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Weekend Arts Roundup: Engaging in Dialogues

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by Marianne Combs

November 13, 2014

Bain Boehlke and Wendy Lehr in On Golden Pond
Bain Boehlke and Wendy Lehr as Norman and Ethel Thayer in the Jungle Theater's productiion of 'On Golden Pond'.
Michal Daniel

MPR News Arts Reporter Marianne Combs joins Steve Seel and Jill Riley to talk about arts events in which dialogue is exchanged across generations, cultures and centuries.

On Golden Pond — This warm and witty American classic about the dynamics of the Thayer family provides a fitting framework as Artistic Director Bain Boehlke is in his last year before retiring from the Jungle Theater. Boehlke is starring in, directing and set-designing the show. As Marianne describes, there is a bittersweet feeling of not just what unfolds in the story, but knowing in some sense this bidding farewell and aging is taking place in reality in Bain Boehlke's life. On Golden Pond runs until Dec. 21 at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

Dialogues — At Bockley Gallery in Minneapolis, well-known local painter Jim Denomie has a new solo show called Dialogues. Denomie uses some edgy humor to take a look at the complex race relations between Native Americans and contemporary popular cultures; some of the humor includes biting exchanges between the Lone Ranger and Tonto. The exhibit also features lovely paintings about creativity and where Demonie seeks creative inspiration. The vivid colors in Denomie's work stand out in this snowy weather; Elvis and Scott Seekins even appear in some paintings. Bockley Gallery specializes in Native American artists, and just two doors down, one can find Birchbark Books, which is owned by Louise Erdrich and prominently features Native work. Dialogues runs through Dec. 13.

Relics — Opening tonight (Thursday, Nov. 13) at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is Relics a play set in the year 2314, where we find archaeologists who have discovered a 300-year-old colony in what was North America. This interactive show — which looks at our culture through an imperfect, future lens — runs through Nov. 23 in the Guthrie's Dowling Studio.

Marianne Combs joins The Current's Morning Show for the Weekend Arts Roundup every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Read all the latest arts news from MPR News.