Silence and Omission in the ‘Heartland’ – at New Rep

January 17, 2019January 20, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Deanna Dement Myers

“The space between the words is where the ache lies.”

A charming young refugee, Nazrullah, brilliantly played by Shawn K. Jain, shows up at the home of retired University of Nebraska professor, Harold Banks (Ken Batlin). We soon learn that Nazrullah was a teacher at the same school in Afghanistan as Bank’s adopted daughter, Getee. At first, Harold mistrusts this young man, mistaking him for a repairman. It becomes clear they share a bond through their complicated relationships with Getee, played by Caitlin Nasema Cassidy, in her first role at the New Rep. Across language barriers, this cast of three weaves time and location to tell a fast-paced story of deep love, strong beliefs and unsettling betrayal. We jump from the present where both Harold and Naz learn to navigate their own relationship without the help of Getee, to the past where we learn the reasons why she felt compelled to visit the land of her birth.

Underlings’ Beast Approaches

January 16, 2019December 27, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by James Wilkinson

‘What Rough Beast’ – Written by Alice Abracen. Directed by Lelaina Vogel. Scenic Design: Michelle Sparks. Lighting Design: Kat C. Zhou. Costume Design: Evelyn Quinn. Sound Design and Composition: Joshua Garcia. Presented by The Underlings Theatre Co. at Boston Playwrights Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston through January 19

The other day while driving home from the grocery store, I happened to catch the end of the TED Radio Hour on NPR and the speaker was Sue Klebold, mother of one of the Columbine High School shooters. If you’ve never heard it before, it’s worth seeking out. Her talk is relevant here for a few different reasons, but what brings it to my mind now is how she wrestles with the idea of finding answers in the face of unspeakable tragedy. In the years after her son became infamous, she and anyone she interacted with couldn’t let go of the idea of find that missing magical ingredient that would have prevented everything. If only she had hugged her son more. If only she had said “I love you” more often. If only he hadn’t played those violent videogames. The answer, though, can’t be found in a fortune cookie. You have to wade into much more complicated waters.

ART/Company One’s ‘Miss You Like Hell’ a Musical Latina Road Trip

January 16, 2019January 20, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

‘Miss You Like Hell’ – Book & Lyrics by Quiara Alegría Hudes; Music & Lyrics by Erin McKeown; Directed by Summer L. Williams; Music Director: David Coleman; Scenic Designer: Erik D. Diaz; Costume Designer: Danielle Domingue Sumi; Lighting Designer: Justin Paice; Sound Designer: Rachel Neubauer. Co-produced with American Repertory Theater as part of the A.R.T. Breakout Series at Oberon, 3 Arrow St. Cambridge through January 27.

Company One and the A.R.T. couldn’t have picked a better time to stage Miss You Like Hell, a mother-daughter road trip musical by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes (who also wrote the book for the Tony Award-winning In the Heights) and singer-songwriter Erin McKeown. With the anti-immigrant rhetoric being spewed on a seemingly daily basis throughout the midterms and into the New Year by the president and his supporters, the plight of the undocumented in this country is top of mind for many – and front and center of this flawed but entertaining work.

Speakeasy’s ‘Small Mouth Sounds’ Silently Sends Up Spirituality Industry

January 8, 2019January 22, 2019 michaelhoban1 Comment

by Mike Hoban

Small Mouth Sounds – Written by Bess Wohl; Directed by M. Bevin O’Gara; Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Mary Lauve; Lighting Design by Annie Wiegand; Sound Design by Elizabeth Cahill. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company at The Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston through February 2.

If you’ve ever been skeptical of the kind of spirituality-lite movements whose adherents sometimes mouth the words of the Dali Lama while still behaving with all of the empathy of a corporate raider, you’re going to love Small Mouth Sounds, now playing at SpeakEasy Stage. This very funny but deceptively poignant play by Bess Wohl lovingly skewers the spirituality industry while leaving the door open to the possibility that the universe may indeed work in mysterious ways – when we’re in enough pain to seek a better path.

ALMOST, MAINE (The Community Players, Pawtucket, RI)

January 2, 2019February 24, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to the northern most part of New England where the show “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani is set in. The show premiered at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine back in 2004 but is The Community Players third show of their 98th season. It is a series of nine vignettes exploring love as well as the joys and perils of romance. Cariani employs elements of magical realism as he explores the mysteries of the human heart. Almost, Maine is a town so far north that it’s almost in Canada and it almost doesn’t exist because its residents never got around to getting organized. So it is known as Almost. On a Friday night in the middle of winter, residents of a small, mythical town in northern Maine are falling in and out of love at an alarming rate. Director Valerie Remillard assembles 19 cast members to portray these roles to entertain the audience.

A Life In The Theatre (The Arctic Playhouse)

January 1, 2019February 13, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Sue Nedar

The current offering from The Arctic Playhouse is, David Mamet’s A Life In The Theatre.

A 1977 two-person dramedy which examines the relationship between two stage actors; Robert, the more seasoned actor, and John, the relative newcomer. Written in a series of short scenes, the audience witnesses an evolution of the dynamics between the two actors, as slowly we see the rise of one, and fall of the other.

Under the skillful direction of Tony Annicone, the play moves along at a brisk pace, keeping the audience invested throughout the two-act performance. Annicone gets good performances from his actors, who bring out the sometimes subtle comedy written into the script.

THOM PAIN – Burbage Theater

January 1, 2019January 20, 2019 michaelhoban1 Comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Burbage Theatre’s first show of 2019 is “Thom Pain” (based on nothing) which is a one man show. The play was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which was won by “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley. “Thom Pain” was written by Will Eno in 2004 and even though this Thom Paine isn’t based on the real Thomas Paine who uttered “These are the times that try men’s souls” but this one can be trying too. The main character delivers a stream of consciousness existential monologue. He is like you, only much worse. This surreal and real one man show follows Thom Pain as he desperately, and hilariously, tries to save his own life, to save your life and does so in that order. Or to at least make life into something worth dying for. In his quest for salvation, he’ll stop at nothing He tells the audience that he has suffered greatly in his lifetime. His stories are of various calamities including a young boy with a dog who died horribly, who is then stung severely by bees and when the boy grew up his experience with a woman. It is about love, pain and loss with the performer interacting with the audience and breaking the fourth wall with his monologues and soliloquies. Director Vince Petronio blocks the show marvelously using the whole playing area and he obtains a phenomenal performance from his leading man.

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Abridged) – MMAS Black Box, Mansfield

January 1, 2019January 20, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

MMAS’s latest show is “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The show is a parody of the plays written by Shakespeare, all 37 plays in 90 minutes. It is an irreverent, fast-paced romp through all the Bard’s plays in shortened form by three actresses. The performers speak directly to the audience during much of the play and some scenes involve audience participation. Improvisation plays an important role with them deviating from the script. They open the show with a parody of “Romeo and Juliet”, then combine the comedies into a convoluted reading by stating that they recycle the same plot devices and they do this while wearing red noses. They then tackle the histories and the tragedies. The second act is a very hilarious performance of “Hamlet.” Steve Dooner directs the talented and energetic performers in the show wonderfully, bringing a lot of shtick and slapstick antics to keep the audience entertained for the whole performance. They win a resounding standing ovation at the end of the show!