Month: October 2022

Gothic Horror & Humor in the “#Me Too” Age at The Umbrella Arts Center

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Harker (Joseph Jude) is surrounded by Dracula (Dustin Teuber) and his “wives” (Emily Sheeran and Bowen Huang) in ‘Dracula, a feminist revenge fantasy, really‘ at The Umbrella Stage Company
 

“Dracula, a feminist revenge fantasy, really.” By Kate Hamill; Based on the novel by Bram Stoker; Directed by Michelle Aguillon; Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company at The Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow St. Concord, MA. Performances through Oct. 30th.

 by Tom Boudrot

The season-opening production of The Umbrella Stage Company is action-packed, funny, scary and perfect for the Halloween month – but a word of caution, it’s definitely NOT for children under 16 years old. Award-winning writer Kate Hamill (who earned raves for her adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) tells the story of the 125-year-old vampire tale from a female perspective. Dracula, like so many 19th century classics, still attracts an appreciative audience but has not necessarily aged well in today’s social climate.

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Lauren Yee’s ‘The Great Leap’ Simply Soars at Portland Stage 

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Cast of “The Great Leap” at Portland Stage

‘The Great Leap’ – Written by Lauren Yee. Directed by Natsu Onoda Power. Scenic Design by Anita Stewart. Costume Design by Nicole Wee. Lighting Design by Alberto Segarra. Sound Design by Kathy Ruvuna. Projection Design by Dylan Uremovich. Presented by Portland Stage at 25A Forest Ave, Portland, ME through October 2nd (closed).

by Linda Chin

Always hungry for new narratives that build community and cultural understanding, and still marveling from powerful productions of award-winning playwright Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band at Lowell’s Merrimack Rep and NYC’s Signature Theatre a few years before, I hightailed it from Boston to Portland Stage for The Great Leap. These plays helped Yee garner the double distinction of having multiple works on American Theater’s list of Top 10 Most Produced Plays, and of being one of the nation’s Top 20 Most Produced Playwrights (second to Lauren Gunderson) in 2019-20.

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