Michael Golamco‘s amiable Cowboy Versus Samurai (Mu Performing Arts performing in the Guthrie‘s Dowling Studio, through Nov 28) is loosely based on Edmond Rostand‘s 1897 classic, Cyrano de Bergerac. Ah, but with one crucial distinction: Golamco’s letter composer, Travis, lacks…
Author: John Olive
Table 12 and An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein by Freshwater Theatre at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage
For its premiere production, Freshwater Theatre remounts two (successful) comedies from the Fringe Festival: Table 12, A Play At A Wedding and An Adult Evening Of Shel Silverstein (Freshwater Theatre performing at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage, Franklin and Lyndale, through…
Spring Awakening at The Orpheum Theatre
In Spring Awakening (Hennepin Theatre Trust performing at the Orpheum, tonight — Nov 7 – only) the musical creators have made a magical discovery: that the flowery 19th century text can be combined with 21st century rock music and the…
The 39 Steps at The Guthrie Theater
In The 39 Steps (on the Guthrie‘s McGuire Stage, through December 19) everything is played for yuks. Character transitions are made onstage, often with actors simply donning a new hat or coat (four performers divvy up every character in the…
Life’s A Dream by Ten Thousand Things Theater
At first it’s off-putting, the lack of any stage lighting at a Ten Thousand Things play. Blinking fluorescents, the glare of the late morning sun, the institutional playing space (conference rooms, cafeterias). But soon you find yourself leaning forward, eager…
Weird Tales For Halloween by Hardcover Theater, performing at Bryant Lake Bowl
Let yourself be ushered into the shadowy and dusty confines of the ancient BLB theater. A creaky wooden floor – is that the waitress? I hope so.  A blood red curtain. An eerie 19th century organ. Is that the distant…
Robin Hood at The Childrens Theatre Company
Director Greg Banks is the maestro of the small cast classic. His m.o.: keep the story-line as simple as possible, the characters one-dimensional, and the set filled with playable levels. Bring the audience as close to the action as possible…
A Few Good Men at The Sabes Jewish Community Center
Aaron Sorkin‘s A Few Good Men (Urban Samurai Productions, performing at the Sabes Jewish Community Center, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd., Minneapolis, through Oct 10), despite its age (it’s very nearly 20) still packs a punch. It deals with a genuine…
A Cool Drink A Water at Mixed Blood Theatre
In 1959, a young writer, Lorraine Hansberry, premiered, on Broadway, A Raisin In The Sun. The play tapped a vein of intense yearning and became an instant classic. It features one of the great American heroes: an old-fashioned yet powerful…
The 500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins at The Children’s Theatre Company
Theater-goers, young and old! Go see Bradley Greenwald, currently holding forth in The 500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins (Childrens Theatre Co., 2400 Third Ave., Minneapolis, through Oct 30, childrensheatre.org) before an evil Broadway producer swoops down and snatches him away…