Five out of six scripts feature such subjects as the #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter, NFL player protests, and gender identity. “The art and science of picking our season,” Artistic Director Jack Reuler reflects, “[is looking at] …what’s in the world that needs to be talked about [and] the best vehicles to say that.”
Arts & Entertainment: a space for local and national arts and entertainment stories, with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African and African Americans.
REVIEW: Guthrie’s ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ a dud
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner at Guthrie Theater, Todd Kreidler’s adaptation of William Rose’s screenplay showcases acting highlights in an otherwise pedestrian production of a story that never had a great deal going for it. Regina Marie Williams (Dinah Was/Penumbra), (Ruined/Mixed Blood) is priceless as the adorably feisty Tillie, who consistently oversteps her bounds. As a Guthrie veteran Peter […]
‘Familiar’: supurb cast marred by weak script
Sha Cage is wonderful in Danai Gurira’s Familiar at Guthrie Theater. Broadening an already remarkable range, the veteran actor fascinates from the moment she steps on the stage, starring as brightly hopeful bride Tendi, caught in the crosshairs of a cultural mishap targeting her happiness. Ironically, it isn’t so much that she’s bringing a White husband into […]
‘Mermaid Hour’ continues Mixed Blood’s mission of inclusive storytelling
Mixed Blood Theatre strikes again. Daring and resourceful founding Artistic Director Jack Reuler, holding cutting edge as the company’s calling card, stages David Valdes Greenwood’s Mermaid Hour: Remixed. Adapted from Greenwood’s acclaimed drama, this musical is the saga of Vi, a flowering Latina and Asian lass coming to terms with herself as a young mixed-race transgender person. As if adolescence […]
Personal hair journey powers local playwright’s ‘Kinks’
Few things, on the face of it, are more innocuous than the hair on one’s head. However, so far as social issues go, the hair on a Black woman’s head is far from an idle consideration. Indeed, reaction thereto can be subtle, yet far-reaching discrimination. All one needs to verify this is to note that there […]
Designer creates magic through costumes
Have you ever stopped to think about how important clothes are? Have you ever wondered what causes someone to wear a certain sweater or dress? What would you wear when spending the day with someone special? These are just a few questions that costume designers think of when creating the looks for characters we see […]
Penumbra partners with Children’s Theater on ‘The Wiz’
Given the collaboration’s assembled talent, a hit seems likely The Wiz was never merely a remake of L. Frank Baum’s distinctly white-bread classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Still wholesome, family-friendly fare, it nonetheless over the decades underwent a telling, timeless transformation by which, reconceived, it celebrated and sustained the contemporary Black culture. No small feat. Indeed, […]
REVIEW: ‘The Wiz’ — a lively rendering sure to delight young and old
The kick-off of the Super Bowl experience in Minneapolis couldn’t stop the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) from packing the house for the opening night of The Wiz on Jan 26. Full of excitement and energy, CTC and Penumbra Theatre collectively delivered a five-star production of the award-winning show. Under the direction of Penumbra’s Lou Bellamy, […]
‘Dot’ handles topic of Alzheimer’s with humor and realness
E.G. Bailey has experienced family dementia first-hand with his grandmother and then his aunt. Bailey said, “My aunt’s progression was really quick; she was diagnosed in the early stages of dementia in her late 50s and died within three years.” Born and raised in Liberia, Bailey moved to the United States at age 10 with […]
‘Khephra,’ enlightening entertainment for all ages
Shá Cage hardly rests on her laurels. After the runaway success of New Neighbors, which debuted in June at the Sundance Film Festival, Cage has performed on more than 50 venues internationally and still tours prestigious outlets. Indeed, on the heels of starring in and co-producing the short film with director-screenwriter husband E. G. Bailey, Cage […]