Art Hounds: Ensemble 61, King Lear, and the art of Soviet Russia

Some of the pieces in The Museum of Russian Art's "The Anniversary Celebration" (Image courtesy of The Museum of Russian Art)

This week's hounds celebrate a St. Paul experimental music ensemble's 'Dylan' fixation, a brilliant Minneapolis repository for Soviet-era art, and a prohibition-era King Lear.

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There are three Dylans infiltrating the upcoming performance of St. Paul new music group Ensemble 61: American troubadour Bob Dylan, poet Dylan Thomas, and Scottish composer James Dillon, who teaches composition at the University of Minnesota. St. Paul composer Abbie Betinis isn't quite sure what kind of Dylanesque connections the group will make in its appropriately titled "Dylan, Dylan, Dillon" performance, but she's intrigued. Abbie is also thrilled there will be music from other local composers, including Aaron Travers, Anthony Cornicello, and Patrick Castillo. The concer will be in the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Music Room on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7:30pm.

For Twin Cities actor and director Zach Curtis, there is little not to be excited about when it comes to Park Square Theatre's production of "King Lear." In Zach's opinion it's Shakespeare's best play, and it's a star-studded cast which includes local stalwart Raye Birk as Lear. Director Peter Moore has also set the tragedy in the days of prohibition America. The show runs through November 11.

Artist, writer and arts administrator Andy Sturdevant calls The Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis one of the finest museums in the state. The museum specializes in Soviet-era art. It's celebrating its tenth anniversary with a show featuring highlights from its permanent collection and pieces from some of its more popular exhibitions over the last decade.

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