Minnesota Fringe, a nonprofit in Northeast that produces performing arts festivals in the summer, in addition to other year-round events and opportunities, seeks volunteers ages 12 and up. Help make adventurous art happen. Support Minnesota Fringe and their artists by volunteering as an usher or box officer at this year’s festivals. Volunteers will be showered with Fringe swag, free tickets, and gratitude for their assistance. Register at minnesotafringe.org/volunteers by July 25. Festival Programming runs July 26-Aug. 11. Contact Volunteer Services for more information: 612-872-1212, volunteer@fringefestival.org.
Theater
“My Sister in This House,” at The Crane Theater
Theatre Pro Rata is producing “My Sister in This House,” by Wendy Kesselman. Opens at The Crane Theater, 2303 Kennedy St. NE. #120, on Saturday, June 1 and plays weekends through Sunday, June 16. This award-winning drama explores the true story of two sisters who murdered their employer and her daughter in 1930s France. What drove these two young women, who served as maids in the household, to such a desperate act? Class, conflict, family dysfunction, loneliness and love all play a role in this complex and devastating tale.
Tickets for all Theatre Pro Rata productions are $14-$41, sliding scale, at the door, with 2-for-1s available for Sunday performances when you present the most recent Minnesota Fringe Festival button. Purchase tickets online: TheatreProRata.org/new/box-office/. Reserve tickets: 612-234-7135 or info@theatreprorata.org.
“To Let Go and Fall” at Theater Latté Da
Theater Latté Da announces award-winning playwright Harrison David Rivers’ latest play, “To Let Go and Fall.” New York-based director Sherri Eden Barber helms the production in the Twin Cities with original music composed by Minneapolis-based Jelloslave cellists Jacqueline Ultan and Michelle Kinney. Performances begin Wednesday, May 29 and go through Sunday, June 30 at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE. Tickets: $31-$51. Single tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Latteda.org or by calling 612-339-3003.
Todd and Arthur are two former ballet dancers reunited at New York’s Lincoln Center Plaza after 25 years. This beautifully-told story takes us through the lives of both men, their choices, regrets, and coming to terms with age, illness, and sexual identity. Choreography by Penelope Freeh. Starring Mark Benninghofen, Austen Fisher, JuCoby Johnson, Tyler Michaels King, André Shoals, and Jon-Michael Reese with Conner Horak and Da’Rius Malone.
Market Garden Theatre Presents: Jacksonville
The first Fresh Roots Series, the series of developmental workshops by Market Garden Theatre, concludes in March with “Jacksonville” by local playwright and composer Keith Hovis. The workshop will culminate in a free ($10 suggested donation) public staged reading on Sunday, March 31 at the Crane Theater, 2303 Kennedy St. NE, 7 pm, doors 6:30 pm. The reading is directed by Market Garden Theatre’s Artistic Director, Lucas Skjaret, and produced by Brittany Ottum, with dramaturgy by Madeline Kvale. Keith Hovis is a playwright and composer based in the Twin Cities.
In “Jacksonville,” a photographer captures an act of violence and garners acclaim and awards for how the images offer an honest and raw depiction of humanity. As the photos take on a life of their own in the public eye, he finds himself drawn to the woman in the photos, who lived, and haunted by the man in the photo, who died. An exploration of the morals that ground us, the flexibility of truth, and the unexpected destruction of a moment.
Info: marketgardentheatre.com.
Theater Latté Da presents “A Little Night Music.”
Winner of three Tony Awards including Best Musical, “A Little Night Music,” features a book by Hugh Wheeler with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Theater Latté Da Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs the production with Music Director Jason Hansen and choreography by Heidi Spesard-Noble. Performances begin Wednesday, Jan. 23 and go through Sunday, March 3 at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE. Single tickets and season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at latteda.org or by calling 612-339-3003.
Minnsky Holiday Season
ExperTeasers: V: 11/16 and 11/17, at 7:30 pm.
Wicked Wenches: Strip Wars Holiday Special: 12/6, 12/7 and 12/8 at 7:30 pm; 12/9 at 1:30 pm; and 12/15 at 1:30 and 7:30 pm.
Ballyhoo Amateur Revue: 12/14 at 7:30 pm.
Experteasers: Nutcracker Noir: 12/28, 12/29 and 10/13 at 7:30 pm; 10/14 at 1:30pm; and 10/20 at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm.
All shows this season will be 18+ with adult themes. Presale tickets available at minnskytheatre.tix.com. Walk-up/door tickets will be available at the Box Office. Info: minnskytheatre@gmail.com, minnsky.com, facebook.com/MinnskyTheatre.
All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
All Is Calm features Sasha Andreev, David Darrow, Benjamin Dutcher, Ben Johnson, Michael McGowan, Tom McNichols, Riley McNutt, Rodolfo Nieto, James Ramlet, and Evan Tyler Wilson. A limited one-weekend engagement will take place at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE, Thursday, Nov. 1-Sunday, Nov. 4. Single tickets are on sale now at Latteda.org or by calling 612-339-3003. “All Is Calm” recalls an astounding moment in history when Allied and German soldiers met in “No Man’s Land” and laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer and burying the dead. In some places the truce lasted only a night, in others it endured until New Year’s Day. Created by Peter Rothstein, the production combines period songs and firsthand accounts of this remarkable event and has become an annual holiday classic.
The ExperTeasers Present: Mod: The Revolution and Evolution
In an alternate dimension, stories of pain and power are unleashed by the Spectors of Justice as we witness the Revolution. These movement narratives are raw, strong and provocative. Ending in a final battle for Equality, Visibility and Justice. After intermission they transform the world with Evolution. Stories of Love and Triumph instill hope and vision for a better tomorrow. They invite you on this journey with them as they explore passion, art and the indomitable human spirit through dance.
Minnsky Theatre, 1517 Central Ave. NE, Sept. 28 and 29 at 7:30 pm. October 26 and 27 at 7:30 pm. This show incorporates a variety of dance styles including burlesque, aerial arts, modern dance, chair dance, belly dance, circus arts, and more. Vaudeville is adult comedy dance theater and is 18+ as there will be adult themes. $15-30 presale tickets available at minnskytheatre.tix.com. $20-35 walkup/door tickets available at the Box Office. Cash and credit for ticket purchases and concessions.
MinnAnimate 7
MinnAnimate celebrates its seventh incarnation on Thursday, Sept. 13 with a showcase of student, youth and independent animation. Join them at the St. Anthony Main Theater, the home of the Film Society of Minneapolis and St. Paul, for a look at the Minnesota animation scene, in a wide variety of animation types and styles. This year’s MinnAnimate will feature two screenings. Youth and Student films will start at 6:45 pm and the Independent Animation Showcase starts at 7:30 pm. There will be a short Q&A session after each screening. Tickets are $9.50 General, $6 Students, $5 Film Society Members. One ticket gets you into both screenings. Info: MinnAnimate.com.
Theater Latté Da opens Season 21, announces the Cast of “Once”
Theater Latté Da announced the cast for the first regional production of “Once.” Winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, “Once“ features a book by Enda Walsh with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. Theater Latté Da’s Artistic Director Peter Rothstein directs the production with Music Director Jason Hansen and choreography by Kelli Foster Warder. Performances begin Wednesday, Sept. 12 and run through Sunday, Oct. 21, at the Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. NE. Single tickets and season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at latteda.org or by calling 612-339-3003.
“Once” stars are Ben Bakken and Britta Ollmann, and features Jay Albright, Francesca Dawis, Martin L’Herault, Molly Sue McDonald, Antonia Perez, Dan Piering, Matt Riehle, Silas Sellnow, Reed Sigmund, and Suzanne Warmanen.
On the streets of Dublin, an Irish songwriter and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, propelled by emotionally charged music. “Once“ is an unforgettable show about the power of music to connect us all.