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Spotlight On...Ilinca Tuvene

June 27, 2016, 10:48 am
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Name: Ilinca Tuvene

Hometown: Focșani, Romania (although I moved away as a kid and most grew up in Bucharest)

Education: Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute (Two Year Conservatory)

Select Credits: Natasha in Brooklyn Repertory’s Three Sisters (Fourth Street Theater), Anna Square & Princess Soutzo in Robert Blumenfeld’s Interludes of the Heart (The Players Club), Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Carol in Woody Allen’s Central Park West, Lida in Alexandru Mâzgăreanu’s Dear Yelena Sergheyevna (The Bucharest Comedy Theater).

Why theater?: I think it’s the only place where I have the courage to fully be myself and explore who I am underneath my social layer. On a less selfish note, it is a wonderful way to give comfort, entertain, immerse someone in a different life for a couple of hours. Sometimes I think our industry is selfish and self-centered, but then I’m reminded that art does have the power to change lives, I know it did it for me many many times.

Who do you play in The Winter’s Tale: I play the love-struck shepherdess turned princess Perdita.

Tell us about The Winter’s Tale: The Winter’s Tale is a very odd play - critics call it one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” - you don’t quite know what genre to place it in. The first three acts are incredibly gloomy, weighed down by jealousy and tragic deaths (hence the infamous stage direction - exits, pursued by a bear), while the fourth act is a perpetual party and even the serious moments where my lover’s father threatens to carve my face out with a knife have a certain lightness to them, we know deep down that it’s all going to be okay - after all, it’s Bohemia (which Shakespeare insinuates is the land of drunks and party people). In the end, it’s a beautiful story and I’m truly enjoying playing a sincere character who is full of hope and brightness.

What is it like being a part of The Winter’s Tale?: The past month of rehearsals has been a delight - the Dysfunctional Theater Collective together with director Ivanna Cullinan are wonderful, and very welcoming - it’s always intimidating to join a group that have known each other for ages and you’re the outsider, but they made me feel like home. The best thing about it is that we rehearse on Governors Island, where they have an artist residency, so every weekend feels like a mini holiday. Other than that, I am supremely terrified since it’s my first official Shakespeare, but I have faith!
 
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: When taking the Meyers Briggs personality test, I will always choose the option that says "I prefer trying new, risky solutions to old problems" - I'm part of the millennial generation (yes, I know the stigma) and one thing I love is innovation. I like pieces that express very strong opinions in unconventional presentations. Eastern Europe is quite daring when it comes to live theater - to this day one of my favorites is Silviu Purcărete’s Dr. Faustus, set in a warehouse. I find inspiration in the oddest places, but I would say that firstly I take it from my environment - the wind, an old school New York block, or (if that ever happens again) a long day on the beach. I’m also incredibly inspired by the fearless geniuses behind independent film and theater - they remind me that yes, you can. I have just seen Josh Fox’s documentary “How to let go of the world and love the things climate can’t change”, screened by HBO Documentary, and it was truly brilliant and a wake up call - our world is ending before our eyes, it’s time to stand up and do something.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: I've had a long unhealthy obsession with Vanda Jordan in David Ives’ Venus in Fur. I’m not giving up until I play that role!

What’s your favorite showtune?:“Big Spender” (oh, my subconscious)

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I have followed Xavier Dolan’s career since he started out in 2009 and I would die to get to work with him. Luckily, he’s casting non-Canadians for the first time so maybe I have a chance.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Kate Winslet for when I'm being myself, Eva Green in dream sequences when I pretend I’m French and mysterious. “An ode to life”? I’m terrible with names…

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: A year from now I will be saying Hamilton. For now I’ll go with Lev Dodin’s Cherry Orchard at BAM.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Most recently, Ironbound at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Russian Literature. (HA!) No, bad TV, once I start I can never stop. I try to pass it off for work but we all know it’s not really work. And do cigarettes count? Now I think of them more as a necessity and less like a pleasure…

What’s up next?: Well, The Winter’s Tale opens July 10th part of the Shakespeare in the Theater festival at The Brick, with additional performances July 15th and August 7th. I’m also working on a script for a staged reading which we will turn into a short film with my colleagues and friends Natalie Faye and Jessica Damouni - called “Oranges in the Lemon Grove”, it speaks about the grueling experience of feeling foreign wherever you go (whether it’s your home country) and what is the idea of home. I’m also working on a new podcast on acting with the same Natalie Faye and Ran Levy. It’s called Act Three and will soon be available on iTunes!

For more on Ilinca, visit www.ilincatuvene.com. For more on Brooklyn Rep, visit www.brooklynrepertory.com
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Review: Hoping for the Eleventh Second

June 27, 2016, 11:49 am
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By Michael Block

Parked behind a table, sitting anxiously in a chair, Padraic Lillis talks about suicide. He says the things we may not have the courage to say out loud. Through his own experience, Hope You Get to Eleven or What are we going to do about Sally? is a monologue about finding the light through the darkness.
photo by Kevin Cristaldi
Presented by The Farm Theater at the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, Hope You Get to Eleven is an emotionally driven solo piece that discusses things that can be hard to admit. Inspired by his own story, Lillis is not seeking sympathy but rather offer awareness. Lillis smartly doesn't tip toe around the subject. He brings dry humor to balance the gravitas. And there is a hell of a lot of gravitas in this play. The play came to form after his experience directing A Christmas Carol at a college where a girl from the play committed suicide. With the aftermath and his own pains finding unity, Hope You Get to Eleven began. The unique thing about Lillis’ piece is there is no moral to this story. And it’s unfair to try to offer when. Lillis tries to bring awareness to the thought of if you know you’re hurting, ask for help. He drops in the occasional fact and numbers about suicide that hammers in the idea of how dodgy the thought can be. He reminds us that someone else in the room has likely had these thoughts. Or may be having them, word for word, as he says them. And it's true. Believe me, it’s true. With the safe space of a theater, Lillis bravely shares how he found himself having suicidal thoughts despite the positives in his life. A loving relationship. A flourishing career. Opportunities to do what he loves. But when you can’t see the progress, the negative thoughts outweigh the positives. The one statistic that weighs heavy on the production is the one that inspired the title. And it’s something I wish was introduced sooner into the monologue.
From a production point of view, Lillis plays it safe in his script. Rather than reaching for analogies and metaphors, he lays it out there in a colloquial manner. He and director Scott Illingworth approach the text in a way that it seems he is talking to you. Illingworth places the table and chair on a diagonal in order to reach the two seating sections equally. It was a very strong and powerful position for Lillis to be in. For the most part, lighting designer Joe Cabrera left the lights consistent. A nice glow on Lillis. But when he goes into his bit about the bath and going under, Cabrera adds a hint of theatricality. The subtle shift was evocative and taut.
Lillis drops a quote the seemed to resonate the most with me. “Loneliness is exhausting.” Lillis’ story could be your story. It could be my story. The important thing about Hope You Get to Eleven is knowing you’re not alone. There is someone out there with open arms ready to give you a hug. You just have to find them.
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Spotlight On...Stephen Powell

June 29, 2016, 12:39 pm
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Name: Stephen Powell

Why theater?: Theater came to me later than usual. I don't mean experiencing theater (that came early when my New Yorker aunt took me and my sisters to Broadway shows), but participating in it (when I took the leap to audition for a community theater play). That first role ignited a passion that felt important and rewarding. I've been pursuing it ever since.

Tell us about A Stopping Place: This is a piece about how our individual struggles are both the glue and the repelling force in our relationships with each other. The bridge and the wall. It tells the universal story of a person who seeks reconciliation with the past in order to face the future, and the labyrinthine path to find resolution.

What inspired you to create A Stopping Place?: The spark of A Stopping Place ignited from the nature of what an actor faces when alone on stage but surrounded by people. There is an intrinsic element of 'space', both between actor and audience and between character and object. That concept began to tell its own story about connection: the inability to reach the audience physically but to appeal to them through performance; the paradox that being alone on stage infuses inanimate objects with character of their own; the sense that the performer feeds off the performance of the audience. I find these qualities analogous to the contours of all our relationships to each other as individuals. How we act toward others is not too far away from standing on a stage and reaching out into the darkness by any means possible. I became excited by the universality this form of the "one-man" show offers, and what else the aspects of the 'theatrical' tell us about the stakes of human connection.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I say this constantly when talking about A Stopping Place: I love ambitious theater. Ambitious in form, in theme, in scope, in vision. Watching a show that makes you gasp, or cheer, or go pale is a clarion call to any actor to go back to your rehearsal space and build to those same moments.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: I'm reluctant to say, because it may just come true and then where would I be?

What show have you recommended to your friends?:The Great God Pan, by Amy Herzog. It played a couple of years ago at Playwrights Horizons and left me breathless. I walked out of theater resolved to seek in every future performance the nuance and depth that those six actors showcased on that stage.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: When someone finds my life worth dramatizing, I'll have to ask them!

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I will always regret missing the musical Passing Strange when I visited he city in 2008. That show was a gem that, when I saw the Spike Lee film, did for me what the best kind if theater does: it gave me a new and startling understanding of the world and myself.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Really?? Let's say... drinking coffee after sundown.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: In an office, wondering what it would be like to be in a play.

What’s up next?: Aside from a workshop with the 600 Highwaymen (the experimental theater duo) there will be an announcement soon about the next step for A Stopping Place. Stay tuned!
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Spotlight On...Andrew Clarke

June 30, 2016, 8:46 am
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Name: Andrew Clarke

Hometown: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Education: Edna Manley College (School of Drama) Jamaica & Brooklyn Colllege, NY

Select Credits: Fences, Flambeaux, The Black That I Am, A Girl Without Wings
                     
Why theater?: I have no choice in the matter really. I was born for this. I belong on the stage. I honestly couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Well maybe singing if you consider that a separate vocation from theatre but it is still the stage. This is when I most at home, alive and in my element. So if I am asked why theatre, I’d say why not? Why the torture? Because that’s what life would be being anywhere else.

Who do you play in A Man Like You?: I play Hassan. Somali pirate. He appears to just be a hot head, but he’s quite observant as well.

Tell us about A Man Like You: A Man Like You is a conversation between a British hostage, Patrick North, and his Somali captor Abdi, set in a windowless concrete room in Somalia. Elizabeth, North’s wife provides a counter-point to the story, from the Norths’ house in Nairobi.  The play was inspired by the events of 21st September 2013, when Somali men from the terrorist group Al Shabaab opened fire on shoppers at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67. Following the tragic attack the perpetrators were often referred to as 'animals' and 'inhuman', and indeed it was hard to feel they were anything different when the CCTV footage of them blowing civilians away in cold blood was released.  The same footage also showed them however washing their feet and praying in the aisles of Nakumatt supermarket where most of the victims died, a powerful reminder that however repulsive it is, those terrorists and hundreds others like them all over the world have a rationale for their actions, and that it is one that the world basically refuses to engage with. We do not really want to look inside the mind of a terrorist and properly understand what motivates him; it may be uncomfortable, painful and worse, we may discover that in some ways we even identify with his truth.

What is it like being a part of A Man Like You?: Being a Jamaican and also an immigrant to the U.S., this is quite the interesting experience. I am hearing about the event that inspired the writing of the play for the first time thanks to this production and find myself being so drawn into the story of these men who lead such different lives, come from such different realities, who share such differing views, but I hear merit in both their arguments. It is such an almost uncomfortable place to be in when you hear through the words the playwright has put into each characters mouth ideals and concepts which make you rethink your perspective on certain things or even more importantly how we have been conditioned to respond and perceive certain people and situations.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theatre that is riveting, thought provoking, makes you uncomfortable even. Theatre that causes you to question life, your choices, who you are, and the decisions you make or have made. Theatre is that mirror held up to our face that we’ve paid X amount to be shown a reflection of ourselves, sometimes one we are not aware existed or may not be willing or prepared to accept exists.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Oh the best villain one could imagine…that person that people just HATE with a passion. I wanna make folks uncomfortable, repulsed and even my friends watch in disbelief as I have transformed into this other person, this other thing. Any role that allows me to one day do that is the role I would love to play!

What’s your favorite showtune?:“Serenade” from The Student Prince

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: On this list, Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad and James Earl Jones

Who would play you in a movie about yourself, and what would it be called?: Taye Diggs.  “The life and times of Andrew Clarke.”  haha

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: The original Dreamgirls.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Almost every musical currently on Broadway. Head of Pass - now closed.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Food! In general. I am such a fatty. Food will be the death of me though I want to be fit and sexy! haha

What’s up next?: The release of my debut EP. New territory, scary as hell!

For more on A Man Like You, visit http://www.red-soil-productions.com/
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Review: Don't Look Back

June 30, 2016, 10:26 am
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By Michael Block

The big question is do we need another theatrical retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice? The answer is only if it's good. Hadestown falls right in the middle of that spectrum. It's stunning to listen to. It's pleasing to the eye. But do we learn anything new? Not so much. Written by Anais Mitchell and developed and directed by Rachel Chavkin, New York Theater Workshop presents a feat of pure artistry known as Hadestown.
Taking a page from the infamous tragic romance, Hadestown defies the expectations of musical theater. Instead, we are gifted a concept album brought to life. With a folk score infused with creole soul, Mitchell's music is the centerpiece of excitement. The music is so incredible, you'll likely be intrigued enough to listen to it after you leave NYTW. But did it serve the story best? Not necessarily. Thinly tied together from song to song, the love stories of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone duel in a two act musical where a semblance of knowledge of the myth is useful, if not essential. Littering classic quotes and themes into her lyrics, Mitchell shines in idea. Her lyrics don’t necessarily further the plot but rather explore the inner thoughts of the thinly developed characters. To move the plot, Hadestown introduces Hermes the narrator. The messenger of the gods serves as the messenger of plot for the audience and relays just a single bit of useful information to the actual character. While Hadestown may not instill new information, it explores modern themes. Even through your optimism, the world isn't such a great place. It’s fascinating at times, especially when there’s a song about a wall and freedom. But it’s simply not enough. The score is filled with some power and excitement. Mitchell knows what hooks to keep running through out. But Hadestown doesn’t find life until Hades arrives. That’s when things take off. Mitchell’s great success is her ability to create ear worm worthy music. It’s likely a melody or two will get stuck in your head.
photo by Joan Marcus
Regardless of your feelings on the material, you can’t deny the extraordinary overall talent on the stage. Orpheus and Eurydice may be the love magnet that pulls you into Hadestown but it’s the marvel that is Persephone and Hades that you should stay for. Amber Gray is a smoky seductress as Persephone. The raspy wisdom of her tone was simply sensational. Amber Gray is a name to keep on your radar. As the villain of myth and circumstance,  the grate carpet was laid out for Patrick Page, who dominates in yet another sinister role. It’s rare to hear a genuine bass in musical theater but Page delivers. Playing Hermes the narrator, Chris Sullivan’s dark whimsy moves the piece along. He’s got more soul than you could ever imagine. Nabiyah Be found purity in her Eurydice. Even though she saw the worst in the world, Be had confidence. The musicality from the Fate trio breathes vivacity into the piece. Tonality and harmony, Lulu Fall, Jessie Shelton, and Shaina Taub are the pulse of the score. Perhaps he's a victim of fate, or comparatively blah material, sadly, Damon Daunno as Orpheus lacked the charismatic appeal to play the artist in love. And you could only take so much of his pingy falsetto. But that’s the nature of the indie style.
Artistry was in full bloom for director Rachel Chavkin and her masterful design team. But when it came to theatrics, you can’t help but harken back to similar tricks used in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, also directed by Chavkin formally staged in a similar circular fashion. Regardless, the magic that Chavkin provided was enough to make Hadestown a visual spectacle. But when it came to seating, artistry got in the way of practicality. If you kept your eye on the stunning tree from scenic designer Rachel Hauck, those woes went away. And when it came to the spectacle of light, Bradley King succeeded. Had you not known about the post-apocalyptic setting, you may not have understood the concept behind the costumes from Michael Krass. Whether you’re coming to Hadestown blindly or as a fan of Mitchell’s album, you can’t deny the breathtaking orchestrations from Michael Chorney and co-arranger Todd Sickafoose. Chorney and Sickafoose honored Mitchell’s integrity while incorporating hints of musical theatre within.
Hadestown looks amazing. It sounds amazing. But when it comes to adapting it for the stage, it didn’t succeeded as much as you’d wish. Hadestown the concert may have been just as suitable. Either way, purchase the album and don’t look back.
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Review: A Text That Never Quite Takes Flight

June 30, 2016, 11:52 am
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By Michael Block

Sexual violence and abuse is a serious subject. Finding a way to bring awareness through art is not easy. Especially if it hits close to home. That being said, not every production with relevant themes does exactly what it sets out to do. Enter Phoenix Rising: Girls and the Secrets We Keep. Presented by Living Lotus Project, the play written and directed by Laura Gosheff, finds a group of young girls brought together by circumstance as they surrealistically tackle their past.
Phoenix Rising is one of those plays that has good intent yet manages to hammer in too many concepts and ideas that hurts the overall production. Laura Gosheff’s play follows five young girls, each with a dark history of violence in their past, as they encounter ways to find hope in their futures. Through meetings with their counselor Grace, the girls are lead on fantastical journeys that open their eyes to their situation. When we learn that one of their own has found herself in the fatal situation, you'd think that would be the inciting incident that informs the production but it's not. It's just a backdrop. To Gosheff’s credit, she tries to do something different than present a weighty drama that examines difficult issues. She explores a unique style of storytelling. It just sadly didn’t work the way you would have hoped. Phoenix Rising may have greatly benefitted from a separate directorial source as well as the desire for a dramaturgical eye, as there were many textual woes. For example, with continuity being key, the girls are shocked that their sessions are about to end as the school year concludes yet have a gift ready to give to Grace. It's the little things like this that call attention to the bigger mishaps of the text. To explore the surrealistic elements, Gosheff introduces a device where Grace opens a magical book where she monologues about a woman from history that coincides with each girls’ backstory. Gosheff also introduces a plot point where Grace offers each girl a card of an influential woman to keep on their person to help their spirits. The device and plot point do not line up as the woman on the card is not the woman of the story and it desperately wanted to be as it completely minimizes the importance of the cards. Had the cards reflected the person of the surreal dream world, Grace’s influence and control would have been even more powerful. When it comes to the text itself, Gosheff has a sing songy nature to her words that had shades of after school special. And that may be due to where in time the play is set. Being set in the 80s, Phoenix Rising finds itself vainly outdated, spotlighting the sad truth that even 20 years later, little has changed. And that's not the intent Gosheff strived for.
photo by Jana Marcus
From a character perspective, there's very little active growth as the action is retelling the past and coming to an understanding. To no fault of their own, the girls were sadly cartoons. Between the era costumes and the caricature dialogue, it was hard to ground the reality within the overblown bubble. The one person who did strike a nerve by capturing the intent of her character was the incomparable Kristen Vaughan as Grace. Vaughan was like an ethereal sorceress. Despite the silliness of the surreal, you forgave it because Vaughan was just that good. She spoke and you listened to every single word she said.
As a director, Laura Gosheff was strong in honoring the intent of her text. Gosheff was high on finding the nuances of storytelling. That came through the exploration of movement. With movement by Javier Baca, Gosheff and Baca’s collaboration was stimulating to say the least. When we entered the dream worlds, the lighting from Seth Reiser was glorious. The use of the footlights and wash of color truly defined the whimsical ideas Gosheff hoped for. It was a stark contrast to the harsh fluorescents in the sessions. Sheryl Liu had some factors to work around with her set. It was very basic and accomplished what it needed to do but the second tier on the playing space caused Gosheff to lose prime staging real estate. Sound designer Julian Evans was crucial to the specificity of Gosheff’s vision. And he succeeded. Evans and Reiser were in tune, marrying lights and sound well. Angela Harner did exactly what the script called for when dressing the ensemble. Gosheff prescribed influences and they were seen on stage. But that doesn’t minimize the ridiculousness of the period. Between the hair and colors, it was hard to take the situation seriously at times.
Phoenix Rising tried to be so much more than it could be. And that was its Achilles’ heel. You can’t fault Laura Gosheff for being ambitious but ambition can only get you so far if the product doesn't translate to the stage.
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Spotlight On...Yudelka Heyer

July 1, 2016, 10:02 am
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Name: Yudelka Heyer

Hometown: Dominican Republic, San Pedro de Macoris

Education: American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Favorite Credits: Directing credits: Short films - "Unfinished Business", "Flip", "Cereal Killer", "Yellow", "With Ketchup"; Theatre - Red Valley, Good Morning and Good Night.

Why theater?: I love the collaborative process. The ability it gives in the rehearsal process to really dig deep into the character and Actor’s discovery process. The energy transferred between groups of people during this is magnetic. The image that comes to mind when I think how of far the development came from the first read to the final product is really rewarding. Theatre makes you laugh, cry, love, hate and whether you come to terms with it or not…it’s good to feel a part of that, it’s human.

Tell us about A Man Like You: It’s an original by Silvia Cassini that had its debut in Kenya.  A Man Like You is a conversation between a British hostage, Patrick North, and his Somali captor Abdi, set in a windowless concrete room in Somalia. Elizabeth, North’s wife, provides a counter-point to the story, from the North’s house in Nairobi. The play was inspired by the events of 21st September 2013, when Somali men from a terrorist group opened fire on shoppers at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67.

What inspired you to direct A Man Like You?: It is a unique well written story in which Cassini exposes powerful themes such as religious believes and terrorism.  As an artist, this is the type of story I am drawn to as it expresses a brutally specific message to its audience.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Any play that allows you to forget you are actually sitting in a theatre watching it. I really enjoy August Wilson for the strength of the relationships he creates between characters. I am also a keen Chekhov fan, but who isn’t? Passion, belief, resilience, power and killer drive are the characteristics that inspire me in an artist. As an artist, I am inspired by chocolate and Meryl Streep movies. ;-)

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Denzel Washington and Wagna Moura

What show have you recommended to your friends?:“House of Cards”

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: It will be Meryl Streep and the name will be “Hard is in your mind.”

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: The Father by Christopher Hampton with Frank Langella. I really wanted to see that

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Social Media

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Definitely a psychologist or therapist

What’s up next?: I need to go to the beach, then I’ll be coming back to plan our upcoming play and short film series.

For more on A Man Like You, visit http://www.red-soil-productions.com/
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Review: Smashterlife

July 5, 2016, 10:09 am
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By Michael Block

Picture it. Imagine a future where Ivy Lynn and Karen Cartwright are older and reunited in schlocky “community” theater. They are still continuing on with sleazy director Derek Wills. When one of them, whoever Tom Levitt wrote the play for dies due to accidental overdose, they get to watch the aftermath with the help of a ghostly friend. If you didn't get it, those were all references to the doomed cult television series "Smash". And if you replace the names, that was essentially the plot of Wendy Mae Shelton's A Light in the Dark playing the Planet Connections Festival.
photo by Sebastian Montoyo
If it sounds derivative, it is. Call it "Smash" meets "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Death Becomes Her" meets Noises Off. Any way you cut it, A Light in the Dark is derivative. But that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. The play by Shelton takes big stereotypes that were slightly grounded in reality and thrusts them into a world that's familiar to us theater folk. A Light in the Dark doesn't necessarily offer any new ideas but opens our eyes to the idea of reflection through regret. Shelton's dialogue is snappy and when a joke lands, it lands. The cliches though? Not as much. With the play within the play format, Shelton offers a super heightened story to introduce the world but any more of that play would have been unbearable. And perhaps that's where the giant laugh comes after the big reveal. We get a nice bookend with the play within the play that wraps up the story nicely. Shelton could have benefitted from a more accessible ending as the moral was hidden a little too deep.
The core characters of A Light in the Dark went to the extremes. Either big characterizations, ridiculous antics, or farfetched situations. Comedy was key. In the central role of Maggie, Jill Bianchini found her inner diva and allowed it to explode on stage. She did a fine job clocking in the rules of the world alongside the audience. When it came to sleazy, Joshua Mark Sienkiewicz nailed it. As Tony, Sienkiewicz was an indisputable bad guy. Does this person really exist in the business? Hopefully not to this extreme but nevertheless, Sienkiewicz followed the text. Taking on the not so innocent ingénue, Amber Crawford was in a different play stylistically. She played the reserved extreme. Playing the device of spiritual porter Buzzy Buckley, Al Foote III was all-knowing but easily could have had more fun. The content was there.
There's only so much you can predict when it comes to the uncertainty of festivals but a bad seat can seriously alter the perception of a show. Site lines were not in director Lori Kee's favor. Trying to add variance to her staging, it's likely any action placed on the extremes you missed. But when it came to sticking with a plan, Kee did so. She infused big comedy to Shelton's play to give it a bit more life. By avoiding the melodrama, Kee’s company entertained.
There was something old fashioned about A Light in the Dark. And maybe it's due to playing into common plot devices. A Light in the Dark will entertain you, and sometimes that's all theater needs to do.
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Review: The Tramp Speaks

July 5, 2016, 6:56 pm
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By Michael Block

Charlie Chaplin is a staple of the lexicon of Hollywood. Possibly the most well known and influential icons of the silent movie era, Charlie Chaplin was a complex persona. In Don Nigro's mesmerizing The Chaplin Plays, not only does Charlie speak but Nigro asks life's toughest questions to ponder.
In hopes of not spoiling the excitement of The Chaplin Plays, Don Nigro's piece is billed as a double feature. The first half of the evening is Charlie alone on stage joking his way through his life and career, calling attention to the little things we may not have known. By the second piece, Charlie is joined on stage by Anastasia. Is she a psychologist or is she actually the Siberian Monkey Goddess? The second half of the play is a crisis of identity as the person we've grown to know may not actually be who he says he is. Talking in the riddles of life, The Chaplin Plays forces the audience into their own perception of self-reflection. The Chaplin Plays is not what it seems on the surface and that keeps the excitement brewing. Though the second part went on a bit too long through repetition, what Nigro does bring to the stage encapsulates the enjoyment and potential of simplistic theater. And that's also thanks to the sublime direction of Lori Kee. Kee took the necessary steps to honor the person while making The Chaplin Plays stand on its own. The big twist doesn't feel forced and Kee and her players earn every beat.
photo by Al Foote III
If The Chaplin Plays will be remembered for anything it's an impeccable performance. Hips out, back arched, feet spread, shoes on the wrong feet. Ivette Dumeng did her homework to create a seamless characterization of Charlie Chaplin. Opposite Dumeng was Tatyana Kot as the precocious Anastasia. Kot’s performance was rooted into the psychological mind games. In a sense it was a bit uncertain, but the uncertainty is what made Dumeng's Charlie unravel.
The barebones style of the performance allowed the individual beats to shine. With the theatrical nature of Kee's text, lighting designer Gilbert Lucky Pearto played with color and it was just right. It allowed for variety in the best of ways. It permitted for Kee's theatrically in staging have its own personality. With just a little projection, the video by Peter Mychalcewycz of Dumeng doing Chaplin was a loving touch that paid homage to the era. Combined with the intricacies of Andy Evan Cohen’s thorough sound design. Cohen pulled the exact sounds from cinematic to the thematic.
The Chaplin Plays is one of those theatrical events that will leave you beyond satisfied. This was a team effort but Dumeng deserves a little bit of extra love. It’s a performance that’s bound to be discussed.
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Review: The Never Ending Story

July 5, 2016, 8:20 pm
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By Michael Block

War. What is it good for? Edwin Starr says absolutely nothing. While that may be an exaggeration, there may be a purpose but will there ever be everlasting peace? In Anthony P. Pennino's riveting Drones, Homer's The Iliad gets an update where the war of the play has never ended and continues on and on.
As part of the 2016 Planet Connections Festivity, Drones is a timeless tale that looks at the hardships of war though the lens of the Odysseus and our ever-advancing technology. Written by Penino, the characters are lifted to a new Greece where technological advances in battle have altered how combat is fought. When Od and his men reach a desolate village of Troy, the last remaining civilian causes chaos amongst the ranks. What Penino incorporates into his piece is varying references and ideas of the litany of the wars of the world to discuss the continuity and strife of a never changing philosophy. And it's a well-devised discussion. What was a bit amiss in this production was clarity. Where exactly in time and space are we? Were they foxholes or graves or just actually chairs? It's likely that was the point. But the more questions to ponder, the less the strong moments get appreciated. And there were certainly a number of strong moments. Though there were many false endings that could have easily been satisfying, the one Penino chose may not be the strongest. Ambiguity could have been the right option but nevertheless, highlighting the fear and struggle of loneliness of Odysseus in the final beat was striking.
photo by Travis Chantar
A small playing space to represent the vastness was tough but the six-piece ensemble made the best of the situation. The best of the lot were the Bash Brother duo of Francesco Andolfi and William Hochman as Jax and TC respectively. Andofli and Hochman seemed to ease into the parts with the strongest and most deliberate characterization. They each brought a separate gruff intensity that balanced them as a pair. It's a shame their time was cut so short. When it came to naivety, Jamison Monella as Pat played into the skepticism without dishonoring his position. Monella was a strong mouthpiece for the audience. As Od, Barry Lee Sheppard explored a monotonous dominance in hopes of supremacy. It showed Od's lack of humanity as he is bogged down by the hardships of the situation. With the brazen personalities of Jax and TC, watching Sheppard’s Od try to control them was fascinating. Word are really all you need for control.
Penino sat in the director’s seat in addition to writing. With so many people and objects in such a small playing space, Penino gave himself a challenge but was able to conquer it when he needed to. He used the strength of the natural angle for the majority of his staging, placing the five chairs in a dynamic position. While Penino was able to give a skeleton through staging, the possibility of what he could have done had the playing space been doubled in size is boundless. The little side conversations just didn’t have the impact they could have. Penino was at his best through theatricality, aided greatly by the lighting from Jason Fok. Those little bursts of color broke the flatness of the dry dessert sky.
If you have an opinion on war, and it’s likely you do, Drones is a play for you. Do you need to know the action of the inspired source material? Not necessarily but you’ll have a little more appreciation for what Anthony P. Penino has done.
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Spotlight On...Hailey Bachrach

July 6, 2016, 5:04 pm
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Name: Hailey Bachrach

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Education: Too much

Select Credits: Desdemona in Othello and Prince Hal in Hearts of Gold (adapted from the Henry IVs) with Easy Leap Theatre Company.

Why theater?: Because I didn’t make it onto any sports teams in school.

Who do you play in Much Ado About Nothing?: Claudio, and I'm also the production dramaturg.

Tell us about Much Ado About Nothing: It’s pretty much everyone’s favorite comedy, with good reason: it has one of the most charming and likeable sets of lovers, and one that reads much better in contemporary terms than many Shakespeare lovers do. But I’m playing one of the other set.

What is it like being a part of Much Ado About Nothing?: It’s fun to get back to encountering Shakespeare from a performance angle after spending some time exploring mostly from a scholarly perspective.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I’m bored with naturalism. I want to light every family living room drama on fire. I love anything that challenges the way we see the world, that forces an audience to play by its rules, that isn’t afraid to be epic. I just flew to Toronto to watch all nine hours of Rona Munro’s James Plays, and right now there’s probably nothing in the world I love more than the passion, ambition, and skill of those plays.

Any roles you’re dying to play?: Not dying to, since I’m not really an actor anymore, but I’d like to play Malcolm in Macbeth. But only if I get to wear a kilt.

What’s your favorite showtune?: Oh my God, I can’t pick.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Samuel Barnett. Any day now, I’m sure.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:"Cute or Sad: The Hailey Bachrach Story". I would be played by a Claymation puppet of myself.

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: The Booth brothers in Julius Caesar, 1864. Or Cate Blanchett’s Richard II.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Currently running? The Crucible.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Friday Night Lights.

What’s up next?: Nothing yet! Anyone hiring?

For more on Hailey, visit www.haileybachrach.com
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Review: Another Love Triangle

July 6, 2016, 8:16 pm
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By Michael Block 

Lust and love are age old ideas that seemingly get intertwined and often are a source of misguided tension and heartbreak. Such is the case in Alex Polanco's The Illusion of Love. When a cast of down and out characters hoping to change their paths gets caught up in love and lies, their futures are forever changed as truths are revealed.
photo by Alex Polanco
Playing the Paradise Factory as part of Planet Connections, The Illusion of Love is a cinematic style stage play that doesn't quite find its footing. Whether it was the overall pacing or the lack of intrigue in a non-innovative story, The Illusion of Love is a typical drama about the games we play to get what we want. Michael is a hopeless romantic who doesn’t know love’s boundaries. After only a few short months, he has proposed to his girlfriend Veronica. Only she’s involved in a blackmail lust-ship with Michael’s “friend” Richie. How Richie and Veronica are acquainted? The strip club. What happens when Michael inevitably learns the truth? Exactly what you expect. Polanco’s story has a diluted love triangle. It’s a story of lust, trust, and betrayal that tried a bit too hard to be profound. There was very little that wasn’t predictable and that does not bring intrigue. The way Polanco structured the script left a burning question of whose story The Illusion of Love was. As it stands now, Polanco tries to give Richie, Michael, and Veronica equal attention but they seem to lack a completely realized arc. Once Polanco discovers this, the focus can be pinpointed properly. The one fascinating addition to the production was in a world of realism were the bookends of the dumbshows. Aided by raucous musical accompaniment, the story of the moments weren’t as clear as they could have been. If they were eliminated, nothing would have been lost. But as it stands now, it takes away from the ending of the text.
As a whole, the performances were not as refined as they could have been. As Michael, Phillip Iweriebor had the essence of the goofy best friend as opposed to the strong lead. And he was completely lost next to the standout performance from Pablo B. Sandstrom. As Richie, Sandstrom had cinematic gruffness. It was subtle but effective. He managed to make even the biggest of clichés lines sound dangerously seductive. Playing the cog of betrayal, Paris Scott grew as the play proceeded. By the end, Scott found the strength and determination of Veronica. If only it came sooner.
With a multi-locational script, director Danielle C.N. Zappa was forced to bring variety into the staging. The tight space was certainly a source of woes but she did occasionally utilize the stairs that lead to the landing. When it came to visual appeal, Zappa knew what she was doing. Those chairs! The silver chairs were sleek and perfect for the world of the play. As far as getting the most out of characters, Zappa did not find as much success. Whether it was difficulty finding nuances of the text, Zappa couldn’t get her actors out of the one-dimensionality of the characters.
The Illusion of Love on paper is an intriguing exploration of story but it sadly was lacking in execution. There is work to be done but with some polishing, The Illusion of Love has potential.
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Review: The Golden Smile Made Me Smile!

July 8, 2016, 10:05 am
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By Kaila M. Stokes

The Golden Smile, written by Yaakov Bressler, is a witty dark comedic musical farce. Set in the 1950’s, The Golden Smile is absurdly vulgar and hilariously light all in one. Directed by Joey Stamp, this psychological musical had a lot of high points to be commended. From the start there is a lot going on. You are in a mental hospital with 7 people with varying degrees of disabilities and physical limitations. All of the characters have their own defined personality and pick on one another accordingly. It is clear to the audience from the start who are the alphas and who are the betas. The Golden Smile is about a group of mental patients being bogged down by their warden, played by JeVon Blackwell. In danger of his physical threats and of losing their most prized possession, their wreck room, the gang sets out on the daring task of creating a play. By the end, they all realize their true purpose.
Joey Stamp did a fabulous job in defining each character. It would have been easy to throw 7 actors on a stage with pretend disorders and not define them. It was clear that the character work was important to the writer and director. However; out of the 7 patients on stage, only 5 were really used to their fullest potential. The Critic 1 and Critic 2, played by Jody Hinkley and Yasmin Schancer, were underutilized and therefore seemed a bit unnecessary on stage. The other 5 actors were the ones creating the plot and driving it forward. If a character has no change from beginning to end and is not a driving force in the script, than there is not a real need for that character accept to pull focus.
The first song is sung by Loathing Actor, played by Robert DiDomenico. This was thrilling since at this point everyone was mostly unaware that the show had musical elements. DiDomenico did a fantastic job telling the audience why he was smarter, better and shouldn’t be in this mental hospital. The satire and irony is what set this show in a positive motion. The Director, played by Amanda Mason, was a force to be reckoned with as her character screamed her way to the top…literally. There was a lot of screaming from the start which made it hard for the cast to keep the momentum up. The energy started at a 10 from the beginning and ended at an 8. It would have been more fulfilling if Mason gradually took control and grew stronger physically and vocally throughout the show to gain power. Her journey was a bit one note because of the stagnant nature of her yelling constantly. The writer, played by Andy McCain, stole the show. McCain created a physicality that was unlike any other. He worked on a stuttering speech pattern that created empathy and awareness of his illness. His character also had the biggest journey and change from beginning to end. It was a joy to watch the writer’s transformation from being a cowardly stutterer in the corner to a well-articulated character in a play within a play. It was a commentary on the power of theater and how it can transform lives.
The Paradise Factory is a small bleacher seating style black box. The stage was utilized to its fullest potential. The space didn’t feel too big or too small, but just right for this insane comedic musical. The lights were designed to take the audience from sterility of the mental hospital to the physical threats coming their way to their own world when creating the play. And the lights did just that. It helped progress the story forward and aloud the audience to share in the characters emotions.
The Golden Smile definitely made me smile and was one of the better shows part of the Planet Connections Theatre Festival. The actors left their hearts and energy on that stage. It seemed like a project full of passion from every member involved. I recommend this light hearted yet serious commentary on society of a show to anyone looking for a good time.
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Review: Can't Stop, Won't Stop

July 8, 2016, 10:20 am
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By Michael Block

When you have a lot of thoughts, sometimes it's hard to process them all. Especially all at once. When emotions are thrown into the mix, you can imagine the turmoil that your brain experiences. And sometimes those thoughts lead to new and dangerous thoughts. Just ask the mind of Stephen Powell. In A Stopping Place, Powell goes on a psychological journey that leads him into crisis mode.
To put it bluntly, A Stopping Place is an existential stream of conscienceless about the loneliness of one man. Powell's text is tangential, jumping around quite like the inside of your brain. But not how Disney imagined in "Inside Out". With the chaotic style of storytelling, Powell's solo piece never quite finds its footing. It's nice to give the audience something to think about and piece together on their own but sometimes there can be too much ambiguity. A Stopping Place is an example of this. Powell loses steam due to complete ambiguity. With all that being said, A Stopping Place is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to classic solo show structure. And that's a bit exciting. Once Powell can reign it in, Powell and the magic he infuses can be even more pointed.
Putting yourself out there, alone onstage is a brace feat. Stephen Powell is a charismatic performer who can tell a story. He has a unique way with words. It's not emphatic yet there is emphasis. Powell has a sly cynicism in his demeanor in this piece. The only thing lacking was ambition.
With ambiguity, in order for A Stopping Place to succeed clarity was crucial. Clara Pagone's direction was not as clear as it could have been. Pagone had moments but there were some undefined beats. One of the biggest question marks was defining the start and end of the show. Seamless is one thing but when an audience is unsure of what to do, it causes a sense of discomfort. Had Pagone been a bit more deliberate, her vision may have come true. The other beat was cleaning up just how the world worked with the "walls" of the world. Powell was often thwarted by this barrier yet he was able to communicate to someone, whoever his audience was. It was interesting to define the playing space with the fabric to help break up the monotony of space.
A Stopping Place was a play about getting out, philosophically. But when the audience has a hard time getting in in the first place, getting out isn’t a possibility. Stephen Powell infuses magic into his play. Just a little more magically clarity and he’s on his way.
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Preview: New York Musical Festival 2016!

July 8, 2016, 1:28 pm
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Are you ready for some musicals?! NYMF is back (and this year with out the "theatre") with 18 full productions ready to take the musical world by storm. With an eclectic array of offerings, here is a preview! For more information, visit nymf.org! And now, the preview!



Top 5 Exciters

A Scythe of Time
Book by Alan Harris; Music and Lyrics by Mark Alan Swanson

This one is for all those Edgar Allan Poe fanatics out there. And those Lesli Margherita fans! A Scythe of Time looks like a dark, campy musical set in 1881 London where the public has a fascination with the Blackwood Articles where writers take their own lives and, in the process of dying, record their experience with death. It's billed as a bizarre tale of power and love, poetic justic, and bloody revenge. Could this our next Sweeney Todd? Just don't try this at home, kids

June Havoc Theatre
7/21 @ 8, 7/23 @ 1, 7/23 @ 5, 7/24 @ 1, 7/24 @ 5, 7/26 @9
http://www.ascytheoftime.com/

Icon
Book by Sebastian Michael; Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Kaldor

Let's just take a second to remind ourselves that this show will be led by the uber talented Donna McKechnie and Tony Sheldon. That's reason itself to go! The plot sounds a bit tricky to put into words but an American debutante marries into one of Europe's ancient Royal Families. An affair with her music teacher leads to uproar and her tragic death turns her from living legend into timeless icon. 40 years later, a young man in search of his grandfather's past finds more than he's bargained for. Something tells me that the grandfather may be linked to the debutante!

The Duke
7/20 @ 8, 7/23 @ 1, 7/23 @ 5, 7/24 @ 9, 7/26 @ 4
http://iconthemusical.com/

Ludo’s Broken Bride
Concept, Music, and Lyrics by LUDO; Adaptaion by Stacey Weingarten; Additional Story and Arrangements by Dana Levinson

Something tells me Ludo's Broken Bride wins the award for most unique. This rock opera has everything from time-travel, dinos, and zombies! Oh and love. The musical is an expansion on the original concept album from alternative rock band LUDO about one man's epic time-traveling journey to save his one true love. How far would you go to save your true love? Personally? Pretty damn far!

The Duke
8/2 @ 8, 8/4 @ 8, 8/5 @ 5, 8/6 @ 5, 8/6 @ 9
http://www.brokenbride.rocks/

Newton’s Cradle
Music and Lyrics by Heath Saunders; Book and Additional yrics by Kim Sauners

Well this one is certainly a family affair! Written by mother-son writing team Kim and Heath Saunders and featuring brother Trent in the cast, Newton's Cradle is a play about family. Evan's journey takes us into his unique world of autism, where events aren't sequential, labels get in the way, and well-defined family relationships are anything but constant. The score is exciting and is guided by the great Victoria Clarke in the director's chair.

The Duke
8/3 @ 8, 8/4 @ 4, 8/5 @9, 8/6 @ 1, 8/7 @ 12, 8/7 @ 4
http://www.newtonscradlemusical.com/

Tink!
Book by Anthony Marino; Music by Lena Gabrielle; Lyrics by Greg Kerestan & Lena Gabrielle

You may think you know the story of Peter Pan but it's about to get turned on it's head! This time, through the lens of the fairy herself, Tinker Bell. A story of star-crossed love when one young fairy and one young pirate crossed paths. Tink! is one of those shows that is comprised of a young, talented cast of future superstars including Max Sheldon and Elly Noble in the titular role.

The Pearl Theatre
7/25 @ 8, 7/28 @ 1, 7/28 @ 5, 7/30 @ 5, 7/30 @ 9, 7/31 @ 5
http://tinkmusical.com/




The Rest of the Fest


Camp Rolling Hills
Book and Lyrics by Stacy Davidowitz & David Spiegel; Music and Lyrics by Adam Spiegel

With a cast that includes 12 "tweens", Camp Rolling Hills is a musical adventure filled with campfires, bunk beds, and treasure hunts. These kids will deal with real issues as they learn the valuable lessons of true friendship. As one of the youth offerings of the festival, this one is like a pint size Disney musical with an energetic Broadway pop score.

The Pearl Theatre
8/3 @ 8, 8/4 @ 5, 8/5 @ 5, 8/5 @ 9, 8/6 @ 1




Children of Salt
Music by Jaime Lozano; Book and Lyrics by Lauren Epsenhart

With a Latin infused score, Children of Salt focuses on Raul who learns of his estranged grandmother's illness. He returns home to the beach in hopes of leaving as quickly as possible. The day brings a series of unexpected metings, unleashing an array of memories. The plot is a bit heavy but it is a timeless tale of love, loss, and hope.

The Pearl Theatre
7/20 @ 8, 7/21 @ 9, 7/22 @ 1, 7/23 @ 5, 7/24 @ 9



Dust Can’t Kill Me
Book by Abigail Carney; Music and Lyrics by Elliah Heifetz

Dust Can't Kill Me is one of those unique journies from FringeNYC to NYMF. Drought, desperation, and a prophet's prmise of Paradise set a ragtag group of wayward souls on a Dust Bowl journey into the desert. The musical boasts a spirited band of actor-muscians with a folk score.

June Havoc Theatre
8/1 @ 8, 8/2 @ 5, 8/3 @ 9, 8/4 @ 9, 8/6 @ 1, 8/7 @ 12




Eh Dah?- Questions for My Father
Book, Music and Lyrics by Aya Aziz

Written and performed by Aya Aziz, Eh Day? - Questions for My Father is one of the more unique offerings of the festival. "Ghetto-Hippie-Arab-Cmmie-China Doll" Aya was shaped by the eclectic community of NYC but her Egyptian-American world-traveler father remained a mystery, as did her Muslim family. Aya enacts the world she came from and the family she went in search of.

June Havoc Theatre
7/19 @ 8, 7/20 @ 1, 7/23 @ 9, 7/24 @ 9, 7/25 @ 8, 7/28 @ 9
hypokritnyc.org


Forest Boy
Book and Lyrics by Scott Gilmour; Music by Claire McKenzie

On September 5th, 2011, a boy appeared in Berlin claiming to have lived in the forest with his father for the psat five years. He had no memory of his past, only that his name was Ray and he travelled to Berlin following the death of his father. What followed were months of speculation, police inquiry, and a global media frenzy as teh mystery of the Forest Boy slowly unravelled.

The Pearl Theatre
7/27 @ 8, 7/28 @ 9, 7/29 @ 9, 7/30 @ 1, 8/2 @ 5
forestboy.co.uk

Lisa and Leonardo
Music by Donya Lane; Lyrics by Ed McNamee; Book by Ed McNamee, Donya Lane & Michael Unger

In Lisa and Leonardo, Leonardo da Vinci's intimate sketches of Lisa derail both her marriage and his relationship with his boy lover and protege bringing both their lives to the brink of disaster. Inspired by the true story of political intrigue, love and passion, this old fashioned musical answers the question "Who is she?"

The Duke
7/21 @ 8, 7/23 @ 9, 7/25 @ 12, 7/26 @ 12, 7/28 @ 4, 7/28 @ 8
lisaandleonardo.com


Nickel Mines
Book by Andrew Palermo & Shannon Stoeke; Music and Lyrics by Dan Dyer

Throw this one into the heavy material category, Nickel Mines interprets the 2006 Lancaster, PA Amish schoolhouse shooting in which a lone gunman shot 10 girls, 5 fatally, before taking his own life. This unique piece influses movement, music, and text to explore the various viewpoints of what the Amish call "The Happening".

The Duke
7/27 @ 8, 7/29 @ 1, 7/30 @ 9, 7/31 @ 5, 7/31 @ 9
nickelminesmusical.com



Normativity
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jaime Jarrett

Normativity tells the story of Taylor, a teenage lesbian, who's sick of seeing LGBTQ+ people killed off in media with tragic endings. When Taylor meets Emily, a book character who's willed herself to life in order to confront the author who wrote her story, they force him to rewrite Emily's story, giving her a happy ending and proving why positive LGBTQ+ storytelling is so important.

The Pearl Theatre
7/18 @ 7, 7/21 @ 5, 7/22 @ 9, 7/23 @ 1, 7/24 @ 5
normativitymusical.com


Single
Book by Nat Bennett & Karen Bishko; Music and Lyrics by Karen Bishko

In Single, Leah seriously needs to get over her ex! At 20, Leah had a career in pop music and a huge hit song, but her record company didn't want her singing her own material, so she quit, now 36 and a successful divorce attorney. Between her experience with the music industry, her ex-boyfriend, and shepherding women through contentious divorces, she has become more and more suspicious of men.

June Havoc Theatre
7/29 @ 8, 8/3 @ 1, 8/4 @ 5, 8/5 @ 1, 8/6 @ 5



The First Church of Mary, the Repentant Prostitute’s Fifth Annual Benefit Concert, Revival, and Pot Luck Dinner
Book Music, and Lyrics by Geoff Davin, Additional Music and Lyrics by Nicole Boggs * KellyAnn Hocter; Additional Music by David Mescon

And the winner of the longest title is The First Church of Mary...And if ever there was a title that spelled out the plot for ya, it's this one. Come get yourself saved with the best band in town with some killer new songs. And of course the always popular pot luck dinner.

June Havoc Theatre
7/18 @ 7; 7/20 @ 5; 7/20 @ 9; 7/22 @ 5; 7/22 @ 9
repentantprostitute.com

The Gold
Book by Philip Yosowitz & Andrea Lepcio; Music & Lyrics by Philip Yosowitz

Rocky meets Golden Boy. Jospeh Cohen, a Jewish-German boxer, finds his 1936 Olympic ambitions curshed as the Nazis rise to power. Set against the backdrop of the Holocaust and the creation of Israel, The Gold is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the journey of self-discovery that we take as we search for purpose in our lives.

The Pearl Theatre
8/1 @ 8, 8/2 @ 1, 8/4 @ 9, 8/6 @ 5, 8/6 @ 9
thegoldmusical.com



The Last Word
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brett Sullivan; Additional Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham

In East Cleveland 1976, Jay is a charaismatic slacker living above Paradise, the restaurant his fatehr left him. But Jay has accumulated a trail of debt which includes Earlene Floyd, a local parking lot mogul who wants to bulldoze Paradise and put up a parking (sounds like a Joni Mitchell lyric to me!). Jay enlists his old school gang of misfits with plans to raise cash by hustling across America, one game of Scrabble at a time.

The Duke
7/22 @ 8, 7/24 @ 5, 7/26 @ 8, 7/29 @ 5, 7/29 @ 9
thelastwordmusical.com


Ultimate Man!
Book by Jane Wilson & Charles Abbott; Music by Alastair William King; Lyrics by Paul Gambaccini, Alastair William King, & Jane Edith Wilson; Conceived by Paul Gambaccini

With the biggest creative team of the festival, Joe, the artist who draws the politically savvy Ultimate Man has lost control of his characters and himself. Ultimate Man confronts the cartoonist in the real world. For Joe, his worlds collide in this comic adventure.

Pearl Theatre
7/18 @ 8, 7/21 @ 1, 7/22 @ 5, 7/23 @ 9, 7/26 @ 9
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Spotlight On...Michael Raver

July 9, 2016, 2:10 pm
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Name: Michael Raver


Hometown: New York, NY


Education: Pace University


Favorite Credits: Film: "How We Built the Bomb". Theater: Romeo & Juliet. As a playwright...whatever present thing I’m doing.

Why theater?: It’s a living art form. And it’s ephemeral. It doesn’t last forever.


Tell us about Fire On Babylon: It’s about a reclusive author who has accepted the first half of an advance for a follow-up to his successful debut novel. His publisher sends a young editor to help him on what turns out to be the day of the 2003 Blackout. They end up stuck in the author’s apartment and...it’s hard for me to talk about what happens next. Let’s just say, it’s not at all what it seems.


What inspired you to write Fire On Babylon?: Human connection and communication are the beginning, middle and end of creativity for me. I wanted to write a story about two seemingly opposite people. An older person at the end of his rope and a younger person who feels like his life has ended before it’s really started. Both of these guys have a distorted view of what’s actually in front of them.


What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I’ve always wished that I could be one of those playwrights who can read an article in the Times and write a play about it. I love watching those kinds of plays. I love complicated plays, ones that have prismatic, paradoxical characters put into an impossible situation and then have to fight their way out of it. Nothing gets me as excited as a metaphorical musical chairs situation. Three characters who all need a seat to survive but there are only two available chairs. If the cortisol and adrenaline are coursing, it’s a good play.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: As a writer? I know it’s not possible but collaborating with Pina Bausch would have been awesome. Austin Pendleton and I have been talking for ages about working together on something. I haven’t worked with a female director in a long time as a playwright and that’d be great.


What show have you recommended to your friends?: Bedlam’s Sense & Sensibility.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I’d call it "Stuck on the Moon". Judi Dench would play me. Or Daniel Day Lewis. Or Queen Latifah.


If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: The production of The Count of Monte Cristo that James O’Neill did. That thing participated in the generation of some of the greatest plays we’ve got. I sometimes wonder how much healthier Eugene O’Neill would have been if his father hadn’t done that, though we might not have had Long Day’s Journey or Iceman.


What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Dark chocolate with sea salt. And beef jerky.


If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Clawing my way back to the theater probably. Or Indiana Jones. Being Indiana Jones is actually a pretty great deal. Let’s go with Indiana Jones.

What’s up next?: Things have been very busy with getting Babylon off the ground. I have some other pieces in the oven. I have a couple of articles for Hamptons Monthly that’ll be coming out over the next few weeks. I’m doing my best to stay in the present moment as much as possible.

For more on Michael, visit michaelraver.blogspot.com
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Review: To Drill or Not To Drill

July 9, 2016, 2:35 pm
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By Michael Block

The land is something we have taken for granted. As new advances and discoveries are made, we have begun to take for granted the beauty of our world. Honoring the land in the age of money and oil is the very deep landscape of Nix. And if that was the heartbeat of the show, Katherine Brann Fredricks and Massimo Malavsi could have had something special. Instead, concepts and ideas get so out of control that Nix crumbles within.
Nix boasts that is adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet, with quotes ranging from Henry Kissinger to Crazy Horse, and yet it's so extremely loosely inspired by Hamlet that you likely spent far too much time trying to find the parallels than paying attention to the actual material. If you are able to decipher a plot, you can find the story resembles something to this: Fermin is a money hungry tycoon eager to make a profit even if it means the death of a beloved tuned-in employee Rafael. His truck-driving sister in law Petra arrives just as the body is being discarded and her daughter Brisa hears words that will eventually prove his guilt. Meanwhile, the single Petra is convinced by her sister Jade to no longer mourn her deceased husband and party the night away with Rafael's brother Nestor. At the bar, Fermin spreads a lie of Petra's madness via alcohol. This sets off some tension between the sisters, especially when Petra is convinced Fermin is responsible for Rafael's death. Sound like Hamlet? It's a stretch. But spoiler alert, there is a big body count at the end. So where exactly does the title come from? Nix is Brisa's dog and recipient of most ridiculous plot device. Is Nix an essential character? Not at all. Why is he included? That's just one of the severe dramaturgical questions raised. Even looking at the structure, book writer Katherine Brann Fredricks could have benefitted from some assistance. The play begins with a scene with the song “On the Road” then a new scene and song called “Treasure Chest” then a reprise of “On the Road” followed by a reprise of “Treasure Chest”. It's dramatically weak. To remedy this, Brann Fredricks could have started the show with the inciting incident of Raphael's death, done “Treasure Chest”, introduced Petra with “On the Road” in full, and concluded with a reprise of “Treasure Chest” following the standoff. Whether it was a time constraint or lack of material, there was seldom character development and the music rarely furthered anything along. And nothing is more difficult to work with than poor prose. Brann Fredricks tried real hard to make the dialogue rhyme and it often hindered essential word choices.
With so many woes, there was something so surprisingly beautiful. And that was the voice of Darilyn Castillo. The purity and soul was a breath of fresh air. Her conviction was able to lift the material. As her daughter, Laurel Caruso played the sweetness. Her chemistry with Castillo was genuine.
Directing your own work can mean you lose the beauty of collaboration. And another eye and opinion. Katherine Brann Fredricks was so close to her material it felt as if she wasn't able to see the little things that bogged down the production. It's the little things. When you theatricalize a truck, it's important that even if it's not present it feels present. She had her actor's walk right through the imaginary truck at times. Even with the limitations, Brann Fredricks' staging was stuck. Again with the little things, when your characters explicitly state that they are drinking or if it plays an vital part of the story, bringing O'Doul’s on stage is inexcusable. Buy a six-pack of a name brand and fill it with water. When it came to choreography, Shelly Hutchinson gave a really nice moment to Castillo’s Petra and Jody Reynard’s Nestor in their dance duet.
By billing Nix an adaptation of Hamlet with other quotes thrown in is hindering the piece beyond imagine. Katherine Brann Fredricks should trust that the story she is trying to convey can live on its own. But right now Nix the dog needs to be nixed, as well as much of the material.
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Review: Waiting for the Cable Guy

July 9, 2016, 2:59 pm
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By Michael Block

We've all had to wait for something but in the age of digital technology, as long as you have a cellphone or wifi, life is easy. But what if that's what you're waiting for? Pure chaos! In Judith Leora's Gideon, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot gets an update when roommates Aria and Zoe literally wait for the cable guy. And on their wait, they get a chance to look at the absurdity of life.
Gideon is an absurd comedy where reality gets drenched in the surreal as Aria and Zoe wait for the notorious Gideon the Cable Guy. After days of living in a black hole of technology, they are at the breaking point as their savior seems to be evading them. Along their wait, Aria and Zoe get visited by their whacky neighbors including airhead ditz Harriet and the rowdy Russian Ms. Banaszewski and her autistic step daughter Eden. Like Godot, the action of Gideon is wound up in the action of waiting. The text talks in circles, often repeating the monotony. But that's what happens when you run out of things to say. Gideon isn't necessarily groundbreaking but it does offer a cool commentary on our obsession with technology. With that being a prevalent there, finding a way to incorporate it into Aria and Zoe's story would have been a good opportunity. What happens instead is the plot gets too crazy and Gideon loses steam. When things go off the rails, Leora's credibility goes down the black hole.
photo by Bruce A. Kraemer
Director Joan Kane infuses some big sitcom style that allows the real life moments to hit home. But in the craziness of comedy, something doesn't sit so well. And that's the characterization of Eden. Whatever the reason, to the wrong person, Eden could be seen as borderline offensive. Reigning in the character was greatly desired. But aside from that, Kane's vision was spot on. And it all comes down to the design. The cardboard apartment was smartly designed and realized by G. Warren Stiles. It was simple yet evocative. The lights vocabulary was consistent. They were drab when it was just the duo but a burst of color was added when the neighbors popped in. The consistency of the device proved that there was a clear and concise vision from Joan Kane.
As an ensemble, Kane took their characters to the extreme. But when the humanity shined through, that's when Gideon resonated. The strongest at balancing absurdity with reality was Rachel Cora Wood as Zoe. Wood was funny yet was the voice of reason. Her timing was on point and had immense chemistry with whoever her scene partner was. When it came to the kooky, Connie Castanzo nailed it as tech and trend obsessed Harriet. Castanzo’s timing allowed her to earn every single laugh. It was one of those performances that you couldn’t imagine anyone else doing as well.
Gideon delivered on the promise of being fun and entertaining. Through the laughter was something profound. Gideon was the example of how to do Planet Connections Theatre Festivity right.
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Review: The Story of the Girl with a Font Name

July 9, 2016, 10:17 pm
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By Michael Block

Everyone's life is a story. Even the storytellers have a life story. In Will Coleman's whimsical Helvetica, presented by Rising Sun Performance Company, the story of a girl with a font name comes to life in theatrical fashion.
Like a strange hybrid of Peter and the Starcatcher and Fun Home, Helvetica by Will Coleman, is the nonlinear life story of a girl with tales to tell. With three actresses taking on the titular role at various ages, Helvetica's childhood companion Myron the bear narrates, mostly, the moments that shaped her life. Did Helvetica have the most difficult life in comparison to others, absolutely not. So what makes Helvetica's life important? It's relatable. And only is interesting thanks to structure. With the nonlinear format, Coleman could easily go back and examine the scene order as a couple flips and swaps could heighten the action. Simply due to the fact that the three stories aren't parallel forces you to ask how, scene by scene, they inform one another. And currently it's not as strong as it could be. And for a play of fiction, Coleman and Helvetica have great potential. It’s just taking the puzzle apart and reconstructing it. The one glaring plot point that causes some confusion is the use of the lovable teddy Myron and how the play is told when he’s put in the attic. The conceit that Coleman sets forward is using Myron to help retell the tale of Helvetica through narration. It’s a great theatrical concept but if he’s gone, how does the story continue? While it could easily be remedied through staging, cleaning up the conceit will benefit the play in the long run.
Helvetica has boundless opportunity. And that’s the beauty of it. Whether it was the lack of time or festival constraints, director Brock Harris Hill gave the audience a skeleton of Helvetica’s potential. The natural theatricality of the script allows for exciting staging and storytelling but Hill only gave a bit. But what was there had promise. It just needed to be a tightened and streamlined. With a giant cast of characters, Hill could have doubled up roles but with ten actors, he had the resources to utilize them to create the world, or at least move the world around sans run crew.
With the story focusing so heavily on Helvetica, no one else really got to showcase their stuff beyond being a supporting player in her story. The trio of women who played the various Helveticas created a decent vocabulary with one another that could easily have gone further. The strongest of the three was easily Julia Torres as Present Helvetica. She brought a bit of spunk and a lot of sass and yet remained grounded. Her storyline revolved primarily around the love and loveless relationship with Husband played by David Berman. Berman’s character ran the gamut of curveballs for Helvetica and yet he took it in stride. As the wise Myron, Sven Haabeth crafted a character that had charisma that made him the best friend forever. It worked well through narration but when he was thrust into scenes, Haabeth could have been bigger and brighter.
Helvetica is a case of the show with the potential for the next iteration. The pieces are present. Realizing them in an even more fantastical way will make Helvetica the special play it can be.
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Spotlight On...Jill Abramovitz and Brad Alexander

July 11, 2016, 9:49 am
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photo by Justin Patterson
Name: Jill Abramovitz & Brad Alexander

Hometown:
JA: Morristown, NJ
BA: Simsbury, CT

Education:
JA: University of Pennsylvania
BA: Ithaca College

Favorite Credits:
JA: As an actor - currently in the company of Fiddler and loving the hell out of it. As a writer, having Tyne Daly sing my lyrics (and Barbara Anselmi’s music) every night in It Shoulda Been You.
BA: The Off-Broadway run of See Rock City & Other Destinations (book and lyrics by Adam Mathias) was a major highlight. Tied with that is the opportunity to score five episodes of "Peg + Cat" on PBS.

Why theater?:
JA: I wanted a career with stability so it was a natural fit. OR, it could be the fact that I was an overly expressive and overdramatic child who found herself drawn to this form of storytelling from the time I first had consciousness.
BA: In 1993, the Berkshire Theatre Festival needed an acting intern who could also write music for their children’s theatre. That’s when I caught the writing bug. After two summers there I had done very little acting and written 42 songs. Fate sealed.

What inspired you to write Bread And Roses?:
JA: It’s based on a beautiful movie of the same title by Paul Laverty and Ken Loach that’s wonderfully structured and about issues that really get our blood pumping. And these particular issues seem as relevant now as ever, as the division between the haves and the have-nots is growing starker. Also, it’s about two sisters -  one sister’s true coming of age in a very real way that affects the other sister. And that story kernel is especially compelling to us.

What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?:
JA: I love musical theatre that tackles big social/political/artistic issues - Parade, Falsettos, Sunday in the Park, West Side Story. Light in spite of dark. Currently, I’m obsessing nightly over Fiddler. It’s a wonder. Incredibly intimidating how moving and funny and current it is. It's gut-wrenching AND the jokes could have been written this morning. As far as straight plays go, I love absurd comedies (Christopher Durang) and heavy family dramas - A View from the Bridge is I think one of the best things ever created by a human.
BA: I grew up on pop, rock and jazz - Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, The Police, Oscar Peterson. Theatre was secondary but I was lucky enough to have parents who exposed me to a lot of Broadway from a young age, and our hometown productions were pretty wonderful, so I’ve always been around it.

If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?:
JA: Jeepers. There are so so so many. I will say that one of the huge treats of being a writer in this city is that many of the musical theatre greats make themselves available as mentors, teachers and friends. So I’ve met and learned from my idols - Lynn Ahrens, Steven Flaherty, Maury Yeston, Bill Finn, Sheldon Harnick, etc. I do still sometimes have “pinch myself” moments.
BA: Collaborator-wise I truly feel I’ve worked with the very best. Performer-wise I’ve also worked with some of the finest talents in the land, but my wish list includes Brian D’arcy James and Brian Stokes Mitchell. They must have three names and start with Brian. Or be Chaka Khan.

What show have you recommended to your friends?:
JA: Recently I’ve been recommending a moving and razor sharp play called Incognito. And I hate to overstate it, but Fiddler really is beautiful. Oh, and there’s this little confection called Hamilton that I found just delightful. Have you heard of it?
BA: Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party. I saw the original production - and stood up and cheered with the rest of the audience - at MTC. The score is white hot and timeless. Still one of the best theatre experiences I’ve ever had. Go buy the cast album right now.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?:
JA: Michelle Pfeiffer. Just kidding. What’s the opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer? The movie would be called "Too Many Bags".
BA: The love child of Paul Rudd and Paul Reiser. If Jill were producing, it would be called "Get Out Of The Bathroom".

If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?:
JA: The original Falsettos.
BA: The original West Side Story.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?:
JA: Real Housewives, Say Yes to the Dress, those Taffy-Lite candies they sell at World of Nuts.
BA: Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked. Bar Rescue on Spike TV. Really bad disaster movies.

If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?:
JA: A doctor, nurse, or physician’s assistant - I’m fascinated by medicine and I’m actually a Licensed Internet Doctor (LID). If you need to be seriously afraid of any minor symptoms, call me up and I’ll diagnose you.
BA: A graphic designer or a child psychologist.

What’s up next?:
BA & JA: A project with superb composer/lyricist/bookwriter friend, Barry Wyner. It’s gonna be wacky fun.
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