Sylvia

By A.R. Gurney; directed by Alan Bailey
Commonweal Theatre

The Commonweal Theatre Company opens A.R. Gurney’s comedy Sylvia, Saturday, May 21. The title character is a stray dog that meets Greg, a middle-aged financial trader in the midst of questioning where his career and his life have taken him. This chance meeting with Sylvia turns Greg’s entire world upside-down. This outrageous comedy challenges everything we think we know about love, sex, relationships, and the meaning of life.

Sylvia’s director, Alan Bailey says, “What sets Sylvia apart and makes it memorable and fun is that an actress plays Sylvia, a poodle-lab mix. But this isn’t an attempt at a faithful recreation of a dog, but an artist using her human body and voice and expressions to convey Sylvia as a full-realized character in the play.” [For commentary on the success of this “fully-realized character,” check out Sylvia’s trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVne6JgYAQ

Phil Losacker (Greg) and Kirby Bennett (Kate). Photo by Jason Underferth.

Pet-lovers will undoubtedly recognize how powerful a force for change “Sylvia” proves to be in this play. “Without question, pets have the ability to change our lives,” Bailey adds. “If you invite your pet to truly be a member of your family - and increasingly, many of us invite pets into our homes to fill larger and more meaningful roles - then they absolutely become friends and confidantes and combatants.”

The love triangle in Sylvia features Twin Cities acting duo Phil Losacker and Kirby Bennett as Greg and his much-irked wife Kate with Commonweal Resident Artist Adrienne Sweeney as the titular Sylvia, who provides sudden competition with Kate for Greg’s time and affection. The cast is joined by Commonweal Resident Artist Scott Dixon playing triple roles of a fellow dog-lover in the park, an old college friend of Kate’s, and a marriage counselor.

Sylvia plays in Repertory with Enemey of the People through June 10 and with Little Shop of Horrors through August 19.
Visit the Commonweal for schedules and tickets: Commonweal Theatre

I am Ann Frank

May 20, 21, 27, and 28
Libretto by Enid Futterman; Music by Michael Cohen; Stage direction and design by Ben Krywosz
Nautilus Music-Theater (at the Jon Hassler Theater, Plainview)

Nautilus Music-Theater’s Ivey award-winning production of I Am Anne Frank opens this weekend at the Jon Hassler Theater for a four-night run. This musical adaption of Anne Frank’s famous diary, according to the producers, is the story of a young girl standing tip-toe on the edge of her future during a time of hatred and intolerance. The play combines spoken excerpts from Anne’s diary with songs that reveal the power of her inner life. Fully faithful to its source material, Anne’s famous chronicle of two Jewish families secreted in a cramped garret in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation is still as suspenseful and moving as ever. Her writing is propelled by an undying faith in the goodness of people. This heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story stirs our deepest emotions as it insists upon honoring the endurance of the human spirit. Vanessa Gamble portrays Anne Frank in this production.

New York critics called Futterman and Cohen’s work “A moving, poignant, and in every sense tasteful piece of musical theatre... beautiful, flawless... this is what theater is all about.” Nautilus’ production earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike when it premiered in 2006. The production won a coveted Ivey award, which noted that “the impressive artistic contributions of the talented cast, combined with the matchless vision of the directors, made Nautilus production of I Am Anne Frank a stunning collaboration of fine acting, sharp stage direction, effective lighting, and gorgeous music—a wonderful blend of music and acting, and an innovative way of telling an important story.”

Visit the Jon Hassler Theater online for schedules and tickets: www.jonhasslertheater.org
Phone the Jon Hassler Theater at 507-534-2900.