The Secret Life of Hedy Lamarr

Performed by Simone Perrin / Written by Simone Perrin with Kevin Kling; Hedy Lamarr, a starlet of Hollywood’s “Golden Age”, knows a few more things than she’s letting on. What’s she building in there? What is that tapping sound? Shouldn’t she be memorizing her lines? With the help a shovel and an accordion, Kevin Kling and Simone Perrin dig up secrets even Hedy didn’t know she had. Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 pm (6:00 doors); $10 in advance / $12 day of show; email Contests with the subject line: HEDY

Show X

Show X is a weekly long-form improvisational comedy show that brings together ten of the Twin Cities’ most accomplished improvisers into one giant super group of unscripted theater. www.hugetheater.com, Monday, March 29 at 8:00 pm (7:30 doors), $5; Subject line: SHOWX

Bryant Lake Bowl Theater, 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis

Sample Night Live, Wednesday, April 7, ACT I, G-Rated, 7 p.m.; ACT II, R-Rated, 8:30 p.m.; History Theatre, 30 E. 10th Street, St. Paul

The piece was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Playwright Center for the 34th annual Humana Festival of New American Plays.  And evidently it’s getting great reviews.

Here’s the official description:
Why is it that each time you remember the past, you forget and invent a little more of it? How does a place or a song conjure an experience that you didn’t even know you had lost? Artists from the acclaimed groups Theatre de la Jeune Lune and the Workhaus Collective have teamed up to roam through the fanciful, mysterious territories between recollection and imagination, loss and rediscovery, creating a piece that playfully embodies the ever-shifting landscape of memory.

The local Klingon clan responsible for Commedia Beauregard’s annual production of A Klingon Christmas Carol has been nominated for a an award at the International Special Events Society’s Star Awards for “Best Use of Food in an Event.” The food? A Klingon ship cake designed by local cake artist Marie Porter.

But… tickets are $75 a pop, so Marie and her “four strapping Klingon warriors” are seeking donations to help pay for the event.

Donate and read more about it HERE. At the very least, you can take heart in the fact that you helped send a pack of Klingons into a fancy, red carpet affair. And that alone is worth at least $5, if you ask us!

Donors from $5-$75 get cool ‘thank you’ gifts such as autographed pics of the Klingons and brownie mix. Brownie mix? Huh?

The email exchange can be seen here. Considering the time, ya think was alcohol involved?  Are former pro hockey players really management material?  Is White Bear Lake a good alternative to anything?

First off, if you haven’t already done so, go see Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter at the Guthrie. It is fantastic — easily one of the best productions I’ve even seen in Minnesota. It is beautifully acted, beautifully executed, beautifully produced, and the details are both simple and brilliant — from the perfectly modest and moving walk-in music, to the use of the film (which Coward himself is said to have loved), to the clever set changes, to the marionette children. It’s a must see.

Check out the trailer (with different actors, I believe).

I have no idea what the heck the Strib’s Graydon Rice means by it “trampl[ing] the delicate sensibilities of Noël Coward’s 1946 film.” Besides, it’s based on the play, not the film. But… either way, I entirely disagree. It’s perfect. And the music is perfect.

Also this weekend is the premiere performance of Curio Dance at Intermedia Arts (Friday and Saturday at 7PM). Local sibling duo Dario and Giselle Mejia (who have performed in New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis) have put together a fusion of Modern, Hip-Hop, Ballet, and Club dancing that gives you a titillating glimpse into their shared worlds.

Curio Dance is a dyadic company bringing new dimensions in choreography and dance performance to Minneapolis. They move in parallel form with athleticism and grace using a diversity of themes. Their music ranges from 72 to 180 beats per minute, African to electronic. Dance that defines entertainment.

And just a side note… they put together the entire show during and just after Giselle’s pregnancy. I can’t believe this sexy gal just birthed a child not many months ago!

After earning a bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Minnesota, New York native Justiniano followed his artistic passion and enrolled in film school. He is credited with making several short films, but his major work is in theater. In 1992, he started Teatro del Pueblo, a Latino-based theater located on Saint Paul’s west side. Now, as Teatro prepares to host their ninth annual Political Theatre Festival, Justiniano took a few moments out of his busy schedule to talk about his love of the Minnesota, the arts and Teatro del Pueblo.

The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council has promised $5,000 to the theater company if they can raise $4,000 on their own by January 24th.

HUGE’s first production in their new space would be an improvised show based off of Minnesota’s own Overheard in Minneapolis.

Donations are being accepted to meet this challenge.

Jeune Lune disbanded in July 2008 after a 30-year run distinguished by a Tony Award for outstanding regional theater and a strong national reputation. The building — a 19th-century warehouse remodeled by Cass Gilbert — has been vacant since then.

Ouch. Foreclosure sucks. And it’s just a bad bad time for capital campaigns.

If I only I had the money!

Meanwhile, Twin Cities entrepreneur Greg Frankenfield announced that he is walking away from his purchase agreement to buy the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. According to the Strib, “Frankenfield’s inability to close a deal with the musician’s union at Chanhassen precipitated his withdrawal.”