DINING
Get a Taste of Your Generosity
It’s no secret. The best way to get us to open our wallets for philanthropical purposes is to offer us food. We’re such caring individuals when it comes to our stomachs. So, be a do-gooder tonight and start the evening off with a Chipotle burrito in support of the theater. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., all sales proceeds at the 7 Corners Chipotle will benefit the Mixed Blood Theater. You don’t have to do or say anything special. Just show up and buy something — anything — gift cards, merchandise, burritos, soda, chips. You can even buy a prepaid card and benefit the theater with your next bunch of meals.
4 – 7 p.m., Chipotle, 229 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-659-7830.
The next best way to support the theater is to get out there and see a production. You’ve got plenty of good choices tonight, so pick your poison.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Perhaps a Moment of Joy
There’s just no denying the dark recesses of human nature. Are you inclined to ignore them or explore them? If your answer is the latter, than you’ll appreciate a Henrik Ibsen play opening at the Guthrie tonight. A moral preacher and individualist at heart, Ibsen focuses on characters and psychological conflict, usually under threat of a moral cancer. Ghosts is a product of Ibsen’s second phase of playwrighting, in which he wrote mostly social protest dramas. Against a backdrop of social ills, such as infidelity, incest, and venereal disease, Ibsen spins his own version of a love story that somehow illustrates the counterproductive nature of duty, the uselessness of sacrifice, and lack of joy in work. “It is only the spirit of rebellion that craves for happiness in this life. What right have we human beings to happiness?”
7:30, Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612.377.2224; $18-$20.
A Happy Ending
If Ibsen’s harsh explorations are just too heavy for a Wednesday (And what day is better?), then you might want to turn to The Marriage of Figaro for your happy ending. Wow! Talk about spinning the world on its head. Isn’t it usually the operas that leave us wanting to slash our wrists? More often than not, they all die in the end. Well, not this time! The Minnesota Opera is presenting Mozart’s classic comedy, one of the original versions of the timeless story of two couples criss-crossing to catch their lovers in action. Watch their video clip below, and don’t miss the show.
7:30 p.m., Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., Saint Paul; 651-224-4222; $60.50-$118.50.
Apparently, Rabbits Do More Than Just…
Take the music in an entirely different direction and go with straight up dance. Yes, straight up — not in the traditional, classical sense, but in the no frills, no self-aggrandizing, no applause-seeking grandstanding kind of sense. Yeah, you know what I mean. Since when does a dance performance stop for applause? This was never the case years ago. When did we start this horrible practice? Tired of the bull and the pretentions? Bring it on back to the basics with The Rabbit Show. This one-hour cabaret-style showcase offers a wide variety of short dances by John Munger’s Third Rabbit Dance Ensemble and by guest artists representing the rich diversity of Twin Cities dance. With humor, excitement and clarity, this is thoughtful dance for real people.
7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 West lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; $6-$10 (pay what you can).
FILM
Minnesota Horror
Theater is not limited to stage acting, there’s film as well — altogether a different art in so many ways. And this is a special week in Minnesota film history. Yes, we whine and complain a lot about not having a strong enough local film base, but we’ve got two Minnesota films premiering this week. Yes, two! The first one, Sever is a story of family secrets, hidden obsessions, bizarre cults, mysterious illnesses, and all that scary good stuff. It was produced locally with an all-local cast. (More on the second one tomorrow.)
7:30 p.m., Heights Theatre, 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; 763-788-9079; $8.
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