Phoenix Fabrik

In case your American Theatre subscription has lapsed, you should know that Daniel Alexander Jones is one of fifteen artists “whose work will be transforming American stages for decades to come.” The Penumbra Theatre Company and Pillsbury House can boast that hip and socially aware works from this young playwright have already been seen on their stages. Now, his Phoenix Fabrik, which premieres at the Pillsbury House, examines the unlikely friendship that develops between two girls working in a South Carolina doll factory in 1945. Both of them, a black girl and a German orphan whose uncle owns the factory, keep hidden memories of a violent past, and Jones rattles stereotypes and presumptions as he unfolds their stories through a traditional ring play format, accented by music and dance. 3501 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-825-0459; www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org