Boston Playwrights’ Theatre has you Laughing in Spanish

February 27, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Ireon Roach, Jackie Davis, Adrian Abel Amador – Photograph credit: Kalman Zabarsky)

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Laughs in Spanish’ – Written by Alexis Scheer. Directed by Sara Katzoff. Scenic Design: Sean Perreira. Lighting Design: Hannah Solomon. Sound Design: Stephanie Lynn Yackovetsky. Costume Design: Chloe Chafet. Produced by Boston Playwrights’ Theatre at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre 949 Commonwealth Ave. Boston through March 3

I’ve only visited Florida a handful of times and have never been to Miami. Each trip was to Orlando and if I had to venture a guess, true Floridians probably don’t view the world of Walt Disney as “real” Florida. I’ll have to take it on faith that the Miami invoked in Boston Playwrights’ Theatre’s Laughs in Spanish is true to the real place, but given that playwright Alexis Scheer calls the city her home, I’m willing to make that leap. There’s an energy at play in Laughs in Spanish, a kind of beat that you start bobbing your head to as you enter the theater. You don’t realize how easily you’ve slipped into the world of the play. It’s a world of rhythm and color and once you’re on its wavelength, the production hooks you with its many charms and keeps you in a state of frothy fun.

Storm Still in MRT’s “The Heath”

February 25, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(George Judy and Miranda Barnett. Photo by Meghan Moore.)

By Deanna Dement Myers

The Heath’ – Written by Lauren Gunderson. Directed by Artistic Director Sean Daniels. Featuring Miranda Barnett and George Judy. The creative team includes Tanya Orellana, Scenic Designer; Miranda Kau Giurleo, Costume Designer; Maria Cristina Fusté, Lighting Designer; Danny Erdberg, Sound Designer; Seaghan McKay, Projection Designer; Maegan Conroy, Production Stage Manager. Playing at the Merrimack Repertory Theater February 13 to March 10.

“I fear I am not in my perfect mind.”

Guilt is a universal feeling, as is love, conflict, and the realization that some choices are hard to make. Lauren Gunderson’s newest play, The Heath, makes its world premiere at the Merrimack Repertory Theater. The characters are Gunderson herself, played beautifully by Miranda Barnett, and her Paw-Paw, KD, played by the formidable and likeable George Judy. The Lauren in the play is a Southern transplant musician and writer, who wrestles with the realization that her beloved grandfather is falling further and further into Alzheimer’s disease. As he loses more of his most recent memories, Lauren delves deeper into his personal history. She draws on everything from Shakespeare to Bluegrass to understand the man she thought she knew. She seeks to close the gap between what she needs him to be and who he has become.

Nominations for 23rd Annual IRNE Awards Announced!

February 25, 2019March 23, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

“Moulin Rouge”, “An American in Paris” Lead Musical Nominations for Large Stage

Boston, MA, February 25, 2019 – The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) today announced the nominees for the 23rd Annual IRNE Awards, which honor the best of the previous year’s actors, directors, choreographers, designers and companies across the full spectrum of large, mid-size and fringe theater companies. Moulin Rouge!, a new musical produced by Global Creatures, and An American in Paris, produced by the Ogunquit Playhouse, led with 12 and 11 nominations, respectively, in the Large Stage Musical Category. The Huntington Theatre led all companies with 31 nominations across seven productions, including 11 for Man in the Ring, the story of six-time world champion prizefighter Emile Griffith.

Asian Stories, Artists Finding Home on Stages of Greater Boston

February 23, 2019February 25, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(First Read-Through for Company One’s *Vietgone)*

By Linda Chin

Lunar New Year 2019 brings good fortune to Greater Boston theatergoers hungry for stories about Asian culture, and the growing pool of talented and experienced theater artists of Asian heritage. To those producers/artistic directors creating these opportunities on professional stages, a simple xie xie (thank you, e.g. when someone passes you the salt at dinner) isn’t a big enough expression of gratitude.

ArtsEmerson’s ‘When Angels Fall’ Mesmerizes

February 23, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

‘When Angels Fall’ *(Photos by Sophian and Georges Ridel)*

By Mike Hoban

‘When Angels Fall’ – Direction and Choreography: Raphaëlle Boitel; Artistic Collaboration, Set Design, and Light Design: Tristan Baudoin; Original Soundtrack and Sound Design: Arthur Bison; Costumes: Lilou Hérin; Rigging, Machinery and Set Design: Nicolas Lourdelle; Artistic Assistant: Clara Henry. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston through February 24

If you’re a frequent attendee of Boston theater (or a reviewer), you’ve got to love the break from ‘traditional’ theater that ArtsEmerson provides with their visiting programs. Whether it’s the aerial and acrobatic artistry of Montreal’s Seven Fingers, the weird and brilliant live cinematic shadow puppet shows of Chicago’s Manual Cinema, or the insanely imaginative building of an entire house onstage (Geoff Sobelle’s Home), ArtsEmerson’s presentations of contemporary world theatre gives us a much needed respite from the steady diet of productions of Twelfth Night and Fiddler on the Roof – even if, like me, you’re a fan of both.

Shalom, Salaam, Peace: Three Sisters in Faith Share Their Stories

February 22, 2019February 24, 2019 michaelhoban1 Comment

*(Rohina Malik, Susan Stone, Kim Schultz)*

By Deanna Dement Myers

‘Keeping Faith: Sisters of Story’ – Written and performed by Rohina Malik, Kim Schultz, and Susan Stone. Music and vocals by Lucia Thomas. Presented at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham on February 22-24; New Repertory Theater in Watertown on February 25-26.

“The greatest thing in the world is to do somebody a favor.”

Three women grace the stage and tell moving stories of compassion, hope and understanding. These exceptional storytellers from different branches of the Abrahamic faith traditions, are joined by a wonderful musical artist, to weave a series of stories that celebrate their separate beliefs while cultivating the commonalities we all share.

Rohina Malik, a Muslim woman, collaborated with Kim Schultz, a Christian woman, and Susan Stone, a Jewish woman, to create an artistic response to the hate and intolerance currently plaguing our society. Lucia Thomas, a gifted and versatile musician, uses violin, oud, guitar, and a newly acquired banjo, to compliment the storytellers with songs that underscore the themes and emotions in the tales. The performance is enhanced by the layering of singing, instruments and storytelling. The effect is intimate and serves to draw the listeners in.

The four strong voices blend together messages of tolerance and wisdom. Each storyteller approached personal struggles by reaching deep into their individual religions to find strength, insight, and solace. While these religions are traditionally patriarchal, we follow the footsteps of important women in the separate faiths, and learn more about the singularity of the Divine Source central to them all.

The audience is invited to stay for a question and answer session after the performance. It is a chance to process the powerful messages crafted by these talented women, and a brief chance to add our own piece towards healing the world.

‘Keeping Faith’ tickets can be purchased at www.greaterbostonstage.org

or www.newrep.org/events/keeping-faith

Lyric Stage Invites ‘Round ‘The Little Foxes’

February 22, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

“Little Foxes” (Photos by Mark S. Howard)

Review by James Wilkinson

The Little Foxes – Written by Lillian Hellman. Directed by Scott Edmiston. Assistant Director: Kate Franklin. Scenic Design: Janie E. Howland. Costume Design: Gail Astrid Buckley. Lighting Design: Karen Perlow. Sound Design/Original Music: Dewey Dellay. Fight Director: Jesse Hinson. Presented by Lyric Stage Company at 140 Clarendon St. Boston through March 17

At the first intermission of Lyric Stage Company’s production of The Little Foxes the woman next to me bumped into my leg as she got up from her seat. “I’m so sorry” she said, looking a little unsteady on her feet. “It’s just that it’s so visceral.” I smiled and nodded because I’m the kind of person who likes to play my cards very close to the chest. I also try to reserve judgement until I’ve taken the whole thing in, but I knew what the woman meant. So much of Lyric’s production aims to overpower you and I think that on a technical level, there’s no question that it achieves that goal. It’s a solid piece of work, put together in a way that makes you want to stand back and admire the craft at work. The play is Lillian Hellman’s best-known and has (I think) rightfully earned its place not just as a classic but as a uniquely American classic. It’s the play’s American spirit that I think the Lyric’s production is trying to tap into.

New Rep’s ‘Still Standing’ is Meaningful Theater

February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Nicholas Whittaker

‘Still Standing: A Musical Survival Guide for Life’s Catastrophes,’ written and directed by Anita Hollander. Scenic Design: Afsoon Pajoufar. Stage Manager: Renee E. Yancey. Master Electrician: Katie Hoolsema. Props Manager: Zack Stern. Technical Director: Nathan Lee. Sound Engineer: Lee Schuna. Presented by New Rep Theater in residence at the Mosesian Center of the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown.

“Cripples ain’t supposed to be happy,” Anita Hollander sneers halfway through New Rep’s Still Standing. The sentiment, out of context, may sound surprising from Hollander’s lips. Hollander is the sole writer and performer of Still Standing, an intensely personal musical detailing Hollander’s own experience as a cancer survivor who lost her leg due to complications with her illness. The callous sentiment expressed above is thus not Hollander’s own, but one she admits she frequently comes across. Still Standing is Hollander’s attempt to prove it wrong. Disability, for Hollander, is neither a burden to bear nor an obstacle to overcome, but a complex, emotional, and ultimately integral part of her life and identity. In this, the show is a success. Hollander is able to reclaim the personhood of which disabled performers and characters are often deprived, asserting herself as the center and driving force of her narrative. This is, Hollander’s show argues, is what it truly means to survive.

Seacoast Rep Delivers Heartfelt ‘Billy Eliot’

February 18, 2019February 19, 2019 michaelhoban1 Comment

‘Billy Eliot’ – Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone; Musical Direction by Kathleen Castellanos; Scenic and Costume Design by The Mad Men of Oopsy Daisy; Sound Design by Andrew Cameron; Lighting Design by Michael Wingate Seavey; Properties Design by Kate Dugan. Presented by Seacoast Repertory Theatre at 125 Bow St, Portsmouth, NH through March 9

By Linda Chin

Set in a small town in northern England circa 1984, Billy Elliot is the story of a working class boy who wants to be a ballet dancer. His mum’s dead, his family is still grieving, and the community is being torn apart by a miners’ strike, the most bitter industrial dispute in British history. The story explores themes that include labor rights, homophobia, gender stereotypes and class struggles. I was fortunate to see the show in London’s West End, and since it crossed the Atlantic a decade ago, I’ve seen so many performances (over 100?) – on Broadway, the first national tour in Chicago, Broadway in Boston, revivals at professional regional and community theaters in New England (including Wheelock, Palace, North Shore, Ogunquit, Marblehead, Company) – that I’ve lost count.

A Powerful Urge to Communicate in Apollinaire’s ‘The Christians’

February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Deanna Dement Myers

‘The Christians’, written by Lucas Hnath. Directed by Brooks Reeves. Music Direction & Sound Design: David Reiffel; Design: Danielle Fauteux Jacques; Set Design: Joseph Dunn; Stage Manager: Maurine Heberden; Assistant Stage Manager: Jaime Hernandez. Presented by the Apollinaire Theater at the Chelsea Theater Works, 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea through March 9.

“Build your hope on things eternal”

A Charismatic white man, with an open, kind face, shakes hands and connects with the audience, bringing us into his personal space. A young man of color works the crowd coming from the opposite direction. Other leaders take their places on the stage, flanked by microphones. An excellent choir, made up of people of all genders, abilities and races, files in singing hymns that have us clapping, eager to hear the words of wisdom that have brought us all to the Chelsea Theater Works cum pews a nondenominational megachurch. We become the flock, and with familiarity born of years of weekend services, settle in to watch the action unfold.