It’s a little eery how perfect Theatre in the Round Players’ production of Christina Anderson’s play “How To Catch Creation” is for this particular moment in the life of Minneapolis. Anderson’s play is full of humor and heart, telling the story of three pairs of seemingly random people who end up so tightly interconnected across generations (and even time) that they keep bouncing off each other in different combinations which reveal more about each of them with each passing scene. The same could be said of the script itself, collectively adding up to so much more than any one of the interwoven plotlines on its own. “How To Catch Creation” is about how people find a way to love and a way to dream, even in a world that seems hostile to both.
“I think I want to have a kid.”
Griffin (Duck Washington) wants to raise a child as a single man who’s rebuilt his life after being exonerated and released from prison, but not before being incarcerated for 25 years for a crime he didn’t commit. He is understandably skittish around the legal system after his earlier experiences with it but is trying to push through the red tape and expenses involved in the options of either adoption or surrogacy. Griffin’s best friend and support system Tami (Tia Tanzer) is an art professor trying to reconnect with the inspirations that drove her own painting in the aftermath of an abusive relationship.
“Our collective liberation can be achieved when we eradicate oppression against Black women.”
Stokes (Noah Branch) has been trying unsuccessfully to gain admittance to the art school where Tami teaches, but the acquisition of a box of used books all written by a noted black feminist author of the 1960s begins to redirect his creative impulses toward fiction. Stokes’ partner Riley (Izzy Maxwell) tries running interference for her boyfriend with art school admissions, which may just be a convenient way to redirect her own divided focus between her computer science career and after hours musical impulses.
“My duties stop at any fluid exchange.”
Meanwhile, back in the 1960s, that black feminist author G.K. Marche (Mary Cannon) is on a creative hot streak conjuring one novel after another, but that doesn’t leave a lot of time to give her partner Natalie (Lyreshia Ghostlon-Green) the attention she needs. Natalie’s loneliness leads to a connection with Thom (Abdoulie Ceesay) which has ripple effects that impact the lives of Griffin, Tami, Stokes and Riley in present day 2014 San Francisco.
“Did you tell him about your study abroad?”
“Yes, I told him I did time.”
To say any more would spoil the surprises of this play, of which there are many. It’s a regular Dickensian puzzle box the way the whole thing ties together, and that’s a big part of the fun of this production, skillfully directed by Vanessa Brooke Agnes (with backup on intimacy direction from James Grace, who had a lot of ground to cover). And, fair warning, let’s just say that this play was a lot queerer and messier than I was expecting when I took my seat (and I mean that as a compliment).
“She was filled with smoldering ash.”
Kejia Yu’s set design, Mark Kieffer’s lighting design, and Christy C. Johnson’s sound design all help the play to move swiftly from one short, snappy scene to the next, and Jacourtney Mountain-Bluhm’s costumes and Rachel Glotter Snitzer’s props help to ground us in what decade we’re in as the story moves back and forth in time. The world created by this production team allows the talented ensemble of actors to move seamlessly from one encounter to the next, crossing paths on stage and even crossing timelines by sharing space together. It’s the kind of trick that only live theater can pull off with this kind of impact on an audience. (Kudos to stage manager Katie Dismang and her assistant Indigo Cabanela-Leiseth for keeping the whole thing running smoothly as the many different spinning plates that are the elements of this play I’m sure are no easy trick to keep aloft.)
“You rest your heart in the messiest rooms of the most troubled homes.”
My only quibbles with the play center on the desire to know just a little bit more about all the characters through their work. We get just hints of G.K. Marche’s prose, and no reveal of the content of Stokes’ foray into fiction writing. Similarly both Stokes’ and Tami’s finished paintings don’t get unveiled to the audience, even though there are a number of framed works of art hanging around the space which had the potential to give us a taste of their visual style (one painting is tagged as the work of Tami’s ex, but we don’t get a clear indication that any of the other paintings are part of the portfolio of Tami herself or Stokes). We get a little more of Riley’s work creating beats, but that, too, could have further unfolded for us. Art can tell you a lot about the artist character, whether it reinforces our understanding of who they are, or reveals a contrast or another side to them. It also can be used to reinforce the larger themes of the play.
“What happens when your luck runs out?”
And though I like Griffin’s character a lot, I didn’t come away with a clear idea of what exactly he does for a living and how that is part of the legacy he wants to leave behind, having gotten a second chance at life. I’m a bit more torn on this count because one of the things I really like about the play is that it’s not spoon-feeding us chunks of clunky exposition. We just learn about characters in conversation with one another, and we’re left to fill in some of the blanks ourselves, just like we do when we first meet and are getting to know any new person. While we get a clear picture, with vivid examples, of just how Griffin’s encounters with the law when he was younger still cast a long shadow over his life and future plans in the present, I still found myself wanting just a little more information on what drives him and how he fills his days (apart from his quest for parenthood).
“You deserve to be left. I needed to leave.”
All that, ultimately, is just me wanting more of these characters and their world, which is always a good place for a play to be leaving me (wanting more not less). That’s due not just to the strong script, but also the great performances from the whole cast who turned their characters into real, fully fleshed out human beings that I wanted to know better. I’m still so glad (and impressed) that TRP found this play and decided to take a chance on it. It’s great to see new, entertaining work with something to say get a platform like this. If you’re looking for a change of pace in your theater diet, give “How To Catch Creation” a try. You won’t regret it.
“It’s a sheet to take notes in case I meet someone who has the answers.”
Theatre in the Round Players’ production of Christina Anderson’s “How To Catch Creation” runs through February 8, 2026 (Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm) at TRP’s seven corners home at 245 Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis.
4.5 stars - Very Highly Recommended
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