Apr 29

Streamed Content to Prevent COVID-19 Brain Drain: It’s Gonna Be May

Dear Readers,

It’s almost May. Most of us have been in lockdown for nearly two months. There is a great amount of streaming content available online. Theatre companies aren’t providing us with this content solely out of some altruistic mission of heroic proportions. They are also sharing their work in order to stay relevant.

If you are a person who is consuming content and you can afford to, DONATE. If you can’t donate now, buy a ticket/tickets when the theatres reopen. If you can do both, DONATE now and BUY A TICKET later.* Consuming streaming content without making a donation means that our theatres might not exist when the economy reopens. Artists deserve to be paid. DONATE. 

We wish you all the best! Please wash your damn hands, get enough exercize, Zoom your friends, and stay home as much as you can.

All our love from six feet away,
Kitty, Queen of the New England Theatre Geeks

*P.S. It should go without saying that if you don’t have the cash/are unemployed/are an essential worker, don’t donate.

Let us know if we missed something! Email us at blognetheatregeek@gmail.com or find us on our social media pages.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/netheatregeek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewEnglandTheatreGeek/

City of Boston Arts and Culture – The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston is tasked with ensuring equity in the storytelling and the distribution of resources related to COVID-19. There is now a survey designed, in partnership with MassCreative, to gather information about creative workers and artists in Massachusetts> It will help advocate for freelancers, gig workers, and the self-employed in our cultural communities and to ensure that artists and creative workers are getting the support they need.
ACCESS THE SURVEY 

Exiled Theatre – Exiled Theatre is proud to present it’s Living Room Series. Hanging Tree and Nurse Call are up on its site now.

Flat Earth Theatre – Flat Earth is bringing its collaboration with the Cambridge Science Festival into outer space.  A. Lehrmitt’s new sci-fi radio play Fine-Tuned Universe will stream for FREE on Saturday nights at 7pm, April 25th – May 30th. Each week brings a new 20-minute chapter.
Fine-Tuned Universe: a radio play< by A. Lehrmitt. Directed by Jake Scaltreto. Saturdays, April 25th – May 30th, 7pm EST; Streaming on Facebook Live Featuring: Juliet Bowler, Kristen Heider, James Hayward, Chris Chiampa, Melissa de Jesus, and Liz Salazar with sound design by James Rossi.

Gamm Theatre – Gamm Theatre is offering classes online as well as “Study Breaks with Susie Schutt, Gamm Education Director.” Please go to the site to learn more.

HowlRound – So busy! Please check the site for more information and current listings. 

Lemon Punch Theatre Lab – Inspired by the One Minute Play Festival’s Coronavirus Plays, Lemon Punch Theatre Lab presented the LEMON LIVE MICROPLAY FESTIVAL on March 31st. It was so successful, we are doing it again! The 2nd Lemon Live Microplay Festival will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, May 12th at 7 pm, with an additional performance on Sunday the 17th at 2 pm (for those who prefer matinees!). 
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES are HERE:
The Deadline is Monday, MAY 4 AT 7 PM!


New World Theatre presents Snow Fall, Episode 2: Nor’Easter by Donald Tongue, As the storm intensifies, Ashley reaches out to her friend, Peggy, for help. An audio play on YouTube.

Luminarium Dance – Their latest TEN4TEN Performance is titled “The Beginnings.” The performance is available to view now through May 4. Luminarium presents its TEN4TEN Performance Series celebrating its tenth anniversary season with curated shows every two weeks, highlighting its award-winning repertory spanning 2010 to present. Be sure to tune in soon, as every two weeks the current “performance” will be removed, with a new one in its place!

North End Music & Performing Arts Center – NEMPAC has started FREE online programming for its community. From Open Mic Nights to Live Stream Classes and a variety of Educational Programs, they have something to offer everyone. Weekly virtual programs take place through its social media Instagram account.
Tune in this Friday for the next NEMPAC Open Mic Night! To perform, please email Allie Meek-Carufel ameek@nempacboston.org by Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Open Theatre Project – OTP Core Members Alexandra Smith, Cathy Messier, and Sarah Jacobs introduce TP’s “Community Write.” It unites some of OTP’s favorite Playwrights with the community, to create something new and uplifting with their online community every week. 
Playwrights select writing prompts from the community and write short, 1-2 minute plays. Playwrights will choose favorites from OTP actors to perform digitally.

Go to OTP’s Facebook and Instagram accounts to learn more and participate. CLICK HERE to submit topics.

The Company Theatre – On Friday, May 1 at 7:30PM, The Company Theatre will livestream its 2019 production of Paragon Park: The Musical on its YouTube page. From the YouTube page, “Join The Company Theatre as we relive the heydays of Nantasket Beach with Paragon Park: The Musical! Streamed live on our YouTube channel- enjoy our dynamic 2019 production, professionally produced for your viewing pleasure. Take “One Last Ride” with Paragon Park: The Musical!

Elsewhere, Outside of New England: Streamed content to view! 

https://www.punctuate4.org/

https://www.punctuate4.org/

Jan 12

Robots and Prostitutes Are People Too: CITIZENS OF THE EMPIRE

Photo credit: Jake Scaltreto, no fancy underpants needed here.

Photo credit: Jake Scaltreto, no fancy underpants needed here.

Presented by Boston Public Works
Written by Kevin Mullins
Directed by Lindsay Eagle

January 8-23, 2016
The Stanford Calderwood Pavilion
Boston Center for the Arts
Boston, MA
BPW on Facebook

My apologies to the cast and crew, the death of cultural icon and glam rock god David Bowie has hit me harder than anticipated. This review was delayed by my selfish human emotions.
-Kitty Drexel, Reviewer

“To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.”
Paul R. Ehrlich

“To err is human. To blame someone else is politics.”
Hubert H. Humphrey

(Boston, MA) One of the reasons artists write about the future and/or the past is to show how human behavior remains the same regardless of the passage of time. Human hearts and heads tangle up in the same figurative knots no matter what century it is. Science and the evolution of reason only confuse matters. People will be people until they aren’t anymore. Continue reading

Jun 09

War Wounds and “Widows”: Ariel Dorfman Reading

Presented by Flat Earth Theatre and Open Theatre Project
By Ariel Dorfman
Directed by Lindsay Eagle

Saturday, Jun 7, 2014 8PM
The Democracy Center
45 Mt Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA
Flat Earth on Facebook
OTP on Facebook

Review by Gillian Daniels

(Cambridge) In one of Widows most wrenching scenes, Fidelia Fuentes (Mariagrazia LaFauci) struggles to figure out how to tell the story of her father’s disappearance. She starts by talking about a bird, then starts again by describing how soldiers kicked down the front door, and then talks about flying. The narrative spins and, it seems, so does she. With each false start, Fidelia tries to find the language that will successfully communicate her anxiety. She can’t, however, certainly not within a country under a lethal dictatorship. Her narrative has been compromised. Continue reading

Aug 04

Bug: Real Fear

Bug 003

James Hayward and Julie Becker in "Bug" by Tracy Letts July 29-August 6, 2011. The Factory Theatre, Boston.

Bug by Tracy Letts, Flat Earth Theatre, The Factory Theatre, 7/29/11-8/6/11, http://flatearththeatre.com/shows/bug.html.  Contains graphic violence and language.

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

Horror reigns at The Factory Theatre in Flat Earth Theatre’s taut production of Tracy Letts’ thriller Bug.  An abused woman finds comfort and safety of a gentle stranger.  However, their safety is short-lived when their motel room becomes infested with bugs.  No matter how they try, their situation escalates providing a realistic and frightening experience. Continue reading