Six Points Theater’s production of The Last Yiddish Speaker is a terrifying look at what we want to tell ourselves “could have been,” yet something in it whispers, unsettlingly, “what might still come to be.”The premise is that the January 6th 2021 insurrection in Washington succeeded. The setting is a small rural community, the year 2029, the signpost up ahead, The Twilight Zone.

We open in the home of Paul and Mary, a father and daughter — Jewish by birth, Christian by necessity. Mary’s real name is Sarah, but that, like their true identity and beliefs, must remain hidden if they are to survive. Mary is a high school senior still reeling from the latest news: women are no longer allowed to attend universities. That was her path out.

Her boyfriend, John, is part of the MAGA youth movement. His after-school job? To search Paul and Mary’s house every day, checking browser history and making sure there are no banned books. They aren’t under suspicion, it’s simply protocol when someone new moves to the town. One more month, they tell themselves, until they hit their one-year mark and the surveillance ends.

They have internalized the roles they must play: a Jesus loving, Walmart working, churchgoing father and daughter. That fragile safety shatters one night when pounding on the door wakes them. They fear discovery, but instead, an elderly woman is dropped on their doorstep. She claims to be their great aunt Chava. She is the last Yiddish speaker of the title. She is not their relative in a literal sense, but a spiritual ancestor to be sure. A woman who has lived 1,000 years and as long as Jews exist, will live 1,000 more.

The play portrays John not as a villain, but as sheltered. Someone who has grown up surrounded only by people who believe exactly as he does. He could easily be one of the many Americans who receive all their “news” from Fox News and mistake it for truth. John respects Mary, and we can see the capacity for him to change; he has simply never had the opportunity. He is the blind led by the hateful, yet we sense within him the ability to see, if shown the truth. I appreciate that playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer makes the only non-Jewish character, and by default the antagonist, a figure of hope. A reminder that some minds may shift when exposed to love, truth, and humanity. Nothing can be done about those who knowingly stoke hate and greed, except, perhaps, to ensure they are not re-elected, assuming elections continue to exist at all.

Sally Wingert is, of course, perfect as Chava, carrying not only centuries of wisdom, but the heartbreak and clarity that come with witnessing humanity repeat its cycles. Avi Aharoni brings depth and conflict to Paul, a man choosing survival and safety for his child over resistance. It’s an argument that, outside ideology, becomes painfully understandable. But the true standouts are Charleigh Wolf as Sarah/Mary and Carter Graham as John, two performers I don’t recall having seen before, and I now hope to see much more from. They provide the drive and heart of the play, they are the future Chava and Paul are the past and present. It’s a scary view of the world, but it does end with a glimmer of hope. It may not be the light hearted entertainment you are looking for, but it is the kind of important work that needs to be seen.

A note on Michael Hoover’s set design: walking into Six Points Theater some patrons might be a little surprised at the decorations covering the walls. If I were John I would be saying “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” If ever a show needed trigger warning for Jesus this is it. I don’t have a problem with Jesus he seems like a cool cat. I just disagree with what some people do in his name. I think people who have been victims of such misappropriations of his name, might actually appreciate the warning.

The Last Yiddish Speaker runs through November 9th at Six Points Theater in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.sixpointstheater.org/last-yiddish-speaker

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Two more TCHF reviews for you! Just eight days left to see these amazing shows and experience the unexpected and the uncanny. Go to https://www.tchorrorfestival.com/ for the full schedule and to purchase tickets.

Those of us who’ve been going to the TCHF for years now recognize the large tarp stained over the years with stage blood. We know when we see it on the floor that we’ve entered Dangerous Productions show. There’s one company each year that you know is gonna push the envelope when it comes to blood and guts, and this year is no exception with their entry Gudlung. Gudlung is some sort of demon whom the father of a family gives sacrifices of blood to in order to relive Christmas Eve over and over until it’s perfect. But Gudlung seems to be a bit like Siri in that it doesn’t always understand what you want. We’re not quite sure What’s happening when the show begins, but by the third go around we’ve clued in. It is the third time through the evening for us, but something like the 620th for the characters in the play. I don’t always enjoy the over the top blood shows but I can handle a little bit and this one seems almost a little restrained by Dangerous Productions standards it’s also a very funny script given how dark the humor is at times. There’s a mom who’s dying of cancer which clearly annoys her husband. And the grandma who’s brought back from the dead to hopefully add a little joy to the evening! The blood work is effective but also played for laughs, when someone gets disemboweled it’s more likely to tickle your funny bone than induce your gag reflex. When I started The Stages of MN six years ago, I never imagined writing a sentence like that.

Gospel Gus’s Godly Good Time Get-Together is hands-down the most elaborate large scale Incredible production design I’ve ever seen at a TCHF show. This makes The Neverland production design look like a kindergarten classrooms designs. The other thing it has over that show is a script which progresses the story from start to finish. The show is Created and Directed by Kyle B. Dekker and written by Sam L. Landman, yes that Sam Landman, making this the third show in this years festival that he is involved in. It’s reminiscent of 2023 when I think Allison Vincent was in every other show. Damn that was a good year and so is this! Gospel Gus’s Godly Good Time Get-Together is filled with satirical elements and it gives its competent cast something to work with. The script is inspired by a bit from Dekker‘s Fringe show He-Man is the Devil & Other Satanic Panic Tales from 2022. Its so elaborate, it’s not just the gigantic puppets, the crazy set pieces, and the wild puppetry effects. It’s also a multi media extravaganza! There’s video portions that interact with what’s happening on stage there’s projections, there’s entertaining use of black light technology. It also relies on the cell phone flashlight in the eyes of the audience, it basically uses every Technique we see in any TCHF show but uses every one of them in the same show and it actually seems to be in service of the script. I really like the cast, particularly Natavia Lewis who plays Nina and Angela Fox who plays Izzy. I forgot he was gonna be in there, even though he’s in the program, and giving a completely unhinged performance is Andrew Erskine Wheeler. All I can say is I hoped that the fluorescent liquid he ingests is not toxic. If you’re a fan of TCHF you owe it to yourself to check out Gospel Gus’s… I’m not gonna say it’s the best, but it is very good and is undoubtedly the largest spectacle you’re gonna see at the festival.

Don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram algorithms to keep you in the loop about great shows. Subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN delivered straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to make sure you never miss out on the theater action. To subscribe on a computer, enter your email address on the home page (right-hand side) and click subscribe. On mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the same option. You can also follow me on Facebook @thestagesofmn and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

God visited Six Points Theater in the person of Twin Cities Actor Sally Wingert this weekend. If you missed it, fear not, the lord will be spreading the good word through May 18th. The purpose of this visit is to reveal the new and improved ten commandments. There are a few favorites making a return on the list such as “I am the Lord thy God, King of the Universe. Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me.” and “Thou shalt not take My name in vain.” but it’s the inclusion of others like “Thou shalt not tell others whom to fornicate” that promise to make this new big ten controversial and ensure it’s a best seller. It’s hard to imagine a modern day list ever gaining the popularity of the original in this day and age of niche culture, but if so desired, God obviously has the power to make it happen. One can see why God decided to use Sally Wingert as a vessel to share this message. Some of it like the one addition I revealed above might not go over so well with those who claim to be God’s most devoted fans. Wingert’s distinct delivery adds much humor and much like Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar, it is that which helps the medicine go down.

In order to present these new commandments in a way that will feel familiar to us, God has chosen what feels like a talk show approach. Assisted by two Angels Michael, in the corporal form of Kevin Brown Jr. and Gabriel inhabiting the body of Andrew Newman. Michael roams the theater taking questions from the minds of audience members for God while Gabriel runs sound effects and shares bible quotes. I must say that Brown and Newman are perfect little angels. Obviously, the chance to see God should not be missed and I really appreciated God’s decision to share this information in such an intimate and down to earth way. God really opens up and it’s surprising how funny our world is when you see it through God’s eyes. While I’m certainly going to miss such staples of morality as “though shalt not bear false witness (lie)”, I can certainly see why in todays climate that one had to go. I do look forward to the opportunity to covet my neighbors wive and ox going forward. I also appreciated that while going through the new ten commandments that God was willing to go off topic and discuss things that have always been stumbling blocks for me, like how all those animals fit in Noahs Ark. So even if you aren’t a big “rules” person there will be plenty of information God has to share and it’s guaranteed to but a smile on your face and have you laughing out loud.

An Act of God was written by David Javerbaum and Directed by Craig Johnson with great panache. It’s bold, confident and wildly funny, deftly performed with the unique comedic voice of Sally Wingert. Who, if not an actual God, is certainly a God-like figure in the Twin Cities theater scene. Six Points Theater’s production of An Act of God runs through May 18th at the Highland Park Community Center. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.sixpointstheater.org/an-act-of-god

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.

Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to insure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. 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.