Election Day by Josh Tobiessen, Happy Medium Theatre, The Factory Theatre, 2/9/12-2/18/12, http://www.happymediumtheatre.com/.
Reviewed by Gillian Daniels
(Boston, MA) In the tradition of screwball comedies, a relatable everyman is the victim of seemingly normal circumstances that escalate until someone’s handcuffed to a bed and there are Molotov cocktails in the freezer. Well, maybe that’s not most screwball comedies, but the trajectory of Election Day is certainly familiar. Continue reading
Monster by Neal Bell, Boston Center for American Performance/Boston University Theatre, Lane Comley Studio 210, 2/9/12-2/25/12, http://www.bu.edu/cfa/bcap/monster.html.
Reviewed by Craig Idlebrook
(Boston, MA) A play rarely works when the actors have to emotionally sprint throughout all acts. A cast needs to pick its moments to ratchet up the tension and raise the stakes, or risk numbing the audience with melodrama. Unfortunately, the Boston University production Monster begins at a precipice of volume and angst and never can climb down to connect with theatregoers. Instead of communion, the production comes closer to an assault.
Monster is an ambitious staging of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. At its best, the tale can be a window into the theme of the messy pain of creation and abandonment from God and/or our parents. Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
Our continuing look into the artists of The Cabaret Series.
Full Name: Brian Richard Robinson Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
To close out our look into the artists of The Cabaret Series, the pianist/composer for the shows shares some shares some of his interests and passions.
Tickets are on sale for $20 now at: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9541965
Name: Tim Maurice Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
Our continuing look into the artists of The Cabaret Series.
Full Name: Jennifer Elaine Ellis Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
Our continuing look into the artists of The Cabaret Series.
Full Name: De’Lon Grant Continue reading
Joseph O'Meara, Mark O'Donald and Sarah Carlin (© 2012 Jon Sachs)
The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard, Salem Theatre Company, 1/28/12-2/18/12, http://salemtheatre.com/on_stage.htm.
Reviewed by Gillian Daniels
(Salem, MA) Much ink has been devoted to the subject of infidelity and romantic betrayal. Whether in songs, books, or plays, it’s a well-worn trope. Tom Stoppard recognizes this early on in The Real Thing, establishes that it’s a literary convention in the first scene, and spends the rest of the play dissecting what it really means to the characters. Continue reading
Katherine Leigh Doherty as Dorothy and ensemble in the Wheelock Family Theatre production of The Wizard of Oz. photo by Tony Paradiso.
The Wizard of Oz, By L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and disbuted in all media by Warner Bros, Wheelock Family Theatre, 1/27/12-2/26/12, http://www.wheelockfamilytheatre.org/feature-performance.aspx.
Reviewed by Craig Idlebrook
(Boston, MA) If I hear one more mediocre stage actress imitate Judy Garland’s tortured delivery of Dorothy Gale from the movie version of The Wizard of Oz, I will buy the Wicked Witch of the West a poncho. Inadequate productions of L. Frank Baum’s bizarre story often parrot the rampant overacting of the movie, with disastrous results.
Luckily, Wheelock Family Theatre director James P. Byrne and actress Katherine Leigh Doherty (Dorothy) set a fresh and nuanced tone to their production of The Wizard of Oz, rallying most of the cast to create characters that are both vibrant and familiar. Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
Our continuing look into the artists of The Cabaret Series.
Full Name: Cheo Bourne Continue reading
You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12, http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.
by Becca Kidwell
As the members of The Cabaret Series prepare for their next show, they took a few minutes to share a few of their interests and passions with us. Continue reading