Missing Shows - Wonderland by Triple Threat, The Ukrainian Words Project by Theatre Novi Most

 There are times in a busy persons life when you have to miss shows. Shows you had your eye on, heart set on, and tickets. Life is a journey and sometimes obstacles happen...

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Sometimes obstacles trip you up and send you on a trip to Wonderland. Performing this weekend only at the Phoenix Theatre in Uptown, Triple Threat Entertainment (and NerdDoms Universe) brings Wonderland: A Sensual Cirque Pantomime to the stage. This work originated a few years ago (pre-pandemic) during MN Fringe Festival. Since then it has played a few times, and I have seen it a few times. It is a wonderful trip through Wonderland....like Alice in Wonderland. While there is no dialogue, it is billed as a Pantomime, when I first saw it there was recording that gives voice to Alice's thoughts and feelings as she traverses her way though this wild new world. In this new world she meets the White Rabbit, the Tweedles, the Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and March Hare, the White Queen, Walrus & the Carpenter, and naturally the Queen of Hearts and her Knave! Oh...did I mention the Jabberwocky?

When last I saw it, each character she meets performs some feat of wonder - a chair dance, a pole dance, a comic group dance, maybe an aerial act, or perhaps burlesque. It really is a wonderful work that is a joy to watch, and takes you on a fascinating journey. A journey of wonder, danger, and love. These performers are top-notch and so talented. In my perspective they hype up the sensual side in promotion, but you should be the judge of that. It is all about the art of the tease, after all. The show will have risque moments, and it is 18+, however it is all done with love, and sincerity, and wanting the audience to have a good time. If you have never seen any sort of burlesque before, this show will be a great introduction to a wide range of cirque and burlesque skills that are out there. Most of the performers are learned their craft at Villainy Alternative Dance Studio. Take a chance and go enjoy this wonderful show!

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On a very different note. Theatre Novi Most has performances coming up from Monday April 29 through Sunday May 12. They are performing in various locations across Minnesota from Mankato to Duluth. Directed by the founders Lisa Channer and Vlaimir Rovinsky, each performance will have a staged reading of a excerpt from a play. All the excerpts are an hour long and they are from newly commissioned plays by Ukrainian playwrights written since the war began in February of 2022. This will be followed by something they are calling Story Circles. Story Circles is a practice developed by UNESCO for developing intercultural competencies. The Story Circles give Ukrainians, others from the post Soviet diaspora, and general audiences a chance to talk about, and process the events in Ukraine, and the war's effect on them. These narratives from the Story Circles will be turned into a new piece of verbatim theatre created by Theatre Novi Most in 2025-2026. 

Design by Sofia Rovinskaya

I think this sounds so interesting. I have not heard of Theatre Novi Most before but after getting this press release I am very interested. These events are also tied into the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings program. Hearing new works, then having the opportunity to talk and hear live stories about the situation in Ukraine...what a fantastic opportunity to learn and experience new things. I am excited to see how these Story Circles turn into a staged production in an upcoming season. From looking at their website, it looks like Theatre Novi Most is doing important and really interesting work. Something I look forward to seeing. I hope you take the chance now to see what is happening.