Sep 08

“Matt & Ben” at The Riot Theater

MB1

Matt & Ben: A story of two Boston boys and a screenplay that fell from the sky.

Fridays in September at 10pmMB1
146A South Street, Jamaica Plain
$10
Buy Tickets

Matt & Ben, a play by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers, answers the question every Bostonian has asked themselves at least once; “How did Matt Damon and Ben Affleck write the screenplay for Good Will Hunting?” Answer: It fell from the sky, of course.

Okay, in reality the screenplay might not have appeared right out of thin air, but the play Matt & Ben takes the audience through a fantastic journey of what if it did. Matt and Ben, respectively played by Lauren Robinson and Libby Schap, spend one long Saturday in Somerville fighting, reminiscing, and hallucinating a lot more than normal when confronted with the screenplay they already know will change their lives.

Produced by the LL Production Company, Matt & Ben is one wicked funny show that will make an audience feel like they’re right in the same living room as these young Boston boys (played by girls), and the first play put up at the Riot Theater.

Produced by the LL Production Company
Starring: Lauren Robinson and Libby Schap

Mar 01

Heavy Stagecraft: STONES IN HIS POCKETS

Photo Credit: Lyric Stage Boston

Photo Credit: Lyric Stage Boston

By Marie Jones
Directed by Courtney O’Connor

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston
140 Clarendon Street
Copley Square
Boston, MA
February 15th – March 16th, 2013
Lyric Stage Company Facebook Page

Review by Craig Idlebrook

Here’s an ambitious idea: Re-film a warm buddy movie like Good Will Hunting, but have Ben Affleck and Matt Damon play all the characters in the movie….oh, and make sure they have flawless accents that represent all that can be found in the United Kingdom, too. It’s either Oscar bait or an actor’s nightmare.

The Irish dramady Stones in his Pockets, now playing at the Lyric Stage Company, is weighed down by this ambitious premise. The production charges the strong cast of Daniel Berger-Jones and Phil Tayler with credibly populating the stage with a bevy of U.K and U.S. characters who, we are to believe, are trying to film a Hollywood movie in Ireland. Masochistically, the play even starts off by talking about how ridiculous actors are when they try to fake the Irish accent, just when the actors are warming up to said accent themselves. A production this ambitious must hit every right note to have a chance, and, unfortunately, there are missteps that weigh it down and never allow it to reach its lofty goals of stagecraft. Continue reading