Admittedly, my first few thoughts of Kneehigh’s production of Tristan & Yseult were “this is just weird”. Knowing it was Kneehigh, and therefore not going to be the traditional version of the age old Cornish love story, I just sort of hesitantly went with it. A group of hooded misfits calling themselves the “Club of the Unloved”? Okay. A giant swing, some trampolines, and balloons falling from the celling? Cool. 1950s music, trapeze-inspired choreography, vaudeville tendencies and lusty love scenes? I’m in!

The longer the show went on, the more okay I became with the weirdness, and eventually I realized that this crazy mish-mash of styles and elements was completely intentional. You see, the thing about the performance (in my opinion) is that it's not supposed to be a "small l" love story. It isn't meant to zero-in on the relationship of two people providing a kind of tunnel vision lense that makes the audience desperate for them to be together. Instead, what Kneehigh does is turn this into a Love story (capital L love about who we love, how we love, and why, and what it means). All of this is enhanced by the imagery on the stage. The whimsy, oddness and dynamic supporting characters all subconsciously tip us off that there is more at stake here than whether or not Tristan will get the girl. Case in point: the "lovespotters". This review from the Pioneer Press explains it best:

Identifying themselves by a name that sounds like the title of a Morrissey song, the Club of the Unloved, they reveal that they long to join Tristan and Yseult in the world history of great loves but, as the evening progresses, we begin to notice that almost all of the actors become part of the chorus at some point because, at some point, we all feel unloved. We also wonder about the love the chorus covets. Is Tristan and Yseult's reckless, selfish romance really to be envied?

In its essence Kneehigh unravels all things love can be and does it so subtly that I didn't even notice until a few days after the show. I sat down to write this post, stared at my keyboard wondering what to say, and took myself back through the events on stage. Only then did I realize what the show was and how much I wanted to encourage other people to go see it. This happens a lot, I tend to take a good deal of time processing what I see, but this one (more than most) surprised me.

Go. Please go. Go be enthralled by the strangeness and lack of clarity. Get caught up in the crazy and the drama. Spot love for yourself, or root for the underdog... but most of all, go with an open mind and just let the show soak you in.

Later days, love is at arm's length.

Now, I could go on and on about the implications of "race and real estate" as the phrase now goes, but I'd rather let you form your own opinions about what this play is actually trying to say. More so than most, I challenge you to go see this one (rush tickets are great if you're a cheapskate like me) and come back and post in the comments section. Let me know what you took away from it because I am authentically curious to know.

Later days, some would say change is inevitable...

You have one week left people! ONE WEEK to go see my favorite of Shakespearean comedies. What is it? you ask. Twelfth Night! I answer. Currently Britain's Propeller theater company's rendition of it it is playing in repertory with Taming of the Shrew at the Guthrie.

rep·er·to·ry (rpr-tôr, -tr)

1. A repertoire.

2. A theater in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation.

It has been a decently long while since a play has made me laugh as much as "The Servant of Two Masters" which makes me unbelievably glad I braved last Sunday's winter storm to see it. Actually, driving aside, it was beautiful outside and the Guthrie looks good in the snow:


What makes Masters so funny? In short, it's like watching a smaller, Minnesota-themed version of SNL. Satire ran amok and I loved every minute of it. If you're a native of this state who enjoys theater, there are plenty of humorous references for you to enjoy. A few of my favorite:

• "Oh for goodness sake, this isn't the Chanhassen!"
• "The ghost of Christmas what-in-the-hell"
• "If you people can sit through 38 years of Christmas Carol you damn well better enjoy our show too"

They even made references to the snow and to the Vikings game that was happening at the same time. I think it's safe to say that ad-libbing was encouraged which just goes to show, this isn't your traditional version of Shakespeare's comedy. Steven Epp completely steals the show and for a good portion of the evening I even felt as if I were back at the Theatre de la June Lune which is the best possible compliment I can give to this show as that theater was, and forever will be, my favorite (RIP Juney).


Any comedic endeavor where the actors are cracking themselves up is one I am certain I want to witness, and if you have any desire at all to laugh you ass off, you need to see this play. It covers the spectrum from poop jokes, to slapstick, to sexual innuendos galore. I promise, there is pretty much something for everyone and if you don't go see it, I will be made at you. It is by far my favorite show so far this season. Just saying...

Later days, MOO TIP BANG!

As aforementioned in my previous post, the Guthrie has kicked off their 2012/2013 season with three works by Christopher Hampton. At the outset, I had no idea who the man behind the plays was (I didn't know he wrote the script to Atonement - whoops). After three shows and some insight from my handy-dandy playbill, this is what I can tell you: When he is described as being "a creative writer of diverse work" it is spot-on. In fact, I still feel as if I don't REALLY know who Hampton is because of how different each of the shows were. Let me briefly break it down for you:

Tales from Hollywood
German writers find themselves in Hollywood in an attempt to escape the terror that is the Third Reich. Most of the play involves the personal story of playwright Ödön von Horváth and his interactions with more famous authors like Bertolt Brecht and the Mann brothers. At times the script is comedic, at others it tows the line between appropriate and "too soon" Holocaust humor (it will always be too soon for me) and sometimes it is dull. Mostly, it was dull... which is too bad. It had potential and had it's moments, but as someone who is mostly unfamiliar with Brecht and German writers in general, much of the humor went "woosh" right over my head. (All I can say is thank God for Professor Groven's insistence that I read "Galileo" Freshman year of college or all would have been lost.)

Lee Sellars as Ödön von Horváth

Appomattox
The first half of the play covers the year 1865 and the days leading up to and signing of the Appomattox Treaty. We get to see a tumultuous time in American history through the eyes of Lincoln, Grant and Lee which is always an interesting perspective. However, when the audience resumes their seats and the curtain rises after the intermission, we are suddenly in 1965 at the heart of the civil rights movement. While there is continuity in the themes of freedom, rights and a "stubborn belief in and hope for a brighter future" as the Guthrie puts it, it still feels very much like two separate plays. Fine on their own - it did feel a bit strange and a little long due to the density and severity of the topic at hand.

(At Center): Mark Benninghofen as Gen.Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Kerr as Robert E. Lee

Embers
I was surprised by this show. Why? Out of the three Hampton shows, this was my favorite. At last! The Dowling Studio comes through! (I always knew it would happen, I'm just excited it finally did.) In short, it is a play about two lifelong friends who must work through certain aspects of their difficult past including infidelity, death and desertion. Sounds saucy, doesn't it? While the play is largely monologue, I agree with Janet Preus (of HowWasTheShow.com) in her assesment that this is a show which is "beautiful, sad and absorbing... a piece to be pondered and savored." Hampton's writing here, in my opinion, is by far at its best.

Barbara Bryne as Nini and James A. Stephens as Henrik

Now, while Hampton only went 1/3 in my book, the novelty of having 3 productions by a single author run at the same time was certainly not lost on me. While I may be a part of a small yet fortunate few who were able to see all three, the best part of the first few months of the Guthrie season was the comparing and the contrasting of shows in a way I have never been able to before. So, Hampton? Not so much. Featured playwrites? HELL YES. I'd like to see much more of that in the future.

Later days, what's so special about writers?

The Guthrie has decided to kick off their 2012/2013 season with a celebration of the work of Christopher Hampton. Admittedly, I had NO clue who that was... but I have done my research, seen Tales from Hollywood and will catch the remaining two shows this week. Stay tuned for the full-fledged Hampton post this weekend!! I'm baaaaaaack!

The Guthrie's production of Roman Holiday closes this Sunday. The big question: Should you go see it?

Well, that's like asking "Do you want to go to Rome?" The answer is almost always yes, and (at least for the next few days) you don't have to drop big bills on a plane ticket to see the Trevi Fountain. It's here!


Why they build this beauty for it to be on stage for such a short time is beyond me, but it certainly is impressive! What is also impressive are the large dance numbers. If you want a real, legitimate show, look no further:

 
I also appreciated the Guthrie's fresh take on promoting this show which features photos of the cast taking a "holiday" in Minneapolis.What a great way to showcase our fabulous city! Kudos Guthrie, kudos! If you would like to see for yourself, just check out their facebook page.

The only downsides? Stephanie Rothenberg is not Audrey Hepburn (although she still does an excellent job concerning whose shoes she had to fill), the lyrics are beyond cheesy and the motorbike doesn't actually go anywhere.

If you want a real theatrical show, they've got it! You've just got to get there by Sunday. GO GO GO!

Later days, it was just one of those crazy flings...