BY LIZ BYRON It is a frustrating thing when the first thing I have to say about a play has nothing to do with the script, the performance, or even the set. After seeing Mrs Charles, a world premiere production by Freshwater Theatre, the first thing that I blurted out to my partner as we exited…
By TAMAR NEUMANN: I always think that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a comedy. You’re probably thinking, “Well that’s because it is.” But, is it really a comedy? It certainly has comedic moments. In fact, it actually has one of my all-time favorite scenes—“The Question Game.” Those of you familiar with the play will know…
by SOPHIE KERMAN A lot of theater companies and filmmakers seem to think that in order to make Shakespeare comprehensible to modern audiences, they need to place his plays in a modern setting. But it turns out that – wait for it, this might come as a surprise – Shakespeare was actually a really great writer of the English…
by SOPHIE KERMAN Testimonial theatre, particularly when created for a political purpose, is fraught with danger. Actors run the ethical risks of co-opting someone else’s story, as well as the theatrical risks of not being able to do that story justice. And then there is the challenge of avoiding heavy-handedness when it comes to the play’s…
by SOPHIE KERMAN You might think you know what opera looks like: big people in old-fashioned clothing repeating the same phrases over and over. Right? Wrong. The Minnesota Opera‘s production of Mozart‘s The Magic Flute is colorful, dramatic, and surreal. An opera, yes – but not like you’ve ever seen one before. The Magic Flute is a weird opera…
By LIZ BYRON. The tragedy of Detroit is its relatability. There are far too many people who will relate to this story of broken promises and lost dreams. At the same time, it is not a depressing play; its strength comes from its ability to look into these dark subjects and find hope. Detroit follows…
April is a perfect month to leave the house and go see a show. Our reviewers are very busy this month, both with our Aisle Say and our non-Aisle Say commitments. There are tons of shows opening over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for reviews of “The Magic Flute“, “The Shadow War“, “Hamlet“, and “Silkworms“,…
by BECKY DERNBACH, guest reviewer Becky Dernbach is the communications coordinator for Occupy Homes MN and the author of Fannie and Freddie, a rhyming picture book about the housing crisis. Home Street Home Minneapolis mixes song, spoken word, humor, and heartbreak with stories about homelessness in downtown Minneapolis, written and performed primarily by people who have experienced it. “I’m…
By TAMAR NEUMANN: The story of Merlin and King Arthur has been re-told in a thousand different ways with almost as many different interpretations of each character. Phillip Andrew Bennet Low states, “The value of a . . . good yarn lies . . . not in invention—but re-invention,” and his words readily apply to the…
by SOPHIE KERMAN “If you lose the power to laugh, you lose the power to think.” — Clarence Darrow If you grew up in a radical left-wing household – or if you’ve been to law school – you’ve probably heard of Clarence Darrow, the famed defense attorney whose messy personal life didn’t interfere with saving 102 individuals from…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 