Road to the City of Apples; A Clown in Exile; In Algeria They Know My Name: Three Plays at the New Arab American Theatre Works Festival

by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE  How do you navigate the cultures of the Middle East and America’s heartland as an Arab-American experiencing an identity crisis? A trio of plays by impressively talented local Arab-American playwrights and artists explore this theme and are showcased this week through July 12 at Mixed Blood Theatre. The festival is organized by a group of  Minneapolis-based artists of the…

Camelot

by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Camelot, now at the Ordway through Sunday, offers a lush set design and costumes, classic Lerner and Loewe lyrics and the timeless Arthurian Knights of the Round Table fable of love, honor, chivalry and justice. The brilliant set design of the musical (Kevin Depinet) and orchestration (Marshall Keating) were freshly reimagined and updated to evoke a slightly…

Happy Days: A New Musical

By LIZ BYRON. Yes, that’s right, there is a musical based on the TV show Happy Days. Now, I have to admit that I’ve never seen a single episode of the iconic show (blame it on my age plus my general preference for books over TV as a kid), but my theatre companion had, which…

Carmen

By LIZ BYRON. Carmen is a classic opera whose music is so well-known that even opera virgins will probably recognise some of the songs. Indeed, I walked into the Ordway knowing nothing about the opera but that it featured a woman, presumably named Carmen, who might at some point wear a red dress. But it…

Peter Pan

BY TAMAR NEUMANN: Peter Pan has always held a magical place in our hearts since it first took the stage. I think it’s because Peter Pan, the boy, reminds us all of the innocence of childhood. Either that, or we all just wish we had the ability to fly. In any case, Peter Pan continues…

These are the Men

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…

Leah’s Train

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…

Death Tax

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…

HIR

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…