Continuing its 29th season, the now itinerant Strawdog Theatre Company takes up its own existential theme of “exile” with Shakespeare’s complexly beautiful Cymbeline. A tragicomedy containing pastoral, fantastic, romantic, and historical elements—many of them concise allusions to his earlier plays—Shakespeare’s Cymbeline finds a coherent, quirky, and imaginative translation to the stage under the direction of Robert Kauzlaric.
While playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has much smartly biting dialogue that satirizes the millennial’s he overs writes several long monologues. The long speeches quickly turn into “playwright-speak”since individuals simply don’t talk in long rages, especially when others patiently listen awaiting their chance to respond. What is said is a blustering attack their office atmosphere that these privileged find boring. The negativity suppressed the rage that they feel.
Diamond Dogs is set in the 26th century with a team of human scientists and soldiers as they investigate a mysterious alien tower that seems to brutally punish all intruders. These characters must uncover clues and solve puzzles in order to solve the mystery. Each character will make dangerous sacrifices to get to the top of the tower.
Played on the fabulous two apartment set (designed by Linda Buchanon). Pearl Cleage’s wonderful script, Blues for an Alabama Sky, is staged with dramatic panache by director Ron OJ Parson. We meet the creatives in Harlem as they struggle during the start of the Great Depression as the Black Renaissance erodes the accumulated affluence of the 1920’s.
Filled with low-key committed political activists with roots in the American Communist Party, the Mattachine Society emerged as a group of gay men lead by the intense Harry Hay and his loyal lover Rudi Gernreich. Hay’s recruitment initially for the Communist Party became la rights forum for the four gay men. These activists realized that their movement was more about protecting the rights of’ oppressed minorities, i.e. homosexuals than a political movement
As the 75 minute drama unfolds, we see Will Allan sinking in to hatred that becomes rage as things happen to his father. This performance was honest and heartfelt. Allan demonstrates his depth as an actor as he moves from cute, humorous memories of his youth to the self loathing and rage-filled reaction to his father’s demise. Circumference Of A Squirrel’s only reason to be mounted is to show off Will Allan’s acting chops.
Pride’s Priscilla: Queen of the Desert -the musical is a sweet, energetic and superbly danced, sung and acted musical long on heart and peopled by empathetic characters. Filled with stunning show-stopping dance numbers by the creatively innovating choreographer Jon Martinez with a peppy orchestra lead by Robert Ollis,
Director Hand’s vision of Eurydice’s world comes across as only half concocted. In effect a two-tiered set with a dilapidated brick façade half-obscured by a white, translucent tarp, the “place” of this world is highly ambiguous and suggests virtually no atmosphere to either the realm of the living or of the dead. The nicest touch is an elevator and sliding door, through which the newly deceased enter and in which they are sprinkled with the waters of Lethe (thereby losing their memories). But neither this embellishment nor even the stony inhabitants of Hades, each of whom are dressed like figures from the past—a half-cocked nod toward some theme of “nostalgia”—can redeem this set’s production value in some coherence of “world.”
The opening night audience loved this cast as they garner our diverse identify into terrific bits, Immigration, ethic and racial identify difference are celebrated especially by Tien Tran (Vietnamese0 and Jasbir Singh Vazquez (Latino) expert scene. Among other immigration bits satirize the Immigration Dept. questioning folks at a food court in a mall. The light sweet social commentary contuses to garner laughter as long as we are willing to listen and speak to our differences.
This well-stage fable explores class, gender, and the history of women in sports, and asks just who can afford the luxury of playing basketball? The Tall Girls is a most entertaining stage play about the early days of women playing sports. I must confess that I was a high school and college basketball referee for over twenty years in Chicago and South Florida and I worked hundreds of women’s college games yet I was not familiar with the early days and rules of women’s basketball. Director Louis Contey has his cast delivering fine renditions of the skill level of those pioneering players.