Author: Cristina Córdova

THEATER REVIEW by Danielle Kurtzleben

Everyone was excited for the opening of Frank Theater’s The Pillowman. The Star Tribune on Friday ran an article on lead actor Jim Lichtseidl: “Funnyman Jim Lichtseidl exercises his dark side with a meaty role,” read the subheader. The Pioneer Press also ran an interview with Lichtseidl and Luverne Seifert, another Pillowman star: “It’s almost guaranteed that sparks will fly,” the PiPress proclaimed. Expectations were high, and the show succeeds…sort of. Frank’s production of The Pillowman is good, but too overwrought to be much more.

Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman focuses on Katurian (Lichtseidl), a writer of grisly tales in which children are tortured and killed. When a number of child murders resembling his stories take place, Katurian is detained for questioning by the totalitarian state in which he lives. He is interrogated by detectives Ariel (Chris Carlson) and Tupolski (Seifert), who have also detained Katurian’s mentally disabled brother, Michal (Grant Richey), as a way of baiting Katurian into confessing.

Katurian is on stage for the entire play, but is ironically forced into the background. Pillowman is about artistic responsibility, and Katurian and his art seem to be present only to generate a reaction from Tupolski, Ariel, and Michal. This is not to say that Lichtseidl disappoints; to the contrary, Lichtseidl gives Katurian what depth he can, and his big-brother relationship with Michal is sweet and sincere. But the plot itself gives Lichtseidl little to work with, and as a result he is underused. The role of Katurian proves that serious does not equal “meaty.” In this case, it just means the eye of the storm.

Fortunately, the rest of the storm is entertaining. Seifert and Carlson are wonderful as the good-cop/bad-cop team of Ariel and Tupolski. Carlson’s Ariel is high-strung and constantly enraged; Seifert’s Tupolski is docile but menacing — together they are mean and unfair and completely engrossing. Seifert is so deliciously nasty that you can’t help but laugh. Grant Richey also succeeds in the role of Michal, uttering even the most disturbing of lines with innocence and vulnerability.

Pillowman is heavy — it discusses child torture, for God’s sake. And furthermore, it’s about the importance of Art with a capital A. Sometimes it sounds more like a debate in a college literature course than a play. One can’t expect to feel uplifted, but Frank’s production can feel suffocating. There are periods of interrogation so uniformly intense that they drag and grow dull. Nearly every surface is a greenish, corroded metal. The compartment in which Katurian’s stories are acted out hulks over the small Dowling Studio stage, taking up considerable space but only used for about 20 minutes total. The between-scene music is loud and throbbing. Taken separately, these elements could be considered stylized and — especially in the case of the corroded set — kind of cool-looking. But taken together with McDonagh’s script (itself a bit heavy-handed) the whole thing screams “DISTURBING!” and doesn’t really let you think otherwise. It’s hard to see this genre-busting play as anything more than a psychological thriller in this environment, which is a shame. While entertaining, Frank’s Pillowman could use a lighter touch to create some sort of balance, or even a bit of breathing room.

THEATER AWARDS
Local Theater Awards

The third annual Ivey Awards — which aspires to be, roughly, something like a mini Minneapolis Tony Awards — gets underway this evening. If you’re a fan of local theater, you’ll relish the chance to see your favorite performers dressed to the nines. (Mondays are the bohemian Sundays, you know.) You’ll also get a glimpse of snippets from upcoming shows, one-minute plays, and, of course, a host of awards that recognize performers, as well as directors and designers of lighting, sets, and costumes. The theater community has regarded these young Ivey Awards with some skepticism, for certain. But now, three years later, very many theater-makers have been honored by the Iveys, and they’ve gotten the chance to bask in the limelight at this glamorous, high-production ceremony. Some have even gone so far as to give tearful speeches. And so, it seems, the actors are coming around. –Christy DeSmith

7:30 p.m., Historic State Theater, 805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-673-0404; $30-$125.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Strange Love

This evening Skewed Visions presents its only Monday performance of Strange Love, a two-part exploration of contemporary and historical cultures of fear. Based on Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War satire, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, this Theater All Year production features an an installation and multidisciplinary show by artists Charles Campbell and Sean Kelley-Pegg. Tonight’s guest artists will be The Body Cartography Project.

8 p.m., Casket Arts, 681 17th Ave. N.E. (1700 Madison St.), Minneapolis; 612-201-5727.

MUSIC
Peter Bjorn and John

In an age of drum beats looped ad nauseam, of recycled and often misused samples, of really shameful overproduction, the modest melodies laid out by this Swedish trio feel almost revolutionary. Peter Bjorn and John have been together since 1999, but were little-known stateside until their 2005 release Falling Out, which won them substantial critical acclaim and a devoted indie following. With their latest album, Writer’s Block, they have landed a mainstream audience, propelled by two songs, “Amsterdam” and “Young Folks.” These tunes are catchy but not infectious — they strike that rare balance of introspection and optimism that compels any casual listener to hum along. Lyrically intricate, musically simple, their style is at once retro and progressive — a ’60s pop feeling, underscored by contemporary crises. –Max Ross

8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-332-1775; $20.

Also playing tonight are Sinead O’Connor at the Pantages Theatre and
Loudon Wainwright III at the Cedar Cultural Center.

FILM
Once, Full of Light

Granted, this is a fairytale of a movie. There’s actually a scene in which the street busker and his rag-tag band are cutting a demo album while a two-year-old runs gleefully around the sound studio. I’ve had two-year-olds [three of them] and you can barely make toast when they’re around and upright. Nevertheless, this film is wonderful. It’s quirky and sad and nearly prayerful: everyone in it is visibly lifted, exalted, made more whole by the music. And, yes, the music is that good. On a strictly emotional level, Once is real. Its stars, playing simply “the guy” and “the girl” according to a script by director John Carney, are an Irish and a Czech musician (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, respectively) whose voices simply light up our world. In the story, they sing together for the first time in an empty music shop and everyone — from the clerk, who is leaning on the counter eating a sandwich, to members of the theater audience — goes still. Listening. —Ann Bauer

5 and 7:10 p.m., Heights Theater, 3951 Central Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 763-788-9079; $8 (matinees $6).

STYLE & ART
Loves Labourers: Art as Fashion, Fashion as Art 2

Mplsart presents an interesting event this evening, as part of MNfashion Weekend. Three visual artists (Adam Garcia, Eric Inkala, and Jennifer Davis) and three clothing designers (Annie Larson, Ra’mon Lawrence, and Crystal Quinn) are teaming up to paint, smear, and de- and re-construct a selection of wearable art. The canvases — which, in this case, are a bunch of cotton hoodies — have been available for pre-purchase at fifty dollars a pop; and buyers have no idea what their piece will look like in the end. (Will it even fit?) It’s likely too late to get your own hoodie, but interested parties might inquire by email. The event should provide for some fascinating visuals, in any case. And there’ll be DJs spinning to boot.

Friday at 8 p.m., Beast House, 600 Washington Ave. N., Suite 104, Minneapolis; $50.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Jane Eyre at the Guthrie

I hear the patrons on opening night were handed long-stemmed roses as they exited the theater. I attended the second showing, and while I didn’t get a rose (and that’s okay), it would certainly have been an apt crowning of an evening wherein love and beauty sprang from a bed of thorns. I read the book many years ago, and although I recognize that my memory of the plot is a bit lacking (since I thought the play was over at intermission), I nevertheless have my own version of images spawned by the novel. The spacious, sparsely-set, thrust stage reflects the continual bleakness of Jane’s environments: the horrid aunt and abusive childhood, the austere institutional upbringing, the lonely post as governess at grand, cold Thornfield, and later, destitution even. The play familiarizes Jane’s experience and a seemingly distant era in a way the book fails to achieve: here are Jane and Mr. Rochester (superbly acted by Stacia Rice and Sean Haberle) in flesh and blood, expressive and tangible. I might add that Mr. Rochester was far more dashing than I’d imagined him, and Jane certainly wasn’t plain. Here and there, I nearly grumbled “romance, shromance,” but I may have been the only one fatigued by the reappearance of the “I’m-not-pretty-but-I’m-smart-and-interesting” theme, whereby a plain woman intrigues and attracts the man by virtue of not being the archetypal prissy, fussy female. And yes, Jane’s rival for Mr. Rochester’s hand was shallow and bubbly with the requisite frilly pink dress. This is no flaw of the play, mind you, as the production quite strictly followed the source material. Just my own little hang-up, and a minor and passing one at that, considering director John Miller-Stephany’s remarks that “Jane Eyre can be compared to a mirror that reflects back onto each viewer what he/she wishes to see.” –Eeva-Liisa Waaraniemi

Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-377-2224; $34-$54.

The Darkest of Dark Comedies

Opening tonight is Frank Theater’s production of The Pillowman, in which a writer’s warped fairytales about torturing and killing children seem to be coming true. Crucifixion, severed fingers, and other unthinkable forms of child abuse figure into Martin McDonagh’s Olivier-Award-winning play; the result is the darkest of dark comedies, with provocative questions of artistic responsibility and censorship woven throughout. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s a consistently funny (if disturbing) play… the big question is if director Wendy Knox can maintain a light, comedic touch, without sacrificing Pillowman’s more tender and thoughtful moments. I saw the gleefully dark opening run at London’s National Theatre in 2004, which deftly walked the line between cartoonish and eerie. Both the London and New York runs were quite successful, featuring famous actors (Jim Broadbent in London; Jeff Goldblum and Billy Crudup in New York) and drawing packed houses. Will Frank Theater’s production live up to its predecessors? Will it do justice to McDonagh’s script? I will have a review on Monday. –Danielle Kurtzleben

Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m., Dowling Studio, Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-377-2224; $18-$34.

FILM
Manda Bala

Let’s call this a hybrid of the fictional Brazilian exposé City of God and Errol Morris’s police procedure doc The Thin Blue Line — both tremendous entertainment. Manda Bala (send a bullet) is a bizarre documentary detailing the rise of corruption in Brazilian culture as well as the country’s kidnapping epidemic. “Men will steal with a gun or a pen,” says one talking head. The film boasts garish cinematography, a dynamite score, and perhaps best of all, a fearless director who can get even the worst, most hardened criminals to open up. Stories include money laundering through a frog farm, images of the booming plastic surgery trade (all the ears cut from kidnap victims need replacing), and kidnappers philosophizing about the meaning of life. –Peter Schilling, Jr.

Opens today at Landmark Theatres, 612-825-6006.

Fearless Kids in the Biz

Flaunting its fabulous new facelift, the Parkway Theater opens its doors on Sunday to this month’s Fearless Filmmakers event. Don’t be confused if you see a lot of youngsters lurking about. It’s not the venue; it’s the event. Acknowledging our overwhelming focus on adults in the art world, Fearless Filmmakers has taken a stand to correct the oversight by focusing on “Kids in the Biz.” The evening will begin with music by Now, Now Every Children — a lovely, languid sound. And Joe Minjares, owner of the Parkway and Pepitos Restaurant, will even provide appetizers and drinks. The screenings will begin at 6 p.m., and will include 15 films made by kids between 7 and 17 years old. Following the screening, there will be a Q & A session with the filmmakers, and an after party with a Guitar Hero competition.

Sunday at 5 p.m., The Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis; 612-822-3030; $9, students $7, children $5.

ART
Ramble through Red Wing

Red Wing claims to be a city for lovers, poets, and dreamers; so it stands to reason they’d have a notable arts community — and no, they don’t all paint the Mississippi, trees, and birds (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It promises to be a lovely weekend, perhaps a great weekend for a drive and a wander through Red Wing’s many art studios. This weekend marks the 6th annual Studio Ramble Fall Art Tour, with 11 open studios, featuring 27 area artists. Experience a variety of media — pottery, painting, print making, photography, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, computer imaging, Glicée prints, and musical instruments — meet the artists, and purchase original works.

Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Red Wing, Minnesota.

MUSIC
Neglected Legends

You have two great shows to choose from this weekend, both of which are being utterly under-promoted. The first is tonight, at Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues. I have to start paying closer attention to their shows, because I was shocked when I looked for information on Ana Popovic’s show tonight, only to find that the warm-up show was just as stellar. For a mere $5 cover, you can catch Paul Metsa & Sonny Earl at 6 p.m., followed by Popovic at 9 p.m. What a show! Two blues legends, followed by the guitar-shredding pride of Belgrade, “a high-energy blues force who crosses the wires of Hendrix bravado with Bonnie Raitt soul.” Whew!

Friday at 6 p.m., Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues, 3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-822-9900; $5.

The other show worthy of note is the Fat Maw Rooney show this Sunday (9 p.m.) at Trocaderos.

Flaunting its fabulous new facelift, the Parkway Theater opens its doors on Sunday to this month’s Fearless Filmmakers event. Don’t be confused if you see a lot of youngsters in the lurking about. It’s not the venue; it’s the event. Acknowledging our overwhelming focus on adults in the art world, Fearless Filmmakers has taken a stand to correct the oversight by focusing on “Kids in the Biz.” The evening will begin with music by Now, Now Every Children — a lovely, languid sound. And Joe Minjares, owner of the Parkway and Pepitos Restaurant, will even provide appetizers and drinks. The screenings will begin at 6 p.m., and will include 15 films made by kids between 7 and 17 years old. Following the screening, there will be a Q & A session with the filmmakers, and an after party with a Guitar Hero competition.

Sunday at 5 p.m., The Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis; 612-822-3030; $9, students $7, children $5.

Let’s call this a hybrid of the fictional Brazilian exposé City of God and Errol Morris’s police procedure doc The Thin Blue Line — both tremendous entertainment. Manda Bala (send a bullet) is a bizarre documentary detailing the rise of corruption in Brazilian culture as well as the country’s kidnapping epidemic. “Men will steal with a gun or a pen,” says one talking head. The film boasts garish cinematography, a dynamite score, and perhaps best of all, a fearless director who can get even the worst, most hardened criminals to open up. Stories include money laundering through a frog farm, images of the booming plastic surgery trade (all the ears cut from kidnap victims need replacing), and kidnappers philosophizing about the meaning of life. –Peter Schilling, Jr.

Opens Friday at Landmark Theatres, 612-825-6006.