Rest in Peace, Lauren Bacall. You’re with Bogey now.
Rest in Peace Mr. Robin Williams
You will be missed. You are loved.
“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society
Here the Rodents Reign Supreme: “The Annotated History of the American Muskrat”
Presented by The Circuit Theatre Company
Written by John Kuntz
Directed by Skylar Fox
August 2 – 16, 2014
The Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
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Review by Kitty Drexel
(Boston, MA) My parents were in town this weekend and, in the interest of involving them in my life, I asked them to attend The Annotated History of the American Muskrat with me. My conservative Dad’s immediate response was to ask, “is it weird?” At the time he asked I couldn’t give a definitive answer but, after attending Sunday’s matinee performance, I can honestly answer that, yes, this show is weird. Yet, “weird” doesn’t scratch the surface of what it is. It is also intensely powerful (reviewers use these words a lot. This show is actually powerful and intense versus a “powerful” and “intense” production of, say, The Cherry Orchard.) in ways that cause the viewer to question how Americans process the life we consume. It’s a bad trip on the best acid. It’s about everything and nothing. It is not for the weak. Continue reading
Actresses Define an Era in “Playhouse Creatures”
Presented by Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company
By April DeAngelis
Directed by Anna Trachtman
August 1 – 17, 2014
The Factory Theatre
Boston, MA
Maiden Phoenix on Facebook
Review by Gillian Daniels
(Boston) Maiden Phoenix Theatre Company puts on the sort of historical play I love. Playhouse Creatures looks at the Restoration Era with new eyes, examining the lives of actors Mary Betteron (Christine Power), Ms. Marshall (Janelle Mills), Nell Gwyn (Emily White), and Ms. Farley (Emma Goodman) as they take to the English stage once women are lawfully allowed to act again. Their agendas diverge wildly: they do it for money, fame, or unbridled joy. Regardless, the show is a delicious exploration of what women looking to make art do when faced with a patriarchal society. Continue reading
Blast Off Achieved: “Astro Boy and the God of Comics”
Presented by Company One
Written and Directed by Natsu Onoda Power
July 19-August 16, 2014
Plaza Theatre at Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
C1 on Facebook
Review by Noe Kamelamela
(Boston) Sci-fi disciples should rocket into the BCA to catch Astro Boy and the God of Comics. Company One not only delivers the flash and joy of Mighty Atom, but also ably handles the more thorny political commentary. Violence, death, and some racially offensive content are referenced. Continue reading
“Translations” and Tribulations
Presented by Bad Habit Productions
by Brian Friel
directed by M. Bevin O’Gara
August 2-17, 2014
Boston Center for the Arts
Calderwood Pavilion
Boston, MA
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Review by Gillian Daniels
Cultural erasure and the silencing power of colonialism—Translations is not a play that minces words. It’s a tragedy of linguistics. During the 19th century, the English army seeks to map out the Irish countryside, specifically the town of Baile Beag. In order to have unified names for the maps they draw, the soldiers end up Anglicizing the Gaelic names of rivers, roads, and mountain ridges. Staged by Bad Habit Productions, this play rages at the disappearance of local tradition in the name of Imperialism. Continue reading
Theatre@First Presents Shakespeare’s “Henry the IV”
Presented by Theatre@First
by William Shakespeare
directed by Shelley MacAskill
After seizing the throne, King Henry IV rebuilds his kingdom and despairs over his heir’s dissipated life in the London slums. Prince Hal spends his time carousing with the bawdy Joan Falstaff and her gang of thieves and misfits, but he is far more than the scoundrel he seems. When the king’s former allies rebel against him, Hal plans to redeem himself in his father’s eyes. Facing the rebel leader, Hotspur – England’s greatest and noblest warrior – Hal has a chance to prove his worth, but will redemption bring more pain than Hal could imagine?
Theatre@First’s Henry the 4th combines two of Shakespeare’s greatest history plays in one thrilling night of theatre!
Director: Shelley MacAskill has been involved in thirteen productions with Theatre@First, including directing Harriet IV – a gender-swapped one-act version of Henry IV – for Festival@First 7: Shaken Up Shakespeare. She has also produced two plays (The Lady’s Not for Burning and Bent), been Technical Director for another (Equus), and been stage manager, rehearsal assistant, and light board operator for more than she can readily recall. This is her first time directing a full-length play.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
8pm evening shows:
Thursday, August 21
Friday, August 22
Saturday, August 23
Wednesday, August 27
Thursday, August 28
Friday, August 29
4pm matinee show:
Saturday August 30
PERFORMANCE SPACE
Unity Somerville
6 William St, Somerville
unitysomerville.org
TICKETS: $15 for adults
$12 for students/seniors.
Group discounts available.
theatreatfirst.org
brownpapertickets.com
goldstar.com
Still Enjoyable ‘At the End of the Day’: LES MISERABLES
Presented by The Company Theatre Center for the Arts
based on the novel by Victor Hugo
Music by Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer
Original French text by Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel
Additional material by James Fenton
Orchestrations by James Cameron
Directed by Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman
Staging and choreography by Sally Ashton Forrest
Music direction by Michael V. Joseph
July 24 – August 17, 2014
30 Accord Park Dr.
Norwell, MA 02061
Company Theatre on Facebook
Review by Kitty Drexel
(Norwell, MA) Les Mis is an overwhelming show; its complications can make preparation for performance seem insurmountable. Yet, it is beloved to its devoted fans who care more that its being performed and less about the intricacies of the performance. Such people will highly enjoy the Company Theatre’s production running through August 17. Theatre geeks, such as me, may still enjoy themselves but will likely get hung up on artistic details. Continue reading
Beware the Uffish Jabberwock: FORTUNE’S FAVORED
Presented by Vagabond Theatre Group
By Lesley Anne Moreau
Directed by Zach Winston
July 11 – 26, 2014
The Factory Theater
Boston, MA
Vagabond on Facebook
Review by Kitty Drexel
(Boston) Fortune’s Favored almost works as theatre. It is so close to being a very well-written, sensitively acted play that it is devastating that it doesn’t achieve the success it’s capable of. The premise is quite clever, the small cast is capable and Zach Winston’s direction is sympathetic to the actors’ needs but the combination of the elements is mismatched. They are crafted pieces from three different puzzles. They don’t fit.
Eudora Redden (Annie Hochheiser) is running the Redden Arcade in Big Ugly, West Virginia for her drunk father. It’s been the family business for three generations. Her cousin Luann O’Hare (Lauren Robinson) has recently crawled home with her tail between her legs from Washington, DC after getting involved with a political scandal. They both meet Davis Milford (Conor Walsh) when he expresses interest in purchasing the business centerpiece, the fortune teller game, and in getting to know Eudora better. Things go south when business and family tangle over the potential sale. Mikey DiLoreto is the recorded voice of John Barrymore. Continue reading
Change takes one step at a time, one person at a time: “The Walk Across America for Mother Earth”
Presented by Circuit Theatre Co
Written by Taylor Mac
Directed by Christopher Annas-Lee
Music by Ellen Maddow
July 9-July 27
Club Oberon
2 Arrow St
Cambridge, MA
Circuit Theatre on Facebook
Review by Noe Kamelamela
(Cambridge) If you’ve never been part of a political action, this show will be eye-opening and uncomfortable. Its both of those things in many other ways, and I recommend leaving the little ones at home due to violence, sexuality, sexual violence and nudity. Taylor Mac’s ode to the political march and the people who do them gets a spirited revival at Club Oberon. Continue reading