The power of secrets. Violence. Marriage. What scarier ways could there be to usher in Halloween? I started my October off with the world premiere of “Bluebeard’s Dollhouse,” a new, promenade-style production that merges theater, dance, puppetry and live music, and takes place throughout St. Paul’s historic James J. Hill House. In this work, Combustible Company (formerly FTF Works), mashed up Charles Perrault’s murderous fairy tale “Bluebeard”— the story of a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives and the attempts of one wife to avoid the fate of her predecessors—and Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”— the story of a 19th century woman who lives out that century’s ideal as dutiful wife and mother until leaving her family at the end of the play. A lone man, his eyes darkened with make-up and his hand holding a single, lit candlestick, sang a mournful tune in Latin and stared at guests as they approached the massive, Gilded–Age estate on the evening of October 1st, 2016. I paused to enjoy the singing – the first of many musical performances that evening – and then made my way inside. Combustible Company had deftly set the tone for an ominous evening. After convening as one group for the pre-production speech, […]
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