REVIEWS BY

While I was impressed with the weird movement and unique staging, Bernadette’s story was presented in a surreal, abstract, almost absurdest style. Scenes like Bernadette and her muse-the imaginary Clip, being punished by having metal clips place on their tongues for hours allowed the boy and girl to invent a new language-“clip”-a sort of pig Latin.

Strawdog Theatre, under the intelligent direction by Kimberly Senior, has a well acted and sincere production of Chekhov’s 1899 tragicomedy, Uncle Vanya…The cast of nine talents most effectively present Chekhov’s tragicomedy translated by Curt Columbus.

We meet a host of high school juniors about to turn 17 as World War II rages. The boys are on the brink of being eligible for the draft as their safe, predictable world is about to turn gray with uncertainty.

Back Stage Theatre, now in their 10th season, usually find stage worthy scripts that they cast and stage quite professionally. Their latest gem is Craig Wright’s comic drama, Orange Flower Water…Wright has some funny moments as the bed and sexual needs triumph over family obligations and loyalty.

Raven Theatre, under the tight direction by Aaron Todd Douglas, presents an emotional wrenching production of the classic court room drama, Twelve Angry Men. Douglass uses a modern, interracial cast, including several African-Americans, Latinos and an Asian-American. That added a sharper edge to the drama

The strength of this production comes from musical arrangements by Doug Peck has been sculpted to stress the soulful, Klezmer qualities of Bock and Harnick’s sumptuous score. The ensemble work was excellent.

We meet Sam (Tom Hardy), a nasty drunk whose life is through the bottle and occasional sex with his live-in girl friend, Annie (Greta Honold). Sam is drinking himself to death as we painstakingly learn, after a long and snail-paced first act, walked away from his injured wife and dead daughter nine years earlier

Called “The Funniest Farce Ever Written” by the New York critics, Michael Frayn’s 1982 British farce, Noises Off is a wildly wacky and mind-boggling mayhem of a comedy. It is a cleverly structured play-within-a-play told in three acts using a set that rotates allowing us to see action straight at us and from backstage.

The Building Stage, under the splendid direction by Blake Montgomery and Joanie Schultz, specialize in stretching the boundaries in storytelling through unique adaptations from various media. Their staging of Wagner’s opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung–is NOT an OPERA–but a thrilling, totally engaging re-imagining drama (non-singing stage play).

Each person’s bias comes rushing out through their statements. Racial, anti-police and sensational news reporting make the truth a sort of bias. Prejudice, hidden agendas, deceit as well as anonymous threats against Investigator Mahnaz filled this fast-paced drama with questions and suspense as we try to sort out the facts.