Art Hounds: The birth of the cancan in 'Le Petit Moulin'

Collide Theatrical presents "Le Petit Moulin"
Collide Theatrical presents "Le Petit Moulin" at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis through May 7.
Bill Cameron

This week on Art Hounds, Collide Theatrical Dance Company takes audiences to a Parisian nightclub, community theaters compete in AACTFest, and Kiese Laymon reads at The Loft.

Actor and singer Paul Coate says there's nothing quite like a show by Collide Theatrical. The dance company stages intricate stories without uttering a word. Its latest production, "Le Petit Moulin" tells the story of two sisters struggling to survive by dancing in a Parisian nightclub at the tail end of World War I. Performances run through May 7 at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.

Author Shannon Gibney recommends checking out author Kiese Laymon when he reads at The Loft Literary Center this weekend. Laymon is a black Southern writer who hails from Mississippi; Gibney says he's hilarious, but his essays also can deliver a punch to the gut as he ponders issues of race, class and identity. Laymon reads at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Librarian Paula Nemes suggests you head to Brainerd, Minn., this weekend for AACTFest Regionals. Community theaters from seven states will perform, vying for the opportunity to go to nationals. Nemes lives in Marshall, Minn., where the statewide competition was held last month, and says it's a great way to see some of the best community theater around.

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