Twin Cities Horror Festival XII: Two Reviews from Day Six. Songversation: We Have Been Told We Will Burn, Ghost in the Machine

With Only one show left to see in the Festival myself and options for readers to see various shows narrowing, I thought I’d take a second to highlight a few of the shows I’d prioritize if you can’t make it to everything. Rasputin which as of this writing, in the wee hours of Wednesday Oct 25th, has two performances left Wednesday Oct. 25th at 6:00 PM and Sunday Oct. 29th at 4:30 PM. Marie-Jeanne Valet, Who Defeated La Bete du Gévaudan has two more performances as well Friday Oct. 27th at 7:30 PM and Saturday Oct 28th at 6:00 PM. Those are the two shows that are for me virtually tied for Best of Fest. For most impressive special effects and blood work and maybe scariest I recommend Choices which also has two performances left Thursday Oct. 26th at 6:00 PM and Sunday Oct. 29th at 7:30 PM. For simply the funniest and cleveriest I was surprised and delighted by Overtoun which actually has three more chances to be seen Wednesday Oct. 25th at 9:00 PM, Friday Oct. 27th at 10:30 PM, and Saturday Oct. 28th at 7:30 PM. Frankly my recommendation though is to see everything, which is still possible with the exception of Lock-In, which had it’s final performance on monday in the studio. It’s being replaced beginning Wednesday with Shadows Under Wabasha. For More information check out the Festivals website at https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/ to purchase tickets go to https://tix.gobo.show/festival/tchfxii

Songversation: We have Been told We Will Burn falls under the category of most unique show in the festival. The creation of Shanan Custer, who also performs in Kin at this years TCHF, and Rhiannon Fiskradatz, is a variation on their Songversation shows that can be seen at Bryant Lake Bowl and Theatre. This was my first exposure to the duo’s Songversation format, but as a big fan of Custer’s whom I’ve followed for years I was confident I would see something special. The theme of this episode is witches and it’s a melding of visual essay and song with elements of ceremony to not really explore the subject so much as meditate on it. While there are images of what we traditionally think of as witches in the Halloween sense, the focus is more on the concept as it has been used to try and control or destroy that which threatens the Patriarchal hierarchy. One specific example is that of Sinead O’Conner who spoke truths that the status quo wanted to ignore and so like the the witches of Salem she was suppressed undermined and devalued by a rigged system. While featuring some eye opening information to be sure, you’ll get the most out of it by not looking for a distinct narrative, but letting the whole wash over you. The beauty of the piece is not in the individual details but in the mood created by the flow and combination of image, music, word, and ritual.

Ghost in the Machine is a return to the narrative style of which most of the TCHF is made up of with a play that feels ripped from today’s headlines. Artificial Intelligence seems to be constantly in the news and social media these days which makes it the perfect subject for a horror story. Ghost in the Machine references all the usual A.I. Fears and the movies they are based off of without doing anything so predictable. It reminds us that Computers, while superior in many ways, are no match for their human creators when it comes to being horrible. The script by Tim Wick doesn’t reveal itself too quickly and the mind leads us down several false paths before we begin to put it all together. The cast are all good with Elora Riley as Arwyn turning in a particularly smart performance as the hip programmer being wooed by the super secret and shady Weyland Corporation. Gore free it’s a well plotted little gem with food for thought that will keep you thinking about it long after you’re home and in bed.

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

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Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress At Children’s Theatre Company

Mathias Brinda and Joy Dolo. Photo by By Glen Stubbe Photography

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress is short but sweet and as always the best productions at Children’s Theater Company (CTC), broadcasts an important message. Focused on presenting the idea that gender should not dictate what a person plays with or what clothing they choose to wear it makes the case for acceptance of everyone being true to themselves. In a world that can be marginalized black and white, the show illustrates that between the extremes there’s an abundance of colors including tangerine. Adapted from the Popular children’s book by Christine Baldacchino and Isabelle Malenfant by Juliany Traveras and Directed by Heidi Stillman.

Morris is a young boy with a vivid imagination who is inspired by a Tangerine Dress that he discovers in the dress up box at his school. It feels right and for him, it’s the perfect clothing for playing astronaut in. The other children tease and exclude Morris, telling him dresses are for girls and Astronauts cannot wear dresses. Morris is supported in his choices by his teacher and mother who understand the way the world reacts but knows what truly matters is not what the world thinks, but how Morris feels inside. Wearing the dress makes Morris happy, it reminds him of his mother’s hair and fuels his imagination. That imagination is what finally begins to break down some of the other kids, who are able by the end of the play to open their minds and let go of societal gender constructs. The play ends with a fantasia of imagination come alive through the work of Scenic Designers William Boles and Sotirios Livaditis. Morris and his friends explore the universe untethered by reality to explore a rich galaxy fueled by their creativity. For a play that feels grounded in reality for most of its 50 minute run time, it’s exactly the right touch to send audiences of all ages out with a sense of wonder and a kernel of an idea that openness and acceptance can be a beautiful and wondrous thing.

CTC assembles a young cast that reflects the message of the play and anchors it with the fabulous Joy Dolo. Dolo plays dual roles as Morris’s mother and his teacher, creating distinct but caring portraits. As the teacher she’s especially effective at showing the struggle within of supporting while also helping Morris navigate the reactions and expectations of others. Morris is played by Mathias Brinda who identifies in the program with the pronouns She/They. It’s always a surprise to see someone so young who has the stage presence of an experienced performer as Brinda does. Brinda has to carry the play and their performance captures the wonder of a child whose brain is full of fantasies and curiosity. Of the four child characters in the play two boys and two girls, there is a leader of each gender who will not abide Morris’ gender nonconforming behavior and two that are the followers but eventually rebel against their friends intolerance. The bullies are played by Truman Bednar as Henry and Hildie Edwards as Becky who’s a trans actor and advocate. Both are strong in portraying the cruelty of kids on the playground, not an easy task, being mean to others even though it’s accepted that it isn’t real.

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress is running through November 19th at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to. https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/morris-micklewhite/

Twin Cities Horror Festival XII: Two Reviews from Day Four. Overtoun and Kin

Before we jump into todays reviews again I want to urge you to purchase your tickets ahead of time. On The third day of the festival When I went online to check status of tickets there was already two sold out performances and another listed as a Sellout Risk. 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

Overtoun, a Spiral Theater Original Production is about a bridge in Scotland where dogs are commiting suicide. The description gave many of us pause. Are we sure we want to see a horror festival play about dog suicide? This sounds like it’s going to be very heavy. It isn’t. This is a comedic play filled with wordplay that is deceptively clever. The cast of five actors make it look easy but I promise you pulling off this script takes a certain kind of talent, it reminds one of a Marx Brothers movie, Playwright and Assistant Director Kyle Munshower, exploits every double meaning and leaves no homophone unturned. The scenic design makes effective use of reversible flats on wheels that allow for effective location changes with a minimum of deadtime. What deadtime there is they cover nicely with the live musical score by Music Director Griffin McEnery. Anytime you need to make significant scene changes you risk breaking the spell, but if you need to, this is how to do it. The wonderfully tongue in cheek cast is Anya Naylor, Anjeline Mae Ramirez, Mar Burris, Carlyn Grande, and Alec Logeman. Overtoun takes a depressing idea and makes something witty and infectiously funny. Focusing on the absurdities of the people of Overtoun they never wade to deeply into the truly horrific theme dog suicide.

Kin, a Special When Lit production written and starring TCHF’s Artistic Director Nissa Nordland Morgan, is a change of pace from the other shows I’ve seen so far this festival. Rather than being peppered throughout with strange occurrences, fast paced plots, and large doses of humor, Kin is more of a slow burn. The first scene takes the time to establish and familiarize us with the newly married Mona and Aurora, played by Nissa Nordland Morgan and Tara Lucchino, who are spending New Years at a remote cabin in northern MN. The dialogue hints that there is something that Mona doesn’t want to talk about but it’s primarily staged as a way for us to get to know the characters and a bit about their pasts. It’s a sexually charged scene that in no way prepares you for the turn the play takes with the introduction of Accalia, Mona’s mother played by Shanan Custer in the next scene. The script explores the folklore about She-Wolves, family, and love. Three strong performances, but there is no denying that the introduction of Custer’s character in the second scene adds a jolt of energy and menace to the play. Custer dominates her scenes in a thrilling performance. The Scenic Design by Zach Morgan is simple, clean, and effective, giving you everything you need to set the scene and nothing superfluous.

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

Twin Cities Horror Festival XII: Three Reviews from Day Two. The Hand That Washed Ashore, Rasputin, Lock-in.

Before I jump into the reviews of the shows from Day two of the festival I want to encourage you to Plan ahead and purchase your tickets before heading to the theater. On night two of the festival, three of the four performances were sold out. This is great for the festival and for the artists but can be a major bummer if you are the audience member who just shows up hoping to see a show. 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

The Hand That Washed Ashore falls into the category of horror comedy, but more specifically horror comedy along the lines of Evil Dead II. It’s very serious but has elements of an almost slapstick style of comedy. It’s a tricky tonal balancing act but one that Playwright Vincent S. Hannam and Director Patrick Kozicky nail. A construction crew is trying to clear an island of storm damage on Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota before it opens to the public. When they find a chest on the shore, against the adamant pleas of one of the crew, they open it and must face the wrath of a vengeful severed hand. When you walk into the theater you’ll know immediately by the tarp on the floor that this ones going to get a little bloody. It builds slowly but when things start happening, they happen quickly. Once the chest is opened things get crazy fun. A solid cast including some double duty from Derek Dirlam as the foreman and later as the dismembered hand make this one to see.

Rasputin from Four Humors, the theater group that started the TCHF returns with their first post pandemic show and it was the best of the night, running neck and neck with Marie-Jeanne Valet, Who Defeated La Bete du Gévaudan from opening night as “Best of the Fest”. What do they have in common? Both are based on historical events, both set during a period in history when a revolution is just over the horizon, both feature a live musical score performed on stage, and finally, both feature Allison Vincent. It’s becoming clear that if you want to have a hit show at TCHF, you cast Allison Vincent in it. This time Vincent also is credited as co writer along with the three other cast members Ryan Lear, Brant Miller, and Matt Spring. The play uses a Rashomon style narrative device, wherein the three men who killed Rasputin, the Mad Monk of Russia, tell their different stories to the inspectors investigating the murder. We see the same evening play out in three different versions. Spring plays Rasputin with the swagger and confidence of a rock star, it’s a brilliant turn, but then so are all of the performances in this production. There is some rather effective special effects in this show too, including a spectacularly realistic gunshot. This was sold out and I wouldn’t be surprised if that trend continues for the entire run. Definitely more on the humorous side of things, but it’s not all fun and games!

Lock-in is a troubled production and unfortunately a show that is best skipped. It happens, I think the biggest issue with this tale of a youth group reunion is the script which doesn’t work as a stage script but better suited for film. It’s laden with short scene after short scene, making transitions clunky and ruining any sense of pacing. There were a lot of high hopes for this one as there are several Transgender characters, which faithful readers will know is something I’m passionate about. It’s never fun to say this but the script, the performances, the blood and other effects, and even the set construction all come off as just not being up to the quality of the other shows in the festival. There’s a mirror effect that could work, but it’s placement in the set is unseen by some of the audience, and those who can see it, see the the actors standing behind far too much in advance of its use. I think the cast is having fun and that’s something, but I just cannot recommend this one.

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

Twin Cities Horror Festival XII: Three Reviews From The Opening Night. Marie Jeanne Valet…., Girls in Bins, and Choices.

Last night was the opening of the 12th annual Twin Cities Horror Festival (TCHF) at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. The Festival launched not with a wimper but a scream! Without going back and looking at all of my previous reviews from prior years, my guess is this was the strongest single day block of shows I’ve seen in the Festival. Before I dive into my reviews of opening night let me orientate those of you who have never been. TCHF is like a mini genre focused Fringe Festival, with a new show beginning every 90 minutes. Each show runs one hour or less, in between shows the previous show has 10 minutes to strike their show, then the upcoming show has 10 minutes to set theirs up with the final 10 minutes for seating the audience. The great thing TCHF has over the MN Fringe Festival is that it’s easy to see every show, whereas it’s actually impossible to see even half of the Fringe shows. The Festival runs 11 days from October 19th to the 29th and there are 11 shows each of which is performed five times. My recommendation is to try and allow yourself time to see two or more shows on any given visit. My second recommendation is to purchase your tickets ahead of time. On opening night the shows had very few open seats and there was already one sold out performance and I know there is already at least one sold out for night two as well. For More information check out the Festivals website at https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/ to purchase tickets go to https://tix.gobo.show/festival/tchfxii

Marie-Jeanne Valet, Who Defeated La Bete du Gévaudan produced by The Winding Sheet Outfit is the show to try and top at this years festival and that will be a tall order I assure you. Based on historical myth/fact? it tells the story of the monstrous red wolf or wolf-like creature that terrorized the village of Gévaudan in France during the year 1764. The story is told by four versatile actors Megan Campbell Lagas, Peyton McCandless, Derek Lee Miller, and Allison Vincent with all playing multiple roles. Vincent, who seems to be everywhere these days including two shows in the TCHF (the other is Rasputin), is particularly strong, with a turn as King Louis XV that nearly steals the show. The company uses a mixture of techniques including several sequences using Shadow Puppets to recount some of the deaths caused by La Bete all of which is hauntingly accompanied on multiple musical instruments by Director Amber Bjork. On a strong night, this is hands down my recommendation if you could only make it to one of the three shows I’ve seen so far. Its perfect balance of drama, humor, creativity, and yes horror result in an overall artistic triumph of a production.

Girls in Bins by Rachel Teagle has as one of its central elements a true crime podcast called Murder Bitches which is modeled after real life podcasts like My Favorite Murder. While the audience was laughing at some of the podcast moments, having been exposed to a few episodes of My Favorite Murder, I can tell you it was surprisingly accurate recreation only slightly heightened for comedic effect. Murder Bitches is the preferred audio accompaniment for Ruth a pregnant woman who due to a high risk pregnancy is unable to do anything but stay home and take it easy. Ruth is restless in her new home, waiting for the truck to arrive with all of their possessions and furniture. The only thing that has arrived are the black and yellow storage bins her husband was able to bring with in his trailer when they moved across the country to Connecticut. While her husband John Michael and friend Yvette try and keep her comfortable and distracted, Ruth seems to be doing a fair amount of her own self distraction as more and more clues to a dark secret keep popping up. The show makes good use of the Podcast audio bits and is well acted by Suzanne Victoria Cross as Yvette, Ben Tallen as John Michael, and especially by Siri Hellerman as Ruth. It’s a tight little tale of serial killers mixed with a consideration of the existential nature of pregnancy and genetics. The only criticism is that plot wise we are way ahead of the characters for most of the play.

Choices by Tyler Olsen-Highness is produced by Dangerous Productions, if you’ve ever been to the TCHF and seen a drop cloth on the floor of the stage, there’s a good chance you saw a Dangerous Productions show. Known for their penchant for the blood and guts approach to horror, they are masters of the stagecraft of gruesomeness. But their expertise isn’t limited to moments of violence and blood, they also have a forte for the art of distraction and misdirection. They masterfully use light and the absence of light to create scares and rachet up the feelings of dread and suspense. The story centers around a surprise birthday party for John, planned by his partner Greg and sister Jean. When Jean and his friends arrive at the cabin they find the very surprised and nervous acting John alone in the windowless cabin where the generator is always on the fritz. The title comes from a party game they play where one player is asked to make a choice, drinking ensues. Throughout we get flashbacks to John and Greg’s relationship slowly revealing why John is so anxious and why Greg isn’t there. Add loud knocks on the cabin door and Johns insistence that they are not outside once it gets dark and we find ourselves on the edge of our seats not knowing what will come next. The only thing for certain, given the drop cloth on the floor, there will be blood. If blood and gore is not your thing, this is one to skip, if you are OK with that, this is the show that most resembles what we think of as modern horror. The cast is fully committed, Leif Jurgensen as John is very effective at portraying a man barely holding onto his sanity as things keep coming at him. Laura Mahler takes no prisoners as Jean the off the hook, bombastic party girl sister. Dangerous Productions comes through with what most audiences at TCHF are looking for, in your face straight on horror that’s effective at creating the scares both emotionally and technically.

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

For The People A World Premiere Comedy a First Written by Native Playwrights About Native People to Appear as a Guthrie Mainstage

The cast of For the People Photo by Jaida Grey Eagle

One of the great things about a theater like the Guthrie is that they have resources that nearly every other theater in town doesn’t. It pays off when they use those resources to commission and produce a work such as For the People. Commissioning Ty Defoe and Larissa FastHorse to create a work that tells a story about the Twin Cities Native community shepherding it from 2019 through its debut on the McGuire Proscenium Stage in 2023. For the People plays as if it comes from the people and in a way it does. The playwrights held story circles in 2019 and 2020 talking with members of the local Native Communities and the stories that were shared began to craft their script. Not only have they created a work by and about Native people, but the creative talent on stage and behind the scenes identify as Native. This speaks to representation and not just in the sense of not whitewashing the cast, but in allowing Native artists to contribute to the story of their people in their chosen fields such as Costume Designer Lux Haac and Lighting Designer Emma Deane. To me, this speaks to the Guthrie’s intent to really move beyond the land acknowledgement statement and take things to the next level beyond by taking action, providing an outlet for their voices and their art. The best part of all of this? It’s a really funny show.

April Dakota has well-meaning but misguided dreams of opening a Wellness Center on Franklin Avenue to serve the Indigenous Community in her Minneapolis hometown. She’s counting on a grant from the Franklin Avenue Task Force — a group of endearing Native elders and leaders — to make it happen. But her presentation goes sideways and her proposal is rejected, forcing her to make a decision that puts her dream, the community, and her culture at risk. Thankfully, the Task Force pulls together to help April fight for the future of Franklin Avenue and the people who call it home.
From The Guthrie Theater plot synopsis at http://www.guthrietheater.org

The cast of eight contains seven Native actors and one non-Native. Katie Anvil Rich plays April, the character has been away for a while and has now come home to try and make a business for herself. Rich does a nice job of portraying the sense that she has become something of an outsider, her assimilation is perhaps a little more apparent than she would like and she is finding it easy to offend and ruffle feathers with the elders and council leaders. Rich subtly allows us to see her frequent wincing and unease as she senses another misspoken word, another misstep, as she tries to woo the Council. Adrienne Zimiga-January as Commissioner Bobbie Grey has just the write combination of exasperation with the council members who have trouble staying on task and wariness of what the real motivations are of some of the characters. The elders on the council are played by film and stage star Wes Studi, the first Native American Actor to receive an Academy Award, and Sheri Foster Blake. Studi plays Herb O’Geezhik and Blake plays Daisy Childs, the two are wonderful together playing off each other like an old married couple, which if I followed the dialogue correctly, they once were. They provide a lot of the comedic relief, just by the virtue of being older and wiser and being able to push everyone’s buttons. Studi has a wonderfully written scene where he basically filibusters his way through an entire City Council meeting. The villain of the piece takes the form of Esme Williams, the rich daughter of a developer who befriends April with plans to invest and eventually take over the Wellness Center and surrounding areas, is played by Kendall Kent. Listeners of the Podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat may remember her name coming up in the episode on Understudies, where I commented on her fantastic performance after joining the cast during tech week in Our Town at Lyric Arts. She does a nice job here playing the instant BFF to April and seemingly good hearted savior and collaborator, and also the designing and business savvy entrepreneur.

The show is directed by Michael John Garces who, as I’ve learned, was walking the actors through script changes throughout the preview week. He does a good job staging the scenes giving each actor some space to create little moments of character work. One of the best moments is Studi’s filibuster scene, Garces doesn’t show us the entire meeting obviously, he finds a really clear and entertaining way to show us the passage of time. The Scenic Design by Tanya Orellana is fantastic and full of surprises which I will not give away, but there were two separate moments when something happens with the set that caught me totally off guard and they are brilliantly executed. The set also features two murals by Artists Marlena Myles and Thomasina TopBear that give the Wellness Center set such a beautiful look. The lighting design by Emma Deane is very effective in keeping things secret until they are revealed, and creating mood and atmosphere, particularly during a storm, which also features some good cues from Sound Designer Victor Zupanc.

Four the People runs through November 12th at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/for-the-people/

The Pavilion At Lyric Arts in Anoka is Filled With the Ache of Longing That Resonates Across Time

Michael Terrell Brown, Chris Paulson, and Audrey Johnson Photo by Molly Weibel

The Pavilion isn’t a feel good play, but brings a certain melancholy pleasure to those of us given to looking back at what might have been. And really, isn’t that all of us at sometime or another? I don’t know what a younger audience makes of this play, I imagine they find their own hook into it, perhaps as a cautionary tale. But for many who are 15 to 20 years out of high school, like the characters in the play, and those of us with even more years distance, I think it will feel very personal. It’s a play that deals with the themes of time, regret, longing, love and life. Taking place at the 20th high school reunion in Pine City Minnesota, two high school sweethearts grapple with the pain of the past, the reality of the present, and the longings for the future. Who of us hasn’t thought back to those special someones in our past who got away or were left behind. The ones that hindsight with, its 20/20 vision seem like the ones that would have led to a life of happiness and fulfillment? There is a longing at the center of this play that resonates with all who have loved. At times philosophical and others comical, it’s the night that doesn’t go as planned but also the kind of night you wish would never end.

Written by Craig Wright it features the characters of Peter and Kari who were together in high school, when she became pregnant, Peter left for college and never looked back. Now it’s 20 years later and Peter has come back hoping to reconnect with Kari. Kari, wants nothing to do with him at first but as the night goes on, they continue to interact. Like old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while, awkward at first but after a few hours they discover the bond that drew them together in the first place. The play utilizes a narrator who opens describing how from the first moments of the worlds creation we came to this moment in Peter’s life. The narrator then goes on to play every character at the reunion which allows Peter and Kari to discuss their feelings and get advice, allowing the details of their past to be shared with the audience. It’s a brilliant device that allows for infinite characters while keeping the cast small and the real focus on the one-time lovers.

The role of Peter is played by Chris Paulson, whom I first saw in Bright Star at Lyric Arts and has been been doing impressive work in everything I’ve seen him in. Here his slightly sorrowful eyes reflect the longing and hopefulness he’s looking for in seeing Kari again. His boyish face also plays well into the idea that he hasn’t really found himself yet and in some ways is still a lost young man even at 37. The play also gives him a scene to show off his singing. Audrey Johnson as Kari brings an emotional openness to the role allowing the audience to feel her anger and hurt when confronted by Peter. In the second Act, after having vented some of the built up fury she begins to soften, Johnson handles this transition beautifully finding this natural warmth that has been dormant in Kari. She shows us in her eyes that while she didn’t come hoping to see or get back with Peter, that the thought is not a completely foreign one. In the second Act we get a sense of what they felt for each other; so well, you feel the ache of what could have been. The role of narrator and every other character is fabulously performed by Michael Terrell Brown. From his opening monologue which is beautifully conveyed to his complete vocal transformations from one reunion guest to another, he is at once the comic relief and the lyrical and poignant commentator on the unfolding events. The final performer is Steven Ramirez who provides a nice musical accompaniment to the play and has a few small non verbal interactions with the cast.

The play is directed by Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan who clearly has an affinity for shows in which actors portray multiple roles. He played that part himself as one of the two clowns in The 39 Steps at Lyric Arts and as Writer and Director of The Invisible Man at this years Minnesota Fringe Festival. Here he shows his clear understanding of how to utilize the technique effectively. He has a skill for creating moments of connection that bath the later scenes between Peter and Kari with yearning. When Peter gets on stage to sing a song it starts out haltingly, but in a moment and for the majority of the song it feels like this moment just clicks. It represents that high Peter is having in performing the song, that Kari is feeling hearing it, a perfect moment that melds memory with the present. And then as it ends the lighting changes again and the uncertainty of the present day reasserts itself. Which brings up the work of Lighting Designer Andrew Norfolk, which is used throughout to evoke the emotional shifts, create changes in setting and even represent a shooting star. The set designed by Justin Hooper is a wonderful with its creation of part of The Pavilion of the title and the wooden pathways near the lake.

I found The Pavilion to be a nostalgic trip that I am very glad I took and encourage you to go on the journey as well. The Pavilion runs through October 29th at Lyric Arts in Anoka, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/pavilion.