By MIRA REINBERG Even for those of us who are not devotees of Emily Dickinson, the life and consciousness of the poet remain a fascinating riddle. The historical period in which she lived – mid- to late nineteenth-century – was able to offer abundant documentation in the form of recorded accounts and letters, archived publications,…
by SOPHIE KERMAN Poor Sherlock Holmes! With the number of literary, theatrical, and cinematic re-imaginings he’s gone through since his inception in 1887, the man has a lot of baggage. His latest incarnation by Jeffrey Hatcher is “despondent”, as if the past century of crime-solving exploits has just about worn him out, but of course a new…
By MIRA REINBERG France in the eighteenth century was a hothouse for philosophical investigation and scientific inquiry. But in order to cultivate the mind and reap the benefits of the explosive intellectual environment of the age of Enlightenment, one would have to be of an origin that granted a title or wealth, preferably both. Certainly…
by SOPHIE KERMAN On the opening night of URINETOWN: the Musical, Jungle Theater Artistic Director Bain Boehlke proclaimed that this was sure to be the “runaway hit of the summer.” Artistic hubris? No, Boehlke is absolutely right. With a brutally sharp message and a five-star cast that can sing and dance like Lyndale Ave is the next…
by SOPHIE KERMAN The sad comedian might be a cliche, but playwright Thomas Ward has turned the stereotype into some very three-dimensional characters in his insightful short play International Falls. Directed by the Jungle Theatre’s Artistic Director Bain Boehlke, International Falls is being performed at the Bryant Lake Bowl, a much more fitting venue for a peek into a night…
by SOPHIE KERMAN It’s official: the success of the Loudmouth Collective is not a fluke. Following on her deep and funny January production of Will Eno’s “Thom Pain: Based on Nothing”, director Natalie Novacek opens the Loudmouth’s second season with another one-man show, no less well-acted or thought-provoking than “Thom Pain”. This time, we are treated to an unstoppable performance…
by MICHAEL J. OPPERMAN At the entrance to the theater hangs a sign warning that the Tesla coil to be fired during the performance is loud, but not dangerous. This caveat is a compelling prelude to an ambitious production. Assembling the peculiar narrative and bracing eccentricities of Nikola Tesla’s life into a coherent play is…
by SOPHIE KERMAN For both political and theatrical reasons, the story of gender transition is not told enough. Changing one’s gender presentation is by definition a form of theater; a dress can become a costume, and facial hair can transform a bearer of XX chromosomes into someone who is confident walking into the men’s bathroom.…
by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Homer’s the Iliad is among the oldest works of Western literature and its illumination of the heroism and horrors of war has resonated with listeners and readers throughout history. One of the most moving segments of An Iliad, now at the Guthrie Theater through May 26, was actor Stephen Yoakam’s minutes-long listing of every war in human history since the Trojan…
Mission Theater promises that its production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a “highly physical, energetic production”, and they aren’t lying. From start to finish, the play is bursting with energy. Characters dance, fight, frolic, and do just about anything but stay still. Australian director Penelope Parsons-Lord cleverly decided to use physicality to help…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 