Old Four Eyes: A Mississippi Panorama

Another collaboration from Kevin Kling and Michael Sommers, Old Four Eyes is partly a treatise on the engineering (or “taming”) of the Mississippi River, and partly an appreciation of John Banvard, the nineteenth-century panoramist who famously painted the river valley on huge canvases. Kling’s goofy script and a colorful spectacle of puppets, projections, and flamboyant costumes by Sommers’ Open Eye Figure Theatre make this old-timey production, as performed by University of Minnesota students, perfect fare for the kiddies. But with the strong impression it makes about the beauty and vitality of the old river, it can be enjoyed by grown-ups, too—so long as they’re game for a little silliness. Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul; 651-227-1100; www.showboat.umn.edu