Thrillist: Best Spring Shows and Exhibits in the Twin Cities

Whatcha up to these days? 

Photo courtesy of Thrillist

I'm a little behind on sharing my latest Thrillist pieces, but I'm prioritizing this month get caught up! First up is a list of some of the coolest shows and exhibitions available in the Twin Cities this spring. Some have unfortunately passed, but several are ongoing, excellent exhibits and shows that deserve an afternoon or evening of your time.

We are so lucky to have such a wealth of cultural experiences right at our fingertips, and I encourage you to get outside (especially now that the weather is improving) your cozy abode to experience the best and most unique of them. Click here for the full article or scroll through below to see what cool shenanigans await for you over the next couple months.

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It should come as no surprise that the Twin Cities has a thriving, vibrant arts community -- after all, we have the second-largest number of theaters per capita in the country outside of New York City and a vibrant East African community that contributes to the local arts scene. If you’re feeling the winter doldrums, challenge yourself to get out of the house and explore some of the world-class art, museums, and theaters that Minnesota has to offer. We’ve rounded everything from plays inside a planetarium to an exhibit about the legendary Prince. So spend these snowy months in the warm embrace of the Twin Cities arts community.

The Out There Series
Weekly throughout January at the Walker Art Center 
Lowry Hill / Loring Park
You’ve probably gone to a museum to check out art exhibits, but have you gone to one to see theater? Undoubtedly one of the wildest live performance series you can find is the Walker Art Center’s annual Out There series, which kicks off every January with a bang. This year’s series includes a re-enactment of a real FBI interrogation; a provocative investigation of Latinx cliches and identity politics; a latex-clad “Gothic melodrama;” and a treatise on the powers of artificial intelligence by a group of disabled performers.
Price: $26 for individual shows

After The Explosion: Documenting Chernobyl
On view through February 23 at the Museum of Russian Art
Windom/Tangletown 
If you were mesmerized by HBO’s recent Chernobyl TV series, don’t miss the chance to engage with a real piece of Chernobyl history. Featuring images originated from the archive of Nikolai Tarakanov, the major general who supervised the removal of highly radioactive elements from the Chernobyl site, this exhibit provides a visceral reminder of human fallibility.
Price: $12

First Avenue: Stories of Minnesota’s Main Room
On view now through May 3 at Minnesota Historical Society
Cathedral Hill
The most legendary club in Minnesota finally has an exhibit of its own. First Avenue has been the pinnacle venue for the early careers of many local legends like Lizzo, Prince, The Replacements and more since it opened in 1970. The list of acts who have strutted this stage is a veritable who’s who of music history, featuring everyone from Ike and Tina Turner to REM, RunDMC, the Fugees, Lady Gaga, Billy Idol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Patti Smith, and many more. Seep in the unseen history of a Minnesota musical institution while you still can.
Price: $12

Prince: Before the Rain
On view now through May 3 at Minnesota Historical Society
Cathedral Hill
It may be three years since Prince died, but in Minnesota the grief still feels fresh as ever. Mend your broken heart a little by stopping by this special exhibit tracking Prince’s early career and rise to superstar fame. All photos are taken by Prince’s personal photographer and friend Allan Beaulieu and are sure to include images even the biggest fans have never seen before.
Price: $12

Black Comedy
January 10 - February 7 at Theatre in the Round
Cedar-Riverside
What would you do if you had to impress an important guest, but all your power went out and your party had to continue completely in the dark? That’s the question at the center of Black Comedy, an unusually funny play written by Peter Shaffer (who is better known for writing heavier dramas like Equus and Amadeus). Theatre in the Round’s unique stage construction will give Black Comedy a whole new perspective, literally. Attend for the chance to brighten up the dark winter nights at this time of year.
Price: $22

Noura
From January 11 - February 16 at the Guthrie Theater 
Downtown East
Questions of identity and immigration are extremely relevant topics right now. Noura, a new play by Heather Raffo, describes an Iraqi woman named Noura who struggles with her new life in the United States and feels left behind by her husband and son, who are more assimilated. Inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, this is a modern take that is not to be missed.
Price: $25-$79

Apollo: When We Went to the Moon
From February 1 - May 10 at the Science Museum of Minnesota
St. Paul
Though it has been more than 50 years since Neil Armstrong and crew touched down on the lunar surface, the Apollo missions feels just as enthralling today. This Science Museum of Minnesota exhibit takes visitors from the beginning of the Space Race to the debut of the International Space Station and more. From a simulated Apollo 11 launch experience to artifacts from the US Space & Rocket Center, museum-goers will feel ready to blast off themselves.
Price: $14.95-$19.95

Bernarda Alba
From January 15 - February 16 at the Ritz Theater
Northeast
Theater Latte Da can always be counted on to provide high quality, thought-provoking musicals. Bernarda Alba, which stars 10 of the Twin Cities finest musical theater actresses, is no exception. This lesser-known musical details the unhappy lives of five sisters under their strict mother’s harsh reign after her second husband dies. Think of it like August: Osage County, but with music. There won’t be many productions of this one elsewhere; seize the chance to see it while you can.
Price: $33 - $53

An Art of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints
From February 16 - September 20 at the Walker Art Center
Lowry Hill / Loring Park
To commemorate the legendary artist’s 90th birthday, this touring exhibit chronicles six decades of Jasper Johns’ famous printmaking. The traveling exhibit showcases various techniques and motifs that the artist explored throughout his career, including his well-known paintings of the American flag, as well as his work with numbers and the alphabet. See how Johns bridged the gap between abstract impressionism and pop art -- and why he’s regarded as one of the most influential 20th century American artists.
Price: $15

A Doll’s House Part 2
From January 15 - February 23 at the Jungle Theater
Lyn-Lake / Uptown
One of the smash hits of the 2017 Tony Awards, A Doll’s House Part 2 imagines the consequences of Nora Helmer’s choice to leave her family in the original Doll’s House published in 1879. What happens when she shows up back at their door years after leaving them behind? This smart, powerful drama is a perfect choice for the feisty Jungle Theater, which has been turning out record audiences and completely rebranded under the expert hands of Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen. Get your tickets early as almost all of their plays sell out quickly.
Price: $20-$55

Sherin Guirguis: Here I Have Returned
On view now through February 23 at the Minnesota Museum of American Art
St. Paul
African-born and Los-Angeles-based artist Sherin Guirguis has had a long-standing interest in exploring the forgotten histories of Egyptian feminists. Her most recent exhibit comes to St. Paul and fills the museum’s two-story Rauenhorst Court with her installation of hand-cut paper artwork, sculpture, and other artifacts inspired by writer Doria Shafik, best known for organizing 1500 women at the American University of Cairo and storming the gates of Parliament, demanding that women be given the right to vote and hold public office.
Price: Free admission

Skeleton Crew
From January 30 - March 1 at Yellow Tree Theatre
Osseo
Don’t miss this new play by Dominique Morrisseau, a contemporary playwright who is quickly becoming a critical darling along the likes of Lynn Nottage. Skeleton Crew tells the story of a group of auto workers struggling with the future of their jobs at an automotive factory in Michigan during the Great Recession. The material is relevant, powerful, and is acted by a cast of Twin Cities all-star actors; don’t miss it.
Price: $26-$30

Silent Sky
From February 22 - March 8 at the Bell Museum 
Falcon Heights
Site-specific theater is a growing trend in Minnesota. One of the most exciting in 2020 is Silent Sky, which Theatre Pro Rata is bringing to the planetarium at the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum. The show tells the true story of Henrietta Leavitt and other female “computers” in their work at Harvard University, helping to document and discover hundreds of stars and other planetary bodies. Think of it like your local, live acted version of the smash successful film Hidden Figures.
Price: $30

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
From March 13 - April 5 at Lyric Arts 
Anoka
You probably know a certain author named Charles Dickens for his famous novels like A Christmas Carol or Oliver Twist, both of which have been turned into hit musicals. But did you know about his last work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood? Because the novel was never finished (Dickens died while writing it), the musical lets the audience choose who they think killed Edwin Drood, giving every performance a completely different ending. It’s a night of interactive musical theater that lets you solve a mystery and see a comedy at the same time; think of it like a musical Clue.
Price: $30-$35

Storytelling: Julie Buffalohead
On view now through September 6 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
Whittier
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (or MIA as it prefers to be known) has long been the hidden gem of Minnesota museums, allowing visitors to view the majority of its vast collection for free. Several exhibits celebrating female artists are coming this winter, including Julie Buffalohead. Buffalohead is an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma and creates visual narratives told by animal characters, a mystical subject matter that rarely graces museum walls.
Price: Free

"The Hollow" is Anything But

I know it didn't work out this time, but can we have a little Ichabod Crane again later?  

Photo courtesy of Trademark Theater

Sometimes I think my mind exists in a vortex and I'll never catch up.

Let me explain: in my busy day to day of late, I seem to be missing basic facts. Or themes. Or just really missing the point of what I'm supposed to be doing.

For example, I had the pleasure of attending the achingly lovely original piece The Hollow by Trademark Theater last weekend. It's a nifty, 75-minute long exploration of many things; the program lists themes including "nature, mysticism, death and rebirth, coupleship, abandonment, repair and perseverance." A symbiotic pairing of contemporary dance and a Sleater Kinney-meets-First Aid Kit rock album (don't ask how I got there, just trust that it's true), The Hollow would be fully at home in the Walker Art Center's Out There series (hey Walker, give Trademark a call!). There's not really more plot than that - just a pure aesthetic, auditory experience for the sake of itself.

Somewhere along the line I had caught that The Hollow was supposed to be a modernization of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; another glance at the program says I'm not insane and that was the initial point, but this The Hollow is so far removed from Washington Irving's 1820 novel that I can't believe the original concept was still rattling around my head somewhere. I still think it would be immensely cool to have Ichabod Crane hit the stage sometime soon and I hope someone else picks up the original project, but in the meantime - back to the scheduled programming.

The visual focus of The Hollow is on Reach (Emily Michaels King) and Resist (Tyler Michaels King). Based purely on appearances, one could be forgiven for assuming The Hollow details the story of a fraught romantic relationship. These two are superb dancers, and their lithe choreography is like a poem in bodily form. It's a good thing they're married because this performance is extremely intimate, and you can feel their kinetic energy radiating from the stage. Their contemporary, abstract costumes, designed by Sarah Bahr, add interesting shapes to their performances too; some are angular and stiff, others soft and flowing, and the cumulative effect weaves in and out of focus like a dream.

The Michaels Kings are backed up by an adroit band starring Jenna Wyse and Joey Ford who sing a roving troupe of original songs. It's a little hard to hear the lyrics live but thankfully all audience members are given a handy book of lyrics, which read like a ghoulish internal voice that won't leave you alone (song titles such as "Fearful Shapes," "Skele-bones + Burial Wrongs," "Scry" or "Scary Situation" give you an idea what I mean). The music itself is really beautiful and haunting, and I can see how it evolved out of the initial idea of adapting The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Several audience members appeared raptly focused throughout the show (the person next to me even got a few headbangs in), so don't just take my word for it.

I'm not really sure what else I can say about The Hollow other than that it's worth seeing, if only to expand your definition of what you think theater can or should be. It's bracingly modern yet feels familiar, lyrical and abrasive, loud and tender. It's not going to give you a story or a moral or a "point," but it won't not give you those things either - and really, does everything have to have a defined outcome? Sometimes it's good to set down your smart phone and your Ivy Lee method and your nonfiction business books to give your subconscious room to roam, your nose the chance to smell the tactile pages of a *gasp* real book, and your imagination a blank page to fly around in. The Hollow is a celebration of that ancient leap towards fantasy that still lies within us all - we just need to give ourselves room to access it. The Hollow has a very short run and closes on October 20, so click here to learn more or buy your tickets now.

Bone Mother Sets the Tone for the Season

How do you define a witch? 

All images are copyright of Matthew Glover for Sandbox Theatre

Despite our burst of humid heat in the last week Minnesota is entering spooky season, which means costumes, minor toned music and pumpkin everything are about to inundate us all. I know several people who consider fall and especially Halloween to be their favorite time of year, and it seems like every year more friends are rejoicing over the return to orange and black and scary stories as soon as Labor Day passes.

But where does all this come from? Once you strip away the eerie movies and cotton cobwebs and holiday commercialization, what is left of Halloween?

Often it's tropes and mythologies that spread back hundreds or thousands of years. Take, for example, the Witch. Witch stories can be found in most cultures and invariably involve some version of an ugly old hag who negatively impacts the communities around her, usually with a curse or a dark spell. She might have a cauldron, a black cat, a pointy hat (or nose), and almost always lives in the woods.

But why does this narrative persist? What if the witch wasn't evil, or even magical, at all? What if she served some other purpose entirely?

All images are copyright of Matthew Glover for Sandbox Theatre

That is the question asked (and poignantly answered) in Bone Mother, the latest show from Sandbox Theatre. An original piece inspired by centuries of folk tales, Bone Mother tells an interconnected series of three stories about a girl named Vasilisa as she explores her feminine power. It begins with young Vasilisa, who seeks the "witch" Baba Yaga in the forest to learn the powers of the wilderness after Vasilisa's beloved grandmother dies. Soon bored with Baba Yaga's rudimentary chores, Vasilisa runs back to her village where she grows into a woman and becomes the town eccentric, alienated and lonely. She returns to Baba Yaga only to find that she still has more to learn from her community and must again live as an outcast, and out of the forest. It is many decades until Baba Yaga calls Vasilisa to her forest hut for one final encounter, where Vasilisa learns the true power of Baba Yaga and the magic of the wilderness. It's a beautiful story that felt distinctively feminine to me, full of cycles, renewal and strength.

In addition to the lyrical story, Bone Mother features aerial acrobatics in varying levels from all of its performers, who also trade in portrayals of each character through each iteration of the story. Carolina Gwinn is the first Baba Yaga and the final Vasilisa. She clearly had the most acrobatics training and brought just as much physicality to her facial expressions as she did to her silks work. I found her to be highly charismatic and fearless, a real presence on stage. The first Vasilisa and second Baba Yaga was played by Chasya Hill, a Liberian-American actress who recently relocated here from Birmingham, Alabama, and someone I predict is going to have a large impact on #tctheater this year. Hill has gravitas and a sonorous voice, and I couldn't take my eyes off her while she was on stage. Heather Stone plays the second Vasilisa and the final Baba Yaga. She has a less physical performance than Gwinn and Hill, but brought far more comedy to her performance. She was a welcome dose of levity in a story that can dip into the dark side, and I really appreciated what she contributed. Henry Ellen Sansone was alluring as the resident cat, with a mischievous Cheshire Cat flare that also added a touch of warmth. And Megan Campbell Lagas helps anchor the rotating cast of supporting characters, slipping in between mythical creatures and human portrayals with aplomb.

All images are copyright of Matthew Glover for Sandbox Theatre

One of the artistic values of Sandbox Theatre is to integrate visual design, physical performance, music and text; another is to limit consumption and minimize waste. These two tenets (of their core nine values) perfectly encapsulate the production design here. Because the performance is set in the hall of the Russian Art Museum and most of the blocking focus is on the silks, there is no set to speak of. Instead, we have a few strategically placed flood lights designed by Bryan Gunsch to set the tone for the plot; this works remarkably well, whether we are in the forest or swimming under a river. I loved Mandi Johnson's costume design, which adapted comfy athleisure wear with strategic accessories to give the actors the freedom to create highly physical performances but retain a sense of magic. And I especially appreciated the otherworldly, eerie music composed and performed by Anna Johnson, Emily Kastrul, Sarah Larsson and Willow Waters. It was the perfect accompaniment to a mystical, haunting, Russian-esque folk story, and it really coheres by the end of the show.

All images are copyright of Matthew Glover for Sandbox Theatre

Bone Mother is a truly unique performance, at once ancient and entirely original; modern but familiar; feminine and powerful. Something in it really moved me. I'm not sure if it was the effect of stripping away the trappings of elaborate sets and costumes and focusing on breathwork and the music of bodies, or the hearkening back to my favorite kind of fairy tales, or just the sense of womanly power that swept through the whole show, but I left Bone Mother feeling lightened, inspired and connected to a bigger world of spirits than when I had arrived. It's the perfect thing to watch as our seasons transition to a darker one and we prepare to sit more quietly inside ourselves. Tickets are selling very quickly, so make sure to snatch some up by clicking on this link before the whole run for Bone Mother is sold out by close on September 27.

Cool Field Trip: Game Changers at the Science Museum of Minnesota

There's only one more weekend to experience THE coolest interactive exhibit I've seen in a while. 

100 games over 10,000 square feet? #yesplease

I'll be the first to admit that video games (and video gamers) have gotten a bad rap over the years.

You can really see the full evolution of characters

I was long an opponent of the medium. I never grew up playing video games, and it was hard for me to see the value in it.

Another popular booth: Guitar Hero

But over the years I've come to see just how rich this technology (and the worlds it builds) is. There are so many fascinating elements about video games that have started to get serious celebration from vaunted organizations (MPR's fabulous podcast Top Score about the orchestral music written for video games is one such example) and it's really bringing the world of gaming out of the small screen and into the mainstream.

The detail is extraordinary

Game Changers, an ongoing exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota, is the perfect vehicle for novices and hardcore game heads alike to educate themselves about this world. It's an encyclopedic exploration of the history of video games, from the very first Space Invadors and Pac-Mans to the decades-long complexities of world-building games like SimCity or World of Warcraft. Visitors can not only read about the history of these games, their technology and their creators - they can also actually play each of the games mentioned on the original equipment. And this is not to be downplayed: the arcade space is comprised of more than 100 games over 10,000 square feet, an enormous temple to the sport of true gaming.

The sketches are endless

I was really blown away by the intricacy and detail of this exhibit. There is such a lineage to the construction of games - much like novelists or painters or chefs can directly credit those who came before them as inspirations and foundations to build their art on and expand it to new heights. Many games also have original sketches and models on display so that you can see the process from ideation to inception, and it's a really powerful visual testifying to just how complex the process of creating a game is.

A group dance station was easily one of the most popular elements

The global nature of gaming is included as well, with different regions appearing in focus with distinctive art styles and plotlines. Japan is the clear standout among regions outside of the United States, but there are also creative games from Sweden, Korea and a host of other countries. It is one more example of the unifying power of sharing an interactive world with someone else, and much like Trekkies, gamers have a friend wherever they go.

Gorgeous color sketches

This is an exhibit appropriate for groups of all ages and is actually an amazing way to connect with kids whose modern knowledge of gaming you may not understand. I took my niece and nephew with me, both of whom are avid gamers, and they had the time of their lives. We don't always have a lot to talk about directly, and I learned so much about them from the way they engaged with and explained each of the games that I never would have gleaned in casual conversation. It was a really fun day and reminded me how quickly things change from generation to generation. It was almost impossible to tear the kids away from the exhibit when we needed to go and it was packed to the gills, so I can testify first hand that the price of admission is absolutely worth it. The kids even loved the current omnitheater film about Cuba, which is not a subject they're normally interested in. This trip was a grand slam in terms of keeping them interested and occupied!

Loved this creative monster

And about that - another benefit to Game Changers is that admission is included in general admission to the Science Museum; this is not a separate ticketed event like many of their special exhibits have been. It's all the more reason to take your family or your date on a field trip to check it out before it closes on May 5. Run, do not walk, to go - there are limited edition games here that you very well may never see in working order again in your life. It's a fabulous, affordable trip for families or dates and is guaranteed to teach even the most serious gamer something they didn't know before. Click here for more information or to buy your tickets!

Up a little closer

An indicative list of the games available includes: 

The Arcade Heroes section spotlights pioneering designers from the trailblazing and revolutionary arcade era, including Ed Logg (Asteroids, 1979), Tim Skelly (Reactor, 1982), Masanobu Endo (Xevious, 1982), Toru Iwatani (Pac-Man, 1980), Eugene Jarvis (Defender, 1980), Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders, 1978), and Dave Theurer (Tempest, 1981).

Long lines to play the vintage games like Asteroids, pictured here

The Game Changers section features leading contemporary designers who have had a major impact on shaping the medium as we know it: Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo III 2012), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Sega Rally Championship, 1995), Peter Molyneux OBE (Fable III, 2010), Yuji Naka and the Sonic Team (Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991), Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (Rock Band 3, 2010), Tim Schafer (Broken Age, 2014), Warren Spector (Disney’s Epic Mickey, 2010), Yu Suzuki (Hang On, 1985), TT Games (LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, 2014), and Will Wright (SimCity, 1989).

Full story boards

The Indies section explores the groundbreaking and future-focused world of independent game designers. Artists such as Jonathan Blow (Braid, 2008), Capy (Critter Crunch, 2007), Eric Chahi (Heart of Darkness, 1998), Jakub Dvorský (Botanicula, 2012), Firemint (Flight Control, 2009), Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja Kinect, 2011), Introversion (Dawinia, 2005), Markus ‘Notch’ Persson (Minecraft, 2014), Rovio (Angry Birds, 2009), Erik Svedäng (Blueberry Garden, 2010), and The Behemoth (Castle Crashers, 2008) are profiled in this section.

A Mindful Metamorphoses

The Guthrie's modern take on Roman mythology will leave you with lots to ponder. 

Photo by Dan Norman

In a world of ever-shrinking budgets for the humanities, sometimes it's good to get back to the basics. People aged 30 and older likely had at least minor engagement with Roman mythology at some point in their education, but I'm willing to bet the Millennial-on-down era probably has less-to-none.

Photo by Dan Norman

If that's the case, the Guthrie Theater's modern take on Ovid's Metamorphoses provides a great opportunity to brush up on your ancient mythology. In strikingly modern incantations, the show flashes through vignettes of each story almost like a photographic flash, leaving visual imprints that bring the dusty tales to life. Many of the most famous stories are here, such as the heartbreaking end to Orpheus and Eurydice, Phaëton's daring chariot ride, King Midas' tragic golden touch, and even a quick, totally silent flash of Narcissus. It's a fresh way to reinvent the stories for an audience with much shorter attention spans than those of 8 A.D. (when the original text was composed), providing new entry points into the myths.

Photo by Dan Norman

All roles are shared in a rotating manner by the cast. Rodney Gardiner has fewer lines than other actors, but provides standout, striking cameos (including that silent moment as Narcissus). Sango Tajima likewise has fewer speaking roles than some other cast members but provides a powerful, deeply physical performance that will rock you to your core. Felicity Jones Latta brings great gravitas to her part, with a cinematic voice and the nuanced delivery of a Cate Blanchett. Louise Lamson gives an especially emotional performance as Alcyone, telling the origin of seabirds. Benjamin T. Ismail lends a livelier presence on-stage, and Alex Moggridge is a romantic comedy charmer in several of his roles.

Photo by Dan Norman

The real main character of this play isn't really a character at all: the entire show takes place around a giant, deep pool of water which is deftly manipulated by the actors to transform the narrative. It's the element that attracted me to this show in the first place, and it was really interesting to see how emotional the use of the water could be: terrified splashing, flirty droplets, passionate waves, placid slow ripples. The actors are clearly unafraid of getting doused, and the more I've reflected on Daniel Ostling's meditative scenic design, the more I really enjoy it. T.J. Gerkens and Andre Pluess pair their lighting and sound design, respectively, to make sure that additional context is provided through the minimal sets and props. Mara Blumenfeld cleverly finds simple but elegant ways to pay homage to each character and allow for quick transitions between them, be they intricate headdresses or flowing robes (or, in one case, no robes at all - be warned of full frontal male nudity, if that's not your jam).

Photo by Dan Norman

It's pretty clear to me that Director Mary Zimmerman (who is also the adapter of this play) had a very defined vision for which mythologies she wanted to tell and how. It's very interesting to see the ancient world through her thoroughly modern eyes, like bringing a Helenic statue to life in the middle of the Walker Art Museum. Much of the content of these stories does not age well - incest, violence and vengeance is rife throughout most of them - but there is a certain amount of undeniable humanity and eventual beauty to be found through their devastation by the end. I imagine it's one of the reasons Zimmerman wanted to adapt this in the first place, and I would be interested to hear a panel of responses from audience members of very different ages and walks of life about their reactions to this staging. This is the kind of play that you will receive very differently depending on your life circumstances, making this ancient text a breathing, engage-able object that is much more complex than its seemingly simple packaging would indicate. It's a thoughtful presentation and one that modern art lovers are likely to find visually stunning. I do think it helps to be previously familiar with this content before you attend, so consider brushing up on the Wikipedia overview at the least before going. Click here for more information and to get tickets before Metamorphoses closes on May 19.

Photo by Dan Norman

Cyrano de Bergerac is a Sumptuous Delight

Lavish. Painterly. Sumptuous. Elegant. Winsome. 

T Charles Erickson

These are just a few of the words that floated through my mind while watching the Guthrie's delicious new show Cyrano de Bergerac (Cyrano) last night.

T Charles Erickson

The tale of the monster and the damsel falling in love has been a popular story spanning centuries. We've all heard of Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or even (more modernly) The Shape of Water. The best of these, however, might be Cyrano de Bergerac - and let me tell you why.

T Charles Erickson

The best way I can think of to summate Cyrano is that it's a mashup of Beauty and the Beast and The Three Musketeers. Cyrano de Bergerac is a dangerously efficient swordsman and perhaps the most gifted poet of the land. He is charming, charismatic, courageous and chivalrous, but there's one problem: his nose. Cyrano has an enormous, deformed nose that takes over his face and becomes a point of conversation everywhere he visits. He has learned to deal with this and his life would be happy but for one thing: he is desperately in love with his second cousin Roxane, a beautiful and equally intelligent woman, but is convinced she could never love him because he is ugly. When he learns Roxane is in love with a handsome - but dumbstruck - fellow soldier named Christian, Cyrano hatches a plan to write Christian's letters and speeches of love to Roxane, essentially combining his soul and Christian's face into one spectacular lover. The plan works swimmingly until Christian realizes that Roxane is really in love with Cyrano through the letters he has written and that his pretty face is no longer enough; unfortunately, Christian dies before he is able to tell her, and Roxane and Cyrano spend the next 14 years in comfortable friendship before she learns too late that Cyrano's was the voice she loved so well.

T Charles Erickson

This large cast seems even larger thanks to a constant transformation between various wigs, facial hair and costumes. It's a dizzying array that only works due to the excellence of this band, led first and foremost by the awe-inspiring Jay O. Sanders as Cyrano. Sanders has so much gravitas in his performance; he reminded me on stage of a Patrick Stewart or Ian McKellan, possessing a Shakespearean temperament but a French joie de vivre. It's a potent combo, and the cast swans around him to meet his excellence. Jennie Greenberry is wonderful as Roxane, completely charming the audience from her first line. Ansa Akyea had the audience in stitches as the multifaceted Ragueneau; he truly is our local Idris Elba, and I'm always so happy to see him in leading roles on main stages. Remy Auberjonois brings his best Dumasian Three Musketeers temperament to his role as the captain Le Bret, giving the show a steadfastly honest pillar. Cameron Folmar is excellent as the slimy Count de Guiche, managing to make the character sympathetic despite his despicable tendencies - no mean feat. And I have to call out Nate Cheeseman from among the many supporting company members, all of whom were excellent. Between his sniveling Wickham and lively soldiering in Cyrano, Cheeseman is quickly becoming my favorite period actor in #tctheater. He manages to find the comedy and special moments in every show he's in, and his quick punctuations throughout Cyrano are definite highlights.

T Charles Erickson

As alluded to before, not only is the acting rock solid, but this is easily my favorite production design so far this year. Cyrano glitters from every feathered cap to bejeweled high heeled shoe, and it's a stunning visual. The set, designed by McKay Coble, is a life-size lacquered cabinet of curiosities, which is slowly stripped away and re-set in ever-sparser iterations as the action unfolds. Jan Chambers provides the *most* lavish costumes; it seems nearly every character is dripping in laces and capes and gloves and jewels, shining sumptuously at us from the stage and manipulated with charisma by each performer. I didn't see a person named for the wig and facial hair design, but I have to call it out separately - they add so much to place us firmly in the French aristocracy, and it truly enhances the fantasy and comedy of each scene. Ditto for the makeup and prosthetics team, who do a superb job crafting Cyrano's infamous nose (which is made fresh for every - yes *every* - single performance). The all-female blocking team, including Kara Wooten for fighting, Maija Garcia for movement, and Lauren Keating for intimacy, clearly coached this cast to perfection down to the last twitch of a fingertip. Elisheba Ittoop provides soft, looming context with her sound design, and Rui Rita gives us truly painterly lighting design - every scene is like looking through a Rembrandt, and it makes those gorgeous sets and costumes gleam even more richly.

T Charles Erickson

All the elements of this show perfectly align to make a delicious performance. It's visually sumptuous, beautifully acted, and the story is just so captivating. Not quite fairy tale, not quite romance, it exists in a liminal space between genres that truly has something for everyone. Swordfights? There's one every other scene! Comedy? The lines are often hilarious plays on words! Romance? Everyone is trying to woo each other in this show! Drama? Cyrano closes with a soft, wistful monologue that has all the gravitas of Hamlet's soliloquy.

T Charles Erickson

My favorite part about Cyrano is that it fully resists easy answers. As an audience, you can't help falling in love with Cyrano's beautiful soul and weep for his loneliness. However, as the character himself says - this is not a story where the beast transforms into a prince. The lesson in Cyrano is not only that looks are not the most important part of a person, but that sometimes we are our own greatest inhibitors of happiness. Had Cyrano just told the truth, he may have been able to spend many happy years with his love. It's a deceptively poignant play, and is in my top three favorite shows I've ever seen at the Big G.

T Charles Erickson

The Guthrie clearly spared no expense in putting on this production and it certainly paid off. This show would make a delightful date night and if for nothing but the eye candy (although the content is pretty good too!), it's certainly worth a trip. Click here for more information or to get tickets before Cyrano closes on May 5.

T Charles Erickson

Out There 2019: Kaneza Schaal's JACK &

Every year I visit the Walker Art Center's annual Out There series... 

Kaneza Schaal: Jack &. Photo: Christopher Myers.

And every year I leave with a plethora of exciting new ideas about performance art.

The avant garde festival can be really intimidating for those who don't see a lot of theater or prefer explicitly traditional forms of performance, but that's exactly why I find it valuable. As much as I love the usual circuit of theaters and companies I frequent, I find that January (aka the season of resolutions and incipient goal setting) is such a great time to refresh my perspective and re-set my expectations of the shows I'm going to see throughout the year. I'm really grateful the Walker puts this on annually and I encourage you to check out their programming!

This year kicked off with the return of Rabih Mroue, who I wrote about on his first Out There performance in 2016 (click here to see my thoughts). Intriguingly, the kickoff was offered as a free of charge reception as part of the monthly Target Free Museum nights, which take place every Thursday (and are a must-do if you haven't been - what better way to see an internationally renowned museum than for FREE?).

The first show I attended was last weekend's performance called JACK &, created by Kaneza Schaal and starring Cornell Alston. It was a three part show with completely different feelings to each portion. The first was a dynamic monologue that helped get the audience into the appropriate perspective and context to understand the overall performance. The second part was a witty, innocent parody of a 1950s comedy sitcom, reminiscent of an I Love Lucy sketch (but blacker). The third portion moved straight into the modern art period, with a completely silent (other than an eclectic mix DJ'd by Rucyl Frison) performance made of eerie costumed dance in front of a projection of a goldfish in a bowl. The dance somehow managed to be energetic yet wistful, carrying some of the energy and sinister-with-a-smile feeling from This is America.

JACK & as a whole had the flavor of an Americana you never see, telling the story of black people through what are thought of as white artistic mediums in one of the most stereotypically white venues of all: an elite art museum. The very presence of the actors on stage felt radical, like a breath of fresh artistic air, and the lyrical patois of the monologue (which fed into the kitschy sitcom feel of the second part) moved us lyrically and seamlessly through what otherwise might have felt like a very disjointed effort. The cast on-stage (composed of Cornell Alston, Rucyl Frison, Modesto Flako Jimenez and Stacey Karen Robinson) worked as a cohesive unit with wit and presence; I'd be interested to see the fresh approach their chemistry could take on more established scripts as well.

The annual Out There festival is one of the most affordable season tickets you can get in the Twin Cities and will give you an innovative, unusual artistic experience you won't find anywhere else. For ore information on this festival (which runs on weekends throughout January) or to buy tickets, click on this link. Make sure to keep following the blog throughout the month to see my coverage of the upcoming performances!

For a roundup of past Out There performances I've covered, see the following: 

• Out There 2018: Teatro El Público: Antigonón
• Out There 2017: Andrew Schneider's YOUARENOWHERE
• Out There 2016: Daniel Fish
• Out There 2016: Rabih Mroue
• Out There 2016: A Joyful Germinal
• Out There 2016: RoosevElvis
• Out There 2015: RED-EYE to HAVRE de GRACE 
• Out There 2015: CAMPO "Still Standing You"
• Out There 2014: Clement Layes
• Out There 2014: The Room Nobody Knows
• Out There 2014: Wunderbaum/LAPD's "Hospital"
• Out There 2012: red, black & GREEN: a blues
• Out There 2012: Bill Jones' Story/Time
• Out There 2012: The Past is a Grotesque Animal
• Out There 2012: Untitled Feminist Show

Reviewed in Brief: Cochon 555 and 24 Hour Plays

This weekend was the weekend of a la carte. 

Chefs everywhere! 

I've been getting some great product sample offers lately (more to come in a forthcoming post!) which has been a really fun new venture for me. Something about being on the forefront of new technologies, new foods, and new ideas just appeals to me greatly.

The stuff I was up to this weekend, then - namely sampling a bevy of the best in food and drinks the Twin Cities has to offer, as well as a bunch of one-time-only theater performances - really fit within this theme. Let me break them each down for you:

Cochon 555

Everything pork and everything delicious. 

This event nearly snuck by me, but I was lucky enough to get a chance to attend and WOW - what a stellar show. If you're not familiar with the Cochon program, you can click here for the website. Basically, it was founded 10 years ago as a way to educate about and celebrate heritage breed pigs. It takes the form of a contest in which the top chefs of a chosen city are each given a pig and very short time frame to process it and cook six unique dishes. The public buys tickets to sample each dish from each chef and vote upon their favorites, and all proceeds are given to a farm sanctuary that raises and shelters heritage breeds of pigs. Many cities host a sommelier competition in tandem - the Minneapolis event did so as well as a party punch competition, both of which rocked - and everyone is treated to a culinary experience that really sparks innovation and exciting new ideas. Local winners are then catapulted to a national competition against the top voted chefs from other cities and receive a slew of really cool prizes like an all-expense paid trip to Rioja, Spain.

This year's competition was stiff; competing chefs included Timothy Fischer of Loew's Hotel; Daniel del Prado of Martina; Russell Klein of Meritage; Remy Pettus of Bardo; and Karyn Tomlinson of Corner Table. Tomlinson took home the prize (yay female chefs!!) with a menu of:

• Swedish Meatballs with Sauce Supreme, Dill and Caviar; 
• Blood Pudding with Crispy Cured Pork Jowl, Lingonberries and Lady Apple;
• Sunday Ham Sandwich  with Milk Roll, Pleasant Ridge Mornay and Black Truffle;
• Swedish Spareribs with Allspice, Apricot and Black Poplar Mushroom; 
• Assorted relishes and Chicharron Toffee for the table and 
• Apple Pie made with Lard Crust topped with Liver Ice Cream and Pancetta Caramel

Lucky me! I also got to sample the winning wine - which was a spectacular sparkling rose called Les Capriades, NV Méthod Ancestrale ‘Pynoz’ Rose from the Loire Valley, France and was chosen by another smart lady, Sommelier Erin Rolek of Bachelor Farmer - that totally made my night (literally the best wine I've ever had. I want to drink it in gallon buckets). My favorite punch of the night was not a winner, but the champion - Dustin Nguyen of Martina, who crafted a “Murakami Tea” combining milk-washed, tea infused Breckenridge Bourbon, makrut liqueur, spearmint, hibiscus, citrus and carbonated water - was certainly no slouch either.

It was a totally luxurious spread and I tried a ton of dishes I've never had before. The room was absolutely packed and it was so much fun to see local chefs be challenged and celebrated for their incredible work. My guy is a chef (so I get the inside scoop on this stuff!), and it was so refreshing to hear his excitement about an inclusive, judgement-free zone for people to get extra creative with their dishes. I think this is such a great idea and I'd love to see this happen with different kinds of foods - say an all vegan or vegetarian competition, seafood based, pasta, poultry, etc. Chefs of America, please unite and make this happen!

24 Hour Plays 

The next festival was the 24 Hour Plays. I attended the inaugural Minneapolis session last year - click here for more info - and it's interesting to realize how much an event can change based on who's involved. I mean objectively art always changes when different people are involved, but I felt that this year was such a leap (into being kind of a downer) from last year. There are many reasons this might be - my money lies squarely on our political climate, the specter of which was deeply embedded throughout these shows - but either way it just felt less fun than last year. There were still some great moments, but overall the tone was so much more somber, and it felt like the artists were a little more jaded than they otherwise might have been. This is a shame, but it can't be helped.

My favorite sketches were the last two in Act II - a riff on a mashup of Romeo and Juliet and a Shape of Water-style monster love story that only succeeded thanks to the tireless efforts of Tyler Michaels and Stephen Yoakam; and a Pink Panther-style kidnapping parody that started with a huge bang and a delightfully devilish Tony Vierling but unfortunately veered too quickly into overthinking itself. The standout of the first act was a somber, modern remniscence of The Wizard of Oz in which actors of color lost their voices and identities and had to seek them from a wizard; it had lots of potential and a super talented group of artists all around.

Either way, the 24 Hour Plays supports the great cause of arts education, and it allowed me to see my first ever Laura Osnes performance and discover the Hornheads, an absolutely spectacular small brass group that has me eagerly googling any and all upcoming gigs. It's always a delight to be in the Pantages, which is to my mind one of the most underrated venues in the Twin Cities, and it's awesome for these artists to have a chance to spin their creative wheels and try something risky and new. I do want to emphasize how HARD this is to participate in. Writing a play under the most luxurious of circumstances is difficult, but to fully realize something in literally a single day is a huge feat, and the fact that anyone is willing to even try it is miraculous. Even if I didn't find these to be masterpieces they are still a worthwhile and exciting endeavor, and a huge round of applause to all of the artists on and behind stage who donated time, sleep and sanity to move this program forward.

Indecent Incites the Humanity in Us All

What is the responsibility of great art? 

Photo by Dan Norman

Is it to the artist? The audience? The culture it portrays? The abstract idea of art itself? 

This is an impossible question to answer; every person will approach it from a different lived perspective, and every person will find a new voice to add to this conversation. The place of art has been debated for centuries and will continue to be - and that's as it should be. A healthy process of self-evaluation is important to any society that deigns to present a semblance of growth or progress or democracy to its public, and introspection can uproot all sorts of deep feelings that point the way forward to a better tomorrow - if properly examined, of course. 

Photo by Dan Norman

It's interesting then to consider Indecent, which currently graces the Guthrie stage in its first off-Broadway production after quite the cultural uproar. You can read better pieces for context about the controversy by clicking here, here, and here, but suffice it to say - Indecent made waves upon appearing last year and hasn't shied away from stirring the cultural pot ever since. 

A play about a play, Indecent tells the story of the writing, production, and subsequent silencing of The God of Vengeance by Sholem Asch, a script that was undoubtedly and tragically ahead of its time. The God of Vengeance was an attempt to write a story about Jews (written and performed in Yiddish, no less) that told a true story about their lived experiences that was more honest than the biblical hero tropes that were pervasive at the time. What resulted was a sensational story that included a Jewish-owned brothel, a Torah purchased through the fruits of the prostitution there, and most importantly a poignant, honest love story between two women that shattered all of the patriarchal tropes and religious dictates surrounding their romance. 

Photo by Dan Norman

What resulted, as one might predict, was quite the uproar. The Jewish community was understandably concerned in publicizing a narrative that might provide pervasive Antisemitism with a virile foothold; society at large wasn't the most pleased with the idea of a sympathetic lesbian relationship; and America in particular was horrified at the idea of a play showing religion with capitalistic roots (oh, the irony). Indecent is about all of that, and then some. This includes the personal lives of those involved in creating the production, particularly the stage manager Lemml, whose undying passion for the haunted script leads him to flee America at exactly the wrong time, returning to his native Poland in the late 1930s just as the Jewish ghettos are formed by the Nazis. The show ends with a performance of The God of Vengeance within the ghetto itself, a horrifically eloquent commentary amidst the ultimate test of human resilience in the face of unimaginable evil. 

An undeniable fact is that this production is beautifully produced. A taught cast of six actors and three musicians play over 40 characters, a seamless feat that keeps this play moving quickly at a full pace of 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission. There are a number of great actors here, including the always delightful Sally Wingert with some much-needed comedic zingers, a fabulous Miriam Schwartz in the best performance I've ever seen her in, and the new-to-me Gisela Chípe with some thoroughly gorgeous acting. The clear standout, however, is Ben Cherry, who is absolutely magnificent as Lemml. Cherry joins the Minneapolis cast from the Broadway production and he is an absolute revelation; he was the grounding force in this show for me, and truly revealed the beating heart of what author Paula Vogel was trying to reveal. 

Photo by Dan Norman

I want to make a special shout-out to the three musicians onstage, who not only acted well but provided an unbelievably gorgeous soundtrack throughout the show and entirely from memory. Accordionist Spencer Chandler; violinist Lisa Gutkin; and especially the bravado clarinetist Pat O'Keefe: bravo for a spectacular musical performance that was the most important emotional element of this show. I was so impressed with your work and Indecent just wouldn't be what it is without it. Thank you for your efforts. 

The overall tightly-drawn production is due to the efforts of director Wendy Goldberg, who has infused every element of care possible into her tending of this story. The set, a stage within a stage designed by Arnulfo Maldonado, bears the dark foreboding of the script itself. The costumes by Anne Kennedy are period-perfect and lush despite their threadbare nature, and there are several moments (such as the solemn application of gold Jewish stars in the Polish ghetto) that need no further introduction thanks to her care. Josh Epstein provides several striking lighting moments and has synchronized with sound designer Kate Marvin to make this an encompassing experience. 

Photo by Dan Norman

I've struggled to define my feelings about this show for several reasons. One: I feel that it was not written for me; this is not a bad thing whatsoever, but I just think I missed some of the vital nuance contained here. I am not Jewish, and although I have studied much of this historical context at varying stages and think I know a lot, I don't feel equipped or expert enough in the details to provide a thorough historical understanding. The other is that I struggle with this question of the place of art. Indecent asks a host of unanswerable questions of its audience (and that's probably the point), but ultimately: what is the responsibility of great art? I normally would agree with Sholem Asch's original point presented via his character, that it is always vital and necessary to tell the most human stories we can so that we may all understand and respect one another better. But it is also true that the world seems to insist with great success that we un-engage ourselves from such critical thinking and instead seize upon damaging tropes as an excuse to destroy one another. The context Indecent is painted within is the starkest you can imagine for this question to play out, and the result of the plot is one that leaves me with an impossible choice. I emotionally feel Sholem Asch is wrong, but I most certainly cannot say this with any sort of factual basis or truth: the path he chose is not the one I prefer in my fiction, but it is understandable, and there are no easy answers to find in this complex drama. 

As I've sifted through my feelings, Viktor Frankl's magnificent Man's Search for Meaning continues to come to mind. Another great piece of art about the most reported-upon genocide in history, Man's Search for Meaning can shine a light and truth into any darkness, an act which I think Indecent was genuinely trying to embody. I am left only with Frankl's words, which say: 

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”

Sholem Asch chose the attitude he needed to survive and in that moment turned his back on his art and his artistic family. Was he wrong? Do we still need The God of Vengeance? Do we need Indecent? I would say yes to all; but it's not my story to tell. For a challenging, beautifully produced, female-authored, female-directed, modern play, don't miss Indecent at the Guthrie, which plays through March 24. For more information and to buy tickets, click on this link.