Joy Dolo News

Michelle Hensley, retiring Artistic Director and Founder of Ten Thousand Things, is a gift. A gift to theater, a gift to Minnesota, a gift to the world. She taught us a new way to do theater, a new way to experience theater, one that considers who the audience can and should be, which is everyone. Read her book ALL THE LIGHTS ON if you want to know more about it, or go see her beautiful swan song THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN, which is also the first play that TTT ever did nearly 30 years ago when Michelle started it in California. We've been lucky enough to have TTT as a vital part of the #TCTheater community for 25 years, a tradition that will continue after Michelle's retirement under the leadership of new Artistic Director Marcela Lorca. One can only hope that all of the artists and audience members she's worked with and influenced in those years will continue on this tradition of inclusive, accessible, imaginative theater that is unlike anything else.

As chilly weather settles into Minnesota, local playwright Kira Obolensky has a wintery new musical to share. 'The Overcoat: A Low-Fi Musical' is the first play in the Playwrights' Center's 2017-18 Ruth Easton New Play Series, a long-running series offering Playwrights' Center Core Writers 20 hours of workshop time to develop a new play and giving theater fans a chance to see free public readings of the plays in progress.

Potatoes and bluebells and watermelon, oh my! Just before Frank Theatre's production of Alice Birch's new play REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN, I posted on Instagram: 'I'm not sure what I'm in for but I'm pretty sure it's gonna to be awesome. And 70 minutes no intermission.' I was right on all counts. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but it definitely was awesome, and short. Short, intense, and powerful. A six-person cast, a half dozen or so scenes, and a descent into organized chaos. All around the concept of feminism, and deconstructing our assumptions and language around it. Brave and outrageous and impactful and yeah, pretty awesome.

A new original folk-rock musical? It's like FLY BY NIGHT was created and brought to the Jungle just for me. The rare bird that is the new original musical is my favorite thing in the world, and folk-rock/folk/Americana is my favorite genre of music. I was primed and ready to love this show, and love it I did. Charming and funny yet poignant, with a fantastic score played by greats from the local music scene, and a cast that couldn't be better - what's not to love?

It never fails. Whenever I go to see a Ten Thousand Things show, the storytelling is so clear it's as if I'm truly seeing it for the first time, even if it's a piece I've seen one or many times before. In their signature bare bones theater style, they've cut out all the fluff from the beloved musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to get right to the heart of the story. Even though I've seen the show twice in recent years, I've never been so caught up in and felt so deeply the story of one man's struggle with holding to his traditions, while still loving his family as they begin to change and grow out of those traditions. The brilliant Steve Epp makes Tevye so real and human, and along with the other eight members of this terrific ensemble playing multiple characters, makes the world of Anatevka palpably real and somehow modern, despite still being anchored in time and space. Because 50 years after it was written, this story about a family of refugees fleeing persecution and violence in their beloved homeland to find safety in America is as timely as ever.

This pre-eminent children's theatre company is one of the wellsprings of new plays for young audiences, and has twice commissioned playwright Naomi Iizuka in that effort. This time, Iizuka has woven together aspects of seven different Japanese folktales to create THE LAST FIREFLY, the tale of a boy in search of his absent father.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is unveiling the world premiere of The Last Firefly, written by Naomi Iizuka and directed by CTC's Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius, beginning September 27. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will unveil the world premiere of The Last Firefly, written by Naomi Iizuka and directed by CTC's Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius beginning September 27.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will unveil the world premiere of The Last Firefly, written by Naomi Iizuka and directed by CTC's Artistic Director Peter C. Brosius beginning September 27.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is thrilled to kick off the new season with the acclaimed return of Pinocchio, the clever adaptation of Carlo Collodi's classic Italian folk tale that dazzled CTC audiences when it premiered in 2013. The production is created by Greg Banks who has created many highly-acclaimed adaptations, including The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, Huck Finn, and Romeo and Juliet. This production, like Collodi's story, explores the magical moments when make-believe becomes real.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) presents the world premiere stage adaptation of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES by Ezra Jack Keats, directed by Peter C. Brosius and Fabrizio Montecchi. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will present the world premiere stage adaptation of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES by Ezra Jack Keats directed by Peter C. Brosius and Fabrizio Montecchi.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) will present the world premiere stage adaptation of THE SNOWY DAY AND OTHER STORIES by Ezra Jack Keats directed by Peter C. Brosius and Fabrizio Montecchi.

Director talks about her show EMILIE/EURIDYCE at Illusion Theater

The acclaimed ensemble, Transatlantic Love Affair, brings another fresh story to the Illusion stage. Co-Artistic Director Isabel Nelson (Red Resurrected, Ballad of the Pale Fisherman, 2012 Ivey Award for Emotional Impact) returns to the director's seat for Emilie/Eurydice, inspired by the true story of Emilie Gossiaux and the Greek myth of Eurydice. The new work will be on stage November 6-21 at the downtown Minneapolis theater, located on the eighth floor of The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave.

The acclaimed ensemble, Transatlantic Love Affair, brings another fresh story to the Illusion stage. Co-Artistic Director Isabel Nelson (Red Resurrected, Ballad of the Pale Fisherman, 2012 Ivey Award for Emotional Impact) returns to the director's seat for Emilie/Eurydice, inspired by the true story of Emilie Gossiaux and the Greek myth of Eurydice. The new work will be on stage November 6-21 at the downtown Minneapolis theater, located on the eighth floor of The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave.

Helly my Broadway World Minneapolis friends. I know it's been a while since I've shared anything with you, but that's because I've been all-consumed by the 174-show 11-day festival that is the Minnesota Fringe. If you have not yet sampled from this glorious smorgasbord, don't worry, the fest continues through August 9 with 4-7 shows offered each day at 15 venues in Minneapolis, plus 9 site-specific shows. Believe me, I understand that this can be overwhelming, but I'm here to help. Read on to see a list of my 10 favorite shows of the Fringe so far. Now get out there, open your eyes and your heart and your mind, and see some of the beautiful, challenging, hilarious, disturbing, silly, profound, amazing theater that this festival has to offer.

I don't know if you've noticed, but there's something exciting going on in downtown St. Paul. In what's usually regarded as the sleepier of the Twin Cities, Park Square Theatre has recently opened a second stage in the Historic Hamm Building on lovely 7th Place. This extra space has allowed them to do some great things in the last few months, including producing regional premieres, partnering with local theater companies (look for shows by Sandbox Theatre, Theatre Pro Rata, and Girl Friday Productions this spring and summer), an increased focus on diversity, and continuing their commitment to students. They currently have three fantastic shows playing on the two stages, including student matinees of an effectively condensed ROMEO AND JULIET. But for us grown-ups, the two stages offer two very different but both excellent choices: the bittersweet comedy SHOOTING STAR on the Proscenium Stage, and the emotional drama THE OTHER PLACE on the new Boss Stage. Read on to make your choice, but hurry, both shows close on April 19.

Park Square continues its inaugural two-stage season next month with Sharr White's psychological thriller, THE OTHER PLACE.

The princesses of DISENCHANTED will cast their spell on you in a whole different way than their Disney predecessors. While Disney portrays such fairy tale princesses and historical figures as Snow White, the Little Mermaid, and Pocahontas as sweet, mild-mannered, passive ladies waiting for a prince to come along and save them, the salty, sassy princess of DISENCHANTED are smart, strong, and unwilling to put up with crap from anyone! This new musical comedy by Dennis C. Giancino is currently in its second production here in the Twin Cities. Casting Spells Productions has brought back three of the princesses from last year's fantastic production at the Ritz Theater, added a few new and equally fabulous princesses, spiffed up the costumes, and included a few tweaks by the creator. It's still a super fun show for anyone who loves and/or hates Disney princesses. These are the kind of princesses little (and not so little) girls should emulate!