For one of my favorite annual roundups (books, duh), look no further. This #shelfie of goodies from my time interning at Graywolf Press is a regular fave. If you’ve never read any of their books, what are you waiting for?!  Devoted Compendium readers may remember my post halfway through last

I’m not sure why it never occurred to me before, but ghost stories seem to be really popular in the holiday season.   Photo by Dan Norman Or maybe it’s just a new trend this year? Either way we always have A Christmas Carol, of course, and several edgy new

The North Loop is Minneapolis’ retail equivalent of a rags to riches story… Photo courtesy of Thrillist And it’s one that will be told for a very long time. Once considered one of the most undesirable areas of the city, the North Loop has become one of the hottest real

Traditions may be so-called for a reason, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be freshened up a bit.  Photo by Dan Norman It’s been a long time since I’ve attended a production of A Christmas Carol. As any good Minnesotan I’ve seen the Guthrie’s hallowed production before, of course, a

Broadway isn’t always better. At least that was my thought upon watching A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the latest (terrific) offering from Mixed Blood Theater. I was lucky enough to see the touring Broadway production of this show last year (you can read my review here),

I’m always blown away by companies who manage to make true fiction come to life on stage. Photo by Kaitlin Randolph Especially when the art is abstract. To my mind, adapting an animationS auteur like Dr. Seuss to the stage would be a nearly herculean task – between the eye

If you liked Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, you will LOVE this show. Dracula from COLLIDE THEATRICAL on Vimeo. Cross necklaces? Check. Vampy face paint? Check. Perfectly tailored pleated pants? Check. Moody emo rock band? Check. Ubiquitously smeared eyeliner paired with thin strapped halter tops? Check, check, check. If there was

It’s always fun to get a peek behind the scenes.  Photo by Jeremy Daniels I mean, who doesn’t want to feel like an in-the-know insider? With the ubiquitous ability to be a voyeur just about anywhere these days thanks to social media, is there anything we don’t already know? Photo

“Ain’t too many people in this world get to be loved – really loved.” Photo by Allen Weeks These graceful words sum up the heartbreaking finale to Wedding Band, a powerful show now running at the Penumbra. I want to state up front that this show was very personal to

Shakespeare is getting all kinds of fresh beginnings these days.  Photo by Amy Anderson And what a joyful trend it is! First we had the stunningly modern take on Romeo and Juliet at the Guthrie (read my review here – one of my faves I’ve written lately); now we have