Author Archives: Kitty Drexel

Nov 11

This Place Must Yield Something Good: “Sojourners”

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Abigail C. Onwunali, Asha Basha Duniani in Sojourners; photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Presented by The Huntington 
Written by Mfoniso Udofia
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons
Dramaturgy by Christine Mok
Voice and dialect coaching by Dawn-Elin Fraser
Fight Director & Intimacy Coaching by Brian C Green
Featuring: Asha Basha Duniani, Nomè SiDone, Abigail C. Onwunali, Joshua Olumide 

Oct. 31 – Dec. 1, 2024
The Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave. 
Boston, MA 02115

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Wednesday, November 6 was a lot. It should have been an occasion for much rejoicing. I can’t have been the only person who expected- whether innocently or obtusely- to celebrate the first female president of color as Boston celebrated Sojourners, the first play of Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Cycle at The Huntington. Instead, my heart was in my stomach and between my teeth. I am terrified for my friends, my found family, my community and our children’s children. May they forgive us. 

But, let history remember: We did celebrate Sojourners! Our community gathered at 264 Huntington Ave to rightly praise Udofia, Dawn M Simmons, their cast, crew, production staff, and community leaders for the beginning of a most intrepid, two-year project – to stage and witness Udofia’s complete Ufot Cycle as a unified city of great theatremakers and artists. (A list of involved companies is HERE.) 

Mayor Michelle Wu proclaimed Nov. 6 Mfoniso Udofia Day in Boston before the play started. There was cheering from the swankily dressed crowd. It was a happy moment before a gorgeous play that capped a sad day for the history books.  Continue reading →

Nov 04

Same Procedure as Every Year: “Dinner For One”

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Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company
By Christina Baldwin, Sun Mee Chomet, and Jim Lichtscheidl 
Directed by Weylin Symes
Music direction by Tim Goss
Featuring Paul Melendy and Debra Wise
Violin: Tommaso Lorenson

November 1 – 17, 2024
395 Main Street
Stoneham, MA 02180

Online playbill

Critique by Kitty Drexel

STONEHAM, Mass. — Greater Boston Stage Company’s Dinner For One is a short but charming play about a grieving grand dame and her affectionate butler. It has expanded moments of prop work, physical comedy, unsettling puns and a broad range of accents. It’s a silly treat to dislodge the election panic curdling your stomach this presidential cycle. It runs in Stoneham through November 17.  Continue reading →

Oct 26

Some Restrictions May Apply: “Cirque of the Dead”

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Photo is not representative of this year’s “Cirque of the Dead.” Still cool, though. 

Presented by the Boston Circus Guild with Circus 617
Written by Tim Ellis
Directed by Eileen Little
Dance Choreography by Mandy Hackman, Ellen Waylonis
Featuring: Alex Jackson, Ellen Waylonis, Jenna Ciotta, Mandy Hackman, Nana Okada, Rachel Barringer, Rin Judith, Tim Ellis, Tori Markwalder
The online playbill

Oct 24 – Oct 31, 2024
Arts at the Armory
Somerville, MA

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Runtime is about 90 minutes with a short intermission.
This show is 18+ only, due to graphic/disturbing content.

Review by Kitty Drexel

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — This year’s Cirque of the Dead chronicles the fictitious (or is it?) Cirque of the Dead Historical Society of the 1920s Somerville spiritualist movement. Watch as three psychic mediums materialize ectoplasm from their bodies and commune with the spirit realm to convince a team of Harvard professors (Go Crimson!) and one MIT adjunct (Go Tech!) of their gifts. Tim Ellis and Tori Markwalder emcee the event. How does this match up with the choreography of New Kids on the Block, N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys? Perhaps the boy bands are defenders against the dark arts? You’ll have to attend to find out! 

Supernatural phenomena abound as the occult battles rigid logic for truth equity amongst the masses. Patrons are welcome to dress up in their ookiest, spookiest costumes. The bar is open to distribute libations to 21+ living and nonliving attendees.   Continue reading →

Oct 22

Beating Back the Leviathan of Mediocrity: “Pru Payne”

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Karen MacDonald and Gordon Clapp; Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company
Written by Steven Drukman
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Intimacy Direction by Jesse Hinson
Featuring: Marianna Bassham, Gordon Clapp, De’Lon Grant, Karen MacDonald, Greg Maraio

Oct 18 – Nov 16, 2024
Boston Center for the Arts
527 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”

― Dorothy Parker

BOSTON — It’s another excellent production from SpeakEasy Stage and the last non-musical from director Paul Daigneault before he moves to different things. Pru Payne by Steven Drukman is at the Calderwood Pavilion through Nov. 16.

Pru Payne (New England grand dame, Karen MacDonald) is a New York theatre critic with strong opinions, a caustic wit and decades of education and experience who finds herself writing her memoirs when the play begins. She’s trying to write, but she’s experiencing memory lapses. Her son Thomas (De’Lon Grant) sets her up at a state-of-the-art research facility. There, Pru meets Gus Cudahy (Gordon Clapp), a salt-of-the-earth custodial engineer with a heart of gold.  Continue reading →

Oct 03

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

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The Hombres cast. Photo by Jason Grow.

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

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

100 minutes + 15 minute intermission

Critique by Kitty Drexel

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

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

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

Sep 22

Morality Makes No Difference Legally: “Leopoldstadt”

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

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

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

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

Article by Kitty Drexel

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

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

Sep 18

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

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

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

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

Critique by Kitty Drexel

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

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

Sep 16

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

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

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

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

Critique by Kitty Drexel

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

Sep 10

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

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

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

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

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

Critique by Kitty Drexel

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

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

Aug 23

Near, Far Wherever You Are: Dinner Cruise Aboard the Odyssey

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The view on the deck.

Dinner Cruise aboard the Odyssey
Run by City Cruises Boston

Rowes Wharf behind the Boston Harbor Hotel
60 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Follow the walkway to the docks past Foster’s Pavilion 

Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Full-bar: available, cash
Onboard DJ entertainment
Dress code: semi-formal attire (casual clothing not allowed)
More Info HERE

Review by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — I and my hawt date were invited to attend a Boston City Cruise on the Odyssey. The invitation got me passage on the cruise, access to an open bar (excluding gratuity), food including appetizers, dinner, and desserts, and musical entertainment. On August 21, the Odyssey stayed at the dock in Rowes Wharf from 5 – 7 PM. It cruised Boston Harbor from 7 – 9:30 PM. 

Our City Cruise was pleasant. Experience has told me I get seasick so I popped a Benadryl to combat my seasickness at 4 PM, an hour before we boarded the boat. I took another Benadryl around 8 PM. I did not feel queasy while we were on the ship.  Continue reading →