Do Not Sleep on Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Penumbra

Beatrix has spent her life attending shows that I've gotten comps to — so today, she was able to do the same and bring use to Penumbra, where she spent her senior project internship.

For Beatrix, it was the first time she had seen a professional show from early production to opening weekend. For me, it had been years since I had seen an August Wilson show. For Patrick, it was a chance to get back to see a show in a theater he basically grew up in. So yes, we were all a somewhat biased audience.

But putting that aside, this was one of the most fantastic shows I've seen in the recent past. Returning to the Pittsburgh Cycle was an incredible reminder of the power of this work. And while the production values were impeccable, the performances were beyond outstanding. I would put any of these actors up against the Broadway cast any day of the week. 

I needed to be reminded about the power of theater this week, and there could have been no better show to do it.

Go see it — if you can get tickets (many shows are sold out). It's worth doing whatever you can to see it.

Tell others to see it — since the Star Tribune apparently no longer reviews most of the theaters in town, it's up to us to spread the word about the amazing work being done.

And remember, at one point, Wilson was non the canonic playwright he has now become, but an up-and-coming new writer. We would not have known about his work without audiences hungry to see new work, critics who reviewed them thoughtfully, and theaters who had the ability to take chances.