Joe Praml won the McKnight Foundation Humanities Award for Shorter Drama for "The Pearl" and "The Money Man" -- photo of "The Money Man"

‘THE PEARL’ AND
‘THE MONEY MAN’

Theatre in Round: Two One-Acts

By MIKE STEELE
Minneapolis Tribune Staff Writer
Theatre Review

The second of Theatre in Round’s summer series of new plays has Joseph Praml’s two one-acts, “The Pearl” and “The Moneyman,” both directed by Maurice Weinblatt.

Praml has an imaginative mind and a good sense of the rhythms of idiomatic language. 

“The Pearl” shows a brother and sister who spend the first portion of the play venting their disgust towards their grandmother. After learning that she has a “black pearl the size of a golf ball” embedded in her side, they spend the second half trying to show their love towards her.

“The Money Man” is a rich play and is well directed. Praml builds this one around a boxing ring following a fight in this the Boxer has been knocked out. Enter his black trainer who was also an unsuccessful fighter, Elena who is not a successful woman, and Fred, a gay who has not been a successful man.

With Fred as the masochistic catalyst, we see everyone’s weaknesses exposed as everyone turns on everyone else to save their own shattered egos. They finally have to admit their inabilities to cope with life and, tie themselves together.