, some of it bloody, and it is, indeed, done well. King Lear continues at Theatre in the Round through October 6.

"The Three Musketeers" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

Lakeshore Players Theatre's ambitious 71st season began in August with the one-weekend-only regional premiere production of the smart, funny, poignant play What the Constitution Means to Me (which is being remounted tomorrow, September 17, and for a few dates in January). They're following up that excellent debut with a super fun swash-buckling spectacular - The Three Musketeers. Playwright Ken Ludwig, whose adaptations of the Robin Hood legend and Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express have been seen around town lately, applies his trademark wit and speed to this story for a fun, fresh, and modern take on the 19th Century French novel that is a familiar part of pop culture. The large and talented cast performs some mightily impressive fight scenes in this simple story of good vs. evil, with a true spirit of "all for one, and one for all." See it at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in charming White Bear Lake now through October 1.

"Pop Goes the Noggin" by SOS Theater at Gremlin Theatre

New #TCTheater company SOS Theater debuted a year and half ago with the dark comedy / family dramedy Roller Derby Queen. I really enjoyed that play, calling it "smart, funny, and well-written, with quirky but real characters," and was looking forward to their second outing. Pop Goes the Noggin is another new play written by Michele Lepsche, a dark comedy featuring quirky characters. Unfortunately it's an example of the proverbial sophomore slump as the great ideas don't quite come together, perhaps because due to an unexpected illness the playwright was unable to finish the play, which was completed by director Kari Steinbach and cast member Greta Grosch (one of the writers of the Church Basement Ladies series). But the play has an interesting premise, and a cast of unique and endearing characters (some more defined than others). There's definitely potential there, and it would be interesting to see it again after a round of revisions.

"The Beauty Queen of Leenane" by Theatre Pro Rata at Park Square Theatre

Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane is equal parts hilarious dark comedy and devastating tragedy, in the way that only a good Irish play can be. In their second play in partnership with Park Square Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata presents an excellent production of this dramedy, with a terrific four-person ensemble cast directed by Artistic Director Carin Bratlie Wethern on a set that looks realistic and lived-in. It's my first play of 2016, and if The Beauty Queen of Leenane is any indication, it's going to be another great year for theater in this town!