I don't know if you've noticed, but there's something exciting going on in downtown St. Paul. In what's usually regarded as the sleepier of the Twin Cities, Park Square Theatre has recently opened a second stage in the Historic Hamm Building on lovely 7th Place. This extra space has allowed them to do some great things in the last few months, including producing regional premieres, partnering with local theater companies (look for shows by Sandbox Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, and Girl Friday Productions this spring and summer), an increased focus on diversity, and continuing their commitment to students. They currently have three fantastic shows playing on the two stages, including student matinees of an effectively condensed ROMEO AND JULIET. But for us grown-ups, the two stages offer two very different but both excellent choices: the bittersweet comedy SHOOTING STAR on the Proscenium Stage, and the emotional drama THE OTHER PLACE on the new Boss Stage. Read on to make your choice, but hurry, both shows close on April 19.
Midway through its first season producing on two stages, Park Square Theatre shows no sign of slowing down with its 2015-2016 theatre season. In addition to a range of area and regional premieres, the company is commissioning two brand new works - one for each stage - from Joel Sass (Great Expectations) and Christina Ham and Regina Marie Williams (Nina Simone: Four Women). The line-up also includes the first Midwest licensed production of an ingenious miniature musical that will delight mystery lovers, two family-friendly holiday treats, and new productions by two of Park Square's Theatres in Residence, Sandbox Theatre and Theatre Pro Rata. The season will conclude with a flash of mature flesh as nine leading actresses bare all in Calendar Girls by Tom Firth.
Park Square continues its 40th season this month with Steven Dietz's wistful comedy, SHOOTING STAR. Dietz, author of Becky's New Car, produced by Park Square in 2009, is one of America's most produced playwrights, and with SHOOTING STAR he gives us a moving new twist on the one that got away. Twin Cities favorite Sally Wingert* is joined by Mark Benninghofen* as the couple that could have been. NPR called Dietz's SHOOTING STAR '...a quick and sharp play about our lives, one that gives us all the fun and all the tears of our times.'
The English language is in need of a gender-neutral pronoun. Firstly to eliminate the awkward 'he or she' and 'his or her,' but also to refer to people who don't identify with either, or in cases where gender really doesn't matter (which is most cases). The title of the new play HIR (pronounced here) is playwright Taylor Mac's suggestion for an alternative to her and him, with ze replacing he and she. But to say that HIR is about transgender and gender issues is to simplify it too much. In fact, it's difficult to put into words just what it's about, but I'll do my best. It's epic and brutal and funny and heart-breaking as it explores ideas of not just gender, but also class, domestic violence, the changing order of things, and the effects of war on soldiers and those left behind. It's one of those plays that will rip you open, lay your emotions bare, and perhaps leave you with a bit of a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. But this beautifully done, perfectly cast production at Mixed Blood Theatre, known for its challenging and rewarding work, is well worth it.
Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company (MJTC) will remount its Ivey Award-winning production, Rose, starring Sally Wingert, for a limited engagement this January.
It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Minneapolis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!
Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Minneapolis Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!
I don't know opera, and I don't believe I had ever heard the name Maria Callas before seeing Theater Latte Da's MASTER CLASS. But I have been educated. I now know that Maria Callas was one of the most talented, dedicated, and fascinating artists of the 20th century. Her paintbrush was her voice, her canvas was the stage, her creation was opera. She sacrificed everything for her art, and had very strong opinions about what art is and what it isn't. She shared those opinions in a series of master classes at Julliard in the early '70s. Playwright Terrence McNally used those classes as the backdrop against which to tell the story of who this woman was in his 1996 Tony-winning play. Her attitude towards art may not lead to the healthiest and happiest of lifestyles, but it does in some cases lead to some exquisite art, both in her singing, and in this magnificent production by Theater Latte Da.
For the first time in the Iveys' 10-year history, two people will share the Lifetime Achievement Award. Michael Robins and Bonnie Morris, co-producing directors of Illusion Theater, were honored at the celebration of Twin Cities theater on September 22 at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Versatile actor-singer-dancer-improviser Tyler Michaels received the Emerging Artist Award.
With Sexy Laundry opening tonight, the entire cast roster for the theatre's biggest season is almost complete. Nearly 300 Minnesota artists - including actors, directors, designers and technical operators - will mount 18 productions on two stages. The season lineup confirms Park Square's commitment to the work of women writers like Amy Herzog, Michele Riml and Alice Walker. The casting emphasizes Park Square as a home for local artists of color, from returning favorites like James A. Williams, T. Mychael Rambo and Regina Williams to dozens of debuts like Dominique Wooten, Kurt Kwan and Sarah Ochs.
Who can resist a one-woman show by Sally Wingert, one of the Twin Cities best actors? Add to that an intimate in-home setting and an epic story that encompasses the entire scope of Jewish history in the 20th Century, and you have an unforgettable evening of theater. Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company's production of Martin Sherman's play ROSE, which is being performed in homes around the Cities, is inspirational, horrifying, funny, charming, disturbing, brutally honest, and entirely compelling.
Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company has announced an exciting line up of five shows for its 2014-15 season. Artists familiar to MJTC theatergoers will be on stage and on the creative teams through the 20th anniversary season.
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today casting for the 2014 National Playwrights Conference. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg, who celebrates her 10th season leading the Conference in 2014, the Conference runs from July 2 to July 19, and will be instrumental in the development of six new plays.
Theater Latte Da announces their 2014-2015 season. Check below for details. Season 17 includes a play with music, two musicals, a poignant holiday classic and a new work series--AND features some of the top talent in the Twin Cities. The curtain goes up on October 8. You won't want to miss a note! Purchase your season subscription now by visiting latteda.org/subscribe or by calling 612-339-3003.
The Playwrights' Center has announced the 2014-15 recipients of its McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships: costume designer Mathew LeFebvre; actor, director and choreographer Austene Van and actor Sally Wingert.
The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today casting for the 2014 National Playwrights Conference. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg, who celebrates her 10th season leading the Conference in 2014, the Conference runs from July 2 to July 19, and will be instrumental in the development of six new plays.
Cementing its role as a purveyor of new plays, as a destination for the finest talent in the field, and as an anchor in its Cedar-Riverside Minneapolis neighborhood, Mixed Blood Theatre Company will produce, present, and host 20 theatrical productions in the Alan Page Auditorium of its historic firehouse theatre between August of 2014 and July of 2015.
