La Broa’ at Trinity Rep, Educates, Entertains

January 1, 2024January 31, 2024 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The first show at Trinity Rep in 2024, which is the continuation of its 60th season, is the world premiere of “La Broa'” by Orlando Hernandez, inspired by “Latino History of Rhode Island: Nuestras Raices,” oral histories collected by Marta V. Martinez. “La Broa”’ (Broad Street) draws from real-life stories of Providence’s Spanish-speaking immigrant communities over sixty years and is directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo, a resident artistic company member. Hernandez takes these oral histories and weaves interesting, poignant, and awe-inspiring tales into a show that audience members can savor and enjoy. These stories are based on real people with some fictional events mixed in, ranging from gripping to entertaining but, most of all, educating and entrancing the crowd to understand how different cultures exist, not only on Broad Street. Rosa’s Market on Broad Street is the center of the stories Dona Rosa tells Ana, a student at Providence College, in 1992. The show is told with flashbacks to 1947 when Rosa came to New York from The Dominican Republic. She met her husband Tony there, and they eventually moved to Providence. This is where the characters interact during the show as Dona Rosa weaves tales of her past. They speak of immigration, how they adjusted to Providence, and cultural matters that affect them. Marta Martinez has worked on this script for the past ten years, and Trinity Rep performers make her and real-life people extremely proud in this astounding show.

Becky Nurse Of Salem Bewitches at Trinity Rep

August 31, 2023October 1, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

The cast of *Becky Nurse of Salem*. Photos by Mark Turek.

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Trinity Rep’s second show, performed in repertory with “The Good John Procter,” is “Becky Nurse of Salem” by Sarah Ruhl, which is the better one of the two. Becky is a descendant of Rebecca Nurse from the Salem witch trials and was also a character in “The Crucible”. This Becky is plagued with a curse of bad luck that she needs to be exorcised so she can get on with her life. She is a poor 52-year-old grandmother who is raising her granddaughter and struggling to make ends meet. The cast sings “Sweet Children Mine,” and then we first meet Becky as a museum docent as she tells the “high school” audience the tales of witchcraft in the city and where Rebecca Nurse was hung either at what is now Dunkin Donuts or at Walgreen’s. She also drops some F-bombs in front of the nuns and is she is fired from her job. The audience follows her roller coaster journey from there to the end of the show, where we all learn the most important thing in life is to love and be loved. The audience leaped to their feet at the end of the extremely poignant and comic show, masterfully presented by director Curt Columbus and his extraordinary and talented seven-member cast. Brava to leading lady Angela Brazil on her breathtaking performance, who never left the stage in this two-hour and fifteen-minute show.

Trinity Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Updates Holiday Classic

November 1, 2022November 14, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Trinity Rep. Photos by Mark Turek

by Tony Annicone

Trinity Repertory Company ushers the holiday season in with their live yearly presentation of their 46th production of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cumming. This is Trinity’s third show of its 59th season and is performed in 90 minutes with no intermission. This show’s underlying themes of charity, forbearance and benevolence are universal and are equally relevant to people of all religions and backgrounds especially now after the Big Lie Theory of the 2020 election is still being promoted by the former, twice impeached ex-President, the important hearings about the Insurrection of the Capital on January 6th with fingers crossed for a conclusive outcome and the still contentious climate of this country observed in the recent 2022 midterm election. This familiar tale is about the curmudgeonly miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghosts of Marley, Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come who hope to change in this version her destiny and save her soul to ultimately to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Director Aileen Wen McGroody directs this show for the first time. She creates a huge encompassing tale which needs more focus at times in telling of this Christmas tale. McGroody explores bigotry, gay marriage, people of different cultures and economic standings. The set is starker than in years past and doesn’t come into full color until Christmas Present appears and near the very end of the show. The process of Scrooge finding a way to reenter a world again that is what “A Christmas Carol is all about and she brings the cast, orchestra onstage to witness Scrooge’s reconciliation with her nephew, Fred which is one of the most poignant moments of the evening. Aileen brings the comic moments to the forefront this year and uses a great deal of musical numbers to convey the story. Musical director Andrew Smithson brings out the best in the cast for their many songs, plays lead keyboards and conducts a 6 piece orchestra. Choreographer Shura Baryshnikov creates the dances for the show. The enthusiastic audience thoroughly enjoy the show with thunderous applause at curtain call.

Trinity Rep’s “Fairview” Takes an Interactive Look at Race

May 10, 2022May 31, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Mia Ellis, Aizhaneya Carter, and Jackie Davis in Trinity Rep’s “Fairview”

by Tony Annicone

Trinity Repertory Company’s closing show of their 2021/22 season is “Fairview”, a Pulitzer Prize winning show by Jackie Sibblies Drury. It is about an upper middle class African American family that starts off as a sitcom a la “Good Times”, but then becomes confrontational. The play also turns interactive with a riveting performance by Aizhaneya Carter, who plays the young daughter, Keisha. The play opens with Beverly peeling carrots and humming a song as she prepares a Birthday dinner for her mother. She wants the birthday party to be a success, and waits for Keisha to join in the festivities when she gets home from basketball practice, while her husband, Dayton shows up to help her with the dinner. Her sister Jasmine arrives with the best wine from France and starts to gossip and complain about things. Here are the ingredients for the first part of the show. All seems well with a harried wife, a goofy husband, an exuberant daughter and a snooty sister until voices are heard spouting some unpleasantries during scene 2.

Trinity Rep’s ‘Sueno’ a Superb Dramedy

April 22, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Sueno’ at Trinity Rep (Photos by Mark Turek)

by Tony Annicone

Welcome to yesteryear with Trinity Rep’s fourth show of their 58th season. The show is Sueno, which is based on Life is a Dream, an old Spanish Golden age classic play. It contains all the elements of an adventure show, including many laughs mixed with love, betrayal, revenge, dreams and forgiveness. At Trinity Rep, the show is presented as a Telenovela. It’s hilarious, but with some serious ideas to ponder as well. After the birth of his son, King Basilio (who believes in astrology) banishes his newborn son, Segismundo, to be imprisoned in a tower for life because he caused the death of his mother. He perceives this as an omen that his son will destroy his kingdom. Translated, ‘Sueno’ means ‘great desire’ – which is felt by relatives when the show fast forwards to 25 years later. Estrella and Astolfo appear on the scene to take over the kingdom but eventually learn that Segismundo is to be released from prison. Basilio tests his son twice with dismal results as the imprisoned son fights with a soldier and falls immediately in love with a servant girl. Segismundo ends up back in the tower where he ruminates about his plight. Things turn on a dime with some astonishing sword fights while the audience is surprised at the sudden turn of events and lessons about nature and nurture. Director Tatanya-Marie Carlo casts this show splendidly and elicits marvelous performances from her nine-member cast. The flamenco music also adds to the flavor of this play. A word of praise to Patrick Lynch for his astounding turntable set of the palace and a tower prison, to Shahrzad Mazaheri for beautiful and intricate costumes and especially to Mark A. Rose for his energetic and brilliant fight choreography which makes these segments mesmerize you.

Trinity Rep’s “Gem of the Ocean” Teaches Us to Do the Right Thing

March 18, 2022March 18, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Liz Morgan, Rose Weaver, Mauro Hantman & Christopher Lindsay in Trinity Rep’s “Gem of the Ocean” Photos by Mark Turek

by Tony Annicone

Trinity Rep takes us back to Pittsburgh in 1904 with their third show of the season, “Gem of the Ocean” by August Wilson. It’s the first of his 10 Play Cycle, each covering a decade of the 20th Century. Each story is set in the working-class neighborhood known as the Hill District, where Wilson himself was born. These plays take African Americans out of the reconstruction era of the Civil War South and into the modern era of early twentieth century. Mystical, mysterious (and very old) Aunt Ester discusses the newly found freedom from slavery and the “city of bones” that describes the brutal history of the slave trade. Ester also emphasizes the importance of honor and doing what is right, and wants to know what they are willing to die for now that they are free. An original song by Broken Chord, “Remember Me”, opens the show, and when the song is over, we hear a young man pounding on the door. It is Citizen Barlow, who has come to visit Aunt Ester. He wants to be forgiven for something in his past and needs and wants redemption. After receiving advice from Aunt Ester, Solly Two Kings (a former runner for the Underground Railroad, who is courting Ester,) and Eli, (a traveling salesman who is Ester’s care giver and confidant) they take him on a mystical trip to the City of Bones. Barlow wants to pursue a relationship with Black Mary but her brother, Caesar, a hard-headed cop, stands in the way of their relationship.

Trinity Rep’s ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ Demonstrates the Power of Theater to Connect, Heal

January 28, 2022January 28, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Cast of Trinity Rep’s ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’*

by Linda Chin

Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for stage by Nia Vardalos, co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail, and Nia Vardalos. Directed by Curt Columbus; Set Design by Baron E. Pugh; Costume Design by Amanda Downing Carney; Lighting Design by Dawn Chiang; Sound Design by Peter Sasha Hurowitz; Music Direction by Gunnar Manchester. Presented by Trinity Repertory Theater, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI through February 13th

For some of us theater-loving empaths who’ve been feeling isolated, helpless and theater-deprived these past two years, doing puzzles has been a popular pastime, providing some semblance of calm and control in these socially distanced and socially divided times. My newest addiction is the Wordle puzzle that has taken the internet by storm (Wordle, for the uninitiated, is a daily challenge to correctly guess a five-letter word in six tries, charts your progress, and offers the option to post your results – eg. 5/6 – on social media). Sharing the latter, with friends and/or publicly, sparks virtual “water cooler” conversations and stokes our human desire for connection. So you can imagine my excitement about attending a live performance of the play Tiny Beautiful Things at Trinity Rep, in the company of other living, breathing, and yes, flawed humans.

Trinity Rep’s ‘Radio Golf’ Brilliantly Examines Price of Success

February 6, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Ricardo Pitts-Wiley, Joe Wilson Jr. and Omar Robinson in Trinity Rep’s ‘Radio Golf’ (L to R)*
*Photos by Mark Turek*

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Trinity Repertory Company takes us to Pittsburgh, PA with their current show, “Radio Golf” which is the last of August Wilson’s 10 play cycle of African-American life in the 20th Century. Set in 1997, the play starts with Harmond Wilks announcing his run for Mayor of Pittsburgh. Wilks is also the driving force behind the redevelopment business, Bedford Hills Redevelopment, which plans to use Federal money to clean up the “blight” in this neighborhood. His business partner is Roosevelt Hicks, a banker. Hicks listens to a white businessman who influences him to invest in a radio station and wants him to gain control of the BHR. Hicks is also addicted to golfing, and runs golf camps for children. Wilks wife, Mame is extremely interested in becoming the First Lady of Pittsburgh and supports him heartily in his run for the Mayor while organizing his PR and various appearances.

Trinity Rep’s ‘Fade’ – American Dream or Betrayal?

December 15, 2019January 21, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Lucia (Elia Saldana) and Abel (Daniel Duque-Estrada) in Trinity Rep’s ‘Fade’ – Photos by Mark Turek

by Shelley A. Sackett

‘Fade’- Written by Tanya Saracho. Directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo; Set Design by Efren Delgadillo, Jr.; Costume Design by Amanda Downing Carney; Co-Lighting Design by Pablo Santiago and Ginevra Lombardo; Sound Design by David R. Molina. Presented by Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, R.I through January 5.

Fade, a two-person play in production on Trinity Rep’s smaller downstairs stage through January 5, is a welcome respite from the same-oldness of the usual holiday theatrical suspects. Although a bit uneven and in need of serious editing (trimming 10-15 minutes from the 100-minute intermission-less production could do wonders for its pacing), Tanya Saracho’s script is a witty and perceptive antidote to sugar plum fairies and ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.

Trinity Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ More Theatrics Than Theater

November 29, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Ghost of Christmas Future (Taavon Gamble) visits Scrooge (Jude Sandy) in Trinity Rep’s ‘A christmas Carol. Photos by Mark Turek

Reviewed by Shelley A. Sackett

‘A Christmas Carol’ – by Charles Dickens. Original Music by Richard Cumming; Directed by Kate Bergstrom; Music Direction by Michael Rice; Choreography by Taavon Gamble; Set Design by Patrick Lynch; Costume Design by Olivera Gajic; Lighting Design by Barbara Samuels; Sound Design by Broken Chord. Presented by Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence through December 29.

Trinity Repertory Company’s 2019 musical version of A Christmas Carol starts out promisingly. Produced in the Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace Theater, Director Kate Bergstrom makes use of that venue’s intimate theater-in-the-round configuration by staging pockets of singing performers above every seat section. The pageantry of a live orchestra, quality-voiced actors in Dickensian-era costumes, and an excellent sound system is enough to enrapture a toe-tapping audience. Unfortunately, uneven performances and an overreliance on gimmicky, ostentatious staging trickery will soon burst that magical bubble.