Jade Guerra, “ranney”, Jonathan Kitt and Omar Robinson in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. Photos by Nile Scott Studios.
‘The Piano Lesson’ – Play by August Wilson. Directed by Christopher V. Edwards. Scenic Design by Jon Savage; Costume Design by Nia Safarr Banks; Lighting Design by Isaak Olson; Sound Design by James Cannon. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project in partnership with Hibernian Hall. At Hibernian Hall, Boston, through Feb. 23.
By Mike Hoban
As the cold January winds send a chill through the streets of Boston and the change in the nation’s political climate sends shivers through the hearts of our most vulnerable, Actors Shakespeare Project has delivered a masterpiece of a production – just when we need it most. For the third straight year, ASP has staged a selection from August Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle about the Black experience in 20th Century America, and while the previous offerings (Seven Guitars in 2023 and King Hedley II last year) were both on my (and most reviewers) annual ‘Best Of’ lists, ASPs The Piano Lesson catapults Wilson’s work into the stratosphere.
“The Look of Love” by Mark Morris Dance Group. Choreographed by Mark Morris. Music by Burt Bachrach. Lyrics by Hal David. Music Direction by Colin Fowler. Presented by Arts Emerson, Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston, through January 26.
By Michele Markarian
Admittedly, I was not in the zippiest frame of mind when I entered the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre the other night – the climate, both in Massachusetts and the nation, was feeling chilly. We settled into Ethan Iverson’s thoughtful, regretful piano rendition of “Alfie,” after which the curtain parted, and the ten dancers entered, dressed in Isaac Mizrahi’s colorful unisex clothing – think Rowan and Martin’s “Laugh-In” with regards to the colors – and carrying pieces of the simple set while gamboling lightly to an upbeat rendition of “What the World Needs Now.” They were smiling. And just like that, my mood was lifted. And stayed that way throughout the rest of the hour-long performance, which was aided by live musicians and two wonderful vocalists, Blaire Reinhard and Clinton Curtis.
The Mark Morris Dance Company in The Look of Love. Photo: Julieta Cervantes
The Mark Morris Dance Group returns to Boston with Morris’ evening-length work, The Look of Love at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre from January 23 through January 26. The piece is a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping hits of Burt Bacharach, a towering figure of popular music, newly arranged by jazz pianist, composer, and MMDG musical collaborator Ethan Iverson. Bacharach’s melodies and unique orchestrations soar with influences from jazz, rock, and Brazilian music. The stage comes alive in a powerful fusion of dance and music with an exceptional ensemble of vocals, piano, trumpet, bass, and drums, led by singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell.
Celebrity Series of Boston presents Malpaso Dance Company. Executive Director and Co-Founder Fernando Sáez. Artistic Director and Co-Founder Osnal Delgado. At the Robert J. Orchard Stage, Paramount Center, January 17-18.
By Shelley A. Sackett
With good reason, Malpaso Dance Company is one of Cuba’s most sought-after dance companies. Since its inception in 2012, the company of 11 dancers has served as global ambassadors of Cuban culture, heritage and artistry.
Cast of Lyric Stage’s ‘Crumbs From The Table Of Joy’. Photos: Mark S. Howard Thomika Marie Bridwell, Madison Margaret Clark, and Dominic Carter
‘Crumbs from The Table Of Joy.’ Written by Lynn Nottage. Directed by Tasia A. Jones. Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Costume Design by Mikayla Reid. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco. Lighting Design by Eduardo Ramirez. Produced by Lyric Stage at 140 Clarendon Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, through February 2nd.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Luck
Sometimes a crumb falls From the tables of joy, Sometimes a bone Is flung.
To some people Love is given, To others Only heaven.
— Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes, best known for his Harlem Renaissance Jazz Poetry, wrote “Luck” in 1947. The poem can be interpreted as a commentary on unfairness, deprivation, and the pursuit of love. It could also be read as a reminder of the injustices faced by Black Americans and other “have-nots’ who must bear witness to the overflowing bounty of the “haves” and hope they are in the right place at the right time to scoop up the discarded scraps.
Cast of SpeakEasy/Front Porch’s ‘Ain’t No Mo’ Photos: Nile Scott Studios MaConnia Chesser, Kiera Prusmack, De’Lon Grant, Schanaya Barrows, and Dru Sky Berrian.
‘Ain’t No Mo’.’ Written by Jordan E. Cooper. Directed by Dawn M. Simmons. Co-produced by SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective at the Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont Street, through February 8.
By Shelley A. Sackett
Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo is a complicated, uneven, scathing, audacious, and hilarious rollercoaster ride of a play. It covers a lot of ground, and Cooper dips his pen into the inkwell of every genre known to playwrights: from satire, allegory, fiction, and parody to tragedy and Shakespeare-worthy soliloquy.
Cast of Lyric Stage’s ‘Crumbs From The Table Of Joy’. Photos: Mark S. Howard
‘Crumbs From The Table Of Joy’. Written by Lynn Nottage. Directed by Tasia A. Jones. Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Costume Design by Mikayla Reid. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco. Lighting Design by Eduardo Ramirez. Produced by Lyric Stage at 140 Clarendon Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02116 runs from January 10th – February 2nd.
By Charlotte Snow
“It smooths my pain, and that’s all I want right now,” earnestly pleads Godfrey Crump (Dominic Carter), during a verbal altercation with his late wife’s sister. That aspiration of finding hope can be found in all five of the characters who populate Crumbs From The Table Of Joy, now playing at the Lyric Stage.
Cristhian Mancinas-Garcia and Parker Jennings in ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ at Apollinaire. Photos by Danielle Fauteux Jacques
Every Brilliant Thing’. Written by Duncan Macmillan with Johnny Donahoe. Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques. Scenic and Sound Design by Joseph Lark-Riley. Lighting Design by Danielle Fauteux Jacques. Produced by Apollinaire Theatre Company at Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St, Chelsea, MA through January 19th.
By Shelley A. Sackett
A one-person show about suicide and depression that threatens random audience participation, runs for approximately 75 intermission-less minutes, and pledges to be funny and uplifting has a pretty high bar to clear. Yet, Apollinaire Theatre Company does just that with room to spare in its brilliant production of Every Brilliant Thing.
‘Dracula’ – Based on the novel by Bram Stroker. Adapted by Steven Dietz. Directed by Melissa Bernstein. Presented by Newton Theatre Company at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 96 Otis Street, Newton, MA, through February 8
Review by Shayne F. Gilbert
The Newton Theater Company’s latest offering is the classic gothic story Dracula, featuring a gender-bending twist: Dracula is portrayed by female actor Linda Goetz, who masterfully handles the role in this first-rate interpretation of the Gothic classic.
The audience is ushered into a large room, and a heavy table made up like a bed dominates the opening scene. The audience sits around the edges of the intimate room in two rows, as if they were not observers but part of the performance (although I did have to pull in my feet at times to prevent the actors from tripping over them). The room dims to an ominous grey as the show begins.
Many may be familiar with Dracula as the centuries-old tale of an immortal vampire who survives on the blood of his victims. Steven Dietz’s 1996 adaptation opens with two young women chattering like schoolgirls on a sleepover as they express their love for their young men. Mina Murray (Dani Johnson) is betrothed to solicitor Jonathan Harker (Matthew Alexander Goldstein). Lucy Westenra (Jessibel Falcon) is in love with John Seward (Rafael Silva), who runs the local asylum for the insane. Things soon take a darker turn as the letters that Murray receives from Harker, who is heading to Transylvania to visit his client, Count Dracula, become more disturbing.
The play moves back and forth between London and Transylvania. Harker, overwhelmed by his experience in Transylvania, returns to London, haunted by what he has seen. Dracula, meanwhile, has used information that Harker has provided to execute a plan to go to London in a quest to feed his insatiable appetite. When Westenra falls prey to the Count, who drains her of her lifeblood, Sewards calls upon Abraham Van Helsing (Karin Trachtenberg), an expert in vampires, to find a cure for Westenra. Tragically, the beautiful innocent is too far along, and her only respite is found in death.
Renfield (Elena Toppo), another victim of the Count, is living a deranged life in Seward’s asylum. Throughout the show, Renfield serves as an interpreter of the actions of the evil vampire. It is Toppo as Renfield who truly shines in her role as the insane link between the traditional world of London and the fantastical world of Dracula. Are those really flies that he snatches and scarfs down in a desperate quest for immortality? The audience can only feel pity for the small bird that Renfield initially befriends, only to find a telltale feather peeking out from his mouth a short time later. I looked forward to each scene-stealing moment of Toppo’s enchanting portrayal of Renfield.
The ensemble delivers an engaging interpretation of the gothic story, alternately delivering gasps of terror and laughter. Although the sets are sparse, clever lighting and background music, reminiscent of the classic organ accompaniments of silent films (composed by Alex Taylor), create a mood of foreboding and doom.
As noted on their website, the mission of Newton Theatre Company is “to create high-quality theater with a focus on women’s voices.” In this production, three of the main, traditionally male characters are portrayed by female actors. Linda Goetz, as Count Dracula, brings an aloof sense of revenge to the blood-lusting character. She seems to literally fly around the stage in her role as the vampire. As Abraham Van Helsing, Trachtenberg is a diminutive figure with a commanding voice.
This interpretation of the Gothic classic delivers enough unnerving elements of horror to be most suitable for mature audiences who will relish the thrill of a blood-curdling evening. Performances of Dracula at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Newton continue on Friday and Saturday evenings with some matinees through February 8th. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.newtontheatrecompany.com/
Alison Jones and Ashley Aldarondo in Trinity Rep’s ‘Someone Will Remember Us’. Photos by Mark Turik.
Reviewed by Tony Annicone
The world premiere of “Someone Will Remember Us” continues the true story of “Boots on The Ground,” which played at Trinity Repertory Company back in 2006 and told of Rhode Islanders deployed in the Iraq War. It examines how the legacy lives on almost twenty years later. This show combines the testimonies of U.S. military veterans, a Gold Star Family, Iraqi civilians, and refugees living in Rhode Island. It examines how the war affected these people then and how they still deal with it all these years later. We see the emotional toll these events had back then and how conflicts in other parts of the globe still concern us today. “Someone Will Remember Us” is the fourth show of Trinity Rep’s 61st season and is well-directed by Christopher Windom. He has his cast members deliver multilayered performances as the residents of this state who were profoundly affected by the Iraqi War. Each of the different groups of people convey their stories and interact with each other in this powerful one-act play written by Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston. Dr. Michelle Cruz and the two authors create an informative, emotion-packed show that resonates with the audience in a profound manner, especially with the uncertain times that this country is currently facing with the rest of the world, and hopefully will help them and us heal from these traumatic events. This powerhouse production receives a spontaneous standing ovation at the close of the show.
