Theatre

 
 
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    Backstage

  • Oscar's Short-Film Races Could Surprise

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am
    Set aside the showdown between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" for a moment. Stop obsessing over whether Sandra or Meryl will take home the best actress trophy.

  • Angelina Jolie to Visit Haiti with UN Refugee Body

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am
    The U.N. refugee agency says its goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie is heading to Haiti to meet with earthquake victims.

  • Jessie Losch... Got the Part

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    It was the first time she'd sent out her brand-new professional photos, and when she was called in about a week later, it was her first "real" audition in New York City for her first nonstudent film.

  • An Evening With... "Crazy Heart"

    9 Feb 2010 | 12:29 am
    Back Stage presents An Evening With... "Crazy Heart" followed by a Q&A with Academy Award-nominated actor Maggie Gyllenhaal.

  • Super Bowl Ads: Betty White, Bud Light, Big Laughs

    8 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am
    Betty White plays football, babies talk about "milkaholics" and a house made of Bud Light cans falls slowly apart. It must be the Super Bowl.
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    Backstage

  • Tosca e le altre due (Tosca and the Two Downstairs)

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:35 am
    This well-tuned U.S. premiere of Italian playwright Franca Valeri's peppery, two-character comedy, inspired by Puccini's "Tosca," is enormously pleasing.

  • Tosca e le altre due (Tosca and the Two Downstairs)

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:35 am
    This well-tuned U.S. premiere of Italian playwright Franca Valeri's peppery, two-character comedy, inspired by Puccini's "Tosca," is enormously pleasing.

  • The Enchanted Pig

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 am
    An intergalactic adventure teaches a plucky princess about the true meaning of love in this impressively scored and imaginatively staged opera.

  • When Joey Married Bobby

    7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    A very funny and moving comedy about doing the right thing for your family, even if you're a Southern Republican.

  • Fanny (in Concert)

    5 Feb 2010 | 3:01 am
    As a work of art, "Fanny" aspires more than it succeeds, despite arresting moments. The wan Encores! concert version manages neither.
 
 
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    Backstage

  • Oscar's Short-Film Races Could Surprise

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am
    Set aside the showdown between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" for a moment. Stop obsessing over whether Sandra or Meryl will take home the best actress trophy.

  • Angelina Jolie to Visit Haiti with UN Refugee Body

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am
    The U.N. refugee agency says its goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie is heading to Haiti to meet with earthquake victims.

  • Jessie Losch... Got the Part

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am
    It was the first time she'd sent out her brand-new professional photos, and when she was called in about a week later, it was her first "real" audition in New York City for her first nonstudent film.

  • An Evening With... "Crazy Heart"

    9 Feb 2010 | 12:29 am
    Back Stage presents An Evening With... "Crazy Heart" followed by a Q&A with Academy Award-nominated actor Maggie Gyllenhaal.

  • Super Bowl Ads: Betty White, Bud Light, Big Laughs

    8 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am
    Betty White plays football, babies talk about "milkaholics" and a house made of Bud Light cans falls slowly apart. It must be the Super Bowl.
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    Backstage

  • Wrecks

    8 Feb 2010 | 4:38 am
    In "Wrecks," Neil LaBute's one-act solo piece featuring actor Ed Harris, the playwright saves a startling character revelation for the final few minutes.

  • Geography of a Horse Dreamer

    3 Feb 2010 | 3:18 am
    Christopher Durang might always be known as the creator of actors' nightmares, but Sam Shepard will probably be revered forever as someone who wrote juicy roles that are an actor's dream.

  • bobrauschenbergamerica

    3 Feb 2010 | 3:06 am
    "Art was not a part of lives," says the character known as Bob's Mom in Charles L. Mee's 2001 one-act, nonlinear homage to the late American artist Bob Rauschenberg.

  • Fences

    3 Feb 2010 | 2:35 am
    'Fences" is set in the 1950s just prior to the civil rights movement. Things are slowly changing, and for the Maxson family, old times clash with new possibilities.

  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

    3 Feb 2010 | 2:31 am
    Musical Theatre West's ambitious revival restores the original Harold Prince staging concepts, highlighted by a huge cast, elaborate sets, and hair-raising visual elements.
 
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    Jane Fonda

  • Tweets on 2010-02-08

    Jane
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:25 am
    Watching Super Bowl. NO's Thomas is something beyond!!! #superbowl # What a move by #16 Way to go. #superbowl # Way to go Saints. Close it up now!! #superbowl # Wonder what the Who will start off with at half time? "Who are you?" Yea #superbowl # Gosh darn it!! Bad call. Boo hiss #superbowl # "Pinball Wizard" okay. Lighting…unbelievable. Heard them play at the Festival on Isle of Wright back in 1969. #superbowl # Ok. So now "Who are you." Kudos to the set and lighting design. Wow!! #superbowl # The Who just set the bar about as high as it can go for…

  • THE BLACK LIST PROJECT

    Jane
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:14 pm
    The other night at the Paley Center, my friend Pat Mitchell who is President and CEO of the Center, invited Richard and me to attend the photo exhibit and screening of “The Black List Project.” This was the third part of the series of extraordinary interviews with African Americans who have been successful, mostly in the face of great odds. HBO has shown the first two but I had not known about it.  Photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders did the photographing and former New York Times film critic, Elvis Mitchell, did the interviews although he is never seen or heard. May not sound very…

  • G-CAPP BOARD RETREAT AND CLIVE DAVIS’ PRE-GRAMMY GALA

    Jane
    31 Jan 2010 | 6:16 pm
    Talk about going from one extreme… Friday and Saturday I chaired G-CAPP’s annual board retreat. It was cold and raining in Atlanta so it was nice on many levels to be hunkered down with this wonderful group of committed friends and co-workers. We had a very productive meeting including making the decision to have a formal co-chair to work with me on board governance. This has been challenging for me as I have been gone most of ‘09 and it will be the same in ‘10. The Broadway play last year, the surgeries in L.A., falling in love (also in L.A.), making the new exercise dvds,…

  • HOWARD ZINN

    Jane
    29 Jan 2010 | 11:07 am
    Associated Press My friend, the great historian, Howard Zinn died in his Santa Monica hotel room on January 27th. I was going to have dinner with him next Sunday. His “A People’s History of the United States” was a classic. I am told Matt Damon is planning on making a documentary of it. Here’s a beautiful quote of Howard’s: To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our…

  • Tweets on 2010-01-28

    Jane
    28 Jan 2010 | 12:25 am
    RT @womensmediacntr Tell @CBS and @NFL to scrap Focus on the Family's anti-choice #superbowl ad! #underthebus http://bit.ly/7Zs8jq #
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    Unscripted - A Blog for Actors - Backstage

  • Why? Do I have to be?

    Ann Hu
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    Commercially things have been picking up here too. I feel freer, more confident, and relaxed. Hm? Maybe it's because I'm not bundled up in a down mattress walking to auditions in the middle of a winter blizzard. Or maybe it's these new meditations that I've been doing everyday for the past couple weeks. Aad Guray Nameh. Meditating to me is like cleaning out the recycling bin in your brain. It helps keep the rest of your 'PC' runing faster, clearer. I should have made meditation a regular part of my creative warm up years ago. But I digress, the other day my commercial…

  • One Audition

    Lira Kellerman
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:46 pm
    The other day I as at an audition for a web film that I wanted. That I really, really wanted. I read my sides, I was given an adjustment, I read them again, was thanked and left the room. Now, I read somewhere that “One Audition Can Change Your Life,” and although sometimes I get down in the dumps and feel like maybe I’m on the losing side of this acting battle, it really is true: one booking can change everything. One booking can skyrocket you into a whole ‘nother atmosphere of tax brackets. One booking and suddenly you’re being flown to New York for the Upfronts. One booking and…

  • Quotations: Volume 4

    Angela Sauer
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:04 pm
    “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle  "I am a human: therefore, nothing human can be foreign to me." - Terentius (translated from "Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto.")  “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” - Henry David Thoreau (Walden)    "I think it is necessary to have many experiences for the sake of feeling something; for the sake of being challenged, and for the sake of being expressive, to offer something to someone else, to learn what we are capable of." - Jason Mraz …

  • Another Opening of Another Show!

    Lemon
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:02 pm
    This week, I celebrated another opening night in another city,...but this time, the city was Chicago!!  Chicago is a special city because that's where August:Osage County started before moving to Broadway.  It was super fun to celebrate the opening night in Chicago with, not only the cast and crew, but our director, the writer, and producers of the show.It was so much of an extra-special night that even Broadway World.com was there to take pictures!  Cool! Here's the link, so you can check out the fun night and all the talented, good looking old people I get to…

  • More Familiar Faces...

    Ann Hu
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:43 pm
    Last week I attended a staged reading of a new play that my newly reacquainted friend Spencer was in at The Blank. Turns out the play that night was written by the same playwright whose play I did twice that same year I initially met and worked with Spence. I'm talking about that 'nudie' play. It's all starting to feel like some synchronized reunion staged by the cosmos. Or could it just be that the entertainment business is in fact a smaller world than I thought. Six degrees, right? By the way, my advice to all actors out there; if you're going to do nudity live on stage:…
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    Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

  • Jonas Brother Planning a Return to Broadway?

    Dan Lehman
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:48 am
    Beginning 10 years ago, when he was just seven years old, Nick Jonas performed on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, and Les Miserables. Now, the teenage pop star might be looking to make his return to the Broadway stage."Broadway has a big part in my realizing that I wanted to make music a career," Jonas, one third of the sibling rock band the Jonas Brothers, tells Teen Vogue. "I'd love to go back - if the timing was right." He says he is interested in doing a song and dance musical.Nick's older brother (and Jonas Brothers lead singer) Joe has…

  • Movie Snacks, We Hardly Know Ye

    Alice Wade
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:38 pm
    I always assumed theater snacking was a recent phenomenon. What, after all, could be more American than taking a good thing, sugar coating it, and ramming it down your gullet? The marriage of entertainment and food, however, is not an excess the world can blame on the good old US of A.A recent story confirms that theater snacking goes back at least to the days of Shakespeare, when the well-off partook in exotic treats like peaches and dried fruit, while the groundlings were left to slurp on oysters. That's right: oysters. I can now forgive the heinous rattling of one thousand Junior Mint…

  • The Super Bowl, "Directed" by Tarantino, Godard, and Others

    Dan Lehman
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:23 pm
    This video from Slate imagines what would happen if the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event of the year, were directed by some of the biggest names in film -- including Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Jean-Luc Godard, and Werner Herzog. It's a fun idea, but unfortunately, the Tarantino segment is mostly just an unimaginative series of choppily-edited NFL tackles combined with Kill Bill music and sound effects, and Wes Anderson is reduced to a parody built around title cards, slow motion, and the Kinks. Sure, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is effectively cast…

  • Entertainment Industry Opportunities - 2/5/10

    Luke Crowe
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:34 pm
    Every week Back Stage posts hundreds of casting notices and entertainment-industry opportunities in the BackStage.com Casting/Jobs Database. Check out the following selection of new notices -- film festivals calling for entries, staff/tech/crew jobs, casting workshops, and more: 1. The Gallery Players: 'CITY OF ANGELS': (Brooklyn, NY) Seeking staff for City of Angels. Becca Goland-Van Ryn, prod.; Trey Compton, dir.; Larry Gelbart, book; David Zippel, lyrics; Cy Coleman, music. Rehearsals begin March 27 for fiv... More 2. WriteMovies: WRITEMOVIES.COM INT'L CONTEST: Seeking…

  • West Coast Casting Highlights - 2/5/10

    Luke Crowe
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:21 pm
    Every week Back Stage publishes hundreds of notices -- casting notices, entertainment-industry job notices, and calls for submissions to talent contests and film festivals. Back Stage is the premier resource for actors, dancers, singers, comedians, and all performing artists -- plus those talented individuals working behind-the-scenes, including writers and crew -- looking for quality opportunities.  BackStage.com's casting database includes all of the notices from  the  popular weekly Back Stage publications, plus hundreds of additional items. WEST COAST: Below are a…
 
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    The Wicked Stage

  • Do You Have a Headache or a Heartbreak?

    Rob Weinert-Kendt
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:36 am
    (h/t Cinco)

  • Quick Hits

    Rob Weinert-Kendt
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:05 pm
    On deadline(s), not much time, just passing through:99 Seats has a thoughtful post on bias and freeze-dried circuits.Gus is so on fire lately, I'm almost afraid to look.Don Shirley draws attention to an overlooked and eye-opening history of South Coast Rep.Red Bull's doing the original Malfi, but when will someone revive the kick-ass Brecht/Auden version?Matt Yglesias on an overrated lefty hero.

  • Shirley on Pasadena

    Rob Weinert-Kendt
    1 Feb 2010 | 2:53 pm
    A must-read from a veteran of the L.A. theater scene. Key quotes:Many donors prefer capital campaigns because buildings have more permanence than any particular production or season - but that sense of permanence isn’t what theater is all about.And:It’s one of the great paradoxes of L.A. theater that the bigger theaters feel compelled to program smaller shows for financial reasons, despite the fact that those shows are aesthetically more comfortable in smaller venues, while the smaller theaters are free to do cramped versions of bigger shows - because their actors will work almost for…

  • Roadmaps and Sports

    Rob Weinert-Kendt
    1 Feb 2010 | 4:37 am
    Kamal Angelo Bolden in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, by Kristoffer Diaz, at Victory Gardens Theater. Photo Credit: Liz Lauren.I don't have any stories in the new issue of American Theatre, but it's a favorite of mine for the way its various stories resonate off each other: profiles of three great ensemble companies (Nature Theater of Oklahoma, Neo-Futurists, and Pig Iron) somehow belong in the same issue as a look at SF's sophisticated Cutting Ball Theatre, a survey of museums programming more "live art" (including some Nature Theater), and a piece on Victory Gardens' Ignition…

  • "Lie" Remembered

    Rob Weinert-Kendt
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:04 am
    Somewhere in a box full of my college-newspaper clips is my intemperate rave for Bob Woodruff's stark 1988 production at the Taper of Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind. The play that changed my life? Maybe not, but it sure did excite the hell out of me at the time, and not just because Holly Hunter was in it, along with John Diehl, Amy Madigan, James Gammon and Louise Latham. The onstage music was by Peter Case and Victoria Williams. I know I saw it twice; might have been thrice.While the play itself had an intense impact on me at the time (I even wrote a song called "Fire in the Snow,"…
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    Jersey Boys Blog

  • Jeff Madden’s Moving Tribute to Lindsay Thomas

    Administrator
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:27 am
    On Jeff Madden’s Taking the Wheel blog, he has shared a moving tribute to his castmate and friend, Lindsay Thomas. Below is an excerpt of Jeff’s touching thoughts on his friend. I just spent the day remembering the life of Lindsay Thomas, and it has driven me to write down some thoughts. Since learning of her death [...]

  • JBB EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Douglas Crawford - Arguably the Most Traveled ‘Jersey Boy’–Part One

    Administrator
    8 Feb 2010 | 8:06 pm
    By Howard Tucker, Jersey Boys Blog Special Correspondent I believe that Douglas Crawford holds a personal record, having been a member of four Jersey Boys companies: on Broadway and in Chicago, Las Vegas and the First National tour of Jersey Boys. But this is only one of the highlights of his distinguished 20-year career [...]

  • One Man’s Reflections on Rick Faugno’s One-Man Show

    Administrator
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm
    “Songs My Idols Sang (And Danced)” Starring Rick Faugno at the South Point Casino, January 24, 2010 (Photos Courtesy of Linda Soo Hoo, Stubbleyou, & JBB Tech Half) By Stubbleyou …overheard from a sixtyish-year-old man with an Australian accent, to his friend, enthusiastically, while entering the Showroom at South Point Hotel and Casino in anticipation of [...]

  • Barbecue & Theatre Talk with Jersey Boys National Tour Four Seasons!

    Administrator
    5 Feb 2010 | 9:01 pm
    Intermission Impossible blogger Chris Davis sat down with JB national tour Four Seasons–Matt Bailey, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Steve Gouveia, and Ryan Jesse for some barbecue & conversation! This two-part video interview is a treat!

  • John Lloyd Young Debuts New Single on iTunes on Valentine’s Day!

    Administrator
    5 Feb 2010 | 8:03 pm
    Exciting news! Tony winner John Lloyd Young will debut his single, “Love Believes” on iTunes on Valentine’s Day–2/14/10!
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    Parabasis

  • Follow-Up To The Misogyny Bowl

    isaac butler
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:08 am
    I got some concerned feedback about yesterday's post on the Misogyny Bowl, so I just wanted to post a follow-up about that post (and the bowl in general) to make a couple of points clear:First, I wrote that post and focused on the portrayals of masculinity in the Super Bowl ads for three reasons. First, I wanted to highlight a dynamic going on that I responded to and saw, but also feel wasn't being discussed as thoroughly on other blogs. A lot of really great bloggers (male and female alike) responded to and wrote good things about the misogyny in those ads.  I didn't want…

  • Another Reason Not To Support Patterson

    isaac butler
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:19 am
    He wants to make sure that the suburbs don't pay their fare share for using the City's MTA services. It's bad enough that we don't have a commuter tax in this town.

  • Two Plugs!

    isaac butler
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    First up, my beloved Debate Society has a new show up at The Brick, titled You're Welcome.  Subtitled A Cycle Of Bad Plays By The Debate Society it's a hilarious send up of all things theatrical, from the arrogant directors who ruin everything to the earnest strivers trying to make theatrical magic.  I caught its developmental workshop at Dixon Place, and it is f*ing hilarious. Yes, I'm on The Debate Society's board, but I joined their board because I love them.  And, as Levar Burton used to say... don't take my word for it! Listen to…

  • Two Plugs!

    isaac butler
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    First up, my beloved Debate Society has a new show up at The Brick, titled You're Welcome.  Subtitled A Cycle Of Bad Plays By The Debate Society it's a hilarious send up of all things theatrical, from the arrogant directors who ruin everything to the earnest strivers trying to make theatrical magic.  I caught its developmental workshop at Dixon Place, and it is f*ing hilarious. Yes, I'm on The Debate Society's board, but I joined their board because I love them.  And, as Levar Burton used to say... don't take my word for it! Listen to…

  • More on the Misogyny Bowl

    isaac butler
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:58 am
    I have to say, I was really not particularly surprised in watching my first Super Bowl in 20 years that many of the ads were really, deeply misogynist. What I was more surprised by what how offended I was as a man at the ads' portrayals of masculinity. J talks about it here a bit (and links to this discussion at Echidne)... but I'm just saying its hardly complimentary to men that we're portrayed as illiterate, drunken, seething nodes of resentment. And ad after ad did that. That's what was so shocking to me, how negative to a T the depiction of men was. This is not in any way…
 
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    theatre notes

  • Review: The Swimming Club

    Alison Croggon
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:45 pm
    Hannie Rayson's new play, The Swimming Club, picks up the classic trope of middle-aged friends reuniting to relive their youth. Six people who met on a Greek island in their 20s gather again on Lesbos at 50, giving them plenty of opportunity to quote Sappho and Homer, or at least to mention the Iliad.This kind of play is in the tradition of theatre holding "a mirror up to nature". The charm is

  • Marion Potts new Malthouse AD

    Alison Croggon
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pm
    After months of fevered speculation, the Malthouse Theatre announced today that Marion Potts, currently Bell Shakespeare's associate artistic director, will be its new artistic director. She replaces Michael Kantor, who leaves at the end of this year.With last year's appointment of Ralph Myers as the successor to Neil Armfield at Company B, this completes the picture of what the theatre culture

  • Le Mort de Theatre - again

    Alison Croggon
    26 Jan 2010 | 11:36 pm
    According to Guy Rundle, theatre isn't just dying, it's dead. In a piece in today's Crikey in relation to e-books, he claims in an aside that radio and movies killed theatre, leaving "existing theatre as a mix of largely subsidised, state and philanthropic funded events, non-commercial avant-gardes and occasional large spectacles".This got me thinking, mostly because I don't see a lot of signs of

  • Theatre Forum

    Alison Croggon
    26 Jan 2010 | 10:46 pm
    Your correspondent was most pleased today to receive her copies of international theatre journal Theatre Forum, a fab magazine focusing on innovative theatre that is published out of University California San Diego. My interest is particular - I was invited to write an introduction to a play of Daniel Keene's. It's nice to be in glossy print, and there will be more - I'm working on a longer

  • Happy Invasion Day

    Alison Croggon
    25 Jan 2010 | 5:40 pm
    Happy Invasion Day 2010 from Fear of a Brown Planet on Vimeo.Courtesy Footscray Arts.
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    The Theater Loop

  • 'Return to Haifa' at Next Theatre: Two pained couples, one turbulent home in Israel

    leisureblogs
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:48 am
    THEATER REVIEW: "Return to Haifa" ★★★ Through March 7 at Next Theatre Company, Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston; Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes; Tickets: $25-$40 at 847-475-1875 and www.nexttheatre.org In 1968, the acclaimed Palestinian writer Ghassan...

  • 'Wilson Wants it All': House Theatre offers Hope for a divided America

    leisureblogs
    9 Feb 2010 | 5:57 am
    THEATER REVIEW: "Wilson Wants it All" ★★★ Through March 27 at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St.; Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes; Tickets: $25-$29 at 773-251-2195 or www.thehousetheatre.com "Wilson Wants it All," the fascinating, dystopian, all-new thriller from the...

  • 'Lion King' is returning to Chicago

    leisureblogs
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am
    Adia Ginneh Dobbins as Nala and Brandon Victor Dixon as Simba in the 2003 Chicago production of "The Lion King." Sithi uhm ingonyama! The Lion King" is returning to Chicago for a six-week engagement this fall at the Cadillac Palace...

  • American Blues has a new artistic director

    leisureblogs
    7 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm
    The Chicago actress Gwendolyn Whiteside (left) has taken over the artistic helm of the American Blues Theater. "It will be an exciting challenge to say the least," Whiteside said. American Blues is the group composed of former ensemble members of...

  • American Theater Company: How do you raise a ‘Distracted’ kid in a hyperactive world?

    leisureblogs
    7 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pm
    THEATER REVIEW: "Distracted" ★★½ Through Feb. 28 at American Theater Company, 1909 W. Byron St.; Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes; Tickets: $35-50 at 773-409-4125 or www.atcweb.org Mama, the central character in Lisa Loomer's play “Distracted” loves her 9-year-old boy....
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    The SF Bay Area Theatre Blog

  • The Tap App!

    ElisaC
    24 Jan 2010 | 6:28 pm
    OK, I'll bite.I get a lot of PR pitches for some of my blogs, but not really this one. I guess theatre really is a niche subject. So, when I do get one, I definitely take a look. And sometimes, I bite.Former Bay Area resident Eli Newsom runs a site called Tap Dance Made Easy, and now they have introduced the Tap App.It includes both visuals and textual descriptions of the various tap steps.Now, there are a couple of other tap apps, but one is more of a glossary of terms without the visuals, and the other seems to want to tech you to tap via stick figure drawing. (I know, don't ask me.)So, for…

  • Plays that changed your life

    ElisaC
    3 Jan 2010 | 7:57 pm
    Hat tip to San Jose Merc theatre writer Karen D'Souza for pointing me to an article in the New York Times about the "plays that changed your life". D'Souza shares some of hers, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch.And the answers in the NY Times run the gamut, from musicals to drama, new and old.My list would have to include:The original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd...kicking off my lifelong admiration for every note spilling out of Sondheim's brainThe original Broadway production of Fences, starring James Earl Jones...I alter saw his co-star, Mary Alice, in the elevator in the Equity…

  • Beach Blanket Babylon will be on Good Morning America

    ElisaC
    24 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm
    San Francisco theatre institution Beach Blanket Babylon will be on Good Morning America next Thursday morning, as part of a live broadcast from Union Square. They have the yeoman's duty to show up at 4AM, as part of the 4-6AM broadcast (which will also show here form 7-9AM). Yikes! I hope there will be some brave souls braving the early hour (and cold temperatures) with them.The broadcast will include the famous San Francisco Skyline Hat, as worn by cast memeber Caitlin McGinty. That hat is 11'4" tall, 10' wide and 4'4" deep and features the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Ferry Building,…

  • Review: Tommy at the Ray of Light Theatre

    ElisaC
    24 Oct 2009 | 10:16 am
    The review is posted over at my personal blog.Have you seen it?Did you see the Broadway production? (I did, and I confess I didn't really get the Michael Cerveris brouhaha!)Do you have fond memories of the Ken Russell movie? (I do, and looking back I'm shocked that my parents let me see that movie as an 11-year old!) You know you've seen the movie if your first thought about "Tommy" has something to do with baked beans, right?Check the Ray of Light web site for more info on buying tickets. The show plays through november 7th.

  • Review: Schoolhouse Rocks Live at the Retro Dome

    ElisaC
    4 Oct 2009 | 9:12 am
    They've extended Schoolhouse Rocks Live at the Retro Dome for another week, so my review can still have some meaning!Two sentence review if you're too lazy to click: Nostalgic for grown-ups like me, while apparently still entertaining and effective for the many kids in the audience. Definition of family entertainment right there.
 
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    Penny Plain, Twopence Colored

  • Sighting: Lark Rise

    Trish
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:43 pm
    Seen last week in S03E04 of LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD, this toy theatre was shown in the bedroom of the character of a small boy who was very ill...

  • Toy Theatre Adaptions

    Trish
    22 Dec 2009 | 9:29 am
    I discovered a blog whose creator has been EXTREMELY talented in creating adaptions of famous literary works, for the toy theatre...simply marvelous!

  • Panto

    Trish
    20 Dec 2009 | 10:47 am
    In the spirit of Christmas, I offer this link to a video of a 2002 production of Dick Whittington. Now I fully admit as an American I was totally ignorant of this until recently, but was delighted to watch it. What fun!

  • Corsican Brothers DVD Reviews

    Trish
    10 Dec 2009 | 6:05 am
    During the recent Thanksgiving holidays in the States, I received the Corsican Brothers DVD in the post. I have finally found the time to view it, and I must say, it was a thrill for this toy theatre novice! It was one of the first toy theatre productions she has ever seen in full, and although nontraditional in presentation (not 'live', etc.), it was a real treat for me.What are others saying about this particular production? Read on!...just received my copy of the DVD and although I was concerned about it playing here in Texas, it did, and I might add beautifully. One should also note that…

  • Short History of Toy Theatre

    Trish
    6 Dec 2009 | 7:44 am
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    one playwright. one blog.

  • First photo from Resurrection Blues

    nat
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am
    We start rehearsals for the Chicago Premiere of Arthur Miller’s 2002 play Resurrection Blues in just two short days – here’s a sneak peek from this past weekend’s photo shoot – more to come soon …

  • Miller’s Struggle with Religion and Identity

    Tom Skobel
    5 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm
    Reading Arthur Miller’s autobiography, one gets the sense of a man who struggled all his life with religion and his place in the world. Many of Miller’s plays deal with the “common man” and his sense living with a disappointing life. But as we prepare to produce Resurrection Blues, Miller’s relationship with religion became the focus of my attention. Being Jewish, Miller struggled with identifying himself with the faith, but also recognizing that God would even care about his little insignificant life. As a child he visualizes God viewing the world as if God was…

  • Friday photo rescue

    nat
    22 Jan 2010 | 11:34 am
    Candles to the Sun, by Tennessee Williams, from the 2008 Celebration Series I.

  • Friday photo rescue

    nat
    15 Jan 2010 | 11:34 am
    Lillian Hellman’s The Autumn Garden, from the 2008 Celebration Series I.

  • Keith Reddin and the mythology of America

    nat
    29 Nov 2009 | 10:29 am
    While our current production of Democracy continues to roll on, we’re keeping ourselves busy with additional events celebrating our past featured playwrights. Last weekend, with the help of composer Scott Wheeler and singers from VOX 3 Collective, we had a fantastic evening exploring Mr. Wheeler’s opera Democracy: An American Comedy, based on 2001 featured playwright Romulus Linney’s Democracy. The event included scenes from the Eclipse production and the opera, along with a fascinating discussion with Mr. Wheeler and the artists. Our next event, coming up next Saturday,…
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    McCarter Theatre

  • Will Power: The Plot of Fetch Clay, Make Man

    Adam Immerwahr
    19 Jan 2010 | 8:43 pm
    In this video, from McCarter’s “Live at the Library” series, features playwright Will Power talking about the plot of Fetch Clay, Make Man. Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

  • Audience Response: Fetch Clay, Make Man

    Adam Immerwahr
    15 Jan 2010 | 6:47 pm
    Ben Vereen and Evan Parke inFetch Clay, Make ManPhoto by T. Charles Erickson. Have you seen Fetch Clay, Make Man? What did you think? Did you think it was the bee’s knees? Do you agree with the newspaper reviews, or disagree? Favorite parts of the show? Things that weren’t to your taste? Post an “audience response” or read what other people are saying by clicking on the “comments” link below. We can’t wait to hear what you think! Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

  • Donny in American Buffalo

    Adam Immerwahr
    31 Dec 2009 | 5:00 am
    In this video, Amy Morton (director), Francis Guinan, Tracy Letts (author of August: Osage County and Superior Donuts) and Patrick Andrews discuss the character of Donny in American Buffalo. American Buffalo, which will be performed at McCarter Theatre from March 9-28. Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

  • Tracy Letts on his Creative Process

    Adam Immerwahr
    30 Dec 2009 | 5:00 am
    In this video, Tracy Letts (the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of August: Osage County) discusses his creative process and what it is like returning to the stage as an actor in American Buffalo, which will be performed at McCarter Theatre from March 9-28. Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.

  • Amy Morton on Great Acting

    Adam Immerwahr
    29 Dec 2009 | 5:00 am
    In this video, Amy Morton, the director of American Buffalo, discusses what makes great acting. American Buffalo will be performed at McCarter Theatre from March 9-28. Posted by Adam Immerwahr, Producing Associate at McCarter Theatre.
 
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    The Next Stage

  • I guess we’re going to have to deal with this filmed theatre thing

    thenextstage
    22 Jan 2010 | 1:45 am
    It’s an inevitability, I suppose. When we’re all talking about how to save theatre, how to adapt theatre to the persistent technological climate change that all the kids are gettin’ down with, about how to reach new audiences and turn them on to that old thing we love…it comes up. Invariably. “We could film it and put it on the internet.” The crew over at the promising new Verb Theatre blog recently posted about a new British site called “Digital Theatre” (a term already in use in progressive theatre practices, btw), which offers access to…

  • Electric Company needs hundreds of extras for Tear the Curtain

    thenextstage
    21 Jan 2010 | 2:44 am
    Hey Vancouver! Want to be featured in an Electric Company project? Always wanted to work with Kim Collier? Check out this call from the company for a shoot on February 15: HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEER EXTRAS WANTED On Saturday February 13, Electric Company is shooting background/extras scenes at the Stanley Theatre for our new project, a film / theatre hybrid show called TEAR THE CURTAIN! Hundreds of volunteers are wanted to work with director Kim Collier.  This is a rare opportunity for us to share our unique creative process with the wide community.  No experience necessary. The Arts Club…

  • Babz Chula Lifeline for Artists site gets a makeover

    thenextstage
    15 Jan 2010 | 10:16 am
    Rebecca’s got a post up today about the brand new web site launch for Babz Chula’s Artist support site. Bex and some friends gave it a complete overhaul and it looks great, as does Babz, as you can see in her new intro video on the home page. The divine Ms. Babz is in recovery in India right now for her aggressive cancer, which she is blogging about with typical honesty. Please go take a look and share it with your friends. The woman is a national treasure. Babz Chula and her husband, Larry Lynn. Photo Credit: Wendy D

  • That was fast…2 Gentlemen of Lebowski gets a premiere

    thenextstage
    15 Jan 2010 | 2:08 am
    As previously noted here, Adam Bertocci re-wrote the script of The Big Lebowski in capable Shakespearean text. It didn’t take long to get a production in the works, the first one is by DMTheatrics in NYC. And the poster is killer… Want to get a play produced? Maybe there’s something to this cult-favourite mash-up thing…

  • Pi Theatre is hiring an interim office manager

    thenextstage
    14 Jan 2010 | 12:51 am
    Pi’s GM Emma Luna Davis is taking some time off to create a life (our most heartfelt congratulations, by the way!), so the company has an administrative position up for grabs while she’s off doing that… Reporting directly to the Artistic Director, the Interim Office Manager will work in cooperation with the Artistic Director, Board, interns and volunteers, in the maintenance of the ongoing administrative operations as well as contact management and fundraising for the society. This is a part time, 15-hour-a-week position, partially covering a maternity leave. The position…
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    Theatre is Territory

  • Charles Nolte

    Ian Mackenzie
    15 Jan 2010 | 6:41 am
    I just learned that Charles Nolte has passed on (January 14, 2010). My condolences to his family, friends, fans, students and colleagues. I had the pleasure of interviewing Charles for this blog back in October 2007. It was easily one of the most rewarding interviews I’ve ever done. He had been on Broadway in the 40s and had a rich career in theatre ever since. Please take a look if you have a few minutes. You’ll be glad you did: 10 questions: Charles Nolte. I never met the man in person, but I feel like I know him. Thanks Charles.

  • New RM:P3 teaser

    Ian Mackenzie
    28 Oct 2009 | 9:17 am
    Toronto-based web wizards Haley Fiege and Chris Averginos have put together an awesome little teaser for our upcoming show. Please turn on your speakers and check it out here.

  • A cool theatre promo image that never saw the light of day

    Ian Mackenzie
    25 Oct 2009 | 8:18 pm
    Or I guess it did . . . right here. This is a stock image combined with a found image. Ultimately, we rejected it because we felt it sets up expectations around “slasher”, when our piece is more a study of the meat of the brain. Cool image though. The genius of Pete Aspros is behind the retouching.

  • 5 shallow and unfocused thoughts about theatre

    Ian Mackenzie
    28 Aug 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Thanks for stopping by. Sorry for the shortage of posts in the space. Been working on some different theatre and non-theatre projects. How the heck are you? Here’s some theatre stuff I’m thinking about: 1. The imagination gap is caused by the resource gap which is caused by the imagination gap . . . and so on. 2. Where is genre theatre? And by this I mean, where are the broad theatre genre classifications and productions that have meaning for people who don’t know anything about genre. “I can’t wait to see that new ____.” Western? Horror play? Corporeal mime? 3. Actors are noble…

  • Red Machine: Part Two

    Ian Mackenzie
    4 Aug 2009 | 6:37 am
    The second part of The Room’s experiment on the brain premieres at SummerWorks in Toronto. Check it out.
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    The Playgoer

  • Photo of the Day

    9 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am
    Detroit's Michigan Theater, built in 1926 by movie-palace makers Rapp & Rapp, as it looks today. According to Wikipedia: "The Michigan Theater was permanently closed and partially demolished in 1976. Due to problems with the structural integrity of adjoining office building, the main hall and lobby were gutted and converted into a parking structure." Photo from a new PBS documentary on Detroit (via NYT). For more sad documentation of decline, see the documentary, Preserve me a Seat.

  • British Invasion

    8 Feb 2010 | 11:54 am
    Lincoln Center Summer Festival dropped a nice press bomb this morning... the Royal Shakespeare Company will hold court in Manhattan in the summer of 2011 for an unprecedented six-week, five-play residency. The troupe will occupy a newly constructed theater inside the Park Avenue Armory as part of the Lincoln Center FestivalAnd given the Lincoln Center Fest's usual practices, we can be sure tickets will be hundreds of dollars and sold out well in advance to patrons.  Thanks. What's in it for the RSC, you ask? [RSC A.D. Michael Boyd] said that support and collaboration with artists and…

  • Quote of the Day

    8 Feb 2010 | 10:49 am
    "Essentially, any activity that requires us to travel to a venue, take a seat, and watch people performing in some disciplined fashion is not as popular as it used to be." New Yorker classical music critic Alex Ross (subscription required), commenting on this NEA survey from last fall. True? Talk amongst yourselves...

  • Obama's Arts "Freeze"

    5 Feb 2010 | 10:26 am
    It should obviously not come as a surprise that one of the exceptions to the President's proposed "spending freeze" beginning next year will not be the National Endowment for the Arts.  In fact the proposed NEA budget in his 2011 plan is $6 million lower than the current level (still a paltry $167 mil). Three different takes on the fate of the arts in the coming budget adjustments: -Americans for the Arts head lobbyist Robert Lynch says this is bad news, plain and simple, and that the NEA should still keep pushing for that $200 million mark. -Washington Post says things are all good,…

  • Spaceship Lands atop Lincoln Center Theatre

    4 Feb 2010 | 10:53 am
      Welcome to the future--where apparently Lincoln Center will always be a balmy 70 degrees and patrons will all be smiling and somewhat medically sedated. Actually, like a slick ad graphic, the focus here is not meant to be the surroundings but that little rectangle on top of what we know as the Vivian Beaumont of Lincoln Center Theatre.  It's the blackbox (or, should that be "whitebox"?) of the future! Or, in other words, the new home for "LCT3":The new theater’s programming, called LCT3, will feature the work of emerging playwrights, directors and designers, and will be aimed at…
 
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    nytheatre.com

  • New Shows This Week

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am
    Listings of New Shows This Week in New York City

  • Coming Attractions

    8 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am
    Updated list of coming attractions heading to New York City theatres

  • nytheatre.com Pick of the Week

    7 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm
    Present Laughter is nytheatre.com's Pick of the Week: This revival of Noel Coward's frothy comedy features some stunning production values and a host of delightful performances.

  • Review: Time Stands Still

    6 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm
    Donald Margulies's new play at Manhattan Theatre Club touches upon, and then quickly abandons, a variety of significant, grown-up political and moral issues. It winds up being a less-than-satisfying bittersweet romantic drama, enhanced enormously by the skillful performances of its four-person cast and the smooth, smart direction of Daniel Sullivan.

  • Review: The Jackie Look

    6 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm
    Karen Finley is a deeply empathetic artist, and in the chilly, mournful The Jackie Look, she tries to rescue Jackie Kennedy the woman from her prison of image and cool.
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    theatreminima journal

  • Organum

    Of the spirit. The Christian conception of fleshed word as a means of access to spirit (through the bodied god, his sacrifice, rituals such as the eucharist in which flesh is taken into flesh; though Christianity is not alone in this conception, it is among the most recent Western exemplar) finds unique aesthetic equivalence in theatre. Here it is the actor and dramatist who explore these roads to access, as does a musical performer, who allows a musical composition to pass through her body (without the body, even that of the synthesizer operator or the composer in a recording studio,…

  • Organum

    The theatre is my representation. There is no more certain knowledge, once achieved, than this: that the theatre, like the world, is a re-presentation of objects and events that I assemble in my consciousness, and mine alone, for each individual's consciousness is his or her autonomous possession. I witness a theatrical event from my own personal physical perspective, seeing the stage and its arrangements of bodies, objects and events from a unique physical and perceptual vantage point. It is true that I am a body among bodies, placed within a collective audience, but this does not mitigate…

  • Organum

    For Marilyn These works are a series of acts best comprehended in groups or as a continuity. Except as a created revelation, a new experience, they are without value. It is my desire that they be kept in groups as much as possible and remain so. ... So I am in the strange position of seeking an environment for the work and the small means wherein I'll be free to continue the "act." Houston's Rothko Chapel is a small unremarkable building set just off a suburban corner, adjoining a series of plain, low houses and a college campus. Within it, however, is a world entirely itself, as real as the…
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    The Musical Reviewer

  • Janet Dacal to return to In the Heights after Wonderland

    Julia
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:00 pm
    Janet Dacal to return to In the Heights after Wonderland Posted from: The Musical Reviewer, Unauthorized use Prohibited. fingerprint: 80186a5a72b699f8366c57a4c35ba6ca Janet Dacal, who can currently be seen in the world premiere production of the new Frank Wildhorn musical, Wonderland, will return to Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights on Feb. 19. Dacal, who created the role of Carla in both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, will take over the role of Nina. Previously, she appeared in Broadway’s Good Vibrations. I had the pleasure of seeing Dacal perform…

  • Wonderland opens in Houston at the Alley Theatre

    Julia
    27 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pm
    Wonderland opens in Houston at the Alley Theatre Posted from: The Musical Reviewer, Unauthorized use Prohibited. fingerprint: 80186a5a72b699f8366c57a4c35ba6ca Click here to read our review of Wonderland (Tampa performance)! Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure officially opened in Houston at the Alley Theatre on Jan. 20, following previews which began Jan. 15. It will play through Feb. 14. The move to the Alley follows its world-premiere engagement at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, FL, which began previews Nov. 24, opened on Dec. 5, and closed on…

  • Review: Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure (Tampa)

    Julia
    27 Jan 2010 | 1:51 pm
    Review: Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure (Tampa) Posted from: The Musical Reviewer, Unauthorized use Prohibited. fingerprint: 80186a5a72b699f8366c57a4c35ba6ca Click here to read our entire review of Wonderland! I recently had the distinct pleasure of seeing the world premiere of the new musical Wonderland: Alice’s New Musical Adventure, the first of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center) Broadway Genesis Project. It began previews in Tampa on November 24, 2009, opened on December 5, closing on January 3, and then opened to…

  • Hollywood beauty, actress Jean Simmons dead at 80

    Julia
    27 Jan 2010 | 1:36 pm
    Hollywood beauty, actress Jean Simmons dead at 80 Posted from: The Musical Reviewer, Unauthorized use Prohibited. fingerprint: 80186a5a72b699f8366c57a4c35ba6ca Our world lost a great shining star last week. The beautiful and graceful Jean Simmons, known for her roles in Guys and Dolls and Spartacus, died at her home in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, January 22, after a battle with lung cancer. She was 80 years old. Simmons, who was born in London, made her debut on the silver screen when she was 14, in Give Us the Moon. However, she is best known for her role opposite Kirk Douglas in…

  • Wicked return to Chicago in Dec. 2010 for 8-week engagement

    Julia
    26 Jan 2010 | 9:15 pm
    Wicked return to Chicago in Dec. 2010 for 8-week engagement Posted from: The Musical Reviewer, Unauthorized use Prohibited. fingerprint: 80186a5a72b699f8366c57a4c35ba6ca Broadway In Chicago recently announced that Wicked will return for an eight-week return engagement, beginning Dec. 1, 2010 through January 23, 2011. The current national tour company will return to play this engagement — interesting, since they were the company that began the original Chicago production before leaving another resident company. Wicked previously played Chicago’s Ford Center for the Performing Arts,…
 
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    THE BARKSDALE BUZZ

  • The Song (or Whatever) of Mulan

    Bruce Miller
    1 Feb 2010 | 4:58 am
    Posted by Bruce MillerEvery time I think of The Song of Mulan, I remember what happened eight years ago when we first contracted Paul Deiss to create the show for our touring operation. Schools were crying out for a fun way to support the new SOLs on ancient China, and the epic poem about the young girl who went to war to save her nation from the Mongol (Tartar) horde definitely fit the bill.It

  • Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful

    Bruce Miller
    31 Jan 2010 | 6:15 am
    Posted by Bruce MillerThere's good news and there's bad news.Let's do the good news first. Yesterday in sunny Las Vegas, a 22-year-old VCU broadcast journalism major named Caressa Cameron won a $50,000 scholarship as she was crowned Miss America 2010. Many congratulations to Ms Cameron for representing Richmond, her home town of Fredericksburg, and the Commonwealth so well. Your good news is

  • Mixing with the Majors

    Bruce Miller
    30 Jan 2010 | 11:56 am
    Posted by Bruce MillerTwenty-one nonprofit arts organizations with annual operating budgets in excess of $1,000,000 currently receive funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. These 21 organizations are referred to by the VCA as "the majors." They are invited to come together twice a year for roundtable discussions concerning the events, policies and practices that most effect the arts

  • Time Again for "Acts of Faith"

    Bruce Miller
    29 Jan 2010 | 7:36 am
    Posted by Bruce MillerIt is time once again for Central Virginia's Acts of Faith Festival--the largest faith inspired theatre event in America. Now in its sixth year, Acts of Faith is a collaboration between faith communities and Richmond's professional theatre companies. This year's Festival began on Jan 15 and will run through Mar 21.The Festival was initiated and continues to be convened by

  • First Baptist of Ivy Gap

    Bruce Miller
    27 Jan 2010 | 5:43 am
    Posted by Bruce MillerWhen First Baptist of Ivy Gap plays at Hanover Tavern from Feb 5 through Mar 14, it will once again connect Barksdale with Barter Theatre, the State Theatre of Virginia and our sister stage company in Abingdon.Barksdale and Barter have been close ever since 1967 when Barter's legendary founder, Bob Porterfield, invited Pete, Muriel and Nancy to send Barksdale's hit
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    Blurred Clarity

  • Garry Cook...You Are a Ballbag Sir!

    Daniel Hoffmann-Gill
    5 Feb 2010 | 4:18 am
    If you don't know, Garry Cook is the CEO of Manchester City, a man who was brought into the club by previous owner and vile criminal/human rights loather/ex-Prime Minister of Thailand: Thaksin Shinawatra. He has stayed on under the current dubious owners (please note the use of United in the companies name, clearly trying to leech some of the power of the one and only Manchester team): The Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment. He was behind the disgraceful sacking of Mark Hughes and the sideways move for his replacement Roberto Mancini.In summary, the man is a ballbag.So cast…

  • America Will Always Kill It's Own For Better Ratings

    Daniel Hoffmann-Gill
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    Endless small townsFull to the brim with American flags and bad foodAll that time and all that televisionThis is the real AmericaWhere the American slow death plays itself out over football seasonsAnd raking the leavesAll that heritageDepressed shells of the American Dream (copyright) they tried to beNo one told them it was a jokeThe joke was on them and that the American Dream (all rights reserved)Is only for the few and that the rest can just chase itServe their time chasing in the tortured land of beautiful fugitivesProud suppliers to the American Machine (trademark): soldier boys, food,…

  • Fuck Off Back to Eton

    Daniel Hoffmann-Gill
    31 Jan 2010 | 11:20 am
    You haven't won it yet you bastards!

  • What I Made When I Went to Milan...

    Daniel Hoffmann-Gill
    28 Jan 2010 | 4:17 am
    You may recall when I went off to Milan at the start of December to do some acting and ended up saying something very rude by mistake and meeting the lovely and very talented Danny Alder.Well, what we made was a very clever idea for an IKEA advert and here it is, I think it's grand and contains many magical moments of pure comedy gold, including my incredible Italian voiceover. Look out for the virals based on me and Danny's game of charades, if anyone who speaks Italian can please tell me what my guesses are, it would be much appreciated. Obviously, I understand Star Wars...Enjoy.

  • "Paint it Black...Paint it Black You Devils"

    Daniel Hoffmann-Gill
    27 Jan 2010 | 7:18 am
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    'kül

  • Playing Cricket

    6 Feb 2010 | 6:46 pm
    For the last eight years, Cricket (Nic Tyler) has been loitering in an ivy tower, refusing to finish his philological dissertation. It's more comfortable cracking wise from the comfort of a librarianship than to face the consequences of the real world, even if that means young graduates like Raoul (Gabriel Sloyer) and aged department heads like Professor Stumpf (Ronald Guttman) get to openly mock him. Besides, it leaves him free to ogle girls like the silent Aida (Afton Boggiano), and especially ones like Debra (Jessica Chazen), who will let you do a whole lot more than ogle--if you'll give…

  • Clybourne Park

    5 Feb 2010 | 7:03 pm
    I don't normally write about shows this early in previews, but since I loved it and didn't get a press ticket for it, I thought it worthwhile to bring Bruce Norris's new play, Clybourne Park, to your attention. In a cleverly linked pair of one-acts, one in 1959 and one in 2009, Norris wittily examines the nature of "community," particularly as it relates to class. It's far more complex than that--so much so that it's not until the last ten minutes of each play, and the terrifically diverse performances of Jeremy Shamos, that race even comes into focus. Also embedded in the script is the tale…

  • metaDRAMA: Butts in Seats

    4 Feb 2010 | 10:42 am
    59E59 is the most inconsistent theaters in New York City, a hotbox for theater festivals that almost always has three shows playing at once. This is actually a complement--they're putting on so much of what's new in this city--downtown stuff in at an uptown (and upscale, at least from an architectural standpoint) venue--that it's only natural they should have both hits and misses. The important thing is that they're constantly generating new work--and more importantly--generating new audiences. Although you can subscribe the old-fashioned way to the resident company at 59E59 (Primary Stages),…

  • What to See: February

    2 Feb 2010 | 8:07 am
    The Debate Society's You're Welcome; info here.2/5 @ 8:00Catherine Filloux's Dog and Wolf; info here.2/7 @ 3:30 Theater for a New Audience's Measure for Measure; info here.2/9 @ 8:00Patrick Link and Sharyn Rothstein's Prescription Strength Theater; info here. 2/23 @ 8:00Jon Maran's The Temperamentals; info here.2/26 @ 8:00

  • A Brief History of Murder: Victims

    1 Feb 2010 | 10:38 am
    There are a great deal of talented people involved in the Sneaky Snake Productions. There are also--joyously--a lot of nerds, who revel in making niche shows, like last year's riotous Adventure Quest, a spot-on send-up of classic text-based PC games. But Richard Lovejoy bites off way too much in his bloody latest, A Brief History of Murder, a David Lynch-does-Ragnarok "comedy," which misses the best of both those worlds. Understanding Ragnarok requires a few courses in Norse mythology, and understanding Lynch--if that's possible--requires the ability to watch, rewatch, and follow…
 
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    Theater Talk's New Theater Corps

  • Daddy

    7 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am
    Writer and actor Dan Via raises new questions about age disparity in homosexual relationships in Daddy. The play is simple, yet leaves a lasting impact. The audience will be left questioning what they know and arguing about it for days after.l-r: Gerald McCullough and Dan ViaPhoto: Eduardo PlacerReviewed by Nicole C. Lee“[Greek] stories never end well,” says Stew (Dan Via). It’s true that the

  • A Doll's House

    30 Jan 2010 | 7:31 pm
    Anthony Castellano writes, directs and produces a flawed production of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.” Although this modern adaptation is promising, it suffers from poor writing and direction, failing to leave the kind of impact Castellano intends. Reviewed by Nicole C. LeeA modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House sounds like a good idea. Anthony Castellano sets his in a 1958 New

  • Rough Sketch

    29 Jan 2010 | 12:40 pm
    Shawn Nacol’s new play Rough Sketch takes place in a cartoon studio over Christmas break where two coworkers strive to complete segments for an overdue, over-budget film. Shocked to find the other had the same idea to forgo holiday celebrations and come into the office instead, the characters alternate between ignoring each other, guarding their assignments to prevent plagiarism, and reaching out

  • Radio Star

    29 Jan 2010 | 12:32 pm
    The year is 1941 and weekly radio suspense detective narratives have their listeners hooked. Written in classic style with schlocky, self-aware flair, Tanya O’Debra’s Radio Star is a thrilling throwback that lets modern audiences see a one-woman radio show.Reviewed by Amanda Halkiotis Though Tanya O’Debra merely sits on a barstool placed center stage, she winningly brings all the characters of

  • This Fable is Intended for You: A Work-Energy Principle

    19 Jan 2010 | 11:22 am
    The World Financial Center Winter Garden has been invaded with volunteers interconnected by handmade rope from secondhand fabric. This Fable is Intended for You: A Work-Energy Principle, a conceptual movement piece by the mixed-media artist MK Guth, strives to depict the relationship between exertion and productivity in New York City. Not unlike hard work itself, the intention has been lost in
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    Photoplayer Hater

  • Politics of Acting Awards Shows

    Ashlley Elias
    31 Jan 2010 | 5:41 pm
    Like most people, I once thought Oscars, Tonys, Golden Globes, and Emmys always meant something. As time goes on it has become clear that they are not completely impartial organizations and have goals beyond recognizing excellence. Many times I have seen awards given to people I felt did not deserve them. Individual taste can account for much but there are also many factors involved apart from merit. Image by Pink Sherbet Photography Who Makes Good TV/Press Major awards are not just awards, they are TV shows. TV shows of all stripes need viewers or else they will not stay on-air long. People…

  • Actors Who Made Their Own Movies

    Ashlley Elias
    27 Oct 2009 | 5:45 am
    Actors often fall into the trap of waiting for someone to make opportunities for them. The prevailing wisdom is that auditioning is the best way to get acting parts. Not only are some actors not built for the constant rejection that is inherent in auditions, many overlook other talents that could serve their acting career well with just a little push. Audition advice is readily available and stories of actors being "discovered" are plentiful, less talked about and encouraged is doing what these actors have done; made their own film. Image by Your Good Buddy Billy Bob Thorton Rather than…

  • Actor Considerations For Acting In Nude Scenes

    Ashlley Elias
    31 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am
    Sometime in most actors career (women particularly) they will be confronted with a role that includes nudity. In a theatre production being naked on-stage might be a little frightening the first time but once you do it three times a week it gets old and once you put your clothes back on it is over. Theatre rehearsals are often extensive and along the way the cast becomes a family, which eases any anguish over baring your body. Image by Room With A View Film productions often come together quickly and disband as fast, making it so you are baring yourself to virtual strangers. On screen nudity…

  • Why Actors Do Not Produce Projects Online

    Ashlley Elias
    29 Apr 2009 | 3:24 pm
    Actors have been trained to wait for opportunities to come to them and be grateful for whatever they can get. Instead of being part of a team that puts together a project, most actors simply audition and wait for a phone call. It might seem that it is the only way to reaching acting success, but history and the actions of certain current actors shows that success does not just come from showing up and hoping someone likes you. The original Greek playwrights were also the ones who acted out their plays. The most successful Hollywood actors also take an active role in producing the films they…

  • Actor Excitement In Acting Performance

    Ashlley Elias
    26 Mar 2009 | 6:58 am
    Actors come to the craft from many different backgrounds and for many different reasons. Although acting is entertainment from the audience perspective, many actors do not become actors just to entertain others- more often than not it is the side benefits that keep them going. Not only do actors get different things from acting, they can reap these benefits in different areas and times of the acting process. These benefits generally consist of some sort of fun. Image by gilowe [bryan lowe] Acting breaks down into at least three parts: preparation, performance, response. Preparation and…
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    The Theatrefolk Weblog

  • Price and Poe

    Lindsay Price
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted – nevermore                 – The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe I’ve been on the lookout for my next adaptation project. Trying to sniff it out. I love creating theatre versions of works in other genres. They’re…

  • Spread the Love: The Art of Rejection by Christian Kiley

    Craig Mason
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    This week we spread the love for The Art of Rejection by Christian Kiley. Filmed live on location at the 2010 Texas Educational Theatre Association (TETA) conference in Dallas, Texas. Click here if you can’t see the video above. Transcript Welcome to this week’s Spread the Love. This week we are in Dallas, Texas at TETA – The Texas Educational Theatre Association conference. Phew! And we are talking about The Art of Rejection by Christian Kiley. Which is actually two plays: The Art of Rejection, where the main character R is alone in a sea of numbers, and Chaired where…

  • Some Great (and Free) Audio Resources

    Craig Mason
    7 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    London, Ontario based Resource Stage has some great free printable resources on all things audio. The articles that seemed most helpful for schools are: Evaluating And Comparing Speakers Your Simple Audio System Cheat Sheet Glossary of Audio Terms Portable Sound Systems The only problem is that they’re a bit tricky to find. You want to click on the icon in the top right corner that looks like a folder. I’ve circled the icon you’re looking for in red on the graphic above. Tip of the hat to the CODE (Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators) blog.

  • On the Road again…

    Lindsay Price
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    It’s road trip time here at Theatrefolk! Today starts a two week journey down to FLA. We’ll be in St. Cloud, Deerfield Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, St. Pete’s Beach, Bradenton and St. Petersburg. Why, you may ask, does Theatrefolk spend so much time in Florida? You may not ask. Maybe you’re just passing through on this blog. Maybe you’re not even reading this. Am I typing in a void? If no one hears the laptop keys, do they make a sound? Ticka ticka tap? Sorry. I’m a wee bit giddy. I love going to Florida. Not only will we watch the Superbowl (Well, on…

  • American Teacher Features the Arts

    Craig Mason
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    American Teacher Magazine features arts education on its cover this month. I find the article to be a bit milquetoasty. It doesn’t make much of a compelling argument for arts education, mainly relying on anecdotal evidence. It also lacks a resource list for anyone looking to increase the amount of arts activity and funding at their school. However, it’s nice to see the arts put front and centre on the agenda. You can download the magazine here. For a much stronger set of resources, check out The Dana Foundation and the Keep Arts in Schools website. Tip of the hat to Richard…
 
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    Fringe Famous

  • RENT! RENT! RENT! RENT! RENT! Hey, didja hear?  Andrew...

    5 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pm
    RENT! RENT! RENT! RENT! RENT! Hey, didja hear?  Andrew Rasmussen’s production of Rent has finally opened over at The Lab.  It even got a nifty review in the Strib. Remember that wish that Jonathan Larson wished before he died that there would always be affordable tickets to see this musical…and then they held the front-two-rows lottery for $20 tickets…for like, a gazillion performances?  Well, Rasmussen must not have had that wish.  Ever.  Because if you walk up to the box office of The Lab to see this production, you’ll have two choices:  1.)  Pay $46.50, or 2.)  suck on his…

  • PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE

    17 Jan 2010 | 9:39 am
    PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE

  • ANOTHER G CORP. VID BLOG

    15 Jan 2010 | 10:37 pm
    ANOTHER G CORP. VID BLOG

  • OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE BLOG-A-THON

    13 Jan 2010 | 10:26 pm
    OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE BLOG-A-THON: Follow this.  It’s good stuff.

  • THE BIG BLUE BLOG IS ALL GROWS UP! Ladies and gentlemen, the...

    13 Jan 2010 | 8:06 pm
    THE BIG BLUE BLOG IS ALL GROWS UP! Ladies and gentlemen, the above posted video is the first in what seems to be a series called Backstage with Romeo and Juliet.  In it, we see actual Guthrie Corporation backstage happenings — things that normals wouldn’t usually get to see.  And it’s hosted by Matthew Amendt — a Guthrie Corporation actor that normals would probably love to hear from. Although I could only get through about two minutes of it, to my knowledge, this marks the first time in several months that the Big Blue Blog has posted something that could be considered…
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    Groundling

  • This Week in Queensland Theatre: February 8-14

    Admin
    7 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Image by Dramagirl via Flickr For dates and times check company websites This week is marked by the start of Queensland Theatre Company’s Season 2010 and two opening nights of productions by the two full-time professional company Artistic Directors: The Little Dog Laughed directed by Michael Gow for QTC, and La Boite Theatre’s own production of Hamlet directed by David Berthold.  Chasing the Lollyman by Debase TC and the WTF program continues at the Powerhouse and elsewhere in the city. Opening: The Flowering by Donna Cameron dir Sue Rider JWCoCA (Tuesday) Hamlet by William…

  • World Theatre Day Goes Digital Again

    Kate Foy
    3 Feb 2010 | 10:39 pm
    This is the second year in which theatre lovers around the world have used online social networking apps to hook up, promote theatre, and have a generally good time celebrating the art form we all love.  World Theatre Day is held on March 27 each year, and last year Brisbane companies joined in with gusto.  This year, the global organisers are hoping more groups and individuals will come on board again for what turns out to be a very long day of celebrations. In March 2009 NZ and Australia were among the first in the world to begin the global party on the stroke of midnight.  As the day…

  • Musical Theatre in Australia: where to now?

    Admin
    31 Jan 2010 | 9:30 pm
    Harvest Rain an independent theatre company  based in Brisbane recently hosted a forum on The Future of Musical Theatre in Australia.  This formed part of their Summer School activities. Here’s Part 1 of the forum chaired by performer Queenie van de Zandt.  The introduction of the participants is longish, so you might want to skip forward to around 3′40” to legendary performer Nancye Hayes’ quick summation of how musical theatre in Australia has changed since the early 60s when she began her career with J C Williamsons.  John Kotzas CEO/Artistic Director of QPAC…
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    The Sill

  • Ars Nova Announces 2010 Programming

    29 Jan 2010 | 2:55 pm
    Ars Nova Announces 2010 Programming Three World Premiere Productions: Missed Connections NYC Written by the Ars Nova Play Group Bloodsong of Love: The Rock'N'Roll Spaghetti Western Book, Music & Lyrics by Joe Iconis, Directed by John Simpkins A new play by Carly Mensch, Directed by Jason Eagan Four Workshop Productions: Outré Island Written and Performed by Christopher Rozzi, Directed by Sam Gold Three more productions TBA ANT FEST 2010 Summer Music Marathon Ongoing Developmental Theater, Music and Comedy Series Next Step, Out Loud, Showgasm, Uncharted 2010 Artists-in-Residence Also…

  • FOUND Continues its Sold-Out Run Feb 5

    29 Jan 2010 | 2:29 pm
    After four sold out shows in a row, FOUND is back at Ars Nova on February 5! The Story Pirates dig through the Lost and Found bin for this night of musical sketches based on the eponymous popular magazine. Imagining the stories behind lost gloves, discarded love letters, and even the audience's exciting finds, one man's trash is the Pirates' treasure.

  • Spend a Night on Outré Island!

    29 Jan 2010 | 12:09 pm

  • Ars Nova Announces Play Group 2010

    7 Dec 2009 | 10:34 am
    New York, NY--Ars Nova (Jason Eagan, Artistic Director; Jon Steingart and Jenny Wiener Steingart, Executive Producers) proudly announce new members for its 2010 Play Group. Play Group 2010 Play Group is Ars Nova's vibrant and eclectic group of emerging writers who gather twice a month at Ars Nova to share new work and get peer feedback. The group offers members the chance to develop their plays with peer support, form collaborative relationships and build a strong sense of community within Ars Nova. In addition, members receive dramaturgical support and artistic matchmaking advice from the…

  • A Special Offer From Ars Nova Veterans!

    2 Nov 2009 | 10:53 am
    Congratulations to Ars Nova's Play Group member Annie Baker and Jollyship the Whiz-bang director Sam Gold on their hit new play, Circle Mirror Transformation, now playing at Playwrights Horizons. The show has received raves across the board and has now extended to November 15th. Friends of Ars Nova can purchase $35 tickets (regularly $50) with discount code CMGR by CLICKING HERE or by calling 212-279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily). Also, stay tuned for exciting news about the upcoming Play Group production at Ars Nova, featuring short works by Annie Baker, Bekah Brunstetter, Dylan Dawson, Kristoffer…
 
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    Cambiare Productions

  • Walking the Talk

    Travis Bedard
    20 Jan 2010 | 8:29 am
    There is a guideline/rule/rubric/something I heard this one time about never responding to your critics. Or maybe it was never respond to your critics publically or some such… I’m mostly well behaved about such things. But I want to point anyone who knows the formentors of rebellion who sic their fans and subscribers on someone who doesn’t like a show to what a grown up response looks like. Mr. Don Hall and his 5-Ring WNEP production The (edward) Hopper Project have gone before the review stand and while you might assume that you can guess Mr. Hall’s stance, would it really be Don…

  • Quick thoughts on Outrageous Fortune

    Travis Bedard
    13 Jan 2010 | 12:22 pm
    I’m not through Part One yet, but I really need to jot thoughts as I go or I’m just going to lose it all. AD’s honestly believe that there are no good plays anymore. Because of course Really Good Play means Tartuffe.It is really not clear to ADs at major shops who have been running Shakespeare, Moliere, Shakespeare, Chekov, O’Neill for a decade that reading a new unproduced play isn’t going to have the same effect on them, not because it isn’t good, but because: A.) You’ve only been working with Hall of Fame scripts distilled by 500 years of production winnowing the field B.)…

  • Fences and Walls

    Travis Bedard
    12 Jan 2010 | 2:28 pm
    I wrote a glorious, witty, self-serving piece about the need for big tent tolerance in both religion and theatre. Oh my god it was bad. As Treplev says in the the Nina Variations (by Steven Dietz – buy now), “Nothing makes an audience run from the room faster then the phrase, ‘I had a dream…’, except perhaps for this phrase, ‘When I was a young boy…’” You need my personal history like you need a panel of rabies shots. The summary line of that post was: Some people like musicals, light comedy, Sarah Kane, Shakespeare, and improv. Stop complaining that X Style/Production…

  • Bottled Lightning(tm)

    Travis Bedard
    3 Jan 2010 | 11:34 pm
    It seems in the aftermath of Diversity Weekend and the subsequent release of Outrageous Fortune that the fog of war has lifted and the folks are seeing the enormity of the problems in front of us. Of course the problems that face theatre are insurmountable. T’was ever thus. We are trying to perform communal alchemic creation in a hastily pasted on corporate structure. We have no funding mechanism that doesn’t involve the kindness of strangers and a talent base that pays lipservice to the good of the artform while silently chafing that they’re not paid on the level of their similarly…

  • Happy Anniversary to Us

    Travis Bedard
    2 Jan 2010 | 1:17 am
    Two years ago on another windy and cold First Night in Austin Cambiare Productions was born under the 1st Street Bridge. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel like a million years ago. I’d be lying if I hadn’t claimed more than once that this company was three years old. I wasn’t lying it’s just… that was a REALLY long time ago. Since that time we produced one final show with Gobotrick Theatre Company, Will produced and I performed in (20% of) a five play cycle of Manuel Zarate’s work, I got married, we presented a reading of Seven Jewish Children, and we wrote and produced…
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    HOLLYWOOD ACTOR PREP BLOG

  • Actors Who Shoulda Been Contenders For 82nd Oscars©

    Dana Kaminski
    8 Feb 2010 | 5:27 pm
    You won't find them on the either the list of Best Actor Nominees, or Best Supporting Actor Nominees, on the Official Oscar Ballot [link]. Distinctively, here's what was great about each of these fine actors' performances, in films this past year...? [[...Just a partial post. If interested in seeing the entire post, & media...CLICK on the TITLE.]]

  • Acting Nomination? Oscars? How Does That Feel?

    Dana Kaminski
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:37 pm
    Actor Christoph Waltz, who already won the SAG Award and a Golden Globe, Describes How The Oscar Nom Feels... And, here's a VIDEO of a backstage interview, after his SAG Award Win. By Dana Kaminski [[...Just a partial post. If interested in seeing the entire post, & media...CLICK on the TITLE.]]

  • On Acting Fear :: Video With Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges, More

    Dana Kaminski
    4 Feb 2010 | 12:08 pm
    What makes it different for successful actors; is experience handling their nerves, working under high pressure with internal churning. But there's more...[video with Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman...] [[...Just a partial post. If interested in seeing the entire post, & media...CLICK on the TITLE.]]

  • 82nd Oscar Nominated Actors, As Announced Today

    Dana Kaminski
    2 Feb 2010 | 1:59 pm
    Oscar© Nominees For Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress :: PRINTABLE LIST Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards Performance by an actor in a leading role... [[...Just a partial post. If interested in seeing the entire post, & media...CLICK on the TITLE.]]

  • “Acting Is Like Loving A Beautiful Woman Who…”

    Dana Kaminski
    1 Feb 2010 | 11:29 am
    "...Can't Love You Back." Says actor; and now director, Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo's directing debut just premiered at Sundance. 'Sympathy For Delicious' was written by an actor that Ruffalo went to acting classes with (back in the day). [[...Just a partial post. If interested in seeing the entire post, & media...CLICK on the TITLE.]]
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    The Bad Boy of Musical Theatre

  • The "bare" Truth

    5 Feb 2010 | 9:31 am
    We're still working on programming next season. It really is a long, difficult process, trying to fashion a season that hangs together in some way, that includes both something adventurous and something that we're fairly confident will sell well (without, of course, ever violating our mission statement). As is often the case, this time, two of the three shows came pretty easily...It's been months now that we've had both I Love My Wife, the jazz musical, and Two Gentlemen of Verona, the Shakespearean rock musical, solidly on the list, and I don't think that will change. It's the third slot…

  • No Shit, Bucky Beaver

    13 Jan 2010 | 2:42 pm
    My last post was about trusting the audience. Really important. But today I'm reminded of an equally important thing to remember -- to trust the show -- something not all directors and actors do.With the national tour of Grease here at the Fox, a lot of people are remembering New Line's production in 2007. Judy Newmark did a great interview in the Post-Dispatch with the show's co-author Jim Jacobs, whose real high school life in Chicago was the primary material for the musical (including some actual friends' names!). To my great surprise and delight, Judy wrote in her piece that Jacobs:would…

  • Defying Gravity

    11 Jan 2010 | 1:25 am
    I came to a decision today. Usually in the past, when we were putting together a season, we tried very hard to include in every season one Big Name, like Chicago, Cabaret, Rocky Horror, Hair... And over the years, we've come up with a bunch of shows that are both Big Names and also genuine "New Line shows" -- more than I would have thought possible. Right now, as I work on assembling next season, I've got two shows settled and one more to figure out. And I've been trying to come up with a Sure-Seller for that third slot that still adheres to our mission statement.There are a few shows that…

  • The Year in Review

    19 Dec 2009 | 9:18 am
    As we come to the close of 2009, I look back on our year in musical theatre and could not be prouder. I absolutely love the work we did this year, and apparently so did our audiences and the critics!It started in January with our fourth tri-annual concert at the Sheldon Concert Hall, this time cheekily titled A New Line Cabaret, Episode IV: Night of the Living Show Tunes, and once again showcasing sixteen of the New Line All-Stars. Not only was the cast amazing, not only did we get the biggest houses we've ever had for these concerts, but I also think the song list was the best I've ever…

  • Next Season???

    27 Nov 2009 | 10:45 am
    A glimpse inside the difficult task of programming a season...Even though we've only done one show so far this season, it's already time to think about next season! Funding applications will start coming due in a month or two. Plus, I usually announce at the New Line Dinner (which is next week) what shows we're thinking about for next season, although I think there was only one year when the three shows I mentioned at the dinner were the same three shows we ended up producing...So here's what I'm thinking about... First, as I mentioned in my blog entry about my trip to New York, I've decided…
 
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    StarkSilverCreek - All Things West Coast » Film and Theater

  • Theater Review: Alfaro unleashes the full poignancy of ‘Oedipus el Rey’ at Magic’s World Premiere

    Loni Kao Stark
    8 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am
    Sophocles’ Greek tragic tale of Oedipus, a man who dared believe he could steer his own fate against the curses of the Gods, has seeped into many literary works since it was first performed c. 429 BC. The timeless themes of fate and love are constructed in such a way that it remains eternally provocative. However, the actual context of the play, the particular words, dress and music used to express the anger, despair and love that Oedipus experiences through the entire journey of man has become less accessible in today’s context. Until now. Playwright Luis Alfaro, in his world…

  • Cinequest Screen #3: ‘Passenger Side’

    Clinton Stark
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Passenger Side: Putting the odd in odyssey. First, a quick recap. We’re counting down to the Cinequest Film Festival 20, now opening in 15 days on Tuesday, February 23 with a screening of Dagur Kári’s The Good Heart starring Brian Cox and Paul Dano. At the media launch party we received 10 screeners. We screen them. Write about them. Simple as that. If we get through all ten, then we only need to cover 66 more. Plus or minus. Then there are the 71 shorts. The opening and closing night films. Special events, workshops. Silent cinema (how cool is that, at California Theatre?!). 10…

  • Review: Opera San Jose ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ well done and enjoyable, plus a future star discovery!

    Eugene Lee
    7 Feb 2010 | 7:18 pm
    Opera San Jose: The Marriage of Figaro First, some quotes about jealousy: “Jealousy in romance is like salt in food.  A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening.” –Maya Angelou “O jealousy! thou magnifier of trifles.” – Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller “O! beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on.” – William Shakespeare, Othello “The ear of jealousy heareth all things.” – The…

  • Opera San Jose: Backstage preview of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’

    Clinton Stark
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm
    Loni hangs backstage at Opera San Jose with Larry Hancock, general manager and director of production, and Mozart himself. Watch the video for beautiful shots of the California Theatre. The Marriage of Figaro opens tonight downtown at Opera San Jose. An opera buffa (comic opera), it was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and premiered in 1786. It appears at number six on Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America. And no wonder; as I listened to Larry Hancock, director of production and general manager, in this interview, it became clear that its popularity…

  • Cinequest Screen #2: ‘Paulista (Quanto Dura o Amor?)’

    Clinton Stark
    5 Feb 2010 | 3:00 pm
    Streets of São Paulo: "In the city, there is a fine line between triumph and defeat." Here’s a well-made film from Brazil. Called Paulista (Quanto Dura o Amor), the second Cinequest screener that Loni and I have watched, it follows the ups and downs of three relationships. It recently played at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Sex, and sexual identity play a big role and create, in some ways, a film that feels a bit French to me. There is a lot of feeling. And plenty of raw human emotion—be it passion, sadness, longing or confusion. This is a character-driven…
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