What if two brothers got together and decided to write a musical about two brothers writing a musical? (A few adult beverages, perhaps, and …) The brothers come up with a wacky idea about how musicals were born in Shakespeare’s…
Author: Janet Preus
Review | The Humans: realism returns
It is Thanksgiving Day. A family gathers in the Manhattan Chinatown apartment that one of the daughters shares with her boyfriend. Grandmother, in a wheelchair, only somewhat “with it.†Sister, dealing with recent breakup. Mom, mother hen-ing, and Dad, doing…
Review | The Unscripted Minnesota Holiday: improvised fun
Looking for a little alternative holiday entertainment? Something that doesn’t require dressing up or pondering the financial commitment for the tickets? Well, here it is: Dangerboat Productions “The Unscripted Minnesota Holiday†at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater – and it’s family-friendly…
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: fascinating
Mixed Blood Theatre has just opened “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,†and what a fascinating show it is! And on so many levels! Here’s a thought-provoking story that elucidates an enigmatic protagonist, supported with a theatricality…
Hamlet: timeless and brand new
If there is one word in theater that’s recognized globally, it must be “Hamlet;†to take on this play is a somber responsibility. Park Square Theatre, under the guiding hand of director and scenic designer Joel Sass, has opened a…
Snapshot And Blank: Comic Book Theater. Kapow!
Maggie’s Farm Theater, a cozy little space tucked into the Lennox Community Center in St. Louis Park, was just about the perfect space for the action-packed “Snapshot & Blank†by Todd Richardson, an homage to the playwright’s love of –…
The Red Shoes mind-bends a classic
Open Eye Figure Theatre and Oddfellows Collective, a new theater entity formed of well-known local artists, most notably the play’s writer/director/designer Joel Sass and writer/performer Kimberly Richardson, have opened “The Red Shoes.†Although inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen…
Anna In The Tropics: a missed opportunity
The Jungle Theater has opened its 2017 season with a play by Nilo Cruz, “Anna in the Tropics,†a Pulitzer Price winner for the playwright in 2003. The piece starts with the jewel most writers treasure: a little known slice-of-life,…
Why We Can’t Have Nice Things presented by The Recovery Party at the Bryant-Lake Bowl
The Recovery Party’s latest original show is about options, from having too many to not having enough, but that doesn’t begin to describe the absurd lengths, heights and depths to which writer/director Joshua Will takes the simplest interactions. Such as…
Comedy of Errors produced by Maggie’s Farm Theater at the Lennox Center Little Theater
This is not a proper review, because I went to this play with no intention to review it. But when I found out when this company is up to, I decided I needed to pass the word along, so let’s…