Wellesley Rep’s ‘boom’ Takes Comic Look at Post- Apocalyptic World

January 22, 2020January 23, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Nicholas Yenson, Stephanie Clayman and Chloe Nosan in Wellesley Repertory Theatre’s ‘boom’.
Photos by Maggie Hall

By Mike Hoban

‘boom’ – Written by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb; Directed by Marta Rainer; Set Design by David Towlun; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl; Lighting Design by Emily Bearce & Graham Edmonson; Sound Design by George Cooke. Presented by Wellesley Repertory Theatre, Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre, 106 Central St. Wellesley through February 9

There’s a meteor hurtling toward Earth, and the denizens of the planet are blissfully unaware of the imminent apocalyptic devastation that will follow. All except nerdy marine biologist Jules that is, and he’s hatched a plot to save humanity, himself and his pet fish Dorothy from extinction. That’s the premise of boom, the absurd but engaging comedy now being mounted by Wellesley Rep. Skillfully directed by Marta Rainer, boom borrows elements from sources as diverse as Mystery Science Theater 3000, a ton of end-of-the-world dramas and Adam & Eve, producing a kind of rom-com with decidedly higher stakes.

Once Upon a Time at Wellesley Rep Theatre

June 12, 2019June 17, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Danny Bolton, Meredith Gosselin, Erin Eva Butcher and J Taylor D’Andrea in Wellesley Rep’s This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing’. Photo: Maggie Hall)

Review by James Wilkinson

‘This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing’ – Written by Finegan Kruckemeyer. Directed by Marta Rainer. Set Design: Janie E. Howland. Sound Design: George Cooke. Costume Design: Chelsea Kerl. Lighting Design: Bridget Doyle. Fight Director: Sarah Flanagan. Presented by Wellesley Repertory Theatre at the Ruth Nagel Jones Theater at Wellesley College June 5-30, 2019.

Wellesley Repertory Theatre would like to tell you a story. It’s a story about a trio of sisters and the adventures they had. There are Vikings and far-away lands. There are friendly woodland critters and curmudgeonly lighthouse keepers. There are whole towns moving under the power of a team of thirty horses and entire cities of people who have never seen the sun or danced a two-step jig. There’s a whole wide world explored before finally returning to the comfort of home. All of this and more can be found in Finegan Kruckemeyer’s play This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing now in production at Wellesley Rep. If any of the above sounds like it belongs in a tale by the Brother’s Grimm, that’s by design. Kruckemeyer’s play draws heavily from a number of classic fairytale sources, proudly wearing those inspirations on its sleeve. I have to say, though, that a few days after having seen the production, I’m struggling to decide just how successful the whole thing is. It’s not that the production doesn’t have charm (it does) and it’s not that the quality of the artistic team is deficient in any way (it’s not). It’s that given the subject matter, the production just didn’t spark the sense of wonder that I wanted it to and which had me leaving the theater feeling unfulfilled.

Wellesley Repertory Theatre’s “The Liar” Still a Comic Gem – 400 Years Later

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Evan McKenna

“The Liar”- Written by David Ives, adapted from the comedy by Pierre Corneille. Directed by Marta Rainer. Producing Artistic Director, Nora Hussey. Stage Management by Lindsay Garofalo. Set Design/Production Manager, David Towlun. Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl. Sound Design by George Cooke. Lighting Design by Bailey Costa. Vocal Coach, Paul Michael Valley. Photography by David Brooks Andrews. Fight Director, Ted Hewlett. Presented by Wellesley Repertory Theatre at the Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Hall, 106 Central Street, Wellesley through February 4^th

Considering the volume of outrageously funny comedies written for stage and film today, it should be noted when a work from the 1600s has enough comedic value to remain as vibrant as any of them. Wellesley Repertory Theatre’s presentation of “The Liar”, the David Ives adaptation of the Pierre Corneille comedy (directed by Marta Rainer) which premiered last Friday, proves to be a must-see, thanks to the outstanding execution by the cast of this hilarious story.