MPR News Arts Reporter Marianne Combs joins Jill Riley and Sean McPherson to talk about a new play, some community-participation dance events and a whole bunch of reasons to stay up all night on Saturday.

Gospel of Loving Kindness — This new play by Marcus Gardley is staging now at Pillsbury House Theatre in Minneapolis. It's a story about two black mothers and their sons, whose lives are shattered by gun violence. One review called it "a rollercoaster of emotions, from unequivocal joy to heart-wrencing sorry and ebverything in between." It's also been described as "an urgent appeal to end gun violence and a prayer for forgiveness, diginity and hope." The play runs through June 28.

Dance Hall with Kairos Dance — Minneapolis-based Kairos Dance works with elders and youth to get them moving, with a focus on the health benefits of dancing. On Monday, June 15, at the Wilder Community Center for Aging and on Tuesday, June 16, at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, Kairos will be conducting its Dance Hall programs to encourage dancing for health. "They're basically saying, 'Come on over -- let's dance together.' It's people of all ages intermingling and dancing on the dance floor," Marianne says. "It's the sweetest thing." More information is available on the Kairos Dance website.

Northern Spark — Now in its fifth year, this all-night event starts at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, and it runs until 5:26 a.m. (timed with the sunrise) . The whole idea is that it's a nuit blanche during which the city is transformed into a cultural landscape with dance, video projections, theater, opera, visual art, printmaking and live music, including a set by Cloud Cult. See a full schedule of activities and events at the Northern Spark website.

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.

Related

• Pillsbury House Theatre
• Kairos Dance
• Northern Spark 2015