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/

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The World is Burning So I Made Smores One of the Funniest Shows Yet at The Brave New Workshop

Photo Courtesy of Hennepin Arts and The Brave New Workshop

If you’ve never been to the Brave New Workshop (BNW) for one of their sketch comedy shows, The World is Burning So I Made Smores is the perfect show to take the plunge with. The humor is topical but perfectly MAGA friendly; no seriously, if you are a Trump supporter don’t have any qualms about attending this show, none of your wrongly held believes will be questioned or joked about even in the slightest, sincerely. In fact, what a perfect way for liberals to extend an olive branch to their former MAGA friends, invite them to this light comedy show that looks for the silver lining in today’s overcast days. I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to thank all those who voted for Trump than to take them to this show and watch their responses. You know that uncle of yours who’s always going on about the transgender mafia’s attempts to take over the WMBA? You know the one you faked having Covid so you wouldn’t have to see him at Thanksgiving and Christmas? Yeah, bring him and Aunt Karen to this show, they’ll just eat it up, trust me.

Like all of the BNW shows telling much about it can only lessen your enjoyment. I will say that there seemed to be more musical numbers than usual, all of which are very funny. The cast is great as always, missing from this show is longtime performer Doug Neithercott, but who we do get are fantastic. Without saying too much, here are some favorite bits. Dora the Explorer played by Isabella Dunsieth. Katy McEwen as a sportscaster interviewing Donald Trump, played by Jeffrey Nolan, about his draft day cabinet picks. Lauren Anderson as a mother explaining to her daughter that grown ups don’t know what to do either. Denzel Belin as Captain America and his run in with Captin’ Merica. And one of my favorite portions of the night was Act III which was all improv, which of course means it will be different every night based on audience suggestions.

The World is Burning So I Made Smores runs through May 17th at The Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/the-world-is-burning-so-i-made-smores-2025

Which Middle Name of ‘Philip Seymour Hoffman’ are YOU? at the Phoenix Theater in Minneapolis

How do you write about this? That’s the first thing that I said when it was over. I think the best description I can give for theater folk is that it is super Fringey. But not everyone knows what that means and might think it has a negative connotation, it doesn’t. It’s almost like saying it’s unique, creative, or atypical of live theater, unless of course you are at a Fringe Festival, than something described as being very Fringey is very much like everything else, except probably completely different. Now that I’ve clarified that and used as many words as possible to do so, let me tell you the premise of the show. Two friends are trying to prove that an online quiz they took titled Which Middle Name of ‘Philip Seymour Hoffman’ are YOU? to which the answer is always Seymour. Of course it’ll also give the incorrect answer which is Seymoure, with an E at the end. Why do they want to prove this? Because the creator of the quiz Doug Pickle has threatened to cancel them unless they can prove that the answer of Seymoure actually appears. They have taken the quiz thousands of times and never been able to repeat the answer of Seymoure that they once got.

That is the set up, the punchline is the next 75 minutes which is spent racing around the theater having volunteers from the audience take the quiz. If that sounds like it would get boring or repetitive, fear not. The writers Jake Mierva and Danylo Loutchko who also perform the show along with their computer person Sarah Halverson, who can be seen folding laundry between quizes, have solved the repetition issue. Each time you take the quiz it’s completely different, but even more than the questions changing the humorous idea behind each round of questions changes. Not to give too much away but for example one round might be trivia questions about Philip Seymour Hoffman, the next might show you pictures and ask you what sound is this picture? The variety of the quizes along with the surprises that might come from the audiences answers is from where much hilarity ensues. For those who dread interactive shows, rest assured you have to raise your hand and volunteer, and you learn fairly quickly it’s a safe place to volunteer. There are also some side bits that get performed throughout the show between quizes which are clever. Like the repeated deliveries from Doug Pickle which taunt them, and motivational speeches when one of them starts feeling hopeless and wants to give up. Mierva and Loutchko’s manic energy alone is worth the time and price of admission.

Which Middle Name of ‘Philip Seymour Hoffman’ are YOU? is incredibly silly and fun and is running through March 16th at The Phoenix Theater in Uptown. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://allegedtheatre.com/on-stage/

The Effect at the Jungle Theater

Kamani Graham and Becca Claire Hart Photo by Janet Eckles Media

The Effect is brilliant at smuggling in multiple ideas within a 90 minute entertaining story. It’s one of my favorite types of plays, I don’t mean 90 minutes no intermission, but that is always a plus. What I’m referring to is a play that tackles serious or thought provoking themes, but does it with humor and an emotional story that we as an audience can connect with. Written by Lucy Prebble,The Effect follows two test subjects, Tristan and Connie, for a clinical trial of a new antidepressant medication. When the two begin to develop feelings for each they are uncertain whether the feelings are real or actually a side effect of the medication. We also Follow the story of those conducting the trial Dr. Lorna James and Dr. Toby Sealey, who have a complicated past. The play is designed to bring up a lot of questions that it doesn’t answer, which is great, because they don’t have definitive answers, they are questions calculated to make us think. It makes us think about Love, Drugs, Depression, guilt, bias, responsability, connection, and morality. It’s also really quite funny and charming.

Kamani Graham who plays Tristan is not someone I’ve seen before but I hope to see a lot more of. Graham creates an easy rapport with Becca Claire Hart who plays Connie, drawing the more reserved Connie out with his humor and carefree approach to life. Hart does a great job of showing us Connie’s guarded nature, her tendency to overthink every situation. The two play their characters so well that it’s very easy to believe that their attraction as they both embody a quality the other lacks but could maybe use a little of. Dr. Lorna James is played by The Jungle Theater’s Artistic Director Christina Baldwin and Dr. Toby Sealey is portrayed by Greg Watanabe. Baldwin plays her character as strong and in control, but by the end reveals her to be perhaps the most fragile of the four. Watanabe brings a likeability that is key to making his character more than just a representative of big pharm, he isn’t supposed to just be a stand in for a villain, he’s meant to represent someone who is trying to do their best in an imperfect world. He has faults, but he also cares.

Technically the show is very accomplished, from the set design by Benjamin Olsen to the Costumes by Sarah Bahr which have an authentic clinical feel. But what really worked very well is the Projections which were designed by Leslie Ritenour. Throughout the play we get everything from messages like “Dosage increase to 100mg” to brain scan images. We also get these abstract images that look like chemical reactions in the brains which just really helped to convey what was happening between Tristan and Connie.

The Effect runs through March 30th at the Jungle Theater in uptown. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/the-effect

This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, This Blogger Beamed With Joy at Ten Thousand Things Theater Latest Triumph

Joy Dolo, Maggie Chestovich, and Katie Bradley Photo by Tom Wallace

“… and tell a world’s worth of stories”
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing by Finegan Kruckemeyer

Tonight Ten Thousand Things Theater (TTT) proved once again that you don’t need a large budget, huge sets, or elaborate costumes to make great theater. Armed with a few simple props and costumes, performed with all the lights up and in the round This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing is as entertaining and creative as anything else you’ll see on any stage. In a world that wants to whitewash our Theaters, TTT offers up a diverse cast telling a story that encompasses the entire planet with a message about self love, helping others, and family. The play is a modern day variation on a fairytale about three sisters, triplets who suffer a loss and then are taken into the woods to be lost. Though triplets, they are very different from each other. Albienne was the oldest and enjoyed cake, Beatrix was next and she was a child of the sun, Carmen was the youngest and carried the world upon her shoulders. When they are left in the woods they each decide what the best course of action will be for themselves and at age 12. They separate, Albienne goes forward out into the world, Carmen stays in the forest, and Beatrix goes back in search of their Father. The play follows each girls story until they are in their thirties and find their way back to each other. Along the way they will first serve others, and then learn to serve themselves.

The five person cast all play multiple roles and every member of this ensemble contributes equally, making it a very special production. Joy Dolo plays Albienne, I have a soft spot in my heart for Dolo. The first time I saw her perform was a show called Every Brilliant Thing. It’s a show where the audience have slips of paper and when she says the number on the slip of paper you have to say or do what is on it. I got the slip that said I was her Father, and I had to make a toast at her wedding. Since that night, she has held a special place in my heart, not just because I played her Father for a minute or two, but because of the connection she made to the entire audience. A connection I have experienced again and again in her performances including this one. Dolo has a way of interacting with the audience that makes them feel welcome and included rather than on the spot. Katie Bradley plays Carmen who just about had us falling out of our seats with laughter as she goes on a feeding frenzy of woodland animals. Maggie Chestovich plays Beatrix, and her character has a manic energy and feistiness, not afraid to go full on wild and crazy when she tries to cheer up a city full of depressed people. The cast is rounded out by Tyson Forbes who plays among many other roles, their Father and Marisa B. Tejeda who among others plays their Mother.

The five together along with the Director Markell Kiefer are masterful storytellers. They convey everything from the changing of the seasons to battles with Vikings with simple movements, small props, and hats that represent the sun and the moon. They use so little, yet use every tool available to them to convey so much. The play is performed to live musical accompaniment by Composer and Music Director Julie Johnson, which is so light and sweet that it floats around the audience lifting us up on it gentle melodic waves. The set and props are designed by Joel Sass, one of the most creative theater designers in the Twin Cities. Equally capable of wowing us with detailed and fabulous designs at Open Eye Theatre or stunning us with the simplistic creativity of a TTT production. The lovely and multifaceted costumes are by Sarah Bahr. The Choreography is by a master of movement, Jim Lichtscheidl, whose ability to complement and enhance the story physically adds immeasurably to the charm of the show.

This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing is filled with humor and creativity, it is exactly the kind of show we need right now. A show that embraces the art of storytelling in a way that inspires us to hope and love and engage. As with all TTT shows this one travels around the area, to find out where they are performing, on what dates, and to grab your tickets go to https://tenthousandthings.org/

The Root Beer Lady Returns to History Theatre

The Root Beer Lady returns to the History Theatre in St. Paul after it proved to be a hit with audiences in its initial 2023 run. That production which I also reviewed ended with a standing ovation, that continued for nearly a minute after it’s star and writer Kim Schultz left the stage. I’m not sure they needed to bring it back this soon but one thing’s for certain, Minnesotans love their Root Beer Lady and Kim Schultz once again brought her vividly to life for us on stage. Dorothy Molter, was a fascinating woman who made her own way in a mans world. She was a true trailblazer and the kind of person that becomes something of a folk hero around whom a mythology springs up. If you don’t know much or anything about Ms. Molter, do yourself a favor and don’t google her. Instead, get yourself some tickets and learn about her from Kim Schultz and her wonderful play. This was my second time and I think I may have enjoyed it even more this time. Schultz embodies Dorothy so completely that one comes away feeling you’ve just spent 90 minutes with the real Root Beer lady of the north.

Schultz heard about Molter during a stay in Tofte, MN. Fascinated by what she’d heard, she found a book written about her in the Tofte library. After reading that and doing some more research she began writing this one person show. I really don’t want to say much about her story as I knew little going in, and not knowing all the details was a wonderful gift. Molter moved permanently to Knife Lake in the Boundary Waters area of Northern MN after spending three summers working at the Isle of Pines Resort for her friend Bill. She never left, becoming the last resident of what became the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Her story is about the love she had for the area and her determination to live her life the way she wanted to, where she wanted to, in a time when that wasn’t really done. The story is full of humor and emotion, astonishing facts, and moments that will leave you in awe of what Molter was capable of. It’s an inspirational true life tale of real Minnesota original, and I found my eyes got a little watery by the end. She is an example of the ways in which people touch each others lives. When the going gets rough, the woman the Saturday Evening Post dubbed, the “Loneliest woman in America” always found that she had many, many, many friends.

It’s clear that Kim Schultz connected with Molter as her portrayal is so affectionate. She embraces the wonder of a young Molter experiencing the majesty of the wilderness, and gradually over the course of 80 minutes imperceptibly changes into the mature woman who spent 56 years living in the place she fell in love with. From a wonderstruck young woman to a full blown wilderness character, effortlessly and believably. While it’s definitely Schultz’s show, she gets some wonderful assistance with the production. Chelsea M. Warren’s set is a wonderful combination of Molter’s cabin and the outdoors with large tree trunks towering into the rafters and a canoe beached on the shoreline. Leslie Ritenour’s video design creates a background that changes the season, shows us the beautiful blue skies of a sunny day and the millions of stars in the night sky. Finally, Katharine Horowitz sound design creates an aurel soundscape that engulfs the audience. The constant sound of the lake, the animals sounds and the wind that accompanies a blizzard are just a few of the touches that stand out and help create the illusion of being up north with Dorothy.

The Root Beer Lady runs through February 23rd at the History Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.historytheatre.com/2024-2025/root-beer-lady

Helen, Ten Thousand Things, Need I Say More?

Liv Kemp, John Jamison II, And George Keller Photo by Tom Wallace

Helen, the latest production by Ten Thousand Things (TTT) and the last under the purview of exiting Artistic Director Marcela Lorca, ends soon. I was able to squeeze in a late run performance but if you are going to catch this one you’ll want to act fast as the final performance is November 10th. That being said
I’m going to keep this short and sweet. My experience with Greek tragedy isn’t abundant, my first exposure was in Jr. High seeing something at the old Guthrie Theater, this would have been mid 1980’s, my second was actually Helen during my first year of college at NDSU either Fall 1991 or Spring 1992. Both of those were amazing looking productions, but If I remember correctly they put me to sleep. I’d say two out of three Greek tragedies have put me to sleep. I bring that up to point out that in my limited experience, and as is the case with Shakespeare, TTT is how you want to experience it.

They have a way of making centuries old works feel fresh and invigorating. Surely the adapters of Euripides classic John Barton and Kenneth Cavander have something to do with that, but I’ve seen enough TTT productions now to know they bring their own source of magic to the works. Marcela Lorca directs the play and choreographed the movement. She leaves the companies helm on a high note and we hope that the new incoming Artistic Director will be able to carry on with the extraordinary quality of TTT work. Working here with Composer and Music Director JD Steele, they have added an element of soul to that of the traditional Greek Chorus, which usually jarringly taking us out of the play. Here it makes the narrative sing. George Keller is fantastic as Helen but then everyone in every TTT production I’ve ever seen has been amazing. So just a couple of others to single out and then I’ll let you click on the link and see if you can score tickets for one of the last remaining shows. Lynnea Doublette, John Jamison II, and Bradley Greenwald all play a named role but also form the chorus, they all bring something special to their characters but also shine vocally.

For more information about Helen and to purchase tickets go to https://tenthousandthings.org/helen/