Minneapolis has long been considered a hotbed of great physical theater, what with the resident clowns, mimes, and mask-makers at Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Still, in the past few years, the city has attracted an impressive fleet of younger physical-theatermakers—many of whom are packed into this single show. Aftermath marks the directing debut of … Read more
Emigrant Theatre prefers to stage edgy, often enigmatic new plays by living writers. Therefore, the troupe makes a point of getting to know all the winners of the prestigious Jerome Fellowship, an honor that attracts a national congregation of top dramatists to Minneapolis, where they work in one-year residencies at the Playwrights’ Center. Recently, the … Read more
A few months back, it was asserted in the pages of this magazine that Ten Thousand Things has great taste in literature. We stand by that assessment—even now, as the company readies a production of an American musical that to some would appear gauche. The Little Shop story line is about as absurd as it … Read more
End-of-term gifts from one’s pupils are a recurrent pleasure of professorial life. Like the boarding-school boy who thanked the aunt for the bottle of cherries pickled in brandy, one enjoys them not only for themselves but also for the spirit in which they are given. Only once have I been given an apple (and then … Read more
Our story begins with a hungry young lass on her way to lunch at a new restaurant. She’s dragged along her lunch date to see what all the fuss is about, but upon entering the establishment, she feels a certain unease. The place is packed, and she is assured by a less-than-sweet hostess that the … Read more
Lost in the loud wailing heard in our little journalistic glade over the clear-cutting of staff at the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press is any serious discussion about what’s being severed: Is it actually worth the efforts of the journalistic tree huggers? To some, the answer is a stentorian “No.” I got an email the … Read more
This year’s warm-weather looks are characterized by something that hasn’t been seen in a while: full frontal fabric. Or, at the very least, covered-up biceps, cleavage, and tummies, which had been laid bare by the tanks and slip dresses of previous seasons. But whatever the comforts and flaw-disguising advantages of these fashions, they also bear, … Read more
The bicycle has long been a primary mode of transportation in countries around the world, but in the U.S., we’ve tended to view this vehicle as a child’s toy (one destined to gather dust in the garage once the child receives a driver’s license) or a specialized implement meant only for aerobic sport junkies. But … Read more
“I made this so that my daughter Ayla and her friends from Watershed [High School] could have a place to hang out,” said Phil Vandervoort of his “Logville Café.” The café is a sort of a miniature shed/diner amalgamation, a rec-room that ascended from the basement and set up in Vandervoort’s South Minneapolis backyard. Its … Read more
I raised three daughters who spent their childhoods reading Harry Potter. So I had never encountered the Nancy Drew mysteries until Malcolm, my seven-year-old son, received a copy of one in a bookstore earlier this year. Apparently, Nancy Drew wasn’t selling, so to spark interest the store was giving away The Secret of the Old … Read more