The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Returns Us to Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear Once Again at Park Square Theatre

*(Portions of this entry were taken from my previous write ups of MORLS productions)*

The Park Square Theatre Hosted The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society again this past monday. If you missed it see the bottom of this entry for upcoming performances. Each show is different – Monday’s show entitled “Future Tense” was a double feature of science fiction tales. “The Veldt” was an adaption from (1951) of the classic Ray Bradbury story for the radio program Dimension X. The second story was “A Logic Named Joe” from a 1955 broadcast on the radio program X Minus One. The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society are Shanan Custer, Joshua English Scrimshaw, Tim Uren and Eric Webster. This Quartet of radio fanatics bring to life scripts from the golden age of radio. Their performances perfectly emulate the style of the radio programs of suspense, horror, mystery, and science fiction from the 1930’s thru the 1950’s. Along with their vocal work, they also create the sound effects that accompany the tales on stage. Using their voices to paint a picture so vivid that if you close your eyes you can see the action in your minds eye. There’s something magical about stories told this way. It can engage the audience at times even more than TV or film does because we are given the audio in a way that we use our imagination to fill in the visuals, it requires a more interactive response on our part.

I was introduced to the classic radio show Suspense, by my father. He had four little box sets of four cassettes each probably one show on each side, complete with commercials for sponsors of Roma Wines and Autolite Spark Plugs. We would listen to the shows in the car together and we loved them. Like my father before me, I also introduced my kids to this type of story telling when they were younger. My youngest son George used to listen and re-listen to Bradbury 13, a series of radio adaptations of Ray Bradbury stories created in the 1980’s. Tonight, George now almost 19 years of age, accompanied me to the program so that we could experience this live version of “The Veldt” that he used to listen to in those Bradbury 13 days. We both had a great time. George was reminiscing afterwards of listening to “The Veldt” and “The Screaming Woman” to go to sleep to at night, around age 8. Interesting how even an 18 year old can become engaged and be jogged into nostalgia by something that originated 70 years ago.

If you’ve never experienced a performance like this in the style of those old radio broadcasts you really need to check it out. I highly recommend these shows for families, including grandparents who may even remember listening to some of these very shows. It’s a unique opportunity to step back in time and show the younger generation what home entertainment used to look like. I think you’ll be surprised at how well they respond to something that seems so old fashioned. George and I started the MORLS podcast on the ride home from the show, it just left us hungry for more.

Upcoming productions of The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society at Park Square Theatre:

Friday May 27th 7:30 PM – Legends of the Old West

“Death of a Picture Hanger” from Crime Classics (1953) – A true tale of the Old West told with wry wit and a sense of tragedy.

“Matt for Murder” from Gunsmoke (1954) – When Marshal Dillion is accused of murder, the governor sends another legendary lawman to Dodge City.

Sunday June 26th 2:00 PM – More Best of the Worst

“Battle of the Magicians” from Lights Out (1934) – What do magicians, airplanes, and zombies have in common? Absolutely nothing. But logic is no defense against this madcap mystical mash-up from the mind of legendary radio writer Wyllis “Quiet Please” Cooper.

“The Cup of Gold” from Dark Fantasy (1942) – A sports reporter’s investigation into the death of a golf pro leads to a series of shocking revelations! Scott Bishop’s murder mystery turned Surrealist manifesto will keep you guessing (or at least scratching your head) until the bitter, inexplicable end

go Park square theatre for tickets for in person or to stream from the comfort of your own home. Also for more information about these shows as well as an upcoming production at Open Eye Theatre of Rattus Rattus a double feature bill of Rat Centric Stories featuring the classic “Three Skeleton Key” and “The Rats in the Walls” go to http://ghoulishdelights.com/ .

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Passing Strange at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo.

There is a gem of a theatre up in Osseo Minnesota called Yellow Tree Theatre that has put on some really good productions the last few years. Passing Strange is perhaps their most accomplished production that I’ve seen. A Tony Award winning (Best Book) musical that takes the musical form in a unique direction. Breaking the fourth wall from time to time and eschewing traditional musical style songs, we’re taken on a journey rather than being told a story. The journey is of a young man, a songwriter, and his quest to find what is real. The way Passing Strange is narrated, it’s easy to see its influence on Hadestown. I also saw the influence of Rent on Passing Strange. It is through these connective tissues that we try and understand something like Passing Strange that feels familiar and yet wholly new. Passing Strange will speak to young artists just starting out. Those of us who are older will see a lot of truth and it reminds us of what it felt like to be young and searching.

Malo Adams plays the Narrator, the role originated by the co-author of the musical Stew. Adams stands on a stage behind a music stand holding a guitar which he plays throughout the show as he tells us through song and dialogue about our hero, the Youth. Right from the start we’re all in with Adams because, well frankly, he’s so damn cool. You could almost sit and watch him perform the show without anyone else. When he breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience, you feel like the cool kid whom, you didn’t think even knew your name, does and is trying to engage you in some friendly banter. Adams performance alone is worth the cost of admission. He’s accomplished in everything he does on stage and this feels like a an opportunity to see someone special doing something great, and those chances don’t come along very often. The Youth is a young black man growing up in L.A. who revolts against anything he sees as phoney, which includes the people at the church his mother drags him to. The Youth, who is male in the story is portrayed by Valencia Proctor who is female. I didn’t sense that the gender change was done in order to open up new ways of looking at the work as it was in the Guthrie’s recent production of The Tempest. I may be wrong but I took it to be a positive step towards breaking down gender barriers in casting. Having seen Proctor’s performance, I’m assuming she was simply the best person for the role. I’m sure most audience members had to listen closely at the beginning to make sure we understood that an actor who was clearly female was playing a male character. Once I was clear that’s what was happening, I was able to forget about it and view Proctor as the Youth. And in case it wasn’t clear, she was fantastic in the role.

We follow our hero as he joins the church youth choir not because he wants to be in the choir, but because the hot girl who normally wont give him much notice, appears excited when she thinks he is joining. An example which is one of many throughout the play about the paradoxical nature within the youth. He hates going to church and doing normal things because it’s phoney, but when faced with an attractive girl, he is willing to be something he isn’t. This will be repeated throughout as he moves from L.A. to Amsterdam then onto Berlin. We don’t criticize him for these hypocrisies, because we recognize the idealism of youth living in conjunction with the reality of desires and needs. Whether it’s misrepresenting his past in order to avoiding being kicked out of the house, he’s staying in or adopting a style for his music that doesn’t reflect inner artist, he’s doing what we all do. He’s putting on a different face for different situations and it isn’t being a phoney, it’s being human. Part of the joy of the show is all the different people he encounters on his journey. There are four actors who play multiple roles in L.A., Amsterdam, and Berlin each of them making the new characters distinct, some radically opposed to the last one they played. It’s a talented cast who appear to be having a great time with each new character and accent.

Passing Strange was co written by Stew and Heidi Rodewald and this production was directed quite inventively by Austene Van. Jeff Bailey is the Music Director and his band who is on stage and in view of the audience is really good, some of them even have some funny bits of dialogue. The Scenic Design by Justin Hooper gives the impression of the band and narrator playing in a club in front of a brick wall looking a little above the performers below, suggesting they have a little distance and perhaps time from what we are seeing and can comment more truthfully on what is transpiring. Lighting Design by Sarah Brandner did a nice job of reinforcing this perspective, guiding our eyes with her lighting as Adams directed our thoughts with his voice. All around, this is a first rate production of a Musical that I was unable to see before now, this isn’t going to play at Chanhassen, and when it’s produced again in the Twin Cities, it will most likely not feature Malo Adams. For this reason, you should get out to it while it’s on stage at Yellow Tree Theatre.

Passing Strange runs through May 8th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/passing-strange.

A Play By Barb and Carl at Illusion Theater is a Powerful New Play Featuring Masterful Performances.

Kimberly Richardson and JoeNathan Thomas as Barb and Carl. Photo by Alex Clark

A Play by Barb and Carl could have the tag line “based on the incredible true story”. And while it’s based on fact that would sensationalize a story, it’s about the intimate lives of two people in love who are dealing with a situation that isn’t fair or just, it just is. The play is written and directed by Carlyle Brown and is inspired by him, his wife, and dramaturg Barbara Joyce Rose-Brown’s experience. A couple that worked closely together around a common shared love of language. The play is a snapshot of Barb and Carl’s life from the time she takes a fall in the hallway suffering a stroke which leads to her Aphasia. Aphasia is having a moment in the spotlight recently due to actor Bruce Willis’ retirement after being diagnosed with the condition.

Aphasia is a condition that affects your ability to communicate. It can affect your speech, as well as the way you write and understand both spoken and written language.
from the Mayo Clinic’s website https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aphasia/symptoms-causes/syc-20369518

Barb’s right side is paralyzed and she can no longer speak much more than No and OK. But the play allows her to speak to us in moments, letting her explain what is happening to her. The play was written with Rose Brown acting as dramaturg accomplished the program says by “working in a room with actors and creative team”. I’m not sure how that worked specifically, but what it resulted in was Barbara having a way for her voice to be heard. I think having the character of Barb able to share her inner dialogue with us was a way to honor Barbara’s contribution and to let her be heard.

Kimberly Richardson, who wowed me last fall with her performance of all the characters in The Red Shoes, does it again in the role of Barb. Most of what little humor there is in the show comes from Richardson, but it’s her dramatic work that we are seeing showcased here. In a scene where she has fallen and cannot get up and must wait until Carl gets home, she is allowed her voice to share her thoughts in that moment. She invites us into the soul of someone whose mind is trapped in a body that has betrayed them. One of many moments that makes an impact on the emotions of the audience. Richardson is well matched in JoeNathan Thomas as Carl. One might think it’s the intimacy of the space allowing for a very subtle and natural approach, but the fact is these are high caliber actors who know how to “be” on stage. Thomas’ performance is on a level that can make other performers look like they are pretending. Thankfully, not his costars in this show. There is beauty and truth in the realness of these characters, we are not just shown their love and support for each other. We also see them fighting, and yes, Barb can fight. It’s showing the reality that makes the moments where the love shines bright all the more moving. Because Brown hasn’t written a fairytale about love conquering all, he has written a truth about how we can fight, struggle, want to give up, even want to die. Love doesn’t solve any of that, but it’s why we go through it.

Aside from Carl and Barb, the cast includes Laura Esping as a Healthcare Worker, she plays more than one and is the stand in for those in the medical field that interact with Barb and Carl. Esping does a good job with what’s really a role to fill in information. The show runs about 65 minutes, the material could definitely be expanded to a 90 minute runtime. There could be more for the Healthcare Worker to do, and we are left wanting more time with Barb and Carl. I would have no problem spending an Act 2 with Barb and Carl as they get the idea for and figure out how to collaborate on a play about the situation. I’m not criticizing Brown’s play, which I think is deeply moving and effective, I’m encouraging him to tell us more. The performance space is small and intimate with not much in the way of set, but for a large painting hanging behind the actors that shows us a representation of neurons. The painting changes with the lighting effects with red and blue flashing lights when the ambulances are on their way with sirens blaring. It’s simple but a nice way to symbolize the role the brain has played in what has transpired and suggest things that would be impractical to show. The Scenic Design is by Dean Holzman, Lighting by Alex Clark, and Sound by C. Andrew Mayer.

A Play by Barb and Carl runs through April 30th at the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.illusiontheater.org/.

The Prom at The Orpheum is For Everyone!

The Prom opened last night at the Orpheum Theatre as part of the Broadway on Hennepin theatre season. This show is simply the best! A musical about inclusiveness that never feels like a lecture. A musical that pokes gentle fun at the actors profession while not making you feel like an outsider. It has powerful songs, funny songs, Zazzy songs, fantastic dancing, and at the center of it all is an unruly heart that brought this theatergoer to tears, tears of joy. The Prom shows us peoples worst traits and behaviors and then shows how we overcome those tendencies. It gives hope that we can all do better and it does it in a way that makes you want to get up and dance the night away. I haven’t left the theater this high on a show since Come From Away, and before you say that wasn’t that long ago, I’ve seen 30 shows since then. This is a show I wish I could attend every night of it’s run bringing a different group of friends with me each time. I had seen the film version and I really enjoyed it. I’ve also been listening to the cast recording for about two or three years so I knew it would be good. It exceeded my expectations, it’s everything you want in a modern musical comedy. It’s everything you want from a night at the theater. Go early and go often, you’ll always regret it if you don’t go to The Prom.

The Prom tells the story of a small town in Indiana that has cancelled prom rather than let a high school student, Emma take her girlfriend as her date. It opens with Dee Dee and Barry, actors who are past their prime, headlining a show, Eleanor! The Eleanor Roosevelt Musical, whose opening night is also going to be its closing night. They grasp onto the story in Indiana as a way to raise their profiles and rehab their image. Along with fellow actors Trent and Angie, thespians descend upon a meeting where Emma along with her Principal Mr. Hawkins are trying to convince the PTA to reverse their decision. What begins as a co-opting of Emma’s dilemma for their own narcissistic reasons, will ultimately help all of them deal with their own issues. Emma will have her ups and downs as will her closeted girlfriend Alyssa Green, whose mother is the head of the PTA. It’s a story that pokes gentle loving fun at theatrical types while also dealing with the very real issue of intolerance towards and the need for inclusion of LGBTQ identifying indivuduals.

The outstanding cast is spearheaded by Kaden Kearney as Emma, they are the outstanding. The best surprise was their dancing skills, during the songs “Zazz” and “It’s Time To Dance” that gets spotlighted, moments of pure joy. Playing off veteran performers Courtney Balan as Dee Dee and Patrick Wetzel as Barry, Kearney more than holds their own. What is interesting watching the performances is that for a show that devotes a sizeable amount of time displaying the selfishness of stars, watching these actual actors performing you really feel that they are rooting for each other. Balan plays the self absorbed two time Tony Award winner with the stage presence and vocal chops of, well a two time Tony Award winner. Wetzel has a blast as the gay actor for whom Emma’s situation feels very personal. He plays it campy but not to over the top, he gets us to laugh at the self absorption of the Broadway star but also allows us to care for him.

The Prom was based on a real life incident the book is by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Beguelin. It’s brilliantly structured, it’s basically a good natured parody of theater actors and a message play about what it is like to be an LGBTQ identifying teenager in middle America. Somehow it weaves these two disparate things into a perfectly flowing musical that never feels anything but organic. The theater groups songs are mainly comical, the songs focusing on Emma and Alyssa are more emotionally rewarding, but that isn’t to say they are not fun. Sklar and Beguelin have created half a dozen truly memorable songs with lines like “Note to self, don’t be gay in Indiana” and “And nobody out there ever gets to define the life I’m meant to lead with this unruly heart of mine”. There is not a single song I don’t like in the entire show and on my musical playlist where I usually try to limit myself to no more than three songs from any one show it occupies six slots. When you leave the theatre, you’ll be adding them to your playlist as well.

The Prom runs through April 17th at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/broadway/.

Escape to Margaritaville at the Old Log Theatre But Take a Lyft Home.

Escape to Margaritaville will be just that for many folks. It is an escapist entertainment featuring the music of Jimmy Buffet. There is nothing original about the storyline, it’s a will they or won’t they with an A couple and a B couple. But it isn’t about the storyline, it’s about the execution and I think the writers Greg Garcia and Mike O’malley know that. They include a reference to The Taming of the Shrew early on, as if to acknowledge that everything is a variation of the works of Shakespeare, and their musical is no different. A show like Escape to Margaritaville exists so that an audience can go and have a good time, and that’s the only way to measure a show like this. Did the audience I was with have a good time? For that matter did I? The answer to both is yes. If you like the music of Jimmy Buffet, it’s hard to see how you wouldn’t have a blast with Escape to Margaritaville. For Drinkers there is a fun, if covid questionable additions, to this show. If you arrive early you can purchase drinks at the bar onstage, Margaritas and Landshark beers. If you arrive too late for that neat little add-on, you can get drinks from the bar to bring into the show.

Before I get to discussing the show let me get this out of the way. The encouraging of the alcohol, while show appropriate thematically, does have a downside. I don’t know if there was an influx of people who have never been to the theater attracted by the Jimmy Buffet music or if it was the alcohol, but I’ve never experienced so much audience discussion and talking during a performance. To be fair, in a pre-show announcement the cast does encourage that if you want to sing along or dance you should feel free to do so. Some sang, thankfully no one danced, but many of them had an opinion on what was happening on stage that they felt everyone should hear. This annoyed me, it would have driven my son to walk out. I’m guessing most people will react as I did or join in, but if you are perhaps someone for whom that can ruin an experience, probably skip this one. To quote a Transylvanian Count, I never drink….wine, but I do like the music of Jimmy Buffet. If you like Buffet’s music and have a taste for icky pop, you’ll have a blast, just please plan a sober ride. And hey, I want you to have a good time, but remember there are other people in the theater and more importantly performers on stage who can hear everything you say, sing, and burp.

The story follows the staff at an island resort called Margaritaville and two tourists Rachel and Tammy who have come for a last girls week before Tammy marries the comically repugnant Chad back in Cincinnati. the “A” couple is Tully, the resorts resident entertainer and Rachel, who has chosen this resort because the island contains a volcano which she wants to collect soil samples to assist with her research, she’s a very serious, no time for fun, scientist. You kinda just gotta go with it. The “B” Couple are Brick, the resort bartender with unresolved anxiety issues, and Tammy the bride to be. Tully and Rachel, spar at first but eventually spend the week falling in love. Brick and Tammy spend the week flirting and resisting temptation. At the end of the week the girls leave, the boys are sad, and the volcano erupts! Along for the ride are the resort manager Marley and J.D. a 76 year old drunk pilot whom Marley has grounded for everyone’s safety. Will Tully, Brick, Marley and J.D. escape the island? Will Tully and Brick ever be reunited with their lost loves? Will Tammy marry Chad? Will Rachel get to do science? Will Tully ever make it big as a singer songwriter? I think you know the answer to everyone of these questions now don’t you? But, again, it’s not about the what it’s about, in the case of a musical comedy, it’s about the jokes and the performances.

I really had a great time with the entire cast, everyone equites themselves well vocally. Ryan Lee as Tully and Amanda Mai as Tammy in particular made strong impressions. Maureen O’Malley as Rachel and Same Stoll as Brick also sang well with Stoll also showing of some fun dance moves. Mike Tober as J.D. is a hoot, he and Kia Brown as Marley have several fun scenes together, foremost an interactive with the audience performance of “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw”. Finally a little shout out to Max Kile who plays Chad, perfectly caricaturing the frat boy ,self centered, video game obsessed, thoughtless, and boorishly sexist slacker fiance.

Also I want to praise the wonderfully lively band under the musical direction of Kyle Baker. The music really pops and it has a fun island feel to it that oddly didn’t get anyone up and out of their seats to dance. Director Eric Morris has done a nice job of staging the show that’s basically one set, using the tables and chairs and other props to simulate every other location including a couple of plans. The second star of the show is the scenic and light design by Erik Paulson I really loved this set. The backdrop which used lighting very effectively to create gorgeous vistas for the action to play out in front of and helped create the illusion of an island resort. I really like how they used lighting to illustrate the volcano erupting, very effective.

Escape to Margaritaville runs through August 27th at the Old Log Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets go to http://www.oldlog.com/.

Jelly’s Last Jam at Theater Latté Da

Jam is right. Jelly’s Last Jam feels less like a traditional musical than sitting in on a really good jam session with talented musicians. Usually after a musical I can identify one or two songs that stood out on a first listen. If you’re like me when it comes to jazz, I’m not always sure where one song ends and the next one begins. With this, the music is all Jelly Roll Morton’s with Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead and it seems like they just keep on singing, talking, and then float on into another song, or, maybe it’s the same song. That’s what’s awesome and unique about Jelly’s Last Jam, the narrative feels like the music created by the person whose story it’s telling. I should also say that I don’t have a huge tolerance for jazz, but I was completely engaged and enthralled throughout the evening. Theater Latté Da, which makes its home at The Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis, has produced another top notch production.

We begin with Jelly’s death and the show tells us the story of his life through the eyes of Jelly, whose vision is rose colored, and that of the Chimney Man, who sees things more truthfully through a lens at times, red with anger. The Chimney Man is like St. Peter at the Pearly gates, and he battles Jelly throughout the retelling of his life to show the truth. We learn Jelly was an innovator and musical prodigy, along with also being arrogant and ill tempered. He has a very high opinion of himself and a very low opinion of everyone else. It’s the classic tale of talent overcome by ego, the star who cannot stop sabotaging his own happiness and success. Pride cometh before the fall, it was hard not to think of Will Smith’s current situation in some moments. He’s charming at first but as the story goes on, he becomes less and less likeable. Luckily, the splot surrounds him with characters we do genuinely enjoy. Like his best friend Jack the Bear, his lover Anita, and Miss Mamie.

Reese Bitts stars as Jelly and he has the charm to sell us on Jelly’s initial successes but is also able to dig deep down and spill fourth some truly vile and repellent emotional outbursts. Probably a good time to mention there is a lot of hateful and racially charged dialogue in this show, much of it spouted by Jelly. The entire cast is splendid, and one aspect I wasn’t expecting going into the show was the dancing. Not only were all of the performers vocally and dramatically impressive but boy, they sure can dance. That was one of the surprise joys of the show, it’s not a huge dance show, but when they dance it’s in synch and outstanding. You don’t see enough tap now days and when it’s done well, as it is here, it’s a marvel to behold. Andre Shoals as the Chimney Man and second lead, was probably my favorite performance. A great voice, and his character being otherworldly, we got a lot of different flavors mixed together, a little bold, a little funny, a little spicy. You sense from before you even know what his role will be that he is in charge and pulling the strings. Alexcia Thompson as Anita tries to be the voice of reason against Jelly’s self destructive urges, and she plays the frustration and sense of futility really well. Dwight Xaveir Leslie nails the best friend sidekick role, always trying to see the best in Jelly. He really is the character I most identified with, he was always holding out hope that everyone would get along. I can’t list everyone but there was nice character work as well from Julius Collins and Cynthia Jones-Taylor.

If you’ve ever been to a Theater Latté Da production you know that every aspect of their shows is on par with any other theater in town. The Director and Choreographer of the show is Kelli Foster Warder. I’m not surprised that the same person was responsible for those two jobs because the entire staging of the show feels like it has been choreographed down to the smallest movement. The way she moves characters on and off stage, the way they move around the set feels so organic and fluid in a way that only comes from knowing exactly what you are doing moment to moment. There are a lot of names in the music department this time and the music is so good I feel like I really want to mention anyone who was involved with that aspect. We have Sanford Moore (Music Supervisor), Tommy Barbarella (Conductor), Denise Prosek (Associate Music Director), and Jason Hansen (Music Arrangements/Orchestrator) not to mention the band itself Barbarella on piano, Steve Jennings on drums, Geoff LeCrone on guitar & banjo, Joe Mayo on clarinet/flute/saxophone, and Chris Smith on bass. Wonderful Set Design by Eli Sherlock that reminded me of the abstract suggestions of some of the old cartoons where you’d just the outline of something and your mind filled in the rest. The stage is set with all these different styles of doors, and they are all that is needed to signify a different time and place. The Lighting Design by Craig Gottschalk perfectly captured the set to highlight this almost dreamlike simplification, and also used very dramatically at the Chimney Man’s command a couple of times.

Jelly’s Last Jam is playing through May 8th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/ It’s a postmortem of a complicated artists life and a chance for one last jam session.

The Family Line Cruises Along Nicely at Capri Theatre In North Minneapolis

This is the second production from new theatre company Stage North at the newly renovated Capri Theatre in North Minneapolis. I really enjoyed their first production King of the Kosher Grocers. That play was set in the very neighborhood that the Capri theatre is located. A neighborhood that doesn’t scream “Theatre District” and a demographic for whom a night at the theatre probably isn’t a regular occasion. I noted at the time that the selection of that play for their first production was well chosen. I really like the programing decisions being made by Artistic Director Peter Moore. Smart to open with a comedy set in the area your theatre calls home. For your follow up presenting The Family Line, which is a new play by Lee Blessing, that also ties in with the city of Minneapolis, is to my mind the perfect way to capitalize on whatever community inroads were made and draw in other theatergoers.

The Family Line is a two character play that takes place almost entirely inside a car on a 24 hour road trip from Florida to Minneapolis. The characters are Finn, a mixed race 15 year old boy and Jonah, his Grandfather, whom he doesn’t know. Finn’s mother has died from Covid-19 and Jonah is bringing the boy to his father in Minneapolis, whom neither of them know. Jonah is hoping to get to know Finn a little on the journey. Finn wants Jonah to “Fuck off” and let him have his phone so he can tune out this stranger. Beyond that, I don’t want to elaborate on what we find out about these characters and the way information is revealed is the power of the piece. On the surface the play is engaging, at times funny, always natural, there is a very organic feel to the conversation between Finn and Jonah. But Blessing has a lot more going on underneath the surface of the play. It’s about these characters in this specific time and place in history. It’s also about how history repeats itself, both on a societal scale as well as the familial. The ending feels off, but on reflection that is because it doesn’t resolve itself the way most entertainments do. Probably because this isn’t just an entertainment, this is art. Blessing is an accomplished playwright, and this new work showcases his skill at creating real world characters and situations that are also capable of commenting on our world in a way that never feels forced or contrived.

Bob Davis who portrays Jonah, and Hunter Reeve as Finn, are amazingly natural together on stage. Reeve grounds his performance in a reality that any parent of a sullen irritable teanager will recognize as authentic. Thankfully, the role is more than just that and Reeve perfectly modulates maintaining that reality while not letting it be the defining characteristic of the character. I think we will continue to see great things from this young actor. Davis has to play a man who is trying to connect with someone who doesn’t want to be connected with. He does a nice job of playing the patience that requires and punctuates it nicely with moments of frustration. Particularly well handled is a conversation early on about where the name of Panama City came from, the miscommunications that come throughout feel real, this is the moment when we stop thinking of them as actors but as the characters.

Director Peter Moore has utilized a very simple but effective design to stage a play that stays carbound. The Set Design by Rick Polonek consists of a mock up of the front seat of a car and dashboard with a steering wheel. I normally try and get in the front row at a general admission theatre like the Capri, but in this case I realized I needed to be back a few rows or risk not seeing the actors full faces over the dashboard of the car. The car sits on a road that runs off into the horizon, behind it and alongside the car we have maps of the states in which they will drive on their journey. Lighting Designer Sue Berger uses a nice technique of shining a spotlight on the state they are in as the lights come up between scenes. This gives us a sense of where they are on their trek to Minnesota.

It can be difficult for new theatre companies to attract their audience. It’s especially difficult in a city as full of theatres as the twin Cities are. I hope Stage North finds it’s audience as a greatly admire the work they are doing and the company’s mission.

Stage North is a diverse and inclusive group of theater professionals dedicated to creating vibrant, live experiences that bring people together to tell and celebrate stories of urban life. We will produce three plays a year at the Capri Theatre in the heart of North Minneapolis. Our hope is that Stage North will help bring new audiences and new excitement and vitality to the North Side business district and contribute to the neighborhood’s continuing growth and expansion. As the only professional theater company on the North Side, we make live theater easily accessible to the community.
From Stage North Website https://stagenorthmpls.org/

The Family Line is playing through April 17th at the Capri theatre in North Minneapolis. There is ample free parking in a well lit lot directly west of the building. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://stagenorthmpls.org/.