"Vincent River" at the Crane Theater

I was lucky enough to catch the last performance of the blink-and-you'll-miss it run of the regional premiere of Vincent River by English playwright Philip Ridley, in fact just the second US production. The play was independently produced by multi-talented #TCTheater artist Grant Sorenson, who also directed. You might remember Grant as one of the founding members of 7th House Theater Company, or in performances at various theaters around town. He notes in the program that when he recently re-read this play that he first experienced in college, he felt that he had to make it happen in the Twin Cities. And that's why this is such a great theater town; he called a few friends, secured some donor support, found a venue, rehearsed for a few weeks, and happen it did! Written in 2000, this play about a mother grieving her (unbeknownst to her) gay son murdered in a hate crime is sadly still relevant (see also Uprising Theatre's recent production of The Laramie Project for the 20th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder). It's a difficult play to watch, but beautifully and smartly written, and beautifully produced by Grant and his team despite the limitations of time and budget.