Great River Shakespeare Festival, Destination Theater in Winona MN, More Than Worth the Trek

Last year I made the journey down to Winona MN for the Great River Shakespeare Festival for the first time. I had such a great time that I vowed to return, and so I have. This year’s festival consists of two Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. When it comes to Shakespeare’s drama’s my favorite is Hamlet and of his comedies, it’s Much Ado About Nothing. I grant you that these are obvious choices for favorites, but the heart wants what the heart wants. So this was a perfect lineup in my view. Not that I needed any coaxing to attend this yearly theater oasis in the somewhat drought like summer theater schedule.

Winona is a quaint little city that for the most part seems to close on Sundays. So, if you’re curious to explore and do some shopping in the downtown area I recommend making your schedule to allow for that on Saturday afternoon, not Sunday. It is possible to travel down on Saturday morning, see both plays and travel back after the evening show. But, I think it’s more enjoyable to make a little weekend getaway out of it if you can. There are more things in The Great River Shakespeare Festival than just the plays and a stay over allows you to partake of some of the festival events as well. There are free Sunday morning Company Conversations at Blooming Grounds Coffee House, and Ice Cream Socials after ever Friday and Saturday evening performances. About 45 minutes before each show there is a Green Show put on by the understudy company members to prepare you for what you are about to see. There are also post show discussion and a variety of programs and classes for young aspiring actors from ages 4 to 18.

Melissa Maxwell, Will Sturdivant, Emily Fury Daly, and Diana Coates Photo by Dan Norman

Much Ado About Nothing is the story of two sets of lovers. The young couple Claudio and Hero who are subject to all the deficiencies of youth, jealousy, naivety, rashness. The older couple is Benedict and Beatrice who are the template on which the “will they or won’t they” and the opposites attract characters such as Sam and Diane (Cheers) and David and Maddie (Moonlighting) are based on. They are too wise to woo peaceably and thank God for that because it’s much more entertaining when they wage a battle of the wits upon each other. While both Hamlet and Much Ado about Nothing are worth the trip, Much Ado… is the less successful of the two. The setting for the play is updated to modern times at a block party welcoming home soldiers from the war. There are some very effective choices made that fit well with a modern setting and a modern audience. One being the outcome of the conflict between Claudio and Hero played by Daniel Ajak and Emily Fury Daly. The resolution feels valid and more in keeping with human behavior in the 21st century, but it is at odds with the inciting incident and its repercussions. They play the conflict as if it bares the same weight as it would have 400 years ago, but the denouement is more in keeping with our social norms, the discordance doesn’t mesh as well as it should. Look, Benedict and Beatrice are always the stronger couple that’s no surprise. Daly and Ajak do what they can with Hero and Claudio, but they just are not as dynamic of characters, though the changes to the resolution do give Hero a stronger part.

What does work like gangbusters are the choices Melissa Maxwell and Will Sturdivant make as Beatrice and Benedict. Their line readings and the way in which they carry themselves along with the comedic physicality which they bring to the roles is unique and brings a fresh perspective to these timeless characters. The space they have to perform in is limited, but like the Ten Thousand Things productions here in the Twin Cities, the physical limitations seem to act as a catalyst for creativity. That Sturdivant and Maxwell shine in the roles is no surprise to anyone who has seen them perform in the past. To see them in these roles is worth the trip alone. What was a pleasant surprise was Diana Coates whom is new to the company this year and was a revelation in multiple supporting roles in both plays. In Much Ado Coates plays Margaret, Antonio, and Borachio. The best role is Margaret as she is less encumbered with disguises, as she is particularly in the role of Antonio, and her charisma and stage presence are like a magnet for the audience’s attention. I hope to see her back next year with a lead role.

Michael Fitzpatrick, Tarah Flanagan, and Emily Fury Daly (background) Photo by Dan Norman

This is hands down the best production of Hamlet I’ve seen on stage. At two hours and forty minutes including intermission it’s also probably one of the shortest while also covering much more of the text than I expected. Right from the start Director Doug Scholz-Carlson affirms his understanding of the multilayered tapestry that is Shakespeare’s greatest play. It is a play about revenge, it is a play about political intrigue, it is a play about love, it is a play about our ability and inability to act, and it is a GHOST STORY! The play opens embracing the supernatural aspect, and not just in a philosophical way but in a visceral hair raising approach to the staging. The first scene, where the guards and Horatio encounter the ghost of Hamlet’s father, is played in almost complete darkness. The sound design by Jeff Polunas and the lighting design by Avery Reagan perfectly combine to create a genuine sense of terror in the audience. It’s the best embrace of the horror aspect of Hamlet I’ve ever experienced and it’s used effectively again when Hamlet encounters the ghost. The Ghost and Claudius are played by Will Sturdivant, the costume for the Ghost is really well executed by designer John Merritt adding another eerie element of the supernatural with a glowing chest. The opening scene starts the play off with a scream and then basically doesn’t stop or allow the audience to catch their breath until intermission. Part of what really makes this production so successful is that relentless pace, there isn’t time for the audiences mind to wander, you are on the edge of your seat from that first moment when the lights go down and stay down.

Tarah Flanagan is a wonderful Hamlet. Part of the characters defining characteristics is his indecisiveness, Flanagan’s physical petiteness adds a visual element to the sense of the characters inability in the first half of the play set a course, this sense that he is being blown around by a strong wind. But Flanagan also displays a keen intelligence so you never feel like Hamlet is weak or ineffectual, that blowing in the wind aspect comes from his uncertainty as to what is true and how best to act. When the final sword fight comes between Hamlet and Laertes, it’s really well choreographed by Benjamin Boucvalt, and Flanagan looks an equal match for Carl Schack, who as understudy was playing the role of Laertes. It’s one of the best sword fights I’ve seen on stage, made all the more impressive by the fact that half of it was being performed by the understudy. The cast is perfect in every role, It’s Flanagan’s show without a doubt but she has strong support from Sturdivant as the Ghost and Claudius, Melissa Maxwell as Gertrude, Michael Fitzpatrick as Polonius and the Gravedigger, Emily Fury Daly as Ophelia, truly heartbreaking as Ophelia separated from her senses after the murder of her father.

I strongly urge you faithful readers to take a trip down to Winona and take in these wonderful plays. The festival runs through July 28th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.grsf.org/

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A Wrinkle in Time Full of Stage Magic at Theatre in the Round

A Wrinkle in Time is an American Newbery Award winning young adult novel published in 1962 by Madeleine L’Engle. Cherished by many, not me, but many. I’m not saying it’s not a good book, I’m saying I haven’t read it, and honestly now I wish I had. A little research has informed me that there are actually 5 books in the series that make up the Time Quintet. A Wrinkle in Time tells the story of Meg Murray, her younger brother Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O’Keefe who are sent on an adventure through time and space to rescue the Murray children’s father. The story takes us to several different planets where the trio will encounter strange beings and a powerful darkness known as It. Their guides on the journey are the three Mrs. W’s: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, who it is suggested by a line of dialogue could perhaps be the three Witches from Macbeth.

The Director Penelope Parsons-Lord has chosen to produce the show using only practical effects so there are no projections or recordings used. For the most part this approach works and in fact is one of the charms of the production. There are a few aspects of the story for those of us not familiar with it that are a little hard to follow. When they reach the planet Camazotz where Mr. Murray is imprisoned, much of what occurs there is hard to follow in the literal sense, though you get a general understanding of what happens overall. I mention this because the play is appropriate for younger audiences say Ten and up, but those unfamiliar with the story might get lost during this section. In terms of the production design I enjoyed the fairly barebones approach; I always like what I call stage magic. It really is a combined effort to create the illusions used to illustrate the fantastical elements of the story. Lighting Designer Mark Kieffer makes excellent use of Black Light technology for the interplanetary traveling sequences. The team behind the characters’ looks: Co-Costume Designers Krista Weiss and Penelope Parsons-Lord, Makeup/Hair Designer Robin Gilmer, and Puppet Designer Elliot Van Winkle create some very distinct images and creatures very simplistically.

The three leads are all relatively new to me; Ryan Pierce as Charles Wallace, Harriet Spencer as Meg, and Tic Treitler as Calvin. Pierce has it the toughest, being the biggest of the three but playing the youngest (six years old in the book), it’s an uphill battle, but I’m not sure most child actors would be able handle some elements as when the character is possessed by the spirit of It. Spencer and Treitler have an easier time suspending our disbelief, as they are playing 13 and 14 year olds. They also somehow create a romantic connection between the two characters that you can sense but I’m not sure is explicit in the script; in my research I find it foreshadows their relationship in the later books. My favorite performances were those of the Mrs. W’s played by Shelley Nelson, Robin Gilmer, and Ariel Pinkerton. Nelson’s portrayal of the quirky Mrs. Whatsit who is the quirkiest of the three is especially fun.

Highly recommended for fans of the book or those who have seen one of the two screen adaptations. I think foreknowledge of the plot is a great help in following certain elements of the plot. The story is full of ideas, themes, and concepts that I think an audience not struggling to follow the plot will focus in on more completely. A Wrinkle in Time runs through July 14th at Theatre in the Round Players for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/wrinkle/

Little Shop of Horrors Brings the B Movie Classic to Life at the Guthrie Theater

Will Roland (Seymour Krelborn) and Yvonne Freese (Audrey II Puppeteer) Photo by Dan Norman

Last night The Little Shop of Horrors opened as the summer musical at the Guthrie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis. Based on the 1960 film by the legendary independent filmmaker Roger Corman, who just passed away last month, the musical was an off Broadway hit in the early 1980’s. Leading to a film adaptation of the musical in 1986, which most audiences are probably more familiar with. I will say that if you are thinking of skipping this production because you’ve seen the film, don’t, it has a different ending. The musical was written book and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken the team that resurrected the Disney Animated film with their one two punch of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Their songs here have a 1960’s feel which is always my cup of tea even featuring a trio of narrators who sound like a 60’s girl group. They are embodied by the fantastic Erica Durham, Gabrielle Dominique, and Vie Boheme and might just be my favorite part of the entire production. It is a great cast to be sure but it’s the set and overall production design that is the real star of the show. Scenic Designer Lex Liang’s city street with Florist shop that opens is impressive and filled with wonderful little touches like the billboard signs, I especially liked the one for the 1959 film Return of the Fly.

The story revolves around Seymour a young man working in a florist shop on skid row. Seymour has obtained an exotic looking plant and convinces his boss Mr. Mushnik to display the plant which he has named Audrey II after the shop girl he is in love with. The plant attracts attention and the shop goes from the brink of going out of business to a success. The plant grows and grows until it takes up most of the shop, the only problem is the plants diet. It will only eat blood, human blood, and I guess human meat as well, as before the shocking conclusion Audrey II will have ingested multiple characters whole before your very eyes! Did I mention it’s a dark comedy, but with very singable songs. The Puppets used for Audrey II were designed by Chris Lutter and is controlled by Yvonne Freese and voiced by Twin Cities legend T. Mychael Rambo. It’s a dream team that perfectly brings the creation to life, it’s not realistic, but it’s very very fun. China Brickey as Audrey, Will Roland as Seymour, and Robert Dorfman as Mr. Mushnik are all well cast. Brickey is unrecognizable in the role as brings a vocalization that is broad without being a caricature, It was perfect for the character and so different that what I seen her do before. David Darrow plays multiple roles but it’s the role of Audrey’s sadist Dentist boyfriend Orin that steals every scene he’s in. His singing on “Be a Dentist” is one of the shows highlights.

There are a couple of weak points in the show, the first is something that hopefully can be corrected and that is the sound mix. Everything is just slightly too loud, at times just a decibel too much robbing the songs of some of their musical qualities. The second relates to the costumes by Sully Ratke, most of which are very good. But there is something going on in the final scenes with a series of characters played by David Darrow, he comes on as various people who want to sign Seymour to contracts, they all appear to have little Audrey II’s growing out of their head. I thought perhaps they would turn out to be aliens, but it goes unexplained and felt very out of place and bizzare. Overall I found the cast and the design worked to create a spectacular evening of laughs and song, it’s a crowdpleaser to be sure.

The Little Shop of Horrors runs through August 18th at the Guthrie theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/little-shop-of-horrors/

Suor Angelica an Immersive Opera at The Basilica of Saint Mary by Out of the Box Opera

Out of the Box Opera’s immersive production of Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica is being performed in The Basilica of Saint Mary in Downtown Minneapolis. It’s a unique experience to be sure and for fans of Opera I’m sure it will be a special treat. Faithful readers will know that I’m not afraid to dip my toes into Opera from time to time, but am also willing to admit that it is not a natural attraction for me. I find my best experiences have been Opera’s that fall to one extreme or the other, either simply performed in English in nontraditional spaces or a full on MN Opera experience with gigantic sets and costumes. This production uses three locations in the Basilica labeled the Cloister, The Chapel, and the Nave. Each location occupies about 15 to 20 minutes of time, after which we are ushered to another location. The first and last were spacious and well thought out. The middle was cramped, too warm, and some audience member couldn’t get into the room, with close to half having to stand throughout. Nothing like standing in too warm a room listening to people sing in a language you don’t know to test your opera loving credentials. You are given a bookmark with QR codes on it for each location. When scanned you can read a synopsis of what is happening in that scene. That’s something, but if I’m honest I need more, I need the text transcription projected.

This is not a show for people curious about opera or like me trying to get a feel for it. This is a show for dyed in the wool opera lovers, they will no doubt get so much more out of it than I ever could. There were aspects I admired such as the wonderful music conducted by Stephen Hargreaves. The amazing vocalizations particularly of the lead Alexandra Loutsian, when she signs in the final location which is in the cathedral of the Basilica the acoustics are something otherworldly. The beauty and the ornate carvings and stained glass windows of the cathedral were a joy to behold especially while accompanied by Puccini’s music. So those are the positive takeaways. The negatives are based on who you are. It’s like a guitar solo, if it’s really elaborate, a one minute guitar solo can just about hold my interest, but I don’t play guitar and I don’t go to concerts to just listen to the guitar, so anything beyond that is testing my patience. A guitar player will sit and watch a great 30 minute guitar solo and think it ended too soon. It’s the same with this, if it’s your jam, you’ll like it, but it isn’t the crossover hit you need to create new opera audiences. You know if this is for you or not, if you are unsure, I’d reccomend waiting for a production that at least gives you subtitles so you can follow along moment to moment.

Suor Angelica has a short run ending this weekend for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.outoftheboxopera.org/

Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus, Something to Watch For

So I wouldn’t ordinarily take the time to write up a post for a show that you faithful readers cannot see, but Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus is kind of a unique beast. Also, it was so damned good that I wanted to do a little more than a facebook post about the fact that I enjoyed it. Performed in concert last weekend at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (CDT) Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus is a tribute to women activists throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. The program consisted of 16 new songs by fourteen composers and lyricists as well as six existing protest songs. What was astonishing about the songs is if you were not familiar with the existing songs and if the performers didn’t tip you by way of introductions, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. The new songs run a wide range some sounding as if they were created in the late 60’s early 70’s while others feeling very modern, the unifying aspect of all being the quality of the compositions.

I had listened to a download of the concept album once around the time of it’s release last fall. But I listen to music only in the car so it was broken up over several car rides while driving. I remember enjoying it all, but not really getting the opportunity to wrap my head around it entirely. Now sitting in CDT’s intimate Fireside Theatre almost close enough to touch the performers, I was completely caught up in the songs and their messages. There is a plan in the works for a performance at The Parkway Theater in September, and one can only hope that the musicians and performers remain the same. The singers, several of whom also played instruments and wrote or co-wrote some of the songs, were Janely Rodriguez, Ashley DuBose, Linnea Mohn, Barbara Cohen, and Kymani Kahlil. Each performer was given their moments to shine and then provided backup and support for the others. Whether pastiches of songs from bygone times or hip hop influenced cries for change the entire evenings worth of songs share a unity not only of theme but in the emotional response of the audience. The songs touch a place within our cores that decry the inequities and human tragedies that are the subject matters of the compositions. The performers voices full with meaning and soul carry these messages beyond our minds and into our hearts.

I could write a paragraph on each song but I want and hope you will get the opportunity to experience them for yourself. So I will content myself to comment briefly on one song “How Can We Win” written by Timothy Levy which explicitly illustrates the impact of the entire program. The song is inspired by the viral Youtube speech that Kimberly Jones recorded while standing in front of a burnt-down Minneapolis bank in the wake of the communities response to the murder of George Floyd. Everyone who lives in or near Minneapolis will forever remember that day and the days that followed. As a white man I cannot ever fully comprehend what that moment felt like for the black community, but the song reminded me of my emotions at the time. I spent much of that time at Children’s Minnesota in the Abbott Northwestern Hospital with my son, not far from the riots. The hospital was surrounded by the National Guard, it was a surreal moment. I was angry and outraged at the police. I felt helpless in the shadow of the overwhelming immensity of institutional racism. I was frightened for the safety of myself and my family. I was disheartened by the destruction I was seeing, but I also understood it. The song addresses all of those aspects of an event that clarified the disparity that has always existed in our country. It brought back all of those feelings and it brought back some of the tears as well.

I don’t know what the future holds in store for Protest, A Revolutionary Rock Opus but I assure you, I’ll be covering whatever it does. Whether you are socially conscious minded or not, you’ll be impressed by the songs and performances. Watch for a heads up for upcoming performances and developments and listen to the album containing all 16 tracks created for this work at the following link https://www.buffalogalproductions.com/protest

Once Upon a Time… Josephine Baker! World Premiere of a Brilliant New Work By Austene Van at Yellow Tree Theatre

Tolu Ekisola, JoeNathan Thomas, and Austene Van Photo by Alex Clark

Delayed from opening by a week, due to a medical issue with the artistic team, Once Upon a Time… Josephine Baker! faces is a shortened run which is a shame. This new work written by and starring the hardest working woman in Twin Cities Theater, Austene Van as Josephine Baker is a bold unflinching look at a legend. There is a line from the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance that goes “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”. As portrayed in Van’s new play, or is this a musical? (more on that later) Josephine Baker takes the Orson Welles approach to personal history. Take an anecdote from your life and embellish to your heart’s content, repeat often, until even those who know better begin to believe it and thus the legend becomes fact. Deciphering what is true and what is fiction is one of the themes explored in Once Upon a Time… Josephine Baker!. Whatever the reality is, when it comes to the details, Baker led a fascinating life making her an ideal subject matter. The story is told through the conceit that Baker is writing another autobiography and that the publishers has sent a young woman named Mac to assist her. Through their conversations we learn many things about Baker’s story (including the discrepancies), along with her temperament. Through the interactions with her band member Douglas, we get clarifications that we assume are closer to the true story. A few of the remembrances are played out for us, usually with the assistance of local legend Jim Lichtscheidl playing Baker’s Manager, lovers, husbands, and even Walter Winchell.

This show began and ends with Austene Van whose script is complex yet clear in it’s exploration of this legendary woman. The question of whether this is a musical or not is a difficult yet also irrelevant one. There doesn’t seem to be enough songs to be considered a musical, the songs that are performed are sometimes instances of Baker performing for an audience, and other times the characters singing to each other. The reality is, I’d guesstimate that less than 20% of the shows running time is spent musically. Ultimately it doesn’t really fit cleanly into either category but it succeeds because it is it’s own thing. Van understands exactly how much music it needs and doesn’t try and add music unnecessarily. I’d say Van’s performance was a revelation but did anyone ever seriously have a doubt that she would be amazing? I didn’t and of course she is, with her background as a Choreographer as well as Actor, Director, Artistic Director of Yellow Tree, Writer, Time Manipulator, (I am speculating on that last one, it’s either that or insomniac) it feels like a role she was born to play. Dramatically, vocally, and movement wise she is flawless, she allows Baker to be difficult and unsympathetic at times but earns our empathy as the facades begin to fall away. The script is peppered with generous amounts of humor, that come from the characters naturally, not feeling like quick one liners. Director Maija García understands the script and how it functions creating transitions between the scenes and indeed times and places seamlessly. Staging everything on Sarah Brandners well designed two-level set with Baker’s living quarters above the club in which she performs.

Mac, the young journalist assigned to assist Baker with her book is played by Tolu Ekisola who nails the balancing act that Mac has to perform of humoring Baker and giving into her own “let’s cut the bullshit” world view. Ekisola is becoming one to watch having caught our attention this spring in The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington at Mixed Blood. She can next be seen as Motormouth Mabel in Hairspray at the Burnsville Community Summer Theatre, given her vocals here, I’ll likely try and fit in this production if I can. JoeNathan Thomas as Douglas utilizes his deep rich voice to emphasize the comedic effect of his combative exchanges with both Mac and Baker. There is something about his low vocalization combined with the booming power he puts behind it in contrast to the others that draws the audience immediately to him. It adds a sense of authority and wisdom to his dialogue that leads us to assume what he says is based on fact, whether it is or not, that is certainly what the character believes and thus so does the audience. It’s the kind of voice that can sway you to believe anything and Thomas utilizes it skillfully almost surgically to cut through the chaos of Baker and Mac’s arguments. Lastly, I do want to point out the wonderfully realized costumes by Samantha Fromm Haddow. From Baker’s Classic performance outfits, the banana dance costume and her feathered dance costume to the 1970’s period outfit worn by Mac, they are all beautifully realized.

Once Upon a Time… Josephine Baker! runs through June 30th at Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://yellowtreetheatre.com/onceuponatimejosephinebaker . And I don’t usually do this but if you’ve seen a show at Yellow Tree Theatre you probably know the quality work they produce. It’s a small theater in the suburbs that produces top-notch shows, and I believe they’re an important step on the path to creating new theater audiences. If you care about the future of live theater please consider a donation to Yellow Tree Theatre so they can continue their mission. https://yellowtreetheatre.com/support-us-2

Eleemosynary the Premiere Offering From Spacetime Theatre

August Chaffin, Tara Borman, and Katie Tuminelly Photo by Rich Fleischman

Eleemosynary is the first offering from a new theatre company Spacetime Theatre and it is an auspicious beginning to be sure. Written by Lee Blessing in 1985 nearly 40 years ago, it was new to me and felt as timely and relevant as anything I’ve seen written in the last five years. The big question is whether this is a comedy or a drama or the all encompassing “dramedy”? I laughed quite a bit, but there were also moments that were very powerful and not meant to be laughed about. It’s a story told across decades in the life of three women in the Wesbrook family, the grandmother Dorothea, her daughter Artie, and Artie’s daughter Echo. Dorothea is intentionally eccentric, so much so that her daughter Artie wants nothing to do with her, she is however raising Artie’s daughter Echo who has won the National Spelling Bee and is something of a genius. The truth is all of these women are very intelligent though some lack an emotional intelligence to rather their intellect. It’s a story about the relationships between mothers, daughters, and grandmothers and the ways in which they can sometimes hurt each other deeper than they could every have guessed. Their intelligence, part of which is reflected in they way in which Artie and Echo’s memories work account for why the wounds of past injuries never heal. It’s a very well written script that leaps forwards and backwards in time without ever leaving the audience untethered to the characters timeline. It reveals itself at the perfect pace always giving us the next piece of their story, the next explanation just when we are ready to receive it.

Directed by Spacetime Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director Christopher Kehoe against a scenic design by M Curtis Grittner which is abstract and gives us a sense of flowing in and out of the narrative stream. Kehoe has the actors coming on and off stage constantly from all corners of the theater as their characters come in and out of moments from their memories. The cast is really something special and look as if they really were from the same family. As Dorothea, Katie Tuminelly times her more outrageous lines perfectly to catch the audience off guard and forcing spontaneous guffaws. Tara Borman, whom I keep seeing playing young women who have unplanned pregnancies, has the most grounded role, but also the most closed off emotionally, while simultaneously being the most fragile of the three. It’s a tricky role, at times unsympathetic, but by the end she has shown us under the surface of the character and we have come to understand her issues. Last, but by no means least, August Chaffin as Echo proves to be an actor to keep an eye on. I love coming across young actors for the first time knowing that I’ll get to see them take on new roles over the coming years. Chaffin, is fantastic as Echo and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Eleemosynary runs through June 23rd at the Gremlin Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.spacetimetheatre.com/shows/eleemosynary/