So I had my annual gathering of my friends from the North Pole this week, we had a great time, but they can be a bit much. Getting them all to sit still long enough to get the photo above was A Christmas Miracle! They wanted to know what I thought of all the holiday themed shows still playing around town. So I gave them the quick run down on five of them and thought I should share them with you faithful readers and viewers. So that is what this weeks episode is, 5 quick reviews! Enjoy and I’ll see you on the other side of New Years, when we’ll return with all new episodes of The Stages of MN. You can watch the episode here bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode24YouTube or listen to it here https://bit.ly/TSOMNEpisode24Podcast
Also we have one Final “At a Show With….” Segment before we close out the year. We’ll be back in early 2026 with more Stages of MN.
Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.
The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
And one Final At a Show With…. Segment before we close out the year. We’ll be back in early 2026 with more Stages of MN. Until then be sure and catch my reviews of all the shows I see at my blog https://thestagesofmn.com/
and Follow me on Facebook / thestagesofmn and Instagram / thestagesofmn
We have a new episode up in which we join Fortune’s Fool Theatre in celebrating their 20th Anniversary! I talk with co–Artistic Directors, father and daughter Daniel and Ariel Pinkerton, about how the company started, how they settle disagreements, and what they’re doing to mark this big milestone. Hint: it involves pirates. In fact, they have two pirate shows running in rep at the Hive Collaborative in St. Paul as part of their 20th Anniversary Festival of FREE Musicals. Yep, tickets to both shows are absolutely free.
We also have a review of Mistletoe & Mayhem from Just Us Theater, which runs through 12/14: https://mistletoe-mayhem.com/
Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.
The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
A Christmas in Ochopee, the remount from New Native Theatre first produced two years ago, is like nothing else I’ve seen this holiday season. It has none of the things we normally associate with Christmas shows, no snow, no carols, no turkey dinner. Instead, we get the Everglades, basketball games, and an alligator. But while the trappings may be different, the chaotic family dynamics are universal. I was rather taken with its shaggy Christmas charms, and it was refreshing to mix things up a bit.
The play follows Christmas Day with the Weetley family on a reservation in the Florida Everglades. Bo Weetley, the father, has already bet the money from a landscaping job he hasn’t even been awarded yet on a basketball game, the same money he planned to use to take the family to Disney World for Christmas. Meanwhile, Donnie Boy, the youngest son, is unexpectedly released from prison when the arresting officer forgets to show up in court, resulting in the case being thrown out. His brother Joseph is bringing his fiancée home for Christmas but forgot to tell his family they’re engaged… or that they’re vegans. And fiancée Audrey hasn’t gotten around to telling him that she’s pregnant. Add in a Barney Fife-esque cop and an antagonistic uncle, and you have the makings of a Christmas spiraling entirely out of control, with very little assistance required.
Montana Cypress’s script somehow keeps everything clearly delineated even as the story turns increasingly chaotic, which, as I began summarizing the plot, I realized is kind of amazing. The script is tight, though the direction occasionally feels a bit loose, perhaps due to a few less experienced cast members. The ensemble is uneven, but several performers shine. Benjamin Wilson as the father is especially strong. He seems born to play the role and doesn’t hit a false note the entire show. Mato Wayuhi as Donnie Boy delivers a manic goofball energy and dim-witted charm that perfectly explains his place in the family. In a smaller role as Joseph’s childhood best friend Summer, Shinaana Secody displays that enviable skill of simply knowing how to be on stage. We would have loved to see more of her.
I’m sure there are cultural nuances I missed, jokes specific to reservation life in the Everglades or references that went over my head. But I never felt like an outsider. I enjoyed the show because I recognized the characters as people I’ve known, and the situations are universal even when the details are not. The production has a chaotic charm, gets surprisingly physical at times, and offers quieter moments when its larger-than-life characters become grounded and deeply relatable.
A Christmas in Ochopee runs through December 21 at 825 Arts in Saint Paul. Visit New Native Theatre’s website for more information and to purchase tickets: https://www.newnativetheatre.org/tickets.
New Native Theatre is the largest Native-led nonprofit theater company in the country, now in its 16th year. Let’s make sure it has another 16. Please go see the show, and if you can’t make it, consider making a donation. It’s important that these voices are heard and these stories are told, and the best way to ensure that is by supporting New Native Theatre.
Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.
The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Brave New Workshop’s annual Christmas show this year is called The Chaos of the Bells, and this might just be their best one yet. The show is wonderfully irreverent and hilariously funny, poking fun at everything from Hallmark Channel Christmas movies and Santa Claus to OnlyFans and classic Christmas songs. I won’t spoil the fun by revealing my favorite bits or giving away punchlines. What BNW delivers, what I always look forward to this time of year, is laughter, pure and simple. And honestly, in a year like 2025, when reflecting on the state of the world feels unusually heavy, distraction by way of comedy is exactly what I need.
Musical Director Jon Pumper seemed to play an even larger role this year. Either that, or there were simply more musical numbers than usual. In any case, he remains an invaluable part of the ensemble. For those unfamiliar with Brave New Workshop, it’s the longest-running comedy theater in the United States. Their holiday tradition features sketch comedy, punctuated with songs, and always concludes with their original twist on “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
Favorite sketches this year: two neighbors chatting in a garage in Fridley, a phone call to Santa Claus, “Kissing Cousins,” and a number from White Christmas. Okay, I have to stop there or I’ll end up listing every sketch of the night. There wasn’t a single miss—every piece landed. If only SNL were this consistent.
A show like this is only as good as its writers and performers, and this year the brilliant core four, Lauren Anderson (who has starred in more consecutive BNW shows than any performer in the theater’s history), Denzel Belin, Isabella Dunsieth, and Doug Neithercott, are joined by the inspired addition of Rita Boersma. Boersma, whom you’ll often see working with Mike Fotis of Strike Theater, blends seamlessly with the veteran cast. Her characters and her fearless commitment to going for the laugh are all-in. Her Fridley neighbor character was a standout. In one sketch, she made out with her “husband,” who was wearing a welding mask; based on Dunsieth’s reactions, I’m guessing Boersma added a little improvisational enthusiasm to the moment. It was an evening highlight.
The whole cast is fantastic, and the script is fresh and funny. I did catch one idea recycled from a previous Christmas show, but it was a highlight then too, so I was delighted to see it back.
This is the perfect outing for a holiday get-together with friends or now that the kids are too old for The Grinch and sick of A Christmas Carol, make this your family holiday tradition instead!
Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.
The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
Welcome to Episode 23 of The Stages of MN, a weekly show about the live theatrical experience.
Today’s episode finds our hero on a desert island poking around with a stick looking for buried treasure in celebration of Fortune’s Fool Theatre’s 20th Anniversary! We have an interview with Father and Daughter Co-Artistic Directors Daniel and Ariel Pinkerton to discuss their festival of free musicals. You can get all the details as well as reserve your seats here https://fortunesfooltheatre.org/what-…
We also have a review of Mistletoe & Mayhew from Just Us Theater which runs thru 12/14 https://mistletoe-mayhem.com/
Follow me on Facebook / thestagesofmn and Instagram / thestagesofmn
The show is also available on YouTube at The show is also available on YouTube at https://bit.ly/YouTubeTSOMN
If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Stages of MN you can reach out to at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com. Have a question of comment on the show or want to join The Stages of MN + 1 Club you can also email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com
Kathleen Winters, Anthony Zadra, Lyreshia Ghostlon-Green, Lori Constable Photo by Molly Jay
A Nice Family Christmas? They should probably call it A Very Dysfunctional Family Christmas, but maybe that’s a little too on the nose. Still, “nice” feels a bit disingenuous. Funny? Yes! Delightful? Absolutely! Nice? Not on your life. Like all holiday stories about families, we get the ugly, the humorous dysfunction, but also, beneath it all, something genuinely good. After all, what is a Christmas story if not an opportunity for redemption, healing, forgiveness, and reconnecting with the people who drive us crazy?
Set in Minnesota, the play takes place on Christmas Eve in Mom’s condo, where her three grown children arrive to find Grandma there unexpectedly from Florida… and then their very unwanted Uncle Bob barges in as well. The three siblings, who barely seem to speak to each other, are all in relationships that are teetering on various precarious edges. Over the course of the evening, secrets will come out, Grandma will deliver approximately 237 inappropriate comments, and yes, everyone will grow a little. But mostly? The audience will laugh their butts off.
It’s hard to imagine anyone who won’t relate to something in this show. A family dynamic, a tradition, an awkward secret, a chaotic holiday memory, or a rogue Uncle Bob. You’ll spot a piece of your own life somewhere in the mix. At times it almost feels like a modern TV comedy—one of the good ones, not something from the late ’80s. Add a dash of The Golden Girls and you’re in the ballpark. Grandma, in particular, channels major Sophia energy, firing off one-liners like she’s got a writers’ room in her purse.
It’s funny, usually when I leave a show, I’ll think, “I wish this person had seen that.” But for the first time I walked out thinking, “I wish I’d seen this with my brother and sisters.” I think we would’ve had a blast, and dinner afterward would’ve been even more entertaining.
Performance wise, Grandma and Uncle Bob are such wildly outrageous characters that you can’t help but love them. Kathleen Winters and Anthony Zadra have fantastic timing and fully commit to the eccentricities of their characters. I most identified with Carl, the middle child, he’s a writer, not for anything as prestigious as The Stages of MN, but for the Star Tribune. I especially related to the moment when his Mom and Grandma come to see who arrived and are visibly disappointed that it’s him and not his brother Michael. Patrick Kozicky does wonderful work as one of the few semi normal humans in this family, and even when he isn’t the focus of a scene, his reactions land perfectly.
Giving him solid competition in the “closest to normal” category is Lyreshia Ghostlon-Green as his sister Stacy. It’s probably the most under written role in the script, but Ghostlon-Green adds more to the role than she’s given on the page. As Michael and his wife Jill, Sam Sweere and Waverly Ann McCollum deliver hilariously physical performances. When Michael needs to make amends with a member of his family, his discomfort at doing so doesn’t just seep into the rest of his body it floods like a busted dam. His wife is a tsunami of hormonal hysteria due to fertility hormones she is on, It’s a lot and it’s hilarious.
Lori Constable masterfully plays Mom, nailing every aspect of the character’s many roles. She’s the one caught in the middle, put upon, the peacemaker, and ultimately the glue that holds the entire family together.
Phil Olson’s script (he’s a Minnesota native) is genuinely funny. While it doesn’t tug too hard on the heartstrings, the characters do grow, and we arrive at a very nice ending. I’m now curious about his companion play, A Nice Family Gathering. I’d love to see Lyric Arts bring it to the stage next season with the same cast.
Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.
The Stages of MN YouTube channel is home to the weekly Stages of MN Show. You can watch it by clicking here. Be sure to check out the latest episodes and subscribe so you’ll always know when a new one drops. Not sure you agree with one of my takes? I’m also part of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can find review roundups from my colleagues and me. Follow us on Facebook at @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.
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