THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Eurydice
our fill of plays by this hotshot. Still, we’d be fools not to note the
occasion of the regional premiere of Eurydice, the play that made Ruhl
a certified superstar (thanks to last summer’s extended Off-Broadway
run). This production marks Ten Thousand Things’ first tangle with the
playwright, and their choice of this spirited, fairly modern take on
the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (retold from the young woman’s
perspective) should fit nicely with the company’s visually spare yet
emotionally direct aesthetic—something it more often applies to
Shakespeare and the ancient Greek playwrights. Among a strong, all-star
cast, the key players include Sonja Parks, a local actress who performs
with remarkable force in the title role, and the stately and
heavens-to-Betsy-he’s-handsome Steve Hendrickson as Eurydice’s father. —Christy DeSmith
Friday-Sunday at 8 p.m., Ten Thousand Things at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis;
612-203-9502; $20.
You’re My Favorite Kind of Pretty
that rising star of the local theater scene, revealed a topical theme:
The man is headlong in love. Since he and his partner, performer Megan Odell of Live Action Set,
recently welcomed a baby boy into the world, Ferguson—formerly an
itinerant, couch-surfing bachelor—finds himself an unlikely inhabitant
of a state of domestic bliss. His latest show, fittingly, explores the
gradations of romantic relationships: from love at first sight to (with
any luck) a committed coupling. A cast of fine, crush-worthy
collaborators lent their own romantic histories to the project,
including Jennifer Davis,
whose vivid paintings Ferguson finds distinctly feminine and beautiful,
and Sara Richardson, a stellar (and dismayingly under-used) performer
who somehow manages to be both physically lovely and goofy as all
get-out. —Christy DeSmith
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; $18.
FILM
The Band’s Visit
important." So begins The Band’s Visit, an understated little film from Israeli
director Eran Kolirin. When no one is at the airport to meet the eponymous
band, the musicians, dressed in baby blue police uniforms and lugging their
instruments through the village streets, are forced to split up and crash at
the homes of the bemused inhabitants. But like many unimportant moments in our
lives, The Band’s Visit is really about those quiet minutes spent connecting
with fellow human beings, sharing observations, memories, pain, suffering, and,
of course, love-moments we remember forever. There is little to say about this
beautiful picture other than that it succeeds marvelously at making us feel
profoundly happy, a feat that eludes almost every movie out there. —Peter Schilling
Opens Friday at Edina Cinema, 3911 W. 50th
St., Edina; 651-649-4416.
See Kate Leibfried’s review of The Band’s Visit, and Peter Schilling’s interview with director Eran Kolirin.
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Bruno Dumont’s "Romanian abortion movie" — 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days — documents a day in the life of two college roommates. Gabita is the
underprepared pregnant one and Otilia is her friend who, it turns out,
is willing to do almost anything to help her. The girls prepare for the
illegal abortion like they would an exam – with a sort of dignified
verve. They overcome some small setbacks only to be faced with some
much bigger ones. The overcome those, then a short diversion and then
the procedure and the clean up. Finally they are left to face the
reality of what they just did. This is where we leave the characters
and their struggle in the film’s beautiful final moment. In strictly
real time we experience these events and the transformations that they
cause, and this is where the power of the story rises above any
particular cinematic aesthetic. —from a review by Christopher Hontos
Opens Friday at Edina Cinema, 3911 W. 50th
St., Edina; 651-649-4416.
MUSIC
Holy Rollers
religious music." Don’t miss this Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir concert.
Saturday at 7:30 p.m., The O’Shaughnessy, College of St. Catherine, 2004 Randolph Ave., St. Paul; 651-690-6700; $20, children & seniors $15, students $10.
And on Sunday, catch Atlas Sound, White Rainbow, and Valet at the Triple Rock Social Club.
SPECIAL EVENT
The African Diaspora in the Americas
Tomorrow you have a rare opportunity to celebrate the African Diaspora with people from all over the Americas — and to learn about the decisive role people of African origin have played in the revolutionary process. The event begins at 1 p.m., with keynote speaker Jesús ‘Chucho’ García — founder and leader of the Afro-Venezuelan Network — as he shares his knowledge of the impacts of globalization and militarism on Latin America. Then, join panel discussions (2:30 to 5:30 pm) with Rose Brewer (United States), Raudemar Hernández (Cuba), Nekima Levy-Pounds (United States), Ruben Joanem (Haití), Danyika Howell (United States), Jorge Veloz (Venezuela), Lauretta Dawolo (Liberia), Marino Córdova (Colombia), Karla Smith (United States), and Lester Nurse (Puerto Rico). This fabulous intellectual stimulation will be followed by a dinner and artistic performances (5:30 – 9 p.m.) by María Isa (Puerto Rico), Eliezer Santos Freitas (Brazil), Judith Pérez (Venezuela, Yrma Machado (Venezuela), and Karma (United States).
Saturday from 1-9 p.m., Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, 1301 10th Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-730-0087; free.
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