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| From http://simpsons.wikia.com/ |
So here's what I'm looking forward to in coming weeks and why. Listed in order by start date, not excitement. (For my most eagerly anticipated show, you'll want to go straight down to Mixed Blood's Colossal). Did I miss something amazing opening in September or October? Tell me in the comments!
The Mystery of Irma Vep - Jungle Theater
August 29 through October 19
Why: Because even though I get frustrated with the Jungle's love for doing the same shows over and over again, I do love this play, love Bradley Greenwald, and am intrigued by Stephen Cartmell after seeing him in Ten Thousand Things' Dirt Sticks.
"Set on a "dark and stormy night," Lady Enid and her husband arrive at a haunted estate complete with werewolves and mayhem, as well as an impromptu side-trip to the tombs of Egypt! Don't miss this farcical thriller and gender-bending tour-de-force!" (Jungle Theater)
Sexy Laundry - Park Square Theatre
September 5 through September 28
Why: I always find John Middleton really interesting to watch.
"Alice and Henry have to make a change. After twenty-five years of marriage, three children and stalled careers, the couple has fallen into the same old dull routine. They desperately hope a staycation at a fancy hotel – and a copy of Sex for Dummies – will cure all that ails them. Can the once-happy couple reignite a passion that’s more than skin deep?" (Park Square Theatre)
Strumply Peter - Open Eye Figure TheatreSeptember 11 through September 25
Why: Because the first time I went to Open Eye, Michael Sommers drove by and gave us parking advice. Also, I love their intimate space and German cautionary tales.
"Strumply Peter, a Toy Opera, is the latest original creation from Open Eye Figure Theatre, inspired by the cautionary poems 19th century German physician Heinrich Hoffman composed to entertain his children. Where but on the Open Eye stage can Strumply Peter whisk away children to make them sweeter? This cautionary Toy Opera is a flourish of amusements with puppetry, larger than life characters, and a miniature music hall band." (Open Eye Figure Theatre)
September 12 through September 28 - New Century Theater
Why: Because Enda Walsh's Misterman was super weird and original.
Why: Because Enda Walsh's Misterman was super weird and original.
"Set in a small fishing town on the west coast of Ireland, two aging sisters re-enact a night in the early 60s with a seductive rock singer as a cautionary tale for their younger sister. Party dresses, sponge cake, rock n’ roll and regret swirl into a fantasy-fueled night of storytelling in this beautiful and devastating play of broken hearts." (Frank Theatre)
September 12 through October 5 - Dowling Studio
Why: Because I'm ashamed that I haven't seen the other two of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Brother/Sister Plays.” Theater slacker.
"Sixteen-year-old Marcus is haunted by his dreams and dogged by doubts from his friends and family. Days before an ominous storm on the Louisiana bayou, Marcus journeys to discover who he is and where he comes from by unraveling the secrets of his deceased father Elegba. As Marcus pieces together his own ancestral legacy with help from his tightly-knit, intergenerational community, he realizes the special power that being “sweet” brings." (Guthrie Theater)
September 12 through September 28 - Southern Theater
Why: Because Mu's work with Park Square Theater has introduced me to so many talented actors--I'm excited to see one of their own shows.
"The plan was so simple. 1.) Eat Korean food. 2.) Drink Korean beer. 3.) Live and work in the homeland for the first time in 22 years. But only days away from moving back to the Midwest, Billy is unexpectedly reunited with his Korean birth brother and must somehow reconcile his modern American life with his newfound Korean past." (Mu Performing Arts)
The Heidi Chronicles - Guthrie Theater
September 13 through October 26, 2014 - Wurtele Thrust Stage
Why: Because although I've never really taken to Wendy Wasserstein, I LOVE Kate Wetherhead in Submissions Only.
"Witty, insightful and poignant, The Heidi Chronicles traces the coming of age of Heidi Holland from high school in the radical ʼ60s to her career as an art historian in the heartless ʼ80s." (Guthrie Theater)
Gabriel - Walking Shadow Theatre
September 26 through October 11 - Minneapolis Theatre Garage
Why: Because sometimes a premise just sounds intriguing.
"A tiny, rocky island in the middle of the English Channel. A bitter winter night, two years into the German occupation. A young girl calls on ancient fairy magic, and a beautiful, naked young man washes up on the mine-filled Guernsey beach. Is he an English pilot? Or a Nazi officer? For the women who found him, Gabriel could either be their savior, or the biggest danger they've ever met." (Walking Shadow Theatre)
Eating Raoul - Minneapolis Musical Theatre
October 3 through October 26 – New Century Theatre
Why: Because ... what? Eating Raoul the Musical? I mean, what?
"Meet Mary and Paul Bland, a couple who just want to open a restaurant in 1960s Los Angeles. But they’re broke…until an accidental death by frying pan fills their pockets with cash. The bodies begin to pile up, but they need to team up with Raoul, their sexy building superintendent, to get rid of the evidence. Raoul turns their lives upside down, both financially and sexually. But this murderous partnership cannot last…and one of them will pay the ultimate price." (Minneapolis Musical Theatre)
Why: Because I love Theater Latte Da and I've read much about Master Class, but have never seen it.
"Master Class is a fictionalized account of the series of classes the glamorous and commanding Maria Callas, the most influential vocal artist of the 20th century, instructed on the art of performing opera." (Theater Latte Da)
Colossal - Mixed Blood Theatre
October 10 through November 9
October 10 through November 9
Why: Because holy cats, read the description! Also, Stephen Yoakam. And, I haven't been to Mixed Blood in ages.
"Performed in four 15-minute quarters with a half-time show, featuring a dance company, a drum corps, and a fully-padded cast, Colossal is an epic event that simultaneously celebrates and attacks our nation's most popular form of theater: football. A star football player–a pro prospect, one of the most graceful runners in the world, and a man in love with a teammate–struggles to move forward in the wake of a catastrophic spinal cord injury. With a cast of two dozen men, and full contact choreography, this play about love, ability, and extraordinary feats of strength tackles definitions of masculinity and the male body as a vehicle for language, violence, and silent expression through dance, football, and disability." (Mixed Blood Theatre)
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| From http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/arts/2013-03-27/tackling-footballs-dark-side/ |
Romeo & Juliet - Ten Thousand Things
October 10 through November 2
Why: Because it's Ten Thousand Things and hardly anything but actual physical illness keeps me from their shows.
"A diverse cast takes on Shakespeare's tale of finding love when surrounded by family and societal cultures of violence." (Ten Thousand Things)
Why: Because it's Ten Thousand Things and hardly anything but actual physical illness keeps me from their shows.
"A diverse cast takes on Shakespeare's tale of finding love when surrounded by family and societal cultures of violence." (Ten Thousand Things)
So MUCH theater, so little time! Happy theatergoing!
