Healing a Nation with The Great Divide II

Pillsbury House Theatre's latest series is original, local, and a true product of our times

The show comes with several interactive elements like a quiz on the truthiness of news headlines and a vote of confidence in different media sources - brilliant stuff. 

Is there anything that can get our sharply divided political parties to cross the bridge towards each other?

It's so easy these days to feel like compromise is dead, forgiveness is nonexistent and everyone is going batshit crazy. Amid the deafening din of voices screaming endlessly into the yawning political void, it's very easy to feel like there isn't a single person out there just listening anymore.

The Great Divide II at Pillsbury House Theatre, a sequel to last year's The Great Divide, is attempting to change that - at least a little. Pillsbury commissioned five local playwrights - some of my favorites! - to write short plays around this theme of political dissonance and our so-called "post-truth" (RIP) era, attempting to find some clarity in the mess. It's an ambitious project with mixed success, and I really admire the attempt to try to sort us all out.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

The plays written are by Jessica Huang, Stacey Rose, Tim J. Lord, Christina M. Ham, and Andrew Rosendorf, respectively. All are acted by a tight-knit cast of four, including Tracey Maloney, Audrey Park, Mikell Sapp, and Ricardo Vázquez. This is a talented crew altogether and the cast is the perfect choice to reflect these plays. They each take a turn in the spotlight and play a variety of roles swapping genders, motivations and back stories. It truly enhances the understanding of how trivial so many of our perceived differences (or casting choices tbh) are - honestly, are assumptions about people with a variance in skin color really the thing we want to hang our ideological hats on? - and it allows these strong actors a chance to really shine and make the most of the material.

It feels weird to write a "traditional" review of this show, so instead I'm going to summarize each short play with a couple of my thoughts:

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

The Journalist's Creed: (Actual) Emails from a (Brief) Career in News by Jessica Huang: 
It took me a while to sift this one out and I think I'm still sifting. I assume this is somewhat autobiographical based on the title and the feel of the show, but it was a little hard to follow. The same stylistic choices that are performatively delightful - for example the emphasis on spelling out asides such as "dot dot dot" (aka the etc. dots you see in punctuation like this --> .... ) - also make it a little hard to follow the action because so much has been redacted, literally. When it begins it feels edgy, but transitions into confusion. Still I think this really conveyed the mass turmoil that has roiled the journalism industry and helps shine a light on how little due diligence journalists are able to perform anymore. Strong independent journalism is a vital function of a democracy but it's been under attack, and losing, for years now. It's going to take a lot to bring it back from the brink.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

Sven, Ole & The Armageddon Myth by Stacey Rose: This was the biggest surprise. Stacey Rose was new-to-me completely and I am totally seeking out her work from now on! This was super creative, almost a drug-fantasy-murder-mystery, and it kept adding twists and surprises that had me guessing and engaged. There's a lot of plot development despite the short length, and it was unexpectedly quite funny. The overall vibe was to me something of a reverse-Get Out - my partner disagreed and thought it more related to American Psycho - but either way, this was really fresh and inventive, and I enjoyed it a lot. It felt a little disconnected from the overall theme of "news," instead focusing more on the general overt hostility afflicting the American populace, but I didn't mind and would happily watch it again.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

Wild Creatures by Tim J. Lord: This had something of a feminine, mystical energy that was interesting coming from a dude writer. It also had a bit of a murderous bent to the plot (a theme?). I got a little bit lost in the legend Wild Creatures was trying to create. I think it was trying to do some sort of high level fantasy about Hilary Clinton, very abstractly so, but I can't be sure. It was definitely entertaining, and I enjoyed the weirdness of the narrative - I'm just really not sure how this one tied directly into the theme. I'll keep thinking about it.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

Mt. Rushmore by Christina Ham: Christina Ham was the main draw for me to see this anthology and she delivered. I thought this was the most fully fleshed story and provided the most context for the conversations my POC friends are having right now about politics. The story centers around a mixed group of friends who go to visit Mt. Rushmore and have a frank, and frankly uncomfortable, conversation about the legacy of the presidents we've enshrined there. It has a lot of heat and a lot of nuance packed into a short space, and I could definitely see this expanded into a larger work (maybe even combined with Stacey Rose's piece? It would be super interesting!).

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury House Theatre

Breathe by Andrew Rosendorf: This was the most abstract of the pieces. It again wandered away from the central theme of news, but the tangential focus to climate change and modern environmental movements was different from the others and still enjoyable. It features some really striking puppet work from three of the actors who tag team to embody a giant polar bear (with a shocking amount of nuance, I might add - it was a really gorgeous effect), who pleads with a wandering hiker to help her find food so she can regain strength to feed her cubs. There is no polar bear food in Minnesota, of course, and the polar bear is sore outta luck. It was a surprisingly emotional story, and I thought it did a nice job of embracing nature's perspective on the hot mess humans have made of the planet without getting too cutesy or cartoony.

Overall, this is a really inspiring body of work! Between the playwrights, actors, DJ and production team you are able to see some really exciting and up and coming artists in The Great Divide II. I think continuing to try to be of-the-moment in our reflections of art is a really important thing to do these days, and this was a pleasantly short, accessible way to get my juices flowing. If you want to see something totally new and unique and that may help you make sense of what is happening (or at least feel like someone "gets it"), hit up The Great Divide II at Pillsbury House Theatre before it closes on March 25. Click here for more information or to buy tickets.

IVEY AWARDS: 2017 Recap

Who were you rooting for? 

I got to sit by Jill Shafer of Cherry and Spoon

The 2017 Ivey Awards wrapped up on Monday night, and as usual they involved a lot of laughs, drinks, and love for the theater. What are the top things I enjoyed about this year's show? Let me count the ways:

1. Michelle Hensley, Michelle Hensley, Michelle Hensley: Could there be a more deserving winner for the Lifetime Achievement Award? Absolutely not. Many of us were bummed out when Hensley announced her retirement from the legendary Ten Thousand Things theater company that she founded earlier this year. She will be irreplaceable and highly missed, but in the meantime it was wonderful to see the life changing work she has instituted honored by a room of her peers. Hensley is literally the definition of leading by example and putting your money where your mouth is. If you don't know much about Ten Thousand Things, check out more by clicking on this link - and then promptly run to buy tickets for their new season. I'm not kidding around: this company will revolutionize the way you think about theater and change your life. We owe Michelle a whole, whole lot, and I sure hope she has something else up her sleeve. Her acceptance speech is the most moving I've heard to date; you can find a good selection on my Instagram account here or One Girl Two Cities, here.

2. Meghan Kreidler for Best Emerging Artist: This is the only annual award outside of the one for Lifetime Achievement. A past list of winners includes luminaries like Tyler Michaels King, Trevor Bowen, Mikell Sapp, Ricardo Vázquez, and Isabel Nelson. This year the honor was bestowed on Meghan Kreidler, who has quickly become one of my absolute favorite local actresses. She starred in my first MUST SEE performance this year in Vietgone (more here) and is currently starring in the truly excellent performance of Man of La Mancha from Theater Latte Da (more here). Kreidler is a powerhouse to watch, and she's got a spectacular future ahead of her. 

3. Vietgone was the First Award Winner: As mentioned above, Vietgone was one of my absolute favorite shows of this year (and ever, honestly). I was so thrilled to see this excellent work recognized right away, as well as reprise a performance from the show during the Ivey's ceremony. I'd love to see this again; wondering why I loved it so much? Revisit my review here and learn more.

4. The Production was Tight as a Drum: Despite starting the show very late this year, everyone was in and out in well under two hours. Theaters, take note: if we can get through celebrating an entire year's worth of performances, an in memoriam, and 8 variety show performance numbers this quickly, your shows don't have to run as long as they typically do. I promise. It can be done.

5. Thomasina Petrus: I have loved Regina Marie Williams' work over the last couple of years as a host, but switching things up can be a good thing too. It was great to see Thomasina Petrus co-hosting the show this year, and her lovely, lyrical voice added a lot to the musical performances. Thomasina has long been an artist I admire locally, so I really enjoyed seeing her get in front of a big event.

6. Much Love for Volunteer Work: The Ivey Awards celebrate the best of the best in Twin Cities theater scene. Evaluations are completed by more than 150 volunteers, who comb theaters all over the Twin Cities for the best of the best. This might not sound like much, but it's a daunting task; last year, the evaluators saw more than 1,100 shows between September 2016 and August 2017 (aka three shows PER DAY in order to cover it all). It's a pretty incredible feat, and major kudos go to the awesome people putting time in to keep the awards running and to see all those shows!

7. Kasano Mwanza in "Beauty School Dropout:" I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Grease earlier this year at the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters. Know what really knocks that show out of the park? Kasano Mwanza, who singlehandedly brings down the house with his ripping rendition of "Beauty School Dropout." Talk about someone who knows how to steal the show (it's literally his only appearance, and it's the first thing you remember months after leaving). Mwanza opened the Iveys this year, and his tour de force performance had the audience engaged from the first note. He's a star, full stop.

For a full list of winners, see as follows: 

• Ensemble, Vietgone, Mixed Blood Theatre - Sun Mee Chomet, David Huynh, Meghan Kreidler, Flordelino Lagundino and Sherwin Resurreccion
• Production Design & Execution, Six Degrees of Separation, Theater Latté Da, 
Abbee Warmboe, Barry Browning, Sean Healey, Kate Sutton- Johnson, Bethany Reinfeld and Alice Fredrickson
• Concept & Execution, Safe at Home, Mixed Blood Theatre
• Actor, Nilaja Sun, Pike St., Pillsbury House + Theatre
• Director, Noël Raymond, The Children, Pillsbury House + Theatre
• Emotional Impact, Wit, Artistry
• Actor, Steven Epp, Fiddler on the Roof, Ten Thousand Things
• Actors, Sun Mee Chomet & Sherwin Resurreccion, The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up, Theater Mu
• Overall Excellence, Ragtime, Theater Latté Da
• Emerging Artist, Meghan Kreidler
• Lifetime Achievement, Michelle Hensley

What did you think of this year's winners? Who missed out? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

~ [almo$t equal to] almost makes it

For my first ever visit to Pillsbury House Theatre, I was lucky enough to see ~ [almo$t equal to], a newly translated Swedish play. 

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

Making it's premiere on this side of the Atlantic (with the help of the always-excellent American Swedish Institute), ~ [almo$t equal to] uses the interwoven stories of three people's lives to make a point about capitalism, assumptions and kindness. The play opens with a short lesson on sociological equations that evaluate happiness. Can you quantify happiness by boiling it down into a simple equation? What makes a thing or experience truly worth your investment of time and money? How can you evaluate?

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

From there, the audience explores these questions through the life of Peter, a homeless man; Andrej, a volatile poor young man looking for a job (and failing); Martina, a privileged woman who chooses to live a humbler life than her family raised her with; and sundry characters who surround and encounter each of these people and help provide color to their stories. These can include a job coach, reverend, liqueur store employees, a long term life partner, or even the id of a character herself. 

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

These seemingly simple elements combine to create a surprisingly rich script. Andrej at first appears a sympathetic character but we become horrified as we learn how far he's willing to go to avenge his perceived lack of privilege and opportunity. Martina seems noble but becomes much more complex as we learn how resentful she is of her chosen life of poverty. Perhaps the most complexing moral quandary arises in our views of Peter, through whom we see every shade of perception from a lazy opportunist posing as a homeless person to a victim of violence to a mourning brother to a person of character. It is through our reaction to the way our perception of Peter changes (and the surrounding characters' reactions to his presence in various scenarios) that the audience is forced to really reconcile with their notions of fairness, support, and charity. It's a humbling exercise, and I'd venture a guess that many in the audience were surprised and uncomfortable with their reactions to the many sides we see of Peter's experience. 

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

There are a few frustrating elements to ~ [almo$t equal to]. The first two acts clip along at rapid pace and really pull the audience into this morality play. The third act gets a little lost as it tries to tie up each loose end, with some of the tension dissolving into a subplot that muddies the characters' relationships. I wish the ending was a little tighter, explicitly confronting and continuing the focus on Peter and Martina and the way their disparate realities were in conflict. An odd pause between the second and third acts also provides a jarring gap in the action and really interrupts the momentum of the show, which flows beautifully until that point. There were some excellent elements that stood out, too. The total ignorance of stereotypical gender roles - each actor played a variety of parts without a second thought - was really refreshing. The sleek stage design was simple but streamlined and was perfectly adequate for the performance. The appearance of a 19th century sociologist at the beginning of the show is charming and reminiscent of your favorite historical YouTube artists. And the actors speak as if breathing, with a conversational tone that really warms up the relationships on stage. 

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

Still, those are personal preferences, and the writing and staging has nothing to do with the terrific cast. Each person plays multiple characters in the show, and their skill at quickly transitioning between roles really shows. Sun Mee Chomet remains a perennial favorite in multiple appearances, always lending a comedic edge (and often a hefty dose of poignancy as well) into each of her parts. Randy Reyes is equally charming in multiple supporting roles, and he does a good job of serving as a narrator of sorts throughout the show. Jay Owen Eisenberg is punchy and volatile as Andrej, and brings a real edge to his acting. Tracey Maloney is deceptively convincing as a young teenage boy and sickeningly convincing as the kleptomaniac Martina. Paul de Cordova, however, was my surprise favorite in multiple roles but especially as Peter. de Cordova really had me examining my relationship to the homeless and needy in my own life, and he expertly manipulates the audience's stereotypes with a broad range of portrayals. I was really impressed with his work and I look forward to seeing him again in future productions. 

Photo by George Byron Griffiths

~ [almo$t equal to] is an excellent foray into the dangers of assumptions and the limits of capitalism when it comes to happiness. It's true that money is not the key to happiness; it's also true that there is nothing sexy or glamorous about poverty. What we are all seeking lies somewhere in a delicate balance between these two things, and it's an evaluative process that never really ends. By forcing the audience to truly confront their assumptions about what is good or bad; who is or is not deserving of help or sympathy; and revealing the deeper story behind the basic assumptions we all make daily about those we encounter,  ~ [almo$t equal to] makes room for a deeper, more thoughtful exploration of what it really means to be a human in society today. ~ [almo$t equal to] runs at Pillsbury House Theatre through October 22; more information and tickets can be found by clicking on this link.