The Guthrie Theater The Government Inspector

Hunter Foster and Sally Wingert

Nikolai Gogol may have written The Government Inspector a century and a half ago, but his tale of widespread corruption and general idiocy in the face of a crisis still holds up. Some of that is due to human nature, but also give credit to Gogol himself, who created a cast of distinct, if more than slightly mad, characters with a few deft lines and stage directions.

With a fresh adaptation by Minnesota's own Jeffrey Hatcher, the Guthrie presents a terrific version of the play that keeps the laughs rolling, all the while asking the question, "which of these characters is really the hero?"

In a nutshell, The Government Inspector is about a small and corrupt Russian village tossed into a tizzy by the news that an official is touring the countryside. Attention quickly turns to a young man at the local inn, putting two and two together, the townsfolk set out to bride him into a good report.

The problem is that that, in this case, two and two equal five. The man in question is a low-level (and currently unemployed) clerk currently gambling away what is left of his money. As much by accident as plan, he begins to fleece the folks in town.

Truly, no one is spared in all of this, from government officials to their spouses and wives to our young idiot - who succeeds mainly because he is a smidgen more intelligent and cutthroat than the rest. That can be tough to sell, but director Joe Dowling never lets the action flag for a second, so the evening flies by without much chance for contemplation.

The cast—packed with Guthrie regulars—dig into the meal provided, with Raye Birk, Jim Lichtscheidl and especially Peter Michael Goetz and Sally Wingert—as the mayor and his wife—performing with great relish. Hunter Foster (the original Bobby Strong in Urinetown: the Musical, a show with a similar world view) plays the young clerk with an aware idiocy that makes him the closest thing to a "hero" in all of this.

Credit also needs to be given to Ann Hould-Ward's stunning costume work, which mixes the decrepit with the gaudy in a terrific—if somewhat damaging to any sense of fashion—way.

The Government Inspector runs through Aug. 24 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage, the Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis. For tickets and more information, call 612-377-2224 or visit www.guthrietheater.org.

The Jungle Theater Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Jairus Abts

John Cameron Mitchell and Steven Trask's love letter to gender-bending and glam rock comes to a slightly unusual home. While the Jungle is best known for strong interpretations of classic 20th-century work and engaging new work, the world of Hedwig and the Angry Inch seems like a bit of a stretch. However, the ideas at the core of the play—about identity, love and finding a way in a world that doesn't care—fit in nicely with the company's body of work.

It's a thrilling ride, carried mostly by the Jungle's Hedwig, Jairus Abts. Abts isn't afraid to shed Hedwig's tough exterior, letting all of the pain of abandonment out. Joining him as Hedwig's husband, Yitzhak, is Ann Michels (who played the role in the play's Twin Cities debut in 2002). "Trapped" as a man for most of the show, Michels isn't afraid to show Yitzhak's rage whenever possible, which makes the show's finale all the moving.

I don't know if it was by design or just the demographics of opening night, but much of Hedwig's banter was met with silence in the first half of the show—which works perfectly, as it showcased further her desperation and barely controlled rage at her situation. Musically, Abts and Michels show good range and bring terrific energy to the songs, as does the rocking four-piece band.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch runs through Aug. 31 at the Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis. For tickets and more information call 612-822-7063 or visit www.jungletheater.com.

Photos: ©Michal Daniel, 2008

- Ed Huyck

Be sure to check the current schedule for theatre in the Twin Cities area