Update: We Left the House! aka Some Shows We've Seen (Summer 2023)

Hello friends!

Our friends over at Cherry and Spoon and The Stages of MN have persuaded us to finally get out and see some theater. So we have! And dang it, we're going to tell you about it.

School Girls at Jungle Theater

When: March 26-April 14

At: Jungle Theater
Running Time: 80 minutes

About:

"The reigning queen bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school has her sights set on the Miss Ghana Pageant. But a new student captures the attention of the pageant recruiter—and the previously hive-minded students. Award-winning playwright Jocelyn Bioh’s buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe."

What We Thought:
As the subtitle suggests, School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play shows some of the worst ways in which women (young or otherwise) can compete amongst themselves. However, the prize for these Ghanian students has real value—a chance for a more promising future. Playwright Jocelyn Bioh was inspired by the true story of the 2011 Miss Ghana Pageant, won by an American-born contestant whose Ghanian parentage was never confirmed.

Little Women at the Jungle Theater

The Jungle Theater's new production of Little Women, playing through October 21, should appeal to most fans of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel. The theater commissioned the adaptation from playwright Kate Hamill, whose version of Sense and Sensibility was performed at the Guthrie Theater in the fall of 2016. Jungle artistic director Sarah Rasmussen directed that production, as well as the new Little Women.

Some Shows We Saw in March/April 2018

Here's a round-up of some of the shows we've seen lately.

The Skriker - Fortune's Fool Theatre

This seldom-performed play by Caryl Churchill is one of those plays that is incredibly enjoyable to watch, even if you're not entirely sure what's happening on stage. So let's let Fortune's Fool tell us what we're seeing!

The Nether at the Jungle Theater

Stephen Yoakam and Mo Perry in The Nether
Photo by the amazing Dan Norman

I went into The Nether at Jungle Theater knowing nothing about the play or the production.

From the title, I was expecting some sort of spooky Irish drama like those by Conor McPherson (The Veil, The Weir). I left thinking much more of another Irishman, Martin McDonagh and an Englishman, Charlie Brooker, creator of the television series Black Mirror.

Like those creators' works, The Nether presents a dark view of humanity and our relationship to technology. I have struggled for days about how to write about this show. It's short, haunting, beautifully acted, and gorgeously designed. It's thought-provoking, but it's really best not to know too much going into it. And you should go see it.

Written by Jennifer Haley, and directed by Casey Stangl, The Nether premiered in Los Angeles in 2013. Although its subject is the fast-moving world of technology, this play feels brand-new. This play and production are a perfect representation of the Jungle Theater under Sarah Rasmussen, using all of the fabulous skills and craftsmanship of the Jungle on innovative new plays and productions. And it's written and directed by women. Yay!

Here are five things I utterly loved about The Nether.

1. The production and scenic design. Two wildly disparate settings which perfect encapsulate the main conflict of the play. Lighting, set, sound, projections--all exquisitely done. At times claustrophobic, at times jarring, and at other times utterly idyllic.

2. The cast. Stephen Yoakam, Mo Perry, Craig Johnson, Ella Freeburg, Jucoby Johnson. Amazing performers, all. Often the play consists just two actors on stage, as one is undergoing an interrogation, and their faces are projected above the stage, and it's a beautiful master class in subtlety.

3. The cast, part two. In one scene, Stephen Yoakam and Craig Johnson are alone on stage, and I can't think of a time I've seen these two alone on stage together before, which is astonishing. Now I would like them to star together (perhaps attached like Daisy and Violet in Side Show) in everything from now on.

4. The content. Again, no spoilers here--not even a hint. There is a fair amount of disturbing content, but the script and production handle this content so skillfully (and yet straightforwardly) that it's almost less palatable than it would be if it was more overt. The story itself is thought-provoking and relevant, told in a mysterious and enthralling fashion. This show brings up a lot of questions and provides no easy answers--which is rare and delightful.

5. The talkback. The Jungle's Stay Late program features talkbacks with the cast and/or creative. We were fortunate enough to have Stephen Yoakam and Mo Perry talking about their experiences with the play. This play cries out to be discussed, and the audience--who were utterly rapt during the show in a way I seldom see at the theater--were eager to engage in discussion.

Fantastic. Go see it, support the Jungle, discuss it with a friend!

Speed Dating through a Bunch of May Theater

Y'all, we've seen a LOT of plays lately. And we have fallen down on our mission to share these works with you, our loyal and devoted readership. In an attempt to win your hearts again, and to start the summer theater season with a clean slate, here is our speed dating recap of recent local theater.

Five Fifths of Jurassic Park - Minnesota Fringe benefit at Ritz Theater
How have I NEVER been to any of these shows before? I am appalled at myself and my co-blogger Jules. Here's the scoop: They pick a script, divide it into five parts and give it to five local theater companies to put their own spin on it--one night only.

This year's companies were Shanan Custer with the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (listen to their podcast--it is MOST fun), Lounge-asaurus Rex (who I will now be following avidly, and not just for his impeccable taste in suitwear), Wayward Theatre Company (totally new to me--yay, new discoveries!), Blackout Improv (absolutely amazingly hilarious), and Erin Sheppard Presents (always fabulous and their costumes were ON point.) So fun and such a great teaser for the Fringe (August 3-13, 2017)!

Ann Michels in Sweetland
(photo by Rick Spaulding)

Sweetland: The Musical - History Theatre
Based on the lovely movie of the same name, which was based on a short story by local author Will Weaver, and with music by Dina Maccabee, and lyrics by Laurie Flanigan Hegge, and directed by Perrin Post .. With such a lovely pedigree and as it is such a labor of love, we wanted to like it more. However, our friend Cherry and Spoon loves it deeply, so please check out what she had to say!

Red Velvet - Walking Shadow Theatre Company
A really interesting premise from a well-regarded theater company, and a new play by a female playwright of color, Lolita Chakrabarti. (Fun fact: In London and New York, her husband Adrian Lester played the leading role). How can you go wrong? Although this was a very watchable play, and featured some strong performances, we ultimately found the play lacking. Single White Fringe Geek does a great job of outlining where we felt the play fell short. And although we adore JuCoby Johnson, this role didn't feel like the right fit for him.

Next on the calendar was Medea at New Epic Theater, but that show was cancelled. As we've seen great work from them in the past, we hope they sort out their issues and return to making theater.

Nate Cheeseman, Thallis Santesteban, John Catron, and
Christian Bardin in Lone Star Spirits (photo by Dan Norman)

Lone Star Spirits - Jungle Theater
Which we saw on its LAST DAY. So not helpful to anyone, particularly since the show was GENIUS. Dang it! The play, by Josh Tobiessen, was brought to life by director Sarah Rasmussen with a terrific ensemble of Terry Hempleman, John Catron, Christian Bardin, Nate Cheeseman, and Thallis Santesteban. Set and costume designer Sarah Bahr created the perfect small-town atmosphere, and the show ran a tight 80 minutes. So glad they extended a week and we were able to see it. 

Eric Sharp in Charlie, etc
(photo from Mu Performing Arts)

Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery - Mu Performing Arts
Lloyd Suh's script examines and critiques Asian American stereotypes using a play-within-the play to bring unspoken assumptions into the light. Randy Reyes directs this funny, thought-provoking, and challenging piece with a wonderful cast. And the show is in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, so tickets are just $9! Catch it before the show closes on May 28.

Broadway Songbook: Hollywood and Broadway - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Though the show started a bit slowly, with songs best known as standards rather than theater music, the talented cast brings zing to songs from shows from 42nd Street to Grease to Legally Blonde. The Songbook series has been a wonderful addition to the local theater scene, and we hope it continues after James Rocco leaves the Ordway later this year.

Refugia - The Moving Company
This new work, playing on the Guthrie's McGuire Proscenium stage, aims to explore "exile, borders and the displacement of people," but we found the piece problematic, seeming to focus on white characters and stories and to underuse its few actors of color. Our friend Laura from One Girl, Two Cities wrote a wonderfully thoughtful post on this show, which has sparked an amazing amount of discussion in the local theater community.

Intimate Apparel - Ten Thousand Things Theater

Playing at Open Book through June 4, this gem of a play by Lynn Nottage is sensitively staged by Austene Van in TTT's trademark stripped-down style. The excellent cast is led by a luminous Aimee K. Bryant as a seamstress at the turn of the century who yearns for love and seems to find it by corresponding with a man working on the construction of the Panama Canal. As always, the cast is superb, and though I had seen this play when the Guthrie did it in 2005, I had forgotten what a wonderful script it is. 

Whew! Now, on to more theater-watching! Happy theater-going, friends!!

The Oldest Boy at the Jungle Theater

Did you know that this production of The Oldest Boy marks the first time an Asian man has been on stage at the Jungle Theater?

True story. Just sit with that a second.

Tsering Dorjee Bawa, Masanari Kawahara and
Eric "Pogi" Sumangil (photo by Dan Norman)

Once that has sunk in, let's celebrate the fact that Sarah Rasmussen is dedicated to creating a new Jungle Theater. This past season has featured a female and racially diverse cast Two Gentlemen of Verona, a hilarious and sweet new play about gay marriage (Le Switch), and Bars and Measures, which tackled issues of prison, terrorism, Islam and brotherhood. 

The 2016 season ends with The Oldest Boy, a play by Sarah Ruhl that depicts a family whose young son is believed to be a reincarnated Tibetan lama.

Masanari Kawahara's gorgeous "Oldest Boy" puppet
(http://welovemasa.com/the-oldest-boy-at-jungle-theater/)

As the unnamed mother, Christina Baldwin is heartrending. She tells the story of meeting her Tibetan husband (Randy Reyes) in his restaurant, the family disapproval they faced, and the courthouse wedding they had when she was already pregnant. She dotes on three-year-old Tenzin, who is played by master puppeteer Masanari Kawahara and the amazingly lifelike puppet he created of the boy. (We've admired his compelling work in Crow Boy at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.)

The puppet and puppeteer, as playwright Ruhl intended, allow Tenzin to be both small and childlike and then wise and worldly as he recalls his past existence.

As the monks who come to find the lama, Eric "Pogi" Sumangil is charmingly cheery, while Tsering Dorjee Bawa is more serious, but with a smile that lights the room when he recognizes the boy as his old friend.

Bawa also served as cultural consultant for this production, providing guidance on Tibetan language, music, and tradition, which he also did for the original Lincoln Center Theater production of the show. His contribution here is amazing, for the play touches on cultural and religious traditions that we have not seen portrayed on a Minnesota stage. The authenticity also means that we can really identify with the mother as she considers whether to send her son to a monastery in India to be educated.

Director Sarah Rasmussen stages the show beautifully, allowing the love, fear, and hope to emanate from the stage. It's a wonderful production of a terrific, thoughtful show that challenges us to consider the cultural context of the lives around us in a deep way. This might be our only chance to experience this work, and I can't imagine a better production, so please do not miss The Oldest Boy - it runs now through December 18.

The Jungle Theater provides a host of fascinating information to add to the audience experience. The program includes selections from Sarah Ruhl's Afterward of The Oldest Boy, which immediate tackles two intriguing questions: "How did a Catholic white girl from Illinois come to write about Tibetan Buddhism?" and "Why puppets?" Also, they offer a number of opportunities to explore the play in depth with their Come Early, Stay Late series.

The night we attended the play, the post-play discussion centered on Creating Cross-Cultural Theater, led by Artistic Associate Katherine Pardue and featuring Sarah Rasmussen, Noel Raymond and Randy Reyes. It was a fascinating discussion that touched on a number of current and compelling facets of theater and culture--I hated to see the conversation end. (Twin Cities Theater Bloggers, let's keep this in mind for future discussions!)

Come Early, Stay Late Upcoming Conversations:

Storytelling Through Puppetry with Masanari Kawahara - December 1

Traditional Tibetan Music & Dance with Tsering Dorjee Bawa and Yeshi Samdup - December 8

The Politics and Culture of Tibet & The Diaspora with Tsering Dorjee Bawa - December 15

Remember, you don't need a ticket to these performances to attend the discussions.

Plus, Books!

Also, check out the fabulous #JungleReads list of suggested reading in partnership with Magers & Quinn Booksellers. Hot Tip: If you bring your #junglereads Magers & Quinn receipt to the theater, you'll get a free beverage at concessions. Win/win!

Bars and Measures at the Jungle Theater

Bars and Measures is a brand new play that opened last week at the Jungle Theater as part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.

Playwright Idris Goodwin was inspired by a New York Times profile by Corey Kilgannon about brothers who connect through music.

In the play, Eric (Darius Dotch) visits his brother Bilal (Ansa Akyea), in prison awaiting trial. Bilal, who was known as Darryl before his conversion to Islam, is a jazz bassist. Eric is a classical pianist, but the language they both speak is music. And what music! With original music composed for this production by Justin Ellington, the brothers scat through jazz melodies as Bilal teaches Eric his own compositions. Dotch and Akyea have wonderful chemistry as the brothers, trading riffs and arguing over Eric's mastery of jazz. Through their visits and the trial, we learn about the alleged crime, and see Eric's support of his brother waver in the face of the evidence presented.

Taous Claire Khazem, Darius Dotch.
Photo by Dan Norman.

Bilal is given the chance to make a statement in court, and Akyea shows us the conflicting and conflicted sides of his character, making him a relatable person in spite of his circumstances. Dotch has a few stirring moments himself, whether speaking to others about his brother, or addressing the audience at a benefit performance. Two actors play the rest of the roles in this intimate piece. Taous Claire Khazem portrays a singer who works with Eric (as his brother asks, "works with, or works with?"), Bilal's lawyer, and others. Maxwell Collyard plays a number of corrections and law officers, a prosecutor, and others.

The small cast size keeps the focus on the brothers, who create a realistically loving and antagonistic sibling relationship under Marion McClinton's assured direction. The action moves smoothly from Eric's upscale home to Bilal's cell on Andrea Heilman's compact, stark set, accented by Michael Wangen's always-stellar lighting. Trevor Bowen's costumes help to define the characters, particularly in the contrast between Bilal's prison wear and Eric's wonderfully tailored and coordinated outfit.

Perhaps the most impressive scene is the courtroom, which has Eric looking on as the prosecutor and Bilal's lawyer unleash an overlapping barrage of questions and objections and Bilal tries to answer. The effect is like a particularly aggressive jazz improvisation, rather harsh to watch given the content and circumstances, but beautifully staged and performed.

Darius Dotch, Ansa Akyea, Maxwell Collyard.
Photo by Dan Norman.

Bars and Measures is a fascinating play that introduces us to complex, layered characters navigating a complicated relationship. In 80 minutes with no intermission, it raises a number of questions and doesn't offer easy answers.

After the show, "Stay Late" for an open-ended post-show discussion, which the Jungle is presenting after every performance. Particularly for this show, we found hearing the questions and opinions of others helped us to process our own thoughts about this dense piece.

If you want to delve deeper into the subject, there is a reading list, at #junglereads. And for this show, there's also a list of music suggested by the production's composer.

The National New Play Network rolling premiere of this new work means that the show is being produced in several cities this year, each in a different theater with a different cast and director, and even, for this show, different composers. It's fascinating to contemplate how different directors may interpret this work, and we are very fortunate to have the opportunity to experience this wonderful production.

Le Switch by Philip Dawkins at the Jungle Theater

If you are looking for the perfect play to celebrate Pride, to follow Two Boys Kissing, or even to see where the anger from The Normal Heart finally got the GLBTQIA community - Le Switch at the Jungle Theater is the one. In fact, in my view, Le Switch may be a perfect play. I know that is a LOT of pressure to put on a play, and on a review, but here are my thoughts.

The plot is fairly simple. David (played by Kasey Mahaffy) is commitment-shy, and not sure what he makes of marriage equality. He falls back into the comfort of his home of unopened, antique books and his deep friendship with his roommate. Frank (played by Patrick Bailey) is a father-figure, activist, and grieving the loss of his longtime companion. David's best friend Zachary (Michael Wieser) is getting married, and is holding the bachelor party in Montreal. When David gets to Montreal, he is swept off his feet by a gorgeous, young florist Benoît (Michael Hanna). In the months that follow, David and his non-traditional family, including his sister Sarah (Emily Gunyou Halaas), have to figure out what commitment and marriage really mean to them, while also realizing what it means to be queer.

David is a librarian who is focused on classification, and cataloging. He likes things being where they should be. He knows who he is as a queer man of a certain age, and what he believes about marriage. At the same time, he collects books and leaves them unopened because then there is a mystery about them, they could be anything and he can believe them to be anything. There is a fantastical aspect of David. I think the cross-cultural romance helped bring this out even more. After all, when we travel aren't we usually able to be more ourselves? Free from the roles we have imposed on ourselves back at home?

Michael Hanna & Kasey Mahaffy
Photo by Dan Norman

The script, written by Philip Dawkins, is fast-paced, funny, smart, honest, timely and real in so many ways. He knows how to tell a story that affects multiple generations to a multi-generational audience. The question of marriage equality has many responses from the personal to the political. There are some in an older generation who are against marriage equality because it is a heternormative institution that "queers" should never want to follow. They pride themselves on being and staying different. There are others who fully accept and want equality because they are finally allowed something they never thought they would be allowed. This script shows all of these sides while never sounding preachy, yet keeping it honest and real. Along with that there is the question of what does it mean to be queer? If you have been feeling different all your life but suddenly you are no longer different...how do you deal with that? (there is a perfect line for this that I wrote down...but might have had the cap on my pen...darn.)

David goes on a journey, not only to Montreal, but to a different person. In the same way, the set (by the always amazing Kate Sutton-Johnson) goes on a journey as well. It starts very realistic but suddenly walls are rotating during transitions, jutting out for new locations, furniture sliding on and off stage - all with great lighting by Barry Browning, perfect sound design by Sean Healey, and fantastic projections by Daniel Benoit. What starts as one thing, ends as another. David starts as one thing and with a great magical realistic ending...well...go see for yourself.

I may say this too much but I can't think of a better cast. Emily Gunyou Halaas (looking like a young Patti LuPone) plays David's twin sister Sarah practically perfectly. There is a comfort between she and Kasey Mahaffy in their conversations and interactions onstage. Kasey is...well my initial notes say 'I can't even" so that says something. He is funny, moving, honest to the character, truthful and open. David's best friend Zachary is played by the extraordinary Michael Wieser. He is funny, stunning, sassy, and though his character may be on the outrageous side, he is solidly grounded and so clearly loves David. Patrick Bailey as Frank is also grounded and grounding. He seems to be a touchstone for David, someone who has been there for a long time and has helped David grow into the person he is. Bailey is wonderful and funny. Bringing magic to the stage is Michael Hanna as Benoît--brilliant in English and French--challenging David and yet remaining totally true to his character. Hanna and the rest of the cast are perfect really. Part of the perfection is the direction by Jeremy B Cohen. He kept the show moving, consistently real and truthful, finding time and place for humor and emotion helping make it a perfect production.

Le Switch plays at the Jungle Theater through July 31. Go see what I consider to be a perfect play in a fantastic production.

Constellations at the Jungle Theater

Beekeeping and quantum mechanics mixed with the multiverse - that is what to expect when seeing Constellations at the Jungle Theater. This play is an amazing kaleidoscope of ideas, options, and chances all mixed into a two-person show. Written by Nick Payne, Constellations is about Roland (Ron Menzel) and Marianne (Anna Sundberg) who meet at a barbecue. Roland is a beekeeper while Marianne is a theoretical physicist - a very unlikely combination. There are several attempts at starting a conversation, each time the characters come to an impasse the scene starts again. When the conversation actually continues, the scene continues. In less talented hands this could look like a high school production of the "first date sketch" in which a bell rings each time the date doesn't work out.

Photo: Dan Norman

Lucky for us this incredible cast, under the precise direction of Gary Gisselman, transforms this work into an amazing show about two people and how each interaction changes their lives. Take the opening scene. Each time the characters come to an impasse the scene starts again. However we start to ask ourselves - is it the same characters making another attempt at connecting? Or is it the same characters in a different universe which creates the alternate outcome of the conversation? I felt the play showed multiple versions of events which really highlights how each choice we make affects our lives and the lives of others. The multiverse is the main through line to this show. That is not to say the characters don't have a storyline. It is fascinating and mesmerizing to watch these actors play similar scenes repeatedly but each scene is played slightly differently - either in attitude, or physicality, or small changes in the words. Roland and Marianne (in some universe) meet, date, are in a relationship, break-up (because she cheats multiple times, or he cheats once), meet again at a ballroom class (some very sweet and simple choreography from Myron Johnson), get married, and deal with death. In one universe there is possible abuse, in another there is a brain tumor in the frontal lobe that may or may not lead to assisted suicide. All I can really say is that this show provides a lot to think about while also providing laughs, sighs of romantic joy, tears, and simple wonder.

I have already mentioned that the cast and direction were singular and incredible. The other thing that I have to mention is the set by Kate Sutton-Johnson. The directors note states "...a new play whose only stage direction is 'with every change of font there is a change of universe.' And there are sixty changes of font." How do you design for that? Sutton-Johnson found the perfect solution by creating a multi-level set with angles and curves through out. There are lines painted on the set, radiating in various directions. There are also metallic bands set across the top of the set, along the back and sides of the set creating an abstract sculpture for the actors to work on. Occasionally the bands would reflect light into the audience creating a shimmer - reminding us of the multitude of stars (and possible universes) in the sky at night. The program provides more insight into her process, along with some fantastic background to the science of the show, beekeeping, and a list of four books available at Magers & Quinn to further explore the ideas behind the play. I had an amazing, talk-creating experience watching Constellations. It plays through May 29th so there is plenty of time to see it, but if it gets reviews like it did on Broadway, I have a sense that the sooner the better.

2 Gents, 1 Jungle - The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Jungle Theater

With a few caveats, I am slowly falling in love with the Jungle Theater. While this is only the second show I have seen there, The Two Gentlemen of Verona was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of theater. I was there the 2nd night of performances and the house was full. Lucky for me I happened to be sitting in what appeared to be the 'theater section' - Craig Johnson sitting behind me, Matt Sciple next to me and many others down the row. The house was in a great mood for a Saturday night and ready for a great time.

L-R:  Valentine (Mo Perry) and Sylvia (Lenne Klingaman)

Photo Credit: Heidi Bohnenkamp

Sarah Rasmussen's production did not disappoint. This production was originally produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2014 where it was the first all-female Shakespeare in that theater's history. The Jungle production was adapted from that OSF production and maintained the all-female cast. The story, in brief, is this. Valentine (Mo Perry) and Proteus (Christiana Clark) are best friends. Proteus is in love with Julia (Maggie Chestovich), and she with him. Valentine is sent to the court of Milan, and after making a promise of true love with Julia, Proteus follows him. When Proteus arrives in Milan he discovers that Valentine is in love with Sylvia (Lenne Klingaman) - and soon Proteus follows his lead. In fact, Proteus tells the Duke of Milan (George Keller) that Valentine and Sylvia are running away. The Duke banishes Valentine, Julia shows up in Milan in disguise as a man, and...go see the show. Some of these amazing actors play multiple roles - George Keller, for example, plays the Duke as well as the comic relief character of Launce. Her dog Bear also plays Launce's animal companion Crab...and he played it perfectly! Also on stage are such Twin City Theater legends as Barbara Kingsley and Wendy Lehr.

The casting was perfect. Each actor was spot on, finding the true emotions and humor of the show. The language and text was clear (which can be tough for Shakespeare at times). Julia comes across as very young and childish in the first act - a bit whiny, and overdramatic. However when she comes to Act II in disguise, she nails the new "character" so well. It was great seeing an actress play both sides of a character so clearly and so honestly. Honestly, I felt the same way for the full cast - fantastic.

The set is a nice open stage with onstage seating on the sides. The front of the stage has steps down both sides of the center section, a green topiary on each side, along with a lamp above the topiaries. The back of the stage has a wide door across the center which is open at times to change scenes, along with an entrance door on one side. There are trees on each side of the wide door, and a bench. One of the trees is designed perfect for climbing to an upper level that is set across the top back of the stage. The whole set by Andrew Boyce is in a pale pink, and is gorgeously lit by Barry Browning. The costumes are mainly white and black, though Julia has some color to her dress and the costumes in Milan are gorgeously colored. Great work by Morie Sine Clinton, and great wigs by Laura Adams. Though the show is 2 hours and 20 min, with a 20 min intermission - it never felt that way. The pace was fast and created a very entertaining evening.

Review - The Night Alive at the Jungle Theater

This may sound crazy but after almost 20 years I finally made it to the Jungle Theater. All my theater-going friends think I am crazy for waiting this long, and I now am agreeing with them. My first show there was The Night Alive--also my first Conor McPherson show, but certainly not my last.

L-R: Aimee (Sara Richardson), Doc (Patrick Bailey) 

and Tommy (Stephen Yoakam)

PHOTO CREDIT: Heidi Bohnenkamp

First off, the theater is gorgeous - both the lobby and the house itself. I like that it looks large but is still intimate. I also love how the seats are set up. I was sitting in the front row of the "back section" and loved the leg room. The house is comfortable. The audience was somewhat mixed regarding age however not much else. Now, what about the show?

This is the third Conor McPherson show that the Jungle Theater has produced. Previously they produced "Shining City" which deals with a ghost, "The Seafarer" about the Devil, and now "The Night Alive." Having not known or read any of Conor McPherson's work, I was expecting some shocks, something supernatural, some violence - everything that lends itself towards a great play for a cool autumn night.

The story is about Tommy (Stephen Yoakam), who lives in the drawing room of an Edwardian house that his uncle Maurice (Martin Ruben) owns. On occasion his friend Doc (Patrick Bailey) crashes on the cot in the corner of the same room. One night, Tommy brings home Aimee (Sara Richardson), who was beat up by someone. She is bloody and bruised and he takes care of her. They form a friendship and it seems like it is becoming more than a friendship. On the other hand, Doc states that Aimee is a prostitute.

And I think that is all I'm going to say - or all I can say without giving away too much of the plot. The set of the drawing room fills the stage, and is very realistic...to the point of having running water on stage.

It is a single set show, just over 90 minutes with no intermission. It was near perfect. Stephen Yoakam was fantastic and also on stage for the majority of the work. The relationships between him, Doc and Maurice are clear and yet you can see subtle changes to them as the play progresses. Tyson Forbes plays Kenneth - wow. He is a giant on stage and was truly amazing. I had only seen him in TigerLion Arts production of Nature previous to this. I will see him in anything he does from here on out. In fact, the whole cast is solid and a true joy to watch on stage.

The script has its funny moments but also reminded me quite a bit of Pinter - in the sense that you think you know where it is headed then suddenly a violent action takes place and things change. That was how I saw the show - showing us how random acts can affect our lives in good and negative ways. And yes, there is violence. Not to the point of Martin McDonagh (from what I know) but still shocking and bloody.

Go see this show. It plays through Dec. 20th and was a really intense and enjoyable piece to watch.

Annapurna Scales the Heights at the Jungle

Annapurna is the name of a mountain in Nepal. It's also the title of Sharr White's new play, set in a decrepit trailer at the base of another mountain in Colorado. But the largest peak in this play is the distance separating the two characters.

Ulysses lives in the trailer, isolated from the world and most human contact. His ex-wife, Emma, shows up unannounced, hauling a pile of baggage both literal and metaphorical. Emma left Ulysses 20 years ago, taking their young son with her, and they haven't been in contact since. So why is she suddenly here on her ex-husband's sad excuse for a doorstep?

All images (c) Dan Norman Photography

Well, that's the play. I don't think one needs to know anything more going into it. I knew it was a new play, a great director, a wonderful set, and a terrific cast, and that was enough to get me to the theater.

Terry Hempleman looks terrible as Ulysses, which is perfectly appropriate for a cranky hermit who is facing his imminent demise. Angela Timberman's Emma starts as an enigma, both to the audience and to Ulysses, who learns about her motives at the same time the audience does. The two have a wonderful chemistry, their relationship turning from prickly and antagonistic to sweetly nostalgic and back again in a moment, just as happens in longstanding relationships. And despite their separation, it's clear that Emma and Ulysses' bond has been an ongoing aspect of their lives apart. Hempleman and Timberman keep a crackling energy going throughout the play, which is very funny even as it deals with some very dark issues.

Director Joel Sass designed the wonderfully realistic set, a cross-section of the trailer that looks authentically run-down and lived in. You can read more about the set here.

Sass also orchestrates a natural flow and rhythm to the dialogue. After seeing too many shows in which people shout at each other for hours, I've gained an appreciation for more modulated acting, so that when there is shouting, it really feels warranted. No doubt it helps that the Jungle's space is so intimate that actors don't have a huge house to project to.

The play is beautifully written, with naturalistic dialogue that never feels forced or "actor-y." From frustrated cursing to some very poetic turns, each line is completely appropriate for these characters and sounds conversational coming from these two actors. And of course, if one wishes to explore the parallels between these two and the story of Odysseus (Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus), who at the end of the Trojan War spent years trying to get back to his wife and son, that's another layer. You don't need to be familiar with Homer or mountains in Nepal to want to spend time with these characters, though. Their interactions stand on their own.

Annapurna runs through October 18 at the Jungle Theater. If you need more persuading to see it, check out the trailer.

The World Goes 'Round at the Jungle: Race, Revues and Reverb

Waiting in the Jungle Theater lobby for the house to open at The World Goes 'Round*, I overheard two patrons discussing changes in the local theater scene, including Sarah Bellamy's becoming the artistic director at Penumbra Theatre. And this is what they said: "She's so light-skinned--you'd never guess she was ... (slightly lower tones) African-American." Really.

Issues of race and racial equity are in the forefront of every sphere of life and culture right now. MPR's Marianne Combs recently hosted a fascinating discussion with Randy Reyes of Mu Performing Arts, Toni Pierce-Sands of TU Dance, and C. Michael-jon Pease of Park Square Theatre about the future of diversity (racial and cultural) in Minnesota arts and how to bring people of color into theater audiences. Ten Thousand Things Theater's Ambassador Program works specifically to bring in audiences of color to their paid shows.

With issues like this in mind, I tend to scan theater audiences for their demographic make-up and seeing how well people of color are represented in the audience. As many audiences at shows I attend are primarily older, and pretty darn white, I love to see an audience with representation across the board. For example, I was so pleased by how racially (and age) diverse the audience was at The Color Purple at Park Square Theatre. #Representation rocks.

And representation rocks not only in the audience, but on stage as well. One of the reasons it was so great to see a racially diverse audience at The Color Purple was that the stage was filled with fabulous actors of diverse racial backgrounds. There's something about an all-white audience viewing a show made up of actors of color (particularly singing) that smacks of white privilege and makes me uncomfortable. What can I say? These issues are challenging, sensitive and very personal.

The World Goes 'Round (at the Jungle Theater now through May 24), a revue of the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, was conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson and originally performed in the early 1990s.

It's hard to look at the Jungle's production of this show, which is a revue and contains material from twenty-six years of musical collaboration, and not see any representation by actors (or musicians) of color. The band is made up of seven white men, and the cast of three men and four women is uniformly white.

(Side note: I just fell down an internet rabbit hole while looking up race-blind/color-blind casting. Several hours later, I'm back. Whew. Be sure to look into August Wilson's thoughts on the matter.)

There's nothing wrong with an all-white cast, but when so many perceived barriers to non-traditional casting involve the 'jarring departure from reality' of casting siblings of different races or casting actors of color in positions of power in historical times, shouldn't a revue be easy to cast with at least a little non-traditionality?  I'm hoping Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically praised and wildly successful musical Hamilton, in New York now and transferring soon to Broadway, will help pound a nail in the coffin of those arguments to diverse casting.

Can we also talk about revues? Many revues create a narrative that creates a framework for the songs (such as the wonderful I Love a Piano, staged in 1996 at the Ordway Center), some simply group the songs by theme or era. Chris Caggiano of Everything I Know I Learned on Broadway expresses the challenges of the revue beautifully in his review of Ten Cents a Dance:

The songbook revue is both the easiest and the hardest type of theatrical show to pull off. "Easiest" because you seemingly just throw together a bunch of songs and let the audience revel in waves of nostalgia. "Hardest" because, if you don't want the audience tuning out after the first few numbers, you need to come up with some kind of through line or production concept to hold people's attention.

Yes.  And a revue plucks the song from its context in its musical and asks the performers to sell a story through that song.  If you'd like to see the revue done beautifully, don't miss the Broadway Songbook series at the Ordway. Hosted by James A. Rocco and written by James A. Rocco and Jeffrey P. Scott, the Songbook focuses on a songwriting team, an era or a particular style. Featuring a revolving cast of talented performers (including performers of color), the cast sells the hell out of the songs. Next up is Broadway Songbook: Rock & Roll on Broadway (April 17-18). With their great affection for the genre and amazing performers, these shows are necessary viewing for any musical theater fan.

But back to the show at hand ...

I've listened to the 1991 Original Cast recording of And the World Goes Round (which features five actors including Karen Ziemba, Jim Walton, and Brenda Pressley--who happens to be an actor of color), and despite the best intentions and talent, I don't think it's a very successful show. Starting with an overwrought "The World Goes 'Round" from New York, New York, moving on to a frenetic "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup" from 70, Girls, 70, this revue maintains an exhausting heightened emotional state. It's all hills and no valleys. The new arrangement of "Cabaret" (think Manhattan Transfer on the Lawrence Welk Show) and the closing version of "New York, New York" (sung in a number of languages) just don't work for me.

With all this said, the cast of the Jungle Theater production performed gamely and with great commitment. They worked hard to sell the songs, and I wish the show had served them better, particularly Bradley Greenwald (impeccable as always) and Emily Rose Skinner (a great comedienne who made the most of the intimacy of the Jungle).

But there's no way around this: the show is way too loud. The on-stage band is miked, the performers have both body mikes and handheld mikes (with obvious sweetening), and it is LOUD. The sound, combined with the unnerving tendency for the performers to aim over the audience's head to balconies that don't actually exist, made me feel that the show was staged for a much larger venue. (Say, Bloomington Civic Theater?) One of the things that I have always loved best about the Jungle is its warm intimacy, and it's a shame to be blasted out of that lovely space.

I wonder if the loudness of the show (and the revue format) contributed to one of the strangest experiences I've had in the theater. After each number, audience members (a few--let's not get crazy) whistled shrilly (as if they were at a rock concert), and if a cast member did some sort of move, there was woooooooo-ing. It was really odd, and perhaps contributed to the actors' energy and intensity being turned up to eleven. Possibly twelve.

* So what's the actual title?  The program reads "And the World Goes Round", while the website lists the show as "The World Goes 'Round." According to Peter Filichia at MTI, the surviving creators prefer the latter, and that's how MTI licenses it.  So that's what I'm calling it!