by Christine Sarkes Art at the Guthrie Theater through January 28 thoughtfully and hilariously tackles a multitude of themes focused on friendship, the intrinsic and extrinsic value of art, and personal identity defined by relationships. The play, which won a Tony Award for Best Play in 1998 and was written by French playwright Yasmina Reza,…
Review by Christine Sarkes Bernhardt/Hamlet at The Crane Theater through October 14 is an exceptionally well-acted, highly entertaining theater-lovers play. As the title suggests, it centers on a point in time in the fascinating true life of French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who is coming to terms with her future career as an aging actress at…
by Christine Sarkes “In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.” – Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax, The Importance of Being Earnest In the spirit of Oscar Wilde’s Gwendolen Fairfax, I am beginning a review of The Importance of Being Earnest, Guthrie Theater’s brilliantly acted and amusing season opener, as I have never…
by Christine Sarkes Celebrating its 72nd anniversary, Theatre in the Round opens its season with a classic, screwball black comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace. Those of us ‘of a certain age’ will remember the brilliant 1944 movie adaptation, starring the incomparable Cary Grant and directed by the legendary Frank Capra. This zany and eccentric play…
If you grew up watching the 1986 animated classic An American Tail or it’s beloved sequel Fievel Goes West, you’re sure to love Children’s Theatre Company’s world premiere production of An American Tail the Musical, playing now through June 18th. The production is the perfect blend of nostalgia, creativity, and hope for a brighter world, and sitting in the audience full of delighted and curious children is always an adorable way to spend a couple hours.
by Erika Sasseville and Christine Sarkes (a mother/daughter review) In celebration of the Guthrie Theater’s 60th anniversary, Artistic Director Joseph Haj has staged a magnificent and powerful production of arguably one of the greatest plays of all time, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, on stage now through May 21. Sir Tyrone Guthrie directed this play to…
In 2009 Lin-Manuel Miranda performed a new piece at a White House Poetry Jam for the newly elected President Barack Obama. He nervously told the audience that he had been working on a hip-hop concept album based on the life of a man whom he believed “embodied hip-hop.” That man was an immigrant, a Founding Father, a Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton (played on the tour by Joseph Morales). In the end, he created a musical that blended hip-hop, R&B, rap, blues, jazz, and the broadway sound and went on to win 11 Tony Awards. Now on its second national tour, Hamilton will be playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis through October 7th.
Director Erika Sasseville and Black Dirt Theater have brought a rousing, ribald romp to the Hastings Middle School stage.
Christine Sarkes and Erika Sasseville (a mother/daughter review) What do two of the greatest literary figures of the Elizabethan era–William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe–create when they spend hours together writing a play? The answer: Fire and magic! That is what the audience witnessed during opening night of Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams at…
by Erika Sasseville and Christine Sarkes (a mother/daughter review) The national discussion over white supremacy in America needs Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant and heartrending adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It was only a matter of time before Sorkin–the all-time MVP of writing aspirational heroes–found his way to tackling American literature’s favorite father/lawyer, Atticus…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 