Charles Numrich

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company opens its 25th Anniversary Season with the dramatic readings of The Mikveh Monologues by Anita Diamant & Janet Buchwald. Directed by Miriam Schwartz in her directorial debut.

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) continues its 24th season with the world premiere of Shul by Sheldon Wolf. To be directed by actor Robert Dorfman in his directorial debut.

I love sad plays. I love stories of miserable families who love each other but don't know how to express it in healthy ways. AWAKE AND SING!, now playing at Artistry's black box theater, is one such tragically beautiful and beautifully tragic play, like Tennessee Williams set in the Bronx. Or rather, since Clifford Odets' 1935 play predates Williams' major works, I guess I should say that Tennessee Williams is like Odets set in the South. The multi-generational Berger family has become beaten down by life, with the younger generation trying to break free and make a new life in this new country, if only it will let them. With a strong cast and detailed design in an intimate space, Artistry's production is beautiful and heart-breaking.

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) concludes its 23rd season with the world premiere of Natasha and the Coat by Deborah Stein.

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) concludes its 23rd season with the world premiere of Natasha and the Coat by Deborah Stein, directed by Miriam Monasch, winner of the 2012 Ivey Award for her direction of MJTC's Our Class. 

Wayward Theatre Co is committed to bringing our work outside of traditional theatre settings, allowing the audience to engage with texts and spaces in new and exciting ways. Next up on Wayward's site-specific docket is Shakespeare's haunting classic, Hamlet; playing at the historic James J. Hill House.

Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) continues its 23rd season with Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, by Shari Aronson, based on the book by Eric A. Kimmel.

Herman Melville's Moby Dick has been called the greatest American novel . This adaptation illustrates what truly makes America great - diversity, inclusion, and hard work.

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) continues its 65th season with Deathtrap, in weekend performances from February 17 through March 12.

Theatre in the Round Players (TRP) continues its 65th season with Deathtrap, in weekend performances from February 17 through March 12.

I first saw Arthur Miller's 1953 play THE CRUCIBLE last spring at the Guthrie, and was wowed at how this story about the infamous Salem witch trials of the late 17th Century, during which twenty people were put to death for the crime of witchcraft, speaks to the issues of the day. Things have changed a lot in the last year and a half, making the play's themes of religious fanaticism, mob mentality, and persecution of people who are different even more scarily relevant. How terrifying to live in a world where one person's false accusation can incite mass hysteria and result in the persecution of innocent people, a world that sadly isn't too far from the current reality. I'm not saying that our president elect is Abigail Williams, but I, and this excellent and intimate production by Theatre Coup d'Etat, am suggesting that we need to take a breath and look at the facts before we rush to condemn someone based on a spiteful rant. THE CRUCIBLE dramatizes one of the greatest failings of the American, or rather pre-American, judicial system, and 60 years after it was written still remains a cautionary tale.

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, The Crucible tells the story of a community consumed by fear, hatred, and a lust for power. John Proctor, a well-respected farmer, ends an ill-fated affair with his servant, Abigail. Spurned by the rejection of her first love, Abigail rebels by meeting with other young women to dance and explore the occult in the woods. They are caught, and through their effort to avoid juvenile punishment, the young women are used as a pawns by the fear-mongering patriarchs of the village to steal property from other surrounding landowners like Proctor. Weaponizing biblical teachings, utilizing fear-based rhetoric, and abusing their own political power, the religious leaders drive the community into a panicked frenzy that ultimately condemns 19 innocent men and women to their death.

?The Twin Cities theater community honored Graydon Royce, long-time theater critic for the Star Tribune, with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and costume designer Trevor Bowen with the Emerging Artist Award at the 12th annual Ivey Awards. The yearly celebration was held Monday, September 19, at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.

Why do we believe what we believe? Can our beliefs change? What happens when those we love don't believe the same things we believe? How important is it to find a group of people that believe in the same things you do? These are just a few of the questions raised by Walking Shadow Theatre Company's excellent production of the thought-provoking play THE CHRISTIANS. In just 90 minutes or so, we witness the pastor of a hugely successful church lose everything because he preaches what he believes, which contradicts the teachings of the church, causing everyone in his life to reexamine their beliefs as well. And it just might have this same effect on the audience.

Freshwater Theatre Company returns in 2015 with the world premiere of If You Don't Weaken, a new Jewish comedy by local playwright Jenna Zark.

Freshwater Theatre Company returns in 2015 with the world premiere of If You Don't Weaken, a new Jewish comedy by local playwright Jenna Zark.

Readers of Broadway World Minneapolis are familiar with the big splashy Broadway tours that come through Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre and St. Paul's Ordway Center for the Arts, as well as what's happening at our own big theaters like the Guthrie. But my goal as a Broadway World contributor is to make you aware of the great work that some of the smaller companies around town are doing. Two great examples right now are nimbus theatre, which does consistently good work as well as hosts other small companies at their Northeast Minneapolis home, and Candid Theatre Company, which recently won an Ivey for their new play DOGWOOD. nimbus' production of August Strindberg's GHOST SONATA combines original music, ingenious set design, and video projections to enhance the deeply layered 100 year old play. Candid's production of the historical true-crime drama HAUPTMANN presents a compelling story with the barest of sets and costumes. Both are worth your time and deserve a bigger audience than the ones I was a part of. Keep reading for more details on both shows. Moral of the story: don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path and give a new theater a try. You might discover something pretty great.

On June 6th, 2014 Theatre Pro Rata will open Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, performing in Twin Cities metro area parks.

Minnesota Jewish Theater Company is pleased to announce the cast for the regional premiere of The History of Invulnerability by David Bar Katz and directed by Hayley Finn. The show tells the story of the creation of Superman by Jerry Siegel with illustrator Joe Shuster, and the rise of this superhero to iconic status during the 1930s and 40s. Based on true events, this intriguing new play tells the tumultuous story, intertwining the events of a world in strife, a place where even Superman has his limits.