Employee Appreciation Day is something a little different. More akin to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society shows that I frequently cover than Live Theater. But unlike those performances where the MORLS create live audio drama in front on an audience, this is audio drama that has been pre- recorded and available via this YouTube link to listen for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaPPR_qsSNk&ab_channel=WorkLightFilms. So why review this “sound play” as the creators call it? Well for one thing, I’m all about trying to share my love of theater, and this is a way for folks to listen to a play while they’re perhaps in the car on their way to their summer vacation destination. I met the Writer and Director Phil Holt at last years Minnesota Fringe Festival where I positively reviewed his show Rewrites. In that show, I liked Holt’s Surreal plot and use of humor. Employee Appreciation Day is not a perfect play but I think anyone who has worked in the corporate sector will find a lot to enjoy in this comedic look at the work life.

The story is a look at all the ridiculous decisions and managerial B.S. that is corporate America in the 21st century. We have characters we identify with, like Eugene, who hasn’t seen a single one of his kids baseball games all year because his boss Kelly always needs him to work late. There’s also his co-worker Buddy who is just trying to keep his head down. Many of the characters are ones those of us who have spent time in large corporations will recognize. The Manager Kelly who uses corporate lingo and faux motivational and inclusive language to serve her own purposes. Mr. Malcolmson the President of Corporate Corp Incorporated who is completely out of touch with what it’s like not to make millions a year for being an idiot. His great plan is to spend a ton of money on an employee appreciation day to distract the employees from the fact they are going to do a mass layoff in order to cut costs. And there’s Chad the new employee who comes in and gets put in charge of projects over Eugene who has been there working extra hours for six years. He’s the weasel who does everything he can to usurp any authority or sense of ownership Eugene has, like take away the collecting for the office lottery pool and then leaving Eugene out of it. It’s basically a send up in the vein of Office Space.

Tim Perfect, whose performance is top notch as the put upon Eugene leads the cast. He gets the frustration, the anger, and the glee in the final scene just right. Magdalen Powers really captures in the character of Kelly, that tone that she’s above her subordinates and the whole corporate double talk. Rachel Ratkowski is Melody, the HR employee who has to deal with one crisis after another and gets the harried quality in her voice as well as handling a moment of a hysterical breakdown perfectly. I also want to mention Steven Todd Smith as Mr. Malcolmson whose completely clueless as the boss. The one issue with the performances in general is the pacing. I understand that the performances were captured via a zoom call and I’m sure that’s the reason, but the issue is that most lines feel like they are coming a second or two too late. The script also uses the technique of having characters repeat each others lines back in a questioning form much too frequently, a little of that goes a long way. The script builds to a moment of wonderful wish fulfillment but the details of that moment don’t really make sense and pull you out of the story questioning some of the logic.

Ultimately I had a lot of fun with this audio play. I think it would adapt well into a play or film and hopefully someone will take on the project in future. In the meantime, check out Employee Appreciation Day today, it’s free and funny, once again click here to access it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaPPR_qsSNk&ab_channel=WorkLightFilms

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also weekly shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Classical Actors Ensemble (CAE) is Performing one of William Shakespeare’s most accessible comedies this summer in parks all over the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Much Ado About Nothing is the perfect play for this kind of endeavor, it’s light, funny, and the language is surprisingly modern for a play well over 400 years old. I attended a performance at Water Works Park in Downtown Minneapolis by the Mississippi River. We packed a picnic dinner (which is encouraged) and sat on our blanket eating fruit, cheese, hummus, and crackers, sipping on some Raspberry Lemonade. It was a perfect evening for an outdoor play, and the performers were so close you could reach out and touch them, but don’t do that. It felt like we were in Italy and a part of the proceedings. This is an ideal environment in which to introduce younger people or folks who have never been able to tune into Shakespeare. You’ve got snacks, you’re out in nature and the cast does a wonderful job of making the play not just understandable but genuinely funny.

The play is the model on which all modern day “will they or won’t they” romances are based. If you thought it was Sam and Diane from Cheers, I think you’ll realize once you see it that they, and all that followed, owe much to Benedick and Beatrice as well as other Shakespeare lovers who are too wise to woo peaceably. The story is the tale of two sets of lovers one young and experiencing love for the first time and the second older, more seasoned. The action kicks off when Don Pedro and his men fresh from battle come to stay at the estate of Leonato. One of Don Pedro’s men, Claudio, falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero. An engagement is set but Don Pedro’s brother, Don John who in his own words is a ‘plain-dealing villain’, hatches a plan to breakup the happy couple. Claudio and Hero’s story is the earnest straightforward romance, and quite effective as such. The second romance is between Benedick and Beatrice, old verbal sparring partners who never come into one another’s company without trading insults. Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, and Hero have decided to see if they can trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love with each other while they await the wedding day. Much merriment and some moments of heartbreak ensue.

The key to successfully performing Shakespeare is to make the dialogue feel as natural as possible. Conveying through performance, the meaning of the words even if at times, the words have lost their meaning over the last four centuries. The words themselves are wonderful, but they need an actor who understands the message that each line is imparting to the audience and has the craft to make that meaning clear. This cast does a fantastic job not only in communicating to the audience so that we have no problem following along, but also in using the performance space. This troupe of players had never performed in this space before, but the actors seemed perfectly at home, going up into the audience and using the walkways all around the set. Charlotte McDaniel and Tom Conry play Beatrice and Benedick and make for spirited sparring partners. They are a living illustration of the different ways in which to play Shakespeare that can work for a modern audience. McDaniel plays the more restrained performance which serves as an example of how Shakespeare can feel very subtle and “today”. Conry plays it rather large, but in doing so he engages and even interacts with the audience, showing how the humor can still work. Jin Suh makes for a well tempered Don Pedro, he has the gravitas of the commander of an army, but also feels real, showing some vulnerability in a moment when a proposal is denied. Two smaller roles I wanted to mention as well, firstly M. Smith Fraser as Constable Dogberry. This is a role that is sheer comic relief and one in which different performers can bring their own wild takes. In this production Dogberry and his partner Verges are combined into the character of Dogberry, who uses a sock puppet on his hand for the Verges lines, suggesting that he was probably kicked in the head by an Ass at some point in his life. It’s a character that always gets big laughs and Fraser’s approach is unique and quite entertaining. Lastly, in a couple of very small roles is Tim Perfect, who especially in the role of Friar Francis, stood out as perhaps the best in terms of ability to speak the lines in a way that captured their eloquence, their meaning, and felt completely naturalistic.

This is my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, and this was a delightful production. I encourage everyone to check it out when it comes to your local park. It’s running through July 16th for more information and to find where and when it plays go to https://classicalactorsensemble.org/. The performances are free of charge, but donations are welcome to help pay for the cost of putting on these performances.

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

This was my first experience with TigerLion Arts the company behind this singular theatrical experience. The Buddha Prince tells the biography of the 14th Dalai Lama from his discovery as a toddler to his exile in India. I was familiar with the basics of his life having seen Martin Scorsese’s film Kundun several years ago. But prior knowledge is not needed as the company does an excellent job of walking you through his life. Filled with all manner of theatrical expression from music, masks, puppets, and dance we are guided by the Dalai Lama himself around Washburn Fair Oaks Park located directly across from The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). It’s a unique way to stage a play, but then this is a unique play. It’s enriched by the surroundings and by the physical experience of symbolically traveling with the 14th Dalai Lama through his life’s journey. It’s educational, inspirational, and entertaining, everything you could ask for from a show.

The story is told by the 14th Dalai Lama played by Jay Ramos, to a reporter played by Winifred Froelich. As he tells her the story of his life, we move to various stations throughout the park and see those portions of his life acted out. The Dalai Lama is portrayed at different ages by Clay Man Soo and Tenzin Namgyal. Each time the Dalai Lama moves, we as an audience move with the performers. Traveling from the present day home of the Dalai Lama, to the village he was born in, on to the palace at Lhasa, to his visit to China, back to Lhasa, then on his journey to flee Tibet, then ending back where we began. As the cast and audience move through the park, musicians led by Tenzin Ngawang play Tibetan instruments while singers and dancers perform and guide the group. The music is beautiful and exotic, something different than we are used to hearing in Western culture. I found the sounds and the visuals of the dancers, costumes, and props completely engrossing.

Some tips about attending and making the experience the best it can be. Online when you order your tickets, you can opt for a $12.00 food item, Tibetan Momos (Tibetan Dumplings from Amazing Momo). They’re delicious and I highly recommend sampling them. Helpful hint, order them prior to the shows beginning, they will be served after the shows conclusion and expect to wait around for your order to be filled as they prepare them so they are hot and fresh. Bring a chair or blanket, they do have little folding camping chairs you can use, and they work fine, but you might want something a little more robust, if so bring it. Wear comfortable shoes, you will be walking, it’s not a lot, but there are mild inclines and you’ll want to be comfortable. As you arrive at each station sit as close as you can, but I also recommend noticing where instruments are set up and sitting a little ways away from them so that the dialogue and singing isn’t overwhelmed by the music. I highly recommend this experience to learn more about the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan culture. Go in open to all the sites and sounds, not just the story. Allow yourself to broaden your focus beyond the story to be aware of your environment, the natural world all around you is a part of this event and contributes to the whole.

For more information about The Buddha Prince which runs through July 9th and to purchase tickets go to http://www.buddhaprince.org/ To learn more about the current state of Tibet and what you can do to support Tibetans go to https://tibetaction.net/

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. Follow that group, It’s a great way to see reviews for shows I don’t get to or to get another blogger’s take on one I did. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also weekly shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.