Theater Reviews of theater productions, both traveling and originating in Minnesota.
Reviews of theater productions, both traveling and originating in Minnesota.
Oct 05 2017
Swandive Theatre’s mONSTER Explores the Secrets Behind the World Wide Web
When I started college in the mid-1990s, worldwide access to the Internet had been around for a little over a year. I remember the excitement as I received my university-issued laptop and scored one of those AOL floppy disks that gave me 50 hours of web access, free of charge. On any given night, my kitchen…
Aug 07 2017
10 Shows to See at Minnesota Fringe 2017
The three most important things I’ve learned (so far) in my first-ever year of attending the Minnesota Fringe Festival are:Schedule in time for food or bring snacks along with you.
There is no way you will see all the shows you want to see.
Most importantly, there is a tremendous amount of talent…
Jul 27 2017
Fearless Comedy Combines Improv and Reddit in a New Monthly Show
What happens when you cross improv theater with a popular social news and discussion website? You get r/WhatTheImprov, produced by Fearless Comedy Productions and playing monthly at Honey in Minneapolis. You also get adults laughing hysterically at other adults crawling on stage mooing at each…
Jun 16 2017
Human Combat Chess Is Back with Duels, Banter, and Fun
It’s back! Human Combat Chess from Six Elements Theatre is returning to the stage—which is to say chess board—to once again battle for a championship title. After a grueling season it comes down to two teams: the Legion and the Celts.
Last year I was introduced to Midwest Combat Chess League’s…
May 16 2017
Anxiety! The Musical Confronts Mental Health with Song and Comedy
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Those with social anxiety disorder experience an intense fear of being scrutinized and negatively evaluated by others in social or performance situations. Some literally feel sick from fear in seemingly nonthreatening situations.”…
Apr 25 2017
It’s War, Love, and Ninjas in Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone
Qui Nguyen, the playwright behind the geeky She Kills Monsters, is back with another outstanding story that addresses stereotypes and social issues through humor and music.
Vietgone, showing at Mixed Blood Theatre through April 30, is not a story about the war in Vietnam. It is not a story about the…
Mar 31 2017
Animal Engine Will Pull Your Heartstrings with Darlings, the Story of Peter Pan from a New Perspective
Earlier this week, you may have read on this site about Animal Engine Theatre Company, an ensemble recently relocated to Minneapolis that specializes in devised physical theater. Their production of Darlings is currently at the Southern Theater for a one-weekend run, and last night I had the…
Mar 21 2017
Minnesota Tonight Brings You the Local News . . . Hilariously
Minnesota Tonight is a local news show delivering politics, headlines, and legislation content in an entertaining package, not unlike Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Episodes tape at the Brave New Workshop every month, usually to sold-out audiences, and you can catch them after the fact…
Mar 13 2017
Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came Mixes Scholarship and Swordplay
The “Childe Rowland” (or Roland) story comes from a mishmash of sources: the Song of Roland, a chanson de geste probably written about 1040 CE; a Scottish ballad; a line from a (fake) madman ending a scene in Shakespeare’s King Lear; a Robert Browning poem (audio version) arguably more about the poet…
Dec 11 2016
A Klingon Christmas Carol Brings Scrooge and Star Trek Together Again
When I first heard back in August that auditions were happening for A Klingon Christmas Carol, I immediately had to share with a group of fellow Star Trek nerd friends. After much fangirling and wishing they could move here for the experience, it was largely not-at-all discussed for months, until it…