Tuesday, March 25, 2014

So You Love Submissions Only ...

    Santino Fontana and Kate Wetherhead
Have you checked out the hilarious web series Submissions Only yet?

Created by Kate Wetherhead and Andrew Keenan-Bolger, this series about a casting director (Colin Hanlon), his aspiring actress bestie (Wetherhead) and the travails of New York stage life features hilarious theater jokes and tons of fabulous cameos.  It's wildly addictive and funny.

Looking for more online shows starring wildly talented theater folks?  The New York Times has a handy guide in their recent article:   If You Can’t Get Onstage, Go Online, which features enough do-it-yourself web series to keep you glued to your computer for weeks.

And in case you thought our local theater scene wasn't up on this fun trend, check out Theater People: A Drama About the People Behind the Drama, written, directed and produced by Matthew G. Anderson and starring a host of local actors and many faces that are well-known to Twin Cities theatergoers.   A complete list of cast members can be found on the website.  Here's looking forward to a new season of this fun series!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

If You Loved Tristan & Yseult ...


If you loved Kneehigh's inventive and ingenious production of Tristan & Yseult at the Guthrie, you only have a few more days to catch it again.

But if you can't see it again, fear not. You can still bask in the glow of its romantic, quirky haze with a couple of cool online links:

Interested in learning more about the production, Kneehigh's work, and the original story?  Check out Kneehigh's Student Resource Pack, which includes this utterly lovely line from Mark Shepherd, Kneehigh's Joint Artistic Director (with Emma Rice):  "Why do we do theatre? Because anything could happen and leaps in the dark are imperative."  Amen!

The fabulous Craig JohnsonLoved the evocative music? The Guthrie and Kneehigh put together a great YouTube playlist of the music used in Tristan & Yseult, from Wagner to Yma Sumac to Nick Cave.

Kneehigh's website has a wealth of fascinating resources about this amazing company, based on the Cornwall coast.  They work in barns!  They have a festival called Asylum!  So cool.

Their Watch, Look and Listen page has tons of videos of their past work. Definitely check out the blog and see what the cast members had to say about their visit to Minneapolis.

Adieu, Kneehigh and the Club of the Unloved.  Have a great time at Chicago Shakespeare!  And come back soon!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You ... 2014 Season Announcements


Pippin on Bway
A couple of theaters have announced their upcoming seasons.  Check out the links and plan up your next year accordingly!

Hennepin Theatre Trust announced its 2014–2015 Thrivent Financial Broadway on Hennepin Season (16-page season brochure PDF). 

Some new offerings on tour include Pippin, Motown the Musical and Kinky Boots, all currently running on Broadway.  The Book of Mormon and Jersey Boys are back, and a couple of eyebrow-raising shows;  Dirty Dancing and I Love Lucy Live on Stage.  Also included in the season is Theater Latte Da's Oliver.


The Ordway also announced their 2014-2014 Season.  Musical theater shows include Evita, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and the very well-received A Christmas Story.  Other offerings include Damn Yankees, Camelot and The Pirates of Penzance.  Hmm.

Park Square Theatre announced its new season and has expanded its number of shows due to the Boss Stage, their new black box space.  Shows of interest next season include Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, which was well-reviewed at Playwrights Horizon in New York, 33 Variations (warning: sound--I mean, really?) and The Color Purple.

A few shows are making encore appearance at Park Square, including Trick Boxing, created by and starring the wildly talented Brian Sostek, Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol and Two Sugars, Room for Cream.

More season announcements to come--stay tuned!