MPR Reviews Edgar Arceneaux’s "Boney Manilli"

Minneapolis Public Radio gave a glowing review of Edgar Arceneaux’s Boney Manilli following its run at the Walker Art Center. Arceneaux, who recently finished a residency with Minneapolis College of Art and Design, debuted his experimental play Boney Manilli at the Walker on January 23, where it ran through January 25.

The show is a fun and heart-wrenching mix of cultural references, puppets, and music. The play follows a playwright and his brother, one of whom is attempting to make a play about the infamous pop duo Milli Vanilli, in an attempt to clear their name, while the other tries to adapt and correct Disney’s Song of the South. The audience watches as the chaos unfolds due to their growing frustrations as well as the decline of their mother’s health as a result of her dementia. Based loosely on Arceneaux’s own life experiences, he spoke more in-depth about the process of bringing it to life during his visiting artist lecture at MCAD.

Learn more:

• Review: “Boney Manilli” at the Walker Art Center
  (mprnews.org—January 24, 2025)
• Arceneaux Gives Visiting Artist Lecture at MCAD
  (mcad.edu—February 04, 2025)
• Arceneaux Talkes About Minnesota, MCAD Residency
  (mcad.edu—October 13, 2024)