A Fair Warning: Speakeasy’s ‘Fairview’ is an Experience Not to Be Missed

February 24, 2023December 3, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of Speakeasy’s ‘Fairview’. Lyndsay Allyn Cox, Dom Carter, Yewande Odetoyinbo, Victoria Omoregie. Photos: Nile Scott Studios

‘Fairview’ –Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury. Directed by Pascale Florestal. Scenic Design by Erik D. Diaz. Costume Design by Becca Jewett. Lighting Design by Aja M. Jackson. Sound Design by James Cannon. Fight and Intimacy Choreography by Amanda O’Donnell. At the Roberts Studio Theater, Boston, through March 11, 2023.

by Linda Chin

SpeakEasy’s highly-anticipated Boston premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning Fairview is billed as a bold and disarmingly funny play. Set in the tastefully appointed home of the Frasiers, a seemingly typical, middle-class Black American family, in contemporary times (a portrait of the Obamas adorns the living room wall), the play opens with the household abuzz with preparations for Grandma’s birthday celebration. But lest audience members expect to sit back, relax, and laugh for the duration of this 100-minute, intermission-less play, be “fair warned” that only the first of the three acts is a comedy (and includes a fair share of family drama that I found both familiar and funny). Its sitcom style is reminiscent of popular shows of earlier decades, like The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, and Family Matters.

A Thrilling, Imaginative “Sacre” by CIRCA

February 11, 2023February 11, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Sacre’ at the *Boch Center Shubert Theatre*

by Michele Markarian

“Sacre”. Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble. Directed by Yaron Lifschitz. Music by Philippe Bachman and Igor Stravinsky. Presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston, Boch Center Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street Boston, through February 11.

Watching “Sacre”, I couldn’t help but think of my first trip to India. The streets were crowded with activity – tuk tuks, people four or five deep on motorbikes, cars, regular bicycles. My colleague and I stood on one side of the road, jittery, panicking, eventually darting tensely across the street like rabbits on steroids. The people who lived there, though, had no such fear. They calmly and serenely crossed the street, as if they were working with the chaos and motion, and not against it. “Sacre” has a similar flow to it, a synergy between cast members of safety, trust, and belonging that’s only frightening if you’re on the outside looking in.

The Huntington’s ‘The Art of Burning’ Smolders and Sparks

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Adrianne Krstansky, Michael Kaye and Rom Barkhordar in The Huntington’s ‘Art of Burning’
Photo Credit: T Charles Erickson

“The Art of Burning” by Kate Snodgrass. Directed by Melia Bensussen. Scenic Design: Luciana Stecconi; Lighting Design: Aja M. Jackson; Sound Design: Jane Shaw; Costume Design: Kate Harmon. Presented by The Huntington, Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston through February 12.

by Shelley A. Sackett

Patricia (Adrianne Krstansky), a frumpy middle-aged painter, opens Kate Snodgrass’ ‘The Art of Burning’ mid-conversation with her friend Charlene (Laura Latreille). “Sometimes we have to kill the things we love to save them,” she announces seemingly out of the blue. Charlene adds critical context. The two have just seen a production of “Medea” and are debriefing outside the theater.

In the ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, Medea takes vengeance on her unfaithful husband Jason by murdering his new younger wife as well as her own two sons, after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life. To Charlene’s discomfort, Patricia not only sympathizes with Medea, she praises her.

“She saves her children,” Patricia explains. “She doesn’t want to but she has to. The world will make their lives miserable and she doesn’t want that. She loves them.” Patricia may look mousey, but she is a mouse that roars.

Good Things Come in Threes in Trinity’s ‘By the Queen’

January 23, 2023January 26, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Fiona Marie Maguire as Margaret 1, Paula Plum as Margaret 3 and Rachel Christopher as Margaret 2,. Photos by Mark Turek.

By the Queen – By Whitney White; Adapted from William Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays and Richard III; Directed by Brian McEleney; Set Design by Michael McGarty; Costume Design by Toni Spadafora-Sadler; Lighting Design by Christina Watanabe; Sound Design by Larry D. Fowler, Jr.; Fight and Intimacy Choreography by Angie Jepson; Dramaturgy by Andrew Watring. Photo by Mark Turek. Presented by Trinity Repertory Theatre in the Dowling Theater through February 12, 2023

by Jim Phelan

It is said that good things come in threes. It is no surprise, then, that a company with Trinity in its name should produce such a “good” artistic “thing” as the world premiereof By the Queen. At the core of Trinity Rep’s production is the fundamental technique of portraying one character using three actors – one for each stage of their life. The character is Queen Margaret of Anjou. Not only a significant historical figure, she is also the only character in Shakespeare’s canon to appear in four of his plays (Henry VI – Parts 1, 2, and 3, and Richard III). Director Brian McEleney calls her Shakespeare’s “longest-running, most complicated, and most fleshed-out female character.” By the Queen takes the audience on a tour of Margaret’s life through the Bard’s works, guided by the three Margarets. Along the way, they offer the wisdom that can only come from bearing witness to the ups and downs, the wars and love affairs, the births and murders, which only Shakespeare (and history) can script. The result is a thought-provoking and enjoyable Shakespeare-ish story (whether or not one knows the Bard’s plays) as told through the eyes of a modern-day storyteller with a message that is all her own.

Gamm’s “Faith Healer” Explores Truth and Myth

January 17, 2023January 17, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Tony Estrella as Frank Hardy in Gamm Theatre’s “Faith Healer”. Photos by Cat Laine

by Tony Annicone

The opening show in 2023 at GAMM Theatre is the 1979 “Faith Healer” by the acclaimed Irish author Brian Friel, who also wrote “Translations” and “Dancing at Lughnasa.” This play deals with a faith healer, his wife and his stage manager, whose stories are told by each character from their vantage point and the audience learns there is a deep dark secret hidden in their relationships. The story is told in lyrical monologues about Francis Hardy’s performances and about a terrible event that shaped all that happened afterwards. Making her U.S. debut as a director is Donnla Hughes who originally hails from Ireland. She directs this show with a firm and steady hand. She completely understands the way that Friel writes these characters and has her performers bring out the inner workings of the three of them, so the audience grasps things completely during each of their monologues. The three characters are Frank Hardy, the faith healer, his wife or mistress, Grace Hardy and his manager, Teddy. They capture the memory and humanity of their situation in a beautiful and unique way which wins them a resounding standing ovation at the close of the show.

Lyric Stage’s Genre-Defying ‘Preludes’ Is A Trip

January 11, 2023January 12, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Preludes’ at Boston Lyric Stage

‘Preludes’ — Music, Lyrics, Book and Orchestration by Dave Malloy. Directed by Courtney O’Connor; Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez; Scenic Design by Shelley Barish; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon St., Boston through February 5.

by Shelley A. Sackett

I readily admit I am one of those theatergoers who enjoys plot, dialogue and purpose. You can throw in all the special effects, time warp gimmickry and non sequiturs you want, but they are the icing, not the cake. You can give me experimental, but don’t leave out the context.

So it took me some time to figure out exactly what was going on in ‘Preludes.’ In fact, it took me until intermission when I both googled a synopsis and read the playbill’s fine print.

Strange and Beautiful “Preludes” Enchants at the Lyric

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Michele Markarian

‘Preludes – Music, Lyrics, Book and Orchestrations by David Malloy. Directed by Courtney O’Connor. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston through February 5.

Where does creative inspiration come from? The heart? The mind? Are artists the instruments, or merely vessels for what can only be called divine? A blocked Rachmaninoff (the excellent and brooding Dan Prior) is told, “Virtuosity has its moments, but if you want to be truly great, use more…silence.” Silence and its space create room and stillness for ideas to flow through the subconscious. If you’ve ever wondered about the nature of creativity and the role of the artist, this is the play for you.

High Spirited ‘Chicken & Biscuits’ Marks Front Porch’s First Solo Production

January 7, 2023 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Chicken & Biscuits’ by The Front Porch Arts Collective at Suffolk University Modern Theatre

‘Chicken & Biscuits’ — Written by Douglas Lyons. Directed by Lyndsay Allyn Cox; Scenic Design by Erik D. Diaz; Costume Design by Zoe Sundra; Lighting Design by M. Berry; Sound Design by Anna Drummond. Presented by The Front Porch Arts Collective at Suffolk University Modern Theatre, 525 Washington St., Boston through January 8.

By Shelley A. Sackett

The architectural bones of Suffolk University’s Modern Theater are a set made to order for ‘Chicken & Biscuits,’ the first solo production by The Front Porch Arts Collective, a Black theater company whose previous presentations have been in collaboration with other larger companies.

Hanover Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Thoroughly Embodies the Spirit of Timeless Classic

December 18, 2022 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Hanover Theatre in Worcester

by Mike Hoban

With so many different takes on the iconic Dickens holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol” over the years – from the 1938 Alistair Sim movie to the surprisingly accurate 1962 Mr. Magoo cartoon to the well-intentioned but heavy-handed progressive versions now appearing on some New England stages – the production now underway at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester is a welcome return to the original story, but one that also reflects the diversity of today’s society and audiences. Faithfully adapted by director Troy Siebels, this version brings us back to the streets of Victorian England, where income inequality and the attitudes of the moneyed class towards the working poor will look all too familiar.

‘Midwinter Revels’ Brings Together Multiple Cultures for an Eclectic Holiday Experience

December 18, 2022December 19, 2022 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Carolyn Saxon, Maeve Leahy, and Evan Swanson in Revels’ *Midwinter Revels: A Solstice Celebration’* Photos by Paul Buckley

‘Midwinter Revels: A Solstice Celebration’ – Directed by Patrick Swanson; Musical Direction by Elijah Botkin; Set Design by Jeremy Barnett; Costume Design by Heidi Hermiller; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Choreography by Kelli Edwards; Projection Design by Ari Herzig; Sound Design by Bill Winn; Puppet Design by Sara Peattie. Presented by Revels at the Sanders Theater at Harvard University through December 28.

by Mike Hoban

As the holiday-themed shows descend upon the stages of Boston theaters, it’s not likely that you’re going to find many that feature “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary”, “Hava Nagila” and the traditional Mexican folk song “La Malagueña” all in the same production. But you will find all of these selections and plenty more to warm your heart in this non-traditional holiday institution, Midwinter Revels: A Solstice Celebration. The name change from Christmas Revels for the show – it’s the 52^nd annual – is meant to more accurately reflect the seasonal celebration that draws on Irish, Mexican and Jewish cultures, according to director Patrick “Paddy” Swanson.