Virginia Woolf’s
ORLANDO
Adapted by Sarah Ruhl Directed by A. Nora Long
February 23 – March 25, 2018
At The Lyric Stage, Boston
(Photo: Mark S. Howard)
In this joyful romance of gender roles and expectations, Orlando the man wakes up, after a particularly wild night in 17th-century Constantinople, to find himself a woman! She abandons herself to three centuries of navigating love, desire, and the world from an entirely different perspective. Oft described as the most charming love letter in literature – written by Woolf to Vita Sackville-West – Sarah Ruhl brings the novel to life on stage in a grand, epic adventure that transcends time, place, and gender.
Featuring: Caroline Lawton as Orlando with Elise Arsenault, Michael Hisamoto, Rory Lambert-Wright, Jeff Marcus, Hayley Spivey.
The Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston, MA 02116 lyric stage.com
Oh, What a Beautiful Season! The Ogunquit Playhouse Announces Lineup for 2018
The legendary Ogunquit Playhouse is thrilled to produce five spectacular musicals for its upcoming season that includes an all-new production of the sizzling song and dance celebration Smokey Joe’s Café, the U.S. premiere of the hilarious new musical Grumpy Old Men, a beautiful new production of the classic Oklahoma!, and the first regional production of the sumptuous new musical An American in Paris. Closing out the season is a surprise smash musical sensation that will run for an unprecedented 8 weeks, from September 5 through October 28, which will be announced in March.
“We are elated to be heading into our 86th season with an extraordinary lineup of shows, and are very fortunate to be collaborating with show’s original producing team on an all-new production of Smokey Joes Café, which will transfer to New York following its run at the Ogunquit Playhouse,” stated Bradford Kenney, Ogunquit Playhouse Executive Artistic Director. “We have also been following the development of the brand new musical version of Grumpy Old Men and are delighted and honored to produce the U.S premiere of this hilarious new production for Playhouse audiences this season. Oklahoma! has had a long history at the Playhouse and we are thrilled to create a new production to celebrate its 75th anniversary. We are also excited to create a fresh new look for our regional premiere of the beautiful musical An American in Paris.”
www.ogunquitplayhouse.org. Box Office: 207.646.5511
The SpeakEasy Stage Presents Every Brilliant Thing
From March 2-31, 2018, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present the Boston premiere of the charming and life-affirming solo show Every Brilliant Thing.
Written by British playwright Duncan MacMillan (Lungs; People, Places, and Things) , and originally performed by British comedian Jonny Donohoe, Every Brilliant Thing explores depression, and looks at the lengths we will go to help those we love. The story begins when a young girl compiles a list of things worth living for in an effort to ease her mother’s sadness: things like ice cream, and water fights, and staying up past your bedtime to watch TV. Through adulthood, as the list grows, she comes to understand the deep significance the list has had on her own life, and the irrepressible resilience inside us all.
Adrianne Krstansky will star in this one person show, which explores this delicate topic with equal parts grace and humor. Ms. Krstansky recently won both an Elliot Norton and IRNE Award for her work as Lola in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Come Back, Little Sheba. Her SpeakEasy credits include lead roles in the Boston premieres of Tribes, Body Awareness, and Snakebit.
Marianna Bassham will be making her SpeakEasy directing debut with this production. Ms. Bassham received both an Elliot Norton and IRNE Award for her performance in SpeakEasy’s production of Blackbird. Her other SpeakEasy acting credits include In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play); Reckless; and Hand to God. Ms. Bassham most recently appeared in as Marc Antony in an all-female production of Julius Caesar for Actors’ Shakespeare Project.
The design team for Every Brilliant Thing includes Eric Levenson (scenic and lighting); Amanda Ostrow Mason (costumes); Lee Schuna (sound), and Abby Shenker (props).
Becca Freifeld is the Production Stage Manager.
Every Brilliant Thing will run for five weeks, from March 2- 31, 2018 in the round 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.
Ticket prices start at $25, with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under.
For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call the box office at 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com.
Richard III
Actor’s Shakespeare Project
Swedenborg Chapel
Harvard Square, Cambridge
Through March 11
Reviewed by Bobby Franklin
One of the great enjoyments of Actor’s Shakespeare Project productions is they are held in different venues. This provides both an opportunity and a challenge for directors. In the decision to stage Richard III at the Swedenborg Chapel, director Robert Walsh was given both.
Upon entering the chapel and taking my seat in one of the pews, I was puzzled by how I would be able to see the play. After all, the only clearly visible place where an actor could be seen would be from the pulpit: Hardly the spot to stage the Battle of Bosworth Field.
The gothic architecture, shadowy lighting, and smell of incense in the air certainly created a fitting atmosphere in which to witness Gloucester as he plots and executes his way the throne. But again, there was the question of actually getting to see it all.
Steven Barkhimer as Richard III Photo Credit: Nile Scott Shots
Director Walsh answered my question from the moment the opening lines were said. This production would not take place on a stage, it would happen amongst the audience. The action, or at least 90% of it happens in the aisles alongside and in between the pews. Theatre does not get any closer or more personal than this. This works particularly well with Richard III as I do not believe there is another character in the works of Shakespeare who speaks directly to the audience as much as the title character does.
I have seen productions of Richard III where Gloucester comes across quite cunning and charming almost to the point where the audience members felt taken in by him and had pangs of guilt towards the end when his ruthlessness is on full display.
This is not the way Steven Barkhimer plays him. Dressed in black, walking with a limp, arm in a sling, and wearing a beret in the first act, and a headband representing a crown in the second, Mr. Barkhimer gives us a Richard whose phony charm is easily seen through from the outset. This approach allows us to see just how quickly the other characters are willing to compromise their morals in order to share in his power. They are not being taken in by his cunning, but instead willfully sell out to him. It is his power that corrupts the others, not his charm.
Steven Barkhimer and Mara Sidmore (Photo Credit: Nile Scott Shots)
The scene where Richard woos Anne while standing next to the body of her husband whom Richard had slain is a perfect example of this. The grieving Anne, played by Mara Sidmore, is disgusted by the overtures but also realizes the power she will gain by giving into Richard. Ms Sidmore plays this tension very well. It is morality versus practicality, and in spite of Anne’s protestations, we know early on what her decision will be. It’s not Richard’s talk, but rather what he has to offer that allows him to woo her in this way. Mara Sidmore is also excellent as Catesby. Wearing a black fedora style hat she elevates the role of Richard’s most loyal follower.
The cast is limited to six actors playing the numerous roles, and they all manage to move from one character to another along with their differing personalities seamlessly. Deaon Griffin-Pressley who plays Hastings, Rivers, Terrell, and Richmond also plays Murderer 2 opposite Paula Plum as Murderer 1. Mr. Griiffn-Pressley speaks with a Jamaican Patois while Ms Plum has the swagger of a 1930s movie gangster. It is an interesting combination and well chosen.
Ms Plum also plays Queen Elizabeth, and the scene where Richard attempts to get Elizaleth’s approval for marrying her daughter is particularly powerful in this intimate setting.
Michael Forden Walker plays Buckingham and Stanley, but is at his best in the role of the tragic Clarence. Clarence relating his dream is moving, and his plea for sparing his life is so dreadful and sad.
Jennie Israel (Photo Credit: Nile Scott Shots)
And now to Jennie Israel. Ms Israel comes close to stealing the show as she plays Brackenbury, King Edward, and Ratcliff. Her Margaret is just wonderful. Her presence is strong but not overwhelming, and her rhythm is beautiful. Ms Israel and Ms Plum are also impressive in red bows playing the two young and ill fated princes.
Richmond’s speech before the Battle of Bosworth Field is always powerful but more so in the hands of Deaon Griffin-Pressley as he walks through the aisles addressing the audience. Given in this setting it is particularly effective.
Richard gives his speech from the pulpit which is the highest spot in the chapel to perform from, it is a fitting place to have him speak just before his downfall. Mr. Barkhimer shows the failing despot giving it his one last try to keep the troops in line.
The battle itself is something to witness. It is a dance/fight scene brilliantly choreographed with drums playing in the background and the actors banging sticks together as they move through the chapel. I did duck for cover on more than one occasion.
Deaon Griffin-Pressley and Paula Plum (Photo credit: Nile Scott Shots)
I doubt you will get the chance again to see such an intimate production of Richard III, nor one so creatively done. The chapel setting could not be more perfect. The lighting, which I was told was limited and challenging was also very effective. There was one scene where shadows are cast on the back wall that elicited a gasp from the audience. It was something to see.
It is also great for people like me who tend to fidget in their seats. While seating is in the pews, they are quite comfortable, and the ASP has also allowed quite a bit of seating room so audience members have no trouble shifting around to watch the action as it moves about them, and that is great news for us fidgeters.
For those of my readers who enjoy Shakespeare, you will be very pleased by this production. For those of you who have shied away from seeing these great works there could be no better introduction. It is helpful to read a synopsis of the play before going, but don’t be intimidated by it. Sit back and let it play out before you. You will be wooed.
Virginia Woolf’s Orlando adapted for the stage by Sarah Ruhl and directed by A. Nora Long will open at the Lyric Stage, Copley Square, Boston on February 23rd and run through March 25th.
In this joyful romance of gender roles and expectations, Orlando the man wakes up, after a particularly wild night in 17th century Constantinople, to find himself a woman. She abandons herself to three centuries of navigating love, desire, and the world from an entirely different perspective. Oft described as the most charming love letter in literature – written by Woolf to Vita Sackville-West – Sarah Ruhl brings the novel to life on stage in a grand, epic adventure that transcends time, place, and gender.
Caroline Lawton
The cast features Caroline Lawton as Orlando and includes Elise Arsenault, Michael Hisamoto, Rory Lambert-Wright, Jeff Marcus, and Hayley Spivey.
Spiro Veloudos and Ilyse Robbins have teamed up to co-direct Stephen Sondheim’s newest musical Road Show, now playing at the Lyric Stage. The play, with book by John Weidman, is a fast paced 90 minutes of tightly woven theatre. It is the story of two rather sleazy brothers who, while they do hold a certain attraction, in the end make us feel glad we are leaving them behind as we leave the theater.
Neil A. Casey and Tony Castellanos Photo Credit: Maggie Hall
Addison and Wilson Mizner were two real life characters who went in search of fame and fortune toward the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th Centuries. They had big ideas with Wilson being the more daring, and at first seemingly the more unscrupulous of the two. There is a certain appeal to the stories of risk takers and those who follow their dreams, but by the end of the play we have had just about enough of these two. The Mizners, while rich in ideas, and in Addison’s case, talent, were also con men who were more than willing to take advantage of any poor sucker whom they came across. It is Wilson Mizner who has been credited with the now famous line “There’s a sucker born every minute”.
Even though their actions will leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth, it is still a lively and interesting story. The score by Stephen Sondheim is pure Sondheim from start to finish. And, I have to say I enjoyed every number. With a three member orchestra to back them up the performers are never competing with the instruments. Each song is clear and easy on the ears.
Tony Castellanos as Wilson gives us a character who is a fast talking con man, and like all con men, also quite charming much of the time. You’ll find yourself smiling at him while at the same time checking to be sure your wallet is still in your pocket. Neil A. Casey as Addison is the more subdued, thoughtful, and apparently kinder of the two.
Neil A. Casey and Patrick Varner Photo Credit; Maggie Hall
When Addison begins a relationship with Hollis Bessemer (Patrick Varner), the son of a wealthy industrialist, who dreams of starting an artist’s colony in Florida, it seems we are going to see a stark contrast between the two brothers. Bessamer has been cut off by his father but is able to make introductions that enable Addison to put together real estate deals. The two begin a romantic relationship and appear to have found true love. The song You’re The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened is a very touching and tender moment in the play. Patrick Varner brings a warmth and a vulnerability to the role of Hollis that makes it that much more tragic when Addison goes back into business with Wilson and they begin fleecing investors. Whether Addison had been using Bessemer all along or whether it was really true love is a question that is left to the audience. While it is obvious Wilson always savored taking advantage of those “suckers” whether mining for gold in the Klondike, producing Broadway plays, or selling real estate in Florida, it is more ambiguous when it comes to Addison.
Cast of Road Show Photo Credit: Maggie Hall
There is a fine supporting cast that includes Sean McGuirk as Papa Mizner and Vanessa J. Schukis as Mama Mizner as well as various prospecters, poker players, marks, and even an appearance by World Middleweight Champion Stanley Ketchel (David Makransky). Will McGarrahan, last seen at the Lyric in Souvenir, is always a welcome stage presence.
As I have written before, the team at the The Lyric Stage really knows how to put on these small scale musical productions. Mr. Veloudos and Ms Robbins work very well together. But that should not come as any surprise as both know their craft and have given audiences many great productions.
These past few years I have been getting quite an education in the work of Stephen Sondheim thanks to both the Lyric Stage and the Huntington Theatre Company. It is a delightful journey I have been fortunate to be able to join in on. I am looking forward to many more stops along the way. In the meantime, I can say with confidence you will enjoy Road Show. You may not find a place in your heart for the Mizner brothers, but you certainly will for this production.
Road Show
Through February 11th
The Lyric Stage
Copley Square, Boston
lyricstage.com
617-585-5678.
Shakespeare In Love
At The SpeakEasy Stage Company
Reviewed by Bobby Franklin
We are in the midst of one of our cold and snowy Boston winters, but you don’t have to travel far to have your heart warmed and a smile brought to your face. The New England Premiere of Shakespeare In Love presented by the SpeakEasy Stage Company and playing at the Calderwood Pavillon in Boston’s South End is delightful.
George Olecky and Jennifer Ellis Photo Credit:Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.
The Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard screenplay from their Academy Award winning best picture has been adapted to the stage by Lee Hall who has kept much of the original script while adding additional dialog including Shakespeare lines. With a cast of eighteen actors plus a dog it is remarkable how smoothly this work flows. Everyone is in synch and the dialog and action never miss a beat. This had to be a challenge for director Scott Edmiston who was clearly up to the task.
The SpeakEasy design team has done a masterful job of transforming the Wimberly Theatre at the Calderwood into The Rose Theater from Shakespeare’s era. The actors move into the aisles at times and the lights are turned up periodically to truly make the audience feel they a part of the performance. It is a wonderful touch that adds to the fun that is enjoyed by those in attendance. We are groundlings all.
Of course, what would a play be without the players? And the SpeakEasy has assembled a very talented cast to take the stage. With so many who deserve recognition I hate having to leave some out but space doesn’t allow for a full rundown. Just know they were all terrific.
Eddie Shields and George Olecky Photo Credit:Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.
George Olesky plays the young Will Shakespeare who, at the beginning of the play, is suffering from a bad case of writer’s block,”Shall I compare thee to a …something…”. Kit Marlowe (Eddie Shields) helps him get his mojo back and even coaches him in finding the words with which to woo Viola (Jennifer Ellis) who has been masquerading as a male in order to gain a part in the upcoming production of Romeo and Ethel, The Pirate’s Daughter. Fortunately, Kit is able to convince Will there is a better title for the work.
Many audience members will be familiar with the direction this all takes from having seen the movie. If not, it is fun to experience it for the first time. And, if you are, you will find this treatment of it to be fresh and enjoyable.
Olesky and Shields, who I at first thought were going to be too corny, settle into wonderful exchanges of banter that display the wit you would expect from these two poets. Their back and forth captures their rivalry, respect, and friendship. By the time of Marlowe’s murder you can empathize with Shakespeare’s pain and guilt at the loss of his friend.
Nancy E. Carroll as Queen Elizabeth has the gift of delivering very funny lines without cracking a smile. However, there is a twinkle in her eye that belies her stern countenance.
Ken Baltin Photo Credit: Nile Hawver/Nile Scott Shots.
Ken Baltin takes on the role of the beleaguered theatre owner Henslowe who is struggling to stay one step ahead of losing an ear for falling behind in his payments to the loan shark Fennyman played by the very funny Remo Airaldi. Baltin’s expressions as he looks pleadingly to the audience are priceless.
As readers of this column know by now I consider Jennifer Ellis a remarkably gifted performer. In Shakespeare In Love she did not disappoint me. I have seen Ms Ellis performing going back to Urinetown at the Lyric Stage in 2005 and more recently in She Loves Me at the Greater Boston Stage Company as well as The Bridges of Madison County at the SpeakEasy. In a city that is so filled with talent (you get to see much it in this current production) Jennifer Ellis stands out as one who is destined for great things. My only concern is that one day we may lose her to the bright lights of Broadway, so I would strongly urge you to get to the Calderwood Pavillon and see for yourself what I am talking about before she moves on.
Ms Ellis radiates in the role of Viola. Her voice and her presence fill the stage.
Ms Ellis radiates in the role of Viola. Her voice and her presence fill the stage. There is also something very unique about the way lighting touches her face. I don’t know how to properly describe it, but it is amazing to see. Jennifer Ellis also carries a subtlety into her performances that allows her to always appear at ease and very natural.
So, forget about the cold weather and head over to the SpeakEasy stage for this delightful production. Oh, I forgot to mention one very important cast member, Spot the dog. As Nancy E. Carroll’s Queen Elizabeth says when encouraging Will on writing his next play “Remember, we very much like dogs”. You’ll very much like Spot. And yes, “Out damn Spot’ does make it into the dialog.
Shakespeare In Love
Through February 10th
The SpeakEasy Stage
Calderwood Pavillon
Boston’s South End
www.speakeasystage.com
617.933.8600
Watching the Huntington Theatre’s production of Mala, written and performed by Melinda Lopez, was a very emotionally stirring experience. The one actor play about Ms Lopez’s experiences dealing with the failing health and impending death of her 92 year old mother is an honest depiction of what many of us have, or will have to face with an aging parent. It is also a stark reminder of what awaits us as we age. It is not a pretty picture, and fortunately, this play does not romanticize dying. If this sounds pretty bleak it is, but the play is not.
Oh, it is tough stuff to have to think about, and as Ms Lopez points out so well throughout the play, we don’t pick up great wisdom from the dying. They are usually very angry and the caregivers are exhausted. The endless calls to 911, the verbal nastiness, the hard decisions, and feelings of guilt are all real and put in front of us. The play also has much humor in it. I wouldn’t call it gallows humor, but rather the laughter people break into at times when it seems all has gone wrong and helplessness has set in. You know, it is okay to laugh when bad things are happening. We are reminded of that while watching Mala.
Melinda Lopez is simply wonderful. Her work is wonderful. Her acting is wonderful.
The events in the play took place during the terrible Boston winter of 2015, the year of Snowmageddon. As her mother began to deteriorate physically and mentally Ms Lopez kept notes in an App on her iPhone. She did not do this with the thought of writing a play, but rather as a way to let off steam. When she later read the notes she was inspired to write this story. It is so good she did.
Mala is not Ms Lopez’s mother’s name, rather it is a Spanish word that means a person is bad. Not just bad but bad deep down in her soul. Her mother would shout that at her when she was upset. It is not uncommon for an ailing parent to lash out at a son or daughter when they are nearing the end. It is very unpleasant and hurtful, but understandable when you think about how helpless and hopeless we become at that stage in our existence. Never the less, it is awful to deal with.
Melinda Lopez Photo Credit: Paul Marotta
Along the way Ms Lopez also touches on her father’s dying as well as sharing brief stories of other’s who have gone through similar experiences. As she moves about the stage relating her story I felt as if she was talking directly to me, and I am sure the other audience members felt the same way. Her honesty and straightforwardness come through clearly while never turning to self pity. The anger, the guilt, the second guessing are all brought out.
Near the end of the performance Ms Lopez talks about having her mother put under Hospice care. This touched me as it is a hard reality to face when you know the person you love is not going to get better. There is now a time frame. Of course, as Melinda Lopez points out, we have all started dying, but when you can begin to measure the time that is left it becomes very different.
In one very funny part of the play Ms Lopez talks about one of the times her nerves were frazzled from dealing with her mother. She started thinking about how she heard that Eskimos, or was it Inuits?, would set their elderly parents adrift on an iceberg to be rid of them. It is quite humorous as she tells it, but it also is a reminder of the terrible guilt a person can feel as the thought of wanting the suffering to end gets tied into the wish to see your parent die. Those thoughts are so painful.
I hope I haven’t painted too bleak a picture of this wonderful performance. You will not be sitting in the theater crying. In fact, you will spend quite a bit of time laughing. But, you will leave the theater thinking about what it means to get old and what lies ahead for many of us. It is something we should be as honest about as Melinda Lopez is.
It is so often I read about how courageously a person has faced illness and death, and we like to think of it happening that way. The reality is different. I know that as I was leaving the theater I was thinking of some of the words Ms Lopez spoke. She spoke of how dying does not make us wise. You don’t learn from the dying. They are angry, they can be mean. And most importantly “Nobody teaches you how to do the big stuff.”
Do not be afraid to see this play. Melinda Lopez is simply wonderful. Her work is wonderful. Her acting is wonderful. Her honesty and openness about this subject is welcomed and you will appreciate it. Mala touched me deeply. It stirred my emotions and brought back difficult memories, but I am so glad I got to experience this fine work. While it is true nobody teaches you the big stuff, it is nice to know we are not alone in going though such events. Thank you Melinda Lopez for sharing experiences.
Mala
Extended through February 4
The Huntington Theatre Company
At The Calderwood Pavillon
Boston’s South End
huntingtontheatre.org
617.266.0800
New Repertory Theatre and Greater Boston Stage Company present Unveiled, performed January 10-28, 2018 in the BlackBox Theater at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown and February 7-16, 2018 at Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham.
“I write plays because it’s my way of inviting an audience into the homes of those who are often marginalized,” says playwright and performer Rohina Malik. “The simple act of telling a story can remind us of our shared humanity. That’s the power of theater. Art, in its many forms, has the power to solve world problems. That’s why I believe we should do everything we can to nurture and protect the arts.”
“At this moment, the voices of people like Rohina Malik and the women of Unveiled need to be heard more than ever. And they need to be heard from directly,” says Greater Boston Stage Company’s Artistic Director Weylin Symes. “There is so much discussion today about the Muslim experience both here in the US and around the world, but it is all too rare that we get to hear about this experience first-hand. These thoughtful, sincere, and human stories let us see these women as people – real people. New Rep felt like a natural fit as a co-presenter for this piece as they so clearly share our desire to share important stories like this with their audience. Anything that makes these stories more available to Boston area audiences is a good thing.”
“In our current cultural and political climate, a play like Rohina Malik’s Unveiled could not be more relevant,” says New Rep Artistic Director Jim Petosa. “What she shares with us is truly unique, allowing us to explore the lives of five Muslim women living in a post-9/11 world. When we began to think about a season in which we examine the resilience of the human spirit, Unveiled was a natural fit. Through humor, wit, and pathos, Rohina has crafted a resounding and moving work that we are pleased to be co- presenting with our partners at Greater Boston Stage Company. It is our hope that audiences will come away from this production uplifted and with a deeper understanding of these women’s journeys through today’s often tumultuous society.”
Racism. Hate crimes. Love. Islam. Culture. Language. Life. Five Muslim women in a post-9/11 world serve tea and uncover what lies beneath the veil in this critically acclaimed one-woman show.
Greater Boston Stage Company,781-279-2200, greaterbostonstage.org
New Rep Theatre,617-923-8487, newrep.org
On his continuing journey through the works of Stephen Sondheim, director Spiro Veloudos brings us Sondheim’s latest work, Road Show, the true boom-and-bust story of two of the most colorful and outrageous fortune-seekers in American history. From the Alaskan Gold Rush to the Florida real estate boom in the 1930s, entrepreneur Addison Mizner and his fast-talking brother Wilson were proof positive that the road to the American Dream is often a seductive, treacherous tightrope walk.
FEATURING: Neil A. Casey, Tony Castellanos, Jordan Clark, Shannon Lee Jones, Robin Long, David Makransky, Will McGarrahan, Sean McGuirk, Brandon Milardo, Vanessa J. Schukis, Patrick Varner.
