The Last Barbeque is a dark comedy about a backyard barbeque to commemorate the one-year anniversary of a neighbor’s death, which coincides with a ten-year high school reunion. The plot is simple, so the excitement comes from being a voyeur into human interaction, or lack thereof.
The Mistress Cycle is not a traditional book musical, but a song cycle (a series of songs by one composer tied together by a story). The story jump cuts the lives and loves of five notorious mistresses:
Here is the premise: Fact: on December 4, 1956 a twist of fate brought together Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley at Sun Records’ storefront recording studio in Memphis. Sam Phillips (Brian McCaskill) known as ‘the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and owner of Sun Records discovered each of them. This event became an impromptu jam session that Phillips recorded.
The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, social disparity and dehumanization in a commercial world. The action moved swiftly in the 50 minute drama that many consider among the finest one-acts ever penned for the stage
Tom Williams discusses the following stage plays with Carl Amari: Macbeth at First Folio Theatre and Blackbird at Victory Gardens Theater [audio: https://chicagocritic.com/newsite/audio/Tom.mp3]
Director Marti Lyons uses a guitar rich and cello band to add an opening and closing song (with incoherent lyrics) to cover for the many blackouts. The show is told in a series of short vignettes that have no through line nor do they work together to make for a coherent story
El Grito del Bronx is a story about rage. It is set against the violent backdrop of a Bronx family tragedy in 1977 and the aftermath of those events 15 years later in a federal prison in Ohio and in a middle class apartment in Connecticut.
Max and Horst survive in Dachau by keeping their mental capacity sharp by verbalizing their lust and their love without either looking at each other or touching while they move rocks from one pile to another
The Ruby Sunrise is not perfect, but proves Rinnie Groff is rich with imagination. Television gives everyone an opportunity to peek into the lives of others (whether that be via news of situation comedy/drama)
Footloose is filled with 80’s pop tunes slickly stages and danced with a cute number, “Dancing’s Not A Crime” that adds humor. This show is so cute and doesn’t take itself seriously that its innocence is infectious