Tucked away in a jewel box theater, the performers of Minneapolis’ Open Eye Theatre are preparing for their upcoming show, “LIZZIE: The Rock Musical.” It’s a modern retelling of the infamous American true crime case, the trial of Lizzie Borden, that opens Oct. 9.
“LIZZIE: The Rock Musical” is a punk rock retelling of the folkloric Borden Murders, written ten years ago by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt. Now at Open Eye, under the direction of Joel Sass, Borden’s story is being shared with a new audience by a four-member cast and a live band.
The story of Borden garnered attention in 1882, after the double homicide of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby. Borden was accused of the brutal axe murders but was ultimately acquitted after a short trial in June 1893.
Nearly 200 years later, her case still invites interpretation.
“It’s a direct juxtaposition to the time period that its set in,” said actor Lux Mortenson. “The Victorian era is famous for being really button up and prim. And this show tears that all apart.”
Mortenson will be portraying the titular Lizzie Borden and has worked previously with Open Eye in their rooftop musical performances of “Log Jam,” “Loch Mess” and “Hairball!” at the Bakken Museum.
“Stepping into the role, it’s a very interesting thing because on the one hand, you are portraying a real person. But this show looks at Lizzie Borden through a folk hero lens, or even a folk anti-hero lens,” Mortenson said. “It’s not as rigid.”
The cast will be familiar to Open Eye audiences, with performances from Mortenson, Abigail Olson, Marley Ritchie and Grace Hillmyer. The show is led by director and set designer Joel Sass, a veteran of Open Eye Theatre and the theater’s producing artistic director.
“It’s a great place to be as a creator because it takes this notorious true crime of the century story and allows a lot of very contemporary considerations to be woven through it,” Sass said.
One contemporary aspect of the story is its costuming design by Samantha Fromm Haddow. Her designs blend traditional Victorian silhouettes with punk and modern influences. The costumes feature corsets and belts, mirroring the restrictive and suffocating nature of Borden’s time.
“These women are really confined and covered throughout the course of the musical; they just kind of explode into your face,” Haddow said. “There’s this stripping away of confinement, as they’re acting out of their normal roles.”
“LIZZIE: The Rock Musical” will be Haddow’s first project at Open Eye.
“Part of the joy of working with Open Eye, it’s much more collaborative,” Haddow said. “We’re all in this together.”
The show treats Borden’s story as a Greek tragedy, like Medea or Clytemnestra; a conscious choice made by the original creators, asking the audience if they can accept the brutality.
“You’re without an easy place to sit in terms of deciding for yourself whether the violent act is justified,” Sass said.
The Open Eye Theatre was founded in 2000 by Susan Haas and Michael Sommers to serve audiences and artists with unique programming, including live performances, intimate plays and musicals and puppetry.
“We exist to develop primarily Minnesota-based artists and those who are emerging and looking for well-produced opportunities to develop their professional skills,” Sass said. “No matter what type of performance art lover you are, there’s a layer of our programming that would appeal to you.”
‘LIZZIE: The Rock Musical’
What: A punk-rock retelling of Lizzie Borden’s life
When: Oct. 9 through Nov. 2
Where: Open Eye Theatre, 506 E. 24th St., Minneapolis.
Tickets: $35-$15 via openeyetheatre.org
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