Witch From Walking Shadow Theatre Company at Open Eye Theatre Selling Out, With Good Reason!

Wini Froelich and Nick Ericksen Photo by Amy Rummenie

Witch by Jen Silverman is another play, like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, that seems to be commenting on our current society through the lens of the past, and with false accusations of Witchcraft. but that is where the comparisons end, both are great, but they go about it in almost polar opposite ways. Whereas Miller’s play is tense and riveting and close to three hours long. Witch is about 80 minutes and very funny and entertaining. I highly recommend both, but if you only have room in your schedule for one, let that be a guide to which one you take in. I love Open Eye Theatre, it must have the smallest stage in the city but it always looks amazing and this production is no different. A fabulous cast and top notch production design combine with a script full of humor and cleverness make Witch a deal with the Devil worth making.

While titled Witch it’s really about the Devil or at least one of his soulsmen, Scratch. Scratch is working his way around the village of Edmonton making deals for people’s souls. At the castle he makes deals with both Cuddy Banks, the son of Sir Arthur Banks, the lord of the castle, and Frank Thorney, who is treated by Sir Arthur as if he was his son and held in higher regard than Cuddy. Their deals seem to be in opposition to each others, but there is always a catch when you dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight. Cuddy tries to pretend there is an attraction between himself and the maid Winnifred, but she is secretly married to Frank, and it’s made fairly obvious that Cuddy is in the closet. Everything is smooth sailing for Scratch until he comes across Elizabeth Sawyer who is believed to be a witch by the village, but of course is not. She refuses his initial offer, something no one else has ever done. This intrigues him and he begins to spend all of his time with Elizabeth and things play out in an unexpected way. In the end, Scratch becomes the voice of the audience, in a way that is true and sort of shameful.

Witch features a great cast filled with some familiar faces and some new ones to keep our eyes on. Wini Froelich is fantastic as Elizabeth showing a vulnerable and subtle touch that caught me completely off guard. Frankly, I’m used to her cracking wise while serving me dessert at The Mystery Cafe shows. Here she is the voice of women and men, but mostly women and the world in which she and we live. Her scenes with Nick Ericksen’s Scratch are witty and thoughtful and finally quite unexpectedly moving. There’s an understanding in her eyes that shows a greater understanding of humanity than even Scratch, whose job it is to play upon his deep understanding of human nature. Ericksen is delightfully charming as Scratch dressed in leather pants and jacket, he masterfully plays the puppeteer playing on everyone’s desires and fears, knowing all the right buttons to push. But when he meets Elizabeth and starts to have long conversations with her, he begins to lose a little of the swagger and low and behold, the devil appears to have a sensitive side. The transformation is gradual and effective, and Ericksen, who is new to me, is definitely one to watch, I predict a star is on the rise. The Stages of MN favorite Jake Sung-Guk Sullivan plays Frank Thorney, think Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, you can see why Cuddy is jealous of him, but even he gets a moment to show some real emotion, when he makes what I would consider his real deal with the Devil even though Scratch is nowhere in sight. The cast is rounded out by Peter Colburn as Sir Arthur, Caiti Fallon as Winnifred, and Samuel Osborne-Huerta as Cuddy, all are exceptional in their roles.

I would be remiss not to mention the production design which is detailed and perfect in every way. Open Eye Theatre shows always look like Guthrie show budgets on a tiny little stage, but usually the scenic designer is Open Eye’s Joel Sass, but here we have scenic design by Alice Endo whose work is on par with that of Mr. Sass and that is high praise I assure you. From Elizabeth’s detailed cottage interior, to the trees surrounding it and the castle interior wall, it’s impossible to select a favorite element. Emily Heaney’s costumes complete these characters perfectly, though anachronistic, her choices for Scratch are dead on and help us to understand him before he even utters a line. The lighting design by Tony Stoeri is dynamic and integral to the entire production. There is a moment when Scratch is describing the color blue that appears at a certain point during sunrise, he describes it as the color of bruise and the lighting change that accompanies it achieves that very shade. I also enjoyed the work of Fight Choreographer Annie Enneking which was far more physical than you would expect, particularly given the small stage. Also the Intimacy Coordinator Alli St. John who creates a scene of such tenderness between Elizabeth and Scratch that one almost feels as though they have been witness to a moment that should have been private. Of course all of this was achieved under the steady sure handed direction of Co-Directors Cody R. Braudt and Amy Rummenie.

Due to popular demand Witch‘s run has been extended through April 13th at Open Eye Theatre in south Minneapolis, but I expect there will still be a lot of sold out performances so don’t wait too long to get your tickets. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.walkingshadow.org/witch/

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.

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Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live Coming to the Orpheum Theatre April 6th!

The cast of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Super Live in London. February 2025. Photo by: © DavidJensen

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon The Super Live is a stage show based on the original manga (japanese comic book) of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. For those not in the know, Sailor Moon was introduced in 1991 in what is now one of the most popular mangas series of all time. The characters popularity can be measured by the sheer volume of formats into which the world of Sailor Moon has been adapted. Everything from Anime series and films to video and collectible card games. For decades there have been Sailor Moon Stage shows as well, produced in Japan. Now for the first time ever they are bringing one of those shows on a 21 city North American tour which launched in Austin Texas and plays here in Minneapolis on April 6th at Hennepin Arts’ historic Orpheum Theatre, before ending the tour in NYC. Tickets for the Minneapolis show can be purchased at https://hennepinarts.org/events/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon-the-super-live-2025.

Described by its producer Makoto Matsuda as “a unique genre of ‘2.5 dimensional musicals’ rather than a category such as Broadway musicals, etc.”. Expanding on that Matsuda says “it has, you know, the regular song, music, dance, technology, visuals, projections, so much more than a normal conventional musical. So we wanted to kind of honor the situation by naming it and giving it a new category name. And it’s almost kind of like a manifesto to call it a new thing. And that is our intention of calling it something, not a musical, but the super live”, explaining the impetus to create this new genre Matsuda says “I think musicals in Japan was something where the audience wasn’t necessarily young. It was more geared towards a certain demographic that was stable, but not necessarily all encompassing. But once we started doing 2.5 and we incorporated more comics and animation as an original story, their fan base came to see it much more. So we now have a robust group of young audiences that many have never been to a musical before that have been starting to come see the productions, and it has grown so much.” There may be a lesson here for American theaters to study on ways of attracting new and younger audiences by appealing to their tastes and sensibilities.

Riko Tanaka who plays Sailor Moon in the North American tour also commented on the format saying “The format of the production is actually that they have the Super Live musical, and then at the end, there is a second part, which is almost like a concert, and they play all the super classic hits from Sailor Moon. So it’s kind of a different setup and that part when you switch to the concert is really exciting. Because, you know, up to that point, they’re doing all this storytelling, which is great, but then once you switch to the concert, the beloved characters come out and do their known music.” “There’s characters like Tuxedo Mask and Queen Beryl and they have their number where they’re belting it out, and the characters, Sailor Moon and everybody are in the back enjoying it and cheering on as well. So it’s like a really fun part and I think that kind of resonates with the audience as well.”

Tanaka also talked about the what it is about the character that make fans love her so much. “The main character, Usagi, is a really charming, kind of a little clumsy, fun character that people want to just kind of reach out and help almost. And then there’s this other, Sailor Moon, which is like the fighting, really powerful, strong, enigmatic character that is like unbeatable. And that contrast between the two makes it very interesting and attractive, I think. And I feel like keeping that gap is something that makes it very interesting to people.” I asked Tanaka what it was like to take on such an iconic role? “definitely it’s been incredible to be selected and of course all my family, my relatives, everybody was like, oh my God, that’s amazing and they were very happy about it and they were celebrating it. But of course, this is a role that has been very important within this industry. So my fellow actors who understand the significance of the role have been so encouraging and they have been celebrating with me this achievement. Not only just to portray the role, the beloved Sailor Moon, for the people all over the world who love Sailor Moon, but I do it also as me, as an actor. This is going to be my main rise to fame role. So it is something that I take with such honor, and the responsibility is felt, but I’m very excited about it too.” Producer Matsuda added “So actually in Japan There is very few auditions, not as much as you think. But, that being said, every young actress in Japan wants to play Sailor Moon, so there’s a lot of people who apply. So she [Riko] is very casual about it, but this is a really big deal though that she won the Sailor Moon position”.

Tanaka remembers that her first exposure to Sailor Moon was the anime series when she was three or four years old. “It was at that age when you kind of played the character with your friends and stuff. And, actually my favorite character was Sailor Jupiter.” Choreographer for the show Satomi Toma talked about going back to the original manga’s for inspiration “Once I got involved in this production, I had the opportunity to reread the original manga. And I was so moved and impressed by like this elegant line, the beauty of how it’s being portrayed. Talking about choreography, how her hair moves, how her skirt flitters and like that sense is something that I really wanted, that sense of awe. I do want to keep in the production as well that impression that it had on me, it was very strong. There’s a color version as well, but especially the black and white version, I feel like that line is something that left an impression on me when I was looking at the original comic for the first time.”

Matsuda hopes that audiences take away three things from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live “The first message is this is also a message about peace and how there’s a lot of fighting and action, but it is about how that is a sad thing and how important it is to know how precious peace is. The second thing is the message of love. Sailor Moon is loved by generations of people. We see people, mother and daughter that come together and enjoy. Different generations that come together and they go and are very happy about it. And we want people to, you know, after seeing it, feel the sense of love doesn’t have to be certain partners or anything. It could be, I want to just call my mom and say hello, that kind of love as well. A message of love is something that is really compassion and love is something that’s important. And this is probably the most important thing. I want people to feel energized. We get energized from the feedback from the audience, the love that we receive is something that’s so contagious and we will hope that the audience feels that love and excitement and feel really fresh and energized through seeing our production as well. So those are the three things that I hope the audience could feel when they come see the super live.”

If you have someone in your life that is into mangas and anime there’s a good chance they are a fan of Sailor Moon. For me it’s my daughter Savannah who has even dressed as Sailor Moon for Halloween. A show like this is for the fans. It’s an opportunity to go experience something you love in a new way and to gather with others who share your love. I’m hoping she pulls out the costume and wears it when we attend Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live on April 6th, my birthday at the Orpheum Theatre. The link again to purchase tickets is https://hennepinarts.org/events/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon-the-super-live-2025

Trailer for the North American Tour of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon the Super Live

The Mousetrap Will Keep You Guessing Until the Very End at the Guthrie Theater

The cast of The Mousetrap Photo by Dan Norman

The Guthrie Theater’s production of The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie is a luxuriant, thrilling, and witty production of one of the greatest mystery plays of all time. I’m a huge Christie fan, so I try and see any adaptation or play of hers that comes along. That usually ends up meaning that I just see the annual Christie adaptation at Theatre In the Round. But, lately there seems to have been an upswing in Christie productions including a wonderful adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express two years ago at the Guthrie, but also productions at Park Square Theatre and Yellow Tree Theatre. The Mousetrap has been playing in London’s West End for over 70 years since it opened in 1952, making it the longest running play in history. I have seen the play twice before, first when my college mounted it about 30 years ago, and then more recently when Lyric Arts staged a production in 2022. In 2022 I couldn’t remember the solution of who the killer is, but my memory isn’t so poor that it has faded from my mind in just three years. The plus for audiences to this production is, that unless you’ve seen the play performed before, read the play or had some rotter spoil it for you, you’ll be going in blind. You see part of the original contract for the play states that no film adaptation can be produced until at least six months after the West End production has closed. One begins to suspect there will never be a film of The Mousetrap. Given that, I’m going to give very little detail of the plot as I do not want to inadvertently tip anyone to the solution. The Mousetrap is a well plotted mystery full of red herrings and plot twists. It’s a great whodunnit with a nice amount of character driven humor along for the ride.

The setting is an English Manor which a newlywed couple is converting into a guesthouse, this would be what we would consider a boarding house I suppose, as bedrooms and common rooms are provided along with all of the meals. They have four guests arriving for their first week in business. Those four will be joined by a mysterious guest who is seeking shelter after his car is stranded in the blizzard that will soon cut off the residents of Monkswell Manor from the outside world. They will be joined by a police Sergeant who makes an heroic attempt to reach them via skis as the police believe that one of the people now at Monkswell Manor is a murderer!!!! Each of the guests seems to have something to hide making it near impossible to guess who’s in danger and who is a danger.

The Guthrie’s cast is superb and Director Tracy Brigden stages the action very effectively. Monette Magrath making her Guthrie Debut joins local favorite Peter Christian Hansen as Mollie and Giles Ralston, the proprietors who have their hands full running a new and unfamiliar business as well as dealing with difficult and eccentric customers. For instance, Mo Perry who plays Mrs. Boyle, possibly the most contrary and judgemental old biddy in England, plays it so perfectly that you get a little thrill everytime someone upsets her. My favorite is the over the top in just the right way, Greg Cuellar as Christopher Wren the architect, but not that architect, Christopher Wren. He’s a bundle of affectations that endears him to the audience and Mollie, but rubs the manly Giles the wrong way. Cuellar is the most out there character of the group and he doesn’t hold back in his performance, and as such brings the most humor to the show. Matthew Saldivar plays Mr. Paravicini, a mysterious foreigner seeking shelter from the storm. Another very stylized performance but one that belies an intelligence rather than eccentricity, he is also a source of much comic relief, but of a more sophisticated and witty type. Matthew Amendt plays Detective Sergeant Trotter who arrives to save the day only to find a house full of people who refuse to be up front with him, putting their lives at risk by keeping secrets. Amendt, plays the Detective with mounting exasperation, he is trying his best to root out the killer before he or she can strike again, but continually discovers that secrets are being kept from him.

The scenic design by Walt Spangler is stunning in every detail. If it’s one thing the Guthrie Theater has over most others in the Twin Cities area, the space and resources to really wow us from a production standpoint. It has to be seen to be believed, the photo above looks great, but doesn’t do it justice. I sat in the front row, a location I highly recommend, and the vastness of the set, the ceiling that seems to be four stories above the stage was an awesome visual. But it’s success was also in the details, such as the snow falling outside the Great Hall windows, the light and smoke from the fireplace. Every technical element was superbly realized including John Gromada’s sound designs and musical compositions. The lighting design by Rui Rita and the wonderful period costumes by Susan Tsu. I especially loved Tsu’s various costumes for the flamboyant Christopher Wren.

If you’ve never seen The Mousetrap it would be hard to imagine a better introduction to it than this. The stunning set populated by this wonderful cast brings the classic whodunit to life in a very rewarding way. Fans of Mysteries and thrillers will find this ingenious script keeps them guessing right up until the end. Just remember, once you learn the truth, you must keep it to yourself just as audiences have been doing for 70 years! The Mousetrap runs through May 18th at the Guthrie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2024-2025-season/the-mousetrap/

Dear Evan Hansen Will be Found at the Ordway

Michael Fabisch Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Dear Evan Hansen is the show you may know as the suicide musical. That is a fair description but it is also an extremely limiting one that doesn’t embrace the other aspects of the show. The show centers around the suicide of a troubled teenager named Connor Murphy, but what it explores is the need we all have for connection. The show doesn’t put its focus on Connor, the suicide happens off screen, he’s a character we see very little of before the suicide, and we are never told how or why it occurs. The focus is on the living and, through a misunderstanding, something positive can come of tragedy. That misunderstanding directly relates to the title of the musical. The main character Evan Hansen is inscructed to write himself a letter of positive reinforcements by his therapist. That letter his taken by Conner and is found on his body. His parents mistakenly assume that Connor is the author of the letter and that their friendless son was actually friends with the equally friendless Evan. Unable to correct the error and seeing the comfort it gives his parents, Evan creates a series of fake email exchange between himself and Connor that creates a fictitious friendship between the two. What starts as a well intentioned deception, snowballs into Evan who is raised by a single mother that works full time while also attending night school, becoming a surrogate son to the Murphy’s. This also brings Connor into close and frequent contact with Connor’s sister Zoe, whom he has a crush on. Eventually Evan and two fellow classmates, Jared and Alana create The Connor Project to shine a spotlight on Connor. The message Evan conveys in the song “You Will Be Found” with the lyrics:

You are not alone Even when the dark comes crashing through And you need someone to carry you When you’re broken on the ground You will be found
Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

What the show does extremely well is capture the reality of being a teenager and a parent in our time. What parent can’t relate to the sentiments expressed in the first song “Anybody Have a Map?“

Another Stellar Conversation for the scrapbook Another stumble as I’m reaching for the right thing to say I’m kinda coming up empty, can’t find my way to you Does anybody have a map? Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?
Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

It does a great job as well of allowing us to empathize with Evan’s actions. We know they are wrong and cannot end well. But the character of Evan is so well crafted that by the time when get to the initial misunderstanding, we know his character well enough to understand what he’s needing in his life, what his problems are, and what his desires are. The show portrays the incidents in a way that we fully understand how and why the character of Evan, young and fragile as he is, makes the choices he makes. When he feels like it needs to be ended another reward appears and lures him deeper into the lie.

In this production, the second that I’ve seen not including the disasteriously cast film version, I was extremely impressed with the younger members of the cast playing the teenagers. Michael Fabisch is excellent as Evan Hansen with a voice that seems perfectly suited for the range in which the characters songs are written. He is very engaging while also conveying the characters awkwardness and anxieties. Hatty Ryan King as Zoe also sounds great really shining on the songs “Requiem” and in the duet with Evan “Only Us”. Makena Jackson as Alana and Gabriel Vernon Nunag as Jared also capture their characters really well. Both bringing personalities that create moments of humor in their accurate portrayals of recognizable young high school types, both their positive and negative qualities. It’s the young cast that really stands out in this production.

The set design by David Korins which consists of a few tableaus that roll on and off the stage as needed, like a dining room table or Evan’s bedroom is simple but effective. The primary design element though is the projections designed by Peter Nigrini which are cast upon large screen panels staggered throughout the stage. On it, we see social media and texting messages which reminds us of the ways in which today’s teenagers have grown up with this technology. Its constant presence on stage reflects its role in their lives and in a show about alienated and disconnected youth it’s presence is a clue as to why that is. Interestingly, it’s also the conduit by which Evans message that you are not alone goes viral. Steven Levenson’s book for the show wisely shows us the dangers of the technology while also understanding that realistically it isn’t going to go away and so we need to use it positively as well.

Dear Evan Hansen is a very good musical with a lot of standout songs and a positive message. This is dark subject matter but the authors have found the appropriate level of humor to create an entertaining and rewarding night of musical theater. Dear Evan Hansen runs through March 16th at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://ordway.org/events/dear-evan-hansen/

Hundred Days is a Beautiful Rousing Joyous Show at the Elision Playhouse.

The entire wonderful cast of *Hundred Days* Photo by Jolie Morehouse Olson

Theatre Elision’s latest production Hundred Days feels like a cross between a concert and the musical sections of Once if you’ve seen the stage musical version performed. There are two performers playing the characters of the shows songwriting duo Abigail and Shaun Bengson plus six musicians. The story, which is implied to be autobiographical tells the love story of Abigail and Shaun through folk-punk music. The 100 days of the title refers to a dream Abigail has had since the age of 15 where she’s seated in a booth at a diner with her husband and told by a Dr. that he will die in 100 days. When Shaun discovers this, and it’s the reason she’s pulling away, they decide to try and live an entire lifetime in those 100 days. It’s an interesting premise and as good as any to use as a structure for the duo’s songs, whether or not it is true. To be clear, I don’t know nor does it matter. What is true are the emotions the characters are feeling, the rush of feeling that initial spark of connection, of talking all night telling each other your life story, the things you share, and the things you keep hidden. If you think back on those romances that have been significant in your life, doesn’t it feel like those first hundred days are like a lifetime of excitement and discovery?

Christine Wade and Ryan Lee play Abigail and Shaun, with Lee also strumming away on guitar throughout. They are perfect together, with their voices complimenting each other beautifully. They also both have the acting chops to pull us into the darker moments. Those moments are few, but do require someone with the skills to convey them in basically a concert staging rather than the way a traditional play or musical would be staged. Taking this even further out of the realm of traditional theater, the actors interact a bit with the members of the band who also provide vocals. While Lee and Wade are definitely the leads, the band is so integral to the joyous mood of the piece that I have to list them as well. So much talent on view here with Emily Hensley on accordion, Benjamin Emory Larson on keyboards, Joni Griffith on Violin, Rae Wasson on Cello (surely the most poignant of instruments), Miles Whealy on drums, and Harrison Wade on guitar and also the Musical Director of the production. Together they create an atmosphere that I’d almost describe as rowdy but not in a bad way. There is at times almost an Irish Pub band feel to it that I just loved. I wouldn’t mind getting to this again before the run ends, it really does feel like an hour and change spent listening to some great music, but with the added element of a love story.

I found Hundred Days to be an uplifting and beautiful musical jam session. The show runs through March 22nd at the Elision Playhouse in Crystal. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.elisionproductions.com/hundreddays

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.

Life of Pi is a Visual Wonder and Fairly Dark Tale at the Orpheum Theatre

Taha Mandviwala, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Shiloh Goodin, and Anna Leigh Gortner
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Life of Pi based on the Man Booker Prize winning novel by Yann Martel which was also been adapted into the 2012 film directed by Ang Lee, who took home the Best Director Oscar for it. Despite having seen, and actually owning the film on 3D blu-ray I have very little recollection of it. Odd for a film that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, and even won four. Yet, I just remember there was a boy on a boat with a tiger. I have never read the novel so I cannot speak to how faithfully it adapts the story to the stage. Life of Pi the stage play is a dark tale of faith told with boundless visual creativity that had me fully engaged and often wonderstruck by it’s artful beauty. The story of Pi, the lone survivor of a cargo ship that sank is told in flashback to Mr. Okamoto, who has been sent to interview him to discover what he can about the ships sinking, and Lulu Chen, who is from the Canadian embassy. Pi tells them of the sinking of the ship and how he managed to survive for 227 days at sea in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker as well as a Zebra, an Orangutan, and a Hyena. Mr. Okamoto cannot believe the story Pi tells and so Pi tells him another story in which the animals are replaced by people from the ship. Lolita Chakrabarti who wrote the play uses these two versions of the story as a reflection on the concept of religious faith. Okamoto believes the version of the story featuring people but is forced to agree that the one with the tiger is the better story.

Taha Mandviwala is exceptional as Pi, it’s a role that requires a lot of heavy lifting as he has to carry much of the story acting with puppets, that for the most part don’t speak. You know he’s done a great job when he isn’t overshadowed by what could easily be the star of the show, which is the production design and puppets used to create the animals. The marvelous puppets were designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell in a way that captures the idea of the animal without trying to create a lifelike version that would fool the audience. The puppets are brought to life by puppeteers that are visible to the audience but, rather than taking us out of the play, it adds to the enjoyment as we watch their skilled work in capturing the movement and performance of the creatures. One example beyond the larger animals, which are truly amazing, are a group of fish that swim alongside Pi’s lifeboat, they are probably the most realistic of the creations. But the wonderful design isn’t just confined to the puppets as masterfully executed as they are, the scenic and costume designs by Tim Hatley as well as the video and animation designs by Andrzej Goulding contribute immensely. There is an effect that I’m not even sure how they pulled off where the lines on the background set begin to go all wavey like you are viewing it through a sheet of water. The lighting design by Tim Lutkin & Tim Deiling and the sound design be Carolyn Downing also play important roles and have several very impactful moments, especially during the storm that accompanies the sinking of the ship.

Life of Pi might remind some of the delightful creations in The Lion King, but believe me the comparisons end there and parents should be warned. There are several moments that might frighten children, and there are also elements of the story that are probably too intense or disturbing for younger audiences. I’d recommend this for mature 13 year olds and above. Life of Pi runs through March 9th at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/life-of-pi-2025

The Stages of MN

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Wildly Entertaining at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis

Justin Withers (Demetrius), John Catron (Oberon), Royer Bockus (Helena), Jimmy Kieffer
(Puck), Jonathan Luke Stevens (Lysander). Photo by Dan Norman

Faithful readers will know that I’m very much a Shakespeare enthusiast. How then to explain that I’ve never seen a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? I can make no sense of it and am grateful to have finally corrected that shameful omittance. I saw the 1999 film version starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, but to be honest, it made little impression as nearly everything that happened on stage opening night was a revelation to me. Of course everything about this production is a revelation thanks to an incredible cast and Joseph Haj’s brilliant direction. The contributions of Composer/Musician Jack Herrick, who performs onstage during the production, cannot be overstated. Herrick and Haj have transformed the play into something approaching a musical, the music is so integral to the show. It’s a production that is spectacularly creative and endlessly surprising. I feel like I can count on the fingers of my two hands the number of shows that I have found myself laughing out loud to for extended periods, this one goes on the list. It’s a perfect first Shakespeare play for the uninitiated or those who may have never found a production of the Bard’s work that connected with them. It’s universal in its appeal as laughter, love, and music speak to all of us. While nothing is likely to surpass the extraordinary experience that was The History plays last season, this is the best single Shakespeare production I’ve seen at the Guthrie, and perhaps ever.

Haj opens the play with Royer Bockus, who plays Helena, singing a little and then interacting directly with the audience. At first this seemed a little cute but unnecessary given the two and a half hour runtime, but as with everything in the show it proved to have been worth it in the end (there’s a double meaning in that). In some ways A Midsummer Night’s Dream is like many of Shakespeare’s comedies with lovers loving those who don’t love them, and a trick by which lovers are deceived. But no twins or shipwrecks this time. Theseus, a Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, are to be married in four days but the action of the play revolves mostly around other characters. As if the play itself is like the dream by which Hippolyta says the time will pass. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but Hermia’s Father demands she marry Demetrius whom she doesn’t love, but loves her. Helena, Hermia’s friend, loves Demetrius, but he doesn’t love her. It’s decreed by Athens law that if Hermia refuses to marry, per her father’s wishes, she must be either put to death or live a celibate life as a nun. Lysander and Hermia plan to meet in the forest and elope together, a plan they share with Helena. Helena tells Demetrius, hoping to gain his love. But as they search the forest for the lovers, he states over and over again that he does not and will not ever love her. This is overheard by Oberon, the King of the fairies, who looking to punish his queen Titania has concocted a juice which when applied to the eyelids of someone will make them fall in love with the first person they see. Oberon applies it to Titania and when she awakens she falls in love with Bottom, one of the Mechanicals, a group craftspeople who are rehearsing to perform a play for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding reception. Bottom has been transformed by Oberon’s sprite Puck into a donkeyman which frightens away his fellow performers and perfectly achieves the punishment Oberon intended for Titania. Oberon instructs Puck to apply the juice to the eyelids of Demetrius so that he will return Helena’s love. Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and applies the juice to him causing him to fall in love with Helena. Oberon discovering the mistake doses Demetrius causing him to fall in love with Helena as well. Helena never having been loved by anyone, mistakes the sudden change of adoration as mockery. Will all be set right and lovers paired off by stories end? Of course they will, it’s not the destination but the journey that matters.

The Mechanicals cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Dan Norman

The test of a great Shakespeare production is the Actors. The scripts are going to be good (it’s Shakespeare) but even with the best direction and production design in the world, if your Actors cannot convey the language to the audience in a way they can understand it, all is lost. This cast is amazing, every single member of the cast gets a moment to shine. At Intermission I was loving the show but was thinking to myself, not knowing the play, that it seemed like a phenomenally talented cast who were portraying the Mechanicals were being wasted on roles with very little to do. Well, the play closes out with a play within the play that illustrates the need to have cast Actors of their caliber. Aimee K. Bryant cracks everyone up with her portrayal of a wall and then wows us with a song. Dustin Bronson solution to reassuring his audience that he isn’t really a lion, just a man in costume and Kimberly Richardson’s performance as the moon, a branch, and a dog are played with as much physical humor as vocal, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in either of those roles. Will Sturdivant’s Peter Quince, the Director of the Mechanicals decision to try and gesture the meaning behind every line of his prologue to the play should not be experienced while drinking liquids as it will result in you spraying the person in front of you with a mouthful of your beverage. Max Wojtanowicz’s character Flute, playing the female love interest in the play is at first brilliantly subtle in his self consciousness, then on a dime takes the play from a hilarious takedown of amatuer theatrics to a moment of esquisite beauty. Unleashing his none too secret weapon of an angelic voice and a moment of genuine grieve, that left most of the audience truly moved and a few unsure how to react and nervously tittering. Remy Auberjonois gets the meatiest role, that of Bottom, his comedic hamminess is perfectly played and sure to be an audience favorite.

The interplay between the four young lovers is joyously hilarious. Jonathan Luke Stevens as Lysander carries a guitar with him and once enchanted, tries to woo Helena musically. Just when Justin Withers as Demetrius enters also with Helena infatuated, things become more and more energetic. When Hermia, played by Ari Derambakhsh joins the fray, she’s angry with Helena for stealing Lysander’s love and Helena assumes she’s in on it with the men, and is mocking her. The scene plays out and when we return from intermission, they recap the last scene as if it were a silent film including a nice sound effect of a film projector from Sound Designer Darron L West. It’s an inspired choice by Director Haj and the cast are spot on in their parody of silent film acting raising the franticness of the scene even higher. John Catron and Regina Marie Williams have dual roles playing the two couples of Theseus and Hippolyta as well as Oberon and Titania. These are the grounded roles, despite one of the couples being fairies. They are the calm center around which the chaos swirls. Catron and Williams bring with them a presence that grounds the play in a tenuous but necessary reality. They don’t get to play up the humor or go big with their performances but I assure you the play would not work as it does if you didn’t have two performers of their abilities in those roles holding the center so the play doesn’t lose it’s form. Everyone else can shoot around like ludicrous satellites because they act as a gravitational force that ensures no one flies out of orbit. Finally, we come to Jimmy Kieffer who as Puck brings a sarcastic edge to the role that plays very well to a modern audience. From what I think I know of the part, it feels like he plays it less playfully and more relatable than the usual interpretation, and I think it works beautifully.

The Fairies Cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Dan Norman

In the last year I’ve striven to write shorter more readable reviews mentioning a few key performers and the technical aspects that really stand out. And then you bump up against a play like this that you cannot help but mention every single one of the performers because they are all staggeringly good. Likewise, every member of the creative team does excellent work that needs to be at least touched on. Pulling double duty as Scenic and Costume Designer is Lex Liang whose set is magical and whose costumes clearly separate and distinguish between the fairies and the humans. Isabella Byrd’s lighting design adds to the magic of the forest and she creates an added flicker to silent film moment at the opening of the second half of the show that help sell the concept. Emily Michaels King’s movement direction and Annie Enneking’s Fight and Intimacy Direction enhance the performances with nice little touches throughout.

A show that succeeds on every level to the highest level imaginable. For Shakespeare fans and novices alike, I don’t know how anyone could not be completely enchanted by this production. One of the down sides of seeing so much theater and living in a city with so much theater is that one rarely has the time to take in a production more than once. This will be one of the exceptions to that rule, I’ll definitely be back for a second dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs through March 23rd at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. For More information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2024-2025-season/a-midsummer-nights-dream/