Art Hounds: Love, race and politics intertwine in 'This Bitter Earth'

Frank Theatre Artistic Director Wendy Knox says she loved "This Bitter Earth" at Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul. The show revolves around a black playwright and his white boyfriend.

The story jumps back and forward in time, as audiences piece together the arc of their relationship amidst mounting news of black men being killed across the country. Knox says this is the kind of theater she loves most: stories that are full of heart and leave you thinking about them for days. On stage through May 20.

Artist Carl Zachmann is thrilled to see Kirk Williams' retrospective exhibition "Catch of the Day" at Kaddatz Galleries in Fergus Falls.

Williams is equally talented at both pastels and sculpture; he creates richly colored pastels that are both whimsical and haunting, and forms assemblages from antique collectibles and other found objects that evoke steam-punk and fairytale sensibilities. On display through June 2, with an artist talk and reception starting at 5 p.m. today.

Playwright Daniel Pinkerton was impressed by the Guthrie Theater's production of "An Enemy of the People." Thanks to headlines out of Flint, Mich., and presidential tweets, the 136-year-old play about poisoned water is getting new attention.

Pinkerton says Henrik Ibsen's classic has been given a new adaptation that keeps it fast-paced and urgent. On stage through June 3.