"Waiting for Godot" at the Guthrie Theater

Where do we go from here? On.

The Guthrie's first production of Samuel Beckett's classic Waiting for Godot since the year I was born (which was a long time ago), and Artistic Director's Joseph Haj's first time directing it, comes at the perfect time. Written as a reflection on the devastation of WWII, it speaks to the idea of waiting. For what? Anything. For things to get better, for things to get worse, for salvation. As cast member Jimmy Keiffer explained in a post-show discussion, absurdism is the idea that life has no meaning, so what do we do to give it meaning? What seems on the surface a silly and ridiculous little play at some point becomes exquisitely profound, with the "giving birth astride of a grave" of it all. And it's somehow oddly hopeful, despite the existential angst. In the face of destruction or disaster, the only thing we can do is go on. 

2026 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

Last weekend I went on my favorite Minnesota theater vacay - Great River Shakespeare Festival in lovely riverside Winona! But my 8th visit to Minnesota's only Shakespeare festival is even more exciting this year. It's the first time I've attended opening weekend, and it's not just any opening weekend, it's the opening of their new space in the historic Masonic Temple, known as The ARC. After a couple of decades of performing in Winona State University's theater, they now have their own space with everything and everyone under one roof - office space, design and costume shop, rehearsal space, and the theater itself. My fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (Minnesota Theater Love and The Stages of Minnesota) and I were thrilled to celebrate this milestone with them, and of course enjoy some great Shakespeare that is, as always at GRSF, clear, accessible, playful, inventive, and engaging. The festival continues through July 27, with performances Wednesdays through Sundays, typically with two shows on Fridays and Saturdays, so it's possible to drive down for the day (a lovely two-hour drive along the river) and see both shows. Or stay one night, or two, or extend your stay to enjoy the many recreational offerings in Winona (a fantastic art museum, incredible hiking in the river bluffs, great restaurants, cute shops). My favorite place to stay is Carriage House B&B, just down the street from The ARC and within walking distance of downtown. Or if you're looking for a luxury boutique hotel experience, check out the brand new Hotel 44 North right on the river. GRSF is a special place, and this is an exciting time for them as they embark on a new chapter in a new home that they can tailor to meet the needs of the company and the community, which includes both local residents and everyone who attends a show or event at GRSF.

"Primary Trust" at the Guthrie Theater

According to American Theatre magazine, the two most produced plays in America this season are Come From Away, which the Guthrie is producing next summer, and the 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Primary Trust, currently playing in the proscenium theater. I'm so glad that these two pieces will have the most productions this season, because both are such beautiful stories of connection, kindness, generosity, and community. It seems obvious from the fact that they're so popular that we are craving these kinds of stories right now, when the real world feels so harsh, ugly, fearful, and divisive. Stories of people coming together to help each other, either on the grand scale of thousands of strangers unexpectedly landing in a small town on 9/11, in need of food and shelter, or on the smaller scale of one lost and scared person searching for home. I didn't really know much about Primary Trust, by NYC-based playwright Eboni Booth, before I saw it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. It's so sweet, so tender, so achingly raw, so hopeful about humanity in a time when we need that. And it's also funny and brilliantly written. There's really nothing better than a piece of art that makes me laugh, cry, and think deep thoughts, and this play does it expertly and effortlessly. I'm sure the other 20 productions of this play around the country this season are good, but I really can't imagine they have a better cast, better direction, or better design than the one at our own Guthrie Theater (continuing through November 16).

2025 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

It's summer, and that means it's time for my favorite theater vacay in Minnesota - Great River Shakespeare Festival in lovely riverside Winona. For over 20 years, GRSF has been producing excellent theater, primarily but not exclusively Shakespeare, within a festival that includes community engagement events, making it all feel like a fun, welcoming, theater camp. With two shows performing in rep with an acting company of nine, you could make the two-hour drive down along the river and see both shows in one day (Friday or Saturday), or stay in Winona one night and get back home to continue your weekend, or stay several nights and enjoy all of the nature and activities that are to be found in Winona. This was my 7th year attending the festival and it was once again a fun, relaxing, engaging weekend. Now in the post-season pre-Fringe lull in #TCTheater is a great time to get out of town, enjoy summer in Minnesota, and experience theater in the festival setting! Shows continue for two more week/ends, so make your plans now!

"The Lehman Trilogy" at the Guthrie Theater

All I knew about The Lehman Trilogy before seeing the show (the first in my 21st season as a Guthrie Theater subscriber), was that it was three and a half hours long, but worth it. If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that my favorite thing is a 90-minute-no-intermission show (being a morning person with a theater habit is challenging). But when the story covers over 150 years of US history, multiple generations of a consequential family, and a thorough and unflinching look at capitalism, allowances must be made. The Guthrie has kindly moved showtimes a half hour earlier, and stocked their bars with coffee and other treats to keep you fueled for what is a marathon visit to the theater. It takes a little effort, but you will be rewarded by a beautifully and uniquely written Tony-winning play, fascinating design, and three powerhouse performances. And maybe you'll also start to question the very foundation of our society. So get a good night's sleep, or take an afternoon nap, get some coffee, get comfy, and settle in for a singular night (or afternoon) of theater at the Guthrie, continuing through October 12.

2024 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

Last weekend was my favorite Minnesota theater vacay of the year - the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona. I first attended the festival in 2018 with some of my Twin Cities Theater Blogger friends, and have been back every year since (not counting 2020 - the year that doesn't count), with those same friends, or different friends, or sometimes by myself. This is a smallest festival since I've been attending - only two shows with a company of nine actors, compared to twice that size pre-pan, but what's not smaller is the quality of the theater, the thought and care put into it by the entire team, and the community feeling of being at the festival. Two shows is better than none, and it makes it even easier to see everything in a short weekend trip. Or extend the trip by a few days and enjoy the lovely city of Winona, about a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities, with its ample opportunities for hiking, water sports, museums, shopping, restaurants, and other activities. The festival continues through July 28, so make your plans now for a quintessential Minnesota theater vacation!

The History Plays: "Richard II," "Henry IV," and "Henry V" in rep at the Guthrie Theater

Once in a lifetime, if you're lucky, you'll have a chance to experience an epic theater event at your home town theater, which just happens to be one of the best respected and most highly acclaimed regional theaters in the land. That was April 13, 2024, a day I will never forget, a day in which I consumed more theater than I ever have in a single day. Some 8 1/2 hours of theater, more than seeing Tony Kushner's epic two-part Angels in America on Broadway, more than the longest day at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Sometimes known as The Henriad, Shakespeare's Richard II, Henry IV (two plays here condensed into one), and Henry V tell the stories of three English kings in the late 14th and early 15th Centuries. But this was not some boring slog through ancient history and archaic language. It was a living, breathing, dynamic, compelling, thrilling, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, laugh-inducing, thoroughly engaging binge-watch of some of the best plays in the English cannon, brought to life by some of our best theater artists from the Twin Cities and around the country. Each play has a somewhat different tone or look or feel, but all are cut from the same cloth so that when knit together, they form a whole much grander than the sum of its parts. If you have the financial means and physical stamina to do so, I highly recommend attending the one remaining marathon day on May 18. It's a rare shared community experience, with artists and patrons joining their energies together for some 14 hours in the same space. Or you can take in the trilogy in a more reasonable manner - see all three plays in a weekend, or more spread out over time. But if you're a #TCTheater fan (and if you're not, why are you reading this blog?), see it you must. This is something we'll be talking about for generations. Click here for details and tickets.

"Twelfth Night" by Ten Thousand Things at Capri Theater

No one does Shakespeare like Ten Thousand Things. And though they also perform other classic plays, musicals, and new work, they often return to Shakespeare because "the stories allow for deep investigations of humanity in ways that speak to all audiences" (from a note in the program by Director Marcella Lorca and Assistant Director Peter Vitale). In the way only they can, TTT is able to distill Shakespeare's (and other) plays down to the emotional truth of the story, building it back up into something that's accessible and relatable for everyone - from experienced theater audiences to those in their performances out in the community. Twelfth Night, one of his most popular comedies, contains many of Shakespeare's favorite elements - twins, a shipwreck, mistaken identities, and fools. This incredible cast of eight plays all of the characters in the story and tells it with much playfulness, joy, and humanity. You can catch it at Capri Theater next weekend and next, or at Calvary Church November 17-19.

2023 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

I just returned from a whirlwind 28 hours in Winona attending the Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) for the 5th time. It's become a summer tradition for me and some of my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), and one that I hope will never end. Seeing multiple plays in rep performed by a company of talented actors from around the country in one weekend, in a location away from your home and daily life, allows for a unique and immersive theater experience, and one that's unique in the state of Minnesota. Winona is such a lovely town with plenty of other activities that we vowed to stay longer next year so we could enjoy the many restaurants and shops (which are often closed on Sunday), outdoor activities, museums, and more. GRSF is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and for more on the history, present, and future of the festival listen to the 4th episode of TCTB's new podcast "Twin Cities Theater Chat," in which we interview Artistic Director Doug Scholz-Carlson and Co-Associate Artistic Director Melissa Maxwell (available here or wherever you listen to podcasts). GRSF runs through the end of July, so you still have time to plan a mini-vacay and enjoy all that the festival, and the city of Winona, has to offer.

"Hamlet" at the Guthrie Theater

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, the Guthrie Theater is presenting Hamlet, a special show in the history of theater and in the history of the Guthrie. When Sir Tyrone Guthrie began his experiment in regional theater in 1963, fortunately for us right here in Minneapolis, chosen out of a bunch of cities that applied as if for the Olympics, the first show was Hamlet. It was also the final show in the original building by the Walker Art Center, in 2006, before the Guthrie moved to the big beautiful blue building on the river. Current Artistic Director and director of this production Joseph Haj calls Hamlet "arguably the greatest play ever written in the English language." It's only fitting that this show is on the Guthrie stage 60 years later, along with a line-up of new works and reinvented classics, celebrating and continuing the Guthrie's long legacy. If you've been following along, you know that I am currently in New York City, seeing as many Broadway shows as I can. But what we have in #TCTheater is every bit as good, from the Guthrie's three stages to the newest theater company on a tiny stage somewhere across town. A big part of the Guthrie's legacy is that they have fostered and attracted talented artists who have gone on to start their own companies, helping to create the rich theater tapestry that I've been lucky enough to write about for the past almost 13 years. This excellent production of Hamlet is a culmination of the last 60 years as well as a move towards the next 60.

"Mlima's Tale" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

It's been three years since Ten Thousand Things has been able to fulfill their mission of bringing theater to those who would otherwise never experience it, performing in prisons, community centers, shelters, and other public spaces. It feels like a good sign that maybe we're moving beyond the pandemic, or learning how to live with it, that they're able to perform in these spaces that have been deemed unsafe for the past few years. They're also back at their home base for public performances - Open Book on Washington in Minneapolis. Even though I've seen a few TTT shows at various other spaces in the last few years, for some reason this small brick-walled wood-floored room above this more-than-a-bookstore (with its coffee shop reopening soon) feels like the TTT of old. And what a perfect show to return with - Lynn Nottage's Mlima's Tale, following the journey of a "big tusker" elephant through his life in the Kenyan bush, his death at the hands of poachers, and even the journey of his tusks in the ivory market. It's funny and fantastical and tragic, and as always beautifully brought to life by some of #TCTheater's best artists in a small space with "All the Lights On," harnessing the power of collective imagination as we travel the world with Mlima. See it at Open Book now through March 12.

"Iphigenia at Aulis" by Ten Thousand Things at Luminary Arts Center

This fall, Ten Thousand Things, my favorite interpreter of Shakespeare and other classic works, brings us the Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis. Because they are not yet able to tour the show to their usual locations of community centers, homeless shelters, and prisons, they are presenting this show in a sort of hybrid style between the usual stripped-down bare-bones production in a small space surrounded by a few rows of chairs, and a more traditional proscenium style production. They also performed the show outdoors, which may have had a more TTT feel, but in the former Lab Theater, now known as Luminary Arts Center*, it still maintains the TTT hallmark of making classics feel fresh, relatable, and relevant, if in a more formal theater style (but still with "all the lights on"). They're set to return to touring this winter, which will likely bring back their usual style, but in the meantime, Iphigenia at Aulis is a gorgeous production with a large and hugely talented cast, that uses an original score to tell this ancient story.

2022 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

For the first time in three long years, Great River Shakespeare Festival is back inside the DuFresne Performing Arts Center on the Winona State University Campus. After their 2020 season was cancelled due the pandemic, they produced a wonderful and entirely outdoor festival in 2021 in a lovely space right on the river. But this feels like a return to festivals of old, complete with other events like discussions, ice cream socials, and pre-show entertainment. I never went to theater camp (although I did go to band camp), but GRSF feels like what theater camp might be like - an immersive theater experience with other theater nerds, plus fun summer activities. It continues for three more weekends and is just an easy and gorgeous two-hour drive from the Twin Cities, with lots to do in Winona including shopping, eating and drinking, arts and culture, and various outdoor activities. You can find all of the relevant information and purchase tickets on their website.

"The Comedy of Errors" by Ten Thousand Things at Plymouth Congregational Church

Last night I saw Ten Thousand Things perform Shakespeare (live and in-person, which 20 months ago would have seemed like an absurd qualifier), and for about 90 minutes, it felt like everything was right with the world. No one does Shakespeare like Ten Thousand Things; no one makes it as understandable, relatable, relevant, and fun. And when you're talking about Shakespeare's silliest and most slapsticky comedy, The Comedy of Errors, it's all about the fun. With just six actors playing all 15 (or 47, who's counting) roles, it's a rollicking good time. Of course not all is right with the world, we're still very much in the thick of this pandemic, which means TTT can't do their most important work - bringing theater out into the community to people who aren't usually able to experience theater. But they can still do what they do for the people who show up at Plymouth Congregational Church, with a pay-what-you-can option to make it more accessible. And what they do is tell stories, in the most delightful and in-the-moment way imaginable, with all the lights on.

"The Winter's Tale" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

Last night I posted on Instagram: "I know nothing about this play, but there's no one with whom I'd rather experience Shakespeare for the first time than @ttttheater." As it turns out, I have seen The Winter's Tale before, but it was eight and a half years ago and I had no recollection of it. Certain plot points did seem a little familiar, but I thought that was because Shakespeare tends to mix and match a finite selection of elements in his plays. No matter, the sentiment still holds: Ten Thousand Things does Shakespeare like no one else, making it accessible and understandable and relatable, whether you're familiar with the play or it's your first time (or you just have a really bad memory). Their production of The Winter's Tale opens their 2019-2020 season and goes from devastating to delightful in the space of two hours. Artistic Director Marcela Lorca (who took over the reigns from founder Michelle Hensley last year) directs this wonderful nine-person ensemble that combines TTT faves and TTT newbies to form an expert storytelling troupe. This is a story of hope, forgiveness, repentance, and the healing nature of time.

2019 Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona

Last weekend I attended the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona for the second year in a row. I had such a great time with my fellow bloggers from Minnesota Theater Love and Twin Cities Stages last year that we decided to go again this year. If you're looking for a fun Minnesota theater vacation, GRSF is it. Winona is a charming river town that's just a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities, with lots of hotels, restaurants, shops, outdoor activities, and an impressive art museum. And for those of us who love theater, there's truly nothing better that getting away from daily obligations to immerse yourself in theater for a few days. Especially when the theater is so well done, so thoughtful, so inclusive, and so engaging, like it is at GRSF. I don't recall another theater experience where the Managing (Aaron Young) and Artistic (Doug Scholz-Carlson) Directors of the theater can be seen mingling with the audience before, during, and after every performance, and where there are so many opportunities to interact with the artists through various programs and events. It really feels like a fun, festive, community event celebrating theater (mostly but not exclusively written by the Bard). Ticket prices are quite reasonable, with four-show passes ranging from $85 to $140 ($21 to $35 per show). The festival runs through August 4, so you still have time to visit this year. See the GRSF website for all the details, and check out VisitWinona.com for all of the other activities available (if you can tear yourself away from the theater).

"Julius Caesar" by The Acting Company at the Guthrie

The Acting Company's production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar* is an intense and beautifully acted drama, even if I didn't quite understand what the war was about or why (spoiler alert) everyone decided to stab themselves at the end.  I wasn't very familiar with the play (other than the well-known quotes "et tu, Brute," "beware the ides of March," and "friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!"), and it's a little too much war and politics for my taste.  (It brought to mind the magnificently epic HBO drama Rome, about some of the same historical figures, which I also remember loving except for all of the war and political drama.)  That being said, The Acting Company once again brings an energetic,  vibrant interpretation of Shakespeare to the Guthrie as one of the stops on their tour around the country.

Last year The Acting Company performed two Shakespeare plays in repertory - the hilarious slapstick comedy The Comedy of Errors and the classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet.  Four actors from last year's troupe return this year (including Juliet herself, Kaliswa Brewster as Caeser's wife, et al), joined by some familiar faces as well as some new ones.  It's a great ensemble, led by Bjorn DuPaty as the powerful, charismatic, and doomed title character.  But despite the title, the star of the play is Brutus, the conflicted friend of Caesar who loves Rome more than he loves Caesar, and therefore conspires to kill him to save the people of Rome from his tyranny.  William Sturdivant (a graduate of the U of M/Guthrie training program who's appeared several times on the Guthrie stage) makes this conflicted character completely believable, embracing Caesar even as he delivers the final blow, following through with what he started until the situation becomes hopeless.  Zachary Fine gives a wonderful performance as Mark Antony, who grieves for Caesar and promises to avenge his death.  He gets to play a wide range of emotions - devastated, angry, compliant, defiant, persuasive - and reels the audience in every time.  Kathleen Wise, one of only three women in the cast, also gives a fine performance in a short scene as Brutus' wife and as several other characters.

This is a modern-day production of an ancient story.  Contemporary clothing (the men in sharp suits, the women in business attire or beautiful dresses), cell phones, and a block of video screens make the drama feel current.  Walking into the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, cable news pundits are displayed on the video screens, and the play opens with a demonstration by cheering young people with signs.  It seems like a pretty high tech show to tour with, but it's a nice element that adds to the play.

The moral of the story (if there is one) - violence begets violence.  An arguably noble act leads to more destruction and war, the very thing they were trying to avoid.  That's an idea that is, unfortunately, timeless.  Julius Caesar plays at the Guthrie through the first week of February, and then continues on tour around the country, ending up in New York City in April.



*I received two free tickets to this play as part of "Blogger Night at the Guthrie."