If there is one word in theater that’s recognized globally, it must be “Hamlet;†to take on this play is a somber responsibility. Park Square Theatre, under the guiding hand of director and scenic designer Joel Sass, has opened a…
Category: Theater
Wedding Band: a frightening love story
Interracial marriage used to be illegal? Yikes. That was in the Bad Old Days. We now live, thank heaven, in an era in which love = love. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court (Loving v. Virginia in 1967; the recent…
The Music Man: seeworthy
To begin on a mercantile note: Artistry Theater charges $41 for a ticket to The Music Man (Artistry, 1800 Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington, through Nov 5). This is 1/4 of what they get at the Orpheum, 1/3 of what…
Watch on the Rhine: a resonant political thriller
In the perpetual struggle for freedom and human rights, there are heroes, villains, bystanders, and opportunists. Lillian Hellman’s Watch on the Rhine, now at the Guthrie’s proscenium stage through November 5th, examines the complex webs of interaction between these groups…
How To Use A Knife: sharp and entertaining
Will Snider‘s raucous How To Use A Knife (Mixed Blood, through Oct 15) niftily captures the cascading chaos of a modern American restaurant kitchen. Chef George rides herd – well, tries to – on his crazed Guatamalan line chefs, Miguel…
Hoopla Train: goofy, beery fun
In order to enjoy the appealing Hoopla Train (Sod House Theater, various venues, through Oct 15; visit sodhousetheater.com for specific info), it helps to make a commitment: to beer. Avoid hard liquor. You don’t wanna get snaky drunk. You want…
Man of La Mancha: a timely, joyful lament
The promise of a better life motivates us all—as we seek to improve our circumstances and sense of personal meaning. Dale Wasserman‘s classic musical Man of La Mancha tells the timeless tale of Don Quixote, a man who heroically seeks…
[almo$t equal to]: fun and confusing
My computer is unable to make the double squiggly line mathematical symbol that goes in front of this play’s title. ~, only two, one atop the other. Also, I’m unsure about the dollar sign. But the program has one, so…
The Nether: a challenging look into a virtual future
Great science fiction envisions and anticipates an uncertain future with equal amounts of enthusiasm and fear. While new technologies solve problems and bring great gains to quality of life, they also have a dangerous capacity to alter lives in fundamental…
In The Heights: beautifully overdone
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…