tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155528062024-03-13T07:00:43.326-04:00Theater Talk's New Theater Corps<b>An Insightful Look at What's Happening on The New York Stage</b><p><i>THEATER TALK</i> has enlisted a group of up-and-coming, young theater professionals
to see and review some of the latest stage productions
in New York City.</p>New Theater Corpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642889837181693705noreply@blogger.comBlogger982125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-61962854940788008322014-01-06T20:35:00.000-05:002014-01-06T20:35:05.238-05:00Portuguese Churchfront watercolor
.. And as the freezing rain and cold continues, I play some more with watercolors. Max Rosenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01926454714680042966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-48215972245544705352010-05-14T00:42:00.014-04:002010-05-14T01:23:09.649-04:00Twelfth NightTheater Ten Ten promises “an alluring Elizabethan/Moroccan flavored production” but delivers a greatly traditional, albeit thoroughly enjoyable, rendition of the Bard’s beloved comedy.
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-52727021374526553862010-04-29T14:00:00.006-04:002010-04-29T14:35:55.094-04:00Moving Day"Should I stay or should I go now?" the Clash so memorably asked. The answer is clear for the characters in this play: Leave and never come back.Emily tries to stall Max for some reason.Reviewed by Ryan MaxPoor Max has had a rough time of it recently: his adulterous wife left him on account of his heroin habit, and his sister Emily keeps guilt-tripping him for not visiting their late mother in Ryan Maxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405932508031396889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-83263362169982509722010-04-23T23:38:00.004-04:002010-04-23T23:51:47.859-04:00Bloodsong of LoveIn the whiskey-swigging, boot-stomping rock musical Bloodsong of Love, Joe Iconis puts a new spin on the classic Spaghetti-Western formula. The villain plays a mean kazoo, a one-eyed bartender’s poor aim impedes a saloon shootout, and the hero roams the Wild West with a guitar on his back and a song in his heart.Reviewed by Amanda HalkiotisIt begins with searing guitar chords, pulsating drums, Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-43483728696480925312010-04-16T19:13:00.005-04:002010-04-16T19:29:31.357-04:00W;tNicu’s Spoon’s revival of Margaret Edson’s 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning play is certainly full of wit—but better than that, it’s hilarious, heartrending, and profoundly haunting. You feel its impact long after you leave the theater. Reviewed by Di Jayawickrema“I don’t want to give away the plot…but I think I die at the end,” comes the inflexibly dry announcement of Vivian Bearing, bald, clad in a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-45051890886928356252010-03-31T22:07:00.006-04:002010-03-31T22:53:34.949-04:00The Mark Twain You Don't Know
Photo by Melynda Woodward
Reviewed by Di Jayawickrema
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Georgia; panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-22103922710855217982010-03-23T15:08:00.004-04:002010-03-23T15:11:49.058-04:00Glee ClubThe seven maladjusted middle-aged men of Matthew Freeman’s Glee Club all like to sing, but that’s about all they agree on. Will their agonizing pain and off-color humor drive them apart, or bring them together?Reviewed by Amanda HalkiotisThe heroes of Matthew Freeman’s Glee Club may be singing barbershop music, but as the dark comedy quickly establishes, they’re far from in perfect harmony. TheseAmanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-85685840055362162012010-03-18T18:15:00.004-04:002010-03-19T07:23:07.022-04:00The Cherry OrchardT. Schreiber Studio produces a new revival of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Carol Rocamora. Though by no means terrible, the production lacks strong acting. Reviewed by Nicole C. LeeRevivals are tricky business for lazy actors. Audiences—especially those at T. Schreiber Studio—are likely to have seen some version of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard before (though perhaps not Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-44042502498528530432010-03-06T15:42:00.001-05:002010-03-06T15:50:36.926-05:00New York Frigid Festival: Uncorseted<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-29139709464302683712010-03-05T22:38:00.003-05:002010-03-08T14:08:10.073-05:00New York Frigid Festival: No Traveler
Photo by Rebecca Chiappone
Reviewed by Amanda Halkiotis
Writer/performer Penny Pollak plays two young girls with a flair for the dramatic in No Traveler. The first attempts to validate her existence in her recently-remarried father’s life by pretending to end it, only to wind up in purgatory. She has the chance to rejoin the living, but only if she can talk another suicidal girl out of makingAmanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-14809870694184077692010-03-05T22:31:00.004-05:002010-03-05T22:42:46.634-05:00New York Frigid Festival: Vodka Shoes
Photo by Craig Ruttle
Reviewed by Amanda Halkiotis
Growing up with an alcoholic father, an evangelical Christian mother and an ailing older sister, Leslie Goshko has many the family anecdote. In her one-woman show Vodka Shoes, she shares a great deal of them with earnest, high-spirited energy. She doesn’t skimp on the details here, and nothing is off-limits. A sheepish grin spreads over her Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-72797622402960488362010-02-23T17:52:00.003-05:002010-02-23T17:59:58.525-05:00The Cradle Will RockMarc Blitzstein’s The Cradle Will Rock originally premiered in 1936, when America was in a devastating economic decline, arguing with overseas investors over the value of domestic goods, and facing pressure from labor unions over the cost of manufacturing those commodities. In this riveting, riotous revival, Theater Ten Ten keeps Blitzstein’s spirit alive with a shrewd yet vivid production, Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-55336126854394788292010-02-23T17:43:00.008-05:002010-03-17T12:15:09.649-04:00Give and Go: Learning from Losing to the Harlem GlobetrottersInvestment banking and basketball usually don’t mix together as the foundation of a one-man show, but for Brandt Johnson, it’s just one of many life experiences he’s willing to share in his semi-autobiographical piece Give and Go: Learning from Losing to the Harlem Globetrotters.
Brandt Johnson/photo by Debby Goldman
Reviewed by Amanda Halkiotis
Most people with lifelong obsessions remember Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-31257985061417081942010-02-17T18:56:00.006-05:002010-02-17T21:19:45.531-05:00Caroline, Or ChangePark Slope's Gallery Players pick the perfect time to revive Tony Kushner's show about the pain of change and progress.Photo by Bella Muccari.Reviewed by Ryan MaxCaroline, or Change is a musical about the Civil Rights Movement that isn't really about the Civil Rights Movement. True, it is set in 1963 Louisiana and centers on a white family's miserable black maid. But Caroline lacks the obvious Ryan Maxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405932508031396889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-60947428693251574662010-02-07T12:15:00.004-05:002010-02-07T12:26:04.941-05:00DaddyWriter and actor Dan Via raises new questions about age disparity in homosexual relationships in Daddy. The play is simple, yet leaves a lasting impact. The audience will be left questioning what they know and arguing about it for days after.l-r: Gerald McCullough and Dan ViaPhoto: Eduardo PlacerReviewed by Nicole C. Lee“[Greek] stories never end well,” says Stew (Dan Via). It’s true that the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-37808123581194245552010-01-30T22:31:00.003-05:002010-01-30T22:35:59.432-05:00A Doll's HouseAnthony Castellano writes, directs and produces a flawed production of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.” Although this modern adaptation is promising, it suffers from poor writing and direction, failing to leave the kind of impact Castellano intends. Reviewed by Nicole C. LeeA modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House sounds like a good idea. Anthony Castellano sets his in a 1958 New Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-51810838212645887522010-01-29T15:40:00.002-05:002010-01-29T15:46:25.644-05:00Rough SketchShawn Nacol’s new play Rough Sketch takes place in a cartoon studio over Christmas break where two coworkers strive to complete segments for an overdue, over-budget film. Shocked to find the other had the same idea to forgo holiday celebrations and come into the office instead, the characters alternate between ignoring each other, guarding their assignments to prevent plagiarism, and reaching outAmanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-67484428430947439642010-01-29T15:32:00.002-05:002010-01-29T15:38:57.696-05:00Radio StarThe year is 1941 and weekly radio suspense detective narratives have their listeners hooked. Written in classic style with schlocky, self-aware flair, Tanya O’Debra’s Radio Star is a thrilling throwback that lets modern audiences see a one-woman radio show.Reviewed by Amanda Halkiotis Though Tanya O’Debra merely sits on a barstool placed center stage, she winningly brings all the characters of Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-80246077777010290582010-01-19T14:22:00.005-05:002010-01-19T14:25:32.909-05:00This Fable is Intended for You: A Work-Energy PrincipleThe World Financial Center Winter Garden has been invaded with volunteers interconnected by handmade rope from secondhand fabric. This Fable is Intended for You: A Work-Energy Principle, a conceptual movement piece by the mixed-media artist MK Guth, strives to depict the relationship between exertion and productivity in New York City. Not unlike hard work itself, the intention has been lost in Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-12187385758774754342010-01-18T10:44:00.004-05:002010-01-18T11:01:42.300-05:00Little GemBuried family secrets and revelations bubble to the surface in this inter generational family drama. Reviewed by Ilana NovickLittle Gem is the story of three generations of women in the Neville family in Dublin, Ireland, each at a different turning point in their lives—Amber, a suddenly pregnant 19-year-old; Amber’s mother, Lorraine, who is trying to cope with being left by her husband (eight Ilana Novickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10083670663901536281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-33219213129936334882009-12-28T14:31:00.010-05:002010-02-17T21:22:43.558-05:00A British SubjectAs part of the Brits Off Broadway Festival at 59E59 Theaters, a beautifully produced play shines a harsh light on how effortlessly modern politics can wreck the lives of those that it finds inconvenient.Reviewed by Ryan MaxThe great irony of international politics is how effortlessly it can destroy the people it is, in theory anyway, intended to protect. Lives are wrecked between all those press Ryan Maxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405932508031396889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-82286031781009519652009-12-23T17:22:00.007-05:002009-12-23T18:49:14.574-05:00The Great RecessionThe recession has affected everyone differently, and each outcome gives way to a story to be shared. Almost ironically, the Flea Theater has seized this as an opportunity to commission six playwrights to write short plays about the recession so far. Running from surreal and silly to schlocky and safe, the evening is half successful, with only three playwrights taking a big enough risk.Ronald Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-8785072640542438722009-12-23T16:27:00.006-05:002009-12-23T18:42:48.730-05:00She Like Girls‘Tis the season for cheery performances but if you are looking for something different these holidays, She Like Girls is about as far from The Rockettes as you can get. Inspired by a true story, Chisa Hutchinson’s play about a teenage girl and her first… girlfriend is honest, emotional, and – quite simply – well written.
Reviewed by Amanda Cooper
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 falseAmanda Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03704908516954885367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-23179041360378676142009-12-23T03:11:00.005-05:002009-12-23T03:22:16.415-05:00Seven in One BlowWith Seven in One Blow, Axis Theater Company has rewritten a classic Brothers Grimm tale (of a boy who kills seven flies in one swat and goes on to perform fearless feats) for a modern, child-friendly audience. In doing so, however, they’ve traded satire and irony for a watered-down, happy-go-lucky version.Jim Sterling, Lynn Mancinelli, Brian Barnhart in Seven in One Blow / Photo by Dixie Amanda Halkiotishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04668757579445524634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15552806.post-14807741599349399762009-12-17T10:14:00.003-05:002009-12-17T10:21:07.365-05:00Snow WhiteSnow White is a dance-theater show, part of Company XIV’s Apple Trilogy. A baroque-infused mix of opera, dance, and theater, adults and children alike will be delighted with this interpretation of a classic fairytale. Director and choreographer Austin McCormack presents this stunning production, which showcases the talent of Company XIV’s repertory performers.Reviewed by Nicole C. LeeWe often Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0