I was unfamiliar with Open Window Theatre, apparently they used to be based in Minneapolis. Now after a four or five year absence they have opened again in new digs in Inver Grove. The new theatre was supposed to open in December and host their Christmas concert but construction delays caused it to be relocated. The new space contains a large performance area and seating for maybe 150 to 200. Designed so there isn’t a bad seat, and you can see and hear everything from anywhere. Reading through the theatre’s website I get the impression it is somewhat faith based theatre. If you are not religious don’t let that turn you off. I found the work to be based on a theme of redemption and positivity, not any explicit religious faith. Their mission is about creating theatre that entertains, educates, and inspires. One of their beliefs is that theatre doesn’t need to be vulgar to be good. There is nothing wrong with that certainly, and it doesn’t mean they put on only G rated plays. The play tonight dealt with violence, incest, prostitution, it dealt with these matters quite openly, but it wasn’t judgemental about them.
The play was The World Over by Keith Bunin. In the “Who’s Who” portion of the program the managing director Cole Matson, Ph.D. states that it’s his favorite play. I’m not sure how that happens, it’s a good play that will sink or swim based on it’s cast. Open Window Theatre fortunately has found a very good cast and so The World Over is a very enjoyable evening despite running close to 2 1/2 hours with intermission. An epic quest of a tale drawing from the greeks in it’s Odyssey style episodic journey as well as Shakespeare with it’s shipwrecked twins and fortuitous coincidences. Adam, is rescued from a deserted island and told the nursery story of the country of Gildoray. He comes to believe that he is the long lost prince of Gildoray and sets out on a journey to find the land no one believes exists, to rescue his mother who has been banished, and set his people free from the tyranny of his uncle who has assumed the throne. Along the way he will rescue and enrich the lives of all that he comes across. He will fight monsters, and face a sultans challenge in hopes of winning a Princess’s hand in marriage.
While Andrew Hey plays only the character of Adam, the other seven actors portray multiple characters each. Hey plays Adam as an idealistic at the beginning who triumphs by perseverance and a belief that doing the right thing is always the only way forward. As he progresses he loses sight of his core values and when he acts out of personal ambition, his winning streak comes to an end. It’s then we see what makes his character a true hero, having lost everything he still steps out to help those that are in his path. Standouts among the cast were Grant Hooyer, Erika Kuhn, and Dawson D. Ehlke all of which played at least one if not multiple characters that remain vivid after the lights come back up. Hooyer, brings a light and witty touch to both the Geographer, who is basically telling us the story, and the Balladeer who tells Adam the story of Gildoray. Kuhn’s best character is that of Princess Isobel. Ehlke shines early on as the Pirate Darkly Jack. All of the actors play their roles straight with earnestness when it is called for, but they also bring out the humor wherever it is appropriate. It’s a blend that almost shouldn’t work and yet, it really, really does. The Director Jeremy Stanbary perfectly paces the show, we visit so many different places and scenes moving from one to the next so fluidly that your amazed when the show ends and you see how long it was. Stanbary also had to take over the Lighting and Projection Design two weeks before the show opened. The multiple hats didn’t show as the Lighting and projection as well and the sound design which he also did were effective and well executed.
The World Over is well paced hero’s journey. Performed by a cast that can bring the epic but also remembers that a sprinkle of humor can do a lot towards helping an audience suspend their disbelief. For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://openwindowtheatre.org/
The Stages of MN 
You must be logged in to post a comment.