The 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.
We 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 The show is filled with local historical references including the Red Scare and the dominance of gangsters in Chicago society.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
Wallace’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.
This 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.
Tree – is a moving story of four souls searching for personal identity as shaped by their family ties. This is a haunting work with subtle power with a mysterious element that finds a couple of stubborn people struggling to either maintain the status quo or find our the how’s and why’s of their family (s) history.
Although Augustus Thomas may be unknown to contemporary theatre audiences, he was considered a “great” playwright in his time (1890’s – 1920’s). He used realism to tell regional American stories. The Copperhead made a stage star out of Lionel Barrymore and was Thomas’ most successful play….. Mark Pracht’s excellent performance as the low-key Milt Shanks leads a terrific ensemble in a rarely produced classic American drama.
The Mandrake necessitates our attention but the payoff is there in laughs as we appreciate the complex and theatrical comic timing of each character – with a few ad-libs and asides through-in. The comic elements come fast and loose utilizing wordplay, gestures and physicality in an over-the-top production that exudes hyper-energy from the entire cast
What makes this musical extravaganza so entertaining is the bouncy, melodious score by Harry Warren that contains rhythmic tap music, a cute waltz, toe-tapping jazzy tunes that explode into exuberant dances. “Go Into Your Dance,” “Dames” – Ziefeld Follies-styled together with the spectacular tap number “We’re In The Money” highlight act one. Charm, humor and a most likable cast of characters make us care about these struggling performers.
This over-produced glitzy, over-amplified show features a blend of pop-rock, hip-hop, R & B, and rap tunes with a few rock ballads thrown-in. The sound mixed that had the percussion dominate made the guitars inaudible and it forced the singers to scream to be heard. The lyrics became unintelligible for the most part. The choreography consisted of sexy groping and Nazi-styled stiff-legged marches.
…there is I Am Montana. In one of the most convoluted, unworkable and preposterous scripts this reviewer has encountered in years, I must report that I had to scratch my head in disbelief – how could any theatre company mount such rubbish? This slowly paced and poorly acted work stretches credulity.