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

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 lives of a couple of pathetic drunks who turned their lives around, and then set on a mission to save other drinkers, one at a time.

Anita Fuchs’ looming set design, complete with large, sliding wood panels, enhances the sense of being overwhelmed that the characters in the play seem to be experiencing. Not only the drinkers at the center of the play, BILL W. and Dr. BOB, but their wives, colleagues, acquaintances, friends and even strangers are impacted by their behavior. Rick Lombardo’s brisk direction, a style that also enables the actors to play to the unlikely humor in the situations, as well as the airy, live piano music courtesy of Ray Kennedy, counteracts the looming doom.

The overall package that is BILL W. and Dr. BOB has been tempered enough to make this work palatable for most audiences. It is an interesting slice of history being portrayed. Perhaps not rendered to perfection, but delivered with a consistent style, definitely notable.

- Kessa De Santis -

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