Friday, August 17
Punching Out the Lights
WHAT: Trick Boxing
WHERE: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan’s energetic two-person show about a Depression-era apple seller tricked into becoming a boxer has been a hit since its 2002 debut, traveling the world Fringe circuit. They pull no punches, so to speak, mixing screwball dialogue with swing dance and primitive puppetry to make the kind of effortlessly charming show you can’t stop smiling about. Learn more at guthrietheater.org
Friday, August 17
Fool’s Paradise
WHAT: Heiruspecs and Wayne’s World
WHERE: Lake Harriet Bandshell, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
Wayne’s World, featuring Mike Myers’s film debut, is now 20 years old, hearkening to a more innocent age. Paired with music by the Heiruspecs, it’s a good way to start the weekend, a movie that relates to nothing but itself—pure comic escapism. Learn more at mplsmusicandmovies.com
Saturday, August 18
The House is A-rockin’
WHAT: Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band
WHERE: Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Hugh Laurie, known to most Americans as Dr. House, is an gentleman and a scholar. Educated at Eton and Cambridge (where he met Stephen Fry, later his TV comedy partner), he went on to star in Hollywood movies and television. But he never lost a childhood fascination with American blues and jazz. Having released a star-studded album last year, Laurie is now touring with a crack band and performing the sort of New Orleans staples that could cure even a curmudgeon like Dr. House. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org
Saturday, August 18
A New Kind of Theater
WHAT: Outside Providence
WHERE: 91 10th Street South, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
Dark and Stormy Productions, founded by actress Sara Marsh (Sugar & Spice), aims to reinvent the local theater experience with pithier plays, leisurely intermissions, and post-show concerts. This weekend, in an airy office building sans stage, the troupe presents three short plays by contemporary playwright Edward Allan Baker, with music afterward by the Sudden Lovelys (on Friday) and Skunk Hollow (on Saturday). Learn more at darkstormy.org
Sunday, August 19
Really Retro
WHAT: Minnesota Renaissance Festival
WHERE: Festival grounds, Shakopee
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Given the rise of fantasy books and movies, plus a new openness about nerdy pleasures, you no longer have to sneak off to RenFest to get your fill of jousting, chain mail, and turkey legs. It’s unabashed geekery, with several new attractions this year, including human combat chess matches, a pub crawl, and a mermaid—or, at least, an attractive woman in a curvaceous tail. Learn more at renaissancefest.com
Sunday, August 19
Drink Local
WHAT: The Homegrown Experience
WHERE: Nicollet Island Pavilion, Minneapolis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Produced by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, this food and wine tasting event focuses on sustainable, local products, with brewers, winemakers, and chefs demonstrating how to make the most of Minnesota ingredients. Learn more at thehomegrownexperience.com
