Welcome to One Show to See This Week. Every Monday I send out a newsletter with the one play or musical I think you should buy a ticket for in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in the next seven days, along with tips for discounts and things to do in the area, because I think theater should be part of your weekly routine. My inbox is always open, as are my DMs. Glad you’re here!
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One Show to See This Week
The Last Yiddish Speaker
Six Points Theater
Highland Park Community Center, 1978 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116
October 25th – November 9th
I’m still thinking about something Joseph Haj said in a video the Guthrie posted back in September. The artistic director answered 50 questions while walking through various spaces in the theater, à la Vogue’s “73 Questions” series. It’s worth watching in its entirety for his candor and insight (and the wonderful video production itself; nice work, Guthrie team!), but one response stuck out.
Haj was asked: “Is there a misconception about theater you’d love to correct?”
His response: “That it is merely another entertainment option.”
Do you feel like all the theater you’ve seen recently has only checked the “entertainment” box? Have you soured on the endless buffet of streaming “content”? Are you looking for art that can meet our present moment when Donald Trump and his regime of spineless servants are rapidly eroding democracy, cashing in on corruption, and happily covering it all up with a deluge of lies?
Then you need to buy a ticket for The Last Yiddish Speaker, staged by Six Points Theater at the Highland Park Community Center in St. Paul. The premise may not feel like something you want to experience even in fiction — playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer sets the story in 2029 in an America where the January 6th insurrectionists succeeded and ushered in a Christian Nationalist state — but the drama here is more intriguing than debilitating: It follows a Jewish father and daughter who are masquerading as Christians in order to survive, when an ancient, mysterious Yiddish-speaking woman arrives at their door.
Jill Schafer of theater blog Cherry and Spoon calls it “brilliantly written and expertly executed,” and Rob Dunkelberger of The Stages of MN writes that it’s “the kind of important work that needs to be seen.” I know them both and trust them when they say a show is not to be missed.
What to Do Before or After
If you’re going for a matinee (Six Points has Friday and Sunday shows at 1 p.m.), hit up Quixotic Coffee before. I’ve never been to Cecil’s Deli, but it’s on my bucket list of time-honored neighborhood gems; the restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. If you want to make it a date night, Joan’s in the Park and Myriel are in the vicinity too.
How Much Are Tickets? Any Discounts?
Tickets range from $29 on Thursday night to $40 on Saturday night and the Sunday matinee, with a $5 processing fee for each order. If you’re a working artist or a student, they have rush tickets for $15. If you want more information about rush, here’s their contact info.
Hot Tip for a Musical You May Have Missed…
I’ve been intrigued by the Prince of Egypt stage musical ever since I heard rumblings of it being adapted from the movie a decade ago. If you’re also curious, I was perusing the calendar over at Minnesota Playlist and was surprised to see that the University of Northwestern in St. Paul is staging it through November 15th. If I had time, I’d be there. I mean, “Deliver Us,” “All I Ever Wanted,” “Through Heaven’s Eyes” — anyone else who was also obsessed with this movie as a kid will agree that this is some of Stephen Schwartz’s best work…right?
Question of the Week
It’s opening week for Purple Rain! I’ll be at opening night on Wednesday and publishing a review shortly after. (If you’re there too, say hi if you see me!) Have you seen it yet? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! If not, are you planning on seeing it during this rare pre-Broadway tryout that we get to experience here in Minneapolis?
One final thought before I go: If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider sending a link to a friend or pointing a fellow theater lover (or theater-curious Minnesotan) in my direction. And thanks to everyone who has already done so!
See you here next week.
-Alex
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