Are they really dead? After a doctor certifies that each of the six are in fact dead so the General berates they to let the Army bury them. They silently refuse. A priest tries exorcism, their Captain engages them in a philosophical discussion – to no avail.
Read MoreDirector Julie Ritchey loves the play as a director loves a play. She has burrowed deep and nestled in its earthy, root-filled warmth. She has eaten this play, drunk this play, dreamt and woken this play. And not without advantages. The moments she creates – crafts, more like – are heartfelt and complex.
Read MoreThe blending of forms (theatre, dance, concert, club, Commedia, circus . . .) is done as if by a person who’s never seen a play – or rather like this: by a person who has not been told what he can and cannot do, what is and is not theatre, what must and must not be so, according to the establishment. And what he has created is not only a compelling and innovative piece of theatre, but a show that would feel right at home in London’s Fringe scene or a cabaret in East Berlin.
Read MoreThe play opens with King George III, who only recently lost The Colonies, fighting Parliament to reassert his slightly flagging power. The Whigs are attempting to curtail the King’s powers, and implement their agenda, including the abolition of the West Indian slave trade. The Tories, led by George’s right-hand man, William Pitt the Younger, are looking for ways to bolster the King’s power.
Read MoreThe Verge – is now showing the 1956 drama Look Back In Anger by John Osborne. This four person play is the story of an angry and frustrated young man, Jimmy Porter (Nathan Burger) who is over educated and underemployed. He is filled with rage that he takes out on his wife Alison (Claire Alden) and his only friend, Cliff Lewis (Nicholas Harazin)
Read MoreThere’s and old adage, “It’s all in the presentation.”, and the MCA could not have done a better job taking that to heart. Nutt’s figure paintings by themselves would end up growing somewhat tedious and repetitive, but with a strategic installation of Nutt’s earlier works, sketches, and a complimentary exhibit you’ll end up thanking the last MCA employee you see before walking out the door.
Read MoreThe play deals with many topics: censorship, teenage pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, divorce, violence, religion, fundamentalism, the place of art in society . . . . And yet, with this long laundry list of issues, the piece never gets bogged down by any of it.
Read MoreWe see how the execution of a cop killer is but a backdrop to the larger story of rampant corruption, scandal, and hi-jinx that permeated Chicago in the Jazz Age. The show is filled with local historical references including the Red Scare and the dominance of gangsters in Chicago society. Chicago is depicted by these gritty reporters as a mean street city with politicians ever trying for political advantage in search of wealth, power and patronag
Read MoreWallace’s poetic language is nicely enunciated by this fine cast. Young Elizabeth Stenholt shows promise as an actor. Brian Parry and J. P. Pierson gave yeoman performances. Susan Monts Bologna’s subtle performance powerfully emerged as the strongest. There is humor, intensity and truth in One Flea Spare. For something different, see this show.
Read MoreThis show is a nonpareil example of how to mount a modern version of this classic art form. Sade and Spearen do it right – period. If you want to see how Commedia dell’arte can be translated to a modern audience, how vibrant the art from still is, five hundred years after its inception, this is the piece to see.
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