Stones In His Pockets at Theater Latté Da Featuring Tom Reed Sigmund

Reed Sigmund and Tom Reed Photo by Dan Norman

Stones in His Pockets is Performed by only two actors Tom Reed and Reed Sigmund but they people the stage with more than a dozen different characters. Providing a rich Irish soundtrack that adds emotion and depth are Jason Hansen and Theresa Elliott. Hansen in the role of Music Director and Composer is on the Piano, Keyboard, Guitar, and the Bodhran with Elliott on an beautifully expressive violin. It tells the story of a Hollywood film crew that has come to an Irish village to make a movie; however, it isn’t the story of the interlopers but of the villagers who are hired on as extras. It’s a contrast between the dream makers and those who have lost theirs or are struggling to keep them alive. The two primary characters are Charlie Conlon played by Tom Reed who lost his Video Store business when a big chain came to his town. So he packed up and has been traveling around Ireland with his tent, he’s loving the 40 pounds a day pay and free meals, but his dream is to get someone on the set to read the screenplay he’s written. He’s befriended by Jake Quinn played by Reed Sigmund who has recently returned home to the village from America because he says got homesick, or perhaps America didn’t live up to his dreams. Now he’s back and on the dole living with his Ma and doesn’t know what to do or seem to have faith in himself.

There is a lot of humor played out through a rich tapestry of characters all played with amazing specitivity by Reed and Sigmund. Within seconds an actor will turn around, pop on a cap or throw a scarf around their head, and be another character. At some points there is a conversation happening between more than two characters, astonishingly the performers have made such clear distinctions between the characters that the audience is never lost. Charlie and Jake are the most fully formed characters and are played not only with great wit but with a real compassion and relatability. They are the emotional center and comedic heart of the play, their journey from extras to dreamers is as beautiful as it is hilarious. Two characters any actor would feel privileged to play and then to add another half dozen of so and it’s either maddenly hard work or joyfully fulfilling. Hopefully a nice helping of both. There are so many wonderful side characters male and female that they play and they do it with wonderful Irish accents and Hollywood self importance, depending on the role. The accents are thick at the beginning and for a minute you might be a little worried, but it takes approximately two and a half minutes to tune into them and then I had no trouble following the dialogue. It cannot be overstated how wonderful the performances are by Reed and Sigmund two truly gifted comedic actors at the top of the game in roles they were made to play.

The play written by Marie Jones is masterful in the way it brings characters in and out of scenes in a way that the two performers can play all the roles. Would it be as good if there were 12 actors? The story would hold up, but there is an element of joy that would be lost. There is something about watching actors working like this that just adds to the experience. Marcela Lorca Directs the play keeping everything moving and flowing beautifully. Blocking the actors so that we always know when they have changed characters might seem simple, but it’s essential that every change has a visual cue to the audience and Lorca does the work to make those clear and yet unobtrusive. A nice choice was to have the actors do bows as their different characters at the end, they each had some prop or costume piece that we came to identify them with but the body language also changed and even without any dialogue you knew for whom you were applauding. With so many character changes the set design like the costumes need to be simple and versatile and Benjamin Olsen as scenic Designer and Kathy Maxwell as the Projections Designer have found a way to accomplish this and still give us a sense of the place. The use of projection is used to provide the background not as a special effect. The choice to have Jason Hansen compose and perform the wonderful Irish soundtrack and to even have them interact slightly was a brilliant choice, between the accents, the setting, and the music you leave having felt like you just spent two hours in Ireland.

Stones in His Pockets runs through February 25th at Theater Latté Da in Northeast Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.latteda.org/stones-in-his-pockets

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Dial M For Murder is Simply to Die For at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis

Gretchen Egolf, Brian Thomas Abraham, and David Andrew Macdonald Photo by Dan Norman

Dial M For Murder opened Friday evening with a newly adapted script by local favorite Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott. Knott also wrote the screenplay for the Famous Alfred Hitchcock film adaptation. For those curious, I am happy to report that like the Hitchcock film, this new adaptation is also presented in 3D. Hatcher keeps the basics of the original work but adds several twists that make the play feel more modern though it retains the original 1950’s London period setting. Normally with a thriller I’d be hesitant to give anything away, and I still intend to keep most things under wraps. But, unlike an Agatha Christie story, this isn’t really a whodunnit, it’s more like a Columbo episode. You know who the criminal is very early on, the thrills come from seeing how his plan comes off and how he adapts when things don’t go according to plan. The piece I won’t spoil is a sequence that Hatcher inserts during the commission of the crime, it doesn’t change Knotts basic plot but it adds another layer of suspicions, and it’s a ingenious little twist.

The plot revolves around Tony Wendices plot to have an old acquaintance murder his wife after having discovered she had an affair with a writer that ended a year previous. One major change is a gender swap of the former lover from Max to Maxine. He also changes the professions of Tony and Maxine which adds another dimension to Tony’s motivations. For those keeping track, we are now up to four dimensions if my math checks out. Probably Hatchers greatest contribution is an injection of humor into the script, not so much as to feel out of place but just the perfect amount to add to the overall enjoyment of the piece. Bringing out that humor perfectly is the performance by David Andrew Macdonald as Tony, he’s the perfect marriage of actor and role. Macdonald’s choices all work, his timing and line readings are impeccable. More than any other actor on the stage he seems to be on the same wavelength as Hatcher and it’s a key to this productions success. Since we know who the villain is, the thrills come from whether or not he’ll be found out. Our investment is increased by the fact that we are so entertained by Macdonald, we find ourselves feeling anxious that he’ll get caught, when our sense of justice should be rooting for him to be. Gretchen Egolf plays Margot Tony’s wife and Lori Vega the ex-lover Maxine, Egolf plays the role straight laced, which works well with her motivations to withhold information from other characters while Vega, playing an American is more vibrant and hip. Brian Thomas Abraham gives an intelligent performance as Inspector Hubbard making piecing together the crime feel like effective reasoning even when it’s wrong, you can see why it seems correct to him. Continuing the trend of three named actors is Peter Christian Hansen as Lesgate the old schoolmate of Tony’s whose persuaded to murder Margot. Nice to see a local actor in a show that seems full of imports, and Hansen is, as always an asset to any production.

Tracy Brigden does a nice tight job of direction, everything is clear, she gives the audience the time to watch the characters work out what to do next but never a second more than is necessary. The staging of the murder is particularly effective, the deadly blow being executed very effectively and also providing us with a few jump inducing moments. Just listening to the opening night audiences reactions, the oohs and ahhs and the laughter it’s clear that Hatcher and Brigden had the audience in the palms of their hands. I’m so glad that Hatcher kept the time period of the play in the 50’s, it allowed for a beautifully retro aesthetic. From the wonderful set by Walt Spangler to the gorgeous costumes by Valerie Therese Bart, it captures the look of a 50’s era Hitchcock film. I also noticed in a good way, the lighting design by Xavier Pierce which wonderfully set the mood of the scenes especially well done was the stormy night of the murder which featured some great sound design from John Gromada as well. Dial M for Murder is a murderously entertaining production filled with twists and turns and just the right proportion of humor peppered throughout. Dial M for Murder runs through February 25th at the Guthrie Theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/dial-m-for-murder/

In case you missed it I had the opportunity last summer to interview Jeffrey Hatcher for the Twin Cities Theater Chat Podcast you can listen to that conversation here https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/2150807/13157328

The Last Five Years Best Not Dwelt Upon at Lyric Arts

Set Design by Greg Vanselow, Projection & Lighting Design by Jim Eischen Photo by Molly Weibel

First off let me state that I appear to be in the minority on this one, so if you are familiar with the musical and enjoy it I encourage you to check out the reviews of my fellow Twin Cities Theater Bloggers. I was underwhelmed by The Last Five Years, and while there are some issues with this production I believe the main reason is not the artistic team but the musical itself by Jason Robert Brown. I loved the concept but not the actual work. The clever premise is that of a relationship that lasts five years told from the separate perspectives of the couple with Cathy’s version told in reverse chronological order and Jamie’s told from beginning to the end. The characters stories, told through song are performed individually but the characters do not interact with each other until they pass in the middle of the five years at their wedding/engagement. It’s hard to get too involved in the relationship of two characters that we never really see interact until briefly at the halfway point. From my perspective the character of Jamie is better served by the songs, he gets a few fun one’s like “The Schmuel Song” and “A Miracle Would Happen“. Also his more impactful songs benefit from coming at the end of the play when we are the most invested emotionally in the characters. Cathy’s songs in comparison are less fun, and her more heartfelt songs come at the start, when they simply do not resonate. It all feels very disconnected in general, the shifting time periods while clever on paper actually keep us from connecting to the characters. In a story where we see a relationship blossom and then die, the end is poignant because of the journey we took to the end. The loss we feel is based on knowing what was lost.

For those who do find connection where I could not let me make some comments on this production at Lyric Arts. First, the negative to get it out of the way, there was definitely an imbalance in the cast. Tommy McCarthy as Jamie was very good, performance wise as well as vocally. Lydia Rose Prior as Cathy, performance wise was strong but vocally there was something off. Not knowing the songs perhaps Jason Robert Brown wrote Cathy’s songs to be discordant since the role is based on his ex-wife. The songs just may not have been in Prior’s ideal range or her voice was showing strain. I tend to think it is one of these issues given the roles Prior has played previously. I liked the stripped down nature of the set design by Greg Vanselow. Lyric Arts has done the flat panels with projection on them several times in recent years and I felt this was the most appropriate use. The inclusion of a dateline on the front of the stage as a visual reminder of where each character is on the story was I think a clever visual choice. I really enjoyed the six Piece orchestra under the music direction of Ben Emory Larson being onstage and visible throughout the performance.

The Last Five Years is playing at Lyric Arts in Anoka through February 11th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/last-five-years

Funny Girl Radiates at the Orpheum Theatre

Katerina McCrimmon and Stephen Mark Lucas Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Funny Girl? More like A Star is Born, that’s what I felt I was witnessing in Katerina McCrimmon’s performance as Fanny Brice. Let’s get this out of the way right at the top, McCrimmon’s performance is phenomenal. We see a lot of great talent come through the Twin cities on tour and hey, we’ve got some pretty amazing local talent as well, McCrimmon’s is one of the gems that raises the bar to another level. First and foremost her vocals are amazing, but she also displays a gift for the comedic and dramatic aspects of the character. I came into the show with little knowledge other than that it was one of Barbara Streisand’s early Broadway successes and that she’d made a film version and sequel. Sometimes approaching what is considered a classic can be a mixed bag. I think back on My Fair Lady which came through town twice in the last five years, still featuring some great songs and moments of humor, but very very dated, almost uncomfortably so. Would Funny Girl suffer from similar societal progressions? No need to fear, the show sidesteps anything that we cannot contextualize as period. This is due to the fact that the main character is a strong female character who succeeds based on her talent. A script about such a character is already ahead of the curve for a show that premiered on Broadway 60 years ago. Anything that is potentially problematic is winked at or acknowledged in songs like “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty” assuring us that they know, like we do, how messed up that is. These may be inherent in the material or they could be part of Harvey Fierstein’s revised book. Either way, this Funny Girl revival is an unqualified triumph.

Loosely based on the real Comedian and Broadway star Fanny Brice, it tells the story of a young girl from Brooklyn who makes it big headlining the Ziegfeld Follies. Not considered conventionally pretty, she has trouble taking the admiration of suave gambler Nick Arnstein at face value, but as we follow her career success, Nick keeps turning up. Audiences will be forgiven for suspecting a rat, we are well conditioned not only in the popular entertainments but in life to, far too often, discover people acting with ulterior motives. While Nick is indeed a hustler who doesn’t always operate on the up and up, I found it very refreshing that their love story was just that, a love story. I was only familiar with two of the songs, “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and they are the highlights of the musical numbers to be sure. Many of the other songs have a humorous bent and are performed by a very enthusiastic and talented cast. The one rather sweet duet sung by McCrimmon’s and Stephen Mark Lukas, who plays Nick, called “I Want to Be Seen With You” stood out.

Of the other performers Lukas is quite good, with a very strong voice, a charm that endears his flawed character to Fanny and the audience alike, and a shirtless scene that elicited gasps of delight from many in the audience. Of special note are Izaiah Montaque Harris as Fanny’s friend and choreographer Eddie. Harris brings the show to a stop several times with tap routines that will make you wish more shows included tap dancing as when it’s done well, as it is here, it’s quite amazing to behold. Barbara Tirrell as Fanny’s mother is genuinely supportive and brings a level of understanding and wisdom that feels truly genuine. The entire cast of dancers and singers and supporting roles is top notch and I want to acknowledge the work of the Choreographer Ellenore Scott, and Tap Choreographer Ayodele Casel as there was a lot that got me genuinely excited about dance. This is also a wonderfully designed production with high marks going to David Zinn who’s set designs seemed to keep getting better and better as new location after new location was revealed. Susan Hilferty’s costume designs were fantastic, of particular note were the various costumes used in the Follies productions.

Funny Girl runs through Sunday January 21st at Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Orpheum theatre, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/funny-girl-orpheum-theatre-minneapolis-mn-2024/

The Seagull a New Adaptation of the Chekov Classic at Theatre in the Round Players

Welcome faithful readers to the first proper play review of 2024. As part of my 2024 New Year’s resolutions I am going to try and streamline my reviews. Hopefully allowing me a better blog/life balance and a more digestible read for yourselves. This will be an ongoing process and I welcome your reactions either in comments or feel free to email me at robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com.

Theatre in the Round Players has begun the new year tackling a classic with a new adaptation of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull. Having come to seriously intense theatergoing rather late in life, I always appreciate when a theatre produces classic plays, the ones everyone has heard of but that they maybe haven’t seen. Since Chekov wrote in Russian, every production I’ll ever see will be a translation or adaptation. Craig Johnson who has written and directed this adaptation for Theatre in the Round states that his watchwords during the process were “Faithful and Fresh”. Johnson is enormously successful in accomplishing this goal creating a production that remains true to Chekov’s 138 year old play while still making it relevant to today’s audiences. This does not feel like a dusty old classic but a reflection on the questions we still grapple with today. The desire to create, the talent to create, the need to be loved, and the power love holds over us. Johnson’s direction adheres to chekov’s original intentions in having some of the more sensational moments happen off stage or indeed in one case between acts. The set design by Michael Hoover is another example of the way in which Theatre in the Round has really stepped up their game in recent years. Embracing the arena and allowing design aspects to bleed off the stage and into the seats with Birch tree trunks and a neighboring estate in the distance.

The plot is like a modern soap opera not in quality but in the complexity of the melodrama. Set in the country estate of the sisters Irina Arkadina a successful actress and her ailing sister Petra. The first portion of the play taking place over a short visit by Irina and her lover Trigorin and the second part about two years later. There are ten main characters in the ensemble and nearly everyone of them is in love with someone who is in love with someone else. The unrequited love does not restrict itself to that of the romantic bend but also the familial. Ultimately, it’s a tragic tale, but one told with a surprising amount of humor. Chekov’s gift is his understanding of humanity and insights into the patterns and neurosis that we are subject to. One of the great scenes is the discussion between the successful writer Trigorin and Nina who wants to be an actress in which Trigorian talks about being an artist in a way that modern young artists will find familiar. It speaks to how not so very different we are today than we were over 100 years ago.

Performances are excellant making every character feel as if they have their own lives beyond the part they play in the plot. Colleen Hennen as Irina is a standout, playing the narcissistic actress perfectly and providing a heartbreaking final beat to the play. Berto Borroto as Konstantin shows the greatest change over the arc of the play. Allowing us to see, through his body language, the maturity that has come over the passage of time. Amy Eckberg as Nina gets a wonderful scene in Act IV where she conveys the emotional toll that last two years have had upon her. Kaleb Baker is wonderfully cast as Trigorin, he does a wonderful job describing the conflicts, frustrations, and inspirations of being an artist. I also want to highlight a couple of supporting parts, firstly Matt Wall is Medvedenko is the just happy to be noticed school teacher in love with Masha the daughter of the estate manager. He’s wonderfully comic in the way he seems to apologize for existing. The Assistant Director Rebecca Wickert who due to an illness in the cast had to perform the role of Masha, does an excellent job stepping in and plays Masha in a way that makes her relatable to generations who have grown up with the goth girl template. Finally, in a fairly small role David Coral plays Dr. Dorn who brings a kindness and humanity and understanding amongst a sea of characters that seem at the mercy of their own neurosis. The script calls for him to be encouraging of Konstantin, and sensitive to Irina, but Coral’s performance makes those moments ring of true compassion.

The Seagull runs through February 4th at Theatre in the Round for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/home/season-placeholder/72nd-season/seagull/

‘Til Death Do Us Die the Most Hilarious and Homicidal Wedding You’ll Hopefully Ever Attend

This follows hard upon my previous and first attendance of a The Mystery Cafe production. In fact, I’ve only reviewed three other productions in between I’ll Be Homicidal For Christmas and the new mystery ‘Til Death Do Us Die. What’s the rush you might ask? Well you know how when you first discovered Schitt’s Creek or Joe Pera Talks With You and you stayed up late bingeing every available episode because you enjoyed it so much? Well it’s kind of like that, I had such a blast with the first one that I wanted to keep going. And like finishing the last season and learning you have you have to wait a year for the next one or discovering that the bastards at Warner Brothers Discovery have cancelled a masterpiece after three short seasons. I’m now a bit bummed that there isn’t a new one on the schedule yet. I also took my own holiday gift giving advice and gave the gift of theater and in this case, The Mystery Cafe was given to some family members. I tell ya what, that’s the way to take in these productions! Get together your favorite mystery comedy loving fans and book a night out for some matrimony and murder. Once again, I stepped into the role of Dr. Watson to observe and be quite clueless as to the solution to the mystery. While the chief aim of the productions is the comedy on which it delivers, I’ve found in both cases that the mystery holds up as well. You could actually solve, but don’t feel bad if like me, you cannot see the solution until it is revealed to you and at which point, it will seem elementary my dear reader. Always the sign of a good mystery is when you can’t figure it out, but once it’s revealed you feel stupid for not solving it yourself. That means they didn’t cheat, but they kept it tricky enough that the answer took some critical thinking to solve which apparently, I don’t possess.

This latest Mystery takes place at the Wedding of Tara Ball played by Nissa Nordland and Duncan Schoen played by Brian Hodge-Rice. The Wedding party is made up of familiar faces Casey Martin, Brittany Oberstadt, Josh Carson, and Jonah Smith. Wini Froelich is the mother of the bride and Brad Erickson is the groom’s grandfather. Tim Dybevik is the Bride’s Uncle who is also officiating the ceremony and the DJ is played by Sam Landman. So glancing over the cast list, that should reveal another reason I wanted to see this production, it’s filled with local favorites. Now the fun of this show is the details, the jokes, the mystery, even the character names but I don’t want to spoil any of that for you. So trying not to reveal anything but still give you a feel for what to expect is the goal here. The audience plays the role of the guests at Tara and Duncan’s wedding, you’ll be seated at tables and if your table is far enough away from where the seating is set up for the ceremony, you’ll get the honor of sitting in the seats reserved for family of the bride and groom. After the ceremony and throughout the reception, you’ll be served your a three course meal, by the actors in character. The mystery will unfold throughout the evening so pay attention to the actors, though they will make sure your attention is on them for the critical moments there are a lot of jokes and comic bits happening at all times. At the end of the evening after you’ve enjoyed your slice of wedding cake, you will be given the opportunity to bribe members of the cast to answer questions using your allotted $20 of Mystery Cafe cash. Once you’ve learned all you can, you submit your guess as to who committed the murder and why. In terms of audience participation it ranges from being cast as the father of the bride or in my case as a line dancing guest our you can just sit back and observe, you really can participate as much or as little as you’d like.

The show is written by Brian Kelly and George Keller, comedy wise there are the odd clunkers here and there but overall its comedic writing and performances are very strong. I think sometimes people dismiss the mystery comedy genre, especially of the “dinner theater” variety as something less than other types of theater. I don’t know why that is, I imagine the script for something like this is just as challenging as any other. The performers need to be well rehearsed and able to stay in character and improvise as they interact with the audience. There are the usual design requirements and perhaps more given the non-theatrical venues. Most importantly, it’s as entertaining as any other type of theater. There’s nothing wrong with theater that is fun, escapism is one of the many reasons we go to the theater. And while it might seem like all this does is entertain, I’ll remind you that it also asks you to engage your problem solving skills and try and help bring the culprits to justice. I am having a great time with these shows they are a lot of fun, both clever and witty, and as an added bonus they are family friendly, so this is a great experience for a family theatrical outing, which is the best kind of family outing.

For more information and to purchase tickets to ‘Til Death Do Us Die go to https://www.themysterycafe.com/

‘Art’ is the Title and the Result in Exhibition at the Guthrie Theater. Three Actors, One Word, Brilliant!

Robert O. Berdahl, Max Wojtanowicz, and Patrick Sabongui Photo by Dan Norman

In a brilliant crack at counter programing the Guthrie Theater opened its production of Yasmina Reza’s ‘Art’ the Friday before Christmas opposite the ongoing run of their annual heart warmer A Christmas Carol. Not everyone celebrates Christmas and even those who do sometimes take a year off as the Ceasefire Carolers outside the theater reminded us tonight. So if you are not in the holiday spirit or want to relive some of the holiday trauma, come January but in a safe non-personal way, the darkly comical ‘Art’ is going to be the ticket for you. For a story about three friends who are incredibly hostile to each other, you wouldn’t think you’d leave the theater feeling so alive and invigorated. But that’s what great art does. When you see three roles so perfectly played, a script so layered, rich in humor and insight into the human condition, you can’t help but feel uplifted. Or maybe your just grateful that your friends don’t talk to you this way.

Reza’s play has been translated from the original french to english by Christopher Hampton, you may be familiar with Reza’s play God of Carnage which was adapted into the film Carnage starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly. ‘Art’ has a similarly critical view of people and their more childish and selfish sides. The play follows three Parisian friends and the fallout that results when one of them, Serge, buys a all white painting for 200,000 francs. It begins when Serge shows the painting to Marc, who calls it a piece of shit. He then ropes their mutual friend Yvan into the painting critique. Yvan, always the peacemaker tries to essential play the midfield, telling Yvan he likes the painting, while telling Marc that agrees that’s too much money for a painting that is basically white. This middle ground noncommittal response angers both Marc and Serge who see Yvan as a coward. And this is where we get to the heart of what is really going on in the play. It’s not about their own opinions as much as it is about how each others opinions reflect on them. Marc sees Serge’s stance on the painting as a reflection on himself because how can he be best friends with someone who would buy a white painting for 200,000 francs? When Yvan tries to make peace between the two friends, they both unite against him, because his wishy washiness in their minds reflects upon them for being his friend. It’s easier for them to attack and hurt him than each other, as he doesn’t put up much of a fight. They are really all three reflections of the different and conflicting aspects of all of our psyches. We all have it within us to behave one way with one friend and another with the other, just going along to get along, we also can get defensive when something we are proud of is proclaimed to be ridiculous, or can come of as judgemental or pretentious from time to time. Reza’s script is so articulate and sharp witted, we laugh and agree with what the characters are saying while also laughing at the fact that they are saying these things to each other, things we would never say to a friend. The fact that a disagreement over a painting one of them bought almost ends three longtime friendships is a comment on how egotistical and immature people can be, how little distance there is sometimes between the playground and adulthood.

The three person cast is perfection, each one of the actors is exactly right for their role. Max Wojtanowicz as Yvan edged out the other two by the smallest of margins on the car ride home. Wojtanowicz not only delivers every line in what feels like the only possible way they could be done, but his reactions to the other actors are as good as his own line readings. He so good at listening and reacting to the other actors that I frequently found myself watching him rather than the actor that was speaking. He also has a monologue about his wedding invitations to explain why he arrives late for an evening out with Marc and Serge that is the best 5 minutes in the entire play. Robert O. Berdahl plays Serge, he has the look and speech patterns of the Modern Art lover, I can’t really explain that, but you’ll see what I mean. Berdahl is adept at feigning aloofness one moment and then launching a counter attack with laser precision. He does a great job as well of making us believe that he doesn’t care what Marc thinks of the painting while also showing us that what he thinks really does hurt him. Patrick Sabongui plays Marc I’ve never seen him on stage before but am familiar with some of his TV and film work. This is one of the few times the Guthrie brings someone in from out of town that you wont hear me whining that they should always use local actors. Sabongui is just so good in the role I wouldn’t want to change anything about the production. He, maybe more than the other two, really succeeds in getting the audience to completely agree with him in one scene and then be very critical of his attitudes the next and then swing us back to his side. We are right there with him when he laughs at Serge for buying the painting, and then before long even though we agreed with him, we find ourselves wondering why he can’t just let it go. One of the biggest thrills of the evening is seeing the three actors play off each other, great acting can be entrancing as evidenced by those on display in ‘Art’.

Kimberly Senior directs the play and keeps it moving along at a brisk pace keeping the show at under 90 minutes, it flies by but feels like the perfect length. There are some nice beats where the characters step out of the scene and share their thoughts directly with the audience. Senior and Lighting Designer Xavier Pierce use the lighting to direct our focus in these moments and create a nice visual addition to what are usually humorous comments. The Scenic Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge has gone for a very sparse design. The action takes place in each of the three mens apartments the only change being that when we are in Marc or Yvan’s apartments a painting comes down from the ceiling. Otherwise the entire set is either white or in the case of the two chairs transparent. The design echoing the white painting underlining the absurdity of what has threatened the friendships of the three men.

‘Art‘ runs through January 28th at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/art/

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