AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE BRINGS DENIS O’HARE BACK TO BOSTON
ARTSEMERSON PROUDLY PRESENTS
AN ILIAD
AWARD-WINNING ADAPTATION OF HOMER’S EPIC POEM RETURNS A HOMER’S COAT PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH OCTOPUS THEATRICALS —— FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY NOVEMBER 20 – 24, 2019 EMERSON PARAMOUNT CENTER ROBERT J. ORCHARD STAGE
Denis O’Hare Photo: Joan Marcus
Six years after its original Boston run, ArtsEmerson is delighted to welcome back Tony Award-winning actor Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson with their Obie Award-winning adaptation of Homer’s classic, An Iliad.
An Iliadspins the familiar tale of gods and goddesses, undying love and endless battles told through the eyes of a single narrator, whose enigmatic experience of the war reverberates with today’s headlines. Peterson’s acclaimed, cutting edge work as a theatre director here combines with O’Hare’s inimitable range as an actor to create a tour-de-force performance of this sweeping account of humanity’s unshakeable attraction to violence, destruction and chaos.
A visceral and breathtaking encore performance, An Iliadplays four performances only, November 20 -24, 2019, at the Emerson Paramount Center’s Robert J. Orchard Stage. Tickets may be purchased at www.ArtsEmerson.org, by phone at 617.824.8400 or at the box office.”We are really looking forward to returning to ArtsEmerson, where we built the tour of An Iliad,” says director and Homer’s Coat co-founder Lisa Peterson. “We have very fond memories of the Boston audience.”
“Denis O’Hare’s performance in An Iliadremains an indelible high-water mark in our first decade, and from the moment the lights went down on his first show at ArtsEmerson we began talking about bringing him back for an encore,” says ArtsEmerson artistic director David Dower. “That was in our third season, and ArtsEmerson has since gone on to establish a reputation for memorable solo storytelling– Daniel Beaty’s Mr. Joy, Melinda Lopez’ Mala, Thaddeus Phillips’ 17 Border Crossings, Alex Alpharoah’s Wet, and Isabella Rosellini’s Green Porno all followed. Denis and director Lisa Peterson delivered a powerful and thoroughly gripping adaptation of Homer’s epic text, and the intimacy and immediacy of the performance itself knocked us out. Our desire to share this experience with a wider Boston audience actually gave rise to the animating idea of our 10th anniversary season– bringing back five iconic moments from our first nine seasons and coupling them with five brand new commissioned works.”
Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) will once again present the area’s most beloved production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL This award-winning, original musical adaptation was created solely for North Shore Music Theatre in 1989 and cannot be seen anywhere else. A CHRISTMAS CAROL will play 14 performances from Friday, December 6 thru Sunday, December 22, 2019.
“It is hard to believe we are already at the time of year where we are getting ready to deck the halls and start telling this wonderful holiday story once again,” said NSMT’s owner and producer Bill Hanney. “Every year, I meet so many patrons who look at our production of A Christmas Carol as a cornerstone in their Christmas celebration with their families. Along with their introductions, a patron will almost always let me know immediately how many times they have seen the show, and how many generations of their family have enjoyed it since its first performance in 1989. It is always an honor to produce a show that means so much to so many people.”
David Coffee and Cheryl McMahon (Photo: Paul Lyden)
Based on the Charles Dickens classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is an original adaptation by former NSMT Artistic Director Jon Kimbell and members of the NSMT staff, following Ebenezer Scrooge through a series of strange and magical ghostly encounters, where he ultimately discovers the true spirit of the holiday season. With dazzling special effects that have grown even more exciting over time, traditional and original songs, and colorful costumes, A CHRISTMAS CAROL has become a holiday favorite throughout New England having been seen by more than one million people since 1989.
NSMT audience favorite,David Coffee, returns for his twenty-sixth year playing Ebenezer Scrooge. A CHRISTMAS CAROL also features Leigh Barrett(TheGhost of Christmas Past, Mrs. Cratchit), Peter S. Adams (TheGhost of Christmas Present, Gentleman 1), Michael Gaudio (The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Young Scrooge), Alex Puette(Jacob Marley), Tommy Labanaris (Narrator), Russell Garrett (Bob Cratchit), Dale Elston(Pearlie), Drew Porrett (Pearlie), Allsun O’Malley(Belle), Andy Tighe (Fred), Cheryl McMahon (Mrs. Dilber/ Mrs. Fezziwig), J.T. Turner (Mr. Fezziwig/Gentleman 2), Bernie Baldassaro (Ensemble),Michael Brennan(Dick Wilkins, Ensemble)Matthew Chappell(Old Joe, Ensemble), Cecilia Snow(Ensemble),Kate Turner(Meg,Ensemble), and Janelle Yull(Ensemble).
The cast of 27 actors will also feature many local young performers including Jack Baumkind (Tiny Tim), Ciaran Mohan (London Boy), Grace Olah (Belinda Cratchit), Asher Navisky (Peter Cratchit), Amanda Padre(Fan), Dylan Prime (London Boy), AJ Scott (Boy Scrooge), and Emilia Tagliani (Martha Cratchit).
A CHRISTMAS CAROLperformances are December 6 – December 22, 2019 (Evening shows December 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22 at 7:30pm; Matinees December 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 2pm). Tickets can be purchased by calling the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office at (978) 232-7200, via the website at www.nsmt.org or in person at 62 Dunham Road (Route 128, exit 19), Beverly, MA.
Throughout the run of A CHRISTMAS CAROL NSMT will be collecting toys in the lobby for Tiny Tim’s Toy Drive. NSMT will be accepting unopened, unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages 2 – 12. All toys will be donated to Toys for Tots.
ADDITIONAL FREE AUDIENCE ENRICHMENT EVENTS:
OUT at the North Shore, an evening for the LGBTQ+ Community with a post-show reception on Friday, December 13 after the 7:30 pm performance. OUT at the North Shore is sponsored by North Shore Pride.
As part of the Christmas Prelude program in Kennebunkport, Maine, Seaglass Performing Arts Chorale will be performing a program of music ranging from Gospel Spirituals to Mozart’s Magnificat in C Major.
This heartfelt expression through music of the desire for Peace on Earth this holidayseason will be performed at South Congregational Church, Temple Street, Kennebunkport, Maine on Saturday December 7 at 7:00 PM, and at the Holy Family Catholic Church, 66 North Ave., Sanford on Sunday December 8, 3 PM.
Tickets at the door are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and for students ages 12 to 18. Tickets purchased in advance are $12 for everyone ages 12 and up. Children under 12 will be admitted free of charge.
Tickets available online CLICK HERE, at Morse Hardware in Wells, and at the door (cash only at the door).
Dates and locations
Saturday December 7, 7 PM
South Congregational Church, Temple Street, Kennebunkport, Maine, 04046
Sunday December 8, 3 PM
Holy Family Catholic Church, 66 North Ave., Sanford, Maine, 04073
About Seaglass
Founded in 1993 by Artistic Director Jean Strazdes, the Seaglass Chorale is a non-auditioned adult choral group of 50-60 voices that has established itself as a voice to be heard! The chorale represents some 20 southern Maine communities and regularly performs throughout the area, with concerts in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Sanford, Saco, and other regional venues. We are well supported by our longtime accompanist, Kimberly Karchenes.
Internationally acclaimed, Seaglass Chorale has traveled to Europe twice, performing in Rome, Venice, Innsbruck, and Budapest. In September of 2004, choristers proudly led the musical prelude at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.
The uniqueness of Seaglass events stems not only from the quality of its performances and the generous response of the community, but from its demonstrated connectivity to the community through its benefit concerts. Benefiting organizations include Habitat for Humanity, St. Thomas School in Sanford, the Sanford/Springvale Food Pantry, York County Shelters, Wells Historical Society, Noble High School, Child Abuse Prevention Council, and many others.
The chorale is often called upon in celebration of such diverse community events as the Nasson College Community Center dedication, Franciscan Monastery Anniversary, Laudholm Farms Building Inaugural, Holy Family Church (Sanford) Jubilee, and the Sanford Mainers baseball team playoffs.
In short, no other regional group integrates more fully in its diversity of intended audiences, music, events, and venues – always with its mission focus of performance opportunities through community service.
At SpeakEasy Stage Explores Privilege, Values, Snobbery,
And Hypocrisy
Reviewed by Bobby Franklin
Nathan Malin Photo by Maggie Hall Photography
A few years ago I was watching a news program featuring a story about a successful inner city high school where most of the graduates were going on to college. It was an uplifting story, but one part stuck in my mind to this day. A young African American girl was asked why she wanted to go to college. She responded, “So I can be better than other people.” My heart sank when I heard those words.
In watching Joshua Harmon’s newest play Admissions, now at the SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, those words kept echoing in my head. The play which takes place far from the inner city, at a second tier, on the verge of being first tier, prep school in New Hampshire, deals with what happens when white liberals who are in a position of power, in this case expanding minority admissions to the school, talk the talk of making their school more inclusive and diverse and then have to face the reality of walking the walk when it turns out it means giving up their own privilege.
Sherri Rosen-Mason is the Head of Admissions for Hillcrest Prep School. Her husband Bill is the Headmaster, and their son Charlie is a senior who’s dream has always been to attend Yale. He has worked hard toward that goal and has the grades and test scores to show for it. Things don’t work out as planned when Perry, Charlie’s close friend who is biracial is accepted at Yale while Charlie’s application is deferred. Charlie believes it is his skin color that has made the difference.
Cheryl McMahon and Maureen Keiller Photo by Maggie Hall Photography
I have seen three of Joshua Harmon’s plays, and he is a master at writing dialog. In the opening scene of Admissions the back and forth between Sherri Rosen-Mason (Maureen Keiller) and Roberta (Cheryl McMahon) who works in development at the school is both funny and telling. Roberta is working on the school catalogue and Sherri is critiquing her work for not showing how racially diverse the school is. It becomes a numbers game about how many students of color attend the school and if they are properly represented in the catalogue. More so, are minority kids made to feel comfortable when perusing it.
The conversation between the two on who qualifies as black enough becomes awkward for Sherri as Roberta cuts to the quick with just what Sherri is trying to say. While funny, the conversation can also make many in the audience feel uncomfortable as while the goal of being more inclusive is good, the discussion of putting people into boxes based on ethnicity has ugly overtones.
This combination of humor and questioning of values is also evident in Charlie’s diatribe when he confronts his parents about why he wasn’t accepted at Yale. Nathan Malin as Charlie is positively outstanding when he goes on about what he sees as the absurdity of figuring out who qualifies as a minority and who doesn’t.Sherri and Bill (Michael Kaye) are stunned by what their son has said. Bill, “It looks like we successfully raised a Republican”. Oh! The horror!
Marianna Bassham and Maureen Keiller Photo by Maggie Hall Photography
Another awkward moment occurs when Perry’s mother Ginnie (Marianna Bassham) is sharing her joy over her son being accepted to Yale when she realizes Sherri is implying he only made it because of his skin color. Later in the play Ginnie captures the difficulty her son and so many others have to face because many people feel that way. Marianna Bassham is terrific as always.
The part of the play I found most revealing was where Charlie had decided to take things into his own hands and walk the walk that his parents talked, and made his own decision about where to attend college. Bill launches into a revealing screed about how his son will now have to do such low level jobs as “tossing pizzas and bussing tables”. He also can’t contain his disgust for community colleges. It really does all come down to being better than other people.
While the play is meant to make people look at their own privilege, in this case white privilege, it is about much more than that. No matter how well intentioned people are, when it comes to getting ahead, or having their children get ahead, are they ever going to cede their connections and power to make things happen?
White liberals will see this play and feel appropriately guilty. But how many of them will be willing to have a minority student take the seat at the table they reserved for their son or daughter? And is that really the solution?
Michael Kaye and Nathan Malin Photo by Maggie Hall Photography
As with other Speakeasy Productions, I would love to see a more politically diverse audience attend and participate in a discussion. Joshua Harmon knows how to raise questions. He is not afraid to make people uncomfortable, and I would assume this includes himself. And, unlike so many of today’s authors, he does not preach. The audience has to grapple with these questions on their own.
Sherri’s words are very telling, “If you don’t have a school like a Yale or Harvard on your resume, that actually puts a ceiling on what’s possible in your life. And our son is smart enough to see that. Going to Yale means your life contains all the possibility in the world. Not going there, or one of a handful of schools like it, means there are tables you will never get to sit at, tables whose existence you may never know about.”
Keeping the table small means always putting limits on what people can achieve. Maybe it’s time to find new places to sit.
While it is easy when hearing about Admissions to put it in a box as a play by and for liberals, it should not be dismissed as such. This is an excellent work and a superb production. The talented cast is outstanding. The set which smoothly transitions from campus office to family kitchen is perfect. No matter your political beliefs, I would strongly urge you to pull up a chair to this table at the SpeakEasy.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a major influence on rock and roll music. She was a favorite of Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and many other top names from the early days of rock music. Beginning in 1940 Sister Rosetta began using electric guitar in her Gospel Music performances. Her unique style would influence Chuck Berry and Elvis. Just last year she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Still, most people have not heard of her. With the advent of Youtube, videos of her performances are now available for the general public to view.
In Marie And Rosetta, playwright George Brant has attempted to tell the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. This is done by setting the play in a funeral home where Tharpe and her young protege Marie Knight are having their first rehearsal, as they are joining together for upcoming performances. Why a funeral home? The story takes place in 1946 in Mississippi and the Jim Crow South wasn’t exactly accommodating to black performers traveling through the area. Since they could not stay at the local hotels, they were dependent on friends finding them a place to stay. On this night it happened to be a funeral home. Toward the end of the play that symbolism will play into the story.
Lovely Hoffman and Pier Lamia Porter Photo: Nile Scott Studios
Pier Lamia Porter as Marie and Lovely Hoffman as Sister Rosetta both deliver terrific performances and have amazing voices. Ms Hoffman’s interpretation of Tharpe brings the soul of her being to life at the theatre in Stoneham, MA. This is not impersonation or caricature, but rather an exploration of a dynamic and powerful woman. Accompanied by Marquis Lewis on guitar and musical director Erica Telisnor on piano, (Ms Hoffman and Ms Porter go through the motions on muted instruments) the musical numbers are outstanding.
Pier Lamia Porter and Lovely Hoffman Photo: Nile Scott Studios
Not all of Sister Rosetta’s hits will be familiar to most audience members, but you will leave the theatre wanting to hear more. From Gospel songs such as Were You There, to This Train, and Didn’t It Rain to the smoking Tall Skinny Papa and rocking Up Above My Head, there is never a dull musical moment.
Ms Hoffman, who said she grew up in the church (her father was a minister) knows her Gospel music. She, as Sister Rosetta did, is able to combine the spiritual with a rocking and soulful influence to recreate the sound that was at the root of the early rock era. While she is not actually playing the guitar, her movements with it show how much Tharpe influenced the early musicians. I was very much taken with her performance and was left wanting more.
Ms Porter as Marie is at first seen as shy and reluctant to step into the spotlight but quickly gains confidence with Tharpe’s encouragement. Her interpretation of Were You There is marvelous, as was her take on Peace In The Valley.
Lovely Hoffman and Pier Lamia Porter Photo: Nile Scott Studios
Both Hoffman and Porter were outstanding when singing together, most notably on Didn’t It Rain, Up Above My Head, and Tall Skinny Papa. The two had just worked together in Little Shop of Horrors at the Lyric Stage and actually began prepping for Marie and Rosetta while still there. If there was any strain with working together through two shows without a break, it didn’t show here.
The music is the strong part of this production, and while Sister Rosetta’s story is a fascinating one, the dialogue gets a bit muddy and drawn out at times. This is not a major flaw and certainly is no reason to pass on this wonderful show. I just wish it had been a bit stronger. I think what is a very good story could be made into a fantastic one with a little touching up.
The Sister Rosetta Tharpe story is an important one to tell. She is known as the Godmother of Rock and Roll, and is certainly deserving of that title. Seeing Marie and Rosetta at the Greater Boston Stage Company is a fine way to be introduced to this musical legend. As was the case with me, you will find yourself wanting to hear more of her music. You will also want to learn more about this amazing woman who said “I brought a little club to the church, and a little church to the club”.
I recommend you head up to Stoneham to see this solid and very enjoyable musical play, not only because it is very good, but also because it is important to get to know Sister Rosetta Tharpe. You’ll be glad you did.
On October 10, 1949 at the Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence, the up and coming heavyweight prospect Rocky Marciano stepped into the ring with veteran Tiger Ted Lowry. Rocky had won his first 20 fights, 19 by knockout, and was stepping up in class against the cagey and hard hitting Lowry. Ted’s record going into the fight was 63 wins, 49 losses, and 9 draws, but the numbers don’t tell the real story behind what a formidable opponent he was.
Lowry had been fighting since 1942 and had faced many of the best fighters of the time. He had also squared off against champion Joe Louis in an exhibition bout where he more than held his own. He had been stopped only one time in those 121 bouts. He showed no scars on his face, a tribute to his fine defensive skills. His record lists such names as Archie Moore, Lee Oma, Omelio Agramonte, Aaron Wade, and Lee Savold.
This fight would be Rocky’s first big test against a highly skilled fighter who would be able to extend him. The fight was scheduled for ten rounds, and went the full distance.
3,696 fans showed up, the vast majority were there to cheer on Rocky. As the bell rang for the first round it quickly became apparent this was not going to be an easy night for the kid from Brockton. Lowry stung Marciano at the outset with two right hands, and in the second hurt him with a pair of left uppercuts. Lowry held the upper hand in the 4th round as well when it appeared Rocky was close to being stopped.
Things changed in the 5th round when Lowry went into a more defensive posture. Some of the fans started booing as they felt Ted was purposely backing off. Had he been told to back off? Perhaps he was tiring.
At the end of the ten rounds the decision was awarded to Rocky. This did not go over well with the crowd that felt Lowry deserved the win. Of course, when a prospect has been on a roll and has been mowing down every opponent put in front of him, his fans will feel let down when he has a night where he looks less than formidable.
Out of his 49 fights Rocky only had two that could be called at all controversial decisions. This fight with Lowry and his first bout against Roland LaStarza. In the LaStarza fight Marciano decked Roland at the end of the 4th round. Rocky had the 8th taken away from him because of a penalty for hitting low. One judge had LaStarza winning 5 rounds to 4, while the other judge had it for Marciano by the same margin. The referee had the bout even at 5-5 but gave Rocky the nod on points. The press reported the win as paper thin. This wasn’t so much controversial as it was a very close fight that could have gone either way.
UNITED STATES – JULY 12: Rocky Marciano is victorious over Harry Matthews at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
In the Lowry fight it is very possible Rocky got the benefit of the doubt in getting the decision, but the controversy was not so much over the scorecards but rather Lowry’s change of tactics in the fight. Even today it is said either the fix was in or Ted was told to back off when he came to his corner after the 4th round.
To the first accusation, that the fight was fixed. This doesn’t hold up at all. If Lowry had agreed to throw the fight why would he have gone after Rocky so hard in those early rounds, almost stopping him in the 4th? He was obviously going for the win, there can be no doubt about that.
The other theory is that after the 4th round his cornermen told him to back off. The reason supposedly being that certain people had spoken to them during the round and told them it would be bad for their health if Ted kept up the his assault. Could this have happened? Well, it is boxing so anything is possible.
Ted Lowry never ever said this happened. He felt he deserved the decision, and denied he had been told to back off. He told reporters that after the 4th round Rocky had changed his strategy and he only adapted to that change. He still felt that he won two of the last 5 rounds which, coupled with his strong start entitled him to the win. It must also be noted that Marciano came on strong in those later rounds, a trait he would display throughout his career.
Unfortunately, no film of the fight exists. What really happened? If you look at the rest of Rocky’s career, you will see a number of fights where he did not do well in the early rounds. His matches against Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore are two examples. The Moore bout might be the best one to use when trying to figure out what happened in the Lowry fight.
Against Moore, Rocky was decked in the second round by a thunderous right hand. Moore landed heavily on him and appeared to have the upper hand. However, Marciano got stronger as the fight progressed, and by the 9th round had worn Archie down and stopped him.
I believe this fight was on the up and up. It is possible that Lowry deserved the decision, but it was not the Brink’s robbery. What was seen that night was the drive that would lead Rocky to go on to win the heavyweight title.
The two would meet again a year later with Marciano winning a decision. Ted Lowry did not dispute the outcome of the rematch.
It is interesting to note that out of Rocky’s 49 victories, only two could be considered at all close. The win over LaStarza and the first fight with Lowry were close, but in both fights Marciano had a solid claim to victory.
It should also be noted that Ted Lowry was the only man go the distance twice with Rocky, and, with the exception of Ezzard Charles, he fought the most rounds against the Rock. That’s quite the accomplishment.
Thanksgiving, that most American of holidays: when families gather to celebrate the warmth of home, the bounty of the harvest – and a legacy of genocide and violent colonial expansion!
Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in this wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally “woke” teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month.
Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota) (Playwright) is an award-winning playwright. Larissa’s produced plays include The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons, Artists Rep), What Would Crazy Horse Do? (KCRep, Relative Theatrics), Urban Rez (Cornerstone Theater Company, ASU Gammage, NEFA National tour2019-20), Landless and Cow Pie Bingo (AlterTheater), Average Family (Children’s Theater Company of Minneapolis), Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation (Native Voices at the Autry), Vanishing Point (Eagle Project,) and Cherokee Family Reunion (Mountainside Theater).
The Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston, MA 02116. Box Office: 617-585-5678 www.lyricstage.com
Trinity Rep is proud to present its annual holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol. Noted for being a new production each year, the 2019 production has been inspired by the senses, with a focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday season. With an abundance of dancing and singing, this year the production will be directed by Kate Bergstrom. Beloved acting company member Jude Sandy will be playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. A Christmas Carol runs November 7 through December 29, with press opening on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 pm. Among the ten most-attended productions of A Christmas Carol in America each year, Trinity Rep’s production has become a southern New England tradition, serving over 1.6 million people since its inception more than four decades ago. Last year’s production was the highest-selling show in Trinity Rep’s history. More show details are online at TrinityRep.com/carol. Tickets start at $27 and are available online or by contacting the box office at (401) 351-4242.
Sensory Friendly Plus! Production
Trinity Rep will continue offering a Sensory-Friendly Plus! performance of A Christmas Carol , on Saturday, November 16 at 2:00 pm. Designed to meet the needs of children and adults on the autism spectrum, and/or individuals with sensory processing disorders or other cognitive disabilities, this performance features modified sound, lighting, and other adjustments. Patrons are invited to make sounds, enter and exit as needed during the performance, and enjoy this holiday tradition with their family and community.
The Sensory-Friendly Plus! performance features a red warning light that will illuminate before intense sound and light effects, and includes trained ushers in the audience to offer assistance, a social story and plot synopsis sent in advance, and a safe space in the lobby for patrons to return to if they need a break from the performance. More information can be found at TrinityRep.com/sensoryfriendlyplus.
Resident Acting Company member Jude Sandy had to say of his role as Ebenezer Scrooge, “Playing Scrooge at Trinity Rep has been a dream for me ever since I was a Brown/Trinity Rep graduate student. A lot of my prep, apart from consuming every detail I can of the original story, is thinking about how I can honor Dickens and generations of Trinity Rep audiences and the great performances of my fellow acting company members past and present. I hope to wrap myself up in all that glorious history and communal ownership, and aim to reflect all that rich tradition living in our shared present.”
Director Kate Bergstrom said of the production, “Part ghost story, part Odyssey, part party like its 1843, I envision this journey as a livening of the senses. With a full-bodied ensemble-driven world, my hope is to uncover and reveal the transcendental magic of generosity and joy implied in Dickens’ call to A Christmas Carol. Telling this story is a quest for magic. Telling this story is a call for redemption, radical compassion, and hope.”
Long-Standing Tradition
Founding Artistic Director Adrian Hall first added A Christmas Carol to Trinity Rep’s lineup in 1977, just four years after moving into the company’s current home at the Lederer Theater Center on Washington Street. Since then the production has been a holiday staple for generations of families in Southern New England. Trinity Rep’s production is set apart from other holiday productions by the fact that it is re-imagined every year by a new director, cast, and set of designers.
Cast and Creative Team
Director Kate Bergstrom, who is a graduate of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program in directing will be working alongside Michael Rice (music director), and Taavon Gamble (choreographer). They are joined on the creative team by Patrick Lynch (set design), Olivera Gajic (costume design), Barbara Samuels (lighting design), and Broken Chord (sound design.) In addition to Jude Sandy, Resident Acting Company members Timothy Crowe, Mauro Hantman, Stephen Thorne, and Rachael Warren will take on various roles in the production. They will be joined by third-year students in the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting program including: Danielle Dorfman ‘20, Jack Dryden ‘20, Ricardy Fabre ‘20, Henry Hetz ‘20, Michael Rosas ’20 and Haley Schwartz ‘20. Guest artists AJ Baldwin and Taavon Gamble will join the production.
The production will also feature a children’s cast comprised of young local actors including: Honesto Aguinaldo (Warwick, RI), Adrian Amaya (Johnston, RI), Lily Butler (Johnston, RI), Anthony Davis (Cumberland, RI), Breyannie Davis (Cumberland, RI), Rylee Donelan (Barrington, RI), Aryielle Jean-Noel (Attleboro, MA), Elizabeth Peart (Providence, RI), Haley Pezza (East Greenwich, RI), Claudia Rufio (Plainville, MA), Vivien Thorne (Lincoln, RI), Warnsey Wiggins, Jr. (West Warwick, RI)
For more information on the 2019-20 Season, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep’s website www.TrinityRep.com
ADMISSIONS Opens At SpeakEasy Stage Company October 25
From October 25 to November 30, 2019, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present the New England premiere of ADMISSIONS, the winner of the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
From provocative playwright Joshua Harmon, author of Significant Other, Skintight, and Bad Jews, ADMISSIONS is a bold new comedy “of the left, by the left, for the left ̶ for today” (The New York Times). The story centers on Sherri Rosen-Mason and her headmaster husband Bill, who have worked hard for many years to expand the racial diversity of the student body at the small New England prep school where they work. But when their son’s Ivy League dreams are on the line, personal ambition and progressive values collide in this no-holds barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of hypocrisy.
Joshua Harmon’s plays have been produced across the United States at such prestigious regional theaters as Studio Theatre, The Geffen, Actor’s Express, The Magic, and Theater Wit, among others, and internationally in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, and throughout the U.K. e is a two-time MacDowell fellow, under commission at Manhattan Theatre Club, and an Associate Artist at Roundabout. Mr. Harmon is also a graduate of Juilliard.
SpeakEasy Founder and Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault will direct this New England premiere production of ADMISSIONS. Winner of three Elliot Norton Awards including the 2014 Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, Mr. Daigneault has directed dozens of Boston premieres, including the company’s recent productions of The View Upstairs, The Scottsboro Boys, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Allegiance, and Fun Home.
The cast is Marianna Bassham, Michael Kaye, Maureen Keiller, Nathan Malin, and Cheryl McMahon.
The design team is Eric Levenson (scenic); Charles Schoonmaker (costumes); Karen Perlow (lighting); and Dewey Dellay (sound).
Stephen MacDonald is the Production Stage Manager. Erica Marie Rabito is the Assistant Stage Manager.
ADMISSIONS will run for six weeks, from October 25 through November 30, 2019, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.
For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call BostonTheatreScene Ticketing Services at 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com.
Sereno Aguilar Izzo and Sabine Van Rensburg Photo Credit: Alexandre Galliez
I am a late arrival to the experience of contemporary circus, and ifPassengers performed by The 7 Fingers now playing at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre is any indication of what I have been missing, I have been making a huge mistake in not attending a performance years ago. I am now hooked and can’t wait to go again.
Presented by ArtsEmerson, this United States premiere is not your father’s big top. Contemporary circus brings the essence of circus combined with dance, music, and a theme that runs throughout the performance. In this case the theme is passengers on a train that can be interpreted different ways, but at bottom it is what the production notes say; “The journey is the destination” and that captures it perfectly.
What I witnessed was astounding. Performances of death defying feats (and I am not exaggerating when I use that term) moving seamlessly from one to another while tapping into a wonderment that at times was mesmerizing. This was mixed with a raw beauty and a celebration of the human body that was breathtaking.
Freyja Wild Photo Credit: Cimon Parent
The performance opens with eight performers boarding a train and using their breath to create the sound of the locomotive picking up speed. Rear projections, shadows and silhouettes are used subtly and with great effect. The action moves to each performers’ particular talent while never straying from the theme. Freyja Wild with hula hoops demonstrates an art form I didn’t know existed. Hoops were rolling in from off stage and Ms Wild would catch them with her feet, hands, and arms. She was fascinating to watch.
Sabine Van RensburgPhoto Credit: Sébastien Lozé
Freyja also plays ukulele and sings a tune entitled Roam about her colleague Sabine Van Rensburg who performs using aerial silks. The song describes the beauty that Sabine creates while climbing high on the gorgeous silks that make her appear to be floating on clouds that she has made. While this is extremely dangerous and physically incredibly challenging, she looks as if she is doing it all effortlessly. I couldn’t help but think of the lines from the poem “High Flight”; “Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth.” as I watched.
Sereno Aguilar Izzo displays a number of talents highlighted by his juggling that is both deeply intricate and humorous. At one point he was tossing about more balls than I could count, catching them in not only his hands, but with the crux of his elbows, chin, and in his shirt. His expressions contained a warmth that was charming and kind.
To a tango/blues version of St. Louis Blues, Sereno and Sabine worked the trapeze. At times the two appeared as one with their bodies connected and arms and legs seeming to be extensions of each other. The musical arraignment was superb as was the performance.
Contortionist Maude Parent put on a display that had my tight and aching back envious. What makes this special is she is not performing a feat as much as giving expression with her amazing talent that touches on the beauty and adaptability of the human body. It isn’t so much being an observer of what she was doing as being moved deeply by it.
As with Ms Parent, Brin Schoellkopf’s performance on the tight wire was about grace and balance, something that speaks to us as we strive to lead better lives. This is not to take away from his amazing physical talent but to appreciate how he uses it to convey much more than just the physical.
Conor Wild Photo Credit: Alexandre Galliez
Conor Wild is a master of the Chinese pole. The smooth metal pole rises high from the center of the stage and Mr. Wild climbs it without any aids. Once at the top he performs moves that make him appear weightless. At times when he is reaching out from the pole with only his leg barely wrapped around it to hold him, he looks free and peaceful.
Towards the conclusion, Louis Joyal and Samuel Renaud give a performance of Russian cradle. Playing on a theme that runs throughout the production, this epitomizes the trust one human will place in another to survive a dangerous challenge. From a platform erected high above the stage, Joyal makes acrobatic flips and leaps into the air trusting Samuel to catch him as he begins to fall. Renaud covers his hands and forearms in rosin for a better grip. The powder drifts into the air. This combined with rear wall projection gives an amazing feeling that was like something out ofscene from an old movie showing the steam from trains at a station.
I have given a rundown of the various parts of Passengers, but it is not a series of acts. Rather, it is an interwoven work that creates an emotional stirring within. It is contemplative, thought provoking, and inspiring. The mixture of theatre, dance, and music with circus performance skills results in an expressive art form unto itself.
The music is mostly original and the arrangements are excellent. In fact, I have just purchased the score which is a joy to listen to by itself. Lyrics, music, and arrangements are by Colin Gagne in collaboration with Jean-Sebastian LeBlanc, Boogat, Freyj Wild, and Jerome Guilleume. Direction and choreography are by Shana Carroll.
Sereno Aguilar Izzo and Sabine Van Rensburg Photo Credit: Cimon Parent
I think what I found most impressive, and there was plenty to be impressed by, was that while these talented people were in constant danger of serious injury and even death, I never felt they would get hurt. There were a couple of reasons for this. One was the fact that they were not emphasizing the death defying aspect of what they were doing, but rather the beauty contained in their movements, which were indeed beautiful. The other, and more important part was how they conveyed the trust they had in one another. They had no hesitation at all when leaping, hanging, swinging, or balancing that they would be there for one another. There was a beauty in that display of the human spirit that was deeply moving. I might also add that each had to trust in his and her self; to have the confidence their training, practice, and physical conditioning would carry them through. It is all quite remarkable.
Seeing Passengers is an incredible experience. It is something you most likely will want to see more than once. ArtsEmerson continues to enhance its reputation for bringing the unusual and unique to Boston stages. I look forward to seeing much more in the future.
