Peter Hansen

Play

Actor and artistic director of Gremlin Theatre Peter Hansen talks fundraising, his work at the Guthrie, and the last show at Gremlin Theatre’s current location.

gremlin

News

GiveMN ups their transaction fee from 2.9% to 4.9%.

Interview

Peter Hansen discusses his recent work, including his current role in the Guthrie Theater’s Clybourne Park, Gremlin Theatre’s The Effects of Gamma Radiation on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, and the situation surrounding Gremlin’s impending move.

Review/Preview

Review: An Iliad, Nice Fish, Tesla

Preview: Camino Real, Urinetown, Emilie, and Human Combat Chess.

Carin Bratlie and Shanan Custer — Emilie

Play

Carin Bratlie and Shanan Custer return to discuss cell phone usage in theatres, a public relation nightmare, and the upcoming production of Theatre Pro Rata’s Emilie:a Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight.

emilie213

News

  • Kevin Williamson of The National Review tosses an annoying theatregoer’s cell phone.
  • The all-around disaster that is Amy’s Baking Company.

Interview

We catch up with Shanan Custer and Carin Bratlie, touch on Shanan’s hosting of the Iveys, and discuss the upcoming Emilie. Emilie runs from June 7 to 22 at St. Catherine University.

Review/Preview

Review: Changes in Time, War HorseSpunk.

Preview: War Horse, Alice in Wonderland, and the many shows of Huge Theater.

Natalie Novacek and Wade Vaughn — Cul-de-Sac

Play

Natalie Novacek and Wade Vaughn return to discuss Chris Kluwe’s appearance at the Minnesota Fringe fundraiser, leadership changes in Minnesota theatre, and Loudmouth Collective’s Cul-de-Sac.

culdesacweb

News

  • Vikings punter Chris Kluwe was released from the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, May 6th, but turned up that night at the 5 Fifths of The Terminator, the Minnesota Fringe’s annual fundraiser, playing the Terminator in Mainly Me Production’s segment. The State of The Arts has video.
  • We touch on C. Andrew Mayer’s Minnesota Playlist article, Major Leadership Changes are Coming.

Interview

Natalie Novacek and Wade Vaughn have both appeared on the show before, but never together. Here they discuss Loudmouth Collective, the upcoming Cul-de-Sac, and performing and directing solo work. Cul-de-Sac runs May 17th through the 26th at Open Eye Figure Theatre.

Review/Preview

Review: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

Preview: Girl Friday’s Camino Real, Ten Thousand Things’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Nimbus Theatre’s Tesla, 20% Theatre Company’s Changes in Time, and Theatre Pro Rata’s Emilie.

Claire Avitabile and Ethan Boatner — Changes in Time

Play

This week, guests Claire Avitabile and Ethan (EB) Boatner discuss news, Changes in Time, and upcoming shows!

changesintime

News

Gay marriage passes in France!

Backstage ceases reviews.

Interview

Claire Avitabile is executive artistic director of 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities and director of EB Boatner’s play Changes in Time. EB Boatner is writer and journalist living in the Twin Cities. Changes in Time runs from May 11 through the 25th at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage.

Review/Preview

Lorca in a Green Dress, Propeller’s The Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night, An Iliad, and Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.

“Spring” Round-Up!

Play
Katie Ka Vang

Katie Ka Vang in “Hmong Bollywood.”

It’s review round-up time, covering as many shows we possibly can from February through April, featuring Nick Decker, Matthew A. Everett, and Joshua Humphrey.

Shows discussed include: Other Desert Cities, Emma Woodhouse is Not a Bitch, Girl Shorts, Girl Group, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, Something About a Bear, Pollyanna, Bohemian Flats, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Tig Notaro at Wits, Zastrozzi, Madde Gibba: Does Not Play Well With Others, Beards on the High Seas, Spontaneous Combustion Improv Festival, The Chicago Improv Festival, Hmong Bollywood, Circus Now, Drinking with Geeks, Nice Fish, The Score, To The Moon, Free Association, N3RD, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Gifted Program, and Red Resurrected.

It has become the mission of Nick and myself to get Matthew Everett to a night at Huge Theater, and we intend on making a night of it. Keep an eye out here and on my Twitter feed for an update regarding the date. We are going to get him there!

Walking Shadow Theatre Co. — Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde

Play

John Heimbuch returns to talk news, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and what he’s looking forward to on the Minnesota stage.

oscarewilde

News

We discuss Executive Director Robin Gillette’s announcement of her departure from the Minnesota Fringe and touch on the death of film critic and writer Roger Ebert and his importance.

Interview

John Heimbuch discusses Walking Shadow‘s upcoming production of Moises Kaufman’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and his current projects, including 3 Bullets and screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead.

Review/Preview

Show’s discussed: Freshwater Theatre’s The Gifted Program, Guthrie Theater’s Nice Fish, Hardcover Theater‘s Pollyanna, The Propeller Company’s The Taming of the Shrew, and Nimbus Theatre’s Bohemian Flats.

If you have any feedback for the podcast, leave a comment or use the contact form.