Does it matter if Will's the author?

Does the film "Anonymous" have you pondering who wrote all the works ascribed to one William Shakespeare?

Photo by Gregory Costanzo From L to R: Sean McNall (Richard II), Jolly Abraham (Harry Percy), and Grant Goodman (Henry Bolingbroke)

Consider the argument irrelevant. Whoever wrote the sweeping tragedies, masterful histories, insightful comedies [and a handful of clunkers], left a worthy legacy. He wrote as an Elizabethan, aware of his time and its mores, with wit and a deft hand at characters great and small.

But more on that anon.... This theater season, there are a number of fine productions celebrating that legacy.

The Pearl Theatre Company at City Center's Stage II is tackling the poesy of "Richard II" through December 24th. It's an ambitious, if uneven effort, looking at the divine right and mortal plight of kings.

Photo by Gregory Costanzo From L to R: Sean McNall (Richard II) and Jolly Abraham (the Queen)

"Richard II" is about the tragedy and the dangers
of ruling unwisely. In the title role, Sean McNall portrays a monarch unhinged by the challenge to his absolute authority by his cousin Harry Bolingbroke (Grant Goodman).

Bolingbroke is a populist leader but sometimes Goodman's affect seems too modern for the verse play he inhabits. This Bolingbroke is definitely lean and hungry. Dan Kremer as John of Gaunt, Earl of Lancaster, Harry's aggrieved and grieving father is excellent.

Photo by Gregory Costanzo From L to R: Grant Goodman (Henry Bolingbroke) and Sean McNall (Richard)

Under JR Sullivan's direction, the cast handle the poetry as if it were prose. That is smoothly, and without any sense of awkwardness.

Photo by Gregory Costanzo From L to R: Bill Christ (Duke of York) and Carol Schultz (Duchess of York)

Elsewhere around town, at The Barrow Street Theatre, Fiasco Theater performs a completely modernized and raucous version of "Cymbelline" through January 1. Fiasco Theater has transformed one of Shakespeare's lesser works into an excellent entertainment.

Also downtown at The Public, "King Lear" has just ended its run with Sam Waterston in the title role leading a brand-name cast. "Titus Andronicus" begins performances on the 29th of November through December 18th at the Public Lab and features Jay O. Sanders as Titus.

Jay O. Sanders in Titus Andronicus, directed by Michael Sexton, a Public Lab production running at The Public Theater from November 29 through December 18. Photo credit: Joseph Moran)

Looking forward, there is the January 10, 2012 opening of The Bridge Project production of "Richard III" with Kevin Spacey as the titular monarch under the direction of Sam Mendes at BAM.

So, back to the question-- does it matter who wrote these plays? Is it realy of concern if they were writ by an unknown hand unwilling to take credit for an enduring body of English literature or by an actor named William Shakespeare?

Photo by Gregory Costanzo From L to R: Grant Goodman (Henry Bolingbroke) and Charlie Francis Murphy (Sir Pierce of Exton)


The canon is vast and eloquent. It lends itself to the spoofery of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and the serious ministrations of actors and directors the world over. It has drawn the attention of your highschool English teacher and spawned rom-com plots for decades. The dramas attract filmed homages ranging from Kirosawa to Woody Allen.

In short, Shakespeare survives critical analyses and debates over who he was and what he may have been capable of doing. More importantly, all these centuries later, he offers deep and sustaining perceptions into our lives.


For more information about The Pearl's production of "Richard II", please visit www.pearltheatre.org.

To find out more about Fiasco's "Cymbelline" at
The Barrow Theatre, go to
www.barrowstreettheatre.com.

For a schedule of The Public Theatre's "Titus Andronicus", go to www.publictheater.org

For more information about BAM's "Richard III", please go to http://www.bam.org/

Intrigue in the setting sun of the British Empire

Long before George Orwell envisioned a world in which Big Brother would supplant our freedoms, he was in His Majesty's foreign service. There he saw the despotism with which his countryman lorded it over the natives.

In "Burmese Days," adapted and directed by (and featuring) Ryan Kiggell in an aya theatre world premiere production at 59E59 Theaters as part of Brits Off Broadway through December 4th, Orwell explores the intrigues and petty territorialism of a British Club in colonial Burma.

By 1934, the hot sun of the Empire had begun to set. Orwell's first novel, "Burmese Days," catches its last few rays before it fades as the inhabitants of Kyauktada squabble and drink.

The cast of six, featuring along with Kiggell, Charlotte Allam, Amerjit Deu, Zak Shukor, Elisa Terren, and Jamie Zubari in a variety of roles, relates the tale, and embodies characters (and critters) in the tropical land.

The political machinations and petty rivalries in this small provincial world are depicted with admirable exactitude. "Burmese Days" is an interesting theatrical work, that is both a play and a series of monologues and narrations.

For a performance schedule and more information, visit www.59e59.org or
BritsOffBroadway.com

Alone in the crowd

"The Maddening Rain" is as much about knowing who you are as it is about greed and ambition.

In "The Maddening Rain," a solo show in repertory in Theater C at 59E59 Theaters through November 20th, a young man (Felix Scott) of working class background, dressed in business attire, is clearly a lost soul. The man looks to find himself and aspires to more, more money, mostly. After a series of odd jobs, ambition and greed bring him to the perfect place-- a securities trading floor.

One man shows are a feat for any actor. Felix Scott admirably rises to the occasion. His deft portrayal of a variety of characters is interesting and noteworthy. In a particularly exciting scene, his character convincingly holds an argument with his boss Andy.

The enticing set design by Alison McDowall with lighting by Emma Chapman and video projections by The Bidd Group turns the small stage into a panorama of city windows.

For a schedule for "The Maddening Rain" visit www.59e59.org. "The Maddening Rain" is part of the curated 8th annual Brits off Broadway festival at 59E59 Theaters. For more information on Brits off Broadway visit www.britsoffbroadway.com
See reviews for the solo repertory, that includes "Bunny" and "Shadow Boxing" on this site at http://tbontheaisleatheaterdiary.blogspot.com/2011/11/odd-characters-solo-in-c-in-brits-off.html

Throwing her voice, or throwing apples, either way, beguiling

It's all about love and juggling!

Perfect Catch,billed as "Throw-mantic Comedy" at Canal Park Playhouse through November 27th, follows the formula set by Hollywood for romantic comedies. Boy and girl meet, but they don't really like each other and, then suddenly, something happens to spark an interest, and finally, they are in the throes of an endearing love.

Jen Slaw and Michael Karas are jugglers who conduct their romance in near-complete silence, except for a timeless soundtrack. The pop 40s, some of them from the 40s, include some wonderfully quirky renditions of the standards like "Mister Sandman," "It Had to Be You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "9 to 5" and "Fernando's Hideaway."

The juggling umbrellas set to "Singing in the Rain" create a little peril for our lovely duo, he a little nerdy, she poised and glamorous.

Meanwhile, Nina Conti does an altogether different brand of throwing.
She is a world renowned ventriloquist enjoying her United States debut in "Nina Conti Talk to the Hand" at 59E59 Theaters in the Brits Off Broadway festivities for one week only through November 13th.

Nina Conti with her several character puppets has won awards for comedy from the BBC and the Barry Comedy Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Be warned, this is not a child-friendly show. Not that there's anything wrong with children. You may want to keep them away from the X-rated shenanigans of Monkey. Nina Conti is attractive and charming, and has a disarming way of laughing at the jokes she is about to tell through her puppets.

For more information on "Perfect Catch" go to www.canalparkplayhouse.com
For tickets for "Nina Conti Talk to the Hand" visit www.59e59.org or BritsOffBroadway.com

Odd Characters Solo in Theater C in Brits Off Broadway

Sometimes a small provocation can turn into a deadly, roiling mess.

In "Bunny," in repertory in Theater C at 59E59 Theaters as part of Brits Off Broadway through November 20th, it takes almost nothing for things to deteriorate.

Katie (Rosie Wyatt), a vindictive, insecure eighteen year old, goes along for the ride as her boyfriend Abe, goaded by his mates Asif and Jake, look for revenge on the kid who knocked an ice cream out of Abe's hand.

Rosie Wyatt in “Bunny” Photo © Joel Fildes

The one woman play is a stunning success for Rosie Wyatt as she narrates the tale, alternatively shrinking with embarrasment or bold as brass.

As Katie, Wyatt rambles on, describing the three men, her sexual history. She relates the desperation of Luton, the town in which she lives, her father's ambitions for her. She mimics the exchange between Asif and Abe about the incident that started the chase. It becomes clear, as her stories unfold in "Bunny" that she, like Asif, exacts a measure of vengeance for even the slightest slight.

Rosie Wyatt in “Bunny” Photo © Joel Fildes

Katie understands the rage that seethes in Asif as he eggs Abe on.

Rosie Wyatt, the 2010 nominee for Britain's Spotlight Prize for this role, ably carries this odd character study of an odd character. Her ability to hold our attention is a tribute to her talents, as ultimately Jack Thorne's "Bunny" goes nowhere; like purposeless anger, it revs itself up and then fizzles.

"Shadow Boxing" is a another solo show about an odd and angry character.

Jonny Colis-Scrull as Flynn in “ShadowBoxing.” Photo © Anthony Janusewski

"Shadow Boxing," is in repertory with "Bunny," and also in Theater C at 59E59 Theaters through November 20th.

Flynn (Jonny Colis-Scrull) is looking to avoid his father's legacy of mediocrity. Like his dad, Errol Sebastian Flynn, he's a boxer. Unlike his dad, he's got a shot at a title match. Also unlike his dad, he hides a secret that may unravel his promising career.

Colis-Scrull's Flynn is brusque, and charismatic. Playwright James Gaddas' "Shadow Boxing" is a compelling drama about a man looking for gentleness and kindness in the unlikely and unyielding environment of a boxing ring.

Jonny Colis-Scrull as Flynn in “ShadowBoxing.” Photo © Anthony Janusewski

For more information and schedules for "Bunny" and "Shadow Boxing," go to www.59e59.org.


Brits off Broadway, curated by 59E59 Theaters, is a festival in its eighth season, running through January 1st. For more information about the festival, visit http://www.britsoffbroadway.com/

In Hard Times, Friendships Under Strain

Three men find their loyalties rattled and their friendship shaken when a strike in the plant at which they all work unravels their relationship.

In "On the Line," playwright Joe Roland looks at how who we are is
defined by where we come from and what we do.

Dev (Jacob H. Knoll) is unpretentiously a working class guy. "Every morning I get up, I know who I am," he says, in "On the Line," playing through November 19th at Canal Park Playhouse. "I know where I'm going, I know what I'm gonna do when I get there...."

Jacob Knoll as Dev, Jedidiah Schultz as Mikey, and Matt Citron as Jimmy. Photo © Jim Baldassare

Dev has been best friends with Mikey (Jedidiah Schultz) and Jimmy (Matt Citron) since first grade. They work together at Mr. Dolan's plant,and after work, they drink together at Moody's bar.

Jacob Knoll, with a strong working class New England twang, is superb as the troubled, enraged Dev. At several points, Knoll's voice tightens as Dev begins to lose his sense of himself.

Both Matt Citron and Jedidiah Schultz are extremely talented actors and very convincing as his buddies, Jimmy and Mikey. Michael Tisdale's directs with a deft understanding.

When the plant is shut down by a strike, Dev's grit is tested in the course of "On the Line." He is a working man, and a working man has to work to be a working man. If he knows who he is, he has to stubbornly stick to that principle at any cost.

This production fills the small 55-seat space at the Canal Park Playhouse beautifully, using sound (by Colin Alexander) and projections (designed by Ryan Dickie under the Technical Direction of Vadim Ledvin) to add mood and depth.

Jacob Knoll (front) as Dev and Matt Citron (back) as Jimmy, at work in “On the Line.” Photo © Jim Baldassare



For more information and for a schedule of performances, visit http://www.canalparkplayhouse.com/home.asp

Family=Drama Even Among Gurney's Staid WASPs

The landscape of family can be a minefield, especially family steeped in a tradition of the "stiff upper lip" like the White Anglo Saxon Protestants. A.R. Gurney (more casually known as “Pete”) has been traversing this terrain, analyzing WASP culture and customs like a field anthropologist throughout his long career. In “Children,” his first play written in 1974, ARG launches his analysis from John Cheever’s short story, “Goodbye, My Brother.”

The WASPs in ARG’s world live in changing times. In “Children," enjoying a revival in a TACT production at The Beckett Theatre through November 20th, a wealthy family gathers at their summer home on an island off the Massachusetts coast on the weekend of the 4th of July, 1970.

Margaret Nichols, Richard Thieriot and Darrie Lawrence. Photos © TACT  



These children of privilege each face the societal changes differently.

Mother (Darrie Lawrence), having lived by the rules, now hopes for more. She raised children who disappoint in their messy ordinariness and is finally ready to follow her passion by marrying “Uncle” Bill.

Her daughter, Barbara (Margaret Nichols) is recently divorced and would like to winterize the summer house so she could move out of her Boston apartment and spend time with an old flame on the island. Barbara’s hedonism is at odds with her sense of propriety. “We have rules,” she says. Later she adds, “We’re repressive. That’s what my therapist says.”

Margaret Nichols and Darrie Lawrence  



Brother Randy (Richard Thieriot), a jock and schoolteacher, plays competitively, if not fairly. Winning at tennis is his finest ambition, as if all his good breeding has degenerated into childish aggressiveness. He wants nothing more than to repave the neglected tennis courts at the house.

Like the unseen younger brother, Pokey, Randy’s wife Jane (Lynn Wright), thinks there should be more to life than the restrictive traditions, the country club dances, the games and score keeping.

Lynn Wright and Richard Thieriot prepare to go to the Country Club ball  

Pokey, the matriarch's favorite and most troublesome child, aims to throw a wrench in all their plans.

TACT- The Actors Company Theatre- is a talented young company, formed in 1992. Richard Thieriot is a guest in this cast made up of old TACT hands. In “Children” under the direction of Scott Alan Evans and with the WASP-appropriate period costumes designed by Haley Leiberman, they have ably created a time capsule of a uneasy if very comfortably well-off family.

Darrie Lawrence, Lynn Wright, Margaret Nichols and Richard Thieriot  

Visit http://tactnyc.org/ to learn more about “Children”

The Charm and Wit of Canal Park Playhouse

The artistic director, Jack Coates, is a dummy, sorry to say. The producer, Kipp Osborne, has had a varied career in theater as an actor on and off-Broadway and on the small screen. Kipp Osborne, Mr. Coates claims, is also a ventriloquist.

Messers Coates and Osborne are joined at Canal Park Playhouse by Sara Murphy as Managing Director.

Ms. Murphy is an advocate for young theater companies whose previous roles included programming at the Zipper Factory Theater. Their Technical Director is Vadim Ledvin, who has extensive experience in lighting and sound design.

Rounding out the production team is the Resident Playwright, Joe Roland, whose "On The Line," opening for previews on October 27th, enjoyed an earlier run at the Cherry Lane Theater.

The Playhouse occupies the ground floor in a landmarked 1826 Canal House in Tribeca. The upper floors are a bed and breakfast, known as The Canal Park Inn. Patrons at the Playhouse, may enjoy a very reasonably priced brunch from 10:30am to 6:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

On our recent visit, we spoke to a couple from Birmingham, Al, who with their comrades from around the south, were enjoying their stay. The group of four couples each had one of the suite-like rooms upstairs, happily occupying the entire Inn for the week.

For more information about Canal Park Playhouse and its upcoming productions, visit http://www.canalparkplayhouse.com/. For information on the newly opened Canal Park Inn, visit
http://www.thecanalparkinn.com/

That's Absurd! The Surreal Worlds of Ionesco and Rapp

Legend has it that Eugene Ionesco was so taken by the phrase book when he tried to learn English that he decided to create a play, originally to be named L'anglais sans peine (or English without toil ), in honor of the strange dialogues the Assimil method offered.

"The Bald Soprano", on stage at the Pearl Theatre Company's home at City Center Stage II, through October 23rd, is a rare sighting in the United States. (Since 1957, it has been performed at the Théâtre de la Huchette so it has become one of the most frequently staged plays in France.)

As a playwright, Ionesco revels in the absurdity that comes out of (mis)communication. He is one of the premiere proponents of the theater of the absurd. The genre comes out of existentialism, and is meant to be nihilistic and gloomy. In Ionesco's hands, it is genial and cheerfully good-natured.

The text in "The Bald Soprano" resembles more a conversation between Burns and Allen than one with Jean Paul Sartre or Camus.

The Smiths, an ordinary couple, enjoying an after dinner chat, talk at cross purposes as if everything they say is lost in translation. Mrs. Smith (Rachel Botchan) rattles on about what they had for dinner. She seems to be reciting the menu by rote. Mr. Smith (Bradford Cover) grunts and reads his paper.

Bradford Cover as Mr. Smith and Rachel Botchan as Mrs. Smith Photos by Jacob J. Goldberg 

The dynamic between words and meaning, and even identity and meaning, seems to be lost. Nothing and everything is what it seems. The Fire Chief (Dan Daily) is hunting fires, and invites Mrs. Smith to confide in him as if he were her confessor, as he puts it. The play, like its title, is judiciously absurd.

Jolly Abraham as Mrs. Martin and Rachel Botchan as Mrs. Smith Photos by Jacob J. Goldberg 


The Martins, (Brad Heberlee and Jolly Abraham) who come to visit the Smiths, recognize each other by all the coincidences of where they live, the child they each have, etc. but Mary (Robin Leslie Brown), the Smith's meddlesome maid, interrupts to let us know that despite the coincidence of same domicile they are not who they think they are.

Dan Daily as The Fire Chief and Robin Leslie Brown as Mary Photos by Jacob J. Goldberg 


The production, directed by Hal Brooks, paces itself to savor all the incongruity in the text. "The Bald Soprano" offers a welcome touch of life and confusion to the Fall theater season.

Heir to Ionesco?

Adam Rapp has a much darker absurdist vision in his new play, "Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling".

"Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling", on stage at Classic Stage Company in an Atlantic Theater production through October 30th, skewers reality with subtle hints that everything is awry.

There are Canada geese falling like large hail from the skies, which are an unhealthy color. The predatory Sandra (Christine Lahti) flirts pornographically with her husband's, Dr. Bertram Cabot's (Reed Birney) old college chum, Dirk Von Stofenberg (Cotter Smith) even before her husband leaves the room.

Reed Birney as Bert, Christine Lahti as Sandra, Cotter Smith as Dirk, Betsy Aidem as Celeste, Shane McRae as James, and Katherine Waterston as Cora Photos by Kevin Thomas Garcia  

Dirk and his wife Celeste (Betsy Aidem) are at the Cabots to celebrate their son James's (Shane McRae) release from a psychiatric institution.
The Cabots daughter, Cora (Katherine Waterston) flirts with James while the parents are touring the reconstructed basement.

Wilma (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), the family's live in maid from Red Hook, walks in on James and Cora. Wilma takes it in her stride; nothing seems out of the ordinary in this household or in this play. For instance, it's a kind of play on the concept of a French maid, that Wilma is expected to serve drinks and dinner in French, under the auspices of Sandra, who bullies everyone with equal joie de vivre.

Shane McRae as James, and Katherine Waterston as Cora Photos by Kevin Thomas Garcia  

"Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling" adds a malignant twist to its comedy. The actors all acquit themselves well but Christine Lahti's vicious Sandra, is a rare treat; she is deadly serious and very very funny. Her behavior surprises but does not shock even in this staid Connecticut setting.

"Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling" soars.

For performance schedule and to learn more about the Atlantic Theater Company, go to http://www.atlantictheater.org/

For more information on The Pearl Theater Company, visit http://www.pearltheatre.org/

A Love Story for the Cyber Age: Extended to 29 October

There is so much new territory for the theater to cover in this super-connected, highly wired world--Google, Twitter, email, hackers, videogames-- and a lot of it just doesn't seem like it could be theatrical, does it? In Mangella, where a computer nerd meets a tech savvy prostitute via Craigslist, there is plenty of theatricality.

Connectivity takes on a whole new meaning in "Mangella," a play billed as a cyber-thriller, and produced by Project:Theater at the Drilling Company extended through October 23rd 29th.

In "Mangella," Gabriella (Ali Perlwitz) is a seductive temptress; her jealousy of Lilly (Hannah Louise Wilson)is only natural since she and Ned (Anthony Manna) have such an intimate relationship.

Gabriella is Ned's outdated computer. Lilly is a prostitute Ned hires to visit his father, known to himself as Mangella St. James (Bob Austin McDonald), a black blues man.

Ned keeps Mangella, once a dentist named Stephen Frangipani, tethered to a wheelchair in his back room, in the hope that his father will recall memories of the mother Ned lost as a young boy.

Ali Perlwitz as Gabriella_with Anthony Manna as Ned in “Mangella.” Photo by Lee Wexler  

While all the actors are excellent, Ali Perlwitz handles a particularly Shakespearean fugue in the play with special finesse.

Ken Ferrigni has written well-observed love story.

Hannah Wilson as Lilly_with Bob Auston McDonald as MangellaSt James in “Mangella.” Photo by Lee Wexler  


Joe Jung directs the action at a lovingly fast-pace, balancing the energy and innocence of the characters with the absurdist storyline.

"Mangella" uses video to enhance its action and illustrate its plot in a very entertaining way.

Ali Perlwitz as Gabriella_with Anthony Manna as Ned in “Mangella” engage in videogaming. Photo by Lee Wexler  

For more information about and performance schedules for "Mangella" ,
go to www.projecttheater.org. Tickets may be purchased through SmartTix at www.smartix.com.

Unspeakable Acts?

In James Lantz's "The Bus", two teenage boys share a secret love in a small midwestern town.

"The Bus", at 59E59 Theaters through October 30th, is kind of a protest play, broadly about "the love that dare not speak its name," but with no polemics and plenty of heart.

Bryan Fitzgerald (back) withWill Roland . Photo by Carol Rosegg  

Ian (Will Roland) and Jordan (Bryan Fitzgerald) meet in an abandoned bus that serves as the landmark pointing to the Golden Rule Church looming at the top of the hill. Ian's angry father, Harry (Travis Mitchell) owns the land on which the vehicle is parked, and its presence on his property begins to irk him.

There is a character called The Little Girl (Julia Lawler) in "The Bus" who is the scene-setter and narrator in this intentionally minimalist play. She paints vivid pictures of the surroundings as the story unfolds.
She is also Jordan's little sister.

While Jordan is disdainful of religion, and open about who he is, Ian is conflicted. His sexuality is as much of concern to him as it is to both his parents.

Ian's mother, Sarah (Kerry McGann), has substituted church for family since her divorce from Harry. Sarah drags an unwilling Ian to services on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Will Roland as Ian with Bryan Fitzgerald as Jordan in James Lantz’s “The Bus”. Photo by Carol Rosegg  

"The Bus" is heartfelt, intimate, and engrossing.
To learn more about and for performance schedules for "The Bus" go to www.59e59.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good people, evil deeds?

You might not be comfortable setting your moral compass by this guy, but Mickey (Michael Mastro) is a great friend.

"Any Given Monday", Bruce Graham's award winning play, on stage at 59E59 Theaters through November 6th, explores issues of good and evil, which, in its scope, may be relative, with equal measure of insight and humor.

Paul Michael Valley as Lenny and Michael Mastro as Mickey in Bruce Graham’s “Any Given Monday.” Photo by Carol Rosegg  

Mickey and Lenny (Paul Michael Valley) have been buddies since boyhood. Mickey, it seems, will do anything for Lenny.

Michael Mastro has the physicality and delivery reminiscent of Art Carney. His sardonic manner is devastatingly funny.

When Lenny's wife, Risa (Hilary B. Smith) leaves him for the excitement of an affair with the unseen Frank, Mickey shows up to watch Monday night football with his old pal. He is also there to assure himself that Lenny isn't suicidal. Lenny's daughter, Sarah (Lauren Ashley Carter)comes home from college with much the same purpose.

Lauren Ashley Carter as Sarah and Hilary B. Smith as Risa in “Any Given Monday.” Photo by Carol Rosegg  

The disimpassioned amorality in "Any Given Monday" is supported by a deep understanding of the philosophical both sides. Or as Mickey tells Sarah, all three sides-- most people, he says, do neither the right thing nor the wrong, but rather do nothing.

"Any Given Monday" is good for any day of the week.

Lauren Ashley Carter as Sarah and Michael Mastro as Mickey. Photo by Carol Rosegg  

To learn more about and for performance schedules for "Any Given Monday", please go to www.59e59.org

A Mother's Joys, A Mother's Suffering, Parenthood 101

The concept behind "Motherhood Out Loud" is to have a tag team of writers, some playwrigts, some novelists, weave tales of the joy and pain of motherhood.

Created in the spirit of "Love, Loss and What I Wore" or "The Vagina Monologues" but using fourteen authors to voice the show and a permanent cast of four to give embody it, "Motherhood Out Loud"
, in a Primary Stage production at 59E59 Theaters through October 29th, is the brain child of producers Susan Rose and Joan Stein.

The episodes, divided into five "Chapters" each with four scenes, cover the ground from giving birth to finding an empty nest, or as Cheryl L. West puts it in her segment, "Squeeze, Hold, Release."

(L to R) Mary Bacon, Randy Graff, and Saidah Arrika Ekulona. Photo credit: James Leynse. 

Michele Lowe, the most prolific of the contributors in "Motherhood Out Loud" frames the intros of each selection of scenes with things she calls "Fugues" as in "Fast Births Fugue" or "Graduation Day Fugue." Ms. Lowe also wrote a couple of skits ("Bridal Shop" and "Queen Esther") for the show.

.(L to R) Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Mary Bacon and Randy Graff Photo credit: James Leynse. 

The stories like the ones from Marco Pennett ("If We're Using a Surrogate, How Come I'm the One with Morning Sickness"), David Cale ("Elizabeth"), Leslie Ayzavian ("Threesome")or Claire LaZebnik ("Michael's Date") feel very personal.

Other monologues -- for instance by Beth Henley ("Report On Motherhood")
or Jessica Goldberg ("Stars and Stripes") feel more imagined.

Some of the material just seems a bit generic, like Brooke Berman's "Next to the Crib," for example.

James Lecesne Photo credit: James Leynse. 

Mary Bacon (Actor A), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Actor B), Randy Graff (Actor C), and James Lecesne (Actor D) willingly work back and forth through the copious bits and pieces that include adoption, senility, in-laws, and parents, sometimes hitting the mark, sometimes misfiring.

Parts of "Motherhood Out Loud" are funny, or moving, or surprising, but it remains a pastiche, and somehow the parts just don't add up to a whole play.

Celebrate and dance with a Paul Taylor Dance Company "star"

Our friends at Paul Taylor Dance Company are offering adult classes beginning this weekend.

The 15-week session begins September 24, and will be held on Saturdays from noon - 1:30 p.m.

The class is being taught by former Taylor dancer Raegan Wood and is designed for dancers and non-dancers alike.

Come kick up your heels at the festivities.

Visit www.ptdc.org to learn more about participating.

Careful what you wish for....

Alan (Keith Nobbs) should have heeded the old warning about being careful what you wish for....

Keith Nobbs as Alan with Kevin Kilner as Doug in a photo by Richard Termine 

What if your dad turned out to be just the sort of creep who abandoned his family as Doug (Kevin Kilner) had when Alan was five?

There is nothing Alan wants more, in Lanford Wilson's "Lemon Sky," playing at Theatre Row in a Keen Company production through October 22nd, than to live with the father he never had.

Doug says he has dreamed of having him out to California to be with him, but that Alan's mother would never let Alan come. Doug also tells him that his mother hounded him and spied on him, but that his current wife, Ronnie (Kellie Overbey), lets him breathe.

Now that Alan wants to go to college, he can be with Doug and his family, 12-year old Jerry (Logan Riley Bruner) and 5-year old Jack (Zachary Mackiewicz), and the two foster children, Carol (Alyssa May Gold) and Penny (Amie Tedesco)who live with them, and maybe with Doug's help get a part time job.

Alyssa May Gold as Carol with Keith Nobbs as Alan and Amie Tedesco as Penny in a photo by Richard Termine 

The idyllic quickly turns ugly, but expecting the dire outcome in "Lemon Sky" should not be a deterrent to enjoying the play's unravelling. "Lemon Sky" spools out the story, using narration as a dramatic technique, and promising drama as the narrative unfolds.

Alyssa May Gold's Carol is a sad teenage femme fatale whose fate, like much of the plot, is perhaps predictible. Kellie Overbey's Ronnie is strong, understanding, and protective of the life she has chosen for herself.

Kellie Overbey as Ronnie with Keith Nobbs as Alan and Kevin Kilner as Doug in a photo by Richard Termine 

Lanford Wilson's "Lemon Sky" was written in 1970 and is autobiographical. He is best known as the author of "Talley's Folly" and
"The Fifth of July."

"Lemon Sky" is a small play, that is nonetheless engrossing, and all the actors do their best to let it breathe.

For schedule, tickets and information, visit http://keencompany.org/

Powerful "Temporal Powers" Is Part 2 For Mint's Deevy Project

It has been nearly 80 years since Teresa Deevy’s play won the Abbey Theatre’s New Play competition, but “Temporal Powers” still packs a wallop. Set in a small impoverished Irish town in the 1920s,”Temporal Powers,” currently in a production by The Mint Theater Company under the direction of Jonathan Bank, closing 25 Sept., extended to October 2nd 9th was deemed ”strikingly original and of fine literary quality” by the Abbey judges.

Money and the lack of it are powerful tests of any marriage, but the Donovans have such a completely different sense of right and wrong that it is not just their homelessness that can tear them apart. Michael (Aidan Redmond) is a fiercely moral man, so madly in love with Min (Rosie Benton), his wife of ten years, that she can bend his senses in any number of ways.

Aidan Redmond as Michael Donovan, Rosie Benton as Min Donovan (Photo Credit: Richard Termine) 

Michael is content to toil without enriching himself, for the pride of accomplishment. But unlike Michael, Min feels entitled to a better life. And she is not sure that she will get it just being his wife.

(See video at http://vimeo.com/channels/minttheater.)

The plot of “Temporal Powers” subtly twists, asking questions about fairness, and loyalty, as it makes its way around the rich cast of nine characters. The troupe all handle this intelligent material ably. Eli James, along with the leads, gives a particularly admirable performance as Michael’s true friend, Moses Barron. Thanks to the workings of the dialect coach, Amy Stoller, everyone’s speech is convincingly country Irish, yet easy to follow.

Please visit http://www.minttheater.org/ to find out more about “Temporal Powers” and The Mint’s Deevy Project.

"Temporal Powers" is part of the 1st Irish Festival 2011.

Photo Credits: Richard Termine

Eli James as Moses Barron, Wrenn Schmidt as Lizzie Brennan in a scene from Temporal Powers, written by Teresa Deevy and directed by Jonathan Bank presented by The Mint Theater Company 

Paul Carlin as Jim Slattery, Aidan Redmond as Michael Donovan in a scene from Temporal Powers, written by Teresa Deevy and directed by Jonathan Bank presented by The Mint Theater Company 

Aidan Redmond as Michael Donovan, Rosie Benton as Min Donovan in a scene from Temporal Powers, written by Teresa Deevy and directed by Jonathan Bank presented by The Mint Theater Company 

Rosie Benton as Min Donovan in a scene from Temporal Powers, written by Teresa Deevy and directed by Jonathan Bank presented by The Mint Theater Company 

Aidan Redmond as Michael Donovan, Rosie Benton as Min Donovan in a scene from Temporal Powers, written by Teresa Deevy and directed by Jonathan Bank presented by The Mint Theater Company 

"Dublin By Lamplight" Shines Brightly

William (Willy) Hayes (Jered McLenigan), a playwright spoofing William Butler Yeats and perhaps William Fay, is on the verge of the debut of his great Irish play, "The Wooing of Emer," at The Irish National Theatre of Ireland. He also hopes to give his Theatre a permanent home through his benefactress, Eva St. John (Megan Bellwoar).

.Jered McLenigan as Willy Hayes in a photo by Katie Reing.  

"Dublin By Lamplight," at 59E59 Theaters through October 2nd is art of the 1st Irish Festival, a four week theatrical celebration of Ireland, and "The Wooing of Emer" is the play within the play.

"Act for Ireland," Willy tells his brother Frank (Jared Michael Delaney), who takes this exhortation as a cry for revolution. Willy intends it in a less political and more artistic way; his spectacle ("The Wooing of Emer") honors Ireland's legendary hero Cuchulain.

All will fall apart for Willy and his dreams for a National Theatre on the eve of the King's visit in Dublin in 1904. Eva, the Emer in his play is arrested for her part in protesting against the English King and with the Daughters of Erin.

Jered McLenigan as Willy with Megan Bellwoar as Eva and Sarah Van Auken as Maggie in a photo by Katie Reing.  

"Dublin By Lamplight" is a commedia dell'arte piece in which each of the characters, made up with mask-like faces, explains himself in the third person as he goes about on this fateful day. Michael West, the playwright of "Dublin By Lamplight" aptly describes the play as a "silent movie with dialogue." Adding to this silent film effect, it is set to piano music composed and performed by John Lionarons.

Ireland would realize a National Theatre (The Abbey Theatre) long before it would achieve nationhood. In "Dublin By Lamplight," the Irish struggle is both comic and poignant.

(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Theatre for background.)

Megan Bellwoar as Eva and Mike Dees as Martyn Wallace in a photo by Katie Reing.  

Please go to www.59E59.org for a schedule of performances and to 1stIrish.org to learn more about the 1st Irish Festival.

Also part of the 1st Irish Festival and at 59E59 Theaters: "Cirque De Legume." See review at http://tbontheaisleatheaterdiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/actors-revenge-and-other-clowning.html

Actors' Revenge and Other Clowning

Eugene O'Neill ("The Iceman Cometh," "Long Day's Journey into Night," "Mourning Becomes Electra" etc.)is not known for inspiring chuckles but the New York Neo-Futurists (Neos) know how to get guffaws out of tough material.

In fact, you might think of "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," at The Kraine Theatre through extended to October 1st, 8th as the actor's revenge on a playwright loath to allow anyone to mess with his vision. It is said that O'Neill would have preferred to have his plays just read, not acted, and his elaborate stage directions suggest an obsessive desire to micro-manage all aspects in the performance of his work.

With "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," the Neos continue the tradition they started in the mid '90s of "embracing chance, change and chaos."

The cast, six enactors, -- Danny Burman, Brendan Donaldson, Cara Francis, Connor Kalista (not pictured,) Erica Livingston, and Lauren Sharpe, --and
a narrator, Jacquelyn Landgraf (also not pictured), are inventive and lively.

Photo © Anton Nickel  

"The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," adapted and directed by Christopher Loar, compiled from seven early O'Neill works, features narrated stage directions which lead the ensemble to scramble, reassemble props, strike poses, fall onto seats, and make their exits.

There is no O'Neill script for the Neos to follow, but they elicit hysterical laughter while depicting O'Neill's descriptions of action, character (in both senses of the word.)

The cast entertain by making nuanced adjustments to capture expressions, gestures, even sighs. "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays" is exhilirating and giddy.

For more on "The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O'Neill Volume One: Early Plays/Lost Plays," and the Neos work, please visit http://www.nyneofuturists.org/
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The Other Clowning: Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry, under the direction of Pablo Ibarluzea are "Cirque De Legume"

It's the leeks, carrots, beets, onions, artichoke, lettuce and hot peppers that give these circus artists, Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry, their name. They are "Cirque De Legume!"

"Cirque De Legume," at 59E59 Theaters, as part of the citywide 1st Irish Festival, through October 2nd, hail from London by way of Paris' respected "clown school"--Ecole Jacques Lecoq. Jaime Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry enter to rollicking big tent music and great fanfare.

Photo © Mark Fearon  

After their big entrance, they seem ill-at-ease, and the rest of the performance is dedicated to challenging the audience. "How about that?" is their refrain after every trick. "Cirque De Legume" ise delicious slight-of-hand, and acrobatics in their successful effort to please the crowd.
They add a sports metaphor to their routine when she spells out C-I-R-Q-U-E... and they bump chests.

Training a barking lettuce named "Dusty" to jump for a carrot is just the opening number in this manic and charming show.

Visit www.59E59.org
for a schedule of performances. Also see what else is taking place during the 1st Irish Festival at http://www.1stirish.org/

Lessons in Fight: "Captain Ferguson's School for Balloon Warfare"

Obsessed with flight, possessing navigational skills and knowledge of the skies, and mathematical proficiency, Captain Ferguson devises a plan, on the eve of battle against the Germans in WWI, for a great dirigible attack.

"Captain Ferguson's School for Balloon Warfare," an Oracle Theatre production at 59E59 Theaters through September 4, is about zealous patriotism, heroics, and the single-minded futility of war.

David Nelson as Captain Ferguson gets ready to hoist his balloon. Photo © Alisha Spielmann  

In Isaac Rathbone’s “Captain Ferguson’s School for Balloon Warfare,” based on actual events, it is 1917 and U.S. Army Captain Thomas Ferguson has been asked to turn aerial balloons into a weapon against Kaiser Wilhelm. The character of Captain Ferguson is inspired by Captain Charles deForest Chandler, the first head of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps –later to become the United States Air Force.

The play is a one-man show with Captain Ferguson's monologue enlivened by
video projections and radio communications that add other voices to his story. These voices include his right hand man, Lieutenant Archibald Prentice, and three skeptical Generals.

"Have you realized," a General asks, "that these men are helpless, Ferguson?" However, having proven their usefulness in reconnaissance, Captain Ferguson also proposes to use the large canvas balloons to bombard the enemy line, and stubbornly ignores the challenge of his superiors.

David Nelson as Captain Ferguson answers the call. Photo © Alisha Spielmann  

David Nelson acquits himself well as the dedicated and sincere Ferguson, but the play is merely an exploration of a moment that ended in failure and not a full-blown theatrical creation.

Please go to 59 E 59 Theaters for more information on this and other offerings: www.59E59.org