The Birds From Theatrex Will Get Into Your Ears at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul

The Birds, a play adaptation by Conor McPherson from the story by Daphne du Maurier, which was also the source material for the famous Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. Aside from a world turned upside down by the sudden revolt of birds against humanity, the title and source inspiration are the only things the play and the film have in common. Which was actually a nice surprise. I am a very devoted Hitchcock Fan but of his films that most people list as among his greats, The Birds is the one that I like the least. I’d downgrade it from classic to very good. In terms of the play, I would also characterize it as very good, not quite great. Which frankly, if a story about a world in which society has crumbled and being attacked by birds is just one of the life threatening challenges you are facing, along with starvation and fending off other humans for whom survival has trumped civility is your kind of story, very good is more than worth it for you. It was for me! The only real criticism I have is that it does feel a little long, at times the contemplative silences from the cast seem like they could be cut down a little bit. That said the cast is very, very strong.

The story is set in a farmhouse out in the country, narrated by Diane a novelist who was on her way to her grown daughters birthday party, when the birds began to attack. She found her way to this house along with Nat, a man she doesn’t know but is running a very high fever, and she is caring for him as best she can. Time passes and Diane’s wariness of Nat soon dissolves as they work together to survive. For some reason the birds respond to the tides, so they have 6 hour windows in which it’s safe to be outdoors to scavenger for food. At one point a young woman named Julia appears, she has been injured when attacked by a man who was trying to rape her. Her presence adds a new tension to the farmhouse and threatens the harmony that’s been established between Diane and Nat. There is also a stranger living in the house across the lake. He has been spotted on occasion but ducks out of sight when spotted, so he’s talked about but not seen until he comes along when he knows Diane is alone. A lot of the tension is built on our expectation of the worst thing that could happen, happening. McPherson’s script and Joe Hendren’s direction plays on our darkest suspicions of human nature. Giving us space to sit with situations long enough to assume we can read the thoughts of the characters.

First off, it has some of the best sound design I’ve heard especially in a theater as intimate and DIY as The Hive. Forest Godfrey who did the sound design has utilized a surround sound approach so you hear near constant bird noises but perfectly balanced so that you never miss a line of dialogue. The lighting design by Bill Larsen and the prop designs by Heather Edwards help to create a sense of claustrophobic reality. The cast is excellent beginning with Kari Elizabeth Godfrey as Diane, she does a great job of letting us read her thoughts through her performance and making some of her characters less noble choices understandable. We may not agree with what she does, but her performance has put us in this world and in these circumstances, we can see where she thinks this might be the right decision, considering what the world has become and what she needs to survive. Tim Reddy as Nat and Ankita Ashrit as Julia, both give good performances; Reddy lets linger a fog over his character from the initial fever and revelations about himself, that keep us questioning how he’s really doing. Ashrit, perfectly walks the line between seeming to be sweet while showing us her true nature. Finally in a single scene, Jon Stentz as Tierney, the man across the lake, makes a strong impression creating a mystery of a man that causes fear and pity.

The Birds runs through April 27th at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatrex.org/

Now more than ever in the wake of the most recent election and the hailstorm of stupidity and hate it has unleashed, theater companies need you and we need them. Buy tickets to shows, go out and support work that reflects diversity and inclusiveness. Donate to your favorite theater companies, don’t wait until they are on the brink of shutting down. We all need to stand up and fight for our theaters whose funding is under attack for promoting inclusion, equality and diversity. In short, theaters are being threatened for sharing stories that reflect our countries cultural and racial diversity.

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Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I’m also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read review roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. New things are in the work! Click here to go to The Stages of MN YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TheStagesofMN. Right now there is just a short introductory video, but there will be much more coming this summer. For now, check out the intro video and subscribe to the channel so that when we fully launch you’ll be the first to know!

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully Elena Glass’ Tribute to Her Father, Emotionally Touching and Song Filled.

Gene Glass (pictured) and his daughter Elena Glass Photo by M & D Media

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully is not only the title of Elena Glass’ new show about her father and their relationship but also the advice he always gave her before she sang. She informs us this is what she tells herself before she performs. That is as simple and true an illustration of the impact of fathers that you could ask for. Years later, even after they are long gone, we hear their words coming out of our own mouths. Glass who wrote and performs the show shares the details of her relationship with her father before and after his diagnosis Multiple Sclerosis. We get glimpses into the the love and honesty with which he parented and the struggles of dealing with such a diagnosis. Yes, there are some tears spilt, but there’s also a lot of laughs, and some fantastic singing. This isn’t a show about the tragedy of a man’s life unfairly cut short by disease. It’s a celebration of that man’s life and his impact on his daughter’s life in so many ways, as a cheerleader, an information distributor (sex talk yikes!!), and as a role model.

Glass lays herself out in a performance that touches the audience with it’s vulnerability. She finds humor in the stories she relates, but what is most important is she finds truth. She doesn’t simply raise her father up on a pedestal and show herself as the courageous daughter in the face of tragedy, always there with patience and selfless sacrifice. No, she acknowledges the moments when she and her father were not at their best, she points out the realities of living day in and day out with this cruel disease. It can make people angry, and impatient, and to pretend that isn’t so would be a betrayal to everyone who has gone through it. It’s important to acknowledge those realities and it’s so amazing of Glass to share that with us. Nearly everyone in the audience for this show will at some point go through something like this, whether it’s MS or another disease, either themselves, a parent, a child, or a partner. They will reflect back on this show and not judge themselves harshly for a momentary loss of patience or a flash of anger. Glass effectively and quite emotionally reassures us that’s part of the journey, part of our humanity, and that is the gift of the artist, to communicate that truth to their audience.

Wesley Frye is the Music Director and Pianist for the show, but also interacts with Glass in welcomed moments of humor and song. Frequently that role is to disappear into the background and provide the music as if out of the ether. The choice to include Frye more directly is a choice that pays off big time. Frye has a wonderful give and take with Glass and a wonderful singing voice, it’s an added gift that we didn’t anticipate, but are grateful for. The show is Directed by The Stages of MN favorite Allison Vincent who tackled similar ground in last summer’s The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award Winning Minnesota Fringe show, Daddy Issues, about her own relationship with her father. Vincent was the perfect choice to direct this show having recently tackled her own father/daughter relationship. Also contributing to the show is Leslie Vincent and Emily Dussault whose original song “Who I’ve Always Been” is a beautiful note on which to end the show.

Loudly, Clearly, Beautifully runs at the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers 2024 Award Winner for Favorite Theater Venue, The Hive Collaborative in St Paul, for five more performances through 1/31/25. For more information at to purchase your tickets go to https://www.thehivecollaborativemn.com/events/loudly-clearly-beautifully If you haven’t been before check out all the upcoming programming at The Hive Collaborative and support this wonderful intimate venue!

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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/ from time to time.

The Little Mermaid is a Visual Treat at The Ordway

The Little Mermaid is a musical based on the 1989 Disney animated film of the same name. When the animated film came out it ushered in a second golden age of animation for Walt Disney Studios which had been floundering for over a decade. It also introduced the the musical form to a new generation, suddenly there was an animated film that had great songs. It was like a Broadway musical, but in animated form. It’s no surprise that it would be adapted into a Broadway musical years later. The strange thing is that Universal turned Wicked into a two part movie the first part running as long as the stage musical, and it works great. Disney has taken the reverse route and turned an 83 minute film into a two and a half hour stage musical, and it’s too much. The show would be really good at 90 minutes, and would be perfect for it’s target audience. At well over two hours even without the intermission time, it’s padded with songs that just are nowhere near as good as the originals by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Am I saying skip it? No I’m not, I just want you to go in with the correct expectations. What works, works great. Those original songs are still great. And the production design, specifically all of the stage magic employed to create a world under the sea is fantastic. You will believe a Mermaid can fly.

The cast is game, they are doing their best to sell those new songs. Leianna Weaver as Ariel has a wonderful voice, which is a good thing given that the Prince has fallen in love with the voice. My other favorite in the cast was Dana Orange as the crab Sebastian, partly because my two favorite songs from the show are “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl”, which are very Sebastian centric. Orange captures that calypso voice I loved from the film perfectly. By the way, if you don’t know the plot of The Little Mermaid by now, and need a synopsis to help you decide whether or not to go. This isn’t the show for you. If you loved the movie and those songs, you’ll have a really nice time with this. I attended with a ten year old girl and a twelve year old boy, neither of whom had seen the movie, and they both enjoyed it, the young lady more than the young man, but it still elicited a thumbs up from both. So take your kids they will be amazed at all of the visual tricks and special effects. But this doesn’t transcend and become a crossover show. This is not The Lion King. But hats off to the design team and cast for making it worth the extended run time.

The Little Mermaid runs through December 29th at The Ordway Center for Performing Arts in St. Paul. For More information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/disneys-little-mermaid/

Twin Cities Horror Festival XIII Day Three Reviews: The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons…, Fractured Remembrances, Ghostrunners

Okay, so those paying close attention will notice that I labeled yesterday day one and today’s reviews day three. Well I wasn’t counting the Wednesday Cabaret, but I see from the TCHF posts they count that as day one, so I’m adjusting to their lead. If you want to see Let’s Summon a Demon at Debbie’s, good luck! As I prep this post the final performance lists, the tickets as almost gone. I suspect by the time I post this it will be sold out, making it a completely sold out run. Remember you can see the entire schedule and purchase tickets at this link https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/tchf-xiii.html . All Shows take place at the Crane theater in NE Minneapolis. I’ll be seeing all of the shows, so check back here for further reviews. I recommend seeing them all but if you are new to it at least plan a day or night to come and see three or four shows at once, there is such a variety of shows. When you do come they have some great mocktail additions to their concessions this year, I’ve tried the Cosmo and the Margarita so far and loved them both. Also don’t forget to purchase your merch, t-shirts, hoodies, even earrings, and dresses. That’s the pitch, now on with the reviews!

The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons for those of you familiar with Rev. Matt’s Monster Science you should know this years TCHF entry comes with a twist. Matt Kessen is joined by The Winding Sheet Outfit who act out elements of his humor filled lectures. If you’ve never seen Rev. Matt perform before you should, he’s a staple of the TCHF, the Minnesota Fringe Festival, and he performs monthly at Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. For most of us horror fans he’s like that favorite sweatshirt, it’s not your fanciest, it’s not your warmest, but it’s comforting and makes you feel warm inside. To describe the content would be pointless as each of his performances is a different topic. I will say that the addition of The Winding Sheet Outfit adds to the fun in all the right ways. For our performance the highlights was a parody song to the tune of “The Leader of the Pack” and they will be performing a different song for each program. I may try and catch another performance if I can, I enjoy these so much.

Fractured Remembrances is written and directed by Executive Director/Ticketing Director of the TCHF Duck Washington. Don’t worry his show is not the result of string pulling, it’s more than deserving of its place in the festival. Of the seven shows I’ve seen so far, this was the one with some real moments of unease and creepiness. The story of a young woman named Aster, played beautifully by Angela Fox, who undergoes a traumatic experience when she and her boyfriend disappear for five days. She is found but her boyfriend is not, but he’s not the only things missing, her memory of the five days is also gone. The show deals with her trying to recover her memories with the help of a hypnotherapist. This has a complex script, brought to life with minimal sets but with truly creepy lighting and sound design. The Make-up and special effects by Kyle Decker add an ooze factor that doesn’t go over the top like Dangerous Productions shows do, but just adds to the overall tone of dread. There are fun supporting performances from Tim Uren, Ariel Pinkerton, and Jean Wolf. This is one for horror fans!

Ghostrunners certainly has some effective and horrific moments, but at its heart, it doesn’t want to scare you, it wants to amuse. At that it succeeds admirably, the main focus is on word play. For example those words that have more than one meaning like bat, as is baseball bat or the flying rodent. Another example is words that sound alike, “I see”, being mistaken for “Icey”. If you enjoy this type of clever writing and it is clever, though like the magicians trick or Sherlock Holmes deductions, it seems simple once explained. But coming up with all of these variations and then fitting them into a story, they only make it look easy. The story centers around an accountant who, appears to have OCD and be on the spectrum, spends his spare time playing a baseball game that he invented with dice, which relies heavily on statistics and tables. This rang very true to me, I’ve a son on the spectrum and I remember the elaborate games he would create on his own when he was younger. The game he is playing is then acted out by performers who are representing what is happening in his head. Everything begins to go south when he rolls three ones, a triple snake eyes if that’s clearer. This roll takes him to a table that is hardly ever referenced and the results are murderous. It’s a great cast including, in for one of the actors who has been benched due to an injury, the Director Kevin Duong at some performances and Playwright Kyle Munshower at others.

Terrified of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself afraid and all alone in the dark when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. 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/ from time to time.

Twin Cities Horror Festival XIII Preview: 10/24-11/3

The Twin Cities Horror Festival XIII opens in just over a week and already there are a couple of performances sold out. So if you’re like me and want to see every production make sure to plan ahead so you don’t get left out in the dark. Because let’s face it, it’s kinda scary in the dark. The Country’s longest running horror theatre festival takes place over 11 days from 10/24 through 11/3 at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis. This year the festivities start a day early with a one night only performance of Leslie Vincent Presents: A Monster & Mayhem Cabaret which has already sold out! I look forward to the TCHF every year since I first covered it in 2019. If you like bumpities and spookables this is like a mini Fringe festival with shows that last an hour or less with a new one beginning every 90 minutes. One huge advantage TCHF has over the Minnesota Fringe is that it’s possible to see every one of the shows! Watch for my reviews throughout the festival and, if you see me there, be sure to stop by and say boo.

Here is the link to this years lineup and to purchase tickets: https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/tchf-xiii.html

Below are the shows in this years festival including descriptions and content ratings and warnings to help you make your show decisions.

Festival Shows

Leslie Vincent Presents: A Monster and Mayhem Cabaret

Leslie Vincent Presents

Murderinos and monsterheads unite for an evening of cabaret, camp, and costumes. Your host, local jazz chanteuse and former TCHF producer (A Morbid History of Sons and Daughters, Writer’s Room) Leslie Vincent, and her merry band will get you in the Halloween spirit with spooky originals and jazz standards as they were never intended to be sung. One night only!

Ratings:

Strong Language-2

Blood-2

Suggested Age: All Ages

Performance Genres: Music

Horror Genres: Comedy, Camp

The Wrench

Wheeler In The Sky

On its 30th anniversary, a group of New York’s most celebrated Shakespearean actors gather to memorialize the bloodiest theatre riot in American history: the Astor Place Riot. After the matinee performance of Macbeth, a horrible accident backstage leaves Lady M on her death bed. As the actors await news of her fate, they gather in the dressing room, amusing and consoling one another with theatre stories, each in turn confronting the bloody secrets of their past and horrors of the date 30 years ago which binds them all together: May 10th, 1849, The Astor Place Riot.

Ratings:

Strong Language-5

Blood-2

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theatre

Genres of Horror: Suspense

Warnings: Murder and Suicide

Let’s Summon a Demon at Debbie’s

Love Drunk Life

It’s been 25 years since Debbie, Cara and Lucy have seen each other, and 25 years since Debbie has left her house. But don’t worry, Debbie’s hasn’t been alone, Debbie has her dolls. A high school reunion like no other, three friends try to make sense of strange occurrences throughout their lives, and figure out if an all consuming need to return to Debbie’s house has to do with that demon they tried to summon senior year.

Ratings:

Strong Language-5

Blood-3

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Camp Comedy

Warnings: Thunder and Lightning (Loud noise, strobe like effect)

The Alchemist’s Bargain

Phantom

A dark fable, performed entirely through blacklight puppetry, about a Hero’s journey to bring their Beloved back to life with the aid of a dubious Alchemist. The Hero must traverse treacherous lands and face dangerous foes to collect the ingredients needed to concoct the Alchemist’s elixir. How far are they willing to go to defy Death in the name of Love?

Puppeteer Performers: Thalia Kostman, Marc Berg, Josh Vogen, Kristina Jansons, Lindsey Oetken, Rhiannon Fiskradatz, Aaron Fiskradatz

Original Music Composed By: Steven Zubich

Stage Managed By: Kerry Landin

Understudied By: Amy Walus and Alex Yang

Ratings:

Strong Language-1

Blood-1

Suggested Ages : 10+

Performance Genres: Puppetry

Horror Genres: Dark Fantasy

Warnings: frightening moments, loud music

Doctor Clown

Dangerous Productions

Taking a uniquely Dangerous Productions approach, this cast of characters tackles the horrors of the American medical system. its a deeply bloody show with equal parts absurd comedy, slapstick and several gallons of blood spilt

Ratings:

Strong Language-2

Blood-5

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Comedy and Gore

Warnings: blood and guts

The Night Parade of A Hundred Demons (In Which the Honorable Reverend Matt Employs The Winding Sheet Outfit to Help Him Tell One Hundred Ghost Stories and Absolutely Nobody Gets What They Came For)

Monster Science Productions

Two great tastes that taste great together! Horror Festival favorites team up to tell 100 tales of horror mythology, over five distinct, themed shows, – “Shapeshifters,” “Demons,” “Undead,” “Outsiders,” and “Beasts” – each bringing their own inimitable style! And nothing goes wrong! NOTHING.

Ratings:

Strong Language-1

Blood-1

Suggested Age 13+

Performance Genres: Theater, Storytelling

Horror Genres: Comedy and Dread

Fractured Remembrances

Rogues Gallery Arts

Aster and her boyfriend have disappeared. After five days she is found, her boyfriend is not. She has no memory of what happened and begins suffering psychogenic blackouts when pressed about it. Aster’s world turns to chaos as her fractured memory betrays her. To learn the truth she must come face to face with horrors beyond her imagination.

Written, Directed, and Audio Designed by Duck Washington (All Your White Darlings, My Only Hope For A Hero, Charcoal Moon)

Starring: Angela Fox, Kyle Dekker, Jean Wolff, Tim Uren, Philip D Henry, Rob Ward, Elizabeth Douglas, Eric Thompson, and Ariel Pinkerton

Featuring: Maureen Bourgeois, Elizabeth Douglas and Eric Thompson

Stage Managed by Megan Slawson

Make-Up Effects by Kyle Dekker

Violence by Philip D Henry

Original Music by Dissociate

Costumes by CJ Mantel

Ratings:

Strong Language-4

Blood-4

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Psychological, Gore, Supernatural, Monster

Warnings: Loud Sounds, Assault, Depression

Ghostrunners

Spiral

Henry loves baseball but hates playing it. And watching it. Yet, his obsession over its rules, balance, and history lead him to create his own tabletop baseball simulation where rolling dice and complicated charts determine myriad, bizarre outcomes. When a player is murdered in the game, the search for the culprit turns a pastime into a nightmare.

Ratings:

Strong Language-3

Blood-3

Suggested Age 13+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Horror-Comedy

Warnings: Gunshots or sudden loud noises

Gh0stChaser04

A Murder of Crones

Do curses exist? Is the paranormal real? In 1904, two rivals try to uncover a series of mysterious deaths. In 2004, three strangers meet up to investigate a curse. Tonight they’re drawn together to answer the most important question: Is someone in here with us? From the team that brought you Girls in Bins.

Written by Rachel Teagle; Directed by Jenny Moeller

Featuring: Rita Boersma, Megan Kim, Heather Meyer, Mickaylee Shaughnessy, and Ben Tallen

Stage Manager and Gore Goblin: Shea Roberts Gyllen; Additional Special Effects: Victoria Pyan; Props Builder: Caden Wessner

Ratings:

Strong Language-5

Blood-4

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Supernatural, Gore

Warnings: Gunshots

The Regular

Occasionally Employed Productions

Sometimes you wanna’ go where everybody knows your name, but are they *always* glad you came? Here comes “The Regular,” a story of a guy who walks into a bar…but might not walk out.

Featuring: Sam Landman, Claire Chenoweth, Jay Melchior & Lukas Ramsey.

Written and directed by Josh Carson (A Very Die Hard Christmas, Mad as Nell or How to Lose a Bly in Ten Days, A Justice League of Their Own)

Ratings:

Strong Language-5

Blood-4

Suggested Age 16+

Genres of Performance: Theater

Genres of Horror: Comedy and Psychological Thriller

Warnings: Violence, gunshots, loud noises

Campfire Story

Special When Lit

Gather around the theatrical campfire to hear Twin Cities artists and Horror Fest favorites tell their personal stories with the supernatural. It’s like “Are You Afraid of the Dark”… accept these stories are TRUE.

Special When Lit (THE FAE, INCARNATE, STABBY STAB STAB, KIN) is known for spectacle, and Campfire Stories is no different, with live music and effects to make it a full spooky experience. Trick or Treat: There are two versions of the show in rotation, so you can maximize your Halloween season with more spinetingling content.

Ratings:

Strong Language- 4

Blood- 1

Suggested Age 13+

Genre of Performance: Storytelling with Music

Genre of Horror: True Supernatural Stories

Warning: Beware: These stories are TRUE

Schaulust

Keith Hovis Productions

Wyatt likes to watch. No, he needs to watch. He’s addicted to the thrill of seeing people eat, clean, read, watch TV, and live their lives. But when his passion starts taking on a life of its

Ratings:

Strong Language-4
Blood-3
Suggested Age 16+
Genres of Performance: Music, Theater, One-Person Show
Genres of Horror: Psychological
Warnings: Mental Health (Depression, Anxiety)

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gay Man From Illusion Theater at Center for Performing Arts

Patrick Scully Photo by Lauren B Photography

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gay Man launches Illusion Theater’s 50th year with a personal story that spans even more years. The first in Creator/Performer Patrick Scully’s autobiographical series Somewhere Along the Rainbow, this show covers his journey from a young boy to an out gay young man. The story starts with a few anecdotes of Patrick’s childhood and adolescence that illustrate his naivete and the lack of access to anything regarding homosexuality. These bits are sprinkled with humor as is the entire show. This show is as much about his moments of fear about coming out as it is about his coming out. It’s because of those fears, those moments when he doesn’t acknowledge he is gay, those regrets, that make the moments when he does acknowledge it all, the more inspiring. We can all relate to that moment of abject fear when we blurt out the safe answer or avoid the moment, only later to question why we did it.

The story focuses mostly on his college and first few post college years, including the period spent studying abroad in West Berlin. Beginning his college career intending to go to medical school to be a Doctor, he takes some dance classes which change the course of his life. Covering everything from his first sexual experiences to Harvey Milk’s election and assassination, Scully paints a vivid picture of the times in which he came of age. In doing so he provides us with the benchmark against which we can measure the progress we have made as a society. He also shines a light on the reality that for every two steps forward there is a step backwards. Something we are definitely experiencing in today’s current climate. As we witness the legalization of gay marriage and the protections put in place for transgender people locally; we also see the rise of Don’t say Gay, and our state having to become a Trans refuge state for families who have to flee laws put in place in their home states that make it unsafe for them to live there.

Scully is an engaging and humorous story telling, whose honesty and willingness to share his weaknesses as well as his moments of pride make his story relatable to those with their own coming out stories and those without alike. With humor and grace he talks and dances his way into our hearts. I encourage everyone to see this show but particularly families with young people who have maybe just recently come out. There is a lot of power in seeing you are not alone and there is a lot to be gained from realizing how fortunate you are to be coming out now, rather than the 1970’s in midwestern America, or in the late 1930’s in Germany. There is a lot of fascinating history that that is shared in the context of Scully’s story that really adds to it’s scope and impact. I for one am very eager for the next installment of Somewhere Along the Rainbow!

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gay Man runs through October 6th at the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.illusiontheater.org/portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-gay-man

But that’s not all! Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’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/ . Now you too can be in the know about all the fabulous theater happening in and around the Twin Cities.

Rope, a Fantastic Suspense Thriller at Gremlin Theatre Featuring some Terrific Performances!

Jeffrey Nolan (RUPERT) and Jeremy Bode (GRANILLO) Photo by Alyssa Kristine Photography

Gremlin Theatre has a crackling thriller titled Rope running through August 4th. If this title rings a bell you may be thinking of the Alfred Hitchcock film which was based on this play by Patrick Hamilton. I am more than familiar with the film as Hitchcock is one of my top 10 film directors. Many of you may be saying to yourself, “I’m not sure I can name 10 directors”. In your circles that may be strange, but believe me for cineastes it’s difficult to narrow down to just 10. The film was one of Hitch’s experiments with form, he made the film with the appearance of one unbroken take. Of course in 1948, when the film was made, that was impossible as the camera could only hold 10 minutes worth of film in each cartridge. So he had to devise a way to make the cuts invisible, such as a close up on someone’s back for example. It was also Hitch’s first film to be shot in color and his first of four with James Stewart. It’s considered lesser Hitchcock by many, which means it’s better than most films, so if you enjoy the play I highly recommend it to you. There are enough changes to the script to keep even those who know the film by heart engaged. If you’ve never seen the film, the play will be a special treat. If you have there’s plenty here to recommend it, particularly two knockout performances, and very effective direction by Peter Christian Hansen.

But first an idea of what to expect. The play opens in darkness there is a faint light given off by a fireplace and we have the general lay of the land from seeing the set before the lights go down. Two characters just prior to the start of the play have murdered a man and stuffed the corpse in a trunk that sits center stage. They are Brandon and Granillo, in order to calm Granillo down, Brandon recounts what they have done and why, as well as what they have planned for the rest of the evening. The corpse’s father has been invited, along with his Aunt, for dinner and to look over some books that Brandon recently inherited. They have also invited a young woman whom they are friends with, as well as a young man, and lastly their old teacher Rupert. They have done all of this just to say they could, they kill their young friend to see what it felt like and because they feel superior to him. They invite his father and the others for the sick thrill it gives them. Rupert, they almost asked to join them in the killing based on conversations they had with him about murder and morals, but didn’t because they didn’t think he had the nerve to follow through with it. Their arrogance might be their undoing though that or the fact that Granillo isn’t quite the sociopath that Brandon is and starts to crack a little under the pressure. Only Rupert seems to be observant enough to start picking up clues, will he figure it out before it’s too late and if he does, will he join them or turn them in?

It’s a very strong cast, every role including the Servant Sabot, who is played by Matthew Saxe, has few lines and exits the play well before intermission is well cast. There are two that really stand out, the first is Coleson Eldredge as Brandon. He has the charm and charisma that are key to understanding how this character with such a lack of morality can be the popular host. When he goes toe to toe with Rupert in the final scene it’s believable that he may convince Rupert to join them. Secondly, but honestly firstly, is Jeffrey Nolan, who is the Gene Wilder or Peter Sellers of the Twin Cities stages, he plays Rupert in a turn so different from what James Stewart did with the role as to seemingly be from a different planet. It’s such a bold swing for the fences, that in the first minute or so I wondered if it was too out there, but it works, it really really works. This is the seventh performance I’ve seen Nolan give, plus I briefly chatted with him at Fringe last year, and I’ve never seen the same person twice. I know acting is becoming other people, but most actors find things within themselves to bring to a part. Nolan seems to create a distinct personality for every role and if he’s using any portion of himself between roles I’ve yet to see it. I don’t know if I was certain if he could “not” be funny, but there are moments when he is debating with Brandon at the end of the play that prove he can do anything. Maybe he can’t sing? I don’t know, but I’m curious to find out. Here’s the thing, It’s worth seeing this play just for Nolan’s performance. The great news is, even if he wasn’t in it, it’s still worth seeing.

Rope runs through August 4th at Gremlin Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://gremlintheatre.org/rope/

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