Tag Archives: Kitty Drexel

Nov 17

Fun Time Field Trip to NYC: “Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or, How I started the Iraq War”

Posted on by
Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniels; Who's Das Man? You're Das Man.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniels; Who’s Das Man? You’re Das Man.

Presented by Charlie Fink, Lee Seymour
Produced by the New Musical Foundation, Inc
Music & Book by Marshall Pailet
Lyrics & Book by A.D. Penedo
Based on a screenplay by J.T. Allen
Directed by Marshall Pailet
Music directed, arranged, accompanied by Rona Siddiqui
Choreography by Misha Shields

Performances are ongoing
The Actors Temple
339 W 47th St, between 8th and 9th Ave,
New York, NY 10036

Review by Kitty Drexel

On occasion Geeks go to NYC. On occasion we review shows while we’re there. This is one such review.

(New York, NY) Sweet Mary Mother of God did George W. Bush, Colin Powell and, most specifically, Dick Cheney screw over the American people with the Iraq war. To say that the events leading up to and immediately after were FUBAR, would be putting it lightly. There were no weapons of mass destruction; the US pointlessly wasted lives, resources and oodles of money to appease Republican impotent bloodthirst. The people never received a refund or even a proper apology for this BS. Thank merciful Zeus the arts are here to save us from horrible truths. In particular, thank Pailet & A.D. Penedo for writing Who’s Your Baghdaddy? Or, How I started the Iraq War, a delightful treatment of the events of 2001 that gives them the severity and respect they deserve*. Continue reading →

Nov 03

Appropriating the Habits of Rabbits: “Casa Valentina”

Posted on by

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company
Written by Harvey Fierstein
Directed by Scott Edminston

Oct. 24 – Nov. Nov. 28, 2015
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
SpeakEasy on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

(Boston, MA) Casa Valentina is about men who relax by appropriating women’s culture,  and feminine identity. This cutting play by Harvey Fierstein examines the subversive transvestite subculture of the mid-1950’s. According to the healthily robust dramaturgy notes by Maureen Dezell, men would don wigs, hose and dresses to enjoy a quaint weekend in the Catskills. These men unwind from their rigid gender roles with a tube of lipstick and a stiff drink amidst the glory of the New York state. Suffice to say, this is not a production for conservative types with traditional notions of what is or is not acceptable behavior for men. Tread wisely. Continue reading →

Oct 26

Exceeding Intentionally Offensive Expectations: “Gorefest: the 13th”

Posted on by

Gorefest2015Poster-medium

Presented by ImprovBoston
Book/Lyrics/Score by Don Schuerman, Steve Gilbane, Matt Chapuran and Jeff Kimball
Directed by Nate Lopez

Oct. 22 – 31, 2015
Studio Theater at 40 Prospect St
Central Square, Cambridge, MA
IB on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

Disclaimer: Mrs. Drexel auditioned for Gorefest: the 13th and wasn’t cast. She firmly believes that only a superficial ass would allow something like that to taint (heh) her review.

(Cambridge, MA) The cast, crew and band of Gorefest: the 13th were frickin’ awesome. It was a good time getting splattered with blood and urine by IB last Saturday. It always is. That being said, when was Gorfest moved from the Main Stage to the Studio Theater? Who’s crazypants idea was it to move the Boston-area cult classic musical into a smaller space? Cramming that many warm bodies into that room, even with the wooden benches, is not cool. It’s not good for the cast. It’s not good for the audience. Get yourself sorted, IB. Continue reading →

Oct 17

One Out of Three Ain’t Good: “A Number”

Posted on by
Photo by Andrew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures

Photo by Andrew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures

Presented by New Rep Theatre
Written by Caryl Churchill
Directed by Clay Hopper

Oct. 10 – Nov. 1, 2015
Arsenal Center for the Arts
Watertown, MA
New Rep on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

Apologies to the cast, crew and staff of A Number. Mrs. Drexel caught the sniffle plague and was unable to write intelligibly.

(Watertown, MA) Churchill throws us into the middle of the conflict: Salter (Dale Place) and son are violently discussing the son’s birth origins. Regardless of the half-truths Salter weaves, it is made clear that the Bernards (Nael Nacer) is one of any number of clones. The Bernards hate each other. Salter must come to terms with his rash decision to play God. In her pithy way, Churchill approaches identity, the morality of cloning by way of personal property, and the timeless conflict between nature and nurture. Continue reading →

Oct 13

Pretty is Currency: “Miss Penitentiary”

Posted on by
unnamed

Photo credit: Tanner Tinso

Presented by Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company
Written by Laura Neubauer
Directed by Alyce Householter
Choreography by Kaitee Tredway

Oct. 2 – 17, 2015
Boston Playwrights Theater
Boston, MA
Maiden Phoenix on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

Trigger Warning: Feminism

Disclaimer: Ms. Drexel auditioned for Miss Penitentiary and was not cast. She firmly believes that only an ass would allow something like this is taint a review.

(Boston, MA) The prisoners of the International Penitentiary of the Individually Incarcerated are us. If Miss Penitentiary is a creepy show, it’s because western society’s standards of beauty for women are creepy. If the characters remind you of inmates in a mental health facility, it’s because women are held to such impossible beauty goals that they make themselves crazy attempting to obtain them. Like the guests of the “Hotel California,” women can check out any time we like but we may never leave. Continue reading →

Oct 12

Truthfully, There Are A Few Rules In the Clown Bar: CLOWN BAR

Posted on by

clownbar
Presented by Theatre on Fire
Written by Adam Szymkowicz
Directed by Darren Evans

Oct. 2 – 24, 2015
Charlestown Working Theater
442 Bunker Hill St
Charlestown, MA
TOFon Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

Disclaimer: Ms. Drexel auditioned for Clown Bar and was not cast. She firmly believes that only an ass would allow something like this is taint a review.

A clown noir is a noir with clowns. Clown Bar is a noir set in a bar run by clowns. I tried telling this to my housemate the other night. He accused me of stringing random nouns together, and demanded that I make sense immediately. He was being serious, not quite as serious as mobster clowns running a legal drinking establishment known for its illegal murder activities but serious enough to turn down my offer to join me on principle. It’s a shame because Clown Bar was everything its name implied and more. Continue reading →

Oct 12

Thank You Capt. Obvious: “appropriate”

Posted on by
Photo by Nile Hawver / Nile Scott Shots

Photo by Nile Hawver / Nile Scott Shots

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Co.
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara
Fight choreo by Angie Jepson
 
Sept. 12 – Oct. 11, 2015
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
SpeakEasy on Facebook
 
Review by Kitty Drexel
(Boston, MA) It should not take a white person to teach another white person that racism exists. And yet, the case almost always is that white people can’t simply trust the experiences of black people. No, frequently a white person has to verify from other white people that POCs across the color spectrum aren’t lying for attention or handouts. Racism exists. It isn’t going away just because a group of old white men decided they don’t want to fight against it anymore (see the US govt.).

Enter: Jacobs-Jenkins’ appropriate. The Lafayette family has returned to their crumbling Arkansas plantation to hash out Father Lafayette’s hoarding problem, loans, and bigotry. Childhood was hard on them and everyone feels entitled to an apology they aren’t going to get. This entitlement wrapped in bitterness seeped in brittle pain results in violent arguments instead of the reunion they were hoping for. Continue reading →

Sep 29

On Rye: “Salomé”

Posted on by
12003147_675796802520187_4985485794496055915_n

Welcome to the gun show.

Presented by Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston
Written by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Olivia D’Ambrosio

Sept. 24 – Oct. 18, 2015
First Church Boston
Boston, MA
Bridge Rep on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

(Boston, MA) It is fitting that the performances of Salomé coincide with the supermoon lunar eclipse aka Blood Moon. The night’s full moon took a red hue from the shadow cast on it by the Earth. It was a match for the moon image used in the production by Bridge Rep. on Sunday night. As heard through my social network after the performance, both moons were the unhappy source of chicanery on and off the stage. Continue reading →

Sep 25

Stop Staring At Me Bob Goulet: THE BOYS IN THE BAND

Posted on by
Photo by Joel Benjamin

Photo by Joel Benjamin

Presented by Zeitgeist Stage Company
By Mart Crowley
Directed by David J. Miller

September 11th – October 3rd, 2015
Plaza Black Box Theater at the
Boston Center for the Arts
Zeitgeist on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

(Boston, MA) In performance, sometimes it is more important to get a pivotal work onstage than it is to do it perfectly. Zeitgeist’s production of The Boys in the Band is flawed. Its flaws are less important than bringing this historically game-changing play to the stage for new generations to contemplate. Just as it is more important to treat the LGBTQ+ community with the respect and dignity we deserve than to be polite. Continue reading →

Sep 22

If You’re Alive, You’re Afraid: BROKEN GLASS

Posted on by
Photo by Andrew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures

Photo by Andrew Brilliant / Brilliant Pictures

Presented by New Rep Theatre in partnership with the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA Boston Chapter).
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Jim Petosa

Sept. 5 – 27, 2015
Arsenal Center for the Arts
Watertown, MA
New Rep on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

(Watertown, MA) It is no wonder that America didn’t suspect that Adolf Hilter was a major threat to Europe, Germany, or the world. His staff lead a campaign that depicted him as a congenial yet private Everyman with a love of children and the outdoors. This branding made Hitler out to be a decent guy, not the Jew, intellectual, and LGBT hating dictator he was. America didn’t recognize Hitler for the power-hungry villain he was until it was almost too late. Marketing works, people. Raw Story has an excellent, rather brief article up. I highly suggest reading it for theatrical and historical perspective. Continue reading →