The Hairy Ape from Combustible Company

Cast of The Hairy Ape Photo by Lily Jones

The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neill, written over 100 years ago feels as though it’s a commentary on the world of today. Which I assume, is why Combustible Company has chosen to perform him. The production is something between a play and performance art. It utilizes movement, lighting, and sound design in a way that is as integral as the script in presenting it’s message. There’s always movement or images happening allusions to the character state of mind, expressionistic strokes to represent class. Needless to say this is not for audiences looking for just an evening of entertainment, this is that other type of show, one that asks us to engage with it, to take it in and extrapolate for ourselves it’s meaning. The cast is very strong, many represent notions of people that serve as stand-ins for societal classes, the laborers in the bowels of an ocean liner, or the privileged upper classes on 5th avenue.

The cast is led by Nick Miller as Yank, the leader of the crew who feed coal into the engines of an ocean liner. Yank is content in his work feeling that he is the master, without whom the boat could not move. When Mildred the daughter of a millionaire comes down into the engine room and calls him a filthy beast, he begins a journey of internal disintegration. Looking for a place where he belongs, moving from laborer to beast in a cage. He’s looking for revenge from the woman/class who have taken his sense of identity and left him with a feeling of isolation and loneliness. Miller’s performance is a study in regression and the loss of confidence of his character. He embodies the man they all look up to in the engine rooms at the opening, a man of confidence and authority. Miller captures his slide into uncertainty and confusion wonderfully, ending the performance as a broken and lost man. The other standout is Erik Hoover as Paddy an older laborer who also gets to perform a speech given by a politician. The rest of the cast work together throughout creating a sense of groups of people or classes.

Director Kym Longhi uses movement from the cast almost as interpretive dance. As they move throughout the space which is designed by Jim Peitzman using three moveable scaffolding rigs and projections on three flats. It’s a simple but extremely effective look that works perfectly with the casts movements and styled performances. The Lighting Designer Paul Epton’s work perfectly compliments the projections helping to create the desired environments and moods. Equally impressive is the sound design by Micah Kopecky, which envelopes us deep inside the center of the ship or transports us into the past when ships were made of wood, and sailors sailed with the stars over their heads to in great hot steel engine rooms. Longhi has brought together all of the elements into what is a cohesive and unified production, none of it feels real, but all of it works.

The Hairy Ape runs through November 18th at the Center for Performing Arts in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://combustiblecompany.org/gallery/the-hairy-ape

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The Thin Place at Gremlin Theatre is a Slow Burn That Builds to a Riveting Conclusion

Jane Froiland Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography

Monster Month is over, but if you’re like me, you won’t mind if it bleeds into November a little. The Thin Place is not the type of show that tries to wow you with special effects, startle you with jump scares or thankfully, gross you out with buckets of blood. Instead, it tells a very simple intimate story that sucks you in and builds to a very satisfying conclusion, something that the genre fails at more often than it succeeds. This production works because it is first and foremost a study of characters, which doesn’t work well unless you have a great cast, which thankfully Gremlin Theatre has. My big concern going into this production, would it measure up to the production I saw at Daleko Arts in 2022. Particularly could they find someone to play the lead role of Hilda as well as Kayla Dvorak Feld did. The answer is that they have, Jane Froiland may not surpass but her performance is equal to Dvorak Feld’s, which is to say it’s perfect for the character of Hilda. Froiland and the rest of the Gremlin cast perfectly build the atmosphere of uneasiness, and uncertainty of what’s going to happen, to the point where you realize you have forgotten to breathe in anticipation.

The play opens with Hilda speaking to the audience describing her relationship with her Grandmother and the way they would practice communicating telepathically. They did this so that when her Grandmother passed away they would hopefully still be able to communicate. Hilda will continue to serve as narrator throughout the play sliding in and out of scenes that recount her friendship with Linda, a Medium whom she believed can communicate with people who are gone. She wants to communicate with her Grandmother but also with her mother who has gone missing. We sense that she wants to know if she is dead or alive. As Hilda and Linda become close and spend more and more time together we drop in on a party with Linda’s Cousin Jerry and friend Sylvia, followed by a scene later that evening where Hilda takes Linda to her mother’s home. Finally, it ends with Hilda once again directly addressing the audience. What’s wonderful about all four of the characters is how much we learn about them through their conversation and behaviors. Very little is spelt out, one has questions about what exactly the relationships are between Linda and all three of the other characters. I really enjoyed the wonder and watching for clues that would more concretely define the connections.

What a wonderful opportunity for an actor to play these roles, where so much is implied, but left unstated. They really get to dig in and make choices, those choices help to lead the audience. But they stop short of doing anything that lets us into the inner circle, which is where Hnath wants us. He wants us to feel like Hilda, to be listeners, to be outside of the inner circle. Froiland is brilliant at using quietness to hold our attention, she is such a quiet presence that later when she tells a spooky story you become enthralled by the gradually building of tone and emotions she let’s seep into her speech. Cheryl Willis’ performance as Linda is the perfect contrast to Froiland’s, where Froiland is quiet and her quietness draws you in, Willis plays Linda as someone who would be uncomfortable if she wasn’t the center of attention. She’s a real character but completely believable and her English accent sounds genuine. Rounding out the cast are Peter Christian Hansen as Jerry and Katherine Kupiecki as Sylvia, their party scene interacting with Linda as Hilda watches is perfectly modulated, the three know how to step on each others lines just enough so that it sounds like old friends talking to, and over each other.

Ellen Fenster-Gharib directs the play in a simple low key style that lulls you into a sense of safety that she then slowly erodes. The decision to open the show with the house lights up and Froiland simply wandering out on stage and beginning to talk with us creates a sense of safety and community. It immediately throws us slightly off balance, but then allows Hilda to connect with us as if we are just hanging out having a conversation. Momentarily, you lose the divide between performer and audience, on stage and off. Fenster-Gharib trusts in the actors ability to engage us and realizes that there is no need for superfluous stage business. We are with the actors, their performances and the script are all we need for the majority of the play. When the play calls for a little something extra we get it in the work of Scenic and Lighting Designer Carl Schoenborn and Sound Designer Katharine Horowitz. Both the lighting and the sounds play crucial roles in the effectiveness of the production in creating a place where the barrier between our reality and the next becomes very thin. Is it super scary? Well, no. But, it is kinda scary and it builds ever so nicely. It’s perfect to take the wife who doesn’t like horror movies to, as it’s got a little scariness, but not too much. It’s a great story performed by a cast or actors who know just how to ratchet up the tension in such gradual increments that you suddenly realize you are on the edge of your seat and have no idea when you moved there.

The Thin Place runs through December 3rd at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://gremlintheatre.org/

Cold Planet Warm Heart World Premiere at the Crane Theatre

Xan Mattek, Ariel Pinkerton, and Madison Fairbanks Photo by Kari Elizabeth Godfrey

Cold Planet Warm Heart is a new musical from Daniel Pinkerton and Robert Elhai having it’s world premiere at the Crane Theatre. The Musical is staged by Fortune’s Fool Theatre of which Pinkerton is a co-producing Artistic Director along with his daughter, one of the actors in the show, Ariel Pinkerton. It’s a sweet little story about an alien who crash lands in Median Minnesota, which from the name we can assume is an average midwestern small town. The alien named Wubu is befriended by Andy a linguistics expert who has dropped out of her PHD program, lives in her Mother’s basement, and works as a Barista. Filled with touches of regional humor, sprinkled with Science-fiction easter eggs, and sporting a positive message it’s a low-fi sci-fi musical the whole family can enjoy.

Book and Lyrics are by Daniel Pinkerton with the music by Robert Elhai. The music has a toe tapping quality that keeps the proceedings up beat with a pop-rock vibe. Like many science fiction stories, Pinkerton’s script is clearly a commentary on our society with the outer space aliens taking the place of undocumented aliens. The show is staged as if it’s a pageant put on by the locals for tourists. Andy’s job is at Lagos Coffee and Tea run by Ifede who immigrated to the US from Africa twenty years ago with who she can practice her language skills. Her best friend is Sprocket who owns a local auto repair shop and not so secretly, pines for Andy and who’s with her when they witness Wubu’s spaceship crash. Andy quickly picks up on Wubu’s language which has a basis in musical notes. There is an ICE Agent who complicates matters adding the requisite drama and need for Wubu to find a way to escape.

The cast is good, but did feel slightly under rehearsed, possibly intentional to convey the idea of locals putting on a reenactment. There was one standout, Xan Mattek as Sprocket has a confidence, stage presence, and the voice best suited to her role. The entire cast does good work but most seemed to have moments where it seemed the singing was occasionally just out of their ideal range or they had over-taxed their vocals. It’s not bad, but there is a slightly discordant nature to it. Many of the cast play multiple roles, Fawn Wilderson for example plays Ifede and the Hockey Coach. Ifede is the deeper character and there are sweet moments of connection between her and Andy as they converse in her native tongue. Eryn Tvete plays Jerome K. Jerome the ICE agent and Mrs. Nelson, as Nelson she provides some fun MN humor, a bit of that exaggerated accent made famous by the film Fargo. Ariel Pinkerton plays Wubu which is a silent role as their musical language is provided by the band. Pinkerton uses her large expressive eyes and gift for body language to help communicate to the audience her characters feelings without the use of speech.

The band is a quartet made up of Musical Director Justin D. Cook conducting and on keyboards, Steve Cochran on Guitar, Brian Glenn on Drums and Percussion, and Joan Griffith on bass guitar and guitar. The costumes are by A. Emily Heaney, the highlight is Wubu’s costume which has extra appendages, it’s pretty cool looking though Director Jen Scott could have staged the production to show it off a little more effectively. Wubu’s translations are projected on the right side of the stage, which works well when they are on the right side of the stage where Andy’s Bedroom is located, but when they spend a scene in the Coffee shop on the left side of the stage, it’s a lot trickier to watch the action and read the subtitles. It would have been nice if they could have been on both sides of the stage or more centrally located.

Cold Planet Warm Heart runs through November 19th at the Crane Theatre in Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://tix.gobo.show/events/event/t6avXq60qef4G0GVZRx7

H.M.S. Pinafore Another Wonderful Production From GSVLO

I don’t talk about my companions for shows very often but I think this one is a good exception as it illustrates how universal the appeal of the productions by The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company (GSVLOC) can be. My plus one for H.M.S. Pinafore was the girlfriend of my oldest son, a 20 year old woman for whom this is her 4th show, aside from vaguely remembering seeing something in Junior High. Someone who has not been exposed to any form of Opera directly. Now I’ve said in previous reviews of GSVLOC that the Gilbert & Sullivan oeuvre is a link between traditional opera and the modern musical and as thus a nice introduction to novices. My seatmate enjoyed it immensely and ranked it second of the four shows she’s seen, all of which have been in the last 30 days. Now not every young person is as open to being exposed to new things theatrically, but if they express an interest you can be confident they are going to find it entertaining and engaging and most importantly accessible, no prior Opera experience needed. H.M.S. Pinafore is silly in the best G&S tradition and the large cast are all in step with the tone and tongue in cheek nature of the work. As always, the GSVLOC lean into a modern sensibility without losing sight of the creators intentions, taking minor but clever liberties with the occasional dialogue or lyric. Featuring a cast of nearly three dozen, the sound of both vocals and orchestra are thrillingly note perfect.

H.M.S. Pinafore was the first of many successes of the treasured duo of Arthur Sullivan, who wrote the music, and W.S. Gilbert who wrote the Librettos. Premiering in 1878 it led to an off again on again partnership which created a body of work so beloved that there are theater companies who solely produce their work. Set entirely on the British navel ship of the title, it’s a tale lovers kept apart by class, parents, and rivals. As much a satire of the Royal Navy and the British class system, as a story of star crossed lovers. The humor flows from the absurdities inherent in all of these targets, and the resolution is right out of one of Shakespeare convoluted comedies. The plot hardly matters, it’s the execution that makes the work sing.

A cast so large cannot be singled out particularly when each voice is essential in creating the wonderful sound of this superb production. But, there are a couple of favorites to mention. Kaoru Shoji who plays Josephine, the heroine of the show has a wonderful voice and and excellent stage presence. She really shines performing with Scott A. Gorman as her father and Scott Benson as the First Lord of the Admiralty as they all think they have agreed to a belief that will get them what they want though they are at cross purposes. Benson is hilarious as the idiot in charge of the Navy who’s never been to sea and hilariously, can’t even draw his sword without help from his cousin. Anthony T. Rohr is in fine voice as Ralph Rackstraw Josephine’s Sailor love and Josh Conroy’s deep rich voice is as powerful vocally as his character Dick Deadeye is repulsive to his fellow shipmates, which is to say very!

Music Director and Conductor Randal A. Buikema deserves high praise, it’s not often that I enjoy An Overture, I’m usually wishing the show would just begin already. But This Overture was so joyful and upbeat and beautifully rendered, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Gary Briggle directs the show finding a way to somehow have 30 people of stage at the same time without tripping all over themselves, but actually always appearing like they were exactly where they should be. His directorial touch is light and filled with humorous touches throughout including his clever cell phone lyrics before the show begins. Set Designer and Scenic Painter Wendy Waszut-Barrett has created a splendid set complete with riggings for the sails and a spinning steering wheel. Costume Designer Barb Portinga does a good job considering she’s dressing such a large cast, a few of the sailers costumes are a little ill fitting but it works as they a relatively shapeless uniforms anyway.

H.M.S. Pinafore runs through November 19th at The Conn Theater in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://gsvloc.org/on-stage/

Jayla Pope The Face of the New Theater Audience

Say All The Truth Sports a Terrific Cast For its World Premiere at the Jungle Theater in Uptown

Liz Wisan, Tracey Maloney, and Sally Wingert Photo by Dominique Serrand

In a world premiere co-production with the Jungle Theater, The Moving Company (MOCO) has created an adaptation of the Moliere’s The Misanthrope that jettisens characters and plot points to examine the ideas at the heart of the 17th century classic. With design elements ripe for interpretation by the audience it’s both serious and comedic, confounding and illuminating. This is a thinking person’s play, not your standard light entertainment. So, while not to everyone’s taste perhaps, at just over 90 minutes I’d recommend it to those who are intimidated by the “artier” sounding productions. I think you’ll find it accessible even if it feels at times a little inscrutable. A little inscrutability can lead to some interesting discussions and analysis. The fantastic cast keep you enthralled and carry you through any sense that you might be in over your head. My advice is to go with it, don’t get hung up on what everything everyone is saying means, for what your beliefs are is likely some combination of the various characters and what they seem to represent.

Written by the Artistic Directors of MOCO Steven Epp, Dominique Serrand, and Nathan Keepers, this is a production that like Moliere’s original, is open to interpretations. Is the cvharacter of Alceste, the Misanthrope a hero or a fool? The play opens with Alceste telling Philinte that he can no longer be his friend because basically he’s too nice to people. The two debate the Alceste’s beliefs that one should speak the absolute truth at all times. As Alceste espouses his philosophies, one can sympathize with his ideals, but the practice of them is isolating, for he hates anyone who does not conform to his beliefs, which is more or less the entire human race. There are also a trio of sisters the middle sister Celimene is loved by Alceste, the younger Eliante has a mutual attraction with Philinte. The oldest, Arsinoe is like Alceste in that her values are of an extreme temperament, her’s of the moral majority. His love and obsession with Celimene is the only point at which Alceste wavers from his ideology, here it would seem he is the hypocrisy he rails so hard against, for Celimene is human, and contains many of the failings he so derides in others, but accepts in her. Love being the only human quality that he doesn’t scorn, it is also the one that undermines him as a hero, for his jealousy betrays him.

Steven Epp plays Alceste and knowing the company I doubt there was any question as they wrote it who would play this role. Epp can deliver his characters passionate take on things but can also bring a mopey quality, there is a wha wha quality to some of the line readings that really adds a touch of humor to what might otherwise be a dry espousing of philosophical dogma. Nathan Keepers sporting a blonde dye job as Philinte give a counterpointe performance always maintaining an even keel, we recognize his go along to get along approach as reflective of most of us. Tracey Maloney as Eliante is engagely innocent, she is the one character you are not conflicted about, she gets the most laughs and perhaps in a play filled with weighty arguments her lightness uplifts the whole affair. Liz Wisan is Celimene, the one person who always seems in control of themselves and at peace with themself. Wisan, brings a quiet confidence and sense of control to the character. Finally and last, but definitely not least is Twin Cities treasure Sally Wingert as the epitome of moral hypocrisy Arsinoe. No one plays the this sort of condescension like Wingert, she is wonderfully surgical in her ability to take offense and be offensive in the same breathe.

The play is directed by and designed by Dominique Serrand who makes some odd choices which probably represent something to him, but what they are is open to the audience to interpret. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if what you are hoping to do is get your audience talking and thinking about the show afterwards. Why are people moving around at times seemingly randomly or in a wandering circular way? Why is the ceiling leaking? Is there a key to the characters in the coloring of their costumes? These are some of the questions you may find yourself asking, but don’t stop there, try answering them. That’s what can be so rewarding about a show like this, it can get the little gray cells moving. Those costumes are designed by Sonya Berlovitz and they are effective in commenting on their characters and giving them each a distinct, not just look, but feel.

Say All the Truth runs through November 26th at Jungle Theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/

The Marvelous Wonderettes is Underselling Itself, It’s Somekind of Wonderful From Sidekick Theatre

Camryn Buelow, Faith Winship, Leslie Vincent and Debi Kilde are the Marvelous Wonderettes.

I’m a child of the 70’s, teen of the 80’s, but I grew up with the music of the 50’s and 60’s. Sure The Marvelous Wonderettes is a jukebox musical and those can be a little uninspired sometimes, but when the music is this good and the hook so simple and sweet, then I’m all in. If you love the music of this era, girl groups and doo wop and even segwaying into some motown, you’re sure to be wearing a smile throughout this show. What I love about theater is it can serve up such a variety of experiences. Just coming off the Twin Cities Horror Festival, I spent the better part of a week being thrilled at shows that made me laugh, tremble, and sometimes suppress my gag reflex. Other shows make us think about the world we live in, while others create empathy for people who are different from ourselves. As the Byrds sang in 1965 “To everything turn, turn, turn there is a season” The Marvelous Wonderettes is a time to smile. This show filled me with joy and gratitude for these fantastic songs and the wonderful vocal talents of this cast.

The show written and created by Roger Bean is broken into two Acts. Act One is 1958 at the Senior Prom and The Marvelous Wonderettes, four friends and all candidates for Prom Queen, are providing the musical entertainment. There are some rivalries and story threads that playout throughout the show, but it’s basically the four girls up there wowing us with their renditions of classic songs from “Mr. Sandman“, “All I Have to Do Is Dream“, and “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight“. Act Two takes place 10 years later at the 10 year reunion where The Marvelous Wonderettes have once again been asked to provide the musical entertainment. Just as the music changed from simple bubblegum pop in 1958 to songs with a little more to say, so have the problems of the Wonderettes evolving from stolen boyfriends to unfaithful husbands. But even with the slightly more mature story threads of the second Act, the show never bogs down or gets heavy man. It uses the pop music of the times creatively and pieces together plots and character names in an almost jigsaw like fashion that’s wonderfully satisfying.

I went because I enjoyed the last production by Sidekick Theatre and because Leslie Vincent, a performer I’ve been really impressed with in the past was in it. I knew if nothing else, I would enjoy hearing her sing some of these classic songs. What I discovered was that the entire quartet is amazing. In each Act they all get their own chance to shine as lead singer, but as importantly they all provide the beautiful backup vocals for each other. Vincent plays Betty Jean (BJ) who is always being upstaged both on stage and off by her BFF Cindy Lou played by Camryn Buelow. Vincent is always great, but my favorite moment from her in this show was when she sings “It’s My Party“. Buelow plays the diva of the group stealing the spotlight and whatever else she can from Betty Jean, but her best moments are a more accessible Cindy Lou in Act Two with the one two punch of “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Leader of the Pack“. Debi Kilde plays Missy who’s crush on teacher Mister Lee provides some good natured audience participation. Her performance of “Secret Love” is surprisingly moving for a show that trades in laughs and bubblegum music. Kilde also is the Choreographer for the show and while it isn’t overly elaborate there’s no denying the girls have some nice synchronization and routines that add to the overall charm and feeling of authenticity. Suzy is played by Faith Winship and is wonderful with her characters little comedic bits, in the first act she’s constantly chewing gum, in the second act she gets to be pregnant. Her body language is perfect and adds these little extra moments to each of the acts that just somehow adds to the shows perfection. My favorite song from her was “Respect” which has a fabulous gag in it that I’m not going to spoil. The best way to describe these characters I can think of is to imagine the Pink Ladies from Grease, imagine if Sandy and Rizzo were sidelined and the remaining Ladies got to flesh out their stories and show off their vocal chops.

The show is directed by Brian Pierce with Musical Direction by Gary Rue, both of whom perform in the tight little rock quartet that back the Wonderettes. The scenic design is by Tim Stoltz with costumes by John A. Woskoff and the look of the show matches the sound perfectly bringing us back to the 50’s and 60’s. The show features over 30 classic songs from the 50’s and 60’s all but one or two will be familiar to most audiences. If the music of that era is your jam as it is mine, you’ll want to get out to see this show at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center where it is running until November 12th. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://sidekicktheatre.com/wonderettes . There is the option to purchase a meal before hand. I enjoyed a wonderful brunch before the show and I highly recommend this option. dinner and a show couldn’t be easier!

Twin Cities Horror Festival XII: Final Review from Day Seven Shadows Under Wabasha

This will be my final posting for this years Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) and with this review I have successfully seen and reviewed each of the 11 shows. It’s been a great year; there have been laughs, thrills, and some real gross-out moments. I encourage you to get out and see as many shows as you can, but be warned, you need to purchase your tickets ahead of time. Already what is arguably the best show of the festival, Rasputin, has sold out it’s remaining performances. Shows are selling out right and left this year, which is great for the festival and artists, but puts us audiences in danger of missing out. Don’t miss out!! For more information check out the Festivals website at https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/ and to purchase tickets go to https://tix.gobo.show/festival/tchfxii

Shadows Under Wabasha by Kyle Dekker and Jacob Gulliver draws on the history of The Wabasha Street Caves and St Paul’s colorful past of criminal leniency. The show makes much better use of the studio space than Lock-in was able to, any seat should afford you a view of all the action, though beware of the splash zone! If you’re one that enjoys some blood with your TCHF, this show opens a few veins and will not disappoint any vampires in the audience. Of the cast the standout is Ileri Okikiolu as Haggins, a WWI vet who is part of a heist gone wrong that results in the four criminal partners trapped in one of the caves after the entrance collapses. Okikiolu has a presence that commands your attention and Bridget Foy as Bertinelli gives a solid performance as well as the clear headed but alcoholic leader of the gang. The script has the basis for a solid show though it does gets a little muddled towards the end. The building of tensions between the trapped men could be better modulated as the show seems to devolve into its bloody resolution rather than build to it. This one has some nice costumes and fun props and set design with its faux exposed brick walls, and a lesson in how to utilize that Studio space.

For some behind the scenes information about the TCHF listen to season 2 episode 5 of the Twin cities Theater Chat podcast https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/2150807/13763195