The great thing about living in the Twin Cities if you love going to see performances is that we have both tremendous talent here locally, but we also are lucky enough to get international superstars breezing into town frequently. Right now, you can go and see the great Bill Irwin over at the Guthrie, dance to Senegalese musician Cheikh Ibra Fam at the Cedar, or hear MacArthur “Genius” grant winner Raven Chacon speak about their work following a live performance by local musicians. There’s also a wealth of locally produced shows, like the Brave New Workshop’s most recent production, local singer Katia Cardenas swinging into The Eagles Club #34, and the Minnesota Orchestra, performing with a California-based aerialist troupe.
On Beckett
I went to two performances last weekend that were structured as lectures. One was a part of the Walker Art Center’s “Out There” series. “Honor, an Artist Lecture” featured actress Lili Taylor, perhaps best known for her award-winning turn as Valerie Solanas in Mary Harron’s “I Shot Andy Warhol.” The artist behind the work was named Suzanne Bocanegra, who appeared on stage with Taylor, feeding her lines via an ear piece. The lecture was about medieval tapestries but went in a lot of different directions, touching on power, feminism, and a Foucauldian approach to history. There were a few technical difficulties the night I saw it, but I enjoyed Bocanegra’s quirky rabbit holes and smart critique, and loved seeing Taylor, even if she wasn’t exactly acting, per se.
I also saw “On Beckett,” a piece by Bill Irwin, who has performed many of the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s works. He’s also trained as a clown, and performs in contemporary work as well. I saw him a number of years ago in Edward Albee’s “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” at the Signature Theatre in New York, and was blown away by his performance.
Unlike “Honor,” the famous actor isn’t reciting someone else’s words. It’s really Bill Irwin’s thoughts on the playwright who he says “haunts” him. He performs several passages from Beckett’s “Texts for Nothing,” which were my favorite pieces. Not intended as theatrical works, the abstract prose speaks to longing, and the unknowable, all in a very postmodern manner. He also performs an excerpt from a novel called “The Unnamable,” and “Watt,” which Beckett wrote while he was hiding out in the South of France, part of the French Resistance. In between each of the texts, Irwin shares his thoughts about them, and about Beckett from his perspective as an actor. He also throws in his expertise on clowning and cinema and how those forms are an important aspect of Beckett’s work. Toward the end of the piece, Irwin shares sections from “Waiting for Godot,” a play the actor has performed many times, including once with Steve Martin and Robin Williams. It really feels special to get an inside look at the process of an actor who has spent his career doing this kind of work, while getting a taste of his performance skill as well.
“On Beckett” runs through March 24 at the Guthrie. ($34-$82). More information here.
Love and Other Things that Ruined My Life
The Brave New Workshop continues the Valentine’s Day spirit with a show that’s all about the mad world of dating, as well as the challenges of long-term relationships. With country songs, game shows, and some artificial intelligence tomfoolery, the show’s pretty sharp, with a strong cast of five performers. Lauren Anderson’s zany over the top charisma is also always a delight, and I enjoyed Isabella Dunsieth’s understated energy, as well as one section that featured improvised singing, performed by Dunsieth as well as Doug Neithercott. My favorite part of the show was a scene about microaggressions that come up in interracial dating, with a strange but rather ingenious section spoken rhythmically and in a kind of choral mode.
Performances run through May 18 at the Dudley Riggs Theatre ($40, $45). More information here.
An Evening with Cheikh Ibra Fam
Senegalese singer and multi-instrumentalist Cheikh Ibra Fam debut solo album, “Peace in Africa,” is a joyful celebration. It’s pop sound rooted in traditional instrumentation that makes you want to dance. The artist heads to the Cedar this week with a band of international musicians.
7 p.m. Thursday at the Cedar Cultural Center ($27-$32). More information here.
Katia & The Upswing’s Swing Dance Residency
Is it time for a swing dance come-back? For people around in the 1990s, you may remember the vintage dance craze making a huge comeback, helped along with movies like “Swing Kids,” and “Swingers.” All of a sudden, there were bars and venues all over where swing dance enthusiasts could practice their moves. Well, if you don’t know any swing moves, you can take a lesson this Friday at the Eagles Club #34, prior to music by jazz vocalist Katia Cardenas, singing with a band featuring Steven Hobert (keys), Shane Cox (trumpet/trombone), Benjamin Kelly (bass), and Beth Varela. And no, you don’t have to dance if you don’t want to.
Friday, March 1, 7 p.m. lesson, 8 p.m.-10:30 p.m. music, at The Eagles Club #34 ($10). More information here.
American Ledger No. 1.
MacArthur “Genius” grant winner Raven Chacon will be at Macalester on Saturday for a performance of the Diné composer’s “American Ledger No. 1,” a work composed in 2018. Performed by an ensemble of Twin Cities musicians and Macalester students, the work explores the United States’ violent history. Published on Chacon’s website, the score is very visual, and the composer notes that as part of the work, it should be displayed as “a flag, a wall, a blanket, a billboard, or a door.”
The event is held in conjunction with an exhibition at Law Warschaw Gallery at Macalester, called “Deathpower,” curated by Erin Gleeson. After the music, Strange will hold a conversation with Chacon. Saturday, March 2 at 4 p.m. at the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center (free). More information here.
Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Fairytales with the Minnesota Orchestra
Classical music meets body bending and weight defying tricks when the Los Angeles-based Troupe Vertigo joins the Minnesota Orchestra for a performance. With classic story-based music like Sergei Prokofiev “Cinderella” and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” and a display of aerial artistry, contortion, and physical storytelling, it’s a show where you may want to bring a young person in your life (they have to be six or older, and accompanied by an adult, though).
Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. ($48-$82 with discounts for kids). More information here.
Sheila Regan
Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts journalist. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column. She can be reached at sregan@minnpost.com.
