"Sleuth" at the Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie's new offering playing on their proscenium stage is the 1971 Tony-winning play Sleuth, which I've never seen or even heard of (it's never been revived on Broadway). Written by English playwright Anthony Shaffer (twin brother of two-time Tony winning playwright Peter, for Amadeus and Equus), it's an unclassifiable thrill ride of a play. Part mystery, part psychological thriller, part relationship drama, and full of inspected twists, I could not figure out what this show was or where it was going. At the end of Act I, I thought, what now? When Act II began I thought, wait, what's happening? And the twists and turns just kept coming, with tons of theater tricks that I won't spoil here. I can't tell you too much about this play without spoiling the delightful surprises, but I can tell you it's gorgeously designed, fabulously acted, and fully engrossing from start to finish. See it now through May 10.

"Abuelita" by Prime Productions at the Capri Theater

Prime Productions is continuing their work that "amplifies the voices of women over fifty" with a world premiere new play that, while not written by a woman in her prime, is centered around several of them. NYC-based playwright Nathan Yungerberg (who has Midwestern roots) has written a fictional story inspired by his real-life experience as a biracial adoptee growing up in the Midwest and connecting to his Afro-Caribbean heritage later in life. A story of a 15-year-old boy finding his identity with the help of his "Abulelitas" (if Abuela is Spanish for grandmother, what does Abuelita mean? that you love your Abuela a lot, as one of the characters says). It's a story of community, of grief, of healing, of growing up, of not growing old but continuing to change and explore all that life has to offer. The beautiful, funny, authentic new play Abuelita continues at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis through March 29.

"The Yeoman of the Guard" by The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company at the Conn Theater

After 10+ years of seeing Gilbert and Sulivan operettas by The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company (GSVLOC, which has been around for over 40 years), I thought I knew what a G&S show was - a silly fantastical story, over the top characters, social commentary conveyed through comedy, ending with happily ever after (usually via a wedding or two). But then I saw The Yeoman of the Guard (their current show continuing through March 29), which does not fit the usual model. Yes, there is still some comedy, and fast patter songs, and a bit of silliness. But overall, it's a much more somber story, one that does not end happily for everyone, and in fact ends on a tragic note. But I loved it all the more for that, and for showing me that I didn't know everything G&S was or could be. But like all G&S shows done by GSVLOC, it's musically gorgeous, performed by an ensemble of 30-some singers, with a backstage orchestra of about that size. If you enjoy G&S, there is much to love here, and if you think you know them, there is much to surprise and endear you even more to them.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

The subtitle A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is the perfect description of Oscar Wilde's most popular play The Importance of Being Earnest. It is so silly, so full of comedy zingers and ridiculous characters, so biting in its mockery of proper late 19th Century British society. Lakeshore Players Theatre's new production, directed by #TCTheater veteran actor and director Craig Johnson, is running for only two weekends, and it's perfectly delightful. Head to downtown White Bear Lake by March 22 to catch this frothy, yummy, and hilarious classic comedy.

"Mrs. Porter and Mr. Parker" by Stage North at Open Book

Stage North returns, nearly a year and a half since their excellent production of the play Mauritius, with a new original musical revue all about two important artists of early 20th Century America - songwriter Cole Porter and poet/writer/critic Dorothy Parker, featuring the songs of the former and the poems and witticisms of the latter. In many ways they lived parallel lives, although they didn't seem to intersect much. Stage North's Artistic Director Peter Moore has imagined a conversation between them in some sort of afterlife where great artists go when they leave this world (sounds like a great place to spend eternity). It's funny and charming and a bit bittersweet; despite their upbeat work neither one lived a life without sorrow. And it's chock full of great songs from the American songbook, performed by six singers accompanied by a three-piece band in the intimate unamplified space at Open Book. Like in the opening song "Well, Did You Evah," it was utterly delightful to forget the awful headlines of the day for a couple hours and enjoy this swanky and entertaining party (continuing through March 29).

"Waking Miss Daisy" by Combustible Company at The O'Shaughnessy's Frey Theater

#TCTheater veteran actor James Craven starred in Jungle Theater's production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Driving Miss Daisy in 2013, a play that I (a White woman from Minnesota) saw and loved, seeing it for what it is on the surface - the story of an enduring lifelong friendship. But James, with his experience as a Black man, looked deeper, and asked questions about what was going on just outside the action of this play, in the American South in the mid-20th Century. He did not get satisfactory answers, but it did inspire him to write his own version of the play, which 13+ years later he has done, along with Combustible Company's Kym Longhi who also directs the piece. The result is an unflinching look at the ugliest parts of American history. The parts that we don't like to remember, that we like to pretend are over and done with, the parts that the current administration is trying to erase. But now more than ever it's important to remember all of our history, even or especially the ugly parts, to ensure they don't happen again. It's time for Miss Daisy, and all of the Miss Daisies out there, to wake up to the reality of what her dear Hoke's life was like, what his family's life was like, when he wasn't driving her around. As with all of Combustible's work, this piece uses movement to help tell the story, with the addition of historical images to really bring this history to vivid life. Unfortunately this is a super short run, and only three performances remain, but if you're able, please go see this powerful, sobering, and important new work (through March 14 at the O'Shaughnessy's Frey Theater on the campus of St. Catherine University).

"The Welkin" by Frank Theatre at Gremlin Theatre

My previous experience with British playwright Lucy Kirkwood is the three-person drama The Children, an intimate, personal, and political story about the fallout of a nuclear disaster, which Jungle Theater produced in 2019 shortly after it premiered on Broadway. Her 2020 play The Welkin is quite the opposite in scale, featuring a cast of 16 and set in the 18th Century. But it's similar in the way it deals with thorny issues that are both personal and political, and I can't think of a better theater company to bring us the regional premiere than Frank Theatre. It's epic in scale and length (nearly three hours) and in the way that it depicts the arduous life of women in 18th Century England, with parallels to the here and now. The cast is a veritable Who's Who of #TCTheater female actors, and watching them tell this story on Gremlin's intimate stage under Wendy Knox's expert direction is a thrill, if a bit of a dark and depressing one. So take a nap, have an afternoon coffee, and go see this astounding regional premiere production of The Welkin (continuing through March 29).

"You Know, David Beukema *Can* Sing" at the Hive Collaborative

I know that David Beukema can sing, having seen him in several musicals. But more often in the last 10+ years I've seen him in plays; he's the rare #TCTheater actor that moves back and forth between plays and musicals, seemingly with ease. Turns out he has a case of Musical Imposter Syndrome (MIS), which he works through in his charming cabaret show entitled You Know, David Beukema *Can* Sing. It's the sort of solo show you might see at a Fringe Festival, combining stories from his life with songs that are meaningful to him. He's funny and vulnerable and endearing as he tells his story in song in the cozy cabaret setup at The Hive Collaborative, with only three more performances this weekend!

"Strange Heart: The Dream Songs of John Berryman" at Open Eye Theatre

I have to admit, I'd never heard of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Berryman, who taught at the University of Minnesota for much of his career. I'll also admit that I'm not a big fan of poetry, I never really read it on my own because I have a hard time making sense of it (but maybe poetry isn't supposed to make sense). That's why I love seeing poems or poetry depicted on stage, in the more familiar language of theater, or better yet, music-theater. I went to see the world premiere of Strange Heart: The Dream Songs of John Berryman at Open Eye Theatre for two reasons - Bradley Greenwald and Anna Hashizume - and I was rewarded with a very dreamlike show. Like poetry, it doesn't always make sense, it doesn't follow a straight line, it jumps around from one time or place to another. But also like poetry, it makes you feel things, even if you're not sure why. Strange Heart is odd, and funny, and silly, and heartbreakingly sad as it explores the life and work of a tortured artist, through his words put to music. You can experience this strange and lovely dream now through March 22.

Broadway tour of "Water for Elephants" at the Orpheum Theatre

The 7-time Tony-nominated 2024 Broadway musical Water for Elephants brings the circus to town for one week only at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, and it's pretty thrilling! The circus elements, puppetry, and great score by the indie folk band PigPen Theater Co. combine for a show that has both spectacle and substance. I've not read the book upon which it is based nor seen the 2011 movie adaptation, but I really enjoyed the touching, if not particularly unique, memory play about a man looking back on his life in the circus in the 1930s. Click here for info and tickets, including student, educator, and performing arts industry rush tickets.

"And Then There Were None" at Lyric Arts

Well-dressed people staying in a fancy and isolated house keep getting murdered. No, I'm not talking about The Traitors, I'm talking about Agatha Christie's novel-turned-play And Then There Were None, which I'm now convinced was the inspiration for The Traitors. Watching this gripping and deliciously suspenseful play is a little like breakfast in the castle, wondering who won't enter the room (and the audience reacts almost as big as the cast of The Traitors does!). As there are fewer and fewer of them left, they all begin to suspect each other of being the murderer, the traitor. Who is it? I won't say (and I haven't watched The Traitors finale yet so don't tell me), but even though I had seen this play eight years (and 1000+ shows) ago, I didn't guess who the murderer was. This play is a classic and a lot of fun, even though the original title is extremely offensive. But if you can put the origins aside, Lyric Arts' production of this classic is well cast and expertly designed and executed. See it at on their Main Street theater in Anoka through March 22, and don't forget the popcorn!

"Beowulf" and "Feast" by Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Black Forest Inn

Iowa-based Playwrights' Center affiliated writer Megan Gogerty wrote (and performed in) her play Feast, an alternative version of the Beowulf story as told from the point of view of the monster Grendel's mother, in 2019. Walking Shadow Theatre Company premiered their production in 2023, and have brought it back a few times since. But seeing it last night (for the first time in three years), it felt like it was written for this moment, for this place. They're performing at the Black Forest Inn at the corner of 26th and Nicollet in Minneapolis, mere feet from where Alex Pretti was murdered by federal agents five weeks ago. The play is about a lot of things, not the least of which is the abuse of power perpetrated upon people by "strong men," and some of the lines and themes resonate so strongly with today that it's unsettling. But also reassuring, to know that humans have been dealing with these issues for thousands of years, and still, somehow, we survive. The closing line of the play is "justice, now," which has never felt more urgent. A lot of us have "little baby rage" these days, and it's comforting to see it reflected in this new version of an ancient story. The eerie resonance of this play is one reason to see it, the other is Isabel Nelson's masterful and mesmerizing performance. And if you see it on a Saturday, I recommend going early to see John Heimbuch's solo performance of Beowulf, a one-hour one-person version of the original story. It's a great companion piece, and unless you're a Beowulf scholar or have recently read the ancient epic poem, it provides some nice background to the main event. The Feast continues weekends through the end of March, with one pay-what-you-can Monday performance on the 2nd. It's a must-see theatrical event, whether you've seen it before or not.