“Church Basement Ladies” serves up what you’ve been missing

By Greg Jones

This show takes us back in time and allows us to step away from some of the conflict and controversy surrounding us today. At East Cornucopia Lutheran Church, there are more personal dramas brewing next to the coffee urn and trays of bars in the basement kitchen. Spanning many months, we get to know these four strong women who are pillars of the church and the pastor who is trying to guide its course.

This cast of five has great chemistry, and when the quartet (and sometimes the quintet) lean into their harmonies, they create really divine choral moments for the audience. And each actor is a strong soloist in their own right. Along with these vocalists, the three-piece band led by Greg Moore brings energy and brightness to this basement. Although there are certainly many silly moments throughout this show, this installment of the Church Basement Ladies takes the audience through pivotal life events in reverent and irreverent ways, allowing us to laugh through the struggles of the women we meet. (The pastor’s main struggle is to navigate life with the women who surround and support him.)

Every part of this show is familiar to Minnesotans–complications caused by winter snow, messes by spring mud, and flannel-clad townspeople by autumn temperatures (with summer sometimes absent altogether). We even recognize the comical tension between the hifalutin big-city people from “The Cities” and small-town folks just trying to feed a crowd. But these little conflicts are oddly comforting, and the playwright and actors show us how silly they can be. They seem, more often than not, to be surmountable issues a group can resolve together by taking time, listening, and showing generosity.

*Sara Marie Sorenson, Henry Mattson, Tanya Moore, Carrie Rossow. Photos by William Garnett.*

The theme that holds the whole show together is that change is hard, but sometimes change is necessary. Have times changed enough for a Lutheran to marry a Catholic? Is lasagna too exotic for Norwegians to eat? Can we move on after loss? And are we brave enough to take the leap and be vulnerable in love? These last questions underscore the most poignant portion of the show. Sweetness lives among the sadness, laughter mingles with fear, and we get to be part of it in this cozy kitchen.

*Elly Blazevic, Sara Marie Sorenson, Carrie Rossow, Tanya Moore. Photos by William Garnett.*

From hot flashes to hotdishes, this is a fun celebration of what it means to be part of something, to believe in those around you, and to support and celebrate others when they need it. And when these five raise up their voices, it’s jubilation indeed.

Welcome back to the church basement. The sense of community and communion are still here, and you’re invited!