​Love Is the Greater Labyrinth seems both antique and fresh, newly translated from the work of a 17th century nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz who is famous in Mexico, "considered the first feminist in America, almost a pop icon in Latin American culture and a national symbol of Mexico.” Director Oscar Quiroz wonders why this "illustrious 17th century nun is hardly performed on Anglo-American stages as her European contemporaries are.” 

Read more of Director Quiroz’s informative note at https://theatre.msu.edu/labyrinth/

To me, this show had the feel of a Shakespearean comedy farce — with an Ancient Greek mythological setting amid conflict between Athens and Crete— featuring a layered labyrinth of revenge, romance, mistaken identities, disguises and some lively swordplay as courtiers conspired and competed in overlapping love triangles, as their servants joked behind their backs. My particular favorite servant was the wry and winsome Sebastian Barnett as “Tuna”.

Kudos to Director Quiroz for keeping this fast and fun. Kudos to the fight choreographers Alexis Black, Kim Seabright Martin and Jacob Squire. This show is part of MSU’s “storefront series” which means minimal set, and this one is a minimal but maximal backdrop curtain of colorful ribbons, allowing magical entrances and hiding places. The large arena posts are well used for hiding and eavesdropping. Costumes are a sort of timeless/classic motley collection that added to the fun. Neither set designer nor costumer are listed in the program, but kudos to whomever.
This text was translated by Barbara Fuchs, Aina Soley, and Rhonda Sharrah of UCLA’s Diversifying the Classics project. You can read other translations and keep up with latest projects at http://diversifyingtheclassics.humanities.ucla.edu/


This new/old-fashioned farce plays only ONE WEEKEND, continuing Friday at 8, Saturday at 2 & 8 and Sunday at 2. Get tickets at https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/detail/love-is-the-greater-labyrinth and pick them up at the Farm Lane end box office of the MSU Auditorium Building. The Arena stage is downstairs on the south side of the building, next to the Studio 60 stage.

ON THE MARKET
by Guest Reviewer T.E. Klunzinger

This relatively new comedy by Jason Odell Williams opened last night at the Williamston Theatre, and for what seems like a long time you think there’s no plot, just a series of stale old visual set-ups about the dangers of online dating. But then, gradually, it starts to change: it’s a pleasant surprise.

Dani Cochrane deftly explores the full range of emotions as real-estate agent Charlotte, who lost her husband to cancer 29 months ago and has been trying to, well, find herself ever since. She has been helped, or not helped, in her quest by her well-meaning but clumsy co-workers' Diane and Frank, bumbling attempts to play Cupid which only mirror what’s happening in the real world – or is it the other way around?

Yolanda David and Patrick Loos get to play not only Diane and Frank but lots of other characters along the way, subtly deepening their accents and cornball characterizations as the play moves toward its logical denouement. The fact that this works is a true testament to the need to use Equity Actors at the local level.

And as the one character(s) whom you come to realize isn’t really there, Brian Sage shows how indispensable he is to the overall success of the play.

It should be noted that this is the third in as many normal-length plays to open in recent weeks, which have no intermission. Is this because volunteer candy-sellers are a dying breed? Is it because theatre candy is no longer profitable? For whatever reason, the intermissionless play is fast inflicting needless aggravation on the unwary audience member.

Oh, and, the basic plot of this play is: grieving real-estate agent happily finds love. Simple as that. So if you can see “On the Market” by October 22, you should.

Tickets and info at http://www.williamstontheatre.org

by Guest Reviewer T.E. Klunzinger

“Admissions,” which opened last night at Riverwalk, is a cleverly-titled and layered play by Joshua Harmon which not only explores the mechanics and consequences of higher-education administrative policies meant to achieve a diverse student body, but also reveals how the administrators of those policies feel about them, each other, and their own families and friends.

The school in question is Hillcrest prep school in New Hampshire, where the administrators Sherri and Bill have been working for years to get the enrollment up to 20% non-white, but at the same time have been working to get their multi-talented son Charlie into a prestigious legacy school, particularly Yale. This creates obvious conflicts.

​While it would be novel to get an audience to embrace a statistic as the protagonist, that just will never happen; so the default protagonist is the 17-year-old Charlie and what’s to become of him when he disagrees with the worldview of his parents.

Heath Sartorius rarely disappoints his audience; and as Charlie he has several powerful scenes, never more transcendent than in the middle of the play when he gets an e-mail from Yale. His extended monologue is worth the price of admission alone.

As his parents, Emily Clark and Jeff Kennedy try to talk reason to the teenager (!), not always successfully but nevertheless with the strength and sincerity of their lifelong convictions.

Colleen Bethea provides able support as the longtime family friend who just happens to have a biracial son at the school; and Jane Zussman is perfect as the career staffer who’s trying to produce a new admissions catalog but can’t quite get the message on what the pictures within it should look like.

Director Bob Robinson can indeed be proud of this seamlessly acted, well-produced ensemble show, including the comfy, tweedy sets by Leroy Cupp with set dressing and scenography by Ric Sadler, props by Bernie Lucas and lighting by Ted Daniel.

This award-winning script will make you think much about the topics therein and is well worth a visit to Riverwalk, but note – the play runs one hour and 45 minutes with NO intermission.

Admissions runs through September 24. Tickets are general admission and available at the door while they last. Reservations assure admission; arrive early for choice of seats. 517-482-5700 http://www.riverwalktheatre.com

The Minutes - wow. 
This is one of those reviews that won’t tell you much, because you will want to be free of expectations to experience the full impact of this satiric script by Tracy Letts. As Director Mary Job relates in her note, “It begins as a hilarious political sitcom and ends up somewhere in the Twilight Zone.” So true.

The Big Cherry city council meeting is populated by an entertaining assortment of board-member types who deliver the laughs as they scrabble over their various causes and alliances. Mr. Peel, endearingly and earnestly played by Edward Heldt, missed the last meeting because of his mother’s funeral. We share his frustration as his colleagues avoid spilling the beans about what happened to Mr. Carp, a board member mysteriously absent after an incident at the previous meeting.

Ed shares the stage with an all-star ensemble cast: Brandon Arnold, Doak Bloss, Joe Clark, Joe Dickson Daniel Dye, Judith Evans, Matt Land, Gini Larson, Debbie Lundeen, and Rachel Mender. Each one is a distinct delight, and will probably remind you of someone with whom you’ve served on a board or committee. Their stylized “reenactment” of the cherished town legend is a highlight.

I was struck — or maybe tangled — by common threads this script shares with Joshua Harmon’s “Admissions" (which I proudly plug for the subsequent two weekends at Riverwalk.) The plays are very different but share threads of hypocrisy and conflicting values/priorities. Theatre goers who enjoy a spirited discussion on the car ride home should not miss either of these shows.

The Minutes runs September 7 - 10 & 14 - 17 and is performed at Sycamore Creek Church, 1919 S Pennsylvania Ave, Lansing (Peppermint's new performance space at Stage One won't open until October 1). Tickets are available  at https://peppermintcreek.org/event/the-minutes/



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