Tag: fantasy

Feast From Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Black Forest Inn With Bonus Show Beowulf!

Isabel Nelson

There’s something happening at The Black Forest Inn on Nicollet ave in Minneapolis that you have to experience, and experience is the right word. There are options for seeing Feast, but I highly recommend trying to replicate my experience, which is to attend one of the performances when John Heimbuch is presenting his performance of Beowulf before hand. Then splurge for the full dinner and show version of Feast, though a limited number of show only seats are available at performances. This coproduction of the Walking Shadow Theatre Company and Black Forest Inn is really an inspired partnership, and the venue suits both shows perfectly, in fact I feel like they should be performed together on every date.

We began our evening by grabbing some NA drinks from the bar of the Black Forest Inn, but you can get alcohol enriched beverages as well, that part really isn’t important. Then we settled in as John Heimbuch told us the story of Beowulf as adapted from the Epic poem told to him by the late Charlie Bethel. I chose the word told rather than performed because that feels right, this felt like it owed more to the oral storytelling tradition that would have been common in the time when Beowulf was first written down than it does to modern theater. Heimbuch holds the audience captivated for what feels like it could not have been 60 minutes but was. Time flies by as you are mesmerized by his retelling of the tale of Beowulf, the monster Grendel, and Grendel’s mother. Filled with action, horror, and a very modern dash of humor, it’s the only way to experience Beowulf if you want it to come alive for you. Don’t read it in the original Olde English as I had to in college, if doesn’t come alive, it just lies there, it’s dead ege’s (translation from the Old English is Eyes) staring up at you. It’s a thrilling tale and Heimbuch has a gift for oral storytelling that conveys that excitement to the audience.

Next we used the restroom, that also isn’t really important, but after making a trip into the bar to use the facilities we later learned that there are two in the performance space, so…it kinda is useful information. Then while we ate our meals, there are three choices including one for the veggiesauruses. We were treated to some wonderful guitar playing by Scott Keever (some performances will feature Sycamore Gap), while we dined, this really is a nice way to enjoy a meal, being played music by a gifted musician, I highly recommend it for the digestion. Then It is time for Feast, which is a one woman show written by Megan Gogerty featuring Isabel Nelson as Grendel’s Mother from Beowulf, telling her side of the story. There is so much I want to say about this show, but I also want you to have the same experience I did, which was from the moment Nelson began her performance, not at all what I was expecting. And so I’m not going to tell you anymore about the show itself, just that you should experience it. Nelson’s performance is something you experience because she involves you in it. Don’t worry it’s not audience participation, the most you’ll be asked to do is eat something strange that she pulls out of one of the coolest props I’ve seen, which to give credit where it’s due was designed by Whittney Streeter. The other thing I can say without spoiling anything is that for a production put on in the party room of a restaurant the technical aspects of this show were really tight. Loved the sound design by Richard Graham and there is no lighting designer credited but they did something with the lights at one point that I didn’t expect and that was very effective. Feast is directed by Allison Vincent, who seems to excel at everything she’s involved in from writing, directing, and performing, and this is another home run.

This is a remount of their sold out 2023 run, so don’t wait to get tickets there are several dates already sold out in this run that just opened. Feast runs through March 30th at the Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis, Beowulf is available as a second ticket on 3/16 and 3/23, get both if you can! For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.walkingshadow.org/feast-2024/

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Peter Pan Takes Flight at The Ordway in St. Paul

Nolan Almeida and Hawa Kamara                     Photo by Matthew Murphy

The Ordway is the first stop on a 40 city tour of this new production of Peter Pan that updates and modernizes the classic in a way that deals appropriately with some elements that haven’t aged well. It’s still the adaptation of J.M. Barrie play your familiar with by Jerome Robbins, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Morris (Moose) Charlap. The additional work on the book was performed by acclaimed playwright Larissa FastHorse as well as some additional lyrics work by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Amanda Green, and music by Jule Styne. Some traditionalists might balk at the changes but it’s important to remember this is a show for children. The few modernizations that are done make it relatable for children in 2023. The changes made to reflect equality and diversity better reflect our society and the world view we want our children to have. What remains the same is the sense of wonder and adventure. We still marvel at the flying boy who won’t grow up, we still clap and little children shout out that they believe in fairies in order to save Tinker Bell’s life, and we still boo Captain Hook and cheer whenever the tick tock of the crocodile who swallowed a clock is heard.

Peter Pan is played by 17 year old Nolan Almeida who’s well cast in the role and a lively and physical actor. The role calls for him to be naive but with an undercurrent of understanding, he refuses to grow up but he has his reasons beyond simply wanting to play. Almeida subtly conveys that Peter understands more about the world away from Neverland than he acknowledges. Wendy is played by Hawa Kamara who in this version is less interested in being a Mother than in being a caregiver, she plans to be a Doctor. This version of Wendy is much less damsel in distress and mother figure and Kamara projects a strong female protagonist. Another positive and strong female character is Tiger Lily played by Raye Zaragoza. This Tiger Lily is a leader and equal of Peter Pan and Zaragoza owns the role with a take no prisoners stage presence. One of the more amazing cast members is Reed Epley as Michael, Wendy’s youngest brother. Epley can’t be more than 8 or 9 years old but he’s flying and singing and holding his own with the big kids. Cody Garcia does the traditional duel turn as Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. His Hook is a lot of fun and he his interactions with his pirate crew and are some great moments of comic relief.

The show is a wonderful visual treat with clever sets designed by Anna Louizos and the show as directed by Lonny Price who knows how to transition between scenes so that we are never sitting in the dark waiting for Peter’s hideout set to transition into Hook’s Pirate ship. There is always something happening in front of curtains or on screens that we are focused on while sets are shifted, this is a key element of directing that so often is missed to the detriment of shows. It keeps the show from losing its rhythm and adds to the sense of wonder when a curtain raises and we are looking at a whole new scene. The production utilizes projections designed by David Bengali strategically, it isn’t over used and when it is used it’s very effective. When the Darling children first take flight and the nursery set whisks away, the projection kicks into high gear and I was reminded of the my first time as a child seeing Christopher Reeve take flight as Superman. Price also does an excellent job of hiding when and how the flying harnesses are attached and removed from the characters. There is a lot of stage magic that works really well, and one of the best is the way in which they present Tinker Bell which was designed by Paul Kieve. It’s a minor element but it’s simple nature starts to evaporate when you actually try and imagine how they accomplish some of it. The only point where the show missteps slightly is in the final battle between Peter Pan and his Lost boys, and Captain Hook and the Pirates. Something about this scene felt too haphazard, whereas earlier all of the flight effects were well executed, this battle felt like Peter was just floating around and that Captain Hook could have easily lobbed off his head about three times. For a show where everything else feels so precise and effortless, it’s an oddly loose final showdown.

Peter Pan will delight young and old alike and in the great tradition of the Christmas Pantomime, it’s the perfect family outing this Holiday season. Peter Pan runs through December 31st at The Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Downtown St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/news/ordway-presents-peter-pan/

This Holiday season why not start a new tradition of taking in a live theater production with family and friends? It’s a great way to create lasting memories and will give you something to look forward to every year as you experience the magic of live theater. Whether your budget is large or small, there is a show for you. Looking for gift ideas? Don’t we all have enough “stuff”? Give the gift of live theater, go to your favorite theaters website, see what shows they have coming up in the new year and give the gift of an experience over material.

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.