The Mountaintop - Artistry - February 2026

The Mountaintop

A play by Katori Hall

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was supposed to the see play The Mountaintop last week, but due to illness in the cast my performance was cancelled and I was able to reschedule my ticket to the matinee on Saturday February 21, 2026.  Glad I was still able to see this play.  

The play is a fictional account of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s last night on earth. A night spent at his hotel room in Memphis, as we now know as the eve of his assassination.  Dr. King is joined by a housekeeper who brings him coffee late at night.  As the play goes on, we learn that she is actually an Angel who is went to prepare him for what comes next.  

As you walk into the Black Box theater at Artisty. You see the scenery is a 1960’s hotel room that is at an angle. I liked that the scenery was not 100% symmetrical with the theatre space for this play.  

The notes from director Warren C. Bowels in the program are very insightful.  I am one of the people referenced that grew up in the world after Dr. King’s assassination.  According to the program, the playwright wrote this play based on stories told her by mother.  

Mikel Sapp gives an amazing performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  He is able to embody and emote the passion, the drive and the essence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tyler Susan Jennings gave a great performance of Camae, the housekeeper turned Angel.  

As a society we have come so far since the 1960’s, when it comes to equal rights.  Even in 2026, we have so far to go.  I liked how the play ended with the “passing of the baton” video that captured moments in time from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination to the present. It was nice way to conclude the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The performances of The Mountaintop by Mikell Sapp and Tyler Susan Jennings are not to be missed.  

The play runs through March 1, 2026. Check out www.artistrymn.org for tickets. 

The Cake - Theatre in the Round Players - February 2026

The Cake

A play by Bekah Brunstetter

 

Review by Ernest Edwards

I was at opening night of the play The Cake at Theatre in the Round Players Friday night.  

To say this play from 2019 is only about a baker denying to bake a cake for a lesbian couple would be simplifying  the story too much. The play is a lot more than that. It also deals with religion, faith, love and relationships in the 21st Century. 

You have Macy, who is an African-American woman, who is engaged to Jen, a southern Caucasian woman. Macy and Jen live in Brooklyn. Jen wants Della to bake her wedding cake. Della is one of Jen’s last connections to her Mom from her southern home town. 

Jen is disheartened when Della says has a full schedule for the month they want to get married. You can tell that this was not easy for Della say this. This action does make Della question her faith. Not being Christian, but that one sentence in Leviticus. She sees how much Jen is hurt by this.  She loves Jen and wants her to be happy. Her faith says she can’t participate in Jen and Macy’s wedding.  

Della and her husband Tim are also having a rough time in their marriage. Spoiler alert. They try frosting and mashed potatoes to reignite the spark.  Not going say any more.  You will have to watch and see.

This play is very rewarding by the end. There’s character growth, there’s understanding, and relationships deepen. The characters all have a journey that they go through in this play. They all come out stronger and more positive in the end.  

I really liked the set design by Keven Lock. There’s a titled floor, three counters and a table with chairs that are rearranged effortlessly for each scene in the play.  I need to also mention Costume Designer Emma Shook, I really liked the costumes for George and the final costumes for Jen and Macy need to be mentioned. 

For opening night, there was also cake in the lobby after the play.  

I really liked this play. It was very enjoyable and relevant for our time. The Cake continues through March 15, 2026. Check out www.theatreintheround.org for tickets.  

Violent Delights - Night Fire Theatre - February 2026

Program Image

Violent Delights

Created and Directed by Penelope Parsons-Lord with Erika Sasseville

Review by Ernest Edwards

In my years of living in the Twin Cities, I have never been to the Crane Theatre before. It was great to see the Night Fire Theatre production of Violent Delights at the Crane Theatre last night. 

From the poster it sounds like play this got its start back in 2019. This is my first time seeing this production.  It takes bits and pieces of various Shakespeare plays and creates a new story with a cast of 9 who play all the roles.  Some of the plays represented are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, and Titus Andronicus.  The plays were woven together very well. Made for a fun night at the theater.

After seeing this play, I may have to rewatch some of my favorite Shakespeare plays on films. Don’t be surprised to hear me rewatching the Kenneth Branagh film version of Much About Nothing in the near future. 

The stage setting was unique too.  It was a thrust stage setting with traditional stage seating in the back, and the fun seating was on the sides of the stage. The sides consisted of couches, love seats, chairs, and table & chairs to choose from.  The side seating was fun and up close too.  

The first paragraph of the Director’s Note in the program are so true. ‘Sometimes when I say the word “Shakespeare,” I see people’s eyes gloss over. And I get it —maybe your mind jumps to hours in a classroom slowly reading through Romeo and Juliet, or sitting in a dark theatre trying to decipher confusing language. Or maybe you dismiss Shakespeare as a dead white man who is overproduced and irrelevant.  I understand that whilst there are some truly amazing productions out there, there are a lot of negative associations with the word “Shakespeare.”’

Violent Delights presents Shakespeare as you have never seen it before. Whether you have seen a Shakespeare play before, or have seen many Shakespeare plays, or have never seen a Shakespeare play before Violent Delights is a great introduction to Shakespeare.  This is Shakespeare as you have never seen it before.  

I went to the penultimate performance of this play. There’s only day left to see this creative production. It closes on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2026.  Check out www.nightfiretheatre.com for tickets. 

Red - Gremlin Theater- February 2026

Red 

A play by John Logan

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

The reason to see the play Red is because of actors Pearce Bunting as Rothko and Ben Shaw as Ken.  Their performances are a work of art. 

This 2008 play takes place at the New York artist studio for Mark Rothko in 1958/1959 as he is commissioned for some murals at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City.  Rothko has hired Ken to help with mixing paints, making frames and placing the canvas on the frame.  It’s a real opportunity for Ken to work with and learn from an artist like Rothko.  

I really liked the scenery designed by Carl Schoenborn.  From my old theatre days working in the scene shop at the university, the stage felt familiar to me. The paint splatter on the floor, the rags, the drop cloths, the paint buckets, and the wood frames. I was like, this is definitely where art is created.  

The Gremlin Theatre is the perfect venue for this play.  I also like the information and photos about Mark Rothko in the lobby of the theater.  

A lot is discussed in this 90 minute play. Some of the topics covered are art at the time, contemporary artists, favorite artists of the past, the rise of commercial art and pop art. The two characters do have art as a connection, but that connection is also what keeps them apart.  

This is great play to to see.  I was very impressed with the acting and the depth of the characters. 

The play runs through March 1, 2026. Check out Gremlin Theatre for tickets. 

The stage, before the play begins

Love Letters - Chanhassen Dinner Theatres - February 2026

Love Letters

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

I went to the classic 1988 play Love Letters at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, written by A.R. Gurney. I had first seen the play Love Letters back in the summer of 1993. It was a big anniversary year for the Straw Hat Players at Moorhead State University, now known as Minnesota State University Moorhead.  That production had Joanna Kerns and Robert Hays as the cast. 

I learned during the talk back after the play last night. Love Letters was remounted at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for a limited engagement in November 2022 with actors Nancy Nelson and Don Shelby.  It has been extended seven times.  Now when this run ends in February, it will be closed out at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.  That is an impressive run!  This production was directed by the late Michael Brindisi, and restaged by Janet Hayes Trow.  

The story follows Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. From 1937 to 1987 the play follows the letters they have been writing to each other since they were nine years old.  The actors each sit at their own desk, and read the script.  Sounds very simple, but it’s very powerful with this play. Throughout the play, we learn about their adventures in school, college, their marriages, their spouses and children. Their struggles, their ups and downs.  This friendship endures careers, ambitions, travel and life.  Such great story telling. 

The only spoiler alert I will provide is that this is traditionally a 90 minute play with no intermission. Chanhassen Dinner Theaters did add an intermission. Of course I had to have dessert during intermission. Which was probably the plan all along.  

Love Letters runs through February 22, 2026. Check out www.chanhassendt.com for tickets. 

The poster outside of the playhouse theater. 

The stage, before the play begins.  

The Glass Menagerie - Theater Latte Da - February 2026

The Glass Menagerie

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theatre/Ernest Edwards

As part of their 2025/2026 season, Theater Latte Da is presenting Tennessee Williams classic play The Glass Menagerie.  

Director Justin Lucero discusses his cinematic concept for the play in the program. In the full program online, there is also a couple of fascinating pages about The Glass Menagerie and Tennessee Williams.  I learned about Tennessee Williams’ sister in the program.  Didn’t realized before that the character Laura from Glass Menagerie and Blanche Dubois from A Street Car Named Desire had elements based on his sister’s mental state.  The evolution of The Glass Menagerie play was also a nice read in the online program. 

This production has some movie elements.  It is a memory play after all. Tom (Dustin Branson) states that at the very beginning. Tom is both part of the play, and the narrator of the story.  The play takes place in a St. Louis apartment. The story is about the family, Tom works at a factory to help provide for his mother Amanda (Norah Long) and his sister Laura (Amy Eckberg)

I liked the movie/film elements that are brought into the play.  Camera close ups, and playing around with the sounds of the voices.  This all played well into Tennessee Williams script. You can’t see this with my photo, in the downstage left corner (looking right for the audience) there’s a fun set of “instruments”.  There’s wine glasses, glass bowls and other items used to create the music and background for the scenes within the play The Glass Menagerie.   Soundscape artist Brandon Brooks is also Jim in the second act of the play. Also they had outlines on the stage floor defining the fire escape, living room, dining room and kitchen.  I liked seeing that as part of the layout.  

The Glass Menagerie is a drama. The story is about a family in a cramped apartment trying to survive after their father left years ago. You have the mother who fondly remembers her good old days. The son who works himself very hard to provide for the family. The daughter who has no self confidence.  The mother insists that they need to bring gentleman callers to the apartment, so Laura can find a suitor and eventually get married. Tom brings Jim to the apartment. (Spoiler Alert) They know each other from the warehouse, but Tom doesn’t know that Jim is engaged.  

A reason to see The Glass Menagerie is the cast! Dustin Branson as Tom, Amy Eckberg as Laura, Norah Long as Amanda, and Brandon Brooks as Jim.  I really liked Justin Lucero’s vision as the director of this play. This play really comes together with the design team.  Scenic Designer Joe Thomas Johnson, Video & Projections Designer Adam J. Thompson, Sound Designer & Original Music by Katharine Horowitz.  I have never seen The Glass Menagerie this way.  The movie and sound design added new modern elements of storytelling into this American Classic piece of literature. 

The play runs through March 1, 2026. Check out www.latteda.org for tickets. 

The stage, before the play begins. Photo by Ernest Edwards. 

How to Catch Creation - February 2026

How to Catch Creation

Review by Ernest Goes To The Theater/Ernest Edwards

This was a fun play.  With the story taking place during 2014, 1967, 1968 and 1988. Sometimes at the same time. Parts of the play reminded me of the movie The Hours, where you had Virginia Woolf writing a book in the past, and a connection to her and with multiple generations.  Moments between 2014 and 1967/1968 were playing out at the same time. Sometimes with the same dialogue and situation.  

The play is written by Christina Anderson and premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in 2019.  

This play is absolutely wonderful.  The cast was so talented and had such great moments on stage.  The stage space was used very well with this production. 

At the center of the play in 2014 is friends Griffin (Duck Washington) and Tami (Tia Tanner). Also in 2014 is the young couple Riley (Izzy Maxwell) and Stokes (Noah Branch).  In 1967/1968 is author G.K. Marche (Mary Cannon) and her lover Natalie (Lyreshia Ghostlon-Green).  As the play goes on, oh does it get interconnected.  Which is delicious for the audience. 

Griffin is in his mid to late 40’s and wants a child. Tami is his best friend and a college art professor.  Riley is a computer genius and her boyfriend Stokes is a painter. Stokes can’t get into art school, he has received 13 rejection letters. After reading some of the books by G.K. Marche, Stokes wants to be a writer.  Riley and Tami become close.  Through a chance encounter Griffin and Strokes become friends.  Meanwhile in the past Natalie cheats on G.K Marche with a man. And says she will name her son Griffin.  Riley and Tami get entangled. Riley and Stokes learn they are expecting.  Lots of twist and turns, drama, humor and heart. 

Later in the present, Stokes and Griffin go to visit G.K. Marche, who is their favorite author. She sees familiarity in Griffin. She eventually tells him that she knew his mother.  She doesn’t let him know that she was almost his mother too. 

The scenery (designed by Kejia Yu) blended very well as being in the past and recent present.  My favorite part for the scenery was the crystal chandelier.  

I feel like, by the end of the play. The characters found out how to capture creation. 

The play is about two and a half hours long, including the intermission. 

There’s still time to catch this play. It continues through Sunday February 8, 2028. Check out www.theatreintheround.org for tickets. 

The stage before the play begins

The upper stage, before the play begins.