The Stages of MN was less than a month old when I received an email from James Napoleon Stone, Artistic Director of Theatre Coup d’Etat, telling me about his Theatre Companies upcoming production of Rogue Prince. I reviewed that production in Oct. 15th 2019. Now over two and a half years later I have a chance to review the companies final production in the Twin Cities. I’m told they are off to Chicago, we wish them well, but must also acknowledge that we are a little saddened by the news. MN will be losing a very creative theatre company, one that specializes in creating an immediacy with it’s audience that makes for a wonderfully engaging experience. Thankfully they are leaving us with one last production, Pyrates, which was written and directed by Stone featuring a cast that brings it all to life beautifully. Filled with everything you expect from a pirate story: ships, sword fights, and rum drinking, but with equal amounts of things you don’t expect in a pirate story, such as debates about preexisting conditions, Gender non-conforming sailors, songs, and a lot of swearing. Well okay, maybe you do expect that in a pirate story as long as it isn’t preceded by the Words Walt Disney Presents.

The Story is set in the 1680’s and we open as the crew of a Spanish ship is plotting to mutiny against their tyrannical captain and seize control of their own destinies. The group is led by Tanith, who uses they/them pronouns, though many of the other characters do not comply with that preference. They are aided by their mother Trix who is the ship’s Apothecary, the ship’s boatswain Bones, and their rival for the captaincy the French sailor Bouchere. The crew successfully takes control and after it is decided through a vote that Tanith will be the new captain the first order of business is to decide what the rules of the ship will be. This is where the discussion of preexisting conditions comes in as well as deciding that the penalty for sabotage of the ship will be death, the execution of which will fall to the captain. With rules decided the crew heads to English controlled Jamaica to try and sell their captive captain and negotiate terms with the now Governor, but former Captain, Morgan. After tense negotiations the crew is sent on a mission to overtake a Spanish ship conveying gold and silver to the new world. They are provided by Morgan a Spanish speaking translator named Corbin. Will they capture the ship? Will Morgan keep up his end of the deal if they do? You’ll have to see the show for yourself to find out.

Pyrates is performed in the middle of the ground floor of an old firehouse. Chairs are set up along the sides of the room and at one end where the band is also set up. The set is made up of crates, trunks, wooden barrels, a moving stairway, and ropes. Stone directs the scene changes very effectively, the cast repositions the set pieces and changes the rope configurations while singing. It plays not like a scene transition but as if we are watching the crew going about their jobs of rigging the sails, which itself creates a sense of the passage of time. I love when a company without a huge budget doesn’t allow itself to be hindered by that fact. There is never a sense throughout the show that the company is making due with anything. They embrace what they have and find inventive ways to make it work. The scenic design and props were handled by Michaela Lochen and as spare as they are, for what the show requires it is every bit as effective as the The Guthrie’s elaborate set for A Raisin in the Sun. Sometimes the less you have the more creative you have to be, and creativity feeds itself and that sense of inventiveness translates to the audience. Also worthy of praise were the costumes by Chelsea Wren, top notch, in fact I’d venture to guess that half or more of the below the line budget was on the costumes. My daughter wanted to take Tanith’s coat home with her, but every role was well costumed even the ensemble characters that didn’t have a line were top notch.

Lastly, the cast. The biggest surprise for me was how well they sang. This isn’t a musical, but there are probably six songs sung during the course of the play, such as the pirate classic “What do you do with a drunken sailor” among others, many of them having a bit of a celtic feel about them. I was expecting passable pirate chanty singing from actors not hired for their vocalization skills, but damn, they sounded good. Several of the best singers were in the ensemble and I’m sorry I cannot single them out by name. My favorite performer and a really nice singer was Kaz Fawkes as Bones. Other standouts in the cast were Meri Golden as Trix and Alex Berchem as Bouchere. Brian Joyce plays Morgan with a nice balance of anxiety producing charm, pragmatism, and hidden reserves of both coldness and warmth. Taelyn Gore as Tanith is where it gets a little wobbly, but just a little. When she’s good, she’s great, unfortunately when she’s struggling with a line her confidence departs momentarily and in this close proximity, we are all too aware. I imagine her confidence will increase as the run continues, opening night jitters I suspect. She need not have them, as I say when she’s confident she’s great.

Pyrates runs through June 27th at Fire Station 24 which is located at 4501 Hiawatha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406. One word of warning, there is a lot of construction right in front of the building, your best bet is to approach the building from the rear finding street parking one block east of Hiawatha Ave. Also, the building is not air conditioned, I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone go to this show on Sunday or Monday, 100 degree weather in that space with no AC would be unbearable. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatrecoupdetat.com/#/pyrates/.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Twelve Angry Men started life as a television script in 1954 then was quickly adapted into a stage play and in 1957, a film starring a cast of recognizable actors led by Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb. I am very familiar with the film version having first seen and fallen in love with it in junior high. It has now been about six or seven years since I last saw the film and I consciously chose to avoid watching it before seeing this musical adaption. I didn’t want my reaction to this new take on the material to be constantly hung up on noticing changes in details, but give it as much room as I could to allow it to breathe and be its own thing. After seeing this production I asked myself, does it need to be a musical? My honest answer is no. But, unlike some other plays or movies that we’ve seen given the musical conversion, it doesn’t hurt or cheapen the story either. It’s a powerful script, performed by some of the best actors and singers in the Twin Cities. As a retelling of this classic, the casting decisions and the lense through which we view it today adds to what was already a powerhouse of a play. Those aspects, much more than the songs, added to the original in a way that feels relevant and important.

With a book adapted from Reginald Rose’s original play by David Simpatico and music and lyrics by Michael Holland, Twelve Angry Men makes minor tweaks to the details of the story and characters, but they always work. Those changes add meaning to the story in a way that reflects its cast and the our perspective as a modern audience. The original play holds up today, this adaptation builds on what was there and results in a production that even more powerful, which is quite a feat. Simpatico’s contributions enrich the narrative, whereas Holland’s simply reinforce them with a few exceptions. It’s hard to write about specific songs from the show when a list of songs isn’t available, but there were a couple of songs that conveyed a deeper understanding of what a juror was trying to convey. One example and probably the best song was sung by T. Mychael Rambo as Juror #9 about what it’s like to be elderly and forgotten, though this was slightly undercut by the fact it was hard to understand every lyric. Which was an issue occasionally throughout the production, though usually when all twelve jurors were singing at once. If you’re not familiar with the plot let me simply state it takes place in the deliberation room where a jury of twelve men must determine if they think a young man on trial for murdering his father is guilty or not guilty. But as one juror reminds them over and over, they are not really deciding if he is guilty or innocent, they are deciding if there is a reasonable doubt that he might not be guilty, that isn’t the same as being innocent. If they find him guilty he will be sentenced to death, that alone makes one juror vote against the majority, feeling that a man’s life is worth spending at least a little time discussing.

Look, this production is very faithful in plot and tone to earlier versions and like every iteration that has come before it, it will rise and fall on the performers. This cast has several stellar performances and zero bad ones. This I imagine is an actors dream play whether it’s the original script or this new musical version. While an ensemble show, all jurors are not created equal. There are several that get significantly less to do and a few who are clearly the leads, but everyone makes their mark and an impression on the audience. At 90 minutes it’s amazing that, especially with the additions of songs, each character becomes known by the audience, it’s a testament to the entire casts skills. Standouts in the cast are Curtis Bannister as Juror #8 the initial sole holdout who votes not guilty. James Detmar, is the angry racist and offensive Juror #10. He is so intense throughout, when he explodes or gets on a roll, all eyes are instantly on him. Sasha Andreev as Juror #4, plays it cool and collected and it is his holdout as a guilty verdict that actually feels valid, he does a subtle job of staying calm when others are ranting and the counterpoint allows the attention to be drawn to him when appropriate. This is in danger of becoming a list of 12 actors names as I look through the cast list there is something specific and positive to say about everyone of them, which should tell you all you need to know right there.

Ordinarily I am an advocate for sitting as close to the stage as possible, but this is one show where I would recommend being at least in the fifth row or further back. The set is built on a giant turntable and to get the full effect and to be able to see all of the performers since there is almost always 12 full grown men of stage competing for sight lines. Peter Rothstein directs the play with the music direction by Denise Prosek. Rothstein does some very interesting things in this production a choice to freeze all of the characters while one sings a song was especially effective. He also utilizes the turntable effectively, especially when the jurors are initially going around the table expressing why they think the boy on trial is guilty. The Set Design by Benjamin Olsen is cool looking, we see the ceiling molding that lines the room, and baseboards, a door, a clock hanging on a wall, some things hanging on the walls, but no walls. The walls don’t exist instead we see the theater walls and the lights. Like I say it looks cool, I liked the idea when I saw it last week at The Roommate at Mixed Blood, there it was so we could see what was happening outside of the house, here it just looks cool, but I didn’t see a larger reason behind it.

Twelve angry Men runs through July 17th at Theater Latte Da in North Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/twelve-angry-men-2022

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

I didn’t know what to expect when I entered the Jungle Theater last night for their co production with Theater Mu. I knew there would be a rock band and that it was going to be telling the story of a dark time in Cambodian history. But I didn’t know for sure how that story would be told or anything much about the history of Cambodia. The stage is set before the show even begins with the typical band set up: drums, guitars, keyboards, mics, amps and speakers front and center. When the show begins, the band takes the stage and plays a rocking song that immediately gets your body bouncing along. Sort of a classic 70’s hard rock sound but sung in Khmer I assume, which is the primary language of Cambodia. When the first song ends they launch into a second song, again it sounds amazing and the vocals are incredible but, it also is not in English. And as much as I’m enjoying the music, the thought keeps creeping into my head, what if this is the whole show. What if I’m in for two and a half hours of a band playing songs sung in a language I don’t understand. Right now I’m enjoying it, but will that hold true eight songs from now? Thankfully, I never discovered the answer to that question as the second song was interrupted by one of the characters in the story portion of the play. Yes, there are a lot more songs, most of which are not in English, but the are interspersed with scenes of dialogue and woven into the narrative. In that formation I never thought about again or cared that I couldn’t understand the lyrics. This is a show in which the musical performances transcend language, with the feel of a rock concert perfectly blended with an intimate story through which we begin to understand the large scale tragedy of Cambodia in this dark period of it’s history.

Cambodian Rock Band tells the story of one man’s experience confronting his past when he returns to Cambodia for the first time after fleeing the country 30 years ago. We learn about the history of that country as the story shifts between the present and the past. In the present, Neary, a young american woman who is preparing to prosecute Duch, who is to be tried for crimes against humanity, as the warden of Khmer Rouge’s prison camp S-21. During the Khmer Rouge’s four years in power they exterminated between 1.5 and 2 million people, many in prison camps like S-21. Neary’s father Chum, who grew up in Cambodia, has come back to see his daughter without any warning. The first scenes play like a comedy about a child and her frustrations with her father who embarasses her, as parents will do, and who doesn’t seem to understand her or what she is trying to do. The past will explore Chum’s experiences as a young man during that period in which Khmer Rouge was in power. There are some interesting revelations along the way which will be more interesting if you discover them on your own. The story really belongs to Chum, but Duch acts as a narrator believing it’s all about himself.

The band we are watching we learn is Chum’s band, he is the bassist. There are four main characters in the play and all but Eric Sharp who plays Duch, also perform in the band. Sharp plays Duch in narrative form as a celebrity personality, all big smiles like a gameshow host. At times he joins the band and is very high energy. When he plays him in the past he becomes chillingly cold and weary, Sharp is equally effective in each phase. Greg Wantanabe as Chum also has to perform in two different styles. At the opening he’s the seemingly clueless father comically at odds with his daughter and judging every aspect of her life, while also making sure he doesn’t get cheated out of his free coke at the fish massage parlor. In the past, he has a much more dramatic role to play, and excels at playing these dual sides of his character. Danielle Troiano plays Neary in the present and Sothea, the lead singer of the band in the past. She has an amazing singing voice and that goes a long way in making the language in which the songs are performed irrelevant to their enjoyment. The other major factor is that the songs musically are really catchy and rocking. The band is rounded out by Christopher Thomas Pow who is Leng, the guitarist in the band but also plays Neary’s boyfriend Ted in the opening of the play. Mayda Miller is the keyboardist Pou and other ensemble characters. Shawn Mouacheupao is the drummer Rom as well as other ensemble roles. The five members of the band are very tight musically, I am always in awe of shows like this that finds performers who can act the roles but are also amazing musicians.

The Show is written by Lauren Yee who finds a way to accomplish so much in the course of one evening. She entertains and moves us with the story by educating us about the history of cambodia without it feeling like a history lesson. She also introduces us to these phenomenal songs of Dengue Fever among others. If I knew anything about Cambodia going in, it was about its relationship to Vietnam, learning about the music was a surprising treat. The show is directed by Lily Tung Crystal the Artistic Director of Theater Mu who inherently understands how to present this material to completely engage the audience. We open to some electric music and while we are enjoying it but just about to start questioning what we are in for, the moment is interrupted with the irreverent variant of the Duch character. The bands stage which seems positioned in such a way that there isn’t anywhere for actors to play out any scenes, splits in half and moves off into the wings. The Scenic and Projections Designer Mina Kinukawa is very strong and creative, what looks when we enter as a very limited space effectively becomes multiple locations with a surprising sense of depth. The Lighting Design by Amy Adelaide Nguyen and Karin Olson also very evocative, I especially enjoyed what they were doing during the band performances giving us a sense of period with the lighting reflecting the feel we associate with western music during the period of the Vietnam war. Circling back to the music one last time, credit is due to Musical Director Mandric Tan and Cultural and Language Consultant Mongkol Teng. One assumes not all and possibly none of the performers speak Khmer, but to the audience it feels like it is their first language, which if you think about it is kind of mindblowing.

Cambodian Rock Band is Rocking through July 31st and is highly recommended for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatermu.org/cambodian-rock-band or https://www.jungletheater.org/

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

Open Eye Theatre I’ve found to be one of the most creative theatre companies around. Their The Red Shoes last fall was so good that even with my busy schedule I had to take it in twice. They’ve brought the same flair for design and over the top performance style to their outdoor summer show Hair Ball! Performed on the green roof of the Bakken Museum, this a bring your own chair or blanket affair. Hair Ball! is a musical comedy perfectly suitable for all ages. But, make sure everyone coming has a sense of humor, if you don’t have a taste for the absurd and the ability to find joy in a tongue in cheek production, you’ll miss the pleasures in store. Open Eye has assembled a cast that seems to have sprung from an episode of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends and costumed them accordingly. The only thing more delightful than their appearances are their singing voices. It’s the perfect way to spend a summer evening, running a brisk 75 to 80 minutes with no intermission, there’s still plenty of time afterwards to stop off for ice cream.

The story is set on Discovery Island, a remote Canadian island resort. It opens on the grounds of the hotel where the mayor of Discovery Island, Sheldon Witherspoon, is welcoming all of the locals to a town meeting which is interrupted several times. Once by Hotel Guest Patricia Von Highsmith, who is looking for the hotel owner Forbelius Dort to complain about, among other things, that the hand soap in the women’s restroom is to dry. The other interruption is when local crackpot and conspiracy theorist Jerry Loudermilk burst on the scene to raise the alarm about a bigfoot like creature, the Megapaw, that has been sent by aliens. Jerry knows first hand about the Megapaws because years ago he came home to find that they had come and made off with his wife, their son, all of their possessions, and some legal documents pertaining to their marriage. Next of the seen is Patricia’s daughter Winnifred, who does not want to be a society lady when she grows up, she wants to be a detective! When Winnie hears of the Megapaw she heads out into the woods to find it. The towns people send out a call to the Canadian Ranger, he’s not a Mounty, that we are informed would require a fee to the Royal Canadian Mounted Guard. He arrives and heads into the forest in search of Winnie and the beast, for there is no animal alive which he can not endanger. Soon the whole gang heads into the woods and there they will discover love, Megapaws, and magic mushrooms!

Seriously, this cast is just the bees knees as they are cartoon characters in the best way possible. It’s not as easy to pull off as you might think. They act in the style of a cartoon but are not cartoonish, and I was pleasantly surprised at all of their singing voices. When I saw what they were doing performance wise, I thought they cast them for their ability to hit this perfect note, but when they sang, it became apparent they didn’t have to make any trade offs between acting and singing talents. They’re all great but to highlight a few of favorites I’ll start with Luke Aaron Davidson as the Ranger Montgomery Ward. He’s a cross between Dudley Do-Right and a young Kevin Kline, getting Do-Rights animated look with Kline’s comic timing and voice. Georgia Dolittle as Patricia Von Highsmith and Abilene Olson as Winnie both commit fully and have wonderful voices, I just adored both of them. Finally, before I end up just listing everyone, Tom Reed as the hotel owner and Frances Roberts as the Mayor really set the tone from the opening. A show like this setup can feel a little “let’s put on a show in the backyard!” but the way these guys launched the show, I knew immediately this wasn’t going to be an amatuer production.

The one downside of an outdoor show without microphones on the cast is that occasionally when the actors faced the other way you missed a song lyric or line of dialogue. Director Joel Sass does a good job of midicating this as much as he can by making sure the performers are oscillating throughout their performances. You never miss more than a snippet here or there. Josef Evans who wrote the show, book, music, and lyrics has created a wonderful piece of theatre. It’s silly, but smart, the songs are really catchy and full of humor, but also sometimes quite sweet. The Megapaw designs were by Anne Sawyer, I’m not sure what happened, but I gather that the adult Megapaw was supposed to be on stilts, it wasn’t at the performance I attended but both Megapaw costumes were impressive without stilts. The costumes are by Rubble & Ash and they were the perfect unifying element in creating the tone of Hair Ball! I especially liked the Mayor and Hotel Owners costumes and of course the Rangers uniform was perfection.

Hair Ball! is running through June 19th at the Bakken Museum for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.openeyetheatre.org/hairball

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

The trio behind the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (MORLS) Joshua English Scrimshaw, Eric Webster, and Tim Uren are bringing a special program to The Open Eye theatre in Minneapolis this week. Rattus Rattus is a Two Act show will consist of Act I “The Rats in the Walls” in which Tim Uren performs his acclaimed one-man show adaptation of the 1924 H.P. Lovecraft short story. Act II will be the trio in a brand new stage adaptation of the classic radio play and a personal favorite of mine “Three Skeleton Key”. I’m in love with this group, I’ve started getting into their podcasts as well which I highly recommend.

I have not seen, read, or listened to any version of “the Rats in the Walls” but it played to sold out houses at the 2006 and 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festivals so I’m excited for this experience. Three Skeleton Key is a classic radio horror story that I first heard in a college course. I have since listened to the recording via tapes and downloads and even got the chance in 2020 to hear see the MORLS perform it live at the Park Square Theatre. This I’m told, will be a new experience. There will be new scripts in from of Joshua, Eric, and Tim they will be performing the adaption as a play, with minimal set and props. If you’ve never heard “Three Skeleton Key” it’s a very creeping and suspenseful yarn.

Unlike their monthly Park Square gigs, where they do live performances of old radio scripts in the style of a radio show creating all of the sound effects and music in front of the audience, Rattus Rattus will be performed multiple times over the next two weeks.

Performing at Open Eye Theatre
506 East 24th Street, Minneapolis, MN

Friday June 10th
Saturday June 11th
Thursday June 16th
Friday June 17th
Saturday June 18th
Showtime: 7pm

Sunday, June 12
Showtime: 2pm

For more information and to purchase tickets for Rattus Rattus go to http://ghoulishdelights.com/. You’ll find additional information there on another rat themed performance Reverend Matt’s Monster Science presents “Rat Kings”.

Wonderfully acted by a strong ensemble Perfect Arrangement is the perfect show to celebrate Pride. It reminds us how far we have come in terms of LGBTQ rights despite what feels like some steps backwards in recent years. Set in the 1950’s, it is a look back in time when being in the closet didn’t feel like a choice but a necessity. Opening like a 1950’s sitcom including built in commercials, the play grows darker and more real as it progresses. Opening with a look at the face, the characters show the world by the end we see all of them as they really are with their masks removed. Part historical, part satire, part drama, part comedy, within all of these parts runs a message about being your authentic self and how that is never as straightforward as it seems. Even by the end if you put yourself in the character’s shoes, you find yourself at a crossroads where ideals and reality intersect.

Written by Topher Payne Perfect Arrangement refers to the situation that the four main characters have set up for themselves. Bob and Millie are married and live next door in a duplex to their friends Jim and Norma. Bob and Norma work together at the State Department, Bob is the head of a team that has been looking for Communists within the U.S. Government. As the play opens the two couples are having a get together with Bob and Norma’s boss Theodore and his wife Kitty. During this opening scene, Theodore announces to Bob and Norma that they will be leading a new initiative to seek out and expose anyone who’s moral shortcomings could make them vulnerable to blackmail. This includes among other things, those who are homosexuals. As the scene plays out, the characters behave and speak as if they are on the Dick Van Dyke Show. Once Theodore and Kitty leave, the performances immediately become less stylized and one of the first lines of dialogue contains a certain four letter word that would never have escaped the lips of Rob and Laura Petrie. You see the perfect arrangement is that the couples have married each others lovers. Millie and Norma are the real couple who live in the this half of the duplex, Bob and Jim are lovers and live next door which they are able to move between through a closet that connects their two living spaces. For the rest of the play, Bob and Norma are tasked with doing their jobs without exposing themselves. When an affair from Millie’s past surfaces achieving these two paradoxal goals becomes more and more complicated.

All four leads are well cast with the standout being Courtney Matula as Millie. While not a complete natural with all of the comic bits, she captures the 50’s housewife facade perfectly and by the end she is the heart of the play. Ariel Pinkerton as Norma, gets to be the voice of outrage and conscience for the the foursome, and has some nice moments when she gets to vent her frustrations. Zach Christensen as Bob is the cool headed planner of the group, who does some ethical gymnastics in order to reconcile his personal and professional goals. Tony Burton as Jim seems to have the least to do and as such comes off as more or less a Bob’s trophy husband, albeit one that is kept in the closet. Alison Anderson does a nice turn as the easily confused and distracted Kitty, and Daniel Hildebrand as her husband, nicely vacillates between congenial and no-nonsense boss. Also quite strong in a smaller role is Katie Wodele as Barbara, a co-worker of Bob and Norma’s whose sexually free lifestyle has put her in the hot seat.

The show is well directed by Alissa Blaeser. She seems most adept at the satirical portions such as the opening scene and the dramatic moments such as the climax, and a little less sure in the broader almost slapstick or farcical passages. Lee Christiansen’s Set Design makes good use of the unique theatre in the round format and feels authentically period. The costumes by Colleen O’Dell felt very period correct as well and the gowns worn by Ketty, Norma, and Barbara as they head to the Opera were actually quite stunning. Lastly, I enjoyed the music by Sound Designer/Composer Robert Hoffman particularly the use of “I’m Coming Out” as exit music.

Perfect Arrangement is the closing show of Theatre in the Round Players’ 70th season for more information about the show and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/new-homepage/on-stage/perfect/.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.

In the Next Room can easily claim more onstage orgasms than any other play this theatrical season. Honestly, probably any season. That said it’s more likely to be a hit with your mother than with anyone looking for something salacious. While there is no denying that the acts take place in full view of the audience they are still done with a sense of decorum that comes off as sweet rather than titillating. For anyone mature enough to attend the show, it’s billed as a comedy and there are plenty of laughs, but there are also real issues being discussed. Some of the biggest laughs come from some really sad truths about women’s sexuality at this time in history. Set in the latter part of the 19th century the play takes a look at the role of women as wives, mothers, and sexual beings through the lens of the early 21st century and the perspective is eye opening. From my opening line and the subject matter you might assume the humor comes from risque situations and mountains of double entendres, but it doesn’t. It comes when we recognize the truths laid bare under voluminous undergarments.

The play is written by Sarah Ruhl whose play Orlando I likewise reviewed favorably this past winter. Ruhl is a writer of considerable skill and uses it in the plays I’ve seen to question and examine gender roles while also entertaining her audience. The story is set in the house of Dr. Givings and his wife Catherine who have a newborn daughter but is unable to produce enough breast milk for. The set is divided into two rooms, the families parlor and the room next door which is the Dr.’s laboratory. The Dr. uses his invention to treat patients with electrical therapy who are suffering from hysteria, his invention is of course the vibrator. We are introduced to his new patient Sabrina Daldry who has been brought to the Dr. by her husband Dick Daldry, there’s a double meaning in that. Mrs. Daldry undergoes treatment from Dr. Givings assisted by his nurse Annie. After the treatment, in conversation the Daldry’s mention that their housekeeper Elizabeth has recently lost a child and it has been arranged that she will come and work as a wet nurse for the Givings. Dr. Givings is a man of science and has no issue with this arrangement but Catherine has reservations due to the fact that Elizabeth is black. Though it comes to light later on that Catherine’s issues seem to be more about not being able to provide for her child and in seeing her daughters emotional attachment transfer from her to Elizabeth. As Sabrina’s treatments continue, one thing becomes obvious that It’s much more effective in achieving the goal when Annie is in the room. Catherine becomes curious about this treatment her husband practices and wishes him to try it on her. One of the central themes of the play is the seemingly universal ignorance that the “Paroxysms” they are inducing are in any way related to female sexual gratification. Which is something, it’s revealed through conversation between the women in the play, they are unaware even exists. In the second act we are introduced to a new patient, this time a rare male patient, Leo Irving an artist. For this, Dr. Givings must use his “Chattanooga Vibrator” which stimulates the prostate gland. On meeting Mr. Irving, Catherine is attracted to his ability to express himself, something her husband has trouble doing unless he is discussing his fascination with electricity.

There are a lot of interesting characters and situations going on and Ruhl’s play contains enough ideas for two or three well rounded plays. It allows for a complexity to the characters that could easily be lost on a less talented cast. Emily Gunyou Halaas as Catherine has the most challenging role, she has to gain our sympathies while also displaying some characteristics that are unlikeable. She does an excellent job of showing us the frustrations she is feeling the sense of unfulfillment that every aspect of her home life entails. Paul de Cordova as Dr. Givings captures the enthusiasm of his characters profession while believably playing his cluelessness about his wives needs or the connection between his work and the intimacy she is longing for. As I alluded to before, the humor doesn’t come from one liners but from our understanding of our modern perspective of what the characters do not understand. All of the performers in the play excell at finding the perfect way to deliver that obliviousness without making their characters seem clueless all of the time. The supporting cast is each given moments to shine. Erin Nicole Farste as Elizabeth gets an actors dream scene where she describes how she has felt about her son’s death and nursing the Givings’ daughter. Laura Espingas as Annie has a beautiful and subtle moment with Adelin Phelps’s Sabrina that is heartbreakingly tender and seems like a moment that could have been the climax of a play all it’s own. Phelps pulls of what must be a very vulnerable task for an actor, having to perform the moment of orgasm multiple times during the run of the show. Do you play it for laughs, do you draw on your personal experience, how much are you going to share of yourself in those moments. However she achieved it, she found the perfect balance between finding the laugh, but also feeling somewhat realistic. Joel Liestman is cast as Mr. Daldry and it’s the sort of character role that he excels at. He’s given a wonderful comic moment when he tries to pose and make himself attractive to one of the other characters, which knowing these characters was never going to be successful. Finally James Rodriguez who doesn’t enter the play until the second half, perfectly portrays the sensitive and passionate artist as well as a gentleman, who has to go to a very vulnerable place onstage as well.

The production is directed with her usual sure hand Austene Van who seems to be everywhere at once these days. I feel like half the productions I see she is involved with in some way, and the other half should be so lucky. Sarah Brandner’s Set Design works really well in Yellow Tree Theatre Thrust stage configuration. We have a half door to show the wall between the the parlor and the Dr.’s laboratory, so we know clearly where the divide is but if you are seated to the sides of the stage the divide does not interfere with your view. I also really enjoyed the surprise set location that figures in the final scene which I won’t spoil but is well executed. Yellow Tree’s performance area is small and when the majority of the characters are on stage at once it does feel a little cramped, but I’d say Brandner and Van have done a good job with the design and blocking of keeping it from feeling unnaturally close. I also want to acknowledge the exquisite work of Costume Designer Samantha Haddow and Prop Master Julia Emery Cervera. The women’s dresses and underclothes seem authentic and the Dr.’s inventions are quite interesting and seem like plausible instruments for… well… you know.

In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play runs through June 26th at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo MN. While I thoroughly enjoyed this play and find it funny and thought provoking it is not for all ages as you should assume. The theatre recommends it for high school aged and above, I’d error on the above side. It’s not that there is anything that is to inappropriate for high schoolers, I just think they may lack an understanding of the historical context and the life experience to fully appreciate the play. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/next-room.

Don’t miss a single review from The Stages of MN, 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. Also Follow me on Facebook, search @thestagesofmn and click follow and on Instagram thestagesonmn.