by SOPHIE KERMAN The 2013 Ivey Awards, the Twin Cities’ celebration of the best of theatre, have been awarded! How many have you seen? Lifetime Achievement Award: playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, nationally-renowned playwright, the Lifetime Achievement Award, Aisle Say reviews of a few of his plays: Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, Standing on Ceremony (contributor),…
by SOPHIE KERMAN David Lindsay-Abaire‘s Good People is a funny, scathing commentary on class privilege – but not for the reasons you might expect. Set in South Boston, Good People sets itself up as an answer to the classic question of whether social mobility is based on the all-American ideals of intelligence and hard work, or whether you…
by SOPHIE KERMAN In the artistic process, from the initial spark of an idea to the final performance of a show, a lot can go wrong. Moon Show 143, in a limited run at the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio, began as an intriguing idea: an exploration of humankind’s relationship to the moon. Adding puppets and an electronic soundtrack to…
It seems that everyone has decided to open their shows around the weekend of September 20 this year, and we just can’t cover it all! You can stay tuned for reviews of Moon Show 143 at the Guthrie (Sept 14-18), Good People at the Park Square (previews Sept 13, opens Sept 20) and Uncle Vanya at the Guthrie (again, previews…
by SOPHIE KERMAN For “Prairie Home Companion” fans who wish that the shores of Lake Wobegon saw a little more action, playwright Eric Webster has the answer for you: Shade’s Brigade, a 1950’s-style radio drama that’s all about adventure. In the role of Jack Shade, Webster has assembled a team of mercenaries (Dave Gangler, Lee Adams, and Shanan Custer)…
by SOPHIE KERMAN It’s August again, and that means that Scotty Reynolds, Marya Hart and the gang at Mixed Precipitation are back with another zany adaptation of a classic opera. If you’re new to the company, this is an annual tradition worth getting on board with. Each year, the company picks an opera, tweaks it to make…
I had planned to cover more than one show on my last day at Fringe, but my plans got unexpectedly cut short after my first performance of the day. Although I’m disappointed not to have seen more, The Grimmer Side: Classic Stories for a Modern Time served as an excellent capstone to the festival, as it embodies…
As far as solo shows go, I discovered yesterday how much they can inspire self-reflection. Tonight’s experience was less about introspection and more about compassion: not only towards others, but towards oneself. In Died in a Trailer Park, Woke Up a Mermaid, actress Ariel Leaf tells the story of her own circuitous journey, from an abusive relationship…
Some Fringe shows really don’t need reviewing, because they are pretty well guaranteed to sell out the entire run no matter what. The unusual thing about this show, however, is that it isn’t a big, flashy musical or a comedy by one of the known Twin Cities names. No, The Zebra Shirt of Lonely Children is a…
Like Liz, I felt the need to try something a bit different today. There were some highs and some lows of tonight’s selections, but it was an interesting smorgasbord! I first went to the Southern Theater to see Gray Matter, a dance performance choreographed by Zoé Emilie Henrot. I usually shy away from dance – not because I…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 