Friday, December 7
Sedaris in a Stocking
WHAT:The Santaland Diaries
WHERE: Southern Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Joe Leary returns as Crumpet in Frank Theatre’s one-man production of The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris’ unforgettably witty chronicle of his stint as a snarky-with-heart elf at Macy’s. Leary, who works in retail when not onstage, knows of what he speaks. Learn more at franktheatre.org.
Friday, December 7
Paris via Minneapolis
WHAT:Madame Josette’s Naughty and Nice Cabaret
WHERE: Interact Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7 p.m.
You won’t see more sincerely touching performances than those at Interact, where actors with disabilities perform alongside others; in this case, French native Josette Antomarchi in a Paris-inspired cabaret. Before the show, check out Interact’s Great Big Holiday Art Sale in the gallery. Learn more at interactcenter.com.
Saturday, December 8
The State We’re In
WHAT: Minnesota Funk
WHERE: Katherine Nash Gallery, Regis Center for Art, Minneapolis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A vast array of boundary-pushing local artists, from Faye Passow to Chris Larson to Frank Gaard, explore the groovy, diverse, funky side of Minnesota culture. Larson, newly appointed to the U faculty, will debut an installation of sculptures and video. Learn more at art.umn.edu/nash.
Saturday, December 8
Somalia in Perspective
WHAT:A Stone Thrown at the Guilty
WHERE: Stoll Thrust Theatre, Rarig Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
A new play by acclaimed Somali novelist Nuruddin Farah is given a staged public reading by top actors Sonja Parks, Bruce Young, and Harry Waters, a cast fleshed out by local Somalis. The story concerns Somalian resistance during its colonization by the British, with ties to the present anarchy, suggesting the difficulty of establishing real and humane change. Learn more at theatre.umn.edu/events/rarig.
Sunday, December 9
Lights On for Charity
WHAT:Holiday Lights LIVE!
WHERE: Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: 6 p.m.
Brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the same folks who annually put on the Holiday Lights in the Park event in St. Paul’s Phalen Park, this concert brings together some serious (and seriously diverse) local talent. Keri Noble, Robert Robinson, Alison Scott, Chris Koza, and many more will perform holiday favorites, with proceeds donated to food shelves, St. Paul Parks Conservancy, and other groups. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org.
Sunday, December 9
Now serving laughs
WHAT:The Servant of Two Masters
WHERE: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
WHEN: 1 and 7 p.m.
Steven Epp draws on a quarter-century of controlled chaos at the late, great Theatre de la Jeune Lune to play Truffaldino, the kind of wily servant that it’s safe to say no one else could play so well. Sarah Agnew, who is the strong-willed Beatrice, perfected being Sarah Agnew at the Jeune Lune and here she, too, is in her wonderfully arch element. The rest, from chicken dancing to fish juggling to Beyoncé references, is comic gravy. Learn more at guthrietheater.org.