Who knew Thornton Wilder could get a little wild?   Photos by Petronella J. Ytsma I’ve talked a lot on this blog about my feelings on what pieces of art are considered to be “classics.” Whether you believe it is correct or not, there are definitely a core few writers

Anyone who knows me even a little knows that one of my great passions is discovering, sharing, and enjoying stories that lie outside of our popular understanding of the world.   Photos by Petronella J. Ytsma This is especially true of historical stories, which often tend to center middle aged

When is the last time you saw a show authored by a local playwright?   Photo courtesy of Theater Mu How about a local female playwright? How about a local Hmong female playwright? I’m with you – Theater Mu’s latest world premiere was a first for me too, and if

Every once in a while, someone surprises theatergoers with a sublimely fresh take on an old story.   Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Baskerville), the latest in Park Square Theatre’s annual mystery series, offers a totally new perspective of The Hound of the Baskervilles, perhaps the most famous of

Of all of the many reasons I’m proud to be a Twin Cities Theater Blogger, the #tctbconvo series is at the very top of my list.   Created as a response to the controversy over Refugia last year, #tctbconvo represents the Twin Cities Theater Blogger’s attempt to host proactive dialogues

Sacred cows of the theater be warned: your days of being untouchable are careening towards a swift end.   Photo by Petronella Ytsma And what great news that is! Seriously, I’ve been advocating for years, ad nauseam (#sorrynotsorry), that we need to really feel comfortable revising things for the modern

Where should forgiveness begin and end?   Pictures speak louder than words. That is the question at the heart of Cardboard Piano, a gutwrenching play about the liminal nature of morality, kindness and grace when they are applied in the harshest imaginable circumstances. Who is deserving of mercy in light

What do you do when the weather is cold and #dryjanuary is only half over?   Photo from Thrillist. If you’re feeling a little stir crazy and uninspired with your dating life (I don’t blame you), look no further than this comprehensive list of winter date ideas that I pulled

No annual roundup would be complete without a listing of the top performances I saw last year. The most exciting exchange I’ve ever had on Twitter. If I had to sum up my feelings about the Twin Cities theater scene in 2017 in just a few words, I’d leave you

This late in the season, I generally think it unlikely to find something so fresh and powerful and amazing that it blows my socks off.   Photos by Petronella J. Ytsma But I can happily testify that that is the case after seeing Dot, a new work at Park Square