Christine Sarkes and Erika Sasseville (a mother/daughter review) What do two of the greatest literary figures of the Elizabethan era–William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe–create when they spend hours together writing a play? The answer: Fire and magic! That is what the audience witnessed during opening night of Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams at…
by Christine Sarkes The Little Prince at the Guthrie Theater is a sweet, sometimes trippy, delightfully heartfelt interpretation of the well-loved French language novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. One cannot review the play without first understanding the history and impact Saint-Exupéry’s book has had on generations of readers. Often mistaken as a children’s book, The…
by Christine Sarkes The history and truth surrounding the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings, have been scrutinized, debated and researched extensively over two centuries. Sally & Tom, premiering at the Guthrie Theater through November 6, adds to the canon by offering a powerful and heart-wrenching exploration of the debilitating inhumanity of…
by CHRISTINE SARKES The Great Leap at the Guthrie Theater, now through February 10, is funny, heartfelt and very entertaining. The play is about basketball players and the coaches who love the game but also about identity, the American Dream and overcoming cultural barriers. The dialogue is amusingly sharp and the quirky characters immensely likeable.…
by CHRISTINE SARKES In Disgraced at the Guthrie Theater, playwright Ayad Akhtar lays bare the deepest, darkest prejudices and fears of his diverse cast. In some ways, this is the most important review I’ve written to date and, like the play itself, the pressure to get it right is intense. What is it like for…
by CHRISTINE SARKES La vie est belle, life is beautiful, on the set of South Pacific at the Guthrie Theater through August 28. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 Broadway musical (and 1958 film) is romantic and lush, with such indelible music and lyrics that many left the theater whistling the tunes. It takes on prejudice and…
by CHRISTINE SARKES Complicated Fun at the History Theatre through May 29 is a weirdly coincidental musical retelling of the history of First Avenue and the acts that made it famous, including Prince, who played frequently and filmed many scenes in Purple Rain there. In fact, Chris Osgood of The Suicide Commandos opened the show with a moving tribute…
by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Guthrie Theater’s new artistic director Joseph Haj could not have chosen a more timely and relevant play to open his first season than Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, now through October 25 (recently extended) on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. As he states in the program’s introduction, “There is a timeliness to…
by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Looking for a light, campy Victorian supernatural-mystery-farce with hysterical scene-chewing acting, cross-dressing and clever staging? Then, The Mystery of Irma Vep at The Jungle Theater is just the play for you! I love physical humor and this play delivers. With two actors playing all eight characters, they move quickly through the…
by CHRISTINE SARKES SASSEVILLE Once is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime theater experience with achingly beautiful melodies, a ridiculously talented cast of triple-threat actors (actor, musician, and singer) and a richly compelling story about falling in love and following your dreams. Winner of eight Tony Awards and an Academy Award for the movie version of “Falling Slowly” (one of…
Aisle Say - Twin Cities 