by Christine Sarkes Between Riverside and Crazy, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winning play for drama showing at Park Square Theatre, is a deeply evocative, thought-provoking mosaic of life’s chaos and joys, unfolding within the walls of a New York City apartment. It is a powerfully acted production dealing with such heady, relevant themes as racism,…
by Christine Sarkes Park Square Theatre‘s superbly acted production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Gin Game, is directed by Twin Cities theater veteran Faye M. Price and features acclaimed TC actors Greta Oglesby (Fonsia Dorsey) and Terry Hempleman (Weller Martin). The Gin Game follows the bond that develops between two lonely residents of a…
by CHRISTINE SARKES Cardboard Piano at the Park Square Theatre is a powerful drama about love, human cruelty, redemption and forgiveness. The play’s themes stand in stark contrast to the happy Winter Carnival and Super Bowl festivities taking place now in the Twin Cities, but they are timely and profound. The four actors, who play seven…
by CHRISTINE SARKES The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence, a 2014 finalist for Pulitzer Prize for Drama at Park Square Theatre, is truly a curious case. It is a lightly entertaining and well-acted confusing mix of steampunk meets Sci-Fi time travel meets Sex and the City. The website’s synopsis won’t help much either: “Four…
by CHRISTINE SARKES Inclusiveness and gratitude were the themes of the 12th Annual Ivey Awards held last evening at the Historic State Theater, downtown Minneapolis. Theater professionals honored their own and one of ours–Star Tribune theater critic Graydon Royce–as they reached beyond the typical candidates by awarding a non-actor, costume designer Trevor Bowen, with the Emerging Artist Award. Bowen got his…
tot is Mu Performing Arts‘ 50th World Premiere of a new play; in this case, playwright Victor Maog‘s quirky piece about a ten-year-old boy who immigrates from the Philippines to the San Francisco Bay Area to be reunited with his parents. Tot’s parents had departed from then military-ruled Philippines to seek a better life, leaving their only son…
BY TAMAR NEUMANN: I learned a couple of things about myself on Saturday night. First, I don’t really know anything about deaf culture. Second, if there are subtitles I can’t help myself—I must read them!! These two new pieces of information were discovered when I attended Park Square Theatre’s production of Love Person. It’s their newest…
By ELLEN FERRY. I took my seat before the Andy Boss Thrust Stage fearful that what I was about to witness—a 90-minute rendition of one of the finest plays ever written—would feel severely truncated. Romeo and Juliet’s star-crossed love is archetypal. The tale need not be explained, but would such a short run-time leave me…
by CHRISTINE SARKES This is not your dreaded high school AP English version of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: Director Joel Sass’s adaptation at Park Square Theatre is instead alive and accessible, with diverse casting and dynamic staging that highlight the humor and humanity of the play. My daughter, who was my guest to the opening…
BY TAMAR NEUMANN: A couple of years ago I was on a play selection committee for a theatre company. I suggested that we read and consider Elliot, a Soldier’s Fugue for our next season. At our next meeting my choice was callously disparaged as confusing and boring, and the group moved on in favor of more…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 