Waitress is Sexy and Delicious at Artistry!

Adair Gilliam, Erin Capello, and Julia Diaz Photo by Alyssa Kristine

This production of Waitress at Artistry serves up the best slice of this modern American classic yet. Portions of this review not specific to this production are taken in part from my review of the touring production at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in 2022. I know, I know, another musical based on a movie, the difference is this time it wasn’t a blockbuster hit movie that everyone and their grandmother saw. This time, the musical is based on an independent film that your Grandmother probably didn’t see. Chances are you haven’t either, but you should, and you should see this musical as well. The film was released in 2007 starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion and co-starring the films Writer/Director Adrienne Shelly. It’s cult success was bittersweet due to the murder of Shelly in 2006. It’s nice to see her work gain a new life and continue to bring joy to audiences. Opening on Broadway in 2016, it ran until 2020. National Tours began in 2017. The tour made two stops in the Twin cities and I saw and enjoyed them both. But this production takes the pie! It’s a fairly naughty show, but in a very sweet way. If you haven’t seen a production yet, you are in luck like a tasty dessert you’ve saved the best for last. Maybe I’m just becoming more in tune with our local talent but the last two shows I’ve seen produced locally, I had also seen and loved the touring productions of, I’ve come away preferring the local productions. First it was Fun Home at Theater Latte Da, now Waitress at Artistry!

Jenna Hunterson is the Waitress of the title she has a gift for making pies which she puts to good use at Joe’s Diner. Work is populated by the grouchy short order cook and manager Cal, fellow waitresses and Jenna’s friends Dawn and Becky, and daily customer/owner the elderly Joe. Home life is Earl and only Earl, from that magic mold that so many Earl’s seem to come from. You know the type, the kind that makes people write songs with titles like “Goodbye Earl“. Things go from bad to worse for Jenna’s personal life when she discovers early in the show that she is pregnant. A trip to her OB/GYN further complicates matters when she finds herself attracted to him. During times of stress Jenna creates new pies with fabulous names like Deep Dish Blueberry Bacon, Betrayed By My Eggs Pie, and Almost Makes You Believe Again Pie. While the play focuses on Jenna, we also explore the love lives of the other characters. Particularly the introverted and innocent Dawn who has her own whirlwind romance with Ogie, whom she meets through a service and who is a spontaneous poet.

The book is by Jessie Nelson with Music & Lyrics by Sara Bareilles based on the film written by Adrienne Shelly. This being my third time seeing the show, I went from more of the songs sticking with me to, I love these songs!!!! Bareilles has some real winners here from the truly funny to the emotional. Maybe I just needed the right cast to bring all of them into focus for me. Although, I suspect it also has something to do with the tight and on stage orchestra under the musical direction of the Bradley Beahen. Director Amanda White has taken a show that I felt warmly about and transformed it into a show I feel giddy about. She’s found the exact right person for each role and found the perfect way for each of them to find their moment in the spotlight. If I start listing cast members and my favorite moments this will become too long and you’ll stop reading. So I’ll limit it to a few and them. Erin Capello as Jenna is brilliant and her vocals are angelic. Eric Morris is genuinely loathsome as Earl, I’ve met Eric Morris, he is no Earl, but a disturbingly good portrayal of a really nasty guy. Armando Harlow Ronconi brings every possible laugh and then some out of the nerdish Ogie. JoeNathan Thomas plays the cantankerous old joe with no nonsense, and then stuns with his song “Take it From an Old Man“. Oh shit I’m doing it, It’s getting long, but I just have to mention that I also loved everything Julia Diaz and Adair Gilliam did as Dawn and Becky. Oh and Ryan Lee as Cal, and of course Chris Paulson as Dr. Pomatter, and the matter of fact delivery of his “your not pulling the wool over my eyes nurse played by Lisa Vogel.

When you can’t pull out just a couple of good performances to mention you know it’s a very special production. It’s brought to life with wonderful design work by Sarah Bahr and the choreography by Gabrielle Dominique that really adds to the visuals and magic of this show. Waitress runs through May 11 at Artistry in Bloomington, but it’s selling very well so don’t assume you’ve got plenty of time. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://artistrymn.org/waitress

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

Don’t depend on a Facebook or Instagram algorithm to insure you hear about a great show. You can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the theater action. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn.

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

Disney’s Frozen Makes You Want to Build a Snowman as it Brings an Arctic Blast of Magic to Children’s Theatre Company

Laura Marie, Julia Ennen, Gillian Jackson Han, and Adam Jones Photo by Glen Stubbe Photography

The Disney’s Frozen The Broadway Musical National tour came through the Twin Cities in the fall of 2021 where I saw it and was wowed by the stage magic employed by the touring company. Now The Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) has mounted their own production using a fraction of a fraction of the Broadway budget of $35 million. And you know what happened? I was wowed by the stage magic employed by the CTC. CTC’s original production can’t recreate all the awe and wonder of the touring production with all its Disney dollars behind it, but they find effective ways to bring their own sense of wonder. Even finding their own way to recreate one of the biggest gasp inducing costume changes from the Broadway production. I was as thrilled by that moment as the theater filled with parents and children, we all collectively gasped then applauded! It doesn’t hurt that that scene is accompanied by the best song in the show “Let It Go” sung wonderfully by Gillian Jackson Han as Elsa.

The cast brings all the characters from the beloved Disney animated film to life including Olaf a living Snowman played by Laura Marie and Sven the Reindeer played by Adam Jones in terrific puppet designs by Eric Van Wyk. Gillian Jackson Han is fantastic as Elsa and admirably keeps the character front and center even when competing with some elaborate special effects. Julia Ennen is delightful as Anna and the heart of the production. Matthew Hall is magnificent as Kristoff and gets to show of some very strong vocals in the song “Kristoff Lullaby“. Other highlights in the cast were CTC constants Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund, bringing their signature quirkiness to multiple characters each.

Scott Davis’ scenic design is grand and striking, the large wooden doors to the castle of Arendelle that dominate the stage at the opening led a sense of the epic to the production. The ice staircase is an impressive stage piece and I appreciated the fact that it didn’t simply roll on and off stage, it appeared in different locations of the stage. That added mobility gave the impression of the point of view changing as different characters came upon it, as if we the audience had ourselves moved position in the ice palace. The Lighting Designer Driscoll Otto, The Sound Designer Sten Severson, and the Projection Designer Michael Salvatore Commendatore pool their talents creating a seamless blend of elements to create the magical powers of Elsa, the Ice Queen. The show is wonderfully choreographed by Rush Benson making even a song like Hygge, which I had trouble understanding the lyrics to, a great deal of fun. Director Tiffany Nichole Greene keeps the story moving and lively and with the reveal of the true villain, it’s clear from the collective gasp, that despite 95% of the audience knowing what’s coming that Greene had us in the palm of her hand. The Music Director Denise Prosek gets a nice full sound out of her miniature orchestra, it never overpowers the vocals but feels rich and full and well, magical.

Disney’s Frozen The Broadway Musical runs through June 15th at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. For mor einformation and to buy tickets go to https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/frozen/

Be a Part of The Stages of MN, Write the Theme Music For The Stages of MN YouTube Channel!

The launch of The Stages of MN YouTube channel is still over a month away. But I’m hard at work in developing what I hope will be an engaging new way to celebrate live theater. I want this to be a collaborative platform where I can engage with theatergoers and makers. With that in mind I’m sending out this request to you, faithful readers, if you or someone you know has experience writing music or songs I’m looking for something original to use as the Theme music for the show. Watch my latest video on YouTube for an idea of what I’m looking for.

I love the idea of having the show open with the something created by you whether you are a professional music and theater maker or just a novice fan of theater. I’m looking for something between 20 to 60 seconds, that I can use for the opening and closing of each episode. Like I say in the video anything goes, silly or serious, instrumental or with lyrics. I’m open to anything and everything. Send your creations to robdunkelberger@thestagesofmn.com, ideally by May 11th. I’d love to get as many options as possible, if there are multiple great choices I may use some for individual segments. I’m excited for you to be a part of The Stages of MN as it expands into new territory.

Feel free to reach out via email or any of the social media channels if you have any questions. I look forward to listening to your creations.

Sister Act is a Joyous Noise at Lyric Arts in Anoka

The Sisters of Sister Act at Lyric Arts Photo by Molly Jay

Sister Act is a musical based on the popular 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, which I saw in the theaters and remember enjoying but it’s been 33 years and so you’ll forgive me if the plot is a little fuzzy now. Which really is to say that you don’t have to have even seen the film to enjoy Lyric Arts new production. There are some shows that really are just amazing works of art like Les Miserables or Company, and then there are shows that are just fun like Sister Act. I love both types and I’m as surprised as anybody to say that Sister Act is at the top of the list of just fun shows that I’ve seen recently. The more musicals I’ve seen based on hit movies the more I’ve come to expect them to more or less suck for every Once, A Little Night Music, and Little Shop of Horrors there are twelve Pretty Woman‘s. So I don’t go into that type of show with high hopes, which usually helps me to enjoy in more due to lowered expectations. But I don’t think expectations had anything to do with how much I enjoyed this show. I think the cast, which is fantastic, and the crew, under Director Siddeeqah Shabazz, probably had an awful lot to do with it though. I was laughing and marveling at the vocals and choreography right up until the point I was moved to tears. I absolutely loved this cast and found the story full of humor with an unexpected touch of heart.

If you are not familiar with the film or musical a singer named Deloris witnesses her boyfriend Curtis murder a man. In order to hide her until she can be a witness at trial, a policeman named Eddie arranges to hide her in a convent. There is a fish out of water aspect to the story that provides a lot of humor, but the show really begins to sing when Deloris begins to help the nuns choir. Which, prior to her involvement, sounded much like you might imagine if you ran over a liter of kittens with a lawnmower. This is also where the show turns from broad comedy to something that begins to have a bit of heart to it. The choir becomes a hit, reversing the fortunes of the failing church. Of course the success of the choir leads to publicity which leads to Curtis and his henchmen discovering where Deloris is.

I’ve mentioned a little game I play with whoever I attend a show with where I ask, “who was your favorite?” This doesn’t happen often but this is one of those cases where there isn’t a clear favorite or two that are too hard to choose between, there are literally over 10 members of the cast that are in the running. So many of them have these moments that I thought as I was watching I have to mention that in my review! To the point where If I mention everything it will take forever to write and no one, not even my Mother… OK, especially my Mother, would ever read it all. So I’m going to mention a bunch of performers and moments, trying not to spoil anything and with the understanding this is just the tip of the iceberg. Cassie Edlund plays Deloris, full of over the top comic hamminess that feels like it’s going to be one note, and then turns into a real human character, as the show progresses she begins to layer subtlety into the character and her singing goes from solid vocally singing energetic numbers, to beautifully soulful vocally and song wise. It’s a genius way to play the character giving us a tangible way to measure the characters growth and opening up to her fellow “Sisters”. Caitlin Featherstone translating the Spanish speaking thugs threats for the other Nuns. Darius A. Gillard as Curtis, is a great villain and his rich vocals are delicious. Quintin Michael as Eddie the cop, he has a double costume change that is brilliantly conceived and executed. Sher U-F as Sister Mary Lazarus, doing a biblical rap during a choir performance is pure gold. Kaoru Shoji probably the best vocals in the cast, and the character that finally broke the dam and had the tears streaming down my face. Again, this is like half of the performers I want to mention and moments that stuck with me.

Big props to the Director Shabazz who guides this show with such a sure hand that the audience feels like they are part of the congregation. Laura Long’s musical direction is tight and perfectly balanced with the singers. I absolutely loved the choreography from Michael Terrell Brown, it’s full of comedic touches, every move serves a purpose and it’s usually to make us smile. Bradley Whitcomb’s set design is rather elaborate, with a set of stairs that can slide backwards or forwards to change the scene and to allow for more stage space as needed for the dancing. It’s one of the more elaborate sets I’ve seen at Lyric Arts and it looks like a real stone church. I also want to acknowledge the work of Costume Designer Khamphian Vang, the habits of the nuns are a given but Officer Eddie’s costume changes, the 70’s style of Curtis’s henchmen, and the glamorous costumes that Deloris sometimes wears, not to mention the blue fur coat are all very memorable.

Sister Act runs through May 11th at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/sister-act

Lettice and Lovage, Long But Ultimately Saved by Great Performances From its Two Leads at Theatre in the Round

Jean Wolff and Jackie Schluter-Johnson Photo by Aaron Mark Photo Film

Lettice and Lovage is too long. You’ll leave the theater three hours and 10 minutes after the play begins. You will get two 10 minute intermissions so bladder control isn’t an issue plus you’ll have a chance purchase and slam a coffee or a soda if you need it. I did. Act one I found myself doing the head dip and jerk back up. Intermission #1 I was worried about the rest of the night. Not that Act I didn’t have some good stuff in it but I knew if things didn’t pick up, I was in for a tough night. Again, it wasn’t that Act I wasn’t important it is, it introduces us to and develops the main characters, it sets up the rest of the play. Act II, maybe it was the Diet Coke and savory snack I consumed, but the play really came alive after that first intermission. Act III starts a little slow and trades primarily in frustration to build suspense, but about a third of the way through the final act, it came alive again. The key is when you have the two leads Jean Wolff and Jackie Schluter-Johnson playing off each other. My big advice with this one is to see it, for sure, but know yourself, do you get a little drowsy after dinner or are you more of a midday napper? Know which you are and plan to see it when you will be most alert, and don’t forget to take your Adderall or drink a Celsius. The first Act is deliberate, while still providing some chuckles. Also to be clear the author of this play Peter Shaffer is a very famous writer and this isn’t Shakespeare where a theater company can feel free to cut the script down. I could actually tell you how I would shave time off of the the play, but there’s no point as it isn’t something anyone has permission to do and since Shaffer has shuffled off this mortal coil, what we have is what we have.

OK I really do want you to see this show because I think The Director Duck Washington and his cast and crew have staged something very entertaining. Everything that could be improved in this play falls squarely at the feet of Shaffer. The first 15 to 20 minutes of the play we see Lettice Douffet lead four or five separate historical tour groups in the Grand Hall of Fustian House. She tells the same story each time about the grand staircase and Queen Elizabeth. The first time everyone on the tour is bored, the second time she is clearly bored, the third time she begins making things up, and each subsequent time she embellishes the story more and more to ludicrous extremes. This is discovered by Lotte Schoen who is the person in charge of the Preservation Trust Tours. We change the scene now to Miss Schoen’s office where she ends up firing Lettice. That’s the end of Act I, in that office scene there is one other performer Simone Reno who gives a memorable though brief performance as Miss Schoen’s secretary Miss Framer. Before that, during the tours Reno and five other performers play the visitors on the tour. They have a line or two each during the various tour scenes and then with the exception of Reno and one other performer Rick Lamers who will appear in Act III but they’re never seen again until the curtain call. There are five actors who appear in Act I and then are never seen again. What was Shaffer thinking? Hey I’m gonna give you two lines in the first 15 minutes of this play and then I want you to hang around for 2 hours and 45 minutes to take a bow.

Act II We are in Lettice’s basement apartment, this is where the rest of the plays all of Act II and III will take place. Lotte has come to see Lettice, she feels bad for having sacked her and wants to see how she is doing. She has come with a job possibility with a the river tour company one of her neighbors runs. The meeting at first is very contentious but they soon warm to each other and get a bit spiffy on an aperitif of Lettice’s creation, which is an homage to a 16th century libation. From this moment on when Jean Wolff who is spectacularly kooky as Lettice and Jackie Schluter-Johnson as Lotte Schoen really start to riff with each other the play ramps up from pleasant to delightful. Wolff is tremendously gifted at playing this overly dramatic but wildly imaginative misfit. Helping to place that character slightly out of synch with the mainstream are these fantastically stylized costumes by CJ Mantel. If ever a costume helped an actor fully embrace a character it has to be these, they are terrific.Schluter-Johnson plays the more grounded character but is equally good in the role. It’s the combination of the two that is the magic key. You feel like you are watching two people actually becoming friends and bonding right before your eyes. For these moments when they are working together despite everything else, I highly recommend Lettice and Lovage. The majority of the play is the two of them interacting and it is worth a little bit of a slow start. And Honestly nothing is bad or boring, but three plus hour shows are reserved for Musicals, Shakespeare, and truly epic plays like the Lehman Trilogy. A fun little comedy about two women who form an unlikely friendship, a show that is barely more than a two hander, just doesn’t wear that runtime very well.

Lettice and Lovage runs through April 27th at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/lettice-and-lovage/

The Show From E/D is Funny, Dark, Light, Messy, and Everything In Between at Red Eye Theater

Debra Berger and Emily Michaels King Photo by Dan Norman

The Show is a performance that may confound some and exhilarate others. Is The Show, a show for everyone, well no, of course not, no show is. Is it a show that could be for most people? Yes, I think it is as long as they go in as I did with the proper expectations. This show is not a linear story, it isn’t a sketch show, it isn’t a dance recital, it isn’t a country singer showcase, and it isn’t a feminist view of gender roles in modern society. It’s all of those things filtered through abstraction. Like light shown through a prism it splinters the female experience into multiple moments that are unique. Bold, filled with music, and featuring a lighting design by Karin Olson that feels like a third performer, it’s that integral to every moment that occurs on stage. I doubt there is a woman reading this that would not identify with elements of this show, and many would identify with every moment in this show. I also think there are many men who can gain a better understanding of their fellow travelers upon this planet through seeing this show. All that is required to embrace The Show is to let go of the urge to impose a narrative upon what you are witnessing and receive each new segment as it comes. There is something that will make you laugh, hurt, smile, and feel seen and heard in every different shade and color refracted through this show’s amazing light.

Created and performed by Emily Michaels King and Debra Berger The Show premiered in 2022. I missed that production and am very grateful that it was so successful during that run that they decided to bring it back. It’s the sort of experimental and personal theater that we don’t often see. Which of course is what makes it so exciting. I love a good play and a musical, obviously, but it’s nice every now and then to go into something that’s unlike anything else. Berger and Michaels King give us glimpses of everything from their feelings when they look in the mirror, of dancing like the rest of the world isn’t there, lip synching to “the Titanic song”, and experiences that are shameful either for their behavior or for what was done to them. Are all of these moments their personal truth? maybe, maybe not, but they are truths, they are recognizable and they are to some woman, no, many womens truths. It doesn’t matter what is theirs or a friends or a family members. What matters is that these moments, these colors if you will, are seen and shared. These women are brave and talented and they don’t leave anything left in reserve, they give us everything they have and it’s beautiful.

The Show runs through April 5th at Red Eye Theater in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.edmakesart.org/

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? Fear not! 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.

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

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.

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.

But that’s not all! You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time. Think I may have steered you wrong on a show? Well, I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by m’colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers.