Tag Archives: Kitty Drexel

Dec 31

Really Good Oranges: “Every Brilliant Thing”

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Cristhian Mancinas-García as the Narrator. Photo by Apollinaire Theatre.

Presented by Apollinaire Theatre Company
By Duncan Macmillan
With Jonny Donahoe
Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Scenic & Sound Design: Joseph Lark-Riley
Lighting Design: Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Stage Manager: Kaleb Perez
ASMs: Miguel Dominguez, Max Wanty

Dec. 27, 2024-Jan. 19, 2025
Performances Featuring Parker Jennings: Sat. 12/28, 1/4, 1/11, 1/18, Sun. 1/5, 1/19
Performances Featuring Cristhian Mancinas-García performing in English: Fri. Dec. 27, Sun. Dec. 29, Sun. Jan. 12, Sat. Jan 18 at 3:00
Featuring Cristhian Mancinas-García performing in Spanish: Fri. Jan 10, 17
Chelsea Theatre Works
189 Winnisimmet Street
Chelsea, MA 02150

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CHELSEA, Mass. — Every Brilliant Thing is currently in production at Chelsea Theatre Works by Apollinaire Theatre. It was last produced in the Boston area by SpeakEasy Stage in March 2018.  Adrianne Krstansky played the Narrator to the delight of the theatregoing population. The New England Theatre Geek review of that production is here. 

 It’s been many years and an entire pandemic since Massachusetts audiences last saw this play. While it is a play one never forgets and SpeakEasy’s production with Krstansky in the lead was memorable for its touching interpretation, it was not a monolith. There is room for alternative interpretations of Every Brilliant Thing. Sometimes, the most tender productions are intimate with a smaller impression. Apollinaire is one such production. 

Apollinaire’s Every Brilliant Thing is nestled in the third-floor black box theatre in Chelsea Theatre Works. After collecting one’s ticket (and adult beverage, if that’s your thing) from the hosts at the bar, patrons enter the performance space under white house lights as Big Band jazz classics tickle the ear. Our hosts told us, “All seating in the theatre is audience seating.” This means the black plastic chairs on risers, the velvet cushioned dining chairs and the loudly-patterned couches with pillows are intended for audience butts, too. We weren’t late but weren’t early so the couches were taken by other patrons. Get there early if your heart is set on couch surfing.   Continue reading →

Dec 03

Lucky Number 7: “The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show”

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Photo credit: Jacob Ritts

The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show
Presented by Boch Center Wang Theatre
Created & Written by BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon
Director: BenDeLaCreme
Choreographer: Chloe Albin
Movement Direction by BenDeLaCreme
Original Compositions by Major Scales
Lyrics: BenDeLaCreme, Jinkx Monsoon, & Major Scales
Music Production: Markaholic & Keith Harrison
Starring: BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon
Featuring: Chloe Albin, Mr. Babygirl, Jace Gonzalez, Ruby Mimosa, Derrick Paris, Scott Spraags, and Gus Lanza as “Hunky the Elf”

Dec. 2, 2024
Wang Theatre at Boch Center
270 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON – December marks the start of a very special time for us in Boston. No, it’s not the Baby Jesus’ red and green capitalist wet dream known as Christmas. It’s the month when The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show visits Boston to spread cheer (and legs) across the land, sillies. Merry Kwanzanukkahdad and Mele New Year, the holiday season has begun!  Continue reading →

Nov 29

Food Is Not Enough: “Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?)”

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DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?), Written and Performed by Zoë Kim*. Photo by Maggie Hall

Presented by Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions
Written and Performed by Zoë Kim 
Directed by Chris Yejin
Dramaturgy by Amrita Ramanan
Choreography by Christopher Shin
Scenic and costume design by Szu Feng Chen
Sound design by Katie Kuan-Yu Chen
Lighting design by Ari Kim

Nov. 12 – 30, 2024
Boston Center for the Arts
Plaza Black Box Theatre 
539 Tremont St.
Boston, MA

Article by Kitty Drexel

Age Recommendation: Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) is recommended for audiences aged 13 and older.

Content Advisory: Experiences of childhood trauma, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

BOSTON —  In the playbill for Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) after the Chuang Stage season info but before her polemic on the white entertainment industry, playwright and performer Zoë Kim writes a letter to the audience. She says, “I wish, For fathers to value their daughters. For mothers to believe their daughters.” As an emotionally neglected child who also grew into a strong, independent woman out of spite, I sincerely wish that, too. There are a lot of us out there. Kim’s story is her own, but unfortunately, her show’s themes are universal. 

Kim’s letter continues: she wishes “For you to ask a loved one how they would like to be loved.” 

We could not possibly understand the horrors and grief Kim experienced for decades at the hands of her verbally, physically and psychically abusive parents. Her autobiographical play about the family who spoke love but acted hate is Kim’s own; it shines a light on the traumatic experiences of young and adult women raised by parents who couldn’t, wouldn’t or refused to love them. Gather a group of trusting women together and they will share their stories of abuse. My mother had stories; I have stories; my sisters and aunts in faith (not blood) have them, too. We are not an anomaly, we are the victims of a pandemic of violence against women and girls. 

Kim wishes “For you to share how you would like to be loved.” 

These are the words I share with other survivors: Your abuse is not your fault. You deserve wondrous love. You deserved better then and you deserve better now. 

At a certain point in their adult development, an abused adult who perpetuates abuse onto others chooses their pain over healing. Your abuser chose to hurt you. No matter their cultural or personal excuses it was their choice and never your fault. It is possible to choose love while also choosing to hold your abuser accountable. An abuser earns forgiveness through atonement. Forgiveness is not the same as absolution.  

DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?), Written and Performed by Zoë Kim*. Photo by Maggie Hall

Kim wishes “For you to practice radical love for yourself and for others.” 

Apropos of nothing and because this is a constructive criticism site, I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention that the pacing of the first 20 minutes lags. The transition from the show’s bright, children’s theatre beginning into Kim’s life story could use smoothing. Otherwise, the story is seamless from start to finish. From its design elements to the acting, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) is impactful storytelling. 

For the folks who attended Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) and felt a kinship with its story, whether big or small, I hope you find the healing and wondrous love you need. 

These are resources available to Boston-area and Boston Chinatown victims and survivors of domestic violence:

  • The Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence: Hotline at 617-338-2355, https://www.atask.org/
  • SafeLink is Massachusetts’ statewide 24/7 toll-free domestic violence hotline and a resource for anyone affected by domestic or dating violence. 1-877-785-2020
    If you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH), please dial 711 – MassRelay Service.
    Advocates are bilingual in English and Spanish and have access to a service that can provide translation in more than 130 languages.
  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers assistance and safety planning 24/7.
    1-800-799-SAFE (7233), TTY 1-800-787-3224
    If you’re unable to speak safely, you can chat online at thehotline.org
  • Massachusetts Domestic Violence (Safe Link), 1-877-785-2020, https://casamyrna.org/get-support/safelink/
    If you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH), please dial 711 MassRelay Service
  • Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA), 617-586-1340, https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-office-for-victim-assistance
  • Mass.gov list of Domestic Violence Services:
    https://www.mass.gov/domestic-violence-services

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

It may require persistence to get help, but help is out there. Keep seeking it and it will one day find you. 

Nov 26

Ample Breast, Moist Leg: “The Thanksgiving Play”

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The cast; Photo by Sharman Altshuler

Presented by Moonbox Productions
by Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Tara Moses
Dramaturgy by Kailey Bennett

Featuring: Jasmine Goodspeed, Johnny Gordon, Ohad Ashkenazi, Marisa Diamond
Partnered with the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB)

Nov. 21 – Dec. 15, 2024
Arrow Street Arts
2 Arrow St.
Cambridge, MA 02138 

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Age Guidelines: Recommended for ages 13+

Content Warning: This production contains adult language, mature themes, racism, redface, violence, and unsettling truths of both Massachusetts’ and America’s history.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Moonbox’s The Thanksgiving Play interprets the white American history of Thanksgiving that MAGA and its ilk want us to forget. Florida’s laws, for example, would keep copies of Larissa Fasthorse’s play out of school libraries just in case a white person might feel sad by its contents. Friends, the purpose of knowing our white, colonialist history isn’t to feel sad; it’s to recognize the white supremacist systems that enabled these atrocities so we can dismantle them. We aren’t responsible for our ancestors’ actions but we are responsible for repairing the damage they caused.   Continue reading →

Nov 20

Inside and Outside of Time: Hub’s “Tartuffe”

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Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston
By Moliere
Translated by Richard Wilbur 
Director – Bryn Boice
Sound Design – Mackenzie Adamick
​Set Design – Justin Lahue
Costume Design –  Marissa Wolf
Lighting Design/ME – Nars Kelliher
Props Designer – Julia Wonkka

Featuring: Steve Auger, Lily Ayotte, Jeremy Beazlie, Patrick Vincent Curran, Lauren Elias, June Kfoury, Brendan O’Neill, Brooks Reeves, Laura Rocklyn, Kayla Sessoms, Robert Thorpe

Nov. 9 – Nov. 24, 2024
Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

Two hours with one intermission
Appropriate for ages 13+

BOSTON — Hub Theatre Company’s Tartuffe is fun. It’s one of the better adaptations of Moliere’s play you’ll see in the next four years. No doubt, we will see quite a few performances of Tartuffe and other satires in the next four+ years. It’s better seeing satiric buffoonery on the stage now rather than the unfunny buffoonery we’ll see play out on the political stage coming this January.  Continue reading →

Oct 03

Yoga Delights and Destroys: “The Hombres” at Chelsea Theatre Works

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The Hombres cast. Photo by Jason Grow.

Presented by Teatro Chelsea and Gloucester Stage Company
by Tony Meneses
Directed by Armando Rivera 
Intimacy Direction by Olivia Dumaine
Fight Direction by Robert Walsh
Movement Direction by Nathaniel Justiniano
Dramaturgy by Yijia Yu

September 6 – 29, 2024
Gloucester Stage & Chelsea Theatre Works 
Featuring Arthur Gomez, Jaime José Hernandez, Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin, Luis Negrón, Patrick O’Konis

100 minutes + 15 minute intermission

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CHELSEA, Mass. — We sincerely apologize to the cast, crew, and staff of The Hombres for our publishing delay. Life had become personally and professionally unwieldy and there weren’t enough hours in the day for our many responsibilities. Nosotros nos disculpamos. 

The run of The Hombres ended on Sept. 29. If you missed it, it sucks to be you. This play rocked.

The Hombres is a play about a generous, kind yoga instructor, studio manager, and dancer Julián (Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin) turning around to find random straight men in his studio. Julián is cleaning and choreographing a new dance piece. He turns around: BAM! Strong and silent construction site manager Héctor (Arthur Gomez, who is finally getting the larger roles he deserves) is standing in the studio offering custodial services in exchange for yoga classes. Julián contemplates the risks he’s taking by allowing Héctor in the studio after hours. He turns around: BAM! Héctor’s coworker from the site Pedro (Luis Negrón) wants classes, too. Julián can’t face the back wall for fear he’ll discover another straight guy when he turns around.  Continue reading →

Sep 22

Morality Makes No Difference Legally: “Leopoldstadt”

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The cast of The Huntington’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt,” photo Liza Voll. Projection design by Yuki Izumihara.

Presented by The Huntington
Produced in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Carey Perloff
Fight Director and Intimacy Consultant: Jesse Hinson
Movement director: Daniel Pelzig
Dialect Coach: Lee Nishri-Howitt
Dramaturgy by Charles Haugland and Drew Lichtenberg
Digital Playbill

September 12 – October 13, 2024
The Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave. 
Boston, MA 02115

Approximate run time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, plus one 15-minute  intermission.

Article by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — The Huntington presents Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt at 264 Huntington Avenue in Boston. Leopoldstadt is a two-act play that dissects the scarring consequences of Vienna’s existing early 20th-century anti-semitism and later genocide of its Jewish citizens during WWII on one extended family. It plays through October 13. 

Writing this response to Wednesday night’s performance has been difficult. Leopoldstadt is a powerful play. Its cast performs brilliantly. Director Perloff gives this epic play life and believability. I wept bitterly during Act 1 and Act 2.  Continue reading →

Sep 18

Every Moment of Life Is Decay… And Ecstacy: “Laughs In Spanish”

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From left: Luz Lopez, Daniel Rios Jr., Brogan Nelson, Rebekah Rae Robles, and Paola Ferrer. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company
Written by Alexis Scheer
Directed by Mariela Lopez-Ponce
Intimacy coordination by Paulina Martz
Dance consultant: Audrey Johnson

September 18 – October 12, 2024
Boston Center of the Arts
The Calderwood Pavilion: Roberts Studio Theatre 
527 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Laughs In Spanish is a snapshot into the lives of art gallery manager Mari (Rebekah Rae Robles) and her intern/best friend Caro (Luz Lopez) on the day of a major exhibit for a male celebrity artist. The paintings have gone missing! So the gallery’s security guard (and Caro’s boyfriend) Juan (Daniel Rios Jr.) investigates. 

They are troubleshooting when Mari learns that her mother is in town. Estella (Paola Ferrer), a true Hollywood star, arrives and disrupts everyone’s day with her presence. Her trusty assistant Jenny (Brogan Nelson) is at her side. Estella promises to help. Mari is dubious. Caro and Juan are keeping secrets. Jenny is trying to salvage Estella’s day. Continue reading →

Sep 16

If Not Friend, Why Friend Shaped?: “The Hound of the Baskervilles”

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Presented by Central Square Theater
Based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Steven Canny & John Nicholson
Directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner
Featuring: Aimee Doherty, Jenny S. Lee, Sarah Morin 

September 12 – October 6, 2024
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

The running time is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes including an intermission.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Central Square Theater’s The Hound of the Baskervilles is intentionally silly and joyfully performed. In this time of immature politicians who make up stories for negative attention like spoiled brats, it is refreshing to laugh with actors creating great theatre and not at bad actors bastardizing the First Amendment. THOTB runs in Cambridge, MA through October 6.  Continue reading →

Sep 10

For the Punks, By the Punks: “The Arsonists”

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Left to right: Julia Trueblood. Stephanie Charlton, and Kim Carrell

Praxis Stage presents The Arsonists
Written by Max Frisch
Translated by Alistair Beaton
Directed by Bob Scanlan
Costume Design by Maureen Festa
Lighting Design by Kevin Fulton
Sound Design by Mackenzie Adamick
Dramaturgy by Michael Anderson 

The Band:
Guitar and Music Director: David Kurimsky
Vocals/Arrangements: Miss Mary Mac
Guitar: Malachi Connolly  
Percussion and Backing Vocals: Benedict Dawn-Cross
Saw: Leigh Calabrese

Sept. 5 – 15, 2024
Chelsea Theatre Works
189 Winnisimmet Street
Chelsea, MA 02150

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CHELSEA, Mass. — The Arsonists is about fascists. This production is decisively, unquestionably anti-fascist (and vehemently anti-MAGA). Gird your loins and buy your tickets accordingly. 

Praxis Stage presents Alistair Beaton’s translation of Max Frisch’s The Arsonists, a morality play with a hero who learns no moral. Beaton’s updates Frisch’s original work (previously The Fire Raisers, 1953) with 21st-century language and modern references. Praxis expounds upon Beaton’s work by adding references to the Trump presidency and America’s other political chicaneries. The keen updates appeal to the modern audience member. We can laugh at the absurdity of the play while mourning the state of our political stage.     Continue reading →