The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley - Trademark Theater - February 2026

The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley

Book, Music and Lyrics by Keith Hovis

Review by Ernest Edwards

Monday night, I was at the staged reading of The Ostentatious Outlaws of Neehai Valley. It was a co-presentation between Trademark Theater and Park Square Theatre, on the main stage at Park Square Theatre. Before the show started, we did learn that the musical will be part of the 2026/2027 Season at Park Square. Sounds like they are looking at dates for Spring of 2027. That is exciting news!!!

I went to the staged reading in early 2025. I thought the show was fun and fabulous. The only critique I had in 2025 was that the scripted needed some fine tuning. That was it.  It was a pleasure to attend the stage reading this week. There are some new songs, and the script has been improved upon.  What else I really liked was that three out of five cast members were back for this years staged reading. I’m hoping they will all be back for the fully staged musical in the 2026/2027 season. 

The musical is directed by Tyler Michaels King, with Jason Hansen as the Music Director.  The cast is Em Adam Rosenberg as Will, Armando Ronconi as Ezra, Max Wojtanowicz as Dale, Hope Nordquist as Lorelia (Dale’s sister) and Susie Jul as Cora.  

The story is about a small town with a bush in the center of town. Think of this bush similarly as you would the burning bush that Moses encountered in the Egyptian desert.  The bush has rules to abide by, there are annual rituals for the bush, and the bush also hasn’t spoken to anyone in over a century.  Now the branches of the bush start to fall off.  In walks a stranger from a different town. A town that also had this same bush.  

One change to the script that I really enjoyed with this staged reading, is last year the characters Ezra and Dale were “are they? Is there something more going on with these two guys?”. This year, as the show moves along, Ezra is definitely bisexual and Dale eventually figures things out for himself. It doesn’t hit you over the head. I just found it to be more obvious and funnier.  

I like going to stage readings of new works. It’s fun to be part of the process and to watch the show grow and develop into a local/world premiere show. 

It’s a hilarious two act musical. I for one, can’t wait to see a fully staged production in 2027.  Let’s all keep an eye on www.trademarktheater.org and www.parksquaretheatre.org for performance dates and tickets. 

Salome’ - February 2026

Salome’ 

By Oscar Wilde

Review by Ernest Edwards

Stop what you are doing and run out and see this play! It is a must see production!

Director Grant Sorenson, along with Scenographer Josh Oberlander have created a unique staging environment of this play. In the center of the Paikka event center, there are two long tables for a feast. The audience can sit on the outer side of the tables. The performance space for the play is the inner seating of the tables and space between the two tables. There’s also risers on either side of the space for the audience. I sat at one of the tables and felt very immersed in this production of Oscar Wilde’s play.  

This was my first time seeing the play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. It’s a powerful script. Salome is a dramatization of the story from the Bible of King Herod, Salomé and Iokanann (today we know as John The Baptist).  

The must see performances are Nathan Keepers as Herod, Ani Tonoyan as Salomé(daughter of Herodias, and step daughter of Herod), Logan Lang as Iokanaan, and Emily Gunyou Halaas as Herodias (the wife of Herod).The servants played by Stephanie Kahle, Sri Peck, Kashmir Shakti, and Kai Brewster are great too. Small cast of 8, but it is big play. 

Nathan Keepers gives a tour de force performance as Herod.  Ani Tonoyan is a vision as Salome’. Between her command of the stage, her hair, makeup, and the silver dress that she wears draw the attention of the play to her.  

When I think Oscar Wilde, I think of the plays The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Two very funny comedies. I know, I also need to read The Portrait of Dorian Gray. As I was watching Salome’, I found myself being amazed by the script that this also Oscar Wilde. It was side to Oscar Wilde that I had seen before.  

The costumes and scenery are present day. King Herod has received favors from Cesar and is hosting a banquet. Iokanaan is imprisoned in an old cistern on the estate. Salome’ wants Iokanaan, but he refuses her advances. Herod is too interested in his step daughter. Salome’ finally agrees to dance for Herod, against her mother’s wishes. Herod promised her anything that she wanted. She asks for the head of Iokanann. Herod believes that is an act against God, he eventually grants her what she has asked for. 

Another nice touch that I liked with this production, is the programs were the size of an elite style menu. They are on the seats on the risers, but are also on the plates for the table side seats.  

This was a fun production with one of a kind staging. This cast and this script made for a great evening at the theatre. This show is not to be missed. 

Play runs through February 28, 2026. Check out https://www.salomempls.com/ for ticket information. 

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.