"Private Lives" at the Guthrie Theater

The summer of Noël Coward* continues. We started with Blithe Spirit at Theatre in the Round in June, continued with the regional premiere of the new play The Cottage written in the Noël Coward-esque style but with a more modern and feminist sensibility, closing its run at Gremlin Theatre this weekend, and now we've arrived at the Guthrie Theater's stylish production of Private Lives. This show concludes my 22nd season as a Guthrie subscriber, and I last saw it as the opener to my 5th season as a subscriber, 19 years ago. That was pre-Cherry and Spoon, so I have next to no memory of it, and this was like seeing the play for the first time. It's a hilarious comedy, with clever and biting dialogue, showcasing some pretty terrible people that are fun to laugh at. The cast is fantastic, the design is positively luscious, and the three acts fly by at a breathless pace. See it on the Guthrie thrust stage now through August 23.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Little Apple Theatre at the Historic Mounds Theatre

Viewing The Importance of Being Earnest through a queer lens makes so much sense (especially considering playwright Oscar Wilde's importance in queer history), that I'm surprised to one has thought of it before. Well maybe they have, but new #TCTheater company Little Apple Theatre is the first company I've seen do it that way. Their production, playing at the Historic Mounds Theatre in St. Paul's Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, is quite charming and amusing, not just as a fine production of this clever play, but also in the way it reimagines the relationships in the story, with only one minor edit to the dialogue. And even more intriguing, after this play closes on August 2, they will be doing a different reimagined version of the play at Minnesota Fringe Festival, with the same director and some of the same cast members, but shorted to under one hour, and with all the characters as vampires (because Fringe). See this "Earnestly Queer" production of The Importance of Being Earnest at the Mounds Theatre through August 2, and then see The Importance of Being Eternal at Open Eye Theatre August 8-15 as part of the Fringe.

"The Lamentable Tragedie of Titus Andronicus" by The Birth Play Project at The Black Forest Inn

The Birth Play Project's latest Shakespearean adaptation in their mission to "place reproductive stories in public memory" is his bloodiest and most brutal play, The Lamentable Tragedie of Titus Andronicus, believed to be the first tragedy he wrote. This play is so rarely done that this theater blogger, who tries to see everything that #TCTheater has to offer, has only seen it once, and that was a one-hour Fringe version. So to my knowledge this is the first full production of Titus Adronicus in at least the last 15 years of #TCTheater. Why did they choose this play, and what does it have to do with birth? It all makes sense when you see it. Like in their production of Measure for Measure, they bring the off-stage birth on stage, in this story that is at least in part about a mother's search for vengeance for her murdered child(ren). But as director Zillah Glory Langsjøen said in her pre-show speech, this production of Titus Andronicus is not a revenge play, but a grief and a grievance play. A play about the potential for healing after tragedy, trauma, and violence, something that resonates deeply with this community in this space, mere feet from where Alex Pretti was murdered six months ago. It's playing through August 1 only, and space is limited, so don't wait too long to get tickets.

"Jewelry Power Elite" at the Dudley Riggs Theatre

If you can't wait for the Minnesota Fringe Festival, which starts in less than two weeks, get a preview of what's to come by seeing a remount of one of last year's hits Jewelry Power Elite. But it's not just a remount. Lauren Anderson (the longest reigning cast-member of Brave New Workshop) has expanded her first solo show, adding a brand new second act that allows for some fun (voluntary) audience participation, and more importantly, allows Lauren to reflect on Operation Metro Surge, and the way she uses jewelry, and comedy, to support the soldiers fighting the good fight (like Bob Hope on a USO tour). There are three more performances of Jewelry Power Elite in the ground floor space of Dudley Riggs Theatre, home to the longest running comedy theater in the country, Brave New Workshop (Battle of the Improv All-Stars playing now through August 8, The Algorithm is Gonna Get You opening August 13). Operated by Hennepin Arts, they've been using this space more lately, including hosting my favorite improv show Family Dinner over the holiday season, and my second favorite improv show Off Book, which performed a few weeks ago and will hopefully be back. If you're in need of a laugh, check out all of the options for Comedy on Hennepin, beginning with the hilarious, personal, relatable Jewelry Power Elite.

"The Hobbit" by Zephyr Theater at Aamodt's Apple Farm

Theatre in the Round's virtually sold-out run of playwright Greg Banks' 5-actor 90-minute adaptation of The Hobbit (which was commissioned by and premiered at Children's Theatre Company in 2019) closed less than two months ago. Just last night, Stillwater-based Zephyr Theatre opened their production of this play, outdoors at Aamodt's Apple Farm. Why another production of The Hobbit so soon? Why not? The two 2026 productions are so different from each other, and so different from the 2019 production, as to almost feel like different adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkein's beloved first novel in what would become the Lord of the Rings universe, that has delighted audiences for almost 90 years. TRP set their production decades in the future after an apocalyptic event, with survivors gathering to tell each other stories as their only entertainment, and really leaned into the importance of storytelling, and this story in particular. Zephyr's production is in a beautiful outdoor setting, making it easier to imagine the green fields and dense woods of Middle Earth, and leans into the idea of the reluctant hero, and the importance of standing up for what's right, especially in terms of supporting our friends, neighbors, or even strangers who are suffering injustices (something that, as the director notes in the program, feels very familiar in the Twin Cities in 2026). But this is still very much a story of dwarves and trolls and goblins and elves, and one brave hobbit who left his her cozy home to help a friend (continuing through August 2).

"Hamlet" by The Gray Mallard Theater Company at Sociable Cider Werks

Shakespeare at the Pub is back! This is the 5th year of The Gray Mallard Theater Company's summer Shakespeare productions outside Sociable Cider Werks, their only show of the year. For the 3rd year in a row, I sat on a folding chair in a parking lot enjoying a locally made cider and an intimate, accessible, and engaging production of one of the Bard's best works. And this is perhaps the best weather I've had for this outdoor production, with a lovely cool summer day in the '70s, a welcome break from the unbearable heat and dangerous smoke coming down from the fires in the Northland (which cancelled their opening night last week). I had to put on a jacket as the sun went down, the stars came out, and the stage lights went on, appropriate for this story of Prince of Denmark as it descends into darkness. Head to Northeast Minneapolis some Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday through August 2 to see this excellent production of Hamlet in a unique setting. Bring a chair or get there early to claim one of their padded folding chairs, grab a cider or other beverage inside of Sociable and/or a burger from Smashed Patty's (house-made tofu burgers also available), and settle in for some FREE Shakespeare.

"Church Basement Ladies: A Second Helping" by Rags to Rags Productions at Plymouth Playhouse

Almost one year to the date and I'm back in the basement. The literal basement beneath a Ramada Inn where Plymouth Playhouse is located, and the theatrical basement that is the setting for the Minnesota-grown musical comedy franchise known as Church Basement Ladies. The first musical in what was to become a series premiered in 2005 at the Plymouth Playhouse, written by Jim Stowell and Jessica Zuelhlke based on the book Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, with music and lyrics by Drew Jansen. That was before my time as a theater blogger, and somehow I also missed out on the eight sequels, all penned by original cast member Greta Grosch, with Dennis Curley joining the songwriting team. Lucky for me, Rags to Rags Productions began what I hope is a full series rewatch last year, so I was able to jump in on the ground floor, or basement, as it were. After seeing the original The Church Basement Ladies last year, I wrote "this musical comedy is very broad, very corny, very Minnesotan, and whole lot of fun.... and I hope to visit the basement again!" My hopes were realized; this year they're doing the second show in the series, aptly titled A Second Helping. Because it is exactly that - a second helping of the humor, the heart, the bad puns, the physical comedy, and the Minnesota references. You can see it now through August 23, but don't worry if you haven't seen the first one, you'll have no trouble jumping into the story and falling in love with these charmingly quirky (and familiar) characters.

2026 Minnesota Fringe Festival Must-See List

We've reached the dog days of summer, with a string of 90+ degree days, and devastating wildfires in Northern Minnesota and Canada that at times make our air quality here in the Twin Cities dangerous. But #TCTheater has not taken a summer hiatus; I'm busier this summer than any summer I can remember. And that will continue into early August when I attend my 16th MN Fringe. The 33rd Annual Minnesota Fringe Festival runs from August 6th through the 16th, with some 100+ shows having five performances each at venues around Minneapolis, most of them clustered around the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. After 33 years, the Festival runs like clockwork (thanks to the hard-working staff and volunteers), so it's easy to get out and see one, or a handful, or dozens of shows, those that fit your interests, and those that expand your comfort zone. Visit the Fringe website to peruse the schedule and make your plans, or keep reading for a dozen or so shows that I recommend (most of them from artists I know and love), as well as some helpful tips for Fringe newbies. See you at the Fringe!

"The Butler Did It" at Park Square Theatre

The Park Square Theatre summer mystery is back, and it's a good one! Summery mystery plays have been a tradition at Park Square for decades, with a few years off for various reasons. This year they're premiering a brand new mystery play by prolific local playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher, an expert at the form. The title of the play - The Butler Did It - tells us that this play is not a whodunnit, but rather a "howcatchem," in which the fun is not in trying to solve the mystery, but rather in watching a smart detective figure out what we already know. In a note in the program, Jeffrey Hatcher explains that he had the idea for this story when writing for the 1990s reboot of the 1970s Peter Falk howcatchem TV series Colombo. He never got to write that episode, so now we get to enjoy it on the Park Square stage. This production is practically perfect in every way - direction, casting, acting, design, execution - and it's very funny, entertaining, engrossing, and still with some surprises in the details even if we do already know whodunnit. See it at Park Square Theatre in lovely downtown St. Paul now through August 16.

"Twelfth Night" by Brick by Brick Players at Bumbling Fools Mead

Last night I descended into a hot and labyrinthian basement of a building in Northeast Minneapolis (not far from The Crane Theater) to check out a new-to-me theater company. Despite the heat, I was impressed by Brick by Brick Players' mission ("to create Theatre of Joy in the Traumatized Body"), and their production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Similar to Ten Thousand Things, they are bringing this production out into the community, performing at a juvenile detention center and elder care facilities, and they also have an outreach program called "Safely Thus: Hope and Healing through Shakespeare." This production of Twelfth Night is a great example of finding joy after trauma, set in some kind of fallout shelter, characters bloodied and dirty, with lots of references to our recent occupation by armed agents terrorizing our streets. But yet, there is much joy in the finding of love and laughter and community. Unfortunately, seating is limited in the found space inside Bumbling Fools Mead, and their entire two-weekend run is sold out. But this is a company that should be on your radar, follow them on social media for upcoming events, including a production of Every Brilliant Thing this fall, which is very much a play about finding joy after trauma.

"Tape" by Vertigo Theater at the Hive Collaborative

New theater company Vertigo Theater makes an impressive debut with the one-act three-hander Tape, playing a The Hive Collaborative for a short two-week run. Most of the artists involved are recent graduates of the Guthrie / U of MN BFA program, several of whom were part of the 2025 graduating class's fantastic production of Jez Butterworth's epic play The Ferryman. I'd never seen or heard of Tape (although it was adapted into a film in 2001 starring then-married Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, along with Robert Sean Leanard), and it's super intense. It's basically one long scene, mostly between two characters, with the late introduction of a third. It's the kind of play that feels like an acting exercise, with really complex and very real characters, and these three actors excel at the exercise. It's a taut and gripping 60 minutes that'll leave you with more questions than answers. Tape has four more performances at the Hive; it's a great chance to see some talented young artists who you will very likely be seeing more of in the future, and take in this intense and engrossing play.

"The Prom" at Lyric Arts

Lyric Arts production of the 2019 multiple Tony nominated musical The Prom (only the second in #TCTheater) is so joyous and big-hearted, so funny and inspiring, that it deserves to sell out every performance, like their recent production of Mamma Mia! did. Despite being about the seemingly radical idea of two teenage girls in small-town America going to the prom together (inspired by a real-life event), The Prom really is a good old-fashioned musical comedy. It's hilarious, chock full of musical theater references, and full of big musical numbers. Lyric Arts has assembled a fantastic cast and creative team and put together a show that will make you laugh and make you cry, sometimes at the same time! Do your heart a favor and get a ticket to this Prom, whether you have a date or not, and experience the joy.