So much theater, so little time.
To expand on my #67 from my 101 in 1001 list
here is a list of plays I've seen since I started the list...
52. 6/14/08
Sadgrrl 13, by Workhaus Collective.
I have never seen a more effective portrayal of the online world in a physically manifest format.
51. 9/10/08
Midsummer Night's Dream at the Guthrie.
If I have to listen to one more transatlantic, affected dialect coming out of one more actor who was disconnected to the text and ineffectually gesticulating around the words, I might just shoot myself.
50. 9/7/08
New Works at The Red Eye.
Theater is about communicating to your audience. If you don't care whether or not your audience gets it, you are just masturbating on stage.
49.5/28/08
Eddie Izzard: Stripped. At the State Theater.
It was so awesome I didn't even mind the fatass Arm Rest Hog (who was moonlighting as a Leg Brusher) sitting to my right.
48.5/24/08
The Ugly One, at the Guthrie Studio.
A fable wrapped in a black comedy. Most enjoyable.
47.5/16/08
Romeo & Juliet, presented by Four Humors.
It was too easy.
Stop acting.
46. 5/15/08
The American Pilot, Walking Shadow Theater Company.
The designs were pretty. The production could have been tighter.
45. 4/26/08
The Kids in the Hall, touring show at The Orpheum.
Those Kids are getting old. But they're still funny.
44. 4/12/08
Stitch and Bitch and Die! by Joe Scrimshaw at the Bryant Lake Bowl.
You were instructed to bring your knitting and craft during the show. I did just that, but I still didn't feel cool.
43. 4/12/08
The Value of Life, at the Science Museum.
Educational theater is just that. Educational.
42. 3/1/08
The Sign in Sydney Brustien's Window, with Starting Gate Theater.
Why anyone would choose it in the first place is beyond me.
41. 2/29/08
The Annual Director's Gym with Theatre Unbound.
I do applaud TU's effort to provide opportunities for female directors, and this is a relatively safe way to do so. In that, they succeeded in their goal.
A stimulating evening of theater it was not.
40. 2/9/08
36 Views, by Walking Shadow Theater Company, at The Red Eye.
They didn't need to do so much.
39. 2/8/08
After Ashley, 20% Theater Company.
At least I got comps.
38. 1/31/08
Peer Gynt at The Guthrie.
I got more from it the second time. And I still love that onion monologue.
37.1/25/08
Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis, at Theater in the Round.
No Pass.
36.1/20/08
Blue Door, by Emigrant Theater.
Why, oh, WHY couldn't the playwright just throw in another half dozen actors and SHOW those scenes rather than string a bunch of monolgues together?
35.1/18/08
Peer Gynt, at The Guthrie.
Once again, Mark Rylance has a tour de force performance. The production overall is gorgeous I'm going to see it again, if for no other reason than the jaw dropping effect they did with the floor. (I won't spoil it for you, in case you are going to see it. Which you should.)
34. 1/17/08
Looking for Normal, presented by ARTisphere Theater at the Theater Garage.
I was not impressed with the production, but Mo had a breathtaking monologue about love deep into the second act. It was the one Pass moment in the show, and she did it beautifully.
33. 12/23/07
Santaland Diaries, Theater Limina.
I did this show with Brian Baumgartner and Eye of the Storm Theater years ago.
I think it works better as a one man show.
32.12/06/07
The Water Engine, with Gremlin Theater.
A period piece radio drama intended to be staged. It was a little hard to follow the plot because what you were seeing and what you were hearing were two separate things. If you see it, I recommend closing your eyes and purely listening.
31.11/26/07
Mr. Marmalade, with Walking Shadow Theater Company.
Dark comedy, with sex, drugs, violence and giant dancing plants. Charming and disturbing at the same time, with some wonderful physical comedy in just the right amount.
30. 11/19/07
Anton in Show Business with Starting Gate Theater
The actors did fine, the technical elements were not so hot.
29. 11/09/07
War With The Newts, by Sandbox Theater.
Highly stylized, ensemble production reminiscent of kabuki, noh, buto, with a greek chorus thrown in for good measure. Although the aesthetic was not my cup of tea, I recognize that they did a great job of unifying the movement, tone and style with all elements. They did a solid job of bringing the story to life in the style that they chose.
28. 11/4/07
Staged Reading - 4:48 Psychosis, with 20% Theater Company.
There were some great moments of honesty and connection between the three actresses, and some fun staging (kicking over chairs, crawling on top of the upright piano, etc.). I would have prefered a little less movement but I think overall it was a successful staging of a challenging piece.
27. 10/19/07
The Clean House at Mixed Blood.
I disagreed with a number of directorial choices, but it's a good script and the designers worked well together.
26. 10/11/07
The Home Place at the Guthrie.
I admit that I had three glasses of wine before seeing this performance.
Still.
If you held a gun to my head I could not tell you any plot point of this show except that two different characters were in love with Sara Agnew's character, and Steve Lewis was rather funny.
25. 9/8/07
Jane Eyre at the Guthrie
About 15 minutes into it, I thought to myself, "oh yeah, I remember when I read this and got bored and skipped the entire center section..."
The designs were lovely, the acting was fine.
The play was tedious, just like the novel. At least we had comps.
24. 9/2/07
Staged Reading - The Lives of the Most Notorious Highwaymen, with Walking Shadow Theatre Company
It's a fun script, with great style.
23. 8/10/07
Private Lives at the Guthrie
It's about a couple that has divorced and remarried, and are now honeymooning unexpectedly in the same place. Hijinks ensue.
Pelinski was in rare form, the dialogue was smart and snappy, the comedy was well played, overall it was a great evening of theater. One of the best shows I've seen at the G since The People's Temple.
22. 7/28/07 We Gotta Bingo with Actor's Theater of Minnesota.
It's pretty much exactly what you would expect.
And the worst lasagna I have EVER tasted.
21. 7/15/07 Our Town with Girl Friday Productions.
The designs were pretty, the mime was (for the most part) precise, the characters were clear, and the direction was respectful of the script. My only complaint was that it got long towards the third act, and there was a bit too much melodrama for my taste. A little acting restraint and tighter directorial pacing would have improved the marathon at the end.
20. 7/06/07
America:acerimA at the Bryant Lake Bowl.
Boo. (And I'm not saying Boo-urns.)
19. 7/06/07
1776 at The Guthrie.
In a nutshell: bad script, terrible libretto, disconnected lighting design, poorly composed music, bad script, stilted choreography, hamfisted contemporary political references and did I mention BAD SCRIPT? We left at intermission.
18. 6/21/07
Two for the Seesaw at The Jungle.
ANOTHER 'beginning a new romance' play. Jeez. When will I stop running into these?
A man going through a divorce who meets and has an affair with a young woman.
The designs were top notch. My main gripe was with the man, whose every line came out of him like he a film noir detective, and not a one of his lines was coined or in the moment. Other than that, it was fine.
I was pleased that he left the girl and went back to his wife in the end.
17. 6/16/07
Fat Pig at Walking Shadow Theater Company
I didn't like the giggly "beginning of a relationship" scenes, but I recognize that I may not be in the right mindset for those themes. Other than that, it was a solid small theater production.
16. 5/25/07
What the Butler Saw at Burning House Group.
Funny in rehearsal doesn't translate to funny in performance.
Someone (the DIRECTOR, perhaps?) should have reigned this one in. A lot.
15. 5/24/07
Major Barbara at The Guthrie.
Even with the Oompa-Loompas, it was no Importance of Being Ernest, that's for sure.
Boo.
14. 4/18/07
The Merchant of Venice at The Guthrie.
Merchant was the first live Shakespeare I ever saw. I liked the other production better.
13. 4/15/07
1,000 Clowns by Torch Theater.
Where the hell does Stacia get all her money? I'm jealous.
12. 3/16/07
The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women by Theatre Unbound.
I didn't like the script.
11. 2/23/07
Under the Lintel by Pillsbury House Theater.
For a one-man show, it wasn't bad. An interesting premise and relatively well told story. But I disagreed with many of the directorial choices. *sigh*.
10. 2/14/07
Love Bites by In The Basement Productions.
No.
9. 2/10/07
The 24 Hour Play Project with Theatre Unbound.
I'm counting it because even though I directed one of them, I still sat in the audience and watched the other five. This is the third year I've done it, it's always a fun time.
8. 1/20/07
The Jeweler's Shop by Commedia Beauregard.
It was written by the late Pope. I didn't really care for the script, but they did do some nice things with using sign language to interpret poetry.
7. 1/12/07
Loot at Theatre In The Round.
It was funny. My only real complaint was the casting was all wrong... the three leads should have been shuffled around. Not that they weren't fine performances, it just would have been better if the casting was age appropriate.
6. 12/04/06.
The Belle Strategem. Staged reading in the ReDiscovery Series at the Shakespeare Theater.
Standard comedy of manners. It was fine.
5. 11/11/06.
Angelina Jolie is a Zionist Whore! at the BLB, produced by a little fringe company.
It was funny. Briefly expanded thoughts here.
4. 11/6/06.
Fell off the wagon for a while. Am working on getting back on.
Saw Zelda Wonderland with Sandbox Theater.
They make pretty pictures.
3. 9/30/06.
Copenhagen at Cedar Lane Stage.
My feelings are here.
2. 9/25/2006.
A staged reading of London Assurance
A Wilde-esque comedy of manners... quite funny. Thumbs up.
1. 9/21/2006.
State of the Union.
It was meh.
More to come!