Author: John Olive

In The Heights: beautifully overdone

The Ordway, through September 24

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…

Fly By Night: Cute with a capital Q

At the Jungle Theater, through July 23

Pity 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 11

Full 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…

Wit: a compelling exploration of the mystery of death

Artistry Theater (1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington), through May 28

Professor 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…