The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity - Theater Mu

Thank you, May Lee-Yang and Theater Mu.

After seeing The Korean Drama Addict's Guide to Losing Your Virginity (at Park Square Andy Boss stage through August 19), I'm officially obsessed with Korean Dramas.

Two Mile Hollow - Theater Mu and Mixed Blood Theatre

Dear theatergoing friends,

We here at Minnesota Theater Love owe you an apology. Due to a number of contributing factors, including a trip to the Big City, we didn't see Two Mile Hollow until its final weekend. 

We did not use our voice and our platform to broadcast the news of this play and production far and wide, and for that, we are truly sorry. 

Speed Dating through a Bunch of May Theater

Y'all, we've seen a LOT of plays lately. And we have fallen down on our mission to share these works with you, our loyal and devoted readership. In an attempt to win your hearts again, and to start the summer theater season with a clean slate, here is our speed dating recap of recent local theater.

Five Fifths of Jurassic Park - Minnesota Fringe benefit at Ritz Theater
How have I NEVER been to any of these shows before? I am appalled at myself and my co-blogger Jules. Here's the scoop: They pick a script, divide it into five parts and give it to five local theater companies to put their own spin on it--one night only.

This year's companies were Shanan Custer with the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (listen to their podcast--it is MOST fun), Lounge-asaurus Rex (who I will now be following avidly, and not just for his impeccable taste in suitwear), Wayward Theatre Company (totally new to me--yay, new discoveries!), Blackout Improv (absolutely amazingly hilarious), and Erin Sheppard Presents (always fabulous and their costumes were ON point.) So fun and such a great teaser for the Fringe (August 3-13, 2017)!

Ann Michels in Sweetland
(photo by Rick Spaulding)

Sweetland: The Musical - History Theatre
Based on the lovely movie of the same name, which was based on a short story by local author Will Weaver, and with music by Dina Maccabee, and lyrics by Laurie Flanigan Hegge, and directed by Perrin Post .. With such a lovely pedigree and as it is such a labor of love, we wanted to like it more. However, our friend Cherry and Spoon loves it deeply, so please check out what she had to say!

Red Velvet - Walking Shadow Theatre Company
A really interesting premise from a well-regarded theater company, and a new play by a female playwright of color, Lolita Chakrabarti. (Fun fact: In London and New York, her husband Adrian Lester played the leading role). How can you go wrong? Although this was a very watchable play, and featured some strong performances, we ultimately found the play lacking. Single White Fringe Geek does a great job of outlining where we felt the play fell short. And although we adore JuCoby Johnson, this role didn't feel like the right fit for him.

Next on the calendar was Medea at New Epic Theater, but that show was cancelled. As we've seen great work from them in the past, we hope they sort out their issues and return to making theater.

Nate Cheeseman, Thallis Santesteban, John Catron, and
Christian Bardin in Lone Star Spirits (photo by Dan Norman)

Lone Star Spirits - Jungle Theater
Which we saw on its LAST DAY. So not helpful to anyone, particularly since the show was GENIUS. Dang it! The play, by Josh Tobiessen, was brought to life by director Sarah Rasmussen with a terrific ensemble of Terry Hempleman, John Catron, Christian Bardin, Nate Cheeseman, and Thallis Santesteban. Set and costume designer Sarah Bahr created the perfect small-town atmosphere, and the show ran a tight 80 minutes. So glad they extended a week and we were able to see it. 

Eric Sharp in Charlie, etc
(photo from Mu Performing Arts)

Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery - Mu Performing Arts
Lloyd Suh's script examines and critiques Asian American stereotypes using a play-within-the play to bring unspoken assumptions into the light. Randy Reyes directs this funny, thought-provoking, and challenging piece with a wonderful cast. And the show is in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie, so tickets are just $9! Catch it before the show closes on May 28.

Broadway Songbook: Hollywood and Broadway - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Though the show started a bit slowly, with songs best known as standards rather than theater music, the talented cast brings zing to songs from shows from 42nd Street to Grease to Legally Blonde. The Songbook series has been a wonderful addition to the local theater scene, and we hope it continues after James Rocco leaves the Ordway later this year.

Refugia - The Moving Company
This new work, playing on the Guthrie's McGuire Proscenium stage, aims to explore "exile, borders and the displacement of people," but we found the piece problematic, seeming to focus on white characters and stories and to underuse its few actors of color. Our friend Laura from One Girl, Two Cities wrote a wonderfully thoughtful post on this show, which has sparked an amazing amount of discussion in the local theater community.

Intimate Apparel - Ten Thousand Things Theater

Playing at Open Book through June 4, this gem of a play by Lynn Nottage is sensitively staged by Austene Van in TTT's trademark stripped-down style. The excellent cast is led by a luminous Aimee K. Bryant as a seamstress at the turn of the century who yearns for love and seems to find it by corresponding with a man working on the construction of the Panama Canal. As always, the cast is superb, and though I had seen this play when the Guthrie did it in 2005, I had forgotten what a wonderful script it is. 

Whew! Now, on to more theater-watching! Happy theater-going, friends!!

Twelve Shows of Christmas!

You can't throw a snowball in the Twin Cities and Minnesota without hitting a holiday show.

In order to help you sort through the massively rich choices, here is our list of the shows we are most looking forward to and enjoying this holiday season!

A Very Asian Xmas 2016: The Holiday Party

Where: A-Mill Artist Lofts

When: Dec 12, 2016

Why We're In: Because last year's show left my cheeks hurting from smiling, and it made me want to go home and sing. I love that in a show.  Read last year's review here!

Miss Richfield 1981 in Trailer House to the State House – Santa Style!

Where: Illusion Theater

When: Dec 2 - 17, 2016

Why We're In: Because this year, more than any other year, I need to remember that there is utter hilarity in the world. Read our review here!

The Unscripted Minnesota Holiday
Where: Danger Boat Productions at Bryant Lake Bowl
When: Dec 1, 3, 8, 10, 17, 2016
Why We're In: Improv plus holiday plus musical theater. PLUS, this cast/creative: Lorna Landvik, Dane Stauffer, Max Beyer, Heather Meyer, and Lizzie Gardner. Music by Dennis Curley. Directed by Tane Danger.

Snowed Inn
Where: DalekoArts
When: Nov 25 - Dec 18, 2016
Why We're In: Even though the show is probably sold out completely by now, I want to give it a little love because of the fabulous premise: "After failed screenwriter Archie Ježek leaves the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood to return to the small, Minnesota town where he grew up to run the family hotel, his dreams of a quiet, steady Midwestern life quickly devolve to madcap holiday hijinks and mayhem." Yes, please.

Nutcracker (Not So) Suite

Where: James Sewell Ballet at The Cowles Center

When: Dec 2 – 18, 2016

Why We're In: Because how fun does this sound? "Johnson’s highly inventive and irreverent production is set in the 60’s, beginning on the Upper-East-Side and careening into a beatnik downtown vibe with a life-size Barbie doll. The production is full of colorful characters all accompanied by a musical mash-up of hip-hop, R&B, contemporary tracks, and Christmas carols."

Black Nativity

Where: Penumbra Theatre

When: Dec 1 - 23, 2016

Why We're In: This IS our holiday tradition. We've been with Black Nativity from the many happy years at the Fitzgerald Theater to the current run at Penumbra, and no matter what else changed, this is always a show of love and gorgeous music. Read last year's review here!

A Christmas Carole Petersen

Where: Theater Latte Da at the Ritz Theater

When: Nov 30 – Dec 23, 2016
Why We're In: Because this sweet, affectionate show about Tod Petersen's real life Christmas memories is hilarious and poignant by turns. Also, sugar cookies! Read our review here!

The Longest Night

Where: Open Eye Figure Theater

When: Dec 8 - 23, 2016

Why We're In: From our good friend Cherry and Spoon: "Part science lesson (complete with visual aids), part history, part mystical spirituality, The Longest Night is the loveliest of celebrations of the season."

The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical

Where: Minneapolis Musical Theatre at Camp Bar
When: Dec 2 - 23
Why We're In: Because Minneapolis Musical Theatre is having an amazing run of amazing shows. Plus, Camp is a super fun place to see a show AND is in St. Paul. Read our review here!

A Christmas Carol

Where: Wurtele Thrust at Guthrie Theater

When: Nov 16 - Dec 30, 2016

Why We're In: It's never been a tradition for us, but with the fabulous racially diverse casting and all of the wonderful Guthrie resources on display AND only two hours with intermission, how can you go wrong? Read our review here!

The Norwegians
Where: Dark & Stormy Productions at Grain Belt Warehouse
When: Dec 8 - 30, 2016
Why We're In: Dark & Stormy always ends up on our holiday theater list. Sometimes, there's only so much sugar plums and 'bless us, every one' that you can take, and D & S always has the cure. Plus, a show about really nice hit men? Yes, please.

Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Where: Ordway Center

When: Dec 8 - Dec 31, 2016

Why We're In: Look at the adorable Dieter Bierbrauer and Brian Sostek. How could we possibly not be in?

Okay, so that's twelve and I still have SO MANY SHOWS to tell you about! I'm turning things over to a few of our Twin Cities Theater Bloggers friends for a lightning round of recommendations.

The Room Where It Happens on A Very Die Hard Christmas
"If you need a pick-me-up this holiday season and want to see a wildly funny take on a classic 80s film, this show’s for you."
(at Bryant Lake Bowl through Dec 17)

Cherry and Spoon on A Gone Fishin' Christmas
"There's a reason that Yellow Tree's original Christmas plays are so popular and sell out virtually every performance - they are a perfect mix of heart and humor wrapped up in local jokes that we love so well, with a talented cast that makes these characters and the sweet and silly story sing (literally and figuratively)."(Yellow Tree Theater through Dec 11)

One Girl, Two Cities on The Averagers -  Christmas War
"I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t take much to make me laugh. But it’s not often that I cry from laughing so hard..."(Comedy Suitcase at Bryant Lake Bowl through Dec 11)

Compendium on What the Elf?
"I mean come on, we all love The Christmas Carol and A Christmas Story, but every single year? Sometimes you need to mix it up a little."(Brave New Workshop through January 28)

September Short Cuts - A Month in Review

September got away from us here at Minnesota Theater Love. Here's a super speedy look at what we saw and what we thought.

The Liar - Park Square Theatre: 
1643 French play, rewritten by David Ives. Starring Sha Cage and Zach Curtis, with amazing performances by Sara Richardson, JuCoby Johnson and especially Shanan Custer. So funny that my face hurt from laughing.

The River - Walking Shadow Theatre Company:
Jez Butterworth, a playwright I LOVE, and amazing performances from a cast of three, including Andrew Erskine Wheeler, completely unrecognizable from Walking Shadow/Mixed Blood's The Christians. This production was not afraid to lean into the quiet and the silences, and the audience was rapt.

The Two Kids That Blow Shit Up - Mu Performing Arts
I love Mu, and I adore both Sun Mee Chomet and Sherwin Resurreccion, but did not love this play by Carla Ching, nor the production. This show jumps around in time, but doesn't develop the characters fully enough for us to care about their journey. Also, it was performed at Rarig, and sightlines were awful. Still love ya, Mu. Still happy to be a season subscriber.

Sense & Sensibility - Guthrie Theater
Sneh. The relationship between the sisters was lacking, and the tricksy production didn't work fully. We had WAY more fun recasting the show with our favorite local actors.

And then we went to American Players Theatre in Spring Valley, WI for six shows in four glorious days. More on that later.

The 2016 Ivey Awards - State Theater
The very best things about the Ivey Awards are as follows: Seeing scenes from fabulous shows over the year that I loved or somehow missed, and the love in the room. It might be theater prom, but it's fun even for those of us who work on the school paper. But if I'm totes honest, I'm not sure what's happening with that publicity campaign.

Ragtime: The Musical - Theater Latte Da
I love Ragtime, I love Latte Da, and I now completely adore David Murray. I loved the tour, and Ragtime was the first show I saw at Ten Thousand Things Theater, and I remember it as if it was yesterday (Aimee K. Bryant as Sarah, T. Mychael Rambo as Coalhouse, and Jim Lichtscheidl as Younger Brother). As always, Latte Da does a lovely job and the music is beautiful. But this production feels a bit too stripped-down. The cast feels too small, especially with such iconic characters and the staging too spare (moving staircases for days). But more than anything, in this day and age, to see both of the African-American characters martyred (and so violently) and their child raised by a white family feels....wrong. So many reviews say that this is the show we need right now, but I can't help but wonder: Is it? More on this later.

Broadway Songbook: Rebels on Broadway - Ordway
The Broadway Songbooks are wonderfully produced and sung, and clearly are a labor of love for James Rocco, who's done such a beautiful job in recent years with Ordway productions. This one, though, eh. Despite a wonderfully talented cast, the numbers were too staged, too choreographed, and too awkward. The best numbers were simply done: Telephone Wire from Fun Home (Hope Nordquist and Wes Mouri) and God I Hate Shakespeare from Something Rotten! (Wes Mouri and company). The wonderful cast also included Julius Collins and Brianna Graham.

The Children - Pillsbury House Theatre
This is one of those plays where if they had a second showing right after the first, I'd have stayed to see it again. Beautifully acted by a fantastic cast including Kurt Kwan, Michelle O'Neill, and Jim Lichtscheidl, The Children featured a fantastic script that mixes Medea with modern tragedy. Loved it. If only there were more days in the week, and more time to see amazing theater more than once!

Songs for a New World - Minneapolis Musical Theatre
Four talented performers, including the OUTFREAKINGSTANDING Brandon Jackson, performed Jason Robert Brown's song cycle at Bryant-Lake Bowl. Beautifully musically directed by Tony Sofie, it was a lovely evening of music performed by singers who could really put a song over. However, I do miss an actual program. Even a mimeographed sheet would be great (millennials: it's like a copy machine copy only smearier and smellier.)

tot: THE UNTOLD, YET SPECTACULAR STORY OF (a filipino) HULK HOGAN - Mu Performing Arts at Boss Thrust Stage / Park Square

Photo: Keri Pickett

Wow - what a long title! Mu Performing Arts is celebrating the 50th World Premiere with this work, as well as helping to celebrate 50 years of Asian American Theater.  In 1965 the East West Players was founded in Los Angeles. It started as a place where Asian American actors could explore parts outside of the stereotypes that were prevalent in the 1960's Hollywood. This theater company ended up becoming a major player in Asian American Theater along with Seattle's Theatrical Ensemble of Asians, San Francisco's Asian American Theatre Company, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City. Mu Performing Arts has continued the work that these four companies has started.

tot: THE UNTOLD, YET SPECTACULAR STORY OF (a filipino) HULK HOGAN is the latest of 50 World Premieres that Mu Performing Arts has produced, as well as being the final production of this season. It is the first full-length play by Victor Maog, and is directed by Artistic Director Randy Reyes. It tells the story of a young boy who travels from the Marcos-era Philippines to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet his long lost parents. He travels from a country full of strife and military rule only to find himself in America, lonely, hiding in his bedroom and conjuring a pro wrestling fantasy to escape his new life.

Photo: Keri Pickett

The work sounds fascinating on paper, and was interesting to watch on stage. The raised stage is set as a Wrestling Arena, with a single rope surrounding all four sides, audience on all four sides, and a sunken space in the middle of the stage. Lights are set under the two steps leading up to the top level. The action starts with tot (Randy Reyes) talking to his lola - grandmother (Mary Ann Prado) about wanting to see his parents, while at the same time not wanting to leave his home and all his friends. Quite a bit of the dialogue during this time is in a patois mix of English, Spanish, and Tagalog (I think - there is no information, nor translation provided). He asks at this time, and often through out the show, why his parents left him in the Philippines, and why he has to go to America. When he arrives in America, he finds that his parents Hope Nordquist, and Eric "Pogi" Sumangil) are not as he had expected or hoped. He also has to contend with a new sister (Stephanie Bertumen - Reyes's actual sister). The parents disagree often, and seem to have little regard for the bullying that tot deals with at school and in the neighborhood. tot falls in to his imagination and creates a pro wrestling fantasy to help him escape his troubles. These fantasies are filled with Mother Superior (Prado), The Dame (Nordquist), The American Dream (Bertumen), The Announcer (Sumangil), and the hero - The Orbiter (Torsten Johnson). Michelle De Joya and Kyle Legacion fill out the rest of the cast playing the chorus, as well as two "ring announcers" who carry signs around the ring telling the audience where the scene is set and/or what it is about.

Photo: Keri Pickett

The cast, and the performances are solid and good. All the various characters are singular and distinct. It is interesting to watch the various relationships and see how they play out. The difficulties I had were mainly with the script. When the wrestling aspects began it was not clear that these were fantasies, or something that the father in America was working on as he also played the announcer. I also didn't see the character of tot changing or growing during the show until the resolution at the end when they show him as a grown-up. The character, as I saw it, remained as a child - petulant, self-absorbed, and not worrying about who he may hurt when he fights with his sister, or wrestles with her. Towards the end of the work there is an extended scene of domestic abuse that I found very troublesome to watch - to the point where I turned away. So, let this be a trigger warning to some of you. The director's notes state that tot explores "immigration, imagination, domestic violence, the American dream, bullying, and misogyny, all through the theatrically violent professional wrestling world." I felt that the showed all these things but didn't go much deeper. Though thinking back I could see where some of the "wrestling" moments could be understood as a metaphor for what tot was going through - but it wasn't clear to me.

I think work like this is important. All of our stories should be told and shared on the stage. I love that Mu Performing Arts is here in the Twin Cities providing a different perspective, while also being a big part of our community here. While I may not have liked this show, I still am looking forward to seeing more of their work.

You For Me For You - Mu Performing Arts at the Guthrie

Audrey Park and Sun Mee Chomet.
Photo: Rich Ryan.

Mu Performing Arts, which has lately been presenting many new works, brings another new show to the Twin Cities with the regional premiere of You For Me For You by Mia Chung. Staged at the Guthrie's Dowling Studio, this is a challenging and intense story of two sisters in North Korea.

As the play begins, Junhee and Minhee are fighting over a meager meal, each insisting that the other deserves to eat. The hardships and challenges of their lives in North Korea unfold slowly, from hunger and sickness to unquestioning loyalty to the Best Nation in the World and its Dear Leader.

Junhee, played by Audrey Park with fierce intensity, struggles against the restrictions and dares to voice her frustrations. Her frailer sister, Minhee, portrayed by Sun Mee Chomet, clings to the rote recitals of praise for the nation that take the place of normal conversation, fearful that the truth will reveal the futility of her personal sacrifices. When they are separated at the border during an escape attempt, their lives diverge as one faces the challenges of freedom and the other the depths of memory, each trying to find a way to survive.

You For Me For You is not intended as a literal representation of North Korea; rather, it uses the situation to explore the depths of loyalty to family and country, and the risks of challenging that loyalty. Some scenes seem very realistic, while others are dreamlike or even hallucinatory. The minimalist set contributes to the feeling that the events are unmoored from the literal world, as does director Randy Reyes' choice of having two ensemble members clad in black who seem to make objects appear from thin air. It's a very cool, kind of eerie effect.

Sun Mee Chomet and Audrey Park. Photo: Keri Pickett.

Park and Chomet are wonderful as the sisters, each going through her own trials. They are supported by Sara Richardson as a series of Americans, JuCoby Johnson as a new friend, and Kurt Kwan as everyone else. Kwan makes every one of his roles--from a party-loyalist doctor to a smuggler of escapees to a lost husband, and more--distinctive and real,

I fear that I am not doing the play justice. The script, and this production, includes moments of domestic drama, adventure, terror, and beauty. It also made me want to learn more about North Korea and the stories of people who have left the country to make a new life. In the lobby at the Dowling Studio, Mu has a monitor showing information and resources that provide context for the story. Many of these resources can be found on the Mu Performing Arts website, as well as a list of the post-show discussions around the show. Additional information is available on Mu's Facebook page.

Do see this play! And if you go, be sure to arrive early. The Dowling Studio is general admission seating, and unless you are very tall, you will want to get a seat in the first few rows. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the show takes place in front of the two-level set, with the actors frequently sitting on the floor, which means they are hidden from much of the audience. Sit up close to see these wonderful performers do their stuff.

Purple Cloud - Mu Performing Arts

Purple Cloud by Jessica Huang, now playing at Mixed Blood Theatre, is the 49th world premiere presented by Mu Performing Arts! By the end of this, Mu's 24th season, they will have logged 50 world premieres with their production of Tot: The Untold, Yet Spectacular Story of (A Filipino) Hulk Hogan. This is an impressive roster for a small theater company in the Midwest. But it's also a necessity, since the history of Asian American theater in the US only dates back 50 years.

With Purple Cloud, Mu adds to the relatively young canon of theater by and about Asian Americans. In this case, the main character is "hapa," a name derived from the Hawaiian word for "mixed." At 18, she wants to know more about her family heritage, but her widowed father doesn't want to talk about the history of the Huang family. Adopting the Chinese name given to her by her grandfather in a mysterious letter, Hapa Girl sets out to learn about her ancestors.

Hapa Girl and her father (Meghan Kreidler and Rich Remedios).
Photo: Keri Pickett.

Guided by four jade pieces embodied by Jeannie Lander, Kylee Brinkman, Stephanie Bertumen,and Audrey Park, Hapa Girl and the audience learn about Grandfather Lee's journey from Shanghai and Lee's son (Hapa Girl's father), and their differing ways of dealing with their cultural identities.

Under Randy Reyes' direction, the four jade pieces become characters in the Huang family saga, from the ancient origin story of the clan to Lee's final journey home. Simple set pieces and minor costume changes create amazing transformations of scene and character.

Grandfather Lee with the four jade pieces (from left):
Stephanie Bertumen, Jeannie Lander, Alex Galick,
Audrey Park, and Kylee Brinkman. Photo: Keri Pickett.

I found the story quite educational regarding the Asian American experience, but more importantly, a very moving story about three generations of this particular family. Meghan Kreidler is believably surly as the rebellious teenage Hapa Girl, and Rich Remedios touching as her father. Portraying Lee at ages from preteen to old age, Alex Galick is wonderful at showing the patriarch's journey from China and his subsequent struggles to make a place for himself and his family in America.

Purple Cloud is a fascinating look at a family's multiracial identity, beautifully told.

For more background on the play, check out this KARE 11 interview with director Reyes and playwright Huang.

And check out the atmospheric trailer!

A Very Asian Xmas 2015 - Mu Performing Arts

For two shows only (11/28 and 11/29), Mu Performing Arts celebrates the holidays with A Very Asian Xmas 2015: The Mu-Lan Rouge at the Southern Theater. This show is a completely delightful way to kick off your holiday season.

The fun begins before you even enter the theater, since your Mu ticket price includes drink tickets for the bar as well as a lovely buffet with food by Tea House and Funfare Global Street Eats. The atmosphere feels much more like a party than a conventional show in a most charming way.

The show itself, hosted by Jasmine (Randy Reyes--spoiler!) with a French-inspired flair, includes a line-up of musical numbers that are way too delightful to spoil here. Suffice it to say that the numbers, ranging from holiday medleys, musical theater songs--classic and new, and even a little opera (exquisitely sung by Francesca Dawis and Isabella Dawis) range from funny to poignant to sweet to rockin'. Musical backing is provided by musical director Stephen Houtz, Doug Nelson, Brian Glenn, and KT Thompson.

And Mu Daiko! Having just seen my first Mu Daiko show (and having LOVED it), I was excited to see Jennifer Weir, Susan Tanabe, and Jeff Ellworth again. I truly think their drumming is good for the heart and soul, and I love how much fun they all seem to be having.

All the performers were wonderful, hence I'm naming them all here. In addition to Reyes and the Dawises, we had Katie Bradley, Sheena Janson, Sherwin Resurreccion, Stephanie Bertumen, Kylee Brinkman and Hope Nordquist. Some familiar to me, some less so, but all completely delightful.

If I can get a little personal up in here, I will tell you honestly that my cheeks totally hurt from smiling, and it made me want to go home and sing. I call that a successful show!

Shakespeare for All - Twelfth Night by Mu Performing Arts

Photo credit: Rich Ryan Photography

Mu Performing Arts' new production of Twelfth Night, playing through June 14 at Mixed Blood Theatre, is a must-see. I repeat, a must-see.

As adapted and directed by Mu's artistic director, Randy Reyes, it's a whirlwind 99 minutes of music, laughs, love, and mischief.

Twelfth Night is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and I wasn't sure how it would fit into less than two hours, but this adaptation keeps the scenes that are necessary to the story, and most of what was left behind is not missed.

The show begins with music, as is appropriate for a play that begins, "If music be the food of love, play on." The Asian-influenced score, composed and directed by Jason Hansen, involves the entire cast at times, but primary musical duties come from the four-woman chorus, providing amazing a capella vocals with accents of percussion, and from Reyes, who plays ukelele and sings as a charming Feste. The chorus adds atmosphere and comments on the actions of the play throughout, and though it was a style I'm not familiar with, it was beautiful.

The plot is timeless: Girl survives shipwreck, pretends to be boy to work for a Duke, who sends the boy (girl) to woo his beloved, a lady who falls in love with the girl, who is also in love with the Duke. That old story! Of course, in Shakespeare's day, all roles were played by men, so it seems appropriate that several of the male roles here are played by women.

The cast is uniformly terrific in all of their roles, but Stephanie Bertumen as Viola and Francesca McKenzie as Olivia are really wonderful. And Eric "Pogi" Sumangil and Alex Galick are hilarious as Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheeck. These can be characters where a little goes a long way, but not a moment of their stage time is wasted. Eric Sharp is a gloriously pompous Malvolio before his terrible comedown, and a tragic figure by the end of the play.

The production is low on pretension and high on physical comedy. Mixed Blood's stage includes a number of levels, with seating on two sides of the playing area, effectively placing the whole audience within a few rows of the stage and in full view of the other half of the audience. The many levels also allows Reyes to keep players on stage even for scenes they are not part of, and I loved watching their reactions to the action.

In another nod to Shakespeare's time, the cast, particularly Reyes as Feste, welcome the audience into the show with funny asides and a few contemporary uses of language that work very well. The comedy is performed with relish and not much reverence, but the love stories in the play are never lost in the laughs. I think this would be a wonderful first experience for anyone who hasn't seen much Shakespeare.  I would go so far as to say that if he were with us today, this is a show that the Bard himself would enjoy.

It's also a great introduction to Mu Performing Arts, and here's another one: Through the run of Twelfth Night, Mu is offering season tickets to their four-show 2015-2016 season for $50. It's a great deal, and a great way to make sure you're not missing the work of this wonderful company!

Trailer for Twelfth Night below!

The Debutante's Ball and Ethnic Heritage: Father and Daughter Weigh In

Please enjoy this guest post by my friend Jay and his teen daughter Juno about what Mu Performing Arts/History Theatre's play The Debutante's Ball means to them:

Jay: As a first generation Filipino immigrant raised outside the Minnesota Filipino community, and largely isolated from Filipino traditions, I was thrilled to discover Eric "Pogi" Sumangil's comic documentary on preserving ethnic heritage. 

Without being overly sentimental, the play still managed to evoke my sympathy for the young characters struggling to define their own racial identity. I laughed with and never-quite-pitied the character I saw the most of myself in, an awkward and geekish young man who played the Harana (Filipino serenade) for the female protagonist. I would have liked to explore the theme of "nisei" having an "ethnic" channel to direct universal themes of teenage awkwardness, and how they often make an asset of innate bi(or greater)-culturism.

Image by Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune

The thin Good Friday crowd of History Theater regulars and supporters blended comfortably with Filipino families, easily identified by their uproarious laughter during the targeted ethnic insider jokes. Though not provocative, the overall atmosphere reminded me poignantly of feeling like a square peg in a round hole, gently but not painfully reconciling mutually strange foods, accents, and jokes with my parents' white Minnesotan friends at 70s and 80s dinner tables, the place settings slightly outdated, the humor never dead-on, but ample.

Juno: When I found out that we were going to see this play, I was a little hesitant. I haven't ever been immersed in the  culture, and honestly, I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I identify as part Filipino, but I was sure that every reference or joke would go right over my head - I was wrong. I didn't need to speak Tagalog, I didn't have to go to social gatherings, I didn't even have to do anything but sit and watch. I was able to laugh and enjoy it as it happened, and so was everyone else in the Theater.

I think what was most appealing to me was that it didn't beat around the bush about anything. Yes, Filipino's are blunt, touchy, and ambiguously ethnic, and there isn't a point in the show where you don't see that. Instead of being a play about trying to fit in with the crowd, it's a play about being comfortable with who you are, even if you look or act differently than the people around you. It wasn't a crazy assimilation-promotion  play, it was straight forward, and documented (accurately) what it's like to grow up Filipino-American in Minnesota. 

Opening Night at F.O.B. - Synergy and Samosas!

Mu Performing Arts just opened their production of F.O.B. last night, January 30. The show, which is playing at Mixed Blood Theatre, runs through February 15.

I wasn't familiar with the play going in, other than knowing that F.O.B. meant "Fresh Off the Boat" and referred to recent immigrants. David Henry Hwang's play debuted in 1979, and the immigrants here are recent and not-so-recent arrivals to Los Angeles from China.

In the course of the three-character play, set in a Chinese restaurant, we hear about the experiences of immigration in different eras and the levels of distinction from the F.O.B.s to those who have been in the country for years to A.B.C.s - American-Born Chinese. The play also involves Chinese gods and heroes, who have their own struggles.

Although I didn't necessarily get all the connections in this play, particularly between the realistic and mythic realms, it was beautifully performed by Michael Sung-Ho, Meghan Kreidler, and Randy Reyes, who also directed. The sound and lighting, along with the acting, made the larger-than-life characters come to life, which was a lot to accomplish in a brief, 70-minute play.

Mu toured this production to Chinese restaurants around the state last summer, and now that they're playing in a theater space, they've brought the restaurant with them. For an additional $6, you can add to your ticket an individual takeout box of noodles to eat at your seat! It looked like a good number of people took up that offer on opening night.

The theater is partnering with three Chinese restaurants to bring in food for the shows. January 30-February 1, the catering is by the ChinDian Cafe. February 5-8 is Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe, and February 12-15 will feature food from the Tea House. Each Saturday night, the restaurateurs will also participate in a post-play discussion.

One of my favorite things about seeing this show is the amount of collaboration and cooperation happening. Mu is performing in Mixed Blood's theater, they are partnering with all of these local eateries, and there's a display in the theater on Chinese immigrants in Minnesota that was put together by the Minnesota Historical Society. And on opening night, they had more food from ChinDian, wine (which I didn't catch the provenance of), and beer from Town Hall Brewing. It's just great to see the synergy, and I hope it catches on with other theaters.

I think I'd better read up on the show and what it's all about, but that's something I appreciate in theater--a show that makes me want to learn more.