The Reunion a Wildly Entertaining Whodunnit From Trademark Theater at Gremlin Theatre

The Cast of The Reunion Photo by Dan Norman

Trademark Theater launches it’s theater season with The Reunion which is a show I attended a read through of a few years ago. Unlike most Agatha Christie based plays I attend I didn’t remember half way through who done did it, which always makes the experience more enjoyable. The Reunion, the brainchild of Trademark Theater’s co-founders Tyler Michaels King and Tyler Mills, is not only an engrossing mystery but also wickedly funny. The setup is a Reunion of friends from high school who used to gather together to to play murder mystery games. It’s been years since they have played and they have no idea when they arrive at the home of their wealthy friend Sam, that tonight the murder will be real! With old traumas and secret plans the script has the audience off balance and in the dark revealing information at just the right moment. It kept me guessing, but as I’ve said before I love a mystery because I can never solve them, so the reveal is always like a magic trick. I wish I was a Sherlock, but in reality I’m a Watson.

What makes the show a success aside from the delightful script is the performances of the cast. With material like this, the cast can be the difference between a success and a failure. We have to care about the characters and we have to find them funny. I’m happy to say this group of performers handily achieved both criteria. I loved everyone, I really did, there isn’t a member of this cast that I would trade. Michael Terrell Brown is perfect as the wealthy Sam who you almost suspect from the start will be the murder victim after his first awkward interaction with friend and employee Peter, played by Chris Hayhurst. Especially sweet is the unacted upon crush between Clive, played by the MJ Matheson and Susan played by Katy Kessler. Mathesons entire performance is brilliantly hilarious, and he and Kessler’s chemistry is the heart of the play. Sasha Andreev plays Susan’s husband Richard, I’m so used to seeing Andreev using his beautiful singing voice that it was quite a surprise to find him so gifted comedically as well. Janely Rodriguez plays Clive’s sister Laura, who also had an unrequited crush from high school on Elizabeth played by Emma Schuld. Laura seems very down to earth while Elizabeth is an extreme environmentalist, which she plays to great comic effect.

The Reunion is well staged with a very creative set design by Sarah Bahr, with some surprisingly effective ways of creating new locations. Dan Dukich’s sound design and Tony Stoeri’s lighting design help set the atmosphere with the perfect thriller vibe. The Reunion runs through October 12th at the Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.trademarktheater.org/thereunion

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.

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Minnesota Fringe Festival Day 10: “The MacScottish Play”, The Camp Out”, “We Were Only Henchmen”, “Show Me Your Wings” The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award Winner, “The Dumb Waiter”, and “What You Need To Do Is!”

While I only have six reviews today I did actually see seven shows. The seventh was a repeat of previous The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner Emily Bryajian’s Transition: A Story of Two Trans People Becoming Themselves. All the other shows are lucky I don’t give the award to a show twice.

The MacScottish Play is about of group of college students who are mounting a production on Macbeth that seems to be cursed. Cast members keep dropping out and then the Director gets sucked into the play itself. There are side stories for the cast members and lessons about not outing people and none of it matters because you don’t believe a word of the dialogue. The problem with the show is two fold. The script and the performances and it’s hard to say for certain if the failure of one isn’t contributing to the other. Are the performances so mannered and wooden because of the script or is the script better than it appears but is just being hobbled by unprepared actors? I lean towards the script being the bigger culprit. When dialogue exists just to take up time or to try and give an appearance of naturalism without adding anything to what we are seeing, even solid actors can struggle to give them meaning. There are about a half dozen good lines and I’m not saying the idea isn’t good. But the dialogue is illogical and feels like the verbal equivalent of treading water.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/the-macscottish-play

The Camp Out this is an Improv show which means every performance will be different. If you’ve ever wondered how true that is M’Colleague Jill, of Cherry and Spoon, took this show in twice and said aside from the set and putting up a tent it was completely different each time. One assumes from the title and the surprisingly elaborate set design that the story they weave will somehow involve a camping trip. I’ve seen good and bad improv, but I’ve never seen bad improv that Mike Fotis, who created, directed, and performs in The Camp Out. Fotis leads a cast filled with Twin Cities best improvisational actors including Rita Boersma, Tim Hellendrung, Nels Lennes, Heather Meyer, and Danna Sheridan.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/the-camp-out

We Were Only Henchmen is about two working class Henchmen who, out for a night of Booze and drugs, get talking about their current and past employers. Between them they have worked for many of the cities supervillains, and have opinions on which ones are better to work for. We hear the pros and cons of working for different baddies, there’s talk about benefits, horror stories of what has happened to friends under various employers. The performances are super strong and the show is filled with the sort of real world issues that never come up in comic books. When the two friends witness a superhero doing something horrible, what was a fun night out between friends gets very real. I really enjoyed the humor and performances and the skewed reality of the plays world. And hats off to Costume Designer Leo Green for Mr. Superior’s Superhero threads.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/we-were-only-henchmen

Show Me Your Wings is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 10. Show Me Your Wings stands out in the sea of Fringe shows for it’s unique location at Squirrel Haus Arts. But even more unique is the combination of artistic disciplines utilized to convey creator Rhiannon Fiskradatz’s vision. Very much an autobiographical show it uses among other things, interactive art, video, puppetry, watching a painting created before your eyes, dance, and curated artwork. I was hitting a wall when I arrived at Squirrel Haus Arts for this show. This was my 45th show over 10 days, I was curious about the show but also struggling to connect with the aspects of the show that we explored on our own. But I found my way through that when Fiskradatz began to sing. As she talks and sings about different aspects of her life and journey, I found myself rejuvenated and ready by the end to rush out and make it to the final two shows of the day. It turned out to be a beautiful change of pace, a very memorable and special show.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/show-me-your-wings

The Dumb Waiter is a one act play by Harold Pinter performed wonderfully by Dominic Schiro and Robert Wood Frank. It’s about two hitmen who are waiting in a room for their next assignment. The Dumb Waiter of the title begins to deliver food orders to them, which they don’t know how to respond too. It’s a play that ends kind of ambiguous, that leaves you a little unsatisfied. But, that when you think back, you were enjoying every moment of the show. Like The Zoo Story, it’s nice to see thrown into the melting pot that is a Fringe Festival, a solid traditional one act play produced. I enjoyed this one as I have everything I’ve seen from Jackdonkey Productions, the company behind The Dumb Waiter.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/the-dumb-waiter

What You Need to Do Is! If I had known going in to this show, what it was I’d have never gone in. That said, I’m glad I accidentally attended this one, and now that it’s over, I realize I had a good time. If you like audience participation or those team building get to know you exercises at work, then this is the show for you! If you can’t wait to tell some stranger 3 fun facts about yourself, this is the show for you. Or, Are you like me an introvert, though one who tries really hard to break out of that? If so, this is the show you do not want to find yourself seated at when the house lights are supposed to go down and then don’t. So with all that, why am I glad I ended up at What You Need to Do Is! ? It has everything to do with Coach Clemons and Assistant Coach Low Jack played by Eric Simons and Alsa Bruno. These guys make it as painless as possible, we had laughs but we also actually kinda learned a few things and worked through some issues.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/what-you-need-to-do-is-

That’s the reviews from Day ten of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Be sure to check back daily for new reviews and if you are Fringing and you see me, be sure to stop and say hi! Also for reviews of shows I might not see or for another opinion on ones I have, follow M’ Colleague Jill Schafer at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.

Minnesota Fringe Festival Day 9: “Love Lies a Bleeding” The Stages on MN Fringe of the Day Award Winner! and “The Ghost of Frankensteins Bride”

Only a two show night as I had to review a non Fringe show as well this evening. But don’t let that fool you, the Fringe of the day Winner is very deserving.

Love Lies a Bleeding is The Stages of MN Fringe of the Day Award winner for Day 9. An adaptation of a play from the 17th century by playwrights Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher who were contemporaries of William Shakespeare. The program describes Beaumont and Fletchers intentions as “What if we made Twelfth Night gayer and hornier”. That perfectly describes this comically bloody, but not in a gross out way, play. The original 3ish hour play was adapted down to 1 hour by Vee Signorelli and love to compare scripts sometime, it has a little bit of antiquated speech but nothing on a level with Shakespeare. A great ensemble cast with the highlights being the actors involved in a love triangle between a man, a woman, and their servant, played to hilarious effect by Matthew Smith, Valerie Wick, and Isabella Spiess. I wish I had seen this show earlier so I could get the word out more, but the house I saw it with was fairly full, so hopefully word has gotten out.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/love-lies-a-bleeding

The Ghost of Frankenstein’s Bride runs a little under 45 minutes and that seemed a little too long. There seems to be a lot of shuffling of props and restating the same information. I think this was a show with a solid 25 minutes of script padded to a lean 45. I liked the look of the production by Scenic Designer Jordan Leeper. There was something like a magic trick at one point involving jars that was very impressive and I thought the cast was good. But I know what it’s like trying to decide which of the 105 shows to see and the reality is there are other shows that deserve that slot more. I think this team has an interesting idea that they could flesh out for a future run, maybe at TCHF.

https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2024/the-ghost-of-frankenstein-s-bride

That’s the reviews from Day Seven of the Minnesota Fringe Festival. Be sure to check back daily for new reviews and if you are Fringing and you see me, be sure to stop and say hi! Also for reviews of shows I might not see or for another opinion on ones I have, follow M’ Colleague Jill Schafer at http://www.cherryandspoon.com/ and for other Fringe writings checkout our friend and fellow Twin Cities Theater Blogger Kendra Plant’s blog Artfully Engaging at https://www.kendraplant.com/blog-artfully-engaging.

Marry Me a Little Small and Intimate with a Stellar cast From Skylark Opera Theater at Crane Theater

Marry Me a Little, rescheduled from earlier in the summer, is a show featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim that were cut out of or from as yet unperformed musicals. It’s a strange little show perfectly at home in the Crane Theater’s intimate space. A dialogue free musical revue, it is not however plotless. To some extent we are left to our own devices to extrapolate the details. Basically a love story about two single people living alone who meet, fall in love, marry a little, and then break up. The songs follow the arc from two lonely people to the first hints of romance and on to the decline. Most of the songs I was unfamiliar with but I enjoyed nearly every one of them. A few favorites were “Marry Me a Little“, “All Things Bright and Beautiful/Bang“, and “Pour Le Sport“. It ends with “Being Alive” from Company which is of course a favorite.

The reason to see this show is to bask in the glow of it’s talented performers Bergen Baker and Max Wojtanowicz. Two gifted musical theater talents that know how to tell a story through song. In their hands, the lack of dialogue goes unnoticed. Their body language and expressions convey to us as much as the lyrics themselves do. Is there a more warm and welcoming face in all of the Twin Cities musical theater community than Wojtanowicz? He has an instant communication with the audience as if he’s singing directly to you. Bergen and Wojtanowicz are accompanied on piano by Musical Director James Barnett and the production was directed by Nikki Swoboda. The show runs just about an hour so it doesn’t have to be a late night. It only runs one weekend with the final performance Sunday 8/11/24. Don’t miss your chance to hear Bergen and Wojtanowicz signing Sondheim. For more information and to get tickets go to https://www.skylarkopera.org/home

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/

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 never has to 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.

Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare at the Pub From The Gray Mallard Theater Co.

Running through July 28th at Sociable Cider Werks is The Gray Mallard Theater Co.’s Shakespeare at the pub production of Romeo and Juliet. It’s free to all, best to bring your own chairs but if you get there early enough they have some provided. There is a food truck onsite and a wide range of beverages both with and without alcohol. I came to the show for two reasons, Shakespeare and Em Rosenberg, who is playing Romeo, in the production. Faithful readers will remember that Rosenberg has been on my ones to watch list for sometime now. Listeners to Twin Cities Theater Chat may remember hearing me interview them for one of our episodes around the Guthrie’s History plays in which they played multiple roles in each of the three plays. Once again Rosenberg doesn’t disappoint, headlining a very well paced production directed by Gray Mallard Artistic Director Amanda Fuller. It’s a little like a less controlled version of a Ten Thousand Things performance very bare bones in terms of costumes, props, and set, just what is needed to tell the story. It’s rough around the edges but also extremely fluid, giving it a dangerous and lively energy that works really well in this nontraditional performance space. The focus is on the performances and the language

The truest sign of a good Shakespearean actor is how well a modern audience can understand the language. A great performer will be able to communicate the text to the audience, whether we know the words or not, they will make the meaning clear. There is a lot of use of hand gestures and physical work being done to communicate the meaning of the lines and frequently bring added humor, some of it delightfully risque. There are a lot of wonderful performances starting of course with Em Rosenberg’s Romeo. I think this was my fifth Shakespeare play with Rosenberg in the cast but certainly the largest single role. They are as natural a communicator of Shakespeare’s work as I’ve ever seen, whether wooing Juliet, joking around with his friends, or shouting at the stars their performance is always captivating and precise. Caiti Fallon and Kamani Graham start the show off on the perfect note. Letting the audience know from their movements, costume, and tone of their line readings that while certainly this is a tragedy, we are still going to have some fun with this production. Alessandra Bongiardina as Juliet is a nice fit with Rosenberg’s Romeo, they have a chemistry that helps a modern audience accept some of their choices as natural responses given their connection and maturity. Davis Brinker as Benvolio comes across as one of the guys but the one with the cooler head on his shoulders, while Zach Lerner’s Tybalt and Cooper Lajeunesse’s Mercutio are entertainingly hot headed. I really enjoyed Tony Larkin and Cathleen Fuller as the lovers co conspirators Friar Laurence and the Nurse, being the two adult characters that seemed to have more than a little common sense when trying to temper Romeo and Juliet’s impulses.

A very enjoyable production of Romeo and Juliet, a fun way to spend a summer evening out of doors and you can’t beat the ticket prices. For more information about the show which runs through July 28th or to make a donation to The Gray Mallard Theater Co. go to https://bit.ly/TheGrayMallardTheaterCo

Triple Espresso Keeps the Audience Wired and Alert at the Plymouth Playhouse

Bill Arnold, Michael Pearce Donley, and Bob Stromberg Photo by Camille Branham – BTE Media!

Triple Espresso is a show I’ve seen signs and ads for seemingly my entire adult life. But, I’ve never seen it until now. Many of you will have seen the show, at one point it played annually for 13 years at The Music Box in Minneapolis. It hold records in cities across the world as the longest running show, it’s earned over $50 Million dollars in ticket sales and been seen by over 2 million patrons. How am I just seeing it now? Whatever the reason I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to sample the beans. For those in the dark, roasted the plot is a reunion of three guys who as far as I can tell never really even had an act, they just wound up in one disaster after another together. As they reunite on stage, they tell the story of their misadventures which we see played out in flashbacks. There is a fair amount of audience participation, get seats in the back corners if you you don’t want to run the risk of being part of the show. What I really enjoyed about Triple Espresso is that it’s the kind of show you can bring the whole family to. It’s clean humor, the jokes are nonstop and wide ranging from comedic magic tricks, songs, and even shadow puppets.

The show is being performed for the majority of the run by the original creators Michael Pearce Donley, Bob Stromberg, and Bill Arnold. John Bush, who has performed the role in Des Moines Iowa, will take over the role of Bobby in the third week and then be joined by his fellow Des moines castmates Patrick Albanese and Paul Somers on select dates. All six of the performers have done the show thousands of times all over the world, so if you can’t make it to the first three weeks, I’m sure you’ll be a good hands. It’s the sort of show that some people will laugh all the way through and then say that was sort of stupid. Well you know what? Try it. The jokes are funny because they seem to flow naturally and sure many are corny and seem like obvious plays on words. It’s like when a magician reveals how a trick is done, you are wowed as it’s happening and then once you know how it’s done you scoff at it because it seems so simple. So don’t ask how it’s done, enjoy the wonder and amazement you feel as it’s happening. Enjoy the laughs as they come and get caught up in the thrill of joining in with a group having a great time. If the jokes feel obvious once you stop laughing, don’t forget the part where you were laughing. It always looks easy when someone does something effortlessly, but believe me it takes creativity, wit, and practice to write and perform a show like Triple Espresso. It is the kind of show that everyone can enjoy and laugh at, but if having fun isn’t you cup of tea, skip it. I for one wish I’d brought all my grown children, siblings and parents with me. Or a group of friends, what a fantastic night out with loved ones this would be.

Triple Espresso runs through August 11th at the Plymouth Playhouse in (three guesses, the first two don’t count) Plymouth! For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.tickettailor.com/events/tripleespressoplymouthplayhouse/1084614#