Ogunquit Brings Back the ‘Bright Side of Life’ with Riotous ‘Spamalot’

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Spamalot’, presented by Ogunquit Playhouse. Photo by Gary Ng

by Mike Hoban

‘Spamalot’ – Directed by BT McNicholl; Choreography by Jennifer Rias; Music Direction by Fred Lassen; Set Design by Nate Bertone; Lighting Design by Rich Latta; Sound Design by Kevin Heard; Costume Coordination by Jill Tarr. Presented by the Ogunquit Playhouse at 10 Main St, Ogunquit, ME through July 10^th.

If the CDC were to provide guidance on the musical best suited to break us out of the isolation and joylessness of the past 15 months, it would come as no surprise if Dr. Fauci recommended Spamalot,the 2005 Monty Python-inspired Broadway musical now playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse. This entertaining production is precisely the kind of silly fun needed to snap theatergoers out of our doldrums by reminding us of the joy of the shared experience of laughing out loud with a crowd of people. Worn down for too long by the pandemic and the increasingly toxic political landscape, Spamalot provides a salve to the psyche that the weightier classics (Cabaret, Ragtime, Fiddler etc.) just couldn’t deliver during this unique space in time.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ A Welcome Return to Live Theater

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Nael Nacer, Celeste Oliva, Adrian Peguero and Kelly Chick in ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ at at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts in Rockport. All photos by Jason Grow

by Mike Hoban

‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ – Written by Nia Vardalos. Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed. Co-Conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail, & Nia Vardalos. Directed by Lyndsay Allyn Cox. Set Design by Kristin Loeffler; Lighting Design by Kat C. Zhou; Sound Design by Elizabeth Cahill; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts in Rockport through June 27.

One of the only silver linings of having lived a life scarred by booze and drug addiction, physical/sexual abuse and abandonment is that surviving and healing from those horrors can provide a unique perspective that can be useful in helping others who have been similarly afflicted. It’s the model that 12-Step programs and other peer-to-peer support groups are built upon, and it’s also the premise of Tiny Beautiful Things, now being presented by Gloucester Stage outdoors at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts in Rockport. If you’re looking for a re-entry production that will remind you of the power and joy of experiencing live theatrical performance, this is the ticket.

Pages: 1 2

Theatre Magic in Seacoast Rep’s ‘Pippin’

June 15, 2021June 17, 2021 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Linda Chin

‘Pippin’ – Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Book by Roger O. Hirson; Director/Choreographer: Bryan Knowlton; Set Design: Ben Hart and Brandon James; Lighting Design: Kelly Gibson; Costume Design: DW. Presented by Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St, Portsmouth, NH through July 18

Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s production of Pippin – the story of a medieval prince‘s search for meaning and purpose in life told by a troupe of players – proves a fitting choice to open its 2021 summer season. It winningly combines Fosse flair with hometown heart, not at all surprising given director Bryan Knowlton’s experience as a Broadway performer, Seacoast veteran, and Portsmouth native. Pippin premiered on Broadway in 1972, enjoyed a 5-year run, and was not revived for 40 years, transferring to Broadway a year after originating at American Repertory Theatre in 2012.

Pages: 1 2

‘Conjurors’ Parlor Tricks Deliver Astonishment

March 17, 2021March 30, 2021 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Ran’d Shine of “The Conjuror’s Club” now online at the A.R.T.

By Mike Hoban

“The Conjurors Club” – Created by Vinny DePonto and Geoff Kanick. Presented online by American Repertory Theater through May16.

I can’t say I ever been a big fan of magic, probably because I could never separate the high profile practitioners from the actual craft. When I was growing up, there was the ostentatious and oft-parodied Siegfried & Roy with their white tigers; the cheesy made-for-TV illusions of David Copperfield (he made the Statue of Liberty disappear and floated over the Grand Canyon); and the cuddly hippie Doug Henning, none of which held any kind of appeal for me. What I missed, however, was that magic was never about spectacle, but rather about the joy of astonishment. It’s something that the A.R.T.’s The Conjurors Club delivers in spades – as well as hearts, clubs and diamonds – with their bewildering card tricks and sleights of hand.

Candle House Collective’s “Next Time” Provokes, Tickles and Engages

February 8, 2021February 8, 2021 Henry HarveyLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

“Next Time” – Created by Evan Neiden. Directed by John Ertman. Presented by Candle House Collective, through February 28.

I like to tell my friends who live in places other than New England that New Englanders invented masks and social distancing, as it suits our standoffish natures. It’s a funny line, as all of us are feeling pushed to the edge with our limited interactions. We’ve all had plenty of time to navel gaze and soul search, and are craving interaction, so when the opportunity came to participate in a one-on-one theatrical exchange, “Next Time”, I jumped on it. And while interactive, as well as smart and funny, it brought to the surface self-revelatory answers to questions I didn’t even know I had.

“This Is Who I Am” Delivers Reconciliation and Healing

December 16, 2020December 16, 2020 Henry HarveyLeave a comment

*Ramsey Faragallah (left) and Yousof Sultani (right) in ‘This Is Who I Am’. Photo: PlayCo/Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company*

by Michele Markarian

“This Is Who I Am”, by Amir Nizar Zuabi. Directed by Evren Odcikin. Presented by PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, in association with American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Guthrie Theater, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival through January 3.

The kitchens that Dad (Ramsay Faragallah) and Son (Yousof Sultani) inhabit in their respective homes on Zoom (Dad’s in Palestine, Son’s in Manhattan) could not be more different. Dad’s is old fashioned cabinetry and clutter, Son’s is modern white and clean lines. They have come before one another to recreate a recipe that the woman who was Dad’s wife/Son’s mother used to make. It is obvious from the start that she is the glue that held their family together, and without her, Dad and Son are struggling to make sense of their relationship.

‘Bar Mitzvah Boy’ Wrestles with Keeping the (Jewish) Faith When Bad Things Happen to Good People

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Shelley A. Sackett

‘Bar Mitzvah Boy’ — Written by Mark Leiren-Young; Directed by Saul Elkin; Produced by David Bunis; Managing Director- Jordana Halpern; Stage Manager- Keelin Higgins; Set Design by David Dwyer; Costume Design by Ann Emo; Sound Design by Nicholas Quin. Presented by Jewish Repertory Theatre. ‘Bar Mitzvah Boy’ is available for digital download from November 5-25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit jccns.org/event/bar-mitzvah-boy/

Right out of the gate, playwright Mark Leiren-Young challenges his audience to leave their assumptions in the (virtual) lobby. ‘Bar Mitzvah Boy,’ his prize-winning 90-minute two-hander, opens as a young woman wearing jogging gear, baseball cap and rock-blasting ear buds pauses by a bench, then continues on the wooded trail, straight up the front steps of a stately mid-20^th century synagogue.

Inside the rabbi’s office, a 60ish man, dressed in full rabbinic regalia — gray suit, tallis (prayer shawl), kippah and tefilln (phylacteries) — pulls a book from the book shelf. He sits at his desk, poring over it somberly, as a woman’s nasal voice bleats over a tinny loudspeaker, “Rabbi. You’ve got a visitor.”

‘Manifest Destiny’s Child’ – or True Confessions of a Regretful 2016 Jill Stein Supporter

October 24, 2020 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

*Dennis Trainor Jr in “Manifest Destiny’s Child*“

‘Manifest Destiny’s Child’ — Written and performed by Dennis Trainor, Jr.; Directed by Jeff Wise and Dennis Trainor; Presented by Acronym TV. Tickets are “pay what you will” with a $5 minimum, and can be purchasedhere: https://acronymtv.simpletix.com/e/60194. Manifest Destiny’s Child will stream on-demand October 24st — November 8th, 2020 here: https://acronymtv.org/mdc

by Shelley A. Sackett

‘Manifest Destiny’s Child’ is a dramatization of Dennis Trainor, Jr.’s true story about his personal involvement in all things social justice, from protesting at Standing Rock and Occupy Wall Street to his hosting and writing the nationally syndicated news and politics show Acronym TV to, ultimately, becoming Communications Director of Dr. Jill Stein’s ill-fated third party run for President in 2016.

Created as a memoir at Boston’s creative writing space, Grub Street, Trainor decided to morph the piece into a one-man show. While he and director Jeff Wise wisely interspliced actual footage from the protests and Stein’s campaigns, that footage spotlights Trainor, either as participant or interviewer. Coupled with the remainder of the 63-minutes that focuses on Trainor as a talking head either in emotive full face or — annoyingly — in static profile, that’s a LOT of on-screen Trainor, his Robert Downey, Jr./Matthew Perry appeal notwithstanding.

Speakeasy’s Chilling ‘The Children’ Asks the Hard Questions

March 6, 2020March 6, 2020 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

(Tyrees Allen, Paula Plum, and Karen MacDonald in Speakeasy Stage’s ‘The Children’ – Photos by Maggie Hall Photography)

By Julie-Anne Whitney

‘The Children’ Written by Lucy Kirkwood; Directed by Bryn Boice; Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Sound Design by David Remedios; Stage managed by Rachel Sturm. Produced by SpeakEasy Stage Company at the BCA Calderwood Pavilion through March 28, 2020.

Inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Eastern Japan – started by an earthquake which caused a tsunami that led to the death of 19,000 people – Lucy Kirkwood’s Tony-nominated play The Children is a blistering commentary on the global environmental devastation caused by human progress and development.

Hazel (Paula Plum) and her husband, Robin (Tyrees Allen), are nuclear physicists who have relocated to a dilapidated cottage just outside the exclusion zone of the local nuclear power plant. The recent “disaster” at the plant forced them to abandon their family home and into early retirement. When their former colleague, Rose (Karen MacDonald), shows up unannounced, the lifeless cottage is suddenly filled with tension, jealousy, and intrigue.

Child Is Father to Man in SpeakEasy’s “The Children”

March 5, 2020March 6, 2020 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

(Paula Plum and Karen MacDonald in Speakeasy Stage’s ‘The Children’ – Photos by Maggie Hall Photography)

by Shelley A. Sackett

“The Children”. Written by Lucy Kirkwood. Directed by Bryn Boice. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Sound Design by David Remedios. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 537 Tremont Street, Boston through March 28.

Playwright Lucy Kirkwood had wanted to write about climate change for quite a while when the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan provided the impetus and inspiration. With The Children, a must-see production enjoying its Boston premiere at SpeakEasy Stage Company, she has succeeded in crafting a thoughtful and provocative three-character play that manages to raise profound existential and moral questions while slowing peeling back the layers of this threesome’s long and complicated history. It is also one heck of a riveting eco-thriller/emotional detective story brilliantly acted by inimitable stage luminaries Tyrees Allen, Karen MacDonald and Paula Plum.