King of Hearts

For all its whimsy, this production of King of Hearts might be tricky to laugh at. Latte Da artistic director Peter Rothstein made the bold move of casting performers from Interact Theatre, a troupe of artists with disabilities, to perform alongside his company members. That move isn’t unusual–Interact artists perform all the time–but in this instance, he cast players with Down syndrome as a trio of rasping, spitting German soldiers. Is it okay to laugh out loud at these performers, or at any of the others singing and dancing their way through a musical set in an lunatic asylum? After all, before long no one knows who’s crazy and who’s sane–which is exactly the point. Loring Playhouse, 1633 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-486-5757; www.latteda.org