BALLAD OF THE PALE FISHERMAN Comes to Illusion Theater, 2/10

BALLAD OF THE PALE FISHERMAN re-imagines the Irish/Scottish folktale of the seal woman–or selkie–in Illusion Theater's seventh annual Lights Up! series. The 2010 Fringe Favorite of the same name has been expanded into a deeper, richer production, fully-produced with original music and incorporating new material. Isabel K. Nelson directs this award-winning show (voted 2010 Fringe Outstanding Performance, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production) on stage February 10-25, 2012, at the Illusion, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

In this timeless fable, a fisherman falls in love with a beautiful seal-woman, and takes her as his wife. But a love that defies the laws of land and sea is never simple, and the seal-woman must eventually make a choice. Will she choose her past or her future, her heart or her home? Using song and movement to portRay Fisherman and sea creatures, curmudgeonly storytellers and sweeping landscapes, the newly-formed ensemble–Transatlantic Love Affair (seven of the eight original Ballad of the Pale Fisherman artists)–creates a world that is as magical as it is moving, as lyrical as it is heartfelt.

Transatlantic Love Affair performers hail from backgrounds and trainings as varied as Live Action Set, Sandbox Theater, the Minnesota Shakespeare Company, the University of Minnesota B.F.A./Guthrie program, and the Lecoq-based London International School for Performing Arts (LISPA). Anna Reichert returns as the Selkie (2010 Fringe Favorite Performer), along with Heather Bunch (Ensemble), Willie Gambucci (Ensemble), Diogo Lopes (Ensemble/Fisherman), Derek Lee Miller (Ensemble/Narrator), Adelin Phelps (Ensemble) and Allison Witham (Ensemble).

Tickets for Ballad of the Pale Fisherman are $15-$20. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more people. Tickets are available at the Illusion Theater Box Office at 612-339-4944 or online at www.illusiontheater.org.