Search Results for: tug of war

It is 1931 in Monoreville, Alabama when seven-year-old Buddy is dropped of by his mother to his eccentric extended family. Buddy’s first friend quickly becomes his best friend. He develops a life altering unforgettable relationship with the 60something cousin, Miss Sook. She is a spinster recluse woman who never left the county, never ate in a restaurant and never married. Her world is the small house, cooking and being friends with Buddy. She is kind to everyone as she sees the best in everyone. She is thankful to the Lord and beholding to the wonders of nature. She nurtures Buddy as she teaches him by example what it is to be kind, gentle and human.

The haunting tunes together with several rousing show stoppers, makes Once a contemporary folk musical celebration of life and love. Once is original, innovative in its simplicity, yet it is a sophisticated and understated work filled with daring honesty. Anyone who has ever felt the pain of heartbreak will relate and empathize with Once’s tone. This beautiful musical is well staged, well sung and well acted

Playwright David Ives sure knows how to take the 17th Century classic French farce, The Misanthrope, and bring it up to date from 1666 to modern times by using a mixture of rhyming couplets. Ives blends Moliere’s wordy comedy of manners style with contemporary colloquialisms with casual vulgarity and scatological humor that could offend some. Yet, the zaniness of the classic characters together with the witty couplets played for extreme comic effect, makes for a belly laughing theatrical feast.

These three short plays demonstrate Robert Holman’s immense talent as a writer as he weaves a subtle glimpse into the damage that war can make in unexpected ways on common folks. Holman’s clarity and depth of character is rich in compassion and truth. The Steep ensemble, led by Josh Salt, as Eric, Patricia Donegan, as May, and Lorraine Freund, a Helene, contained strong character studies. This is a moving glimpse into the consequences of war.

The show hinges on Peter Oyloe who plays Hank Williams. Oyloe doesn’t disappoint. He give an amazingly truthful tour de force performance. Peter Oyloe demonstrates his vocal range as he channels Hank Willimas style – twang and yodel included. His strong voice contains all the angst and heartfelt emotion that Williams’ songs contained.