Combustible Company

Works in Progress

Monsterheart

June 21 & 22, 2019

Performance residency at the Scott Reed Theater in Minocqua, WI

What is in the heart of a monster? In this dreamlike adaptation we take a new look at Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, focusing on the life of its author and her relationship with her husband, legendary Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Mary and Percy's love affair entwines with that of Victor Frankenstein and his Creature to explore the making of monsters. More poetry than prose, Monsterheart highlights key moments from both fact and fiction to reveal different layers of meaning and evoke unique sensual and emotional responses from the audience.

By combining dance, poetry, and puppetry we create an unconventional love story that reveals the labor of creation, the quest for immortality, and society's rejection of the other. A poetic, theatrical ballet that challenges the audience to find their own story within tandem tales of unrequited love.

Flying & Falling

June 2, 2018

Performance residency at the Scott Reed Theater in Minocqua, WI

In a place somewhere between invention and madness, ecstasy and terror, and flying and falling, three people struggle to remember their dreams and fulfill their destinies. Will they fly or will they fall?

This celebration of humanity’s desire to fly is inspired by the history and mythologies surrounding Icarus, Leonard da Vinci and Amelia Earhart. Flying and Falling brings these famous characters together in a new myth –told through a unique blend of physical theatre, puppetry, and multimedia– about the risk, failure, and triumph that is the process of dreaming and creating.

The Gun Show

March 15 – March 24, 2019

From a farming community in rural Oregon to the big cities of Los Angeles and New York, playwright EM Lewis takes aim at her own complicated relationship with firearms in The Gun Show. Join us for a unique perspective and true stories about America’s most dangerous pastime. Poignant yet comedic, this surprisingly-intimate and brutally honest show leans neither right nor left and jumps into the middle of the debate and asks: “Can we have a conversation about this?”

With firearms-related suicides spiking across the country, partisan gridlock largely blocks new policies that might reverse the trend. The diverging cultures of rural and urban America foster starkly different attitudes towards guns, further complicating efforts to find common ground. Against this backdrop, EM Lewis’ deeply personal stories give a human voice to both sides of a complicated issue.

Ensemble

Ian Bivins

Production Team

Cody Biggerstaff, Jacob M Davis, Jim Peitzman, and Anna Pladson

Written by EM Lewis

Directed by Kym Longhi

The Imaginary Invalid

April 14 – April 28, 2018

The Imaginary Invalid tells the story of Argan, a miserly hypochondriac who hatches a scheme to get free healthcare by marrying off one of his daughters (Angelique) to a young doctor. Dependent on extravagant cures and desperately worried about his ability to continue to pay for his medical care, he will do anything. Angelique however, having already fallen in love with someone else, has other plans for her life. Argan’s clever servant (Toinette) and gregarious brother (Beralde) come to her aid as they seek to unwind both his nefarious plot and his unhealthy obsession with quackery.

Though written over 300 years ago, The Imaginary Invalid is a strikingly-relevant, passionate farce that shines a light on the wounds we inflict upon ourselves, the scars of life, and the lengths that some will go to achieve "affordable" healthcare in a seemingly-incurable system. This fresh translation by Oded Gross features original Motown- and pop-inspired songs by Paul James Prendergast, commedia dell'arte roots, and sharp modern language.

This production was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

"This is only the third piece from Combustible Company, but it's enough for me to know not to miss a rare chance to see their work. They only come along every couple of years, but it's worth the wait, and it's obvious how much thought and detail is put into every show that they do."Jill Schafer, Cherry & Spoon

Ensemble

Jonathan Beller, Isaac Bont, Lauren Casson, Julianna Drajko, Antonio Duke, Joni Griffith, Erik Hoover, Katelyn McLane, Ricky Morisseau, Anna Pladson, Daniel Sakamoto-Wengel, Ashawnti Sakina Ford, and Jonathan Saliger

Production Team

Kate Bender, Cody Biggerstaff, Paul Epton, Renee Hatton, Paul Herwig, C Andrew Mayer, and Jim Peitzman

Written by Moliere

Adaptation by Oded Gross & Tracy Young

Original music by Paul James Prendergast

Original lyrics by Oded Gross, Paul James Prendergast and Tracy Young

Directed by Kym Longhi

Bluebeard's Dollhouse

September 30 – October 15, 2016

Bluebeard’s Dollhouse merges Charles Perrault’s murderous fairytale Bluebeard with Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House to create a haunting immersive theater event at the James J Hill House about marriage, violence, and the power of secrets. Winding through the unique and intimate spaces of the Hill House a murder-mystery unfolds using theater, dance, puppetry, and live music.

Audiences delve into the suffocating marriage of Torvald and Nora, which is underscored by the brutality of Bluebeard’s murderous compulsion. Combustible Company draws audiences past the velvet ropes to give them a fresh look at a familiar St Paul landmark –an experience that will lure them deep into the heart of the story and challenge them to think differently about historic space, the nature of love, and each person's quest for intimacy.

"As a physical production, Bluebeard’s Dollhouse is ambitious in its scale and speed...everything is so well synchronized, you are able to still wander from room to room with a sense of discovery and spontaneity."Lydia Lunning, Twin Cities Arts Reader

Ensemble

Isaac Bont, Beth Brooks, Karla Grotting, Paul Herwig, Erik Hoover, Renee Howard, Rachel Nelson, Lillian Noonan, Pearl Noonan, Anna Pladson, and Jonathan Saliger

Production Team

Caleigh Gumbiner, Alissa McCourt, Jim Peitzman, and Nico Swenson

Concept by Kym Longhi, directed by Kym Longhi, and written by Kym Longhi and the ensemble.

Vocal Direction by Kalen Keir

Bluebeard's Dollhouse was developed as part of the Red Eye's Works in Progress 2014 series.

Herocycle

June 20 – 29, 2013

Herocycle: a death-defying leap across American pop-culture that crashes into the life of notorious daredevil Evel Knievel. Steel twists together with Knievel's conquests and writer Joseph Campbell's monomyth to create a heroic tale of Evel's exploits, a frenzied search for the elixir of life and a daring quest for the man behind the action figure.

Herocycle was developed as part of the Red Eye's Works in Progress 2008 series and was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

"Robust masculinity and exquisite grace are splendidly integrated."John Townsend, Lavender Magazine

Ensemble

Beth Brooks, Erik Hoover, Sasha Inez, Jacob Miller, Jim Peitzman, and Jonathan Saliger

Musicians

Sam Brooks, Batume Gingery, Maliya Gorman-Carter, Kalen Keir, and Ike Russell

Production Team

Daniel Benoit, Charles Craun, Deb Ervin, Lucinda Holshue, and Jim Peitzman

Concept by Erik Hoover and Kym Longhi, directed by Kym Longhi, and written by Kym Longhi and the ensemble.

Awards & Recognition

City Pages' Top Shows 2013
Outstanding Performances, Lavender Magazine Best of 2013: Jim Peitzman & Erik Hoover

Our Work

Works in Progress

Monsterheart

Flying & Falling

The Gun Show

Ensemble

Production Team

The Imaginary Invalid

Ensemble

Production Team

Bluebeard's Dollhouse

Ensemble

Production Team

Herocycle

Ensemble

Musicians

Production Team

Awards & Recognition