Shameless plug of the day: "Touch," Urban Samurai Productions

by Matthew A. Everett • 10/10/08 • A shout-out to Urban Samurai Productions and their latest offering, the Twin Cities premiere of “Touch“ – which closes this weekend.

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2pm (that’s tonight, tomorrow or Sunday afternoon) at The Cedar Riverside Peoples Center Theater (425 20th Avenue South in Minneapolis – 3rd floor, entrance on the 20th Avenue side of the building).

Single White Fringe Geek is the blog of Matthew A. Everett. In addition to being one of five bloggers covering the Minnesota Fringe Festival for the Daily Planet, he blogs throughout the year about theater and culture.

Why this show? Well, for one, they asked me in a recent email…

“Touch is going very well performance wise, it’s a really great show. Unfortunately attendance has been exceedingly meager. If you could spread the word in some shape or form to get more butts in the seats I would be most appreciative.”

But beyond that, I just like Urban Samurai in general. They’re one of many scrappy smaller theater companies in town that tackle new plays, and unusual subject matter, sometimes both at once. Sometimes they also let their hair down – as evidenced by their wildly popular Fringe Festival offering this year “Musical – The Musical.” So if you saw that, and want to see what else they do, this is a great example of something on the opposite end of the scale from bouncy and frothy.

Back in April, I got the chance to see “American Apathy“ – a scathing but very funny look at… well, come to think of it, the consumer society and economy that’s currently coming unglued all around us. Urban Samurai was ahead of the curve on that one. (Review here)

Now they’re tackling the poetic and emotionally charged work of Toni Press-Coffman. “Touch“ deals with those that live on after a loved one has been taken from them by an unspeakable crime. I know, not light and airy fare, but then again, neither is “Macbeth” or “The Laramie Project” and they’re popping up around town, too. This production got a great review in the Star Tribune. My work schedule hasn’t allowed me to get out to see it yet, but knowing the Samurai, and the script and playwright’s reputations, I thought it was a pretty safe bet to recommend, even before the reviews started coming in.

So, if you’re looking for something to focus on in a weekend full of options, I’m submitting this one for your consideration. After all, a lot of the other things on the docket are continuing on into the coming weeks. If you want to catch “Touch“ by Urban Samurai, there’s only this weekend left, and then it’s gone. Catch it while you can.

Tickets available online, and they’re cheaper if you go that rate – visit www.urbansamuraipro.com. Tickets are $14 online, or $16 at the door. Student and Senior discount is $10 online, $12 at the door. You can also get a the student/senior discount by showing your Fringe button at the door. Good deal.

More information on the production, including a video trailer, at www.urbansamuraipro.com

Matthew A. Everett is a local playwright and three-time recipient of grant support from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Information on Matthew and his plays can be found at matthewaeverett.com.