Friday, September 30, 2016

ArtsEmerson Delights With "Machine de Cirque" - Through October 2nd

"Machine de Cirque"
ArtsEmerson
Paramount Theater
Through October 2nd

Hurry down to the Paramount Theater in Downtown Crossing to catch one of the final performances of the remarkably inventive and entertaining "Machine de Cirque" from Quebec City. I have begun to think of ArtsEmerson as the entertainment equivalent of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Just when you think you have tasted every possible delicious flavor, they introduce another flavor that is equally mouth-watering and totally unexpected. Such is the case with the astonishingly talented troupe that call themselves "Machine de Cirque."

In the words of ArtsEmerson Co-Artistic Director, David Dower, "Machine de Cirque explores imagination, uses the body and its limits as a canvas on which to reimagine the world." And they accomplish this feat with a rough-hewn set (think steam punk without the steam!), a minimalist drum kit on wheels, a few juggling clubs, teeter boards, unicycles, Chinese poles and bath towels! The acts in which these five men engage are simultaneously simple and death-defying. They rely on split-second timing and deep trust in one another to demonstrate throughout the evening that to live life to the fullest, it takes a village of people trusting and loving one another. They stand naked before us (except for the aforementioned bath towels) and invite scrutiny. Their individual personalities and stage presence invite the audience members to relate to them as human beings rather than as freakishly gifted circus performers.

The troupe and this show were conceived by Artistic Director Vincent Dubé, who directs Raphaël Dubé, Yohann Trépanier, Maxim Laurin and Ugo Dario, as well as percussionist Fred Lebrasseur.
Frederic LeBrasseur, Maxim Laurin 
Raphaël Dubé, Yohann Trépanier and Ugo Dario
"Machine de Cirque"
ArtsEmerson
Paramount Theater
Through October 2nd



Costume Design is by Sebastién Dionne, Lighting by Bruno Matte, Sound by René Talbot, and Mechanical Engineering by David St.-Onge.

On the evening that I attended the show, the audience was both mesmerized and enthralled by this winsome group of Quebecois. The first reaction from my guest was to say, during the curtain call, "We have to come back and see this again!" The remaining shows this weekend are almost sold out, but if you act now, you may be able to snag a ticket or two.  You will not be sorry.

ArtsEmerson Website

Enjoy the latest delectable flavor of ice cream scooped up for you by ArtsEmerson!

Al





Thursday, September 22, 2016

Nora Theatre Company Presents "Marjorie Prime" by Jordan Harrison - A Memorable Play About Memory - Through October 9th


"Marjorie Prime" by Jordan Harrison is the latest play in the continuing series jointly curated by The Nora Theatre Company and the Catalyst Collaborative@MIT.  Thoughtfully directed by M. Bevin O'Gara, this play is deeply thought-provoking as well as profoundly moving as it explores many levels of the intersection between science and art. The play was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and for good reason.  It is beautifully written and innovative, exploring a scenario in the not-too-distant future in which humanoid robots  - Primes - can re-create loved ones whose death we are grieving. The Prime becomes a companion to the grieving person, learning more and more details about the life of the person whose life they are recapitulating and "remembering." 

The playwright leads us through deep reflections on the nature of memory - both human and computer.  We see examples of memories held, lost and rekindled. Along the way, themes are touched upon that question the nature of artificial intelligence and the presence or absence of emotion in robots (and their human analogs!).  There is also the metaphysical question about the meaning of life: Is it more then just "a distraction while we wait for death"?

The creative team for this production provide strong support for the work of the playwright, the director and cast. Sarah Brown has designed a gorgeous set that offers a glimpse into the home where Marjorie (Sarah deLima), an 85 year-old widow, lives out her days with the companionship of a Prime of her late husband, Walter (Alejandro Simoes), as he looked in his 30s. Stopping by to bring groceries, medication and cloying oversight is middle-aged daughter, Tess (Lee Mikeska Gardner) and her long-suffering husband, Jon (Barlow Adamson). Effective lighting is designed by Wen-Ling Liao, Costumes by Penney Pinette and Sound by Arshan Gailus.

There are some interesting plot twists that I do not want to spoil, but as the action progresses, Marjorie dies and a Marjorie Prime has been provided to assist Tess in her complex grieving over a mother with whom she has a complicated and ambivalent relationship. Later in the story, we learn that Tess herself has died, and Jon has been given a Tess Prime to help him in his grief.

The acting is universally superb. With the exception of Mr. Adamson, whose work is multi-layered as Jon, each of the other three actors are called upon to portray automatons who are striving towards presenting themselves as more and more human as they acquire more textured memories of the departed person whom they are emulating.  This is a unique acting challenge, and Ms. deLima, Ms. Gardner and Mr. Simoes rise to the challenge beautifully and evocatively. These are wonderfully nuanced performances by four fine actors. The playwright cleverly uses the conceit of the Primes being programmed over time to acquire more and more memory as a device to offer exposition and back stories about the lives of Marjorie, Tess and Walter.

Alejandro Simoes as Walter
Sarah deLima as Marjorie
"Marjorie Prime" by Jordan Harrison
The Nora Theatre Company
Central Square Theater
Through October 9th
Issues of impending death, repressed memories of death, and suicide are woven into the fabric of this rich tale. The nature of what it means to be human is thrown into focus when Tess and Marjorie Prime engage in a tense encounter. Tess accuses the Prime: "You are trying to become more human!" Marjorie Prime retorts: "And so are you!" It is a pivotal moment in the play that reveals an important continuing motif about our universal struggle to achieve a meaningful level of humanity.

This is a play you do not want to miss.  Come prepared and "primed" to have your mind challenged and your heart strings plucked. It is a play that will long live in your memory.

Central Square Theater Website

Enjoy!

Al

Friday, September 16, 2016

Review of "Trotsky In New York - 1917" by Kenneth D. Ackerman


I have long been fascinated by the Russian Revolution and the events leading up to it.  So when I learned that Kenneth D. Ackerman had written "Trotsky In New York 1917 - A Radical On The Eve of Revolution" I was eager to read it.

Trotsky, his common-law wife and their two boys had been exiled from several European nations, and for a few months in the winter of 1917, found safe harbor in America.  During the tumultuous weeks that he was in New York, the zealot jumped into the middle of the fractured world of the American Socialist movement.  He wrote for the newspaper Novy Mir, spoke wherever he could find an audience, and corresponded with other Russians back in Europe. He was carrying on a feud with Lenin - a basic Bolshevik vs. Menshevik dust-up - and people in NYC were reporting back to Lenin what Trotsky was doing and saying.

When the Revolution broke out in St. Petersburg, many Russians, including Trotsky and his family, made moves to get back home and join in the growing movement. So his tenure in America was short-lived and was quickly overtaken by events, but it proved to be a crucial chapter in his career. The author examines those weeks from several fascinating perspectives.  I found the book instructive, and have promised to pass it along to a Russian friend who is intrigued to learn about this little known aspect of Trotsky's dramatic life and career.

Enjoy!

Al

Review of "Hamilton: The Revolution" by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter


There has been a progression in my growing Hamilton mania. When I learned about the musical moving from the Public Theater to Broadway, I also learned that an actor whom I know (Les Odom, Jr.) was playing the role of Aaron Burr. I became emotionally invested in the project.  I ordered the cast album as soon as it become available. And soon this almost 70 year-old white man was rapping: "How does the bastard orphan son . . .?"

I became so intrigued by the Hamilton narrative that I bought and devoured Ron Chernow's book that had initially inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to undertake the project.

Then, I was finally able to snag a last minute cancellation ticket to see a live performance of "Hamilton."  It was the greatest thing I have ever seen on stage.

So, when this book,  "Hamilton: The Revolution" was released, I ordered it immediately.  It is a treat to be able to be invited behind the scenes and to understand the influences that led Miranda and the rest of the creative team to make the choices that they did in building this work of art from scratch. The authors share the full libretto and offer copious footnotes outlining sources of influence for a particular line or musical choice. The feeling in reading this book is that one has been invited into "the room where it happens."

This book is a gift to anyone who loves "Hamilton," to anyone who loves theater, or to anyone who is passionate about understanding the creative process.

Enjoy!

Al

Review of "I Wanna Be A Producer" by John Breglio - A Gift To All Who Love Theater


John Breglio's book, "I Wanna Be A Producer" is a wonderful gift to the theater community. Speaking from his decades of experience as a theatrical and entertainment attorney and his more recent experience as a Broadway producer, he opens up the kimono to talk in real terms about how the business end of theater really works. The subtitle of the book says it all: "How To Make A Killing On Broadway . . . Or Get Killed"!

The author offers enough technical detail about contracts and negotiations to be useful without becoming pedantic. He spices up the technical talk with vignettes from real shows he has represented or produced, and the complexities involved in balancing financial considerations with managing strong personalities. He offers glimpses into working with the likes of Joseph Papp, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Bennett, the Bergmans, Patti LuPone and many others.

If you love theater, you will love this book - even if you never intend to become a producer.

Enjoy!

Al

Thursday, September 15, 2016

"The Fly Strip" A Novel by Gwen Banta - Weed Clapper Is A Countrified Holden Caulfield


Author Gwen Banta in her novel, "The Fly Strip," manages to speak with the authentic sounding voice of a teenager coming of age in the 1960s in rural Indiana.  Her Weed Clapper is a countrified Holden Caulfield, and Banta is as poetic in her writing as was J.D. Salinger. Weed has lost his family in an automobile accident and is taken in by a grandmother he hardly knew.  He learns that grandmother has a colorful past, and is shunned by much of the community.  He develops an affinity for Andy, a war veteran who lost half of his face in combat..  As life in Indiana spins out of control for Weed, he develops a close relationship with his teacher, Laura.  They tiptoe around the fringes of forbidden love as they help one another deal with secrets from their past.

The writing is touching and draws us into the heart of Weed and his complex and changing views of himself and of the world he inhabits. Issues of racism, anti-semitism, hypocrisy, and bullying are all explored during Weed's journey.

Enjoy!

Al

The Huntington Theatre Company Presents Sondheim's "Sunday In The Park With George" - A Picture Perfect Production - And An Absolute MUST SEE!!!


I mentioned last week what a fortuitous season it is in Boston for lovers of Stephen Sondheim's work. We are floating in some kind of Sondheim stratosphere.  The excellent production of "Company" continues to run at the Lyric through October 9th.

(See my review: Whiterhinoreport Review of Company)

And now the Huntington Theatre Company has opened its stunning production of "Sunday In The Park With George."

(SUPERLATIVE ALERT! - You are about to read one of the most gushing reviews I have ever written, for this show is near perfect.  Proceed with caution if you have a tendency toward overdosing on superlatives. The last time I was this elated in leaving a theater was when I exited the Richard Rogers Theatre after seeing a performance of "Hamilton.")

This Pulitzer Prize-winning musical was birthed as a result of collaboration between Sondheim and book writer, James Lapine.  The story takes a deep look at the "Art of making art," centering on the pointillist painter Georges Seurat in Act I and on his great-grandson, George, in Act II, one hundred years later.  Working in different mediums and different centuries, the two artists share not only a family tree, but the same struggles with blending passion for art with finding time for sustainable human interaction. The basis for the story is the bringing to life the characters portrayed in Seurat's masterpiece, "Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte."



         Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte

Georges Seurat (1884-1886)
Art Institute of Chicago

In the original Broadway production that opened in 1983, the role of George was created by the legendary Mandy Patinkin.  Standing on those broad shoulders, Adam Chanler-Berat brings his own coloration to the role at the Huntington, portraying a very human and vulnerable George. Likewise, the role of Dot, George's live-in model, assistant and mistress, was made iconic by Bernadette Peters.  Jenni Barber brings Dot to life in a way that is at least as indelible as that of Ms. Peters. (FYI - I saw the original production.  Loved it.  Love this Huntington version just as much!)


Adam Chanler-Berat and Jenni Barber 
Sunday in the Park with George
Huntington Theatre Company
Directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois
Playing September 9 - October 16, 2016
Avenue of the Arts/BU Theatre.
Photo: Paul Marotta. 


The production values in this show are at of the highest possible level. Under the masterful direction of Huntington's Artistic Director, Peter DuBois, the creative team have performed miracles in bring Seurat's famous canvas to life.  They include an incredibly complex set design by Derek McLane, jaw-dropping costume magic by Robert Morgan, subtle lighting that befits the theme of the show by Christopher Akerlind, Sound Design by Jon Weston, and astounding Projections by Zachary G. Borovay.

The music in this production is equally praiseworthy.  Music Director Eric Stern leads an orchestra that beautifully interprets the Sondheim score with orchestrations and new Chromalume music by Michael Starobin. With the silky smooth choreographer by Daniel Pelzig, this show is a delight for the eye, for the ear, and for the soul.

Supporting the stellar work the two leads is a cast composed of some of the best actors working in New York and Boston. Among the familiar local faces who make their mark in this show are the following:

  • Bobbie Steinbach is perfectly cast as George's mother, the Old Lady who sits with her Nurse by a tree in the painting.  She also does a turn as a punked-out keyboard player, Naomi, in Act II. Her duet with George, "Beautiful," is a touching moment.
Bobbie Steinbach and Adam Chanler-Berat
Huntington Theatre Company
Directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois
Playing September 9 - October 16, 2016
Avenue of the Arts/BU Theatre.
Photo: Paul Marotta.
  • Aimee Doherty can play any role.  In this musical, she is Yvonne, married to rival painter, Jules.  In Act II she portrays Blair Daniels, an art critic with a jaundiced eye.  She wears a bustle with such panache that they may come back in style!
  • Patrick Varner is Franz, Coachman to Jules and Yvonne.  He is married to Frieda, but can't keep his eyes and hands and cane off of the Nurse who cares for George's mother.
  • Nick Sulfaro plays Louis the Baker, who takes in Dot after she leaves George, although she is carrying the painter's child. Louis is hired by a gauche and rich American couple, who bring the Baker and Dot and their child, Marie, with them back to Charleston, South Carolina. This plot twist sets the stage for Act II and ties together the action  of the two centuries, for 98-year-old Marie joins her grandson, George, on stage as he unveils his latest work of art.
  • The roles of Celeste #1 and Celeste #2 are played by local actors Morgan Kirner and Sarah Oakes Muirhead.
  • The role of Louise, daughter of Jules and Yvonne, is shared by Bailey MacNeal and Margot Anderson-Song.
  • Andrew O'Shanick portrays the role of the soldier with rigid rectitude.
  • Other non-Boston actors are Amy Baker as the longsuffering Nurse and the rich American wife, Josh Breckenridge as the opinionated Jules, Todd A. Haron as the one-eyed and gimp-legged Boatman, Melody Butiu as Frieda, wife to Franz, but who is not opposed to something on the side with her employer, Jules.  In Act II, Ms. Butiu also plays Elaine, George's ex-wife and caretaker for the aged Marie. James Andrew Walsh is the rude and rich American, Jessica Kundla is the Woman with the baby carriage, and Jordan McLaughlin is the Man with the bicycle and the Hornplayer.
The Company
Sunday in the Park with George
Huntington Theatre Company
Directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois
Playing September 9 - October 16, 2016
Avenue of the Arts/BU Theatre.
Photo: Paul Marotta. 

There are so many musical and dramatic highlights in this show that I can only mention a few.  As is almost always the case with a Sondheim musical, the harmonies and rhythms in the ensemble singing are sublime, especially in the several versions of "Sunday" and "It's Hot Up Here." Dot and George break our hearts with "We Do Not Belong Together in Act I, and once again in Act II with "Move On." Marie (Ms. Barber) has the audience in the palm of her hand with her rendition of "Children and Art." The two Georges philosophize over the intricacies of making art with "Finishing The Hat" in Act I and "Putting It Together" in Act II.

In "Color and Light," George and Dot sing about his unique approach to painting - taking dabs of two different colors that are next to one another on the color wheel, and placing them in close juxtaposition with one another on the canvas.  That unique technique enables that viewer of the painting to combine the two colors with his eyes and in his mind, rather than the painter having done the work on his palette.  In echoing this approach, Sondheim made a choice to blend Major keys with their relative Minor keys, allowing the hearer to blend the two sounds with his/her ear and mind. This effect can be felt and heard most clearly in the major third/minor third modulations in "Move On."

Enough already! This show is as close to perfection in every aspect as one could expect.  I sat mesmerized by the power of the many forms of artistry on display on the stage.  I laughed, I wept. The two dimensional characters on the canvas - and the artist who painted them - were transmogrified into flesh and blood individuals I came to know and to care about. It was a magical evening of theater.

I hope that you will be able to score a ticket to this remarkable display of color and light and sound before it closes on October 16th. I have already alerted several theater professional friends in NYC to book a trip to Boston to see this show.

Huntington Theatre Website

Enjoy!

Al

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Stoneham Theatre Presents "Lucky Stiff" - Drop Dead Funny - Through September 25th

Lizzie Milanovich as Annabel Glick
Andrew Barbato as Harry Witherspoon
"Lucky Stiff"
Stoneham Theatre
Through September 25th
Stoneham Theatre is presenting a wonderfully wacky and silly musical, "Lucky Stiff," with Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Music by Stephen Flaherty.  This is the same team that brought "Ragtime" to Broadway. This madcap story is based on the book "The Man Who Broke The Bank at Monte Carlo" by Michael Butterworth.

Here is the rollicking plot: British shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon (Andrew Barbato) is stuck in a boring job and is living an unexamined life.  Out of the blue, his life is upended when a solicitor (Stewart Evan Smith, Jr.) contacts him to inform him that an uncle he never met, who was living and working at a casino in Atlantic City, NJ, has died and left him his estate of $6 million.  But there is a huge caveat.  Harry must agree to take his uncle's corpse on a last fling to Monte Carlo - dining, dancing, scuba diving, sky diving and gambling. If he refuses, or if he fails to follow the letter of the will to the T, then the money goes to a dog shelter in Brooklyn. And Harry hates dogs! Things get complicated when he learns in Monte Carlo that he is being spied upon by a representative from the Brooklyn dog shelter, Annabel Glick (Lizzie Milanovich), hoping to catch him in default of the will's instructions. She hounds him with dogged determination! John O'Neil has the unenviable task of remaining inert as the corpse in a wheelchair throughout most of the action of the play. He is good in this role, although a little stiff in his stage presence!

There is a wonderful menagerie of secondary characters. Mark Linehan is hilarious as the optometrist, Vinnie DiRuzzio. His sister, the ditzy and gun-toting Rita LaPoprta (Ceit M. Zweil), is married to the casino owner from whom the deceased uncle embezzled the $6 million. They flee to Monte Carlo together to try to recover the money. They also share a fun duet, "Rita's Confession." Bryan Miner stands out as the Emcee in Monte Carlo, Samantha Richert is wonderfully frumpy as the Landlady, and Jade Wheeler does a turn as Dominique du Monaco. And then there is the irrepressible Thomas Derrah as Luigi Gaudi.  In a significant plot twist at the end, Mr. Derrah's character is at the center of a complex denouement.

Cast
"Lucky Stiff"

Stoneham Theatre
Through September 25th
Director Caitlin Lowans, Music Director Bethany Aiken, and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins have this perky company singing and dancing their way through a dozen and a half songs and production numbers. The set design by Jon Savage is a mountain of shoe boxes that turn into a casino, a hotel room, a solicitor's office - and characters pop up from several different levels of the innovative set. Lighting Design is by Jessica Krometis, Costumes by Tyler Kinney and Sound Design by John Stone.

When Annabel and Harry realize that they should be on the same team instead of nipping at each other's heels, they share a touching moment in singing "Nice." Ms. Milanovich and Mr. Barbato show good chemistry that has been well earned.

Jade Wheeler as Dominique
Andrew Barbato as Harry
Stewart Evan Smith, Jr. as Ensemble member
John O'Neil as the Lucky Stiff
"Lucky Stiff"

Stoneham Theatre
Through September 25th
This fun confection of a musical will run through September 25th at Stoneham Theatre. Let's hope that it is in the cards for you to see this show.

Stoneham Theatre Website

Enjoy!

Al

SpeakEasy Stage Company Presents "Significant Other" by Joshua Harmon - Prior To Broadway!

 

Boston audiences have a chance to get a jump on New York theater goers. Joshua Harmon's new play, "Significant Other," is heading to Broadway, but SpeakEasy Stage Company garnered the rights to produce the play here first in its New England Premiere. One of the highlights of last season was SpeakEasy's production of Mr. Harmon's "Bad Jews," so SpeakEasy Producing Artistic Director, Paul Daigneault was eager to build upon that momentum by booking "Significant Other." It was a fortuitous decision, for this is a very entertaining and thought-provoking play.

The plays centers on Jordan (Greg Maraio), a gay man who struggles to find the right significant other, but who fills his life with close friendships with Kiki (Sarah Elizabeth Bedard), Laura (Jordan Clark), and Vanessa (Kris Sidberry).  As the play progresses, Jordan obsesses over the new guy at work, Will (Jared Troilo), but has a hard time building a real connection with him. One by one, Jordan's friends find their own significant other, and the serial weddings become increasingly difficult times for him, especially when it comes to navigating the choppy waters of the first dance.

Greg Maraio as Jordan
Jordan Clark as Laura
"Significant Other" by Joshua Harmon
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Through October 8th
Photo by Justin Saglio
Mr. Harmon does a masterful job of capturing much of the ethos of urban Millenials - loneliness, superficiality, obsession over body image, use and abuse of texting and e-mails, escape into fantasy, and more pervasive loneliness in the midst of a crowd. The playwright intersperses real time action with freeze frame moments in which we are ushered into Jordan's imagination, signaled by lighting changes designed by Lighting Designer Daniel H. Jentzen. One effective example of this device is an early scene in which Jordan is describing to one of his female confidantes the moment when he was at a pool party for work and saw Will step out of the swimming pool.  Jared Troilo, clad in a swimsuit, strikes a pose looking like a Greek God with chiseled torso. Jordan describes in vivid and lurid detail what he remembers seeing , muscle group by muscle group. Kudos to Mr. Troilo for managing not to blush as his anatomy is described with precision.

Another significant figure and anchor in Jordan's life is his grandmother, Helene Berman, played by the always remarkable Kathy St. George.  He regularly visits her, bringing her medicine, repeating the same reminiscences over her favorite photos of her family in bygone days, and indulging her asking him during each visit "How is your social life?" Her home is represented by a warmly lit nook upstage left on a set that is otherwise appropriately composed of sterile off-white tones, emblematic of Jordan's sterile love life. Scenic Design is by Christopher & Justin Swader. Costume Design is by Tyler Kinney, and includes some lovely wedding attire.  Sound design is by Lee Schuna.

As Jordan's friends, Ms. Bedard, Ms. Clark and Ms. Sidberry each shine. Eddie Shields demonstrates great versatility in three roles as Gideon, Evan and Roger. The real star of this play is Greg Maraio in his very convincing portrayal of the conflicted Jordan.  Mr. Maraio is familiar to Boston audiences, but here he elevates his game to a new level in this role. His Jordan is one of the best performances of this season. He and the rest of the cast have been beautifully molded together by Director Daigneault.

Kris Sidberry as Vanessa
Greg Maraio as Jordan
Sarah Elizabeth Bedard as Kiki
"Significant Other" by Joshua Harmon
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Through October 8th
Photo by Justin Saglio
This play contains many elements that reminded me of Bobby in Stephen Sondheim's "Company." A chronically single man is surrounded by friends, but still experiences loneliness.  The difference is that Bobby avoids commitment, while Jordan longs for it. The play ends on a poignant note at the reception following Laura's wedding. Greg and Laura had had a huge fight at her bachelorette party over her not choosing him as a "bridesmaid." It is a strong scene for both Mr. Maraio and Ms. Clark. But they eventually reconcile and he attends the wedding and does a reading.  As the last dance is announced, Jordan stands alone, with a thousand yard stare, perhaps wondering what might have been or what might be in the future.

Now playing through October 8th at the Calderwood Pavilion. You do not want to miss this play.  Or, you can wait a few months, travel to NYC and pay Broadway prices.  Your choice!

SpeakEasy Stage Website

Enjoy

Al

Zeitgeist Stage Company Presents "Eight by Tenn" - 8 Fascinating Short Plays By Tennessee Williams


Most theater goers are very familiar with the often performed major works of Tennessee Williams: "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," A Streetcar Named Desire, "The Glass Menagerie," The Night of the Iguana," et al. What many people do not know was that he was also a prolific writer of short plays, and he considered some of these among his best work.  He described them as "firecrackers on a rope"! Zeitgeist Director David Miller has strung together eight of these little gems, and they sparkle and crackle in an entertaining evening of theater.

If one were to think of Williams' major plays as stained glass windows, then these eight little gems are shards of glass that could have been fitted into any of Williams' larger works. His diction, colors, distinct Southern mannerisms and speech patterns, the languid heat, the smoke, the lingering southern Gothic madness, the repressed sexuality, the aftershocks of the Confederacy, the down-at-the-heels gentility are all present in small doses in these little plays. There are many hints of the traits that would come to full flower in Blanche DuBois.

Alexandra Smith and Zach Winston
in “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion”
Zeitgeist Stage Company’s EIGHT BY TENN
Plaza Theatre at the BCA

Through October 8th
Photo by Richard Hall/Silverline Images
Eight actors portray a variety of roles in these plays. We begin with the two youngest members of the cast, Rae Bell and Jake Orozco-Herman in a work entitled "This Property Is Condemned." Willie is a tomboy walking the rails in a desultory manner when she meets Tom.  The young man questions her, and learns that she is living alone in a condemned house, her mother and father having abandoned her, and her older sister having recently died of consumption. Her precarious perch walking on the rail seems to be a metaphor for the weak grip that she has on life, apparently condemned to follow in the footsteps of her late sister, who subsisted by keeping company with the railroad men who were denizens of the family's boarding house.

In "The Lady of Larkspur Lotion," we are introduced to the remarkable work of actress Alexandra Smith.  Her acting in four of these plays in clearly the highlight of the evening. She is resplendent in ruby red outfit designed by Costume Designer Matthew Solomon. In this play, she is Mrs. Hardwicke-Moore, trying desperately to pay the rent by receiving gentlemen callers who pay her for her time.

In "Auto-Da-Fe" we are introduced to Michelle Dowd as Mrs. Duvenet and Damon Singletary as Eloi. This sexually repressed young man is kept under the thumb of a rigidly moralistic mother. He ends up burning down their home.

"A Perfect Analysis Given By a Parrot" features Alexandra Smith as Bessie and Kelley Estes as Flora.  These two women are in town for a convention. They are out on the prowl and looking for some action. Their repartee as a wonderful example of Tennessee Williams' ability to create dialogue in which characters slice one another apart with words.  Bessie find many ways to remind Flora of how bad her complexion has always been, and Flora turns the tables by mentioning the flesh that Bessie has added to her carcass.

"Something Unspoken" is quintessential Williams depicting repressed sexuality. Miss Cornelia Scott (Karin Trachtenberg) has hired Miss Grace Lancaster (Kelley Estes) fifteen years ago to serve as her live-in secretary. While Cornelia wages war on the phone with the Daughters of the Confederacy, she carries on a verbal battle with Grace over whether they should discuss what is "unspoken between them." They come close to holding hands at one point, then shrink from the acknowledgment of their unspoken secret.

In "The Unsatisfactory Supper," Michelle Dowd is Aunt Rose, the last member of her generation who has outlived her usefulness.  Her niece, Baby Doll (Rae Bell) and nephew, Archie Lee (Zach Winston) reach the end of their rope when Aunt Rose forgets to light the woodstove and serves an "unsatisfactory supper," including undercooked greens.  The look on Rose's face when she learns she is to be thrown out and sent to live with another unwilling relative is a highlight of the evening, capped off by a single tear that hangs upon her cheek.  Rose walks off - stage right, apparently to be taken up to heaven by the approaching twister.

"The One Exception" is classic Williams delighting in Gothic Southern madness.  Kyra (Karin Trachtenberg) has apparently gone mad, and her old friend, Viola (Alexandra Smith) has been invited in to extract some history from her before Kyra is sent off to an insane asylum. May (Kelley Estes) has been a temporary companion and guardian for Kyra during the waiting period. The tables are turned when Kyra and Viola have a one-on-one encounter and Viola attacks her and begs her for money.

The highlight of the evening is the final piece, "Portrait of a Madonna." This is the play in which Alexandra Smith, portraying Miss Lucretia Collins truly shines. This superannuated woman is living in the attic of a hotel, is out of funds and out of her mind.  She imagines that a long ago beau who spurned her to marry another is now climbing through her bedroom window nightly to "indulge his senses." Despite her advanced age, so. deludes herself that she is pregnant with his child, and is concerned about preserving her spotless reputation as a minister's daughter and long-time Sunday School teacher in the Episcopal Church.  Ms. Smith has several long monologues that allow her to demonstrate the depth of Lucretia's madness and the desperation which which she clings to her fanciful imaginings: "Mother will bring in something cool after a while." She clings to her dignity like Miss Havisham's ragged wedding dress, even in the face of mockery by the Porter (Zach Winston).  It is a tour de force performance that is not to be missed.



Costumes Design by Matthew Solomon, Lighting Design by Erik Fox, Sound Design by Matthew Good.

There are many good reasons to see these eight delightful One Acts.  Playing at the BCA Plaza Theatre through October 8th.

Zeitgeist Stage Website

Enjoy!

Al

Thursday, September 08, 2016

New Rep Theatre Kicks Off Their Season With "Regular Singing" (An American Family Story) by Richard Nelson - The Final Installment In The Apple Family Saga


For me, last evening was a bitter sweet experience in watching the Opening Night performance of the remarkable play, "Regular Singing" by Richard Nelson.  The experience was sweet because once again, we got to plumb the depths of the characters and relationships of the Apple family of Rhinebeck, New York.  Over the course of the past two years, Stoneham Theatre has collaborated with Gloucester Stage and now with New Rep to present all four of the plays that make up the Apple family saga. I have had the privilege of watching each of the plays.  Since this is the final installment in the tetralogy that Mr. Nelson has crafted, seeing these six characters assembled once again in the family homestead, I felt as if I had been invited to participate in a family reunion.

What was bitter about the experience was the knowledge that barring a revival of this series of plays, I was also bidding farewell to six characters I had come to know and to care about. It is altogether fitting that I should experience those feelings of loss and nostalgia, for these are continuing motifs that run throughout the series of plays, and that come to full flower in "Regular Singing." In this play, we enter the action just as a house full of people have left the Apple residence, having gathered to say good-bye to Adam, ex-husband of Marian Apple.  Marian has taken charge of his hospice care, and he is upstairs where Marian, Adam's mother and a nurse's aide are holding vigil at his bedside. The family members are cleaning up after the meal, and begin bantering with one another to catch up on what is happening in the life of each one.

Throughout this series, Nelson brilliantly toggles back and forth between macrocosm and microcosm. Each play is set on the anniversary of a particular national tragedy - 9/11, the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination - and in the context of these global times of remembrance, the family members engage in very personal and interior reflections of loss or impending loss. Death and celebration of life within death's shadow intermingle in a continuing dance.

The six characters form a constellation of complex relationships. The six actors are each extraordinary in the artistry they have brought to clearly limning these half dozen fascinating and flawed human beings.
  • Karen MacDonald is magnificent as Barbara Apple, the older sister who fusses over everyone everything. She needs to be in control, even to the point of repeating everything that Uncle Benjamin says - much to his chagrin. She is almost obsessive compulsive about keeping the members of the family closely tied to the ancestral home. In "Regular Singing," she articulates her role in life as she retorts to a challenge by Richard.  He has accused her of living her life vicariously through others.  Her reply in essence is to say: "There is nothing wrong with devoting oneself to caring for the needs of others.  That can be a very fulfilling life."
  • Sarah Newhouse is rock solid as the conflicted Marian.  Following the suicide of their daughter, Marian and Adam had split, but she has finally found a way to forgive him and to stand with him as his life ebbs away. While preparing to say good-bye to her ex-husband, she still mourns the loss of their daughter.
  • Laura Latreille perfectly portrays the flighty Jane Apple, whose head is full of ideas about books she will write, but who never quite manages to execute on her plans.  She is divorced, but has settled into a comfortable relationship with struggling actor, Tim.
  • Bill Mootos deftly portrays a multi-layered Richard, the only male member of his generation of Apples. He perpetually contends with all three sisters hovering over him and worry about him and his failing marriage with Pamela. During the action of "Regular Singing," the sisters confront him dramatically and accuse him of hiding and running away from them and from his problems. Characteristically, Barbara implores him to move back home to Rhinebeck.
  • Joel Colodner has been spectacularly effective in inviting us into the mind and heart of an aging actor, Uncle Benjamin, who is slowly descending into dementia. It is a different kind of death and loss, and one that is heart-rending to behold. A poignant moment in "Regular Singing" is Uncle Ben reading a portion from Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard." It is clear that as a playwright, Richard Nelson draws great inspiration from Dr. Chekhov's themes, and this is a wonderful nod in homage to the gifted Russian writer.
  • Paul Melendy portrays Tim, Jane's boyfriend who has insinuated himself into the fabric of the Apple orchard. Mr. Melendy is one of the finest actors working in Boston, and each word and gesture is something to savor. Tim, as the lone member of the constellation not to carry any Apple DNA, is able to be objective in observing and commenting upon family dynamics.  He often accomplishes this through sharing stories, vignettes, or simply by cocking an eyebrow and making a knowing nod.
Paul Melendy as Tim, Laura Latreille as Jane
Joel Colodner as Benjamin, Karen MacDonald as Barbara
Sarah Newhouse as Marian, Bill Mootos as Richard
"Regular Singing" by Richard Nelson
New Rep Theatre
Arsenal Center for the Arts
Through September 25th
Photo by Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures
Director Weylin Symes, over the course of these four plays, has woven these six actors together into a cohesive unit that seems to breathe as one. He has been greatly aided and abetted by the creative work of Scenic Designer Crystal Tiala, Lighting Designer Jeff Adelberg, Costume Designer Gail Buckley and Sound Designer David Wilson.

Even if you have not had the opportunity to experience the prior three plays in this series, "Regular Singing" stands on its own.  It should not be missed.  It will run at the Arsenal Center for the Arts through September 25th.

New Rep Website

Enjoy!

Al


Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Off The Grid Theatre Company Revives "Blasted" by Sarah Kane

BLASTED

When Sarah Kane's "Blasted" opened in London in 1995, it was met with shock and revulsion. In the intervening decades, proliferating terrorist attacks and asymmetrical warfare and its aftershocks have modulated the ways in which we tend to look at the horrors portrayed in this three character play. Off The Grid Theatre Company has chosen to revive the play for Boston audiences. The play is not for the faint of heart, for it features many forms of explicit violence, degradation, and abuse.

The action occurs in a generic hotel room in a war zone, and involves these three characters:
  • Ian (Christopher James Webb), a jaded, racist and misogynistic journalist turned spy and possibly executioner who has invited to his hotel room a former girlfriend.
  • Cate (Alexis Scheer) is a naive epileptic girl who is both drawn to and repulsed by Ian, who abuses her in a variety of ways.
  • Soldier (Maurice Emmanuel Parent) enters the hotel room halfway through the play.  He describes in gory detail many of the atrocities that he has seen and committed, and eventually perpetrates some of them upon Ian.  Abuser becomes the abused in a mobius strip of unrelenting violence. And the beat goes on.
Maurice Emmanuel Parent as Soldier
Christopher James Webb as Ian
"Blasted" by Sarah Kane
Off The Grid Theatre Company
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
Through September 18th
The playwright brings a very nihilistic world view to her framing of this play, its actions, and its characters.  It is instructive to know that Ms. Kane committed suicide within four years of penning "Blasted," so it is not unreasonable to speculate that she may have been using her writing as an attempt to exorcise some of her own inner demons. Despite the dark penumbra that hovers over this work, there are glimmers of light and tenderness, especially as the play closes and Cate is feeding the blinded Ian scraps of bread in an effort to ease his suffering.  Perhaps Ms. Kane is saying that no matter how deeply the ethos of warfare drives us into depravity, there still remains shreds or crumbs of humanity.

Alexis Scheer as Cate
Christopher James Webb as Ian
"Blasted" by Sarah Kane
Off The Grid Theatre Company
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
Through September 18th
The main reason to see this dark drama is to behold the stunning work of these three superb actors. Mr. Webb is frightening in his depiction of a man who once was loving and loveable, but who has gone off the rails to the point that he can take advantage of a helpless Cate. Ms. Scheer paints a picture of a fragile young woman who is so girlish as to delight in jumping on the bed in the hotel room, yet complex enough to be both drawn to and repelled by Ian's descent into oblivion. Maurice Emmanuel Parent as Soldier tells us with his eyes that something has left the soul of this man, leaving behind a frightful spectre with nothing left to lose. Director John Kuntz draws out of each actor levels of emotion that range from almost catatonic to in extremis.

Alexis Scheer as Cate
Christopher James Webb as Ian
Maurice Emmanuel Parent as Soldier
"Blasted" by Sarah Kane
Off The Grid Theatre Company
Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA
Through September 18th
The scenic design by Ryan Bates includes a platform that seems to float, giving the impression of the hotel room being high up in the building, allowing the occupants to look down at the world out of the hotel room windows. Lighting is by Jeff Adelberg, Costumes by Lara de Bruijn, and Sound by David Reiffel.

The play runs at Boston Center for the Arts through September 18th.

Al

Stephen Sondheim's "Company" Lights Up The Lyric Stage - A MUST SEE!


Boston area fans of the work of Stephen Sondheim are in clover this season. Lyric Stage has just opened their 2016-2017 season with a rousing production of "Company," and The Huntington Theatre Company is about to raise the curtain on "Sunday In The Park With George." Lyric's Producing Artistic Director, Spiro Veloudos, has long championed Sondheim's musicals, and has been Boston's premiere interpreter of those works of art. As Director of this production, Mr. Veloudos has assembled a cast and creative team that have all of the complex elements of this show working together in perfect harmony. In many ways, this is the most cohesive production of "Company" I have witnessed.

Scenic Designer, Janie Howland, uses every inch of the intimate Lyric space to great effect, with movable boxes and multiple levels of elevation and manifold nooks and crannies that provide places for quick entrances and exits that keep the pace of the show moving briskly. Costumes by Rafael Jaen help to define each character, Lighting by Frank Meissner, Jr. modulates the shifting moods, and Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will perfectly balances the musical elements with the dialogue. Musical Director Catherine Stornetta does her usual outstanding job of leading an orchestra that underscores the powerful vocals of the cast members.  Choreography and Musical Staging by Rachel Bertone is crisp and relevant to the telling of the story of Robert and his Company of friends.

Any production of "Company" rises or falls on the shoulders of the actor who portrays the protagonist, Robert/Bobby, whose 35th birthday is the occasion for the gathering of his company of friends. John Ambrosino is the most thoroughly convincing Robert I have seen in many years of enjoying a number of very good productions of this musical.  From his first entrance, he uses his eyes, his facial expressions, his physical presence, and his voice to project the ambivalence that is the essence of this character.  On the surface, he has it all - good looks, a nice apartment, great friends, freedom to date beautiful women from around the world. But something is missing. That missing element becomes expressed explicitly in the hauntingly beautiful number "Someone is Waiting." Mr. Ambrosino's voice has great range. His use of dynamics is particularly effective, especially when his judicious use of pianissimo causes us to lean forward to catch just what Robert is struggling to express. His rendition of the eleven o'clock number, "Being Alive," contains all of the pathos and longing that Sondheim envisioned.

John Ambrosino as Robert
"Company" by Stephen Sondheim
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
Through October 9th
Photo by Mark S. Howard
Just as in the play, with book written by George Furth, Robert is nothing without his entourage of friends and dates. And this ensemble is flawless. They are: Elise Arsenault, Leigh Barrett, Teresa Winner Blume, Adrianne Hick, Maria LaRossa, Carla Martinez, Will McGarrahan, Davron S. Monroe, Tyler Simahk, Erica Spyres, Kerri Wilson, Todd Yard, Matthew Zahnzinger.
The Husbands
"Company" by Stephen Sondheim
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
Through October 9th
Photo by Mark S. Howard
Among the many musical highlights of this production are the following:
  • "You Could Drive A Person Crazy," with Maria LaRossa, Adrianne Hick and Carla Martinez singing of the frustrations of three women who have dated Robert/Bobby, but have failed to convince him to settle down. It has often occurred to me that this song is to "Company" what "Adelaide's Lament" is to "Guys and Dolls."
  • "Getting Married Today" is a very challenging patter song, sung at supersonic speed by bride-to-be or not-to-be Amy (Erica Spyres).  She is supported with the hilarious coloratura counterpoint sung by Jenny (Teresa Winner Blume) and anchored by her fiance, Paul (Tyler Simahk).
  • "Side by Side by Side" is a wonderful production number that allows the entire cast to strut their stuff with panache, fueled by the lively choreography of Ms. Bertone.
  • No production of "Company" is complete without a show-stopping rendition of "Ladies Who Lunch." The irrepressible Leigh Barrett sends up a version that would make Elaine Stritch proud! She definitely manages to "Rise" to the occasion!
Leigh Barrett as Joanne
"Company" by Stephen Sondheim
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
Through October 9th
Photo by Mark S. Howard
This show is a delight in every way.  It is a vibrant kick-off of the Lyric's season, and should not be missed. It will run through October 9th.

Lyric Stage Website

Enjoy!

Al