"The Reunion" by Trademark Theater at Gremlin Theatre

The reunion of a high school friend group, complicated relationships both current and past, a role-playing murder mystery game, and not one but two actual murder mysteries add up to a whole lot of wicked fun in Trademark Theater's world premiere new play The Reunion. Trademark focuses on developing new work, so they only do a full production maybe once a year. And when they do - you'll want to go. And then stick with them to support the development work that they do, including readings of new works and fundraiser concert events. The Reunion is smartly written, well performed by the talented seven-person cast, and features design elements that ramp up the spooky factor. See it at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood now through October 12.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2022: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 5

Show: 18

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: COMEDY / IMPROV / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

By: The Bearded Company

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: A completely improvised fantasy tale using elements of Dungeons and Dragons (familiarity not required).

Highlights: I don't know anything about D&D, but I love what this crew does with it (I suspect that any real game wouldn't be as fun as this). I first saw this show back in the 2017 Fringe, and then again in 2018. In the last few years the Bearded Company has come out with a podcast with a similar concept, called Break the Dice, which is entertaining to listen to, but I forgot how much fun it is to watch them do their thing in person. The physicality of the improvised story adds a whole new element, as they twist their bodies to embody various creatures, and enact slow-mo fight scenes. The premise is fairly simple: guided by game master Allen Voigt, a rotating cast of improvisors (Maria Bartholdi, Laura Berger, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels King, Tyler Mills, Joe Rapp, Chris Rodriguez, and Lucas Vonasek) tell a story of druids, elves, dwarves, and other magical creatures. They explore and fight, occasionally asking Allen to roll the dice to determine the success of a move they want to make, whether it's persuade someone, or slash at them with a dagger. Musician Jack Barrett provides a score and soundscape so seamless and appropriate it's hard to believe it's improvised, while Ryan Klima provides sound and lighting effects to add to the story. After many years of experience, this team has become experts at this unique form of storytelling, seeming to read each other's minds as they create a story on the fly. The only bad thing about the show is that it's one continuing story, so we're left with a cliffhanger at the end of the show, which makes me want to go back and see it again!

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"Stone Baby" by Trademark Theater and Kiss the Tiger at Icehouse

Trademark Theater's first live production after the extended intermission of the last year or two is, of course, something truly original. During the time off from live performance, they've been working on developing new work, including a collaboration with local band Kiss the Tiger, whose lead singer Meghan Kreidler has been seen on theater and music stages all over town. Stone Baby is a concert/theater/performance hybrid unlike anything I've seen before. The rock concert storytelling format in the vein of Hedwig and the Angry Inch combines original rock music and a wild story about a musician who choose her art no matter the consequences. It's completely mesmerizing, and a welcome step outside of my comfort zone of traditional theater. Stone Baby can be experienced every Wednesday night this month at Icehouse, a really cool music venue in South Minneapolis (click here for info and tickets, standing room and table seating available).

Black and Funny / Twin Cities Improv Festival at the Bakken Museum

Last weekend, I attended the final performance of the joint festival by the Black and Funny and Twin Cities Improv Festivals. And it only made me wish I had seen more of the performances. In the before times, I didn't see improv often enough, but I had to go to Huge Theater (which was a sponsor of the event) at least once a year to see my favorite improv show, Family Dinner. It had been a year and a half since I had seen live in-person improv, and it was so amazingly wonderful to laugh with other humans at silly, smart, fun performances made up entirely new right in front of us! That's the magic of improv, doable over Zoom but so much better in real life, even outdoors* under a tent on a rainy day. The festival may be over, but live performance returns to Huge on July 9 with shows every Friday and Saturday throughout the summer, and their full schedule returning this fall (click here for details).

"Understood" by Trademark Theater, an Audio Play

Two years ago, Trademark Theater premiered the new play Understood, written by resident playwright Tyler Mills, about a divided couple and a divided nation. Now, when that division has only increased, and a global pandemic has made live performance dangerous, they've pivoted this piece into an audio play, updating it for 2020. It works remarkably well in this format. Removing the visuals and the staging allows the audience to really focus on the words, and what's in between the words. And this play is all about what's being said, or not being said, or how it's being said. Understood is available now through the election, and is such an advocate for the kind of communication, listening, and connection we'll need to survive the next few months.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2020: "Break the Dice: The Improvised Campaign"

Location: Nightly Fringe (July 30)

Length: 40 minutes

Title: Break the Dice: The Improvised Campaign

By:  The Bearded Company

Summary: An improvised D&D/fantasy show, with performers joining in from home.

Highlights: If you've seen the Bearded Company's hit Fringe show Swords and Sorcery the last few years, it's pretty much the same premise, except that instead of performing together in a theater, this talented group of improvisers (Joe Rapp, Maria Bartholdi, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels, and Tyler Mills) are performing each from a different location. They've adapted the show remarkably well to this format, still using physicality to move around in their little boxes, with great facial expressions, somehow making it all feel like one cohesive performance instead of separate ones. The online interface is cute and catchy, and I appreciate the "dice cam," keeping game master Allen Voigt honest. If you missed the live show, you can watch it here. And be sure also to check out the podcast version of Break the Dice, available wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes arriving bimonthly.

Read all of my Nightly Fringe mini-reviews here.

Read all of my Digital Hub mini-reviews here.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2019: "Visitation"

Day: 3

Show: 9

Title: Visitation

Category: COMEDY / DRAMA / SPOKEN WORD

By: DangerVision Productions

Directed by: Amber Danger Johnson

Location: Crane Theater

Summary: A series of short plays about grief, framed by a visitation in a funeral home

Highlights: The play opens at a visitation (or wake), the most awkward of reception lines. As the widow steels herself to be able to speak, a funeral director (played by Clarence Wethern) talks about grief, what it is and what it isn't. What follows are five short plays (all accompanied by projected imagery) that range from funny to mystical to sad, brought to life by the ensemble (Ben Tallen, Charles Numrich, Karen Bair, Sophie Javna, and Victoria Pyan). Laura Buchholz's exploration of people's fascination with the details of death, Gemma Irish's profound treatise on the meaning of life itself, Rachel Teagle's story of a complicated mother/daughter relationship, Sam Landman's moving tribute to his best friend, and Tyler Mills' poetic journey through grief are tied together by Heather Meyer's funny/sad "interludes" delivered by the funeral director. I came prepared to cry, but laughed more than I expected, while still being moved by the varied expressions of the experience of grief, an inescapable part of being human.

"The price of love is loss, but still we pay, we love anyway."
- Next to Normal

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

A Night at HUGE Improv Theater: "Family Dinner," KINGS, and the Bearded Company's "Chronicles"

Who couldn't use more laughter in their life? A great place to guarantee that is HUGE Improv Theater in Uptown, with shows every night except Tuesday. 'Tis the holiday* season, which brings my (and apparently may people's) favorite improv show - the utterly delightful Family Dinner. Every Friday and Saturday through the end of the year, a group of talented improvisers (nightly cast TBA from this lovely group) put on a very funny, very real (ish) production of a typical family dinner, including eating an actual dinner. It's super popular and almost always sells out, so make your reservations in advance. And while you're there, why not stay for another show or two, like I did? Friday nights include KINGS and The Bearded Company (keep reading for more on them), while Saturdays are The Mess (whom I've seen a couple of times before) and A Christmas Carol: Unscripted (I might need to go back to see this one). The full schedule (and reservations) can be found on HUGE's website.

"Understood" by Trademark Theater at Soma Studios

"People by and large are idiots." Wow, does this ever ring true, especially on a day when some of my fellow Minnesotans showed up and cheered for the current White House resident despite all the ugly things he's said and done. How can people do that?! It's completely incomprehensible to me; they are completely incomprehensible to me. This feeling is at the core of the new play Understood by Tyler Mills, which Trademark Theater is intentionally producing running up to next month's midterm election. Director Tyler Michaels notes in the program, "This play swirls around these two ideas: A broken couple and a broken country." In this thoughtful and thought-provoking two-hander, a married couple is looking to be understood by each other, the one that is supposed to know and love them best, and also by a stranger whose beliefs are inexplicable to them.

Minnesota Fringe Festival 2018: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 7

Show: 24

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: Comedy / Improv / Audience Participation

By: The Bearded Company

Created by: The Bearded Company

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: An improvised fantasy play based on the rules of Dungeons and Dragons.

Highlights: It's the same show as last year, but different. First of all, the Bearded Men have rebranded to the Bearded Company, because they now have some Bearded Ladies in their midst (Maria Bartholdi and Meghan Wolff), which is nice to see. Secondly, it's improv, so it's different every night, even if some of the characters are the same (which I don't know for sure, maybe that's different every night too). Dungeon Master Allen Voigt sets the stage and rolls the dice to determine how strong a requested move (kick, punch, sword strike) is. The improvises (also including Joe Rapp, Lucas Vonasek, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels, and Tyler Mills) create specific characters (spoiler alert: not all survive) and scenarios, all involving quests and demons to fight, while Jack Barrett improvises the always appropriate musical accompaniment on keyboard. This show is simply fun, although not so simple for the improvisers to come up with funny dialogue and cool moves on the spot. And improvised choreography has to be extra hard, but they still make it look cool (and safe). If you like improv, fantasy, D&D (confession: I only know what that is from watching Freaks and Geeks and Stranger Things), and fake sword-fighting, check out one of their two remaining shows.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

Fringe Festival 2017: "Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign"

Day: 11

Show: 48

Title: Swords & Sorcery: The Improvised Fantasy Campaign

Category: Comedy

By: Bearded Men Improv

Created by: Bearded Men Improv

Location: Theatre in the Round

Summary: An improvised journey into a fantasy world of knights, dragons, and demons.

Highlights: I've never played it, but I'm pretty sure watching this show is like watching a bunch of guys play Dungeons and Dragons while acting out everything. In the show, the "Dungeon Master" Allen Voigt calls out the action and rolls a 20-sided dice to determine the strength of the blows, as the ensemble (Joe Rapp, Lucas Vonasek, MJ Marsh, Tyler Michaels, and Tyler Mills) fight their way through the fantasy world, going on quests and defending themselves against monsters. It's all pretty silly, but great fun to watch. The performers are the most earnest knights and monsters you've ever seen, especially when they fail. Bearded Men Improv performs regularly at HUGE Theater, and will be doing a Wild West show in the fall.

Read all of my Fringe mini-reviews here.

"The Boy and Robin Hood" by Trademark Theater at the Ritz Theater

A third new theater company is making its #TCTheater debut this month, following a charming new original musical Ragtime Women by Theatre Elision and Little Wars, a powerful story of women in their prime brought to us by Prime Productions. Now we have Trademark Theater, comprised of the Tylers Michaels (founder and artistic director) and Mills (artistic associate and resident playwright), with Emily Michaels King on marketing and graphic design. Their mission is to "expand the breadth of original theatrical works born in Minnesota by creating, developing, and producing dynamic stage productions." Their first creation is a new adaptation of an old story - Robin Hood. And it most definitely is original and dynamic. I saw a reading of it as part of Illusion Theater's "Fresh Ink" series last year (under the title The Gest of Robin Hood) and was impressed with the storytelling and original music (written by David Darrow). But now, with the added elements of movement, costumes, set, lighting, and all of the theater magic, plus a super talented and energetic young cast, it's something truly exciting.

Fringe Festival 2016: "Lewis/Clark"

Day: 3

Show: 10

Title: Lewis/Clark

Category: Something Different

By: Rhymes with Montana

Created by: Debra Berger, Emily King, and Tyler Mills (narrative playwright)

Location: Phoenix Theater

Summary: An original story of discovery, adventure, and friendship, inspired by the real-life adventures of Lewis and Clark but taking it into the territory of imagination.

Highlights: Everything that this group does (performer/creators Debra Berger and Emily King, collaborators Tyler Mills and Tyler Michaels) is indescribably lovely, funny and whimsical yet strangely moving and somehow profound. In this story, the fictional female adventurers Lewis and Clark reunite after many years apart for one more grand adventure. Lewis has found something new, and wants Clark to go with her so they can discover it together, as they have so many places before. Past hurts are revisited but their friendship endures. The story is fantastical, but incorporates actual writings as varied as "How to Skin a Rabbit"and transcripts from the moon landing. Musician Derek Trost provides a soundtrack for the story using various percussion instruments, and Debra sings an original song (with lyrics by Tyler Mills and composition by the company) about a female explorer that sounds like it was written 100 years ago. The two women also sing Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage," with harmonies so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. Lewis/Clark combines movement, music, historical writings, storytelling, and LaCroix sparkling water in a completely unique and innovative way. (Watch for more from the Tylers when they launch their new theater company next spring with The Gest of Robin Hood, which was part of Illusion Theater's "Fresh Ink" new works festival this year.)

Fresh Ink: New Works at Illusion Theater

Every summer, Illusion Theater presents staged readings of new works in a program called "Fresh Ink." This year's selections include Revolving Stage, co-written by and celebrating the life of late Twin Cities actor Phil Kilbourne, and The Gest of Robin Hood, a new musical adaptation of the beloved and familiar tale. After a week or two of workshops with the creators and cast, each has four public performances, followed by discussions in which audience members give feedback on what they've seen, an important part of the new work development process. I was fortunate enough to see both shows, and both are and exciting and promising new works of which I hope to see more in the future.

Fringe Festival 2015: "To The Moon"

Day: 2

Show: 5

Title: To The Moon

Category: Something Different

By: Sunday Night Fold

Written by: Tyler Mills

Location: Illusion Theater

Summary: A lovely and inventive telling of a fairy tale about a childless mother and father who go to the moon in search of a child, or whatever adventure they might find.

Highlights: So much loveliness it's hard to describe. Let's start with Tyler Mill's lyrical and poignant and funny words (see also Jonah and the Whale). Then add in Derek Trost's evocative musical soundtrack to the story. All of it creating a picture in the mind's eye, made real by the cast which includes the playwright (as the father), Debra Berger (as the mother), Emily King (as the narrator), and Tyler Michaels (as everyone else - children, women, men). It's a sweet and simple story, but the joy is in the telling. Tyler Michaels is a master at creating a character from the inside out, and it's a pleasure to watch him do it multiple times in the space of an hour. The other Tyler and Debra are so warm and sweet and funny as this comfortably loving couple (they've had practice - they're married in real life.). Last but not least, Emily presides over the story like Alanis Morisette in that movie where she played God. The only props onstage are two stools, which are used almost as inventively as the props of movement and physicality. To the Moon is my favorite kind of Fringe show - genuine and beautiful and whimsical and dreamy.

"Jonah and the Whale" by 7th House Theater at the Guthrie Theater

Friends, the future of Minnesota theater, and perhaps American theater, is here. It can currently be seen in the Guthrie Theater's 9th floor Dowling Studio, where a group of smart, talented, ambitious, dedicated, hard-working young music-theater artists have created a beautiful new original musical, based on the biblical story of Jonah. It's everything I want theater to be - fresh, innovative, delightful, heart-breaking, inspiring, genuine, and epic. This is 7th House Theater's fourth production in less than two years, and they continue to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of what theater can be. They've proven themselves with three low-budget but high-quality productions, and now have the resources of the Guthrie behind them to expand even further in this production. The result is beautiful and breath-taking. If 7th House is the future of theater, we're in good hands.

This Jonah and the Whale is a loose and modernized interpretation of the story of Jonah, set somewhere along the Mississippi River sometime in the last century. Jonah is a well-liked happy man, expecting a child with his beloved wife, and fixing anything that's broken in his small close-knit community, including the town clock. An unspeakable tragedy causes Jonah to run away from his life in search of something - peace, healing, answers, a reason to live. He joins the crew of a riverboat and seems to be making progress, until a storm tosses him overboard. The whale is never explicitly named, but Jonah ends up inside something, where he experiences the culmination of his personal crisis, a revelation, and decides to come home. A simple story really, but profound in its telling.

Jonah with Susan always behind him
(David Darrow and Kendall Anne Thompson,
photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

This is a true ensemble piece, with the eight-person ensemble and four-person band (some of whom cross over into the action of the play) taking turns narrating the story and playing various characters in it. At the center of the tale is composer David Darrow, with a heart-breaking and beautifully sung performance as Jonah. Kendall Anne Thompson is his ever-present wife Susan, with a beautiful clear voice that pierces the heart. The rest of the talented ensemble includes Matt Riehle (with a fantastic revival song), Gracie Kay Anderson, Serena Brook, and 7th House company members Cat Brindisi (leading a rousing gospel chorus), Derek Prestly, and Grant Sorenson. Tyler Michaels and Emily King have combined their talents to direct and choreograph this group, and created some really wonderful and innovative movement around the stage.

In just over six months playwright Tyler Mills, along with composer/lyricists* Blake Thomas (a gifted singer/songwriter, check out his music on iTunes) and David Darrow (who gave us a glimpse of his songwriting skills at the Fringe a few years ago) have written what feels like a full and complete musical. The clever, funny, and poignant book has light-hearted homey moments, with plenty of small details added that add color to the characters, as well as intense and personal drama. The score is in the style of "old timey folk/Americana music" (which just happens to be my favorite genre) and includes a gospel chorus, a revival tent song, a bar song, plaintive ballads, and a recurring wordless tune that ties the whole thing together. I'm crossing my fingers that they record a soundtrack; this is music I could listen to endlessly. In addition to the music, there are constant wonderfully inventive sound effects that illuminate the world of Jonah, many created by Mary Fox on various percussive instruments and objects.**

This is definitely the most elaborate set that 7th House has had. The black box theater that is the Dowling Studio is arranged in the frequent proscenium style, with the back of the stage area filled with ladders, barrels, crates, and a moving doorway, creating that early 20th century Americana feel. The simple costumes are also of that Americana dust bowl sort of style, with homespun dresses for the women and worker's coveralls for Jonah (set by Kate Sutton-Johnson, costumes by Mandi Johnson).

Jonah and the Whale is less than 90 minutes long but it feels epic, full and complete and layered, like you've gone on the journey along with Jonah and returned home changed. It's one of those experiences where time stands still and what's happening on stage is the only reality. This is a truly unique and special creation, with so much work and heart put into it by the cast and creative team. It makes my heart glad for the future of theater. I could not be prouder of or happier for the kids at 7th House for their continued success and growth as a company. Go check them out in this show if you can (two shows have been added and limited seats remain), and keep your eye on them in the future.

Jonah (David Darrow, photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp)

*Listen to Blake and David talk about writing the song "Wondering Wandering" on an episode of Twin Cities Song Story, hosted by Mark Sweeney.
**Mary and Blake have experience creating wonderful, whimsical, innovative sounds on Take it With You, their monthly radio show, recorded live in Duluth, which you can listen to here.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

Fringe Festival: "Hello Stranger"

Day: 2

Show: 4

Title: Hello Stranger

By: The Newton Theatre

Written by: Tyler Mills

Location: U of M Rarig Center Thrust

Summary: Hmmm... how can I describe this one? It's a one-woman show with lovely original live music, shadow puppets, and audience get-to-know-each-other exercises, all of which ruminates on the idea of how strangers become friends.

Highlights: Debra Berger is charming and disarming as the leader of this experience, for experience it is. A voice-over narration dictates her actions as much as describes them, as she processes the complicated issues surrounding relationships. She asks the audience questions and invites them to participate in exercises to get to know each other. Half of the fun is watching the audience (and since I was sitting behind a couple of the guys from Comedy vs. Calories, I got a double show!). Debra sings three songs, offered as golden apples in the courtship between her and the audience. She is accompanied by one of my favorite local musicians (who also recently co-wrote a new original musical* at Yellow Tree Theatre), Blake Thomas (download his 2008 recording Flatlands for an example of a nearly perfect album). Playing various instruments, he provides a soundtrack throughout the show, sings harmony with Debra, and even entertains the audience with a silly song of his own while she's off stage. The songs are typically whimsical with a little touch of melancholy and that folky sound I love so much. This is a one-of-a-kind show, and I found it to be quite delightful. But be forewarned: be careful who you sit down next to, they might become a lifelong friend (or a Facebook friend that you unfriend in a week).

Read more of my fringe fest reflections…

… including my top 5 shows

*If you missed Stay Tuned at Yellow Tree earlier this year, don't worry, you can see an excerpt from the show at this year's Ivey Awards.