What are you waiting for? Run to get tickets to this hot new festival, lighting up the Guthrie’s Dowling Studio for the second year in a row.  Courtesy of Blackout’s website I have a confession to make. There are a few things I hear often from readers when I introduce

More and more Native American artists and characters seem to be lifted up into the mainstream these days… Photo by Mark van Cleave And it’s so incredibly exciting to me! It was one of the first things that stood out to me about Wonder Woman, and I hope this trend

Hard conversations seem to be happening simultaneously all over Twin Cities arts organizations these days. Photo courtesy of the Guthrie.  First it was the controversy over the Walker Art Center’s Scaffold piece in the new sculpture garden. Then it was a truly excellent panel hosted by ALMA at Mixed Blood

Rarely has a film moved me so instantaneously as Wonder Woman did on Saturday night. Photo from themarysue.com Some things you should know about me: I am unafraid of trashy films. I like action and sci-fi as much as I enjoy artsy cinema like Truffault or Fellini, for which I

This truly diverse undertaking tackles representation of all stripes.  Photo from MN Playlist If you haven’t heard of Full Circle Theater yet, you could be forgiven. The new-ish venture from a vanguard of Twin Cities theater legends including Rick Shiomi, Martha B. Johnson, Harry Waters Jr., Stephanie Lein Walseth and

It’s amazing how things come full circle.  CD’s are out and vinyl is in. MP3 players went the way of the dodo, and parachute pants and chokers are back on fashion’s frontlines. But you know what old technology is having the biggest renaissance of all? Radio. Radio in the form

Did you even know there was such a thing as circus school?  Photo courtesy of Circus Juventas If not, you could be forgiven. With the end of Barnum & Bailey’s and the Ringling Brothers after a 100+ year run, animal performance venues like Sea World on death throes, and the

This world premiere play left me with more to think about than usual.  Photo by Dan Norman I immediately marked Refugia on my “must-see” list when it was announced last year. I’ve been following the current migration and refugee crises swallowing the world whole with great interest over the last

Telling the long-lost story of Ira Aldridge, Red Velvet pulls you into a narrative of heartbreak and perseverance.  Photo by John Heimbuch Sometimes, things can be distilled into simple essences. Red Velvet, the latest production from Walking Shadow Theatre Company at the Southern Theater, could be summed up simply with:

“Truth, self control, asceticism, generosity, non-injury, constancy in virtue; these are the means of success, not caste or family.” Photo by Caroline Moreau. In our increasingly global world, it seems to me that certain themes become ever more timeless and universal. Among them are a desire for peace, love of family,