Day: March 30, 2025

Secret Warriors Examines the Sacrifices and Heroism of Japanese Americans in WWII at History Theatre

Erik Ohno Dagoberg, Clay Man Soo, Tony Larkin, Stephanie Anne Bertumen, Kendall Kent Photo by Rick Spaulding

Secret Warriors by R.A. Shiomi reminds us that the ugliness we see around us everyday, especially from our government is not new. It tells a story from a shameful moment in our country’s history, when Americans of Japanese descent were rounded up and imprisoned in camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That is the backdrop upon which this story is told, in the foreground are four soldiers, who despite what was happening to their families volunteered for a secret project that saved thousands of lives during the war. While we follow these four soldiers through their agreement to enroll in the program, the subsequent training, and their ultimate deployment in the Pacific theater, we are constantly aware of internment camps. The set design by Erik Paulson significantly contributes to this by having the back of the set inclosed in tall chain link fences panels with barbed wire along the top. Whenever the scene changes and wherever the action on stage is taking place, that barbed wire fence stands as a reminder of the injustice that is occuring to the characters families back home. Just as this play, masterfully directed by Lily Tung Crystal, should stand as a reminder that we’ve done all of this before and regretted it.

The four soldiers whom we follow throughout the production are played by Erik Ohno Dagoberg, Song Kim, Josh Kwon, and Clay Man Soo. The story really focuses on two of the soldiers, Tamio played by Dagoberg, and Koji played by Clay Man Soo. While they seem to clash when they first meet, Tamio being a cocky and aggressive personality compared to Koji’s more reserved demeanor, they soon become friends. Soo is good, particularly once he enters the war and uses his skills as a translator to get the enemy to surrender or talking officers of the Japanese army into providing information that will save lives on both sides. Dagoberg is electric, from the moment he comes on stage, it’s a role that requires a big personality and he delivers that but without being over the top, he’s subtly charismatic and that draws the audience into him even more. One of the things that bonds the two is they both meet and fall in love with girls at the same USO dance. Stephanie Anne Bertumen reunites with her Sanctuary City costar Soo, as Koji’s girlfriend Natsuko. While Tamio’s eventual fiance Denise Murphy is played by Kendall Kent. Bertumen and Kent’s performances are crucial to the audiences involvement in the show. The idea itself would make an interesting play to be sure. But, the romantic relationships made so heartfelt by Bertumen and Kent are key to raising our emotional involvement in the characters and raising the level of the play from interesting to compelling. Their letters from home help to build the tension and the concern for the characters raising the emotional bar of what is at stake.

Paulson’s set design in effective in Act One, with a backdrop on which Kathy Maxwell’s projections are splashed, giving us virtual locals or context to the scenes. When the audience returns from intermission for Act Two, we are astonished to see the stage transformed. Wooden structures that formed stairways on the sides of the stage have been moved to the center and combined to represent for example, a ship carrying the soldiers to the Pacific theater of the war. But the surprises do not end there, though I think I’ll keep that to myself as I was rather amazed by the transformation that occured next. Meghan Kent has designed period costuming that perfectly captures the era. Behind the scenes rounding out the overall high quality production design are Lighting Designer Wu Chen Khoo, Properties Designer Kenji Shoemaker, and Sound Designer Frederick Kennedy.

Secret Warriors runs through April 19th at History Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2024-2025/secret-warriors

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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.

But that’s not all! You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.

Transatlantic Love Affair’s Red and the Mother Wild Worthy of Illusion Theater’s 50th Anniversary

front: Amber Bjork, Adelin Phelps rear: Allison Vincent, Derek Lee Miller, Mark Benzel, Peyton McCandless, Jack Bechard photo by Lauren B Photography

Red and the Mother Wild is the latest from the physical Theater company Transatlantic Love Affair. Their shows are created in collaboration, they are developed and performed without the use of set and props. The wonderful thing about them, is that those elements are not missed. Like listening to and old time radio show your mind fills in that which your eyes cannot see. There is no sound design, but the production is filled with sounds. Those of the birds, of the wind, the sounds of the woods, and the animals that inhabit it. All of the sounds are created by the actors live on stage using their voices and bodies. The cast perform the roles of human characters as well as anything else that might aid in creating a picture in the minds eye of the audience. This includes everything from animals, to the walls of Mother Wilds home, and the trees of the forest. The story is grown from the seed of the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. It tells of a village of people, one of whom is a little girl named Red who has no parents and so the villagers all take turns raising her. Red is inexplicably drawn to the woods, the one place she is told she must never go. When she is older she will venture in and discover the darker side of the world.

Directed with creativity and exacting detail by Isabel Nelson the first and former Artistic Director of Transatlantic Love Affair. There is one element of production design that they do rely upon and that is lighting which was designed by Dante Benjegerdes and really is well done and integral to the story. The entire ensemble is fantastic and the magic of the piece being the way they have managed to create an entire world using only their voices and bodies. They find the perfect way to suggest a fish in a stream, or a way to embody a tree that is being chopped down, in a way that we know exactly what is happening and also earns a laugh. The cast is a seven Actor ensemble comprised of Jack Bechard, Mark Benzel, Amber Bjork, Peyton McCandless, Derek Lee Miller, Adelin Phelps, and Allison Vincent. While a few have bigger roles, it really is an ensemble in the way they all contribute to creating the world of the play. It’s fascinating the details they add like a dripping faucet in a village home or the layering of sounds to capture the aural experience of the forest at night.

I do want to highlight a few performance moments that really connected for me. Phelps as Red is the perfect performer to take us on this journey, she captures Red’s curiosity about the woods beautifully and is equally effective when shutting down after a traumatic event. Allison Vincent in the role of one of the village mothers has again displayed her gift for line readings that are flat out the best possible way to say anything. She and Phelps together create a very special bond, their connection is felt and is one of the strongest in the production. Vincent also knows how to play a tree falling down in such a way that it elicits a big laugh from the audience. Derek Lee Miller is plays Daniel Vincent’s characters husband, a woodsman, he allows Red to come into the woods. When things take a turn, Miller does a nice job of portraying the two sides of this character. Finally, Amber Bjork plays the Mother Wild, a woman who lives in the woods and takes Red in, this character made me think of Dorothy Molter, the Root Beer Lady, if you saw History Theatre’s show this winter you’ll know what I mean. Bjork plays her very no nonsense and practical, with little jabs of humor now and then.

Red and the Mother Wild runs through April 12th at the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.illusiontheater.org/red-and-the-mother-wild

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, Theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our Theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity.

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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.

But that’s not all! You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.