"The Little Prince" at the Guthrie Theater

The 40+ year tradition A Christmas Carol is not the only magic the Guthrie Theater is weaving this month. Across the lobby in the proscenium theater, the new production of the classic children's book The Little Prince is full of theater magic and sheer delight, no matter your age. Despite the fact that this book is, according to Wikipedia, the most translated book next to the Bible, I have never read it, or seen any previous adaptation on film or stage. I can't think of a better introduction to this magical story of loneliness, connection, and exploration than through this truly inventive production. While A Christmas Carol closes soon, The Little Prince continues into the new year, providing an oasis of color and imagination in the darkness of winter (continuing through Feb. 5).

"Noura" at the Guthrie Theater

The night after seeing Jungle Theater's production of Lucas Hnath's sequel to Ibsen's A Doll's House, I saw Heather Raffo's Noura at the Guthrie Theater, which is, among many other things, a response to A Doll's House. But it's a much different story. This Noura is in an actually good marriage, not just a seemingly good marriage, with a supportive husband. But yet, as the playwright says in a note in a playbill, "women all around me, in strong marriages with truly great husbands, were drowning." But it's not just her role in her marriage that Noura is questioning, she's also questioning her very identity as an Iraqi refugee and new American citizen. She mourns for the culture and the community that she has lost, desperately trying to recreate it on different shores with a scattered family, and finally becoming overwhelmed by it all. As she says in the play, "I don't know how to let go and hold on at the same time." This is a devastating play, that brings to light issues of worldwide refugees, the destruction of war, cultures lost, individualism vs. community, and personal identity. It's incredibly current and relevant, and beautifully presented by the cast and creative team.