The Irish Repertory Theatre
www.irishrep.org
Charlotte Moore, Artist Ciaran o’Reilly, Producing Director
Henrik Ibsen’s
THE MASTER BUILDER
Adapted by FRANK McGUINNESS
Starring
HERB FOSTER * KRISTIN GRIFFITH * LETITIA LANGE
JAMES NAUGHTON * CHARLOTTE PARRY
DOUG STENDER * DANIEL TALBOTT
Directed by CIARAN O’REILLY
Set Design: EUGENE LEE
Costume Design: LINDA FISHER
Lighting Design: MICHAEL GOTTLIEB
Sound Design: ZACHARY WILLIAMSON
Wig & Hair Design: ROBERT-CHARLES VALLANCE
Props Master: RICH MURRAY
Assistant Director: HELENA GLEISSNER
Production Stage Manager: PAMELA BRUSOSKI
Assistant Stage Manager: JANICE M. BRANDINE
Casting Director: DEBORAH BROWN
Press Representative: SHIRLEY HERZ ASSOCIATES
General Manager: JEFFREY CHRZCZON
The Irish Repertory Theatre
132 West 22nd Street (between Seventh & Sixth Avenues)
(212) 255-0270, ext. 11
Opening Night: October 23, 2008
Once again Henrik Ibsen deftly portrays the problems of every-day man in
THE MASTER BUILDER. In Frank McGuinness’ adaptation of this
classic work, the complexities of Halvard Solness (given an effective
interpretation by two-time Tony Award winner James Naughton) come to
light with the visit of Hilde (Charlotte Parry), an admirer that he
hasn’t seen for the last ten years. Solness, blustering and egotistical, has
craftily constructed not only architectural wonders but his life of success and
the resultant penalties. He dominates his wife (Kristin Griffith),
manipulates his smitten female secretary (Letitia Lange), thwarts the
career of his promising apprentice (Daniel Talbott), and ignores the
dying wishes of his co-worker (Herb Foster). In Solness’ world, success
comes at cost, and he has willingly paid with happiness and fulfillment. Hilde
comes along, viewing him from the initial eyes of a twelve-year-old girl,
inspiring him to tackle new obstacles and demanding that he honor the promise he
made to her.
THE MASTER BUILDER stands the test of time because it deals with the gray
areas of life. Ibsen skillfully reminds us that no one is all good or all bad,
no deed is totally altruistic or selfish, and that man is often forced to shape
reality to fit his perspective. The Irish Repertory Theatre does the
Master Playwright proud in this production.
- Laurie Lawson -
COP NY & Show Born Productions present
BALLERINA WHO LOVES B-BOY
www.BallerinaWhoLovesBboy.com
Created and Directed by HEEILL CHOI
Writer: HEEILL CHOI
Cast
EXTREME CREW
Hyosung An, Nyunghoon Baek, Da Heen Choi, Eunju Chu, Moonwoo Han,
Youngkwang Joung, Chibae Kim, Chungki Kim, Daegeon Kim, Hongkwon Kim,
Juho Kim, Junseok Kim, Kunhung Kim, Min Kung Kim, Minwoong Kim,
Myounghun Kim, Soobin Kim, Bonglin Ko, Yongchan Lee, Sun Tae Lim,
A. Rum Park, Eunjung Park, Eun Hae Yoo
Producer: SANGHYUN LEE
Executive Producer: TAE SIK OH & DAN MARKLEY
Set Design Consultants: WILSON CHIN & JI-YOUN CHANG
Lighting Design: JAEWAN CHOI
Lighting Design: JI-YOUN CHANG
Video Design: SEE YOUN KWAK
Music Director: JIM SUNG AN
Choreography: EX COMMUNICATIONS/JAE WOO KIM
Press Representative: SPRINGER ASSOCIATES PR
Advertising & new Media Services: ART MEETS COMMERCE
37 Arts
450 West 37th Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 307-7171 or
www.Ticketmaster.com
October 1 – December 21: Opening Night: October 22, 2008
In a second-story studio dignified ballerinas gracefully practice until they are
rudely interrupted by a rowdy, fun-loving group of street dancers using the
sidewalk below as their practice area. Heeill Choi brings together the
free style of break dancing, amazingly performed by the 2007 B-boy World
Champions Extreme Crew, and the elegance and emotion of ballet in
BALLERINA WHO LOVES B-BOY. And a culture clash of this magnitude has never
been such fun!
Ninety minutes of non-stop music, both pulsating and poignant, accompany the
flexibility of body parts that almost defy reality. Coordination and
choreography become one as a loose story of love in an unlikely scenario
unfolds. In a circus-like atmosphere, creative costumes and dance routines keep
the audience in a constant state of frenzy as they join in the fun of the
production. By the time BALLERINA WHO LOVES B-BOY is over, you’ll swear
you have lost pounds just by observing this high-energy extravaganza. If
clapping, stomping and shouting, and dancing in your seat burns calories, you
probably have!
- Laurie Lawson -
INTERNATIONAL CULTURE LAB Presents
www.intlculturelab.org
OUTSIDE INN
By ANDREAS JUNGWIRTH
Translated by GABRIELE SCHAFER
With
ROGER GRUNWALD, MARKUSE HIRNIGEL
JENNY LEE MITCHELL, KAREN SIEBER
Directed by MELANIE DREYER
Stage Manager: KARIN ADNERSON
Dramaturg/Assistant Stage Manager: NICK FRACARO
Set Design: STEPHANIE MAYER-STALEY
Costume Design: PEI-CHU SU
Lighting Design: E.D. INTEMANN
Video Design: AUSTIN GUEST
Sound Design: NICHOLAS CRANO
Production Manager: VADIM MALINSKIY
Producing Assistants: THEODORA LOUKAS, KRISTA PARSONS
59E59 Theater
59 East 59th Street (between Park & Madison Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
October 1-19, 2008
Andreas Jungwirth’s OUTSIDE INN is a multi-dimensional mystery that spans
three continents. Paul’s (Markus Hirnigel) life is not particularly
working when he inadvertently participates in a death. Instead of returning to
his wife (Jenny Lee Mitchell) and his unsatisfactory life in Germany, he
flees to a motel close to the Arizona-Mexico border. He takes with him his
mistress (Karen Sieber) who is being chased by memories of a crime
committed by her husband (Roger Grunwald) in Namibia. All four characters
are left to deal with uncertain futures and pasts that will haunt them for a
lifetime. The lack of belonging to a conventional existence, as well as the
mental contortions necessary to develop a workable perspective of the world,
make OUTSIDE INN an apt title.
Superb execution by the cast, quick-paced direction by Melanie Dreyer,
and an interesting combination of intrigue, sex and humor make this a
captivating 80-minute work. But the real stars in OUTSIDE INN are the
creativity and diversity of both languages and multi-media aids. Stock market
banners run across the set, bits of dialogue are projected, and subtitles are
used when German is spoken. Inventive props are utilized to create the ambiance
needed to distinguish between time frames and continents. OUTSIDE INN is
an impressive first project for the International Culture Lab, and we
look forward to seeing future endeavors.
- Laurie Lawson -
DAVID ELZER, PETER SCHNEIDER, MARVELOUS NYC,
LLC
Present
THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES
www.marvelouswonderettes.com
Written by ROGER BEAN
With
FARAH ALVIN, BETH MALONE, BETS MALONE, VICTORIA MATLOCK
Directed by ROGER BEAN
Choreography by JANET MILLER
Production Stage Manager: ANDREW SEAL
Production Manager: MICHAEL CASSELLI
General Manager: ROY GABAY
Set Design by MICHAEL CARNAHAN
Costume Design by BOBBY PEARCE
Lighting Design by JEREMY PIVNICK
Sound Design by CRICKET S. MYERS
Music Director/Supervisor: BRIAN WILLIAM BAKER
Casting by JAY BINDER/JACK BOWDAN
Publicity/Marketing: THE KARPEL GROUP
Westside Theatre (Upstairs)
407 West 43rd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Opening Night: September 14, 2008
It’s 1958, and THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES have been called upon to provide
the musical entertainment for Springfield High School’s Senior Prom. And
entertain they do! Farah Alvin, Beth Malone, Bets Malone, and Victoria
Matlock comprise the harmonious quartet, and each is equally adorable, as
well as heavily endowed with an impressive singing voice. Amidst crinolines and
streamers, dream catchers (remember those?) and Chipmunk cheers, life stories
unfold. And they are definitely amusing but the real delights of this musical
journey are the fantastic songs. Remember “Lollipop,” “You Don’t Own Me,”
“Mr. Sandman,” “Dream Lover,” and all the great tunes that made up our
childhoods? If those are a little too early for your blood, come back for The
Marvelous Wonderettes’ Ten-Year Reunion in the second act.
Serious attention has been given to detail in this production. Sets, props, and
costumes help transport you back to a time when music was totally aural (no
videos) and all important to the development of young adults. Writer/Director
Roger Bean has captured the angst and enchantment of a simpler time, a time
so enjoyable that it can easily make fun of itself. Through a decade of music
THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES opens the floodgates of memories and makes you
glad that you’re old enough to remember. With a smile on your face from
beginning to end, your biggest dilemma will be controlling decibel levels as you
join in the fun and sing along. A feel-good experience for sure.
- Laurie Lawson -
The New York Musical Theatre Festival
www.nymf.org
Matt Williams & Emily Miller
Present
WARD 9
A NEW DANCE PLAY
www.Ward9.info
Story by MATT WILLIAMS & GREGORY VICTOR
Music by LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Text by SYLVIA PLATH
Featuring
MATT BAKER, ALEX BRADY, KATE CHADWICK, TREY GILLEN
DAVID GUGGINO, TIFFANY HOWARD, KELLY JACOBS, TRAVIS MAGEE
JOHN PAOLILLO, ASHLEY ANN RUSS, MICHAEL SCIRROTTO
and SAL MISTRETTA
Directed by MARK ROBINSON & MATT WILLIAMS
Choreographed by MATT WILLIAMS
Scenic Consultant: EDWAWRD PIERCE
Costume Design: REBECCA BERNSTEIN
Lighting Design: SUSAN NICHOLSON
Sound Design: MATT WILLIAMS
Projectionist/Photographer: CHRIS KATEFF
Casting: PAUL HARDT/STUART HOWARD & ASSOC.
Sound Engineer: PAUL BREWSTER
Press: KEVIN P. McANARNEY/KPM ASSOC.
Assistant to Mr. Williams: JENNIFER TINSLEY-WILLIAMS
Stage Manager: MICHELLE DUNN
Assistant Stage Manager: CARLO MAISONET
Assistant Choreographer: CHRISTOPHER LIDDELL
Artwork & Web Design: ANDREW RASMUSSEN & MARK ROBINSON
Manhattan Movement and Arts Center
248 West 60th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue & 11th Avenue)
(212) 352-3101 or www.nymf.org
09/18 @ 8 PM; 09/20 @ 5 PM; 09/21 @ 1 PM & 7 PM
WARD 9, A NEW DANCE PLAY, is a creatively unique and thoroughly
entertaining musical where not a word is spoken. The story by Gregory Victor
and Matt Williams is like “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” set to the
music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The major difference in this institution
is that its residents are celebrities who all went over the edge at one time –
Van Gogh, Bobby Fischer, Sylvia Plath, Nijinsky, Vivian Leigh, Howard Hughes,
and Ludwig himself. And of course there is a diabolical Nurse Ratched and her
assistants. Simplistic but just right costumes by Rebecca Bernstein allow
the audience to easily distinguish the characters. Ms. Plath provides a bit of
the written text, and Chris Kateff’s projections and photographs weave
the scenes together.
Ward 9 delightfully blurs the line between madness and genius. With a
background of resounding classical music, the choreography of Williams is
distinct, clever, and sublimely expressive. Dancers cavort with wild abandon,
like you used to suspect your toys did once you fell asleep, and conversely
writhe in pain during treatments as the establishment attempts to squelch the
insanity. But somehow the genius manages to resurrect itself again and again.
This is a high-quality production that mesmerizes from beginning to end, making
Ward 9 one of the best $20 investments you’ll ever make.
- Laurie Lawson -
The Clockwork Theatre presents
www.theclockworktheatre.org
A NUMBER
By CARYL CHURCHILL
Featuring SEAN MARRINAN & JAY ROHLOFF
Directed by BEVERLY BRUMM
Scenic Designer: LARRY LASLO
Lighting Designer: BENJAMIN C. TEVELOW
Costume Designer: JACELYN MELECHINSKY
Sound Designer: JASON SEBASTIAN
Casting: TODD THALER CASTING
Assistant Director: DOUG NYMAN
Technical Director: VINCENT VIGILANTE
Production Stage Manager: STEPHANIE CALL
Press Representative: HARRISON HARVEY
Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
September 6-26, 2008; Opening Night – September 12, 2008
Caryl Churchill’s new play, A NUMBER, is set some time in the
future and deals with the subject of cloning. A decision made by Salter (Sean
Marrinan) has been discovered by his son (Jay Rohloff who plays a few
versions of himself). Churchill attempts to address the motives,
ramifications and future applications of this controversial procedure in her
short play.
Written in the style of Mamet’s casual conversation of unfinished sentences and
interrupted thoughts, the form remains true to normal communication. The only
difference is that usually when two people converse at least one of them knows
what they are talking about. The audience in this case is left to wonder what
the heck is going on most of the time. And to further complicate matters, we are
never told why Salter made his cloning decision in the first place, why the
fodder for the clones was banished, and what lessons if any were unearthed in
this process. A little mystery is enticing; constant confusion is frustrating.
In what could have been a futuristic, thought-provoking work, the only question
A NUMBER leaves the audience with is a bewildered “Huh?”
- Laurie Lawson -
Four Chairs Theatre presents
www.fourchairs.org
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HATE ALL YOUR FRIENDS
An Anti-Social comedy by LARRY KUNOFSKY
www.hateallyourfriends.com
With
TODD D’AMOUR, CARRIE KERANEN, JOSH LEFKOWITZ
SUSAN LOUISE O’CONNOR and AMY STAATS
Directed by JACOB KREUGER
Co-Producer: ELIZABETH DEMBROWSKY
Set Designer: NILUKA HOTALING
Costume Design: MELISSA TRN
Lighting Design: GINA SCHERR
Sound Design: RYAN MAEKER
Choreographer: JOSIE BRA
Casting Director: JUDY BOWMAN/JUDY BOWMAN CASTING
Press Representative: DAVID GIBBS/DARR PUBLICITY
Production Manager: SALLY JANE KERSCHEN-SHEPPARD
Stage Manager: LOUISE OCHART
Assistant Director: MARKUS PAMINGER
Lion Theatre @ Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
There may be a more wacked-out group of characters than the ones in Larry
Kunofsky’s WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HATE ALL YOUR FRIENDS, but you’re going to
have to diligently search for them. In this totally irreverent comedy, they push
the envelope of eccentricity, and the expansion is highly entertaining.
Matt (Todd D’Amour) is facing the dilemma of hating all his friends. He
can no longer overlook the shortcomings, the neglect, the thoughtlessness, and
the annoying qualities that are the downside of friendship. But what if there
was a secret society that has worked out all the rules to keep friends in line?
Now we’re not saying there is a secret society, but if there
was…it might consist of the seemingly perfect Celia (Carrie Keranen) who
has a bizarre sexual drive, the rigid play-by-the-rules James (Josh Lefkowitz),
an intense Holly (Susan Louise O’Connor) just looking for the right
opportunity to rise to the top, and one of the most neurotic narrators to ever
grace a stage (Amy Staats). In this hilarious group of screwballs,
delivery is everything. D’Amour’s deadpan despair is the perfect match
for Staats’ breathless enthusiasm. Keranen and O’Connor
deftly handle both ends of the spectrum of poise and discomposure, while
Lefkowitz superbly takes on a plethora of delightfully odd creatures, each
one more compelling than the last.
There is laugh-out-loud humor in WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HATE ALL YOUR FRIENDS.
Amidst the ingenious set designed by Niluka Hotaling, the first act will
have you going along with the erratic flow of bizarreness and enjoying every
second. Admittedly the second act meanders a bit, and although you may feel lost
at times, you’ve already fallen in love with these characters and can’t wait to
see what they do next. And isn’t that what friendship is all about?
- Laurie Lawson -
Jeremiah Theatricals presents
THE TIME OF MENDEL’S TROUBLE
A Madcap Musical of Biblical Proportions!
Book by JEREMIAH & WENDY GINSBERG
Music & Lyrics: JEREMIAH GINSBERG
With
DAVID DEMATO, IRA DENMARK, ADRIENNE DOUCETTE, SUELLEN ESTEY
DAVID, EVERETT, VERONICA FUCHS, RYAN HILLIARD, TYRICK WILTEZ JONES
JOSH LAMON, MATT LANDERS, DESIREE LULAY, GRACE MILLS, CHRIS REBER
TOM RICHTER, TOVAH ROSE, SHEILA WORMER
Directed by JEREMIAH GINSBERG
Choreography: CAROLYN YANCEY PADDOCK
General Manager: PETER BOGYO
Scenic Design: KELLY TIGHE
Costume Design: TESCIA SEUFFERLEIN
Lighting Design: PAUL MILLER
Sound Design: ANDY LEVISS
Orchestrations & Vocal Arrangements: PETER P. FUCHS
Musical Director: PETER P. FUCHS
Casting: CINDI RUSH CASTING
Production Stage Manager: ELLE AGHABALA
Technical Supervision: GERALD FRENTZ
Press Representative: SHIRLEY HERZ ASSOCIATES/DANIEL DeMELLO
The Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
July 18 – August 2; Opening Night – July 20, 2008
THE TIME OF MENDEL’S TROUBLE, A Madcap Musical of Biblical Proportions,
is an ambitious and irreverent endeavor. With a book by Jeremiah & Wendy
Ginsberg, there are three acts and 28 scenes. Now that’s ambitious. And
there are several entertaining aspects of this musical; unfortunately, not
enough to warrant 28 scenes.
Mendel Moskowitz (Tom Richter) and Murray Schwartz of Miami Beach (Chris
Reber) have been chosen by God to be prophets of the Apocalypse. As they
attempt to get their people to repent and return to Israel, the Chosen come up
against a zany cast of characters that include the Devil himself (Matt
Landers), a wanna-be Hillary Clinton (Adrienne Doucette) and her
political cohorts, terrorists, United Nations players, a rabbi and his family, a
love interest, and of course a Burning Bush.
Rife with political satire, morality, romance, religion, and comedy, MENDEL’S
TROUBLE has great potential. Music and lyrics are clever. Costumes and
choreography are creative. And when it’s funny, it’s very funny. But its assets
are also its downfalls. The musical at times seems to be trying too hard.
Everything is a punch line, and with a play this long, it’s almost like three
hours of non-stop Henny Youngman. Sometimes too much is simply too much, and
this is definitely the case with Mendel and his trouble.
- Laurie Lawson -
Earl Productions
www.earlproductions.org
presents
MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE COLOR OF FLESH
By JOEL GROSS
St. Luke’s Theatre
308 W. 46 St., NYC
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Opening Night: July 10, 2008
Directed by ROBERT KALFIN
Scenic Design by KEVIN JUDGE
Costume Design by T. MICHAEL HALL
Lighting Design by PAUL HUDSON
Sound Design by MEREK ROYCE PRESS
Press Representative SCOTTI RHODES PUBLICITY
Cast
Samantha Ives – Elisabeth Louise Vigee le Brun
Amanda Jones – Marie Antoinette
Jonathan Kells Phillips – Count Alexis de Ligne
Hugo Salazar, Jr. – Footman
MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE COLOR OF FLESH depicts a fictional love triangle
between the infamous queen, her portraitist, Elisabeth, and a rakish Count.
Spanning nineteen years, the play evolves amidst political turmoil and social
change, presented from the perspective of people in throes of the seemingly
mundane circumstances of lust, love, manipulation and ambition. Mundane, that
is, if the future of an entire nation were not in the balance.
THE COLOR juxtaposes the ambitions of a young artist, Elisabeth, against
the moral concerns of Count Alexis and the seeming ignorance, naiveté, or lack
of concern for the masses of the young Marie Antoinette. As the characters
mature, their relationships deepen, yet the underlying aspects that brought
these three together in the first place remain. Perspectives are refined but not
essentially altered, and this makes the arcs believable.
Sets are spare and simple, but the costumes are lovely. The acting is notable,
even the non-verbal role of the Footman, who represents the attitude of the
masses, less violently represented though. The script is a bit preachy on the
politics at times, but this is not of overwhelming detriment.
MARIE ANTOINETTE: THE COLOR OF FLESH translates well to our modern times
when the concepts of democracy and equality can seem illusive and idealistic
when confronted with the realities of poverty and the inherent inequality of
class structures. It does not hurt to throw in the infamous French queen to make
the plot especially fertile with global consequences. Recommended.
- Kessa De Santis -
The Essentials
www.theEssentials.org
Present
PERFECT HARMONY
Written by ANDREW GROSSO AND THE ESSENTIALS
Starring
DANA ACHESON, CLAYTON APGAR, SEAN DUGAN
BENJAMIN HUBER, SCOTT JANES, VAYU O’DONNELL, AMY RUTBERG
KATHY SEARLE, MARGIE STOKLEY, NISI STURGIS
Director: ANDREW GROSSO
Music Director: RAY BAILEY
Set Designer: ELIZA BROWN
Costume Designer: BECKY LASKY
Lighting Designer: BRIAN JONES
Casting: GEOFF JOSSELSON
Press Representative: JIM BALDASSARE
Production Stage Manager: CARLOS MAISONET
Line Producer: LA VIE PRODUCTIONS
The Clurman Theater at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.TicketCentral.com
July 6 – 24, 2008
Opening Night: July 10, 2008
A cappella is pretty serious business. At least in Andrew Grosso’s and
The Essentials’ PERFECT HARMONY it is. And serious business turns out to be
a lot of fun in this wacky and warped comedy.
The a cappella Nationals are just around the corner, and The Acafellas
and their female components, The Ladies in Red, are honing their skills
for first place. And two groups of more misfit and eccentric high schools
students would be difficult to find. There are mute singers, religious zealots,
songsters with Tourette syndrome and English as a second language, and
Chorus-Line-like personifications of exquisite Geekdom, along with
stammering school psychiatrists, psychotic vocal coaches, and overly-sexed music
agents. And because it’s high school, there are also life lessons to be learned
about priorities, honesty, and love.
Running throughout PERFECT HARMONY are songs performed by talented
singers, a delightful combination of silly and sophisticated humor, endearing
characters, and many opportunities to find yourself laughing out loud. For an
evening of wide-range entertainment, this one hits just the right note.
- Laurie Lawson -
SoHo Playhouse
Darren Lee Cole, Producing Director; Faith A. Mulvihill, Executive Producer
The Deep End Productions and Little Johnny Koerber
Present
LIFE IN A MARITAL INSTITUTION
(20 years of monogamy in one terrifying hour)
www.LifeInAMaritalInstitution.com
Written and Performed by JAMES BRALY
www.jamesbraly.com
Directed by HAL BROOKS
Set Designer: MICHAAEL V. MOORE
Lighting Designer: LUCRECIA BRICENO
Graphic Designer: ANDY CHRISTIE
General Manager: DARREN LEE COLE
Stage Manager: LAUREN McARTHUR
Company Manager: JON MICHALE JOHNSON
Marketing Director: JIM GLAUB, ART MEETS COMMERCE
Press Representative: JOE TRENTACOSTA, SPRINGER ASSOCIATES PR
Production Counsel: BEN FELDMAN, Esq., BEIGELMAN, FELDMAN & ASSOCIATES
The Soho Playhouse
15 Vandam Street (off Sixth Avenue, 1 block north of Spring Street)
(212) 691-1555 or
www.sohoplayhouse.com
June 26 – August 31, 2008
Opening Night: July 9, 2008
James Braly comes out swinging in his one-man tour-de-force, LIFE IN A
MARITAL INSTITUTION. Just in case the word “institution” wasn’t a big enough
clue, the subtitle (20 years of monogamy in one terrifying hour) should
leave no doubt that Braly has a marriage that he conservatively considers
“unconventional.” Luckily he also has an amazing ability to tell a story that
leaves the audience captivated for the next 65 minutes. Putting a comedic spin
on the most bizarre and unlikely of circumstances (he revisits the Hospice bed
of his dying sister throughout the work), you’ll hear of frozen placentas, an
almost-affair, breast-feeding six year olds, and other secrets that most
families would kill to keep hidden. Using self-depreciating humor,
tongue-in-cheek attitude, and an engaging honesty, he unfolds and displays all
the dirty laundry that is his life.
With a style that begs to be compared with Spalding Gray, Braly brings us
LIFE IN A MARITAL INSTITUTION with panache and his own brand of
absurdity. And you leave this highly-entertaining show with an unspoken “Whew!”
and a bit of relief about your own familial relationships.
- Laurie Lawson -
Briana Seferian for Earl Productions
in association with
Edmund Gaynes and Julia Beardsley
present
A BRUSH WITH GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
By NATALIE MOSCO
St. Luke’s Theatre
308 W. 46 St., NYC
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Opening Night: June 21, 2008
Directed by ROBERT KALFIN
Scenic Design by KEVIN JUDGE
Costume Design by GAIL COOPER HECHT
Lighting Design by PAUL HUDSON
Sound Design by MARGARET PINE
Press Representative SCOTTI RHODES PUBLICITY
Cast
Natalie Mosco as Georgia O’Keeffe
David Lloyd Walters – Virginia Roncetti
Natalie Mosco’s A BRUSH WITH GEORGIA O’KEEFFE, in which she also plays
the central subject, is full of artistic possibilities and moments that hint at
something better than the resulting sum of its parts. Filled with scenes, sounds
and segments from the course of O’Keeffe’s life, the play lacks the coherence to
be ultimately rewarding dramatically. Where it does succeed is in serving as a
virtual flip through the pages and images of an O’Keeffe biography. Childhood.
Art. Stieglitz. Marriage. Adultery. Change. Institutionalization. Age. Legend.
The play covers, more in some places than others, the 99 years of O’Keeffe’s
life. Brushing over most, A BRUSH examines more closely the birth of the
artist, the men in her life (all played by Mr. Walters), the women in her life
(all played by Ms. Roncetti), her struggles, her triumphs, and her thoughts. It
is the amount of material a miniseries could easily overwhelm presented in the
course of about two hours. While interesting, the script needs more focus on a
specific time period or theme in O’Keeffe’s life. What we get is good, but too
scattered.
Nice performances all around, and of course, great source material. The visuals
and sound add to the experience, but in the end, less Georgia would have been
more.
- Kessa De Santis -
ElfQueen Productions Presents
HEIST
www.theheistplay.com
A New Play By PAUL COHEN
Featuring
AMANDA BOCKELHEIDE, JEFF CLARKE, RACHEL JABLIN
CHRISTOPHER RYAN RICHARDS, TRACY WELLER
Directed by KRIS THOR
Lighting Designer: LUCRECIA BRICENO
Stage Manager: CARTER EDWARDS
Costume Designer: MICHELLE KOCH
Dramaturg: AMY ROSE MARSH
Set Designer: KRIS THOR
Producers, ElfQueen Productions:
TRACY WELLER, MICHAEL RANSON
ATA, The Sargent Theatre
314 West 54th Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues)
(800) 838-3006 or
www.BrownPaperTickets.com
June 6th – 28th
Opening Night: June 11, 2008
Paul Cohen’s new play HEIST is an extremely creative endeavor. In
a split black-box stage we are given view to what seems to be two totally
incongruent activities. On the right thieves plan the robbery of a safe. And on
the left a one-woman show that takes place inside the vagina of Indira Gandhi is
being performed. The trick is to get the climax on the left to coincide with the
explosion on the right.
Amidst stilettos and sarcasm, the plot thickens with pelvic pontifications,
theatre pomposity, and insider bickering between the burglars. And suddenly the
lines between the left and right productions start to blur. HEIST has a
lot of great lines; many are not delivered well. An example would be the spot-on
Irish brogue of Blowfish (Amanda Boekelheide) that can barely be heard at
times. And scene changes are accompanied by annoying flickering neon lights. But
it’s a comedy worth seeing anyway because it shows great promise. Cohen
obviously has an off-the-wall perspective, and the cast works hard to bring it
to the audience. Close your eyes during scene changes, and you’ll be fine.
- Laurie Lawson -
Theater Breaking Through Barriers
www.tbtb.org
(formerly Theater for the Blind) Artistic Directors: George Ashiotis, Ike
Schambelan
Presents
THE COCKTAIL HOUR
By A.R. GURNEY
Featuring
GEORGE ASHIOTIS, NICHOLAS VISELLI, MELANIE BOLAND, PAMELA SABAUGH
Director: IKE SCHAMBELAN
Set and Lighting Designer: BERT SCOTT
Costume Designer: CHLOE CHAPIN
Sound Designer: NICHOLAS VISELLI
Stage Manager: KIMOTHY CRUSE
Assistant Stage Manager: BROOKE ELSINGHORST
Production Managers: DAVID CHONTOS & NICHOLAS LAZZARO
Kirk Theatre, Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
May 24 – June 29, 2008
Opening Night: June 6, 2008
Amidst an exquisite set by Ben Scott that includes a self-playing piano
in an obviously upper middle class parlor, A.R. Gurney’s THE COCKTAIL HOUR
takes place. Although a nightly event for Bradley (George Ashiotis)
and Ann (Melanie Boland), tonight is special. Their son John (Nicholas
Viselli) has written a play about the family and he is there to ask their
permission to have it produced. A daughter (Pamela Sabaugh) joins the
gathering and demands a starring role. As Ann implores John to write a book
instead of a play and Bradley produces a $20,000 check in the hopes of bribing
him not to produce his play, family secrets are revealed and old resentments
resurface. Family dynamics explode, and the glue that holds privileged relatives
together begins to dissolve. In the end will familial blood prove to be strong
enough to keep this family unit together?
Gurney generously uses humor as his characters rehash old injuries and
attempt to explain them away with bits of psychobabble and posturing. And the
cast does an impressive job of presenting the quirky but endearing relatives.
Theater Breaking Through Barriers (formerly Theater for the Blind) has a
no-limitations philosophy when it comes to disabilities. And Ashiotis,
whose blindness is not a trait shared by his character, is the perfect example
of just how right this thinking can be when put into practice. His flawless
performance is based not only on personal skills but also on underlying trust
with his fellow actors and director Ike Schambelan, in a way similar to
how families function when going through difficult times. A.R. Gurney
would be extremely proud of this production of THE COCKTAIL HOUR.
- Laurie Lawson -
Broken Watch Theatre Company
Artistic Director Drew DeCorleto
www.brokenwatch.org
presents
THE FRAMER
By EDWARD ALLAN BAKER
Featuring
CRAIG BOCKHORN, SUZANNE DIDONNA, DAVID FRAIOLI
LORIE GARRABRANT, MATT WALTON, DARED WRIGHT
Directed by KEVIN CONFOY
Set Design: JITO LEE
Costume Design: REBECCA BERNSTEIN
Sound Design: DANIEL DLUGER
Graphic Design: KIM ALONZO
Production Stage Manager: MEI LING ACEVEDO
Assistant Stage Manager: JESSICA J. FELIX
Press Representative: SPRINGER ASSOCIATES
The Michael Weller Theatre
311 West 43rd Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues), Sixth Floor
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatremania.com
May 31st through June 22nd
Opening Night: June 5, 2008
In Edward Allan Baker’s THE FRAMER Ronnie (Craig Bockhorn) is a
dying man. His wife Patsy (Suzanne Didonna) is waiting for Ronnie to die,
and she can also tell you 100 uses for Windex. Although the marriage between
Ronnie and Patsy is far from perfect, she plans to be there for his final
breath. In addition to pending death, her brother’s family is going through a
major upheaval that is pervading all family members. As Ronnie works hard to
compensate for his role as a sometimes-abusive husband, instead of dealing with
the matter of how he wants to spend his final days, he is suddenly confronted
with the question “If you had 2 weeks to live, who would you KILL?”
Baker deals with mortality and tragic influences by creating characters
that are brutally honest, fascinatingly quirky, and jaded enough to find humor
in almost anything. They are all self-indulgent with a need to have no thought
go unspoken. At times the story is presented with a sledge hammer approach, but
director Kevin Confoy deftly interchanges humor and poignancy so that the
fantastical story borders on but never crosses over the line of believability.
Along the walls of Jito Lee’s impressive set are framed pictures
everywhere – captured moments where the subjects are putting forth their best
faces. And like the complexity and fragility of life, no one memory or
characteristic can fully represent a person’s life. You frame what you want to
remember and make resolution with what you wish you didn’t have to remember. In
light of the fact that this will be the last show performed in the Michael
Weller Theatre, THE FRAMER is certainly an appropriate farewell.
- Laurie Lawson -
Babel Theatre Project
www.babeltheatreproject.org
Geordie Broadwater, Artistic Director / Jeremy Blocker, Producing Director
Presents
STOMP AND SHOUT
(an’ Work it All Out)
By JAMES CARMICHAEL
With
GERALDINE BARTLETT, BRIAN D. COATS, KATRINA FOY
WILLIAM JACKSON HARPER, KHRIS LEWIN, CAROLYN McCANDLISH
JOE MUSSEN, FRANK RODRIGUEZ, CHRISTOPHER RUBIN
JEREMY SCHWARTZ, JOSEPH C. SULLIVAN, ANDREW ZIMMERMAN
Directed by GEORDIE BROADWATER
Scenic Designer: TRISTAN JEFFERS
Lighting Designer: ERIC SOUTHERN
Costume Designer: BECKY LASKY
Sound Designer: MATT HUBBS
Production Stage Manager: PAIGE WILLIAMS
Stage Manager: CLAEY CLOCKSIN
Technical Director: HARRY KIMBALL
Artistic Associate: MOLLY KRAMER
Development Manager: MIRIAM RAINES
General Manager: AARON THOMPSON
Upstairs at the 45th Street Theatre
354 West 45th Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues)
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatremania.com
May 29th – June 21st
Opening Sunday, June 1, 2008
From 1962 to 1965 many historical events took place in America, including the
Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Malcolm X,
bombings in Vietnam and protests against them, anti-segregation campaigns, and
student uprisings on college campuses across the nation. During this turbulent
time, the FBI launched an investigation into the lyrics of a popular, but
admittedly unintelligible song, “Louie, Louie.” Two dedicated agents were
sent to Indiana to uncover potential obscene materials. And you thought the
government suddenly got silly when George W showed up!
James Carmichael’s brilliant and highly-entertaining STOMP AND SHOUT
(an’ Work it All Out) chronicles this two-year absurdity. Amidst swirls of
(herbal) cigarette smoke, racist and sexist remarks, and references to
organizations you haven’t thought of for years (don’t worry – the program comes
with a time line of events and a glossary of terms), the based-on-reality story
unfolds. Every element is perfect in this production. You will not find a bad
performance; the cast is sublime both in and out of the spotlight, and even
during on-stage set changes. The authenticity to the time period includes
Frisch’s Big Boys and soda pop, and the music provides a just-right background
to rebel-rousing speeches and pontifications – remember when everything we said
was profound, or at least we thought it was? The direction by Geordie
Broadwater is superb and allows for plenty of both rapid-fire and subtle
humor.
If you remember the words, especially the “bad” ones, to “Louie, Louie,”
you will date yourself. But you won’t mind because the phenomenon of STOMP
AND SHOUT is that it makes you proud to be a part of that era by bringing
back all the passion and beliefs of the 60’s. When’s the last time someone
reminded you that you were old and you were thrilled that they did? After the
play you’ll want to hunt Carmichael down and thank him profusely for
writing this masterpiece.
- Laurie Lawson -
Nosedive Productions
www.nosediveproductions.com
presents
COLORFUL WORLD
By JAMES COMTOIS
The 78th Street Theatre Lab
236 W. 78 St., NYC
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
May 8 through 31, 2008
Directed by PETE BOISVERT
Stage Manager STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
Fight Choreographers QUI NGUYEN and ALEXIS BLACK
Lighting Designer PHIL SHEARER
Sound Designer PATRICK SHEARER
Make-up Designer LESLIE HUGHES
Costume Designer MEREDITH MAGOUN
Set Design PETE BOISVERT and STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
Cast
Overman (Tom Shanley) – Patrick Shearer
Tigress (Karen Fisher) – Jessi Gotta
Ramses (Jeffrey Michaels) – Abe Goldfarb
Guy Madison – Mac Rogers
John – Zack Calhoon
The Void – Marc Landers
The Peacekeeper (Mick Catton) – Ben VandenBoom
Johnny Patriot – Christopher Yustin
Nosedive Productions’ latest production, COLORFUL WORLD, is playwright James
Comtois’ foray into the overtly politicized, unabashedly comical superhero
genre. Set in 2005, with flashbacks to 1988 and the years in between, Comtois
posits a world in which the abilities of one man prevented 9/11 as we know
it, in which we are no longer dependent on oil, and in which the line between
superhero and supervillain is blurred by human foibles, commerce and media spin.
The discovery of a single man with unnatural abilities spawns a caped crusader
craze that leads the government to act against vigiliantes of all types. As part
of the bureaucracy, some are elevated to the level of crimefighter by virtue of
joining the Alliance of Champions. COLORFUL WORLD tells the story of a
world that has one real “superman” and many wannabes, and what happens when the
“superman” that represents the hopes of millions suddenly disappears.
Meet Tom Shanley, known primarily as Overman. His existence is at the center of
COLORFUL WORLD. Although the exposition surrounding his evolution from an
ordinary guy impervious to pain and death to government employee and
international hero is a tad lengthy, Patrick Shearer’s methodical and
even mad portrayal make it all go down smoothly. In contrast, Mac Rogers, as the
unassuming Guy, a hidden talent until the end, is slightly reminiscent of his
portrayal of the title character in Mr. Comtois’ THE ADVENTURES OF NERVOUS-BOY,
but without the psychopathic tendencies. We are also treated to appearances by
Abe Goldfarb as the slightly diabolical, slightly flamboyant and
absolutely ambitious Ramses, Jessi Gotta as the perky token gal
crimefighter and heartbreaker, Tigress, Marc Landers as The Void, Ben
VandenBoom as The Peacekeeper, Christopher Yustin as the vibrantly
costumed Johnny Patriot, and Zach Calhoun as John.
To compliment Pete Boisvert’s fast-paced direction, Nosedive has done
well to tap the talents of Qui Ngyuen, of local theater company The
Vampire Cowboys, and Alexis Black as co-fight choreographers. They
appreciate both the precision required to stage effective scenes in a tight
space, as well as the comedic edges that these scenes were meant to be imbued
with. Meredith Magoun’s costumes and Leslie Hughes’ makeup design
add just the right touches.
COLORFUL WORLD is above all else just plain entertaining. James
Comtois definitely takes the opportunity of a captive audience to make
political statements via his opinionated and vocal characters, as well as the
choices of the television content projected on the walls, particularly during
scene changes, and why not?
- Kessa De Santis -
The Actors Company Theatre
www.tactnyc.org
presents
THE ECCENTRICITIES OF A NIGHTINGALE
By TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
With
MARY BACON, NORA CHESTER, CYNTHIA DARLOW
FRANCESCA DiMAURO, TODD GEARHART, LARRY KEITH, DARRIE LAWRENCE
JOHN PLUMPIS, JAMES PRENDERGAST, SCOTT SCHAFER
Directed by JENN THOMPSON
Sound design by DARYL BORNSTEIN
Scenic design by BILL CLARKE
Costume design by DAVID TOSER
Lighting design by LUCRECIA BRICENO
Music by JONATHAN FAIRNAN
Props by JENNIFER BLAZEK
Production Stage Manager: MEL McCUE
Assistant Director: JAY COHEN
Assistant Stage Manager: SYCHE HAMILTON
General Manager: CATHY BENCIVENGA
Press & Publicity: JOE TRENTACOSTA, Springer Associates PR
The Clurman Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
Begins April 27, opening May 5 through May 24, 2008
Tennessee Williams’ THE ECCENTRICITIES OF A NIGHTINGALE is a rewrite of
his popular Summer and Smoke, and this rarely-seen work further explores
the undercurrents of Glorious Hill, Mississippi. We are given another
opportunity to become reacquainted with the eccentric Miss Alma (grandly
portrayed by Mary Bacon) and her ill-fated love for Dr. John Buchanan,
Jr. (the dashing Todd Gearhart).
It seems the residents of Glorious Hill have many crosses to bear. Alma’s father
(Larry Keith) carries the burden of a troubled wife (the delightfully
disturbed Nora Chester) and an eccentric daughter who exhibits
on-the-edge behavior. The accomplished Dr. Buchanan is smothered by both his
mother (Darrie Lawrence) and the expectations and mores of Southern
society. And poor Miss Alma, the nightingale with a backbone of steel, is high
strung, high maintenance, and easily excitable, along with the onus of being a
preacher’s daughter.
Williams’ characters are superb and well executed by a talented cast in
this TACT production. Direction by Jenn Thompson is right on target,
giving nod to the allure of the South with all its charms and hidden secrets.
THE ECCENTRICITIES OF A NIGHTINGALE highlights the complexity and genius of
one of our most talented playwrights. Don’t miss this excellent rendition of one
of his most poignant and infrequently performed pieces.
- Laurie Lawson -
Midlantic Theatre Company
www.midlantictheatre.com
presents
HENRY VI: An Experiment
12 Scenes by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Directed by
CHANELLE BENZ – DAVID PALMER BROWN – GERALD GLACKIN
RODNEY HAKIM – SUSAN McCALLUM
Walkerspace
46 Walker St., NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
May 1 through 10, 2008
Costume Design SUMMER LEE JACK
Lighting Design JESSICA GREENBERG
Composer/Sound Design HARRIS BOYLE
Fight Choreography JORDAN REEVES
Publicity SCOTTI RHODES
Cast
David Palmer Brown – Josh Thelin – Tom Cox – Larry Weeks
Joe Hamel – Dylan Bluestone – Karl Hanover
Jordan Reeves – Virginia Hammer – Suzanne Hayes
Dan Burkarth – Ben Pologe – Chanelle Benz
HENRY VI: An Experiment is Midlantic Theatre Company’s inaugural
production, and it is a curious and ambitious selection. A “distillation” of
three of Shakespeare’s plays down to 12 acts staged over about an hour and a
half, this may just be the Bard for the attention deficit disorder generation.
As experiments go, HENRY VI is successful in keeping the action moving,
though I am not sure that anyone unfamiliar with the overall plots of the
components of the trilogy will exit the theater clear about what all has
unfolded. A great deal of history, political and personal machinations pass
amongst the scenes of the three parts of HENRY VI, but few are
significantly enough portrayed here to make a lasting or appropriate impression.
HENRY VI: An Experiment is a bare-bones style production with few props,
set pieces or notable costumes. The acting ranges from passable to good, but
overall I look forward to seeing what else this group has to offer.
- Kessa De Santis -
MultiStages
presents
THE JUDAS TREE
By MARY FENGAR GAIL
Original Music by ANIKA PARIS
Lyrics by JAMES SCHEVILL
Teatro La Tea
107 Suffolk St., 2nd Floor, NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
April 24 through May 11, 2008
Direction and Visual Design by LORCA PERESS
Choreography JENNIFER CHIN
Music Director BRUCE BAUMER
Costume Design PETER JANIS
Lighting Design ALEX MOORE
Production Stage Manager JESSICA V. URTECHO
Press and Publicity SCOTTI RHODES
Cast
Arturo Salvia – John Haggerty
Elena Abril Fiero – Roseanne Medina
Lillian Bracken – Lily Mercer
William Thornfield, Earl Lupine – Daniel H. Hicks
Vinnie Pimpinella, Douglas Mulberry, Terrance Collard – José Febus
Rita Catalpa – Colleen Cosgrove
Wendy Yarrow, Doctor Iris Valerian – Tanya Perez
Chorus Corpus Flora
Michael Martin-Badier – Grace Bernicker
Andrea Pizza – Lisa Walker – Patricio Witis
MultiStages’ latest offering is Mary Fengar Gail’s true-crime inspired
THE JUDAS TREE. With the production company’s signature “multidisciplinary
fusion and multicultural themes” securely in place, this wolf in sheep’s
clothing tale of a serial killer in a tight skirt takes on an unlikely, mythic
edge to impressive effect.
Based on the crimes of Dorothea Puente, a Sacramento woman who, it was
discovered in 1988, had killed her boarders and buried them in her yard, THE
JUDAS TREE recounts the trial of Elena Abril Fiero in a Los Angeles suburb
around 1958. She is known locally as much for her selfless willingness to help
those in need by inviting them to live in her boarding house and take them in as
part of her ragtag “family” as she is for her meticulously cultivated garden.
When the uncle of a girl last known to reside with Elena engages a detective,
Arturo Salvia, to investigate, it is soon apparent that nothing is quite as
simple as it seems on the surface.
The character of Elena is complex and rooted in psychology and dueling cultural
influences. A childhood of violence is partly responsible for an obsessive, even
orgiastic interest to her garden. She has formed a religion around it, and it
allows her to justify murder, theft and other crimes. The supporting characters
each have their own energy to infuse, and the fine ensemble cast, sometimes in
multiple roles, serve the playwright and director well.
Playwright Mary Fengar Gail has loaded her play with winks and nods at
the world as Elena sees it. The title, THE JUDAS TREE, is the first tip
off, but more obvious is that her characters bear the names of flowers, plants,
trees, or other seasonal or horticultural tie-ins. Thornfield is the uncle who
initiates the investigation. Bracken will prosecute Elena for her crimes.
Lupine, Mulberry and Catalpa live in Elena’s house. Salvia becomes her lover. In
the world of Elena Abril Fiero, everything is about the plants and the flowers
and the trees. The ultimate touch is the 5-person Chorus Corpus Flora, who dance
and sing, elevating the play to someplace beyond drama, yet somewhere other than
the comfort and predictability of musical theater.
Director Lorca Peress makes efficient use of what can be a challenging
space. At first glance, some of the staging seems awkward, like dinner and other
sequences at the far right of the theater. However, it becomes clear that these
choices highlight the fractured existence of the central character, Elena. Her
garden is always foremost in the audience’s vision, with the site of her trial
just beyond. A meal with her borders, is at the corners of the stage, as if to
emphasize that the obligatory day-to-day existence of this unlikely murderer is
just a means to an end.
THE JUDAS TREE represents a notable addition to MultiStages’ expanding
production history. As always, I look forward to the next one.
- Kessa De Santis -
KEEN COMPANY PRESENTS
www.keencompany.org
THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
By MICHAEL MURPHY
Starring
DB WOODSIDE
JOHN CULLUM
CHAD CARSTARPHEN, JIMONN COLE, JONATHAN HOGAN
BRYAN HICKS, RACHEL LESLIE, JAMES MILES,
STEVE ROUTMAN, GEDDETH SMITH, HAROLD SURRATT
Directed by CARL FORSMAN
Stage Manager: DAVE POLATO
Scenic Designer: BEOWULF BORITT
Costume Designer: THERESA SQUIRE
Lighting Designer: JOSH BRADFORD
Sound Designer: DANIEL BAKER
Casting Director: KELLY GILLESPIE
The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
March 4 – April 19, 2008
Opening Night: March 18, 2008
Michael Murphy’s THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR packs a powerful punch for a
multitude of reasons. Directed by Carl Forsman, an extraordinary cast
begins with DB Woodside (of TV’s “24” fame) as Dr. Martin Luther King and
two-time Tony Winner John Cullum as a hilarious and frazzled Lyndon B.
Johnson full of down-home homilies and cussing. Woodside is so convincing
with his easy-going southern accent that there is not even a second when you
don’t consider him as King. Jonathan Hogan, Rachel Leslie, Chad Carstarphen,
Jimonn Cole, Bryan Hicks, James Miles, Steve Routman, Geddeth Smith and
Harold Surratt impressively portray his advisors, his political allies and
foes, and his wife.
THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR describes the period in 1967 when Dr. King
felt compelled to speak out against the Vietnam War, in spite of advice to the
contrary, political ramifications, and the protest of some of his followers. On
a flag-draped stage, we are given a behind-the-scenes look at the political
machinations, the dastardly deeds, the illegal operations, and the
justifications and rationalizations that keep the war business booming.
Murphy wisely adds tongue-in-cheek humor to his colorful characters, making
them both likable and believable. But what is truly amazing about this work are
the parallels to today’s Iraqi War. Deceits, delusions, misguided missions,
excuses, and out-and-out lies of today echo those of 1967 in another war that
made little sense. We leave the theater dumbfounded at the similarities, shaking
our heads and wondering why our leaders can’t learn from our past mistakes, and
with a new appreciation of the courageous and foresighted Dr. King.
- Laurie Lawson -
MCC Theater
www.MCCTheater.org
Robert LuPone and Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors
William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director
Blake West, Executive Director
By special arrangement with
The Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation
Present
GRACE
By MICK GORDON and AC GRAYLING
With
PHILIP GOODWIN, OSCAR ISAAC
ROBERT EMMET LUNNEY, K.K. MOGGIE
LYNN REDGRAVE
Directed by JOSEPH HARDY
Scenic Design: TOBIN OST
Costume Design: ALEGO VIETTI
Lighting Design: MATTHEW RICHARDS
Sound Design: FABIAN OBISPO
Production Manager: B.D. WHITE
Production Stage Manager: ROBERT BENNETT
General Manager: TED ROUNSAVILLE
Casting: TELSEY + COMPANY
Publicity: O&M Co
Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher Street
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
January 23 – March 8, 2008
Opening Night: January 11, 2008
"Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it
strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it."
-Eliza Tabor
In Mick Gordon’s and AC Grayling’s GRACE a dysfunctional family
must bring together their clashing religious beliefs in order to survive
tragedy, as well as triumph. This play offers brilliant discourses on rituals,
beliefs, obsolete theories, and how we use faith as a tool or a crutch, as well
as how we use lack of faith for the same reasons. The above quote by Eliza Tabor
seems appropriate because life’s events and circumstances usually serve only to
reinforce that in which we already believe. Rarely do we get an opportunity to
totally reverse our views; more often we learn to accept and incorporate others
into our own.
GRACE is an interesting presentation of this theological quandary, made
more fascinating by eccentric characters and tempered with sophisticated humor.
But the real treat in this work is the not-to-be-denied exquisite talent of
Lynn Redgrave and a superb cast (Philip Goodwin, Oscar Isaac, and
K.K. Moggie) that hold their own against the master of the stage. Excellent
execution makes this work worth the price of admission.
- Laurie Lawson -
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
Presents
WAR
By LARS NOREN
Translation by MARITA LINDHOLM GOCHMAN
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater
224 Waverly Place, NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
www.rattlestick.org
January 31 through March 2, 2008
Directed by ANDERS CATO
Scenic Design VAN SANTVOORD
Costumes MEGHAN E. HEALEY
Lighting Design ED MCCARTHY
Composer/Sound Design ERIC SHIM
Press Representation O&M ORIGLIO/MIRAMONTEZ CO.
Cast
Ngozi Anyanwu – Rosalyn Coleman – Flora Diaz
Laith Nakli – Alok Tewari
In an environment of ethnic cleansing, rape, torture, murder, and the aftermath
of war, WAR presents a family struggling to maintain some semblance of
humanity in the face of things unspeakable, and often, here, unseen. The women
left behind, the men sent to fight or rounded up and herded to an unknown fate,
all of the trademarks of atrocity are hinted at or explicitly at play here.
These are characters that are either vacant and detached or enraged. There is
nary a middle ground. This is what WAR has done. With such staid emotions
required most of the time, the actors get little time to shine. As 12-year-old
Semira, Flora Diaz injects some life, though at the core her character
too, is deeply scarred, playing war games on the floor, and nonchalantly
recounting a sexual encounter. Playing Mother and older sister, Beenina,
Rosalyn Coleman and Ngozi Anyanwu are detached, angry, self-involved
and disappointed in those around them. As the wayward Father, Laith Nakli
is sad and vicious. Alok Tewari’s quiet Uncle Ivan is, in his own way,
creepiest of all.
As would be expected, the sets and lighting are sufficiently bleak. This is the
aftermath of WAR after all. The direction is steady-paced. As a sum of
brutalized parts, however, WAR fails to have the impact surely intended.
The audience leaves feeling detached. Rather than outrage, one exits with the
comfort of knowing this is not happening here. These are the atrocities of
places so far away. These are not things we are forced to endure.
- Kessa De Santis -
Maieutic Theatre Works Presents
Cody Daigle’s
PROVIDENCE
Starring
ANTHONY CREP, KATHRYN EKBLAD
DOUGLAS SCOTT SORENSON, ALY WIRTH
Directed by IAN CRAWFORD
Set Designer: CRAIG M. NAPOLIELLO
Costume Designer: ANGELA CURCURU
Sound Designer: REBECCA MAKUS
Sound Designer: DUNCAN CUTLER
Stage Manager: ASHLEY KOSIER
Press Agent: KATIE ROSIN, KAMPFIRE FILMS PR
The View Theatre (Roy Arias Theatre Center)
300 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues)
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
February 7 – 24, 2008
Opening Night: February 9, 2008
In Cody Daigle’s perfectly named play PROVIDENCE one tragedy
co-mingles the lives of four diverse individuals and poses the question “how
much of life is happenstance and how much is divine intervention?” Jo (Aly
Wirth) and Neil (Anthony Crep) are married with problems, and Sara (Kathryn
Ekblad) and Mark (Douglas Scott Sorenson) are long-time friends.
Suddenly married Neil and gay Mark find themselves thrust together sharing a
common grief. At times they play a game that neither wants to win – whose loss
is the most painful? – and eventually come to realize that loss is loss which
results in a universal journey that must be taken alone. Fortunately there are
those along the way that help you through. Are these people deliberately put in
your life for just that reason?
PROVIDENCE courageously tackles serious matters like the loss of loved
ones, the void in the survivor’s life, the sacred memories that magnify this
loss, holding on vs. letting go, and the unexpected normality that manages to
seep through when you are sure life can never be ordinary again. Sophisticated
and sharp humor keeps this subject matter tolerable, and a talented cast
presents the complexity of multi-faceted characters with seeming ease. Daigle
and Director Ian Crawford do a fantastic job of keeping the plot going by
melding the past with the present. Take a chance on PROVIDENCE – you
won’t be disappointed.
- Laurie Lawson -
The Clockwork Theatre Presents
www.theclockworktheatre.org
APARTMENT 3A
By JEFF DANIELS
Starring
MARIANNA McCLELLAN, DOUG NYMAN, JAY ROHLOFF
PHILIP J. CUTRONE, VINCENT VIGILANTE
Directed by OWEN M. SMITH
Scenic Designer: OLGA MILL
Co-Lighting Designers: JOSHUA WINDHAUSEN & TARYN KENNEDY
Costume Designer: JOYCELYN MELECHINSKY
Co-Sound Designers: R. CANTERBERRY HALL & IAEDEN HOVORKA
Technical Director: VINCENT VIGILANTE
Production Stage Manager: STEPHANIE CALI
Original Music: IAEDEN HOVORKA, ANGELO MILIANO & JILLIAN RUSSO
The Beckett Theatre @ Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
January 26 – February 16, 2008
Opening Night – February 01, 2008
In a world fraught with cynicism and disappointments, where does one find the
courage to hope, to try again in spite of the unfavorable odds of the past? And
how big a role does faith or religion play in this effort? How can one have
faith in that which can’t be unequivocally proven? And yet, humans do it every
day – get up and start all over again. Jeff Daniels presents this dilemma
with much humor and passion in APARTMENT 3A.
Public TV executive Annie (Marianna McClellan) has just lost another love
of her life when she moves into a shabby apartment barely large enough to hold
her despair. Disrupting her plans to wallow in misery are a neighbor who is both
brutally frank and optimistically positive (Doug Nyman) and a Catholic
co-worker with unwavering faith (Jay Rohloff). Philip J. Cutrone
and Vincent Vigilante complete this superb cast.
Daniels poses some of the most serious questions that quite probably we
will all deal with at least once in our lives. Where do you go when your faith
supply is running low? And what form does your faith take? With multi-faceted
and endearing characters, Siberian bears and Big Bird, and the deft direction of
Owen M. Smith, APARTMENT 3A packs a powerful punch in this
delightful, thought-provoking and inspiring work.
- Laurie Lawson -
Keen Company
By special arrangement with Neal Weisman
Presents
THE MADDENING TRUTH
By DAVID HAY
Starring
LISA EMERY
RICHARD BEKINS, PETER BENSON, WILLIAM CONNELL, TERRY LAYMAN
Directed by CARL FORSMAN
Stage Manager: EMILY ARNOLD
Scenic Designer: BEOWULF BORITT
Costume Designer: THERESA SQUIRE
Lighting Designer: JOSH BRADFORD
Sound Designer: DANIEL BAKER
Casting Director: PAT McCORKLE, McCORKLE CASTING
Dramaturg: JONATHAN SHANDELL
The Clurman Theater @Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
Opening Night: January 30, 2008
Limited Run: January 15 – February 23, 2008
David Hay’s THE MADDENING TRUTH is inspired by the life of Martha
Gellhorn. Ms. Gellhorn, superbly portrayed by Obie Award-winning actress
Lisa Emery, was the third wife of Ernest Hemingway and renown for her
on-site journalism of cataclysmic events, such as the Spanish Civil War, the
American bombing of Vietnam, and the devastation at Dachau. A hard drinking,
heavy smoking person “doomed to be serious,” she had a way with words and
proclaimed to write what her eyes saw. And although the author of seven novels,
she spent her life wrestling, with herself and others, for the integrity of her
written word. In her 60’s, she decided to finally accomplish her goal of writing
a brilliant novel.
THE MADDENING TRUTH gives you insight into the isolated and often
obsessive world of a writer. Translating feelings, thoughts and the five senses
into words is definitely a lonely job. This play does a fine job of introducing
you to the author and the people who influenced her writings. And with Hay’s
honest handling of Ms. Gellhorn and Carl Forsman’s focused directing,
this is a welcomed introduction.
- Laurie Lawson -
Woodie King Jr’s New Federal Theatre presents
THREE TRAVELERS
Written by RICHARD ABRONS
Starring
JUDITH LIGHTFOOT CLARKE, KENNETH MAHARAJ
KATHLEEN McNENNY, STEPHEN SCHNETZER
Directed by JAY BROAD
Set Design: DON LLEWELLYN
Costume Design: KAREN PERRY
Lighting Design: DAVID SEGAL
Sound Design: SEAN O’HALLORAN
Casting by STEPHANIE KLAPPER
Stage Manager: JACQUI CASTO
Press Agent: SHIRLEY HERZ & ASSOCIATES
The Theatre at St. Clement’s
423 West 46th Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
212-279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
Opening Night: January 24, 2008
Richard Abrons’ THREE TRAVELERS dispenses life lessons in between the
laughter. Amidst a glorious set of ancient Indian ruins by Don Llewellyn,
three world-weary tourists besiege a cheeky guru to teach them the meaning of
life before their driver returns in an hour.
Married couple Mavis (Judith Lightfoot Clarke) and Travis (Stephen
Schnetzer) have accompanied their friend Lydia (Kathleen McNenny) on
this trek in hopes to carve new paths into lives that have become lost and
overgrown with unrewarding endeavors. A delightfully sassy guru (scene-stealer
Kenneth Maharaj) guides this spiritual journey, easily blending the old
with the new. Cell phones and namastes, tangos and mantras, singing and
meditations – whatever it takes to advance the unsuspecting travelers towards
the truth. Cleverly written and skillfully executed with deft direction by
Jay Broad, THREE TRAVELERS is a witty, tongue-in-cheek bow to today’s
self help frenzy which actually manages to give occasional pauses for thought. A
pleasure to watch from beginning to end.
- Laurie Lawson -
FABRIK – The Legend of M. Rabinowitz
Written, Directed & Produced by WAKKA WAKKA PRODUCTIONS, INC.
www.wakkawakka.org
DAVID ARKEMA, GABRIELLE BRECHNER, KIRJAN WAAGE, GWENDOLYN WARNOCK
A co-production with Nordland Visual Theatre/Figurteateret i Nordland
Set & Costume Design by WAKKA WAKKA PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Original Puppets by KIRJAN WAAGE
Original Masks by GWENDOLYN WARNOCK
Original Music by DAVID ARKEMA & GWENDOLYN WARNOCK
Original Score “Rabinowitz Suite” composed by:
LARS PETTER HAGEN and TROND OLAV REINHOLDTSEN
Dramaturge: GABRIELLE BRECHNER
Final Directing Consultant: DANIEL GOLDSTEIN
Technical Director: JAN ERIK STARBY
Set Miniatures by STEIN HANSHUUS
Banner by JENAH PELLEY
Lighting Design by ANDREW DICKEY
Publicity/PR NYC: JIM BALDASSARE
Additional Props by LISA MEI LING FONG
Urban Stages Theatre
259 West 30th Street (between Seventh & Eighth Avenues)
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
January 17th – February 17th, 2008
Opening Night: January 23, 2008
First of all, let’s make known the names behind Wakka Wakka Productions, Inc.
– David Arkema, Gabrielle Brechner, Kirjan Waage, and Gwendolyn
Warnock – because these four individuals have managed to jam-pack 55 minutes
with so much creativity and talent that they deserve special recognition. With
amazingly expressive and exquisitely dressed puppets by Waage and
ingenious masks by Warnock, miniature sets, and imaginative props,
FABRIK tells the story of Moritz Rabinowitz, one of the few Jews who
lived in Norway in the early 1900’s. In addition to building one of the largest
clothing empires in the country, he also spoke out publicly against
anti-Semitism and predicted the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. He left a rich
legacy that Wakka Wakka researched and immortalized with this inventive
production.
Within 15 seconds you are in love with Rabinowitz, the puppet, and within 60
you’ve totally forgotten that he is a puppet. He sings, he dances, he takes you
on a raucous car trip through his village, and he introduces you to his family
and co-workers. Against original music and sound design, he recites his Life
Plan for the Businessman, croons to his daughter while she practices ballet,
pacifies his wife in bed, and maintains his sense of self and humor throughout.
He would have been as pleased with FABRIK as the lucky audiences who get
to see this delightful masterpiece will undoubtedly be.
- Laurie Lawson -
Resonance Ensemble presents the World Premiere
of
www.ResonanceEnsemble.org
SHERLOCK SOLO: An Original Presentation by the Master
Detective
Written and Performed by VICTOR L. CAHN
Directed by ERIC PARNESS
Scenic Design: SARAH B. BAROWN
Costume Design: SIDNEY SHANNON
Lighting Design: PAMELA KUPPER
Sound Design: NICK MOORE
Dialect Coach: LINDA JONES
Stage Manager: REBECCA SEALANDER
Production Manager: JOE DORAN
Press Representative: SAM RUDY MEDIA RELATIONS
Theatre Row’s Kirk Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
January 10th – February 2nd, 2008
In SHERLOCK SOLO: An Original Presentation by the Master Detective,
without the services of his renowned sidekick and narrator Dr. Watson, the
internationally illustrious detective Sherlock Holmes steps out of retirement to
relay a mystery that forced even him to leave a few loose ends untied. Victor
L. Cahn commands the stage easily as Holmes and immediately admits that he
is not one of the many who consider modesty a virtue. With droll humor and
unabashed ego, he tells of his progressive career development into a profession
where his name became synonymous with “detectiving.” On a set enshrouded in
white, he paces, plays the violin, relaxes in a chair, and peers out the window
as he gently pokes fun at anyone who dared to question his judgment or
abilities. He utilizes a variety of dialects and impersonations while speaking.
And when he begins to tell of the mysterious lady who left him baffled, he
injects his story telling with excitement and enthusiasm. The talents of Cahn
are many, and the direction of Eric Parness keeps the pace of SHERLOCK
SOLO moderate. The narration may be a bit indulgent, but would one expect
any less of the self-proclaimed Master Detective?
- Laurie Lawson -
Rodger Hess, Abby Koffler, Howard Rapp
Arnold Graham, Leah and Ed Frankel
Present
STEVE SOLOMON’S
MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MAY FATHER’S JEWISH &
I’M IN THERAPY
Starring PAUL KREPPEL
Directed by JOHN BOWAB
Scenic Design: RAY KLAUSEN
Lighting Design: BRIAN NASON
Sound Design: CARL CASELLA
Marketing: LEANNE SCHANZER PROMOTIONS, INC.
Press Representative: KEITH SHERMAN ASSOCIATES
Associate Producers: ARNOLD AND CAROL CAVIAR
Production Management: AURORA PRODUCTIONS
General Management: RICHARDS/CLIMAN, INC.
Westside Theatre (Downstairs)
407 West 43rd Street & Ninth Avenue
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Steve Solomon’s MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH & I’M IN THERAPY
has all the makings of a very funny work, and that’s exactly what you get.
Paul Kreppel’s execution of a multi-cultural upbringing is excellent. With
anecdotes from past and present, a plethora of one-liners and a multitude of
impersonations will keep you chuckling throughout the 90-minute performance.
Catch this one if you can – therapy has never been so much fun!
- Laurie Lawson -
Alchemy Theatre Company of Manhattan presents
www.alchemytheatre.org
HARVEST
By DAVID WRIGHT CRAWFORD
Starring
Act I
JUDSON JONES, CHRISTA KIMLICKO JONES, DOUG SHEPPARD
Act II
JEREMY STUART, MORGAN BAKER, SHOREY WALKER
Act III
RICHARD MAWE, KYMBERLIE STANSELL, KATHLEEN HUBER
Directed by BENARD CUMMING (Act I)
And
JUDSON JONES (Acts II & III)
Production Stage Manager: JOSEPH MITCHELL PARKS
Scenic Designer: TERRY GIPSON
Scenic Design Assistants:
MITCHELL DONNER, CHRISTOPHER WARD, SCOTT ARONOW
Lighting Designer: JESSICA M. BURGESS
Costume Designer: BENJAMIN TAYLOR RIDGWAY
Composer/Sound Designer: SCOTT O’BRIEN
Press Representative: KEVIN P. McANARNEY/KPM ASSOCIATES
Beckett Theater, Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
December 4-23, 2007
.JPG)
Spanning 1961 to the present, HARVEST follows the life of Rick Childress
(Judson Jones, Jeremy Stuart, Richard Mawe), a third-generational farmer
who has never known any other kind of existence. Throughout successful and
unsuccessful relationships (with Christa Kimlicko Jones, Shorey Walker,
and Kathleen Huber as love interests), this stubborn, steadfast man
clings to the land that has always brought him a sense of identity. Doug
Sheppard, Morgan Baker, and Kymberlie Stansell complete this stellar
cast.
David Wright Crawford’s HARVEST is a captivating drama that offers a
behind-the-scenes look at the life of a farmer. We are all aware that a farmer’s
life is more difficult than others, subject to the weather, and usually not very
profitable. And yet there is something that draws him or her to the land.
Crawford brings to the forefront the personal sacrifices that are sometimes
necessary in order to continue this profession. And in doing so makes us all
question just how much will we do to preserve memories, embrace our roots, and
be true to our values. HARVEST not only gives you an even deeper respect
for those who farm our lands; it also compels you to re-evaluate your own
circumstances to make sure you are honoring your traditions and beliefs. Now
that’s theatre!
- Laurie Lawson -
Blue Heron Theatre and Mirth A Theatre Company Present
THE PUPPETMASTER OF LODZ
By GILLES SEGAL
Translated by TONE SARA O’CONNOR
Starring
ROBERT ZUKERMAN
DANIEL DAMIANO, HERBERT RUBENS, SUZANNE TOREN
Directed by BRUCE LEVITT
Puppet Design and Direction: RALPH LEE
Costume Design: ELIZABETH FLAUTO
Lighting Design: PAUL BARTLETT
Set Design: ROMAN TATAROWICZ
Sound Design: CHUCK HATCHER
Production Stage Manager: SARAH FORD
Assistant Stage Manager: ALAN NETHERTON
Press Representative: JIM BALDASSARE
The ArcLight Theatre
152 West 71st Street (between Broadway & Columbus Avenue)
(212) 868-4444 or www.SmartTix.com
December 3 – 23, 2007
In 1950 Berlin THE PUPPETMASTER OF LODZ is holed up in a room waiting for
a sign that the war is over. For most of the world it ended five years ago, but
puppeteer Samuel Finkelbaum does not trust most of the world. Instead he has
created a world where he can exist, inside his room with his puppets.
Gilles Segal’s play is powerful, multi-faceted and poignant. Managing to
escape the Nazis as a teenager in Romania, he has taken the plethora of emotions
accompanying that experience and put them into THE PUPPETMASTER. As the
puppeteer, Robert Zukerman sublimely breathes life into the exquisite
and expressive puppetry of Ralph Lee, while the complexities of survival
reveal themselves.
Bordering on insanity, which may be the only way to deal with insane atrocities,
Finkelbaum fashions a world where love flourishes against all odds and
imagination becomes an essential element of continuation. Precise direction by
Bruce Levitt takes Finkelbaum to the edge but never over it. Suzanne
Toren, Daniel Damiano, and Herbert Rubens complement Zukerman’s
dynamic performance and make THE PUPPETMASTER OF LODZ a tribute to the
perseverance and ingenuity of humans.
- Laurie Lawson -
Horse Trade
www.horsetrade.info
presents
A Dysfunctional Theatre Company Production
www.dysfunctionaltheatre.org
THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES
By JEFF GOODE
The Red Room
85 E. 4 St., NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
November 29 through December 21, 2007
Directed by ROB BROWN
Set and Lighting Design JASON UNFRIED
Sound Design JUSTIN PLOWMAN
Publicity AMY OVERMAN
Cast
Geoffrey Warren Barnes III – Hollywood
Rob Brown – Dasher
Jennifer Gill – Vixen
Rachel Grundy – Blitzen
Amy Overman – Comet
Peter Schuyler – Cupid
Jason Unfried – Donner
Theresa Unfried - Dancer
In what has become an unlikely holiday tradition, unless you happen to be here
in merry old New York City, Jeff Goode’s THE EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES
has returned to the stage just in time to usher in another year of holiday
cheer. The sordid saga of Santa gone wrong and the reindeer who have saddled up
to the bar to tell all is kind of like a grown up Grinch tale, with a much more
elusive and seedy happy ending.
You see, Santa has been bad, very bad. Word has it from the other seven reindeer
that his treatment of Vixen will be his downfall. Jolly old Saint Nick is not
just in danger of a cookieless Christmas Eve and the wrath of Mrs. Claus. There
are allegations of sexual assault on multiple species of various ages in the toy
shop and elsewhere, and rumors that Santa has driven Rudolph into a catatonic
state. Now, a walkout by THE EIGHT could be the end of Christmas as we
know it.
Enter THE EIGHT and their respective monologues. As the elite reindeer
that pull that famous sleigh appear on stage to tell their individual
observations, stories about and opinions of Santa and the whole sorted business,
the picture becomes, if not clear, at least more in focus. Dasher resents
Rudolph and the foggy night theory, but will not elaborate further. Cupid is out
and proud and eager to tell all. Hollywood, the reindeer formerly know as
Prancer, hates that claymation movie (you know the one) and fears that a film by
Vixen will only hurt his sequel (Prancer 2). Blitzen is all grrrl rage and on
Vixen’s side. Comet is like a born-again doe, who credits Santa with saving her
from a life of drugs and crime. Dancer seems undecided about Santa, but loves
ballet. Donner is a bad parent who knows too much. And Vixen, she is
unapologetic and forthright.
For the most part, the reindeer are funny, though, as I have experienced with
other productions of this play, there is never quite a connection between the
actors and the audience, as if neither side of the fence is quite sure what the
point of view here is supposed to be. Is it black comedy? Is it farce? Is this a
righteous tale about rape and exploitation? Is this a simple bash at holiday
tradition? Is some of this even supposed to be funny? There is no director
credited in the program for THE EIGHT, and this production does have the
feel of self-direction, with little more staging than the actors appearing for
their lines or sitting at tables observing, reading or drinking. The sets are
simple, creating the appearance of a small bar decorated for the holidays, and
the music is holiday-themed. The reindeer “costumes” are limited to headband
antlers.
Imperfect, angry, often funny, and most un-Christmaslike in themes, THE
EIGHT: REINDEER MONOLOGUES is back for a limited time. Forget coal in their
stockings and spiking the eggnog. If you are looking for holiday jeers, this is
the ticket.
- Kessa De Santis -
ACTS OF LOVE
By KATHRYN CHETKOVICH
With
ANDREW DAWSON, ANDREW REIN, ABBY ROYLE, DIANE TYLER
Directed by MARC GELLER
Producer: STEPHEN MORFESIS
Stage Manager: BERNITA ROBINSON
Scenic Design: AARON MASTIN
Lighting Design: FRANK DenDANTO III
Costume Design: DENNIS BALLARD
Original Music: DANIEL T. DENVER
Press Representative: KPM ASSOCIATES
Kirk Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
Opening Night: November 6, 2007
Kathryn Chetkovich’s ACTS OF LOVE is about a family that on the
supposedly joyful 20th wedding anniversary of Ed (Andrew Dawson) and
Sheila (Diane Tyler) is finally forced to reveal secrets and face
unpleasant truths. Surviving son Tom (Andrew Rein) brings his new
girlfriend Annie (Abby Royle) to the summer home for what he terms as a
“five-meal visit,” and suddenly nothing is quite as simple as it originally
seemed.
While the circumstances under which these individuals meet and re-meet are
border-line bizarre, it is to Chetkovich’s credit that she keeps it all
credible. There’s both pathos and humor, and she tempers one with the other in a
mesmerizing fashion. The cast does a magnificent job of presenting characters
both eccentric and endearing, and you end up rooting for each one although a win
for one may necessitate a loss for another. In the end ACTS OF LOVE is a
tribute to the diversity and purpose of families. It beautifully illustrates the
needs that bring individuals together and the love that keeps them together
under the most desperate of times.
- Laurie Lawson -
Immediate Medium
www.immediatemedium.org
presents
THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE, I CAN FEEL IT.
By MICHAEL SMART
Adapted by J.J. LIND
The Tank @ Collective Unconscious
279 Church St., NYC
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
November 2 through December 2, 2007
Directed by J.J.LIND
Video and Sound ROBERT RAMIREZ
Sets JARED LAWTON
Choreography LIZ VACCO
Costumes MAKI TAKENOUCHI
Publicity RON LASKO/SPIN CYCLE
Performed by
Max Dana – Brady Jenkins – Ainna Manapat – Mai Ushiroku – Liz Vacco
Would that I could adequately describe the 55 minute journey, taken to the tunes
of a little band you might have heard about called The Beatles, that is
THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE, I CAN FEEL IT. The action takes place behind
screens, is filmed, simultaneously projected, and accompanied by the kind of
onscreen graphics reminiscent of grammar school assemblies. The plot, if I may
be so bold to call it that, and which I can only articulate due to possession of
the press release, is about a female flight attendant who becomes president
under the Party of the Loosened Corset, and serves during a British invasion.
This is not to say that THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE does not have a point
of view. It does. The operating theory appears to be to accentuate the inherent
complexities, mixed messages and ultimate babble that politics can tend to be by
having dueling voiceovers, blending messages of war and peace as a public versus
a private ideal (disposition depending upon whether the action is “live” on the
air or not), and offering no reason for the ascension to power by the stewardess
at the center of it all.
All things are apparently open to interpretation. War. Peace. Politics.
Entertainment. The invasion, while depicted as war, is also a reference to the
cultural influences from Britain. Not only is all of the music played by The
Beatles, but John and Yoko are characters in the piece. The political figures
are more like 1960’s go-go dancers, and discourse has a drugged-tinged haze to
it. Did I mention the choreography and singing?
While THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE might not be everyone’s cup of tea, if
you will, it is what it is, unapologetically. Not much stranger than the real
life wars and politics we live with…
- Kessa De Santis -
IXOMIA
By ERIC SANDERS
At the 2007 CROWN POINT FESTIVAL
www.crownpointfestival.org
Abrons Arts Center
Henry Street Settlement
466 Grand St., NYC
www.ovationtix.com
Festival: October 27 – November 17, 2007
IXOMIA: November 1, 4, 6 and 10
Reviewed 11/1, program including the short films MOUSEHOLES and POTL,
& live musical performance by Katie Eastburn
Directed by STEPHEN BRACKETT
Sets NICK VAUGHAN
Costumes CANDICE THOMPSON
Sound SHARATH PATEL
Animations Designer GINO BARZIZZA
Ensemble
Adam Belvo – Estelle Collins – Jared Culverhouse – Danny DeFerrari
Hadley Fitzgerald – Orion Taraban – Phillip Taratula
Sarah Turner – Cole Wimpee
Eric Sanders’ IXOMIA is featured during four performances of the
multimedia events collectively called the Crown Point Festival. Likened
by the playwright to an Our Town on acid, IXOMIA tells the tale of a
small town visited by Satan on the eve of the first democratic elections.
Satan, in the form of a little girl who “likes it from behind” and sometimes
dons a death mask, tempts the pollster from his post just as night falls. The
elections are looming, but something much more unusual than the democratic
voting process is visited upon IXOMIA. Death, illness, random acts of
destruction and unspeakable atrocities overtake the cornfields in a lively yet
coherent production directed by Stephen Brackett.
Awash in an animated backdrop, complete with a center piece of scenery that
represents the exteriors, interiors, roofs and even a basement in the fictional
town of IXOMIA, a frenzied group of actors running about the stage as
they are confronted with mounting doom and destruction, accompanied all the
while by a narrator who reads the stage directions, this naughty homage to
Thornton Wilder is peppered with witty one-liners and decidedly deliberate over
the top machinations.
IXOMIA is being performed at the November 1, 4, 6 and 10 incarnations of
the Crown Point Festival. Each evening’s program also includes films and
live musical.
- Kessa De Santis -
BARROW STREET THEATRE
Scott Morfee & Tom Wirtshafter
In association with
THE CIVILIANS
Present
GONE MISSING
Created by the company
Directed & Written by STEVEN COSSON
From interviews by the company
Music & Lyrics by MICHAEL FRIEDMAN
“Interview with Dr. Palinurus” by PETER MORRIS
With
DAMIAN BALDET, JENNIFER R. MORRIS, STEPHEN PLUNKETT
ROBBIE COLLIER SUBLETT, ALISON WELLER, COLLEEN WERTHMANN
Musicians
Piano: ANDY BOROSON
Drums: DAVID PURCELL
Bass: STEVE GILEWSKI
Set Design: TAKESHI KATA
Lighting Design: THOMAS DUNN
Sound Design: KEN TRAVIS
Choreographer: JIM AUGUSTINE
Costume Design: SARAH BEETS
Music Director: ANDY BOROSON
General Management: THE COMPANY
Production Manager: JASON REUTER
Production Stage Manager: ROBERT SIGNOM III
Press Representative: O & M CO.
Barrow Street Theatre
www.BarrowStreetTheatre.com
27 Barrow Street @ Seventh Avenue
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
There’s a good reason why GONE MISSING has been extended three times.
This clever musical documentary is actually created around real-life interviews
with real-life New Yorkers. The subject of the interviews are things that have
gone missing in their lives, and the range is anywhere from lost keys to
misplaced affections and gone-astray spiritualism and nowhere-to-be-found family
heirlooms. With a lovely combination of acting and singing talents, the cast
tell the stories of a multitude of eccentric and humorous characters.
The genius of GONE MISSING lies in the details of the missing. No matter
how bizarre the item or off-the-wall the circumstances, the results of loss are
both amusing and profoundly poignant. Sophisticated, intelligent and hysterical
– a wacky and wonderful mix that results in a highly entertaining evening.
- Laurie Lawson -
The Cardinal Group
www.CardinalGroupNYC.com
Jeffrey Schulman Richard Pepenella
present
LOVE OF A PIG
By LESLIE CAVENY
The 45th Street Theater
354 W. 45 St., NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
October 12 through 28, 2007
Directed by D.H. JOHNSON
Stage Manager BRIANNE MUELLER
Set Design MAIKO CHII
Lighting Design CAT TATE
Costume Design MELANIE SWERSEY
Publicity {ibid} PR
Cast
Jenny – Dana Brooke
Crystal & Others – Marie C. Anderson
Amy & Others – Ginny Lee
Polly & Others – Jenny Greer
Eddie & Others – Michael Ferrell
Joe & Others – Steven Strobel
Mr. Michaels & Others – David Nelson
Mail Man & Others – Aaron Davis
Playwright Leslie Caveny is known for writing popular television shows,
like Everybody Loves Raymond. Though making a name for herself in the annals of
small screen production biographies, the NY debut of LOVE OF A PIG
illustrates that Ms. Caveny has what it takes to translate her talents
from the small screen to the small stage, allowing a decidedly sitcom
sensibility to shine through.
The fast-paced comedy centers on an insecure twenty-something jazz violinist
graduate student named Jenny who has convinced herself that the secret to
success and happiness can be found in a man, and she has the charts and
statistics to back her theory up – at least for a while. Jenny sets her cap on
Bob, a fellow musician, and though it is clear to the audience and everyone else
that this guy is nothing great, Jenny endeavors to win the LOVE OF A PIG.
Through her trials and tribulations we are treated to a delightful ensemble
performance.
Jenny’s complaints are run of the mill, but Leslie Caveny’s sugary
concoction generally avoids the saccharine pitfalls with rapid, witty dialogue.
Only at the very end of LOVE OF A PIG, when Jenny makes revelations about
her mother, a character mentioned only once earlier in the play, is the moment
is a little too movie of the week to mesh with the rest of the script.
Aided by D.H. Johnson’s thoughtful direction that both makes allowances
for a small space and uses the comedic Greek Chorus style accompanying cast to
play extra duty as set pieces and sound effects, a nice use of lighting, and
some impressive acting, the totality of LOVE OF A PIG is a lighthearted
laugh for just about 70 minutes.
- Kessa De Santis -
The Blood Brothers and Nosedive Productions
www.nosediveproductions.com
present
PULP
METAPHOR and LISTENING TO REASON by JAMES COMTOIS
BEST SERVED COLD by MAC ROGERS
DEAD THINGS KILL NICELY by QUI NGUYEN
Conceived by The Blood Brothers:
SOMETHING UP HIS SLEEVE
BUGS IN MY SKIN
WHAT COLOR IS THE SUN?
78th Street Theatre Lab
236 West 78th St. at Broadway, NYC
(212) 352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
October 11 – 27, 2007
Directed by PETE BOISVERT, REBECCA COMTOIS, STEPHANIE COX-WILLIAMS MATT JOHNSTON
and PATRICK SHEARER
Fight Choreographer QUI NGUYEN
Lighting PHIL SHEARER
Makeup LESLIE HUGHES
Sound PATRICK SHEARER
Stage Manager JESSICA LAZAR
Press Agent JAMES COMTOIS
Starring
Pete Boisvert – Patrick Shearer – Stephanie Cox-Williams – Jessi Gotta
Gyda Arber – Anna Kull – Michael Criscuolo – Brian Silliman – Marc Landers
Once again, and just in time for Halloween, The Blood Brothers and
Nosedive Productions are presenting an evening of short plays depicting
revenge, sadism, savagery and zombies, all with a hint of black comedy. This
year’s offering is collectively called PULP.
Running the gamut in mini-plot from revenge-murder at an all night diner to
psycho-killer in the city hiding from the cops, with inept magicians, rhyming
zombies and bug infested boys thrown in for good measure, this series of seven
shorts hits all sorts of disquieting high notes. Kooky and sometimes unsettling,
PULP is an apt title to describe the raw production, as there is plenty
of pulp fiction sensibility and pulpy flesh degradation to be had in just over
an hour.
Not a show for children, PULP could be the perfect guilty pleasure for
adults who love to indulge in the general Halloween spirit, or who, to
paraphrase playwright James Comtois, grew up on trashy horror and just
can’t get enough of it.
- Kessa De Santis -
South Ark Stage Company
Rhonda Herrick producing artistic director
Presents
none of the above
by JENNY LYN BADER
with
HALLEY FEIFFER
ADAM GREEN
Directed by JULIE KRAMER
Sets: LAUREN HELPERN
Lights: GRAHAM KINDRED
Costumes: MELISSA SCHLACHTMEYER
Sound: JOSHUA HIGGASON
Casting: STEPHANIE KLAPPER CASTING
Production Stage Manager: SARAH BUTKE
Press Representative: SAM RUDY MEDIA RELATIONS/DALE HELLER
Lion Theatre
410 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 279-4200 or
www.ticketcentral.com
Opening Night: October 10, 2007
In an off-the-wall arrangement, Clark (Adam Greene) has been hired by the
family of Jamie (Halley Feiffer) to increase her SAT score. Bargaining,
manipulating, trusting and re-evaluating become a part of the learning process
of this oddly-matched couple in Jenny Lyn Bader’s NONE OF THE ABOVE.
Clever writing and convincing repartee between a wanna-be airhead and a nerd
keep you interested in the outcome. As Clark teaches Jamie book knowledge, she
socializes and even “makes cool” the egghead. Within the walls of the pinkest
room you’ve ever seen designed by Lauren Helpern, the sharing of their
intrinsic talents is made delightful by the fast-paced direction of Julie
Kramer peppered with much sophisticated humor. Lots of words and
mathematical equations blend with vulnerabilities and life lessons to make
NONE OF THE ABOVE a fantastic way to spend a couple of hours. Go see it.
- Laurie Lawson -
Willette Murphy Clausner Presents
THREE MO’ TENORS
www.ThreeMoTenorsOnTour.com
Starring
KENNETH D. ALSTON, JR. RAMONE DIGGS
PHUMZILE SOJOLA
JAMES N. BERGER, JR. DUANE A MOODY
VICTOR ROBERTSON
Conceived, Directed and Choreographed by MARION J. CAFFEY
Set Designer: MICHAEL CARNAHAN
Lighting Designer: RICHARD WINKLER
Costume Designer: GAIL COPPER-HECHT
Sound Designer: DOMONIC SACK
Music Supervisor/Arranger/Orchestrator: JOSEPH JOUBERT
Additional Arrangements: DANNY HOLGATE/MICHAEL McELROY
Music Director: KEITH BURTON
Little Shubert Theatre
422 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues)
(212) 239-6200 or www.Telecharge.com
In an evening that encourages singing along, clapping and stomping, and even
dancing in the aisles, Kenneth D. Alston, Jr., Ramone Diggs, and
Phumzile Sojola are THREE MO’ TENORS. They start off predictably
enough showcasing their impressive voices in standard operatic pieces. And then
they slip in a repertoire of Broadway show tunes and end the first act with an
African musical sing-along. Not surprisingly, no one leaves after intermission.
In keeping with their promise to present 10 different styles of music, the
second act is even more delightful with rock, pop, rhythm & blues, gospel,
spiritual, and standards. And in each number you further appreciate the talents
of these three gentlemen. On a stark stage with minimal choreography, music
rules and the tenors rise to the challenge. THREE MO’ TENORS is a musical
that speaks to your soul through a long-time tried and true form of
communication – music. Go and have your spirits lifted.
- Laurie Lawson -
On the Leesh Productions Presents
www.ontheleesh.com
A YORKSHIRE FAIRIE TALE
A new play by THOMAS DIGGS
With
JESSICA ARINELLA PETER RUSSO
MATT RASHID
SUSAN WANDS
PAUL DE CORDOVA
Directed by NANCY ROBILLARD
Produced by ALICIA ARINELLA & JULIE TORTORIEI
Set Design: DIANA WHITTEN
Lighting Design: CHRIS CONTI
Costume Design: JESSICA JAHN
Sound Design: CRAIG LENTI
Publicity by KEVIN P. McANARNEY/KPM ASSOCIATES
MICHAEL WELLER THEATRE
311 West 43rd Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues), 6th Floor
(212) 352-3101 or Toll-free (866) 811-4111 or
www.Theatermania.com
Opening Night: October 1, 2007
Thomas Diggs’ new play, A YORKSHIRE FAIRIE TALE, was inspired by a
real-life event that became known as the Cottingley Fairy Hoax. In his work
13-year-old Dulcie (Jessica Arinella) has lost both her father and her
brother in World War I. Dulcie’s mother (Susan Wands) is distraught with
grief and slowly losing her mind. In a naive attempt to cheer her up, Dulcie and
her eccentric friend Francis (Peter Russo) take photographs doctored to
include the presence of fairies. When the photos are published in a national
magazine, believers face off against non-believers and lives are changed
forever.
As preposterous as this sounds, and let me repeat that is based on a true
story, all the elements come together in A YORKSHIRE FAIRIE TALE to make
it both entertaining and thought provoking. There is a lovely chemistry between
an endearing nerd and a girl whose life has been upturned. Matt Rashid
and Paul de Cordova round out this impressive cast, and events unfold
amidst an exquisite set of woodland tranquility designed by Diana Whitten.
Costumes by Jessica Jahn provide authenticity.
Diggs beautifully explores the question “How do we deal with grief?” When
reality becomes too difficult to bear, is it not to be expected that we will
do/believe almost anything to escape it? Perhaps that’s why fairies were
invented in the first place. What better use could they be put to than to
distract and alleviate pain? A YORKSHIRE FAIRIE TALE confirms and even
celebrates our need for a little fantasy and hope during the dark times.
- Laurie Lawson -
New York Theatre Collective presents
ALFRED KINSEY: A LOVE STORY
A New Play by MIKE FOLIE
Based on an idea by George W. George
with
JESSICA DICKEY WAYNE MAUGANS
CARTER ROY MELINDA WADE
Directed by CRAIG J. GEORGE
Scenic Design: SARAH LAMBEN
Light Design: RICHARD TATUM
Costume Design: IRMA ESCOBAR
Sound Design: MARK GOODLOE
Press Representative: KEVIN P. McANARNEY
Michael Weller Theatre
311 West 43rd Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues)
212-352-3101 or
www.theatermania.com
Opening Night: September 10, 2007
Mike Folie’s new play, ALFRED KINSEY: A LOVE STORY, describes
itself as “an erotic and serio-comic journey through the mind of America’s
premiere scientist of sex.” Turns out it’s all that and more. Executed by a
superb cast (Jessica Dickey, Wayne Maugans, Carter Roy and Melinda
Wade), ALFRED KINSEY examines the examiner with fantasy encounters,
an effective blending of passion and investigation, and gardening metaphors. It
is a study in contradictions – a man whose goal was to sexually free the world
while repressing his own shame and rationalizing his desires. The relationship
between Kinsey and his assistant/protégé illuminates the blurring of the lines
between genuinely free emotions and obsessions. The proponent of openness turned
out to be a secretive individual. And still his renowned studies became the
basis of a sexual freedom never before experienced by our society. The ripple
effect continues today.
Through the multi-faceted humanness of a legendary sexual revolutionist, whether
the story is true or false or more likely a delightful combination of both,
ALFRED KINSEY: A LOVE STORY makes you realize how complex our desires, our
sexual orientation, and our motives are. This is an excellent portrayal of a man
ahead of his time who couldn’t keep up with his own findings.
- Laurie Lawson -
Midtown International Theater Festival
and
Small Pond Entertainment
present
THE CONJUGALITY TEST
By MICHAEL LAZAN
Where Eagles Dare
347 W. 36 St., NYC
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
www.midtowninternational.org
July 22 – August 3, 2007
Directed by DAVID GAUTSCHY
Scenic Design ANN BARTEK
Sound Design DAVID GAUTSCHY and GEOFF KNIGHT
Light Design DANIEL WALDRON
Stage Manager LACI KNIGHT
Public Relations and Publicity SCOTTI RHODES
Cast
David – Greg Thornton
Bernice – Shaun Bennett Wilson
Louis – Warren Katz
Baba – Amanda Sayle
Debs – Jacqueline Sydney
The fare at theater festivals can be decidedly hit-or-miss, with the trend,
often, to showcase the experimental, edgy and up-and-coming if notably flawed
works of the myriad creative parties jockeying for a position on the New York
stage. In such an arena, THE CONJUGALITY TEST is a welcome, witty,
well-cast surprise. About family, fidelity and tests of faith, this wordy romp
through the dissolution of an Upper West Side enclave is worth a second thought.
The plot revolves around an intellectual, 50-year-old insurance salesman, David,
who meets a flirtatious young woman, Bernice, at a bar. He notices the woman is
unreasonably “attracted” to him, and surmises that his common-law wife of 28
years, Debs, has hired Bernice to test his fidelity. The accusations begin to
fly, David and Debs become estranged, and their daughter, Baba, and David’s
father, Louis, soon descend into dreams of running from the family home.
In one respect, THE CONJUGALITY TEST could seem pompous and postured.
Filled with characters musing on Nietzsche an the merits of marriage who talk as
if they were debating in the halls of a self-righteous college dorm, the play is
engaging, perhaps in spite of itself, and definitely due to the ensemble cast.
The scene changes are a little awkward, with the cast moving two set pieces that
serve alternately as a bar, bookcases, and packed boxes, but that is what one
comes to expect from festival fare.
I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing who hired Bernice, or whether she is
successful in ensnaring the subject of THE CONJUGALITY TEST. I will say,
though, that I enjoyed the journey.
- Kessa De Santis -
Blue HERON Theatre
Ardelle Striker, Ph.D., Producing Artistic Director
Presents the Premiere of
IF TRUTH BE KNOWN
By JUDI L. KOMAKI
Directed by CHRISTINE SIMPSON
Dramaturg: LESLIE (HOBAN) BLAKE
with
CONSTANCE BOARDMAN JAMES PATRICK EARLEY LYDIA GASTON BEA SOONG
Costume Design: DEBORAH J. CANEY
Lighting Design: ALAN KANEVSKY
Set Design: CZERTON LIM
Sound Design: DAVID M. LAWSON
Production Stage Manager/Asst. Mgr.: SARAH FORD
Press Representative: JIM BALDASSARE
ArcLight Theatre
152 West 71st Street (between Broadway and Columbus Avenue)
(212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com
June 1-24, 2007
Judi L. Komaki’s IF TRUTH BE KNOWN is a timely look at racism based on
what some would call a “justified” reason. What better reason to dislike, not
trust, and/or ostracize someone than the fact that your country is at war with
their country? And if the inhabitants of the warring country happen to have
distinguishing features like dark skin or slanted eyes, well the easier to
define your enemy.
IF TRUTH BE KNOWN takes place in Washington, D.C. between 1981 and 1982.
Vietnam veteran Philip (James Patrick Earley) and Max (Lydia Gaston), a woman of
Japanese heritage, are in the middle of an uneasy relationship. Against the
backdrop of newscasts touting Reagan politics and protests by Vietnam veterans,
the couple try to find their way to a lasting connection made ever more
difficult by the possibility that Max’s looks remind Philip of those people he
was forced to kill in Vietnam. An interesting concept that Komaki fails to
impart to the audience.
This play starts with trite and unbelievable repartee between the two that does
nothing to establish the relationship. And it doesn’t get any better as the
problems evolve. The characters lack passion and at some points even identity,
leaving the audience awash with stated theories from characters they don’t know
or like. The one exception is Constance Boardman, whose character of Aunt
Jane is a natural and convincing breath of fresh air. IF TRUTH BE KNOWN
is full of potential and could have been a powerful statement. Unfortunately,
its execution did not follow through.
- Laurie Lawson -
Bradford S. Lovette – Dr. Michael and Judith Weinberg
Evelyn Freed – Milton D. McKenzie
in association with
New Repertory Theatre
present
BILL W. and Dr. BOB
www.billwanddrbob.com
By STEPHEN BERGMAN and JANET SURREY
New World Stages
340 W. 50 St., NYC
(212) 239-6200 or www.telecharge.com
Opening Night: March 5, 2007
Director/Sound Designer RICK LOMBARDO
Scenic Designer ANITA FUCHS
Costume Designer JANE ALOIS STEIN
Lighting Designer DANIEL MEEKER
Music Composer/Performer RAY KENNEDY
Fight Choreographer TED HEWLETT
Press Representative SAM RUDY MEDIA RELATIONS
Cast
Bill Wilson – Robert Krakovski
Dr. Bob Smith – Patrick Husted
Man – Marc Carver
Lois Wilson – Rachel Harker
Anne Smith – Kathleen Doyle
Woman – Deanna Dunmyer
I admit it. I had some preconceived notions about a play about the founders of
Alcoholics Anonymous. Surprisingly, they were all unfounded. AA is referred to
only once during the course of BILL W. and Dr. BOB, in the epilogue, and
we see the founders in a not entirely brutal, but a genuinely flawed and human
light. Most unexpected, however, was the humor. How human, however, to find
humor, perhaps gallows humor, in the depiction of situations so inherently dire.
Admittedly, the show progresses a tad too slowly at first, with a series of
scenes displaying the requisite unhappy home lives of the title characters.
Towards the end of act one, however, when these two men cross paths and begin to
talk, revealing their demons to one another and the audience simultaneously, the
heart of the show begins to beat.
There is some engaging acting in BILL W. and Dr. BOB. Most notably,
Patrick Husted as the hard drinking and pill-popping surgeon, Dr. Bob Smith and
Kathleen Doyle as his long-suffering wife. The play itself shifts between a
memoir and an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting confessional. Not written as the
dark, uncomfortable cautionary tale it could have been, authors Bergman and
Surrey opted instead for a lighter travelogue of the