In The Heights (at the Ordway through September 24) – despite its glitziness, its over-the-top-ness, its (extreme) loudness – beautifully invokes the heat, the funk, the grit of a New York City summer. Better than anything I can think of…
Author: John Olive
Fool For Love: first in a series of productions of plays by the late great Sam Shepard
Dark and Stormy Productions, 77 13th Ave. NE, through September 16
Dark And Stormy‘s theater (an out-of-the-way converted office space at 77 13th St. N.E.) is cramped and stuffy, and the cheap chairs’ll numb your ass in five minutes flat. In other words, it’s my kind of space. I love…
Idiot’s Delight: a lovely rendering of this chestnut
Girl Friday Productions, performing at Park SquareThe (unfortunately) late Archie Leyasmeyer would likely be the chair of the Girl Friday Productions board of directors. As one or two of you perhaps know, Archie taught (at the U) a survey of dramatic literature focusing on the kinds…
Sunday In The Park With George: an affecting portrait of the artistic impulse
The Guthrie Theater, through August 20The design! The Guthrie‘s Sunday In The Park With George features richly fab work by projection designer Caite Hevner and by lighting designer Jane Cox. Their Sunday is gloriously, breath-takingly, mesmerizingly colorful. I’m unsure where the lighting leaves off and…
Fly By Night: Cute with a capital Q
At the Jungle Theater, through July 23Pity the poor critic at the Jungle‘s zippy production of Fly By Night. Look at him, bent dyspeptically over his stained notebook, scrawling Scrooge-isms like, “convoluted,” “clichèd,” “cutesy.” Ish. I don’t wanna continue in this vein and you don’t want…
365 Days/365 Plays: a breezy and enjoyable collection of skits
Full Circle Theater Co., performing at Penumbra, through June 11Full Circle Theater Company, presenter of Suzan-Lori Parks‘s refreshingly unpretentious 365 Days/365 Plays, lists, in the program, “Co-Artistic Directors” – Rick Shiomi and Martha B. Johnson. As well as a “Core Artistic Group” – James A. Williams, Stephanie Lein Walseth…
Pike St.: Nilaja Sun delivers an exquisite performance
Pillsbury House Theatre, through June 18Pike St. (Pillsbury House Theatre) is a one woman show, written and performed by über-talented New Yorker Nilaja Sun. Pike St. evinces many of the problems inherent in one person performances. It lacks muscle (true drama requires, imho, the interaction of two…
Charles Francis Chan Jr.’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery: garbled fun
Mu Performing Arts, performing in the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio, through May 28Eric Sharp totally carries Lloyd Suh‘s gloriously messy Charles Francis Chan Jr.’s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery (whew). His stern comic timing is balanced by passion and perfect anger/love (see the play; you’ll understand what I mean). Sharp’s sharp energy makes…
Wit: a compelling exploration of the mystery of death
Artistry Theater (1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington), through May 28Professor Vivian Bearing has Stage Four – “There’s no Stage Five” – ovarian cancer. A tumor “the size of a grapefruit” has spread to her pelvic bones, to the surrounding organs and the pain, and the pressure of it, combined…
The Bluest Eye: dense and difficult, ultimately rewarding
The Guthrie, through May 21Are you a conservative theater-goer? Do you insist that your plays entertain, contain coherent plots and characters with whom you can readily identify? If this is you, then the beautifully substantive The Bluest Eye (at the Guthrie through May 21),…