TCTB Review Roundup: SUPERMAN BECOMES LOIS LANE at the HERstory Thetare

History Theatre has been HERstory Theatre all month with their production of Superman Becomes Lois Lane. This #truestory gem closes very shortly on March 1, so don't miss your chance to see it! See what our bloggers thought in our roundup below:

Cherry and Spoon says "A year after it began, HERstory continues at St. Paul's History Theatre. But this HER had to work a little harder to claim that correct pronoun that many of us take for granted. Superman Becomes Lois Lane is the true story of the playwright Susan Kimberly, who transitioned to her correct gender as a bit of a public figure in St. Paul in the 1980s, and went on to become the first transgender woman to serves as deputy mayor of a major American city. It's an engaging and inspirational story, told in a fantastical yet grounded way, that provides insight into one person's journey to their truest self." Read more: http://bit.ly/cs_lane

The Stages of MN says "Superman is in the title of the play, but he is not the only hero associated with it. Superman Becomes Lois Lane is written by real life hero Susan Kimberly. This is her story and by sharing it, she helps facilitate understanding and compassion, and that, makes the world a better place. [...] I also know from personal experience that those who are able to share their journey bring comfort, validation, and hope to those who are just beginning." Read more: http://bit.ly/2HyRFzr

Twin Cities Stages says "What makes the show so unique is that both Susan Kimberly as portrayed by Freya Richman and Bob Sylvester as portrayed by Sean Michael Dooley exist together on stage in multiple scenes. The two who are in moments completely separate and at others are one are constantly in conversation with each other though, this method of storytelling is powerful and unique from other stories of transition that I have seen." Read more: https://bit.ly/323lBNz

TCTB Review Roundup: THE WHITE CARD at Penumbra Theatre

We're nearing the end of Black History Month, and we would be remiss if the bloggers didn't host a roundup of The White Card, now showing at Penumbra Theatre Company through March 8. This cutting, modern play impressed our crew and is even a #mustsee for one of our #tctheater bloggers. Read the roundup below to see who.

Cherry and Spoon says "Talvin Wilks directs this fantastic cast, with a few moments of humor and many moments of discomfort, which is a good thing for an audience to experience. In less than 90 minutes the playwright, director, and cast really get to the crux of the matter without blaming anyone, just shedding light on our unconscious biases." Read more: http://bit.ly/cs_whitecard

The Stages of MN says "The White card is a play that educates us by making us question and process our understanding of race and art. [...] I was familiar with the idea of white privilege, but this play made we think deeper about it and gave me a better understanding of the complexities that exist within that concept." Read more: http://bit.ly/37bSbhc

Play off the Page says "At times, I wished I could rewind a scene and hear it again, especially during Charlotte’s monologue about anger. This is a play you could watch several times and hear and see more details and layers each time. Talvin Wilks directs the play in such a way that the actors seem like they’re circling each other. With so much talking, the play could feel like were just listening to people rant, but the movement, and their reactions to each other make it seem real, the way people keep shifting positions and fidgeting around when conversations get uncomfortable." Read more: http://bit.ly/37vxux9

Compendium - Minneapolis says "The endless amount of irony of sitting as a white reviewer in an almost all white audience that was audibly gasping throughout The White Card only to drive back to our cozy safe homes and punch out a bunch of preachy messages about race on social media was not lost on me for a second. [...] And that discomfort I experienced, the mental dissonance, is the reason why The White Card is a must see for white audiences for me. In the hundreds of plays I have seen over the years, almost always with audiences who are overwhelmingly white, it is exceedingly rare that I have seen a play so effectively turn the gaze back upon us. How did we get here? What layers of privilege have allowed us access to the arts?" Read more: http://bit.ly/2I0583w

TCTB Review Roundup: Closing Soon!

It's the last week of February, which means the clock is ticking on your chance to see lots of creative #tctheater before it's gone forever! Here's a round up of some out of the box ideas you may not have seen covered in bigger media outlets:

Medea at Theatre Elision, closing February 29

The Global Dig says "Ingenious but simple techniques were incorporated by the production team so the characters could gesture and mime the objects they needed to describe. [...] In this Medea, it is the strength of the cast, the production, and most notably the direction that helps us understand something noble in this Greek tragedy." Read more: http://bit.ly/2uJc41W

Cabal at Walking Shadow Theatre Company, closing March 1:

The Stages of MN says "Cabal is billed as a play with puzzles and I didn’t know what that meant. [...] This was more like escape rooms, as we went through multiple rooms, and we weren’t escaping them we were solving puzzles to move forward in the story. [...] This is like a real life video game, where you have to explore the environment and collect things to unlock the next level." Read more: http://bit.ly/373tiEv

The Skeleton Crew at Yellow Tree Theatre with New Dawn Theatre Company, closing March 1

Cherry and Spoon says "What better time than Black History Month for Yellow Tree Theatre to partner with New Dawn Theatre to present their first play (to my knowledge) with a black cast, director, and playwright? Looking around the suburban Osseo theater, I didn't see many people of color, but prolific and talented playwright Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew, while being a specific story of the African American experience, is also a universal story of people struggling to survive and thrive in America." Read more: http://bit.ly/cs_crew

Ada and the Engine at DalekoArts, closing March 1

Cherry and Spoon says "DalekoArts is producing the regional premiere of Ada and the Engine, a play about 19th century mathematician and arguably the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace. This smart, funny, poignant (spoiler alert: Ada died young), insightful play is beautifully realized by DalekoArts and 100% worth the drive to charming New Prague." Read more: bit.ly/cs_ada

TCTB Review Roundup: THREE LITTLE BIRDS at Children's Theatre Company

Children's Theatre Company is celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth  with a presentation of the reggae-based musical Bob Marley's Three Little Birds. This sunny show brought our bloggers straight from Minnesota's snowy banks to the balmy shores of Jamaica. Read their thoughts below:

Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_3birds

"In just over an hour, this sweet and fantastical story plays out, about a scared and isolated boy who learns to be brave with the help of his friends, both human and bird. I must confess, I know very little about Bob Marley or his native Jamaica, and I'm not familiar with more than a few of his songs. This show is a great introduction to his music and his message, and it makes me want to board the next flight to Jamaica!"

Compendium - Minneapolis: http://bit.ly/38MVXig

"That embrace of complexity is at the heart of Three Little Birds and a good reason to go. It's short but packed with content; visually bright with a deceptively deep plot; filled with entertaining music and educational history that we could all stand to know a little more about. Popular culture tends to associate Bob Marley (and by extension all reggae) with marijuana and little else, which is such a shame because he stood for so much more. And in an age where black children are (incomprehensibly) still being told how to wear (and most often to cut) their hair, there is immense power and grace in seeing a positive depiction of protective styles told through a proudly black lens."

PhenoMNal Twin Cities: http://bit.ly/38BliMr

"Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds is the fun new reggae musical at the Children’s Theater Company, just when you need it the most. Set in sunny Jamaica, the adaptation of Cedella Marley’s book of the same name, has you feeling the tropical rhythms so deep, you’ll forget that it’s 10 below outside!"

TCTB Review Roundup: Minneapolis Musical Theatre's DADDY LONG LEGS at the James J. Hill House

The James J. Hill House is one of the hottest spots for site-based #tctheater performances. The latest production to grace this historical home is Daddy Long Legs by Minneapolis Musical Theatre, which runs through February 29. Check out what our bloggers had to say!

Play off the Page: http://bit.ly/3bjj8D0
"Get your tickets, soon, for this sweet musical. It’s a lovely way to spend a cold night in February. The venue is warm (don’t sit too near the lights), and charming. I wish I could go again!"

The Stages of MN: http://bit.ly/3bmehB0
"Daddy Long Legs performed in the James J. Hill House in St. Paul is as intimate a production of a musical as I’ve ever attended. A chamber musical with only two actors standing at times only a foot away from and actually making eye contact with you."

Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_daddyll
"Daddy Long Legs is another example of Minneapolis Musical Theatre fulfilling their tagline "rare musicals, well done." Often their shows are big or comic or scary or campy, so it's nice to see that they can do a sweet, small, intimate show like this just as well."

TCTB Review Roundup: Closing Soon!

This weekend is the last chance to experience two shows from some of #tctheater's most original companies! Check out what you're currently missing from our bloggers below.

Transatlantic Love Affair, After the Fires at Illusion Theater through February 22.

Cherry and Spoon: http://bit.ly/cs_afterfires
"It really is difficult to describe what they do to someone who's never seen TLA before, other than to say the ensemble creates everything in the story - they mime actions with invisible props so well you can almost see them, and create an almost visible landscape. [...] that's the beauty of art in general, and this type of art in particular. It's up to us to fill in the blanks within the gorgeous lines the ensemble paints."

Twin Cities Stages: https://bit.ly/3787CHb
"In the short 75 minute running time of After The Fires I fell in love with the characters. I rooted for their successful, feeling as though I longed for the return of the healers just as much as they did. I do not want to give away the plot, but After the Fires is not only a great example of world building, but also takes you on an emotional journey."

SteppingStone Theatre, The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy De Las Rosas through February 23

The Stages of MN: http://bit.ly/3blJLHp
"I attended a matinee performance of The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy De Las Rosa with a theatre full of elementary school kids. Hell! you say? Not at all, this is the audience you want to see it with, it’s the audience it exists for. I had a blast and it brought me back to those days of getting out of morning class, taking a bus to a theater and seeing a play with hundreds of other kids for schools all over town."

TCTB Review Roundup: Cool Projects!

Happy Monday everyone! Since it's the beginning of the week, we thought this might be a good time to update you on some cool projects that our bloggers recently checked out. Make sure to follow these local companies on Facebook so you learn about their upcoming events!

Sparkle Theatricals, National Choreography Month Challenge (NACHMO), closed Feb 9th at the Art Box

The Global Dig highlighted several local submissions, all of which showed an impressive range in styles. More: http://bit.ly/2SP9kIB

20% Theatre Company Twin Cities, Controlled Burn, closed February 15 at Phoenix Theater

The Stages of MN says "You hopefully will be wowed – I think that’s our hope every time we head out to the theater. But you should be going to this show to hear these unique voices expressing themselves through their art. You should be going to show support for people who are using art to share their experience with others."
More: http://bit.ly/2OWyALL