Have you ever done something without knowing why? –so asks a character in If You Don’t Weaken, and it comes at a very timely moment, for the audience may just be asking themselves why this woman is making such inexplicable, illogical decisions in her life. So is the character’s friend, for that matter. After all, why…
At one point during The Illusionists: Witness the Impossible, one of the titular performers asked an audience member if he had ever wanted to be a magician. “Yes,” the man answered, and when asked why he never pursued this, he explained, “Well, I was 8.” The implications were obvious — being a magician is not…
Walking into the Southern Theater to see a retelling of a story first performed on stage over two millennia ago is a wonderful experience. The contrast of the exposed modern lighting and minimalist set pieces to the beautiful, century-old proscenium arch is a fantastic metaphor for the show itself, blending old and new. These are the Men is a…
By LIZ BYRON. Leah’s Train is officially the first play I have ever seen that included time travel without a trace of science fictioniness (real word). It’s also the first production I’ve seen that involved Jewish migrants during wartime that didn’t depress me, and one of the only times I’ve seen an actor under the age…
The Pillsbury Production of Death Tax: Living On By ADAM SCHENCK and BECKY HALAT Imagine a world where instead of death being the great equalizer, one can live on—“be preserved”—if one has the money to maintain care. Lucas Hnath’s script offers a somewhat frightening look at the future of elder care, showing the awkward discussions…
By LIZ BYRON. “So, what’s the play about?” a friend casually asked me, when I told her I’d seen Mixed Blood Theatre‘s production of HIR. It took me a moment to compose an answer for her, because this play is just so full of story that I didn’t even know where to start. It’s about gender identity and sexuality…
By LIZ BYRON. Project Opera’s Music of Mozart is described as “a Mozart Dance Party – 1980s style”. Picture teens with crimped hair, Madonna-inspired fingerless gloves, and neon t-shirts. Now picture 18th century high-piled wigs, bustles, and velvet waistcoats. Now mix them together, and add some Magic Flute, and you’ve got it. Project Opera is the youth training…
By REBECCA HALAT and ADAM SCHENCK. Time: is it a theme or a medium? The phenomenon of people living to unforeseen old age hasn’t been seen since biblical times, and old age is definitely ripe for investigation through the theatrical arts. Anyone who has visited an elder family member in an “old folks’ home,” or…
By LIZ BYRON. The Jungle Theater’s 25th season opened this weekend with Gertrude Stein and a Companion. Particularly notable is the fact that this is the 8th time this show has been played at the Jungle, and with the same two actors, no less. If a show warrants repeating 8 times, it seems safe to…
By ADAM M. SCHENCK A Bigger, Smaller America: Review of Loudmouth Collective’s Production of A Bright New Boise Perhaps no other culture outside the contemporary United States has had such a cleft between its belief in freedom while continually finding itself tied to the past. As Americans, we believe ourselves free to act unencumbered by…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 