Oct 08

Catfish, Opera Served Cold: SIREN SONG

Presented as part of the Boston University College of Fine Arts Fringe Festival
Based on the novel by Gordon Honeycombe
Composed by Jonathan Dove
Libretto by Nick Dear
Stage direction Jim Petosa
Conducted by William Lumpkin

Oct. 4 – 6, 2013
BU Theatre, Lane-Comley Studio 210
Huntington Ave
Boston, MA
BU Fringe on Facebook (directions at bottom of page)

More Fringe Works
Dark Sisters playing Oct. 11 – 12, 2013
Back Bog Beast Bait playing Oct. 22-27, 2013

Review by Kitty Drexel

**Not suitable for kids. Sex is for grownups.**

(Boston) In Homer’s The Odyssey the sirens were mermaid-like creatures with a voice so intoxicating that sailor’s ships crashed into land. Outdated slang defines a women so gorgeous that she drives sanity from the minds of men. Jonathan Dove and Nick Dear’s opera combines the myth of olde with the modernized definition in their rarely performed work, Siren Song. Continue reading

Oct 07

The Darkness Hides Gothic Metaphor: Angela Carter’s HAIRY TALES

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/1/?ui=2&ik=eacf24cc2b&view=att&th=14184f51c57570ee&attid=0.4&disp=inline&realattid=f_hmdt1esw6&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-8Q_l0QzPMOYuJpu9b4yGh&sadet=1381175239451&sads=OdvDtUQSpD0JQHDVDkF_bqe5Y58

Photo credit: Roger Metcalf; Amy Meyer and Poornima Kirby as The Countess. The Countess is beside herself. See what I did there? No? Fine.

Presented by Imaginary Beasts
Angela Carter’s Hairy Tales: “Vampirella: Lady of the House of Love”, “The Company of Wolves”
Directed by Matthew Woods
Music composition & sound by Sam Beebe
Choreography by Kiki Samko

October 4 – 26, 2013
Thursdays at 7:30 pm (Vampirella & The Company of Wolves)
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm (Vampirella & The Company of Wolves)
Saturdays & Sundays at 4:00 pm (Puss in Boots)
Plaza Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont Street
Boston, MA
Imaginary Beasts on
Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

***Be aware that this is NOT a children’s show. Unless you enjoy subjecting your dear ones to brief nudity, incest, cannibalism, necrophilia and heaps of innuendo. You sick bastards.***

(Boston) Some of the reviews for Hairy Tales lead with how author Angela Carter isn’t popular in the US. Not entirely true. She’s famous in the UK, yes, but she’s also famous here. She’s famous among people who enjoy magical realism (and modern fairytales) and can’t abide trashy alternatives. Carter’s not as famous as Jane Austen or the Brontës but famous enough that her books are still published in the US. They can be found at your local library or on Amazon. They are delicious. Read them.

Vampires and werewolves are scalding hot right now. There are more spinoff’s, movies and TV programmes than there are heaving bosoms to enjoy them. Supernatural creatures are often* metaphors for sexual desire and fulfillment. Female sexual objectification sells and, when paired with the supernatural, its related media will be inhaled by the angsty. Thus, we have a dearth of offerings to present to the generations that haven’t read Dracula but have read the famous Mormon fanfic. In the case of  “The Company of Wolves” (TCOW) and “Vampirella,” objectification gets a rest and liberation takes the stage. There is still enough angst to go around.   Continue reading

Oct 02

Unfriendly Fire Consumes: “Burning”

http://www.bu.edu/bpt/files/2013/09/Burning_8.jpg

Photograph credit: Boston Playwrights’ Theatre

Presented by Boston Paywrights’ Theatre
Written by Ginger Lazarus
Directed by Steven Bogarty

September 27-October 20
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
Boston, MA
BPT on Facebook

Special events for the current run at BPT:  Free screenings of the 2012 documentary The Invisible War on October 3 at 7:30 pm and 6 at 4:30pm.  IMPACT Boston will sponsor a panel including members of the military on October 13th after the 2pm performance.

Review by Noelani Kamelamela

(Boston) Boston Playwright’s Theatre brings local playwright Ginger Lazarus’ novel and moving treatment of Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac to the stage to serve many noble purposes.  Originally conceived as a queering of the classic, over three years of research went into a play based around a lesbian serving in the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era.  Eventually, reprehensible behavior in the military surrounding sexual assault came to be a large feature as well.* Continue reading

Oct 02

Rhythm of Rajastan Promo

Promo by Gillian Daniels

On Friday, October 4th, 7:30pm at Johnny D’s, Rhythm of Rajastan will be performing as part of WORLD MUSIC/CRASHarts.

The Indian band is unusual, deriving its music from two separate cultures in the North Indian Thar Desert, the Langas and the Manganiar.  Both approach their music with different styles. The Langas are more dependent on melody and their voices, using the sindhi sarangi (lute) and algoza (double flute) instead of percussion due to Sufi influence. “Langa” means “song giver.” The Mangiar, meanwhile, are dependent on the frantic, deep rhythm of the dholak (the double headed barrel drum) and the bowed kamayacha.
These two musical dialects have been combined by folklorist Nitin Nath Harsh.  The band was formed in North India and have played throughout North America, including the Chicago World Festival and the 5th Annual New York Gypsy Festival. They have also performed in Shanghai, Beijing, and Jordan.
A dancer will be present at their performance Friday.
World Music, a non-profit organization that attempts to showcase world culture for the benefit of New England, launched CRASHarts in 2001. They present upwards of 70 concerts a year in an attempt to educate and bring diversity to performances in the Boston area.

Oct 01

Advances in Tech Nostalgia: “How May I Connect You?”

Courtesy of Paul Cantillon, LIDEC Photo

Presented by Project:Project
How May I Connect You? (Or, Scenes in the Key of D:\)
Scenes written by Lynn Wilcott, Jeffrey Mosser, Max Mondi, Vicki Schairer, Alli Engelsma-Mosser, Tom Blanford, Louise Hamill, Gillian Mackay-Smith, Claire Suni, Sophia Shrand
Directed by Jeffrey Mosser and Vicki Schairer
Music composed by Thomas Blandford
Choreography by Alli Engelsma-Mosser
Ensemble: Sheldon Brown, Mikey DiLoreto, Louise Hamill, Gillian Mackay-Smith, Anita Shriver, Adam Thenhaus, Zach Winston, Lynn Wilcott

Sept. 26 – Sept. 29, 2013
Carol G. Deane Hall
Calderwood Pavilion
BCA
Boston, MA 02116
Project: Project on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel
Review is based on the Sept. 28, 2pm performance.

(Boston) Louis C.K. recently went on record saying that he thinks children shouldn’t have cell phones. (Some “news sources” went on record saying Louis C.K. hates cell phones. This is not true. If one watches the clip, this is obvious.) Children need to experience the horrors and joys of life as they occur. Experiencing this allows children to (hopefully) grow into reasonable, seasoned adults capable of handling the emotions of others and themselves. Perpetually having their eyes on a screen or ear up to a receiver will not. Yet, electronics also have their obvious rewards. The laugh-riot that was/is How May I Connect You? (Or, Scenes in the Key of D:\) examined both sides of the tech coin. Continue reading

Sep 30

Sinners, Saints, and Boston Roots in “Goodly Creatures”

Photo by Alex Aroyan; Smack talk shall not be tolerated.

Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston
By William Gibson
Directed by John Geoffrion

September 20 through October 6, 2013
First Church Boston
66 Marlborough St
Boston, MA 02116
Hub Theatre Co on Facebook

Review by Gillian Daniels

(Boston) Boston embraces the fact it has a long history, at least longer than most of the US.  It celebrates the pieces that are unique to Massachusetts’s development as a colony, the Revolutionary War, and the soldiers who die for a common cause.  Historical figure Anne Hutchinson has a memorial to her name in Quincy, Massachusetts, but what she symbolizes and what led to her place in history is difficult to build a fitting monument to. Continue reading

Sep 24

ADA Approved for the Mainstream: TRIBES

photo

Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo; Erica Spyres and James Caverly conversating.

Presented by Speakeasy Stage Co.
by Nina Raine
directed by M. Bevin O’Gara

September 13 – October 12
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
SpeakEasy on Facebook

There will be two ASL-interpreted performances:  Sunday, October 6 at 7PM and Friday, October 11 at 8PM.

Review by Kitty Drexel

(Southie) It is always a relief to see minorities portrayed by the Arts as their community deserves; with dignity, love and respect. We, the disabled, weren’t/aren’t always seen this way. It was (and still is) a commonly held belief of the Christian persuasion that people were born disabled as a punishment from God for sinning. This is despite Jesus saying that the disabled were walking, talking acts of God (John Chapter 9 verses 1-3). In specific, Christians used to believe that, since a deaf person couldn’t hear the word of God, they then couldn’t know God. Fast forward to modern day, the stigmas still exist even with the ADA protecting us. This is why it was so humbling to watch Speakeasy’s intelligent production of Tribes last Saturday. My hope is that this production is a sign that society is ready to welcome the disabled into the mainstream. Continue reading

Sep 23

An Earnest Mess: TWINS

Photo Credit: Boston Actors Theatre Facebook page

Presented by Boston Actors Theater
By Julian Olf
Directed by Anna Trachtman

September 6th – September 21st, 2013
Boston Playwrights Theater
Boston, MA
Boston Actors Theatre on Facebook

Review by Craig Idlebrook

(Boston) In his memoir It Would be So Nice if You Weren’t Here, the actor Charles Grodin gleefully revels in his few dismal failures as an actor, including a critique of a scene study given by a famed acting coach where she cut down most of his work on stage.  There was one moment, however, where Grodin and his fellow actor got confused about who was supposed to take a folder, and that moment, she said, was pure acting.  (Think of the frustration one must feel upon hearing such an utterance.) Continue reading

Sep 20

A Roar as Fierce as its Bite: THE JUNGLE BOOK

André de Shields (King Louie) and Akash Chopra (Mowgli); Photo: Liz Lauren

Presented by Huntington Theatre Company
Produced in association with Goodman Theatre
Based on the Disney movie of the same name and the stories of Rudyard Kipling
Book and direction by Mary Zimmerman
Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, Terry Gilkyson, Lorraine Feather, Paul Grabowski

September 7 – October 20, 2013
Avenue of the Arts / BU Theatre
Boston, MA
Huntington Theatre Co on Facebook

Run time: 2 hours and fifteen minutes with one intermission
Recommended: For adults and families with children ages 6+, but if your child is able to sit quietly through a film in a movie theatre, they will be able to enjoy this production.

Review by Kitty Drexel

***Edited because my typos were showing***

(Boston) The Huntington is known for good theatre that takes few risks. While deserving of the awards that they receive, the Huntington’s programming errs on the institutional. The shows are reliable. To any other Boston-area theatre, reliability would mean death.The Jungle Book is such a strong departure from the usual Huntington fare that their decision to host the Boston leg of the musical tour might be construed as a risk. It is not. The Jungle Book would charm the fur off of the back of the grumpiest of theatre cats.

This production is electric; a guaranteed win for the theatre: the costumes are vivid, the actors are extraordinary, and the set is sumptuous, the backing by Disney certainly doesn’t hurt. If you see anything presented by The Huntington this season; see this show. Bring your children and your parents. Bring everyone. This show should not be missed! Continue reading

Sep 13

Boston Babydolls “Cavalcade of Curiosities” Combines Striptease and Carnival

(Boston) Award-winning burlesque troupe, The Boston Babydolls, are known for their classic burlesque, but their upcoming show, The W. R. Athskellar Cavalcade of Curiosities, adds some big top to their trademark burlesque. The show runs Thursdays through Sundays from October 3 to November 2 at The Uniun (11 Sanborn Court, Somerville MA, at Union Square). All shows begin at 8:00 p.m.

The well-established troupe has been running a Halloween-themed show since their founding in 2007,
and this will be the fifth show with some variant of The Wrathskellar name. Previous incarnations of The
Wrathskellar were set in an underworld tavern and have been produced at The Davis Square Theater,
The Cambridge YMCA, and a vacant storefront in East Cambridge.

“We wanted to change things up this year,” says author and director, Scratch. “While keeping it true to
the shows that have attracted so many people to our past Halloween shows.” The W. R. Athskellar
Cavalcade of Curiosities is an immersive and interactive show, set at a traveling sideshow. As the
evening unfolds, the audience realizes that they are the prize in a confrontation between good and evil.
Highlights of the evening include a sparking tap dance, an aerial performance by Kirby Russell, and
burlesque backed by a seven-piece band.

Primary Babydolls dancer and choreographer, Brigitte Bisoux, says she is thrilled to choreograph two new
solo numbers. Teases Bisoux, “I won’t give too much away, but one involves tap dancing and a grinding
wheel!”

Co-founder of the Boston Babydolls and Headmistress of The Boston Academy of Burlesque
Education, Miss Mina Murray, promises that they’ve shaken things up this season, saying, “Every year we do something a little different with the show, but this year is wildly different and I’m really excited about the direction we’re taking.”

The W. R. Athskellar Cavalcade of Curiosities is no conventional theatre experience. This is a
promenade production. Comfortable footwear is essential. The performance lasts for up to two and a half
hours and most of the audience is standing throughout. Guests can try their luck in The Shooting Alley,
test their strength on The High-Striker, or learn what their futures hold in The Fortune-Teller’s Tent.
The W. R. Athskellar Cavalcade of Curiosities stars The Boston Babydolls, Zach Eisenstat, and Regie
Gibson, with Ava Henry and Kirby Russell. Music Direction by Alissa Coates. Written and directed by
Scratch. Technical Direction by Hunter Heinlein.

Tickets are $25.00 and $45.00 and available at www.BrownPaperTickets.com or (800) 838-3006.