Motif

Author: Alison O’Donnell

  • Dancin’ on the Dock of the Bay: The Tipsy Seagull offers a bar experience like no other

    Dancin’ on the Dock of the Bay: The Tipsy Seagull offers a bar experience like no other

     

    The Tipsy Seagull is a seasonal floating outdoor bar located at the mouth of Narragansett Bay at Borden Light Marina, easily accessible from RI via RT195W. Whether you come by car or boat, you can enjoy the feel of the Florida Keys, dancing under palm trees and soaking up some rays. It’s not just for the daytime, though!Dan_Valcourt_

    Musical entertainment can be enjoyed seven days a week from June through September. Vikki Regine, who is the keyboardist/vocalist for local rock band The New Nasty, enjoys performing here. “Love the Tipsy! Part of the charm is that it’s small, so we all kind of get to know each other by the end of the night.” She adds, “A lot of people just dock their boats next to it for the night and have their own party.”

    This place is hopping, so be prepared to feel like a sardine among the other fishes, but if you’re lucky you might snag one of the dozen or so swings up for grabs at the bar on the upper deck. If you’re dancing below, or watching the water action from above at the railings, seating is a non-issue.

    The Tipsy Seagull is open for lunch or dinner with a limited pub-style menu. If you wish for a more sophisticated pub menu, just a short distance up the road is their sister establishment, The Tipsy Toboggan Fireside Pub, which offers a quieter indoor or outdoor experience and an amazing goat cheese pizza.

    There is a free public parking lot nearby and on-street parking is available. Attire is casual, but there is a strictly enforced dress code. For more information and events listings, go to thetipsyseagull.com

     

     

  • Benny’s the Musical has it All

    Benny’s the Musical has it All

    Photo credit: Pam Murray
    Photo credit: Pam Murray

    Benny’s. The little store that had it all, long before Walmart was a thing. Some of us are still traumatized by their closing and get a little choked up with nostalgia when we reminisce, or see the iconic logo somewhere. But a musical? Hello?!

    Benny’s: The Musical describes itself as the tale of your local Benny’s store, the neighbors who shopped there and loved it, and, most importantly, the people who worked there and made it the beloved local destination that it was. With more than a dozen original new songs and a cast of characters you’re likely to recognize from your life in RI, you’ll be sure to come away remembering just why Benny’s was “more than a store.”

    Director/Producer of Benny’s: The Musical, Keith Munslow, is also director/host of the Empire Revue — a monthly sketch comedy show based at AS220 in Providence and the creative mind behind Benny’s: The Musical. I had some questions for him upon hearing of the show’s revival.

    Alison O’Donnell: Why now?

    Keith Munslow: Last year, we decided to take Super Bowl Sunday off from our usual monthly sketch comedy show. We decided to use that time to write a special show. Just around the same time, Benny’s announced that they would be closing their doors. So we decided to write a show about how that would impact both the employees and the community at large. Before we had even written a word of the script, or a note of music, the show sold out. So we added a second one, and that sold out as well. Later last spring, we ran it for a weekend at the Columbus Theatre, and those shows sold out as well. The response we got from audience members, some of whom were former employees of Benny’s, was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic. It felt to us like a great coming together of the community, as a way to celebrate and grieve this great establishment. When talking to people who attend our regular monthly sketch comedy shows, they continually ask us to please remount the show. So, we decided to do it again this March. Once again, the first show sold out immediately. So we have added a matinee on the same day, which is 3/4 of the way sold out. We are thrilled at the continued enthusiasm.

    AO: Any changes?

    KM: We are planning to add a little bit more choreography to some of the songs. And our stage manager, Nicky Mariani-Wilson, who also acted in last year‘s performances, will be eight month’s pregnant when the show goes up. So, she will be calling the show from the booth. Her part will be played by another member of our in-house comedy team, Tina Wolstencroft.

    AO: Future plans for the play?

    KM: I suspect this will not be the last time we stage this show. We all love performing it, and the audience keeps showing up! Personally, I would love to see a larger scale production of the show. I would love for a sponsor to step forward to fund such an undertaking. We are a small sketch comedy team, and could never bankroll such an endeavor ourselves. But I would love to see the show do a run for two or three weeks, with more elaborate staging, lights and sound.

    All cast members had a hand in writing the musical, and are incredibly proud of this show. They hope it will become woven into the fabric of the story of Benny’s. Sponsors welcome!

    Benny’s: The Musical runs on Sunday, March 3 at AS220. The 8pm show is sold out; 3pm matinee still has some seats available as of this printing. For more information, visit the Facebook event: facebook.com/events/538770829956684/?ti=ia

  • Artists’ Exchange’s Carol Delivers a Bit of Magic

     

    Artists’ Exchange celebrated its 15th annual production of A Christmas Carol: The Musical Reclamation of Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday season. The production, adapted and directed by Rhiannon Lynn Annin, with original music by Ethan Miller, ran from December 6-22 at Theatre 82 in Cranston. Despite being performed every Christmas by various theatrical groups from elementary schools to the finest playhouses, this play always manages to draw us out. Maybe we hope to get into the Christmas spirit and experience a little magic.

    Based on the Charles Dickens novella you surely read in middle school, audiences experienced a modern-day musical adaptation as they ventured through Ebenezer Scrooge’s past, present and future. Just as in the classic tale, first published on December 19 in 1843, Christmas is ultimately restored in Scrooge’s heart as he takes a candid look down Memory Lane.

    This was not Annin’s directorial debut. In 2012, she attended The National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Conn, where she got to try her hand acting in various styles, playwriting, directing, set and costume design, singing and voice. “I drifted away from all theater practices for a few years while I started a family, but found my way back in 2016 stage managing for A Christmas Carol at Artists’ Exchange,” explains Annin. “This past summer and fall, I directed (also stage managed and light designed) Many Sides to the Reaper, produced and written by Nick Albanese, and quickly found my footing in the dramatic arts once more. This overlapped with the beginning of rehearsals for A Christmas Carol. In short, this is my second “solo project” directing since college, but I also teach a variety of theater classes with children at Artists’ Exchange. During these, I’ve been able to brush up on my directing skills and have found confidence in the craft that I never had before.”

    Annin feels the production was successful in more ways than she could have imagined. “One of Artists’ Exchange’s goals is incorporating differently-abled adults as actors, and our guys went above and beyond my expectations. They were some of the loudest singers and had the biggest smiles of all the cast. Many of them are from Gateways to Change — our parent company — and others are from the community and attend classes at Artists’ Exchange during the daytime, where I teach as well. Bobby Macaux (Richard Wilkins) is part of nearly all of our Artists’ Exchange productions and is an amazingly talented actor. He takes on art projects as well inside the building. He has a special talent for comedy and it’s always a blast seeing what he comes up with on stage.”

    Bah! Humbug! This is the now-antiquated term for fraud, used by Scrooge to downplay Christmas cheer, and, well, Christmas altogether. Our modern-day Scrooge uses the word and of course we all know what he’s getting at. While I can appreciate a modern adaptation, I sometimes struggled with some of the elements. At one point, our infamous Scrooge, portrayed by a young man named Liam Roberts (who participated in Artists’ Exchange’s summer youth program Heathers: The Musical this past summer), tossed off his shirt, exposing a buff physique in a ‘wife beater’ tank top. Despite the attempt to age Roberts with hair powder and skeletal makeup, one suspects Dickens would cringe at the notion of old man Scrooge looking like eye candy to half the audience. There are just some things that cannot be refashioned.

    What did work was portraying Scrooge’s nephew, Fred (Alex Brunelle) as a typical millennial. Fred had us laughing with his outspoken, impish attitude when addressing his uncle. No doubt any teen in a 19th-century Dickens piece would be a perfect gentleman; seeing today’s teen interact with the old curmudgeon was a refreshing change.

    Billy Petterson, who portrayed Marley — a role shared this year by veteran Mark Carter, who has played the role all 15 years — especially stood out. He has a heavenly voice, and yes — he is the son of one of RI’s well-known original musicians, Bill Petterson. His talent is all his own though, as he played a rather convincing spectre.

    “I was so very lucky to work with such a gifted cast,” says Annin. “It was not until they put the dialogue, lyrics, and music to stage that I made a vital discovery. Ebenezer Scrooge, as a direct result of his flaws and shortcomings, lacks something we all take for granted: memories. Rather than basking in nostalgia or merely reflecting on the dearly departed, Ebenezer has blocked out nearly all of his past and continues on in life unfeeling. He saturates himself in ‘bah, humbug.’ Once Ebenezer learns to harness his past, truly see his present, and look to the future, he reaches his reclamation.”

    The set was simple, with just a desk, chair and some empty frames on the wall. I took these in their basest forms when they were first hung on the wall, and was delighted each time the characters added photos in the frames to match the current happenings. These moving pictures truly added a unique stage presence. What didn’t work was having the cast move through the audience as there was just a narrow lane for them to get through. Nice idea, but a sold-out show necessitated extra seats, compromising audience comfort. Bittersweet, as there’s nothing wrong with sold-out shows in the world of theater. Says Annin, “By the end of our 18th performance run, we were selling out (and technically over-booking) every single performance, which — to put it plainly — blows my mind entirely. Although we had tremendous support from the family and friends of the cast and crew, there seemed to be an overwhelming number of people from the general community coming to see our production. As a director, I couldn’t ask for anything more. In a cast of 33, every single actor valued his/her role not only in the play, but as part of our ensemble. There were many tears closing night.”

    There are no accidents? Annin met musical director Ethan Miller via social media and realized not only had their paths already passed, but he was perfect for this role. She explains, “He composed entire orchestrations for each song, recorded vocal tracks, worked with the actors, and then provided performance tracks. He attended every single performance and ran the sound board so every cue was meticulously timed. The only performance he wasn’t in the booth for was when he performed a miracle. Our Scrooge lost his voice entirely and Ethan filled in without a single rehearsal. …I cannot wait to collaborate with him further, and to see what else he has in store.” She also has tremendous praise for stage manager Jordyn Smith, who “takes on all tasks with ease and grace. Jordyn also excels at precision in the booth, and I was entirely lucky to have her by my side through these three weeks of performances.”

    Although the production is over, Annin and Miller hope to have a website up in the next few months to make their show available for licensing at other theaters for the 2019 Christmas season and beyond.

    Visit http://www.artists-exchange.org to see what’s up and coming at the theater.

  • TAPS Program Benefits from its Inclusivity

    TAPS Program Benefits from its Inclusivity

    BannerBrown University’s theater programming has long held a fine reputation in the state, and it is currently progressing in exciting ways! The Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies (TAPS) is the intellectual and artistic center at Brown for faculty and students interested in the aesthetic, historical, literary, practical and theoretical explorations of performance in global perspective. This includes not only theater, but also dance, speech, performance art and performative “roles” in everyday life.
    In addition to the undergraduate program, the department offers a doctoral program in theater and performance studies, an MFA program in playwriting, and the Brown/Trinity MFA programs in acting and directing.
    I spoke with Brown Theatre student Ahmed Ashour to get his perspective on the program. Here’s what he had to say.
    Alison O’Donnell: Tell me a little about the program itself. I hear it’s evolving!
    Ahmed Ashour: It’s really funny to have come into a program, only to learn that soon it will be undergoing some drastic changes. TAPS is split into three tracks — theatre arts (broadly-defined track for people who mostly would like to be performers, directors, or designers), performance studies (theory and history), and writing for performance (W4P). However, the program is shifting a bit in the coming year, as W4P is being absorbed into theatre arts, and dance is being introduced as a new track. Concentration requirements differ across the different tracks, save for a few history courses that survey the history of theater from its ancient Greek beginnings to its various movements in the 20th century.
    AO: What are some of the features of the program attractive to Brown students?
    AA: The program, which requires 10 course credits for concentrators to complete, requires a healthy mix of theater history/theory courses and practice/studio classes. However, I would say there is a larger offering of history/theory courses as well as dance courses due to the long list of amazing faculty we have in performance studies and dance, like the phenomenal Rebecca Schneider, Spencer Golub and Sydney Skybetter. Many of Brown’s professors of the practice (acting, directing, speech/voice, movement, etc.) are working artists who work locally and nationally on both small and big-scale projects. While they teach few classes, the opportunity to take a class with any one of them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The department requires concentrators to finish a loosely defined capstone that serves as a culmination of their studies with the department, and offers opportunities in the form of senior slots for both theatre and dance concentrators to experience the rush of conceiving and rehearsing a piece with the production support of the department. Anything you miss in an official class, you can most certainly learn independently in Brown’s student theater and dance scene, which offers a mind-boggling amount of opportunities throughout the year.
    AO: What is most appealing to you personally?
    AA: Regardless of the discipline, all classes are made even more exciting by Brown’s open curriculum. Unlike conservatory programs or other BA theater programs that are closed off to the larger student body, you can find engineers, anthropologists and physicists in your introductory acting class — affectionately called TA23 — here at Brown. To be able to practice your craft alongside people who have a variety of interests gives you new insight to the work, and I think the program has only been made better by its inclusion of the entire Brown community, not just TAPS concentrators.
    The same goes for the department’s productions and Brown’s theater scene in general. It’s really a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place. There are a variety of opportunities to do theater without concentrating or even committing to anything past one production. I am currently directing the department’s senior slot show called Back of the Throat by Yussef El Guindi, which discusses government surveillance of Arab and Muslim Americans in a post 9/11 / US PATRIOT Act world, and one of our cast members is a senior who has never auditioned for a show at Brown prior to this one. I think that is the beauty of doing theater at Brown — people are there because they choose, despite their busy schedules or what they chose to study, to be there for a piece that matters to them and to the world.
    AO: How does Brown connect to the world? What part do Brown students play in this?
    AA: Theater at Brown looks at the wounds in the world we live in — of which there are many — and what stories need to be told, and prioritizes these stories without being weighed down by the pressure to produce commercially appealing pieces. Any student from the Brown community can approach the Sock & Buskin board, which produces the department’s season, with a play that they think is important for the community to see, and the board will give that play full consideration for inclusion in its upcoming season. Student theater (including production workshop, musical forum, Gilbert and Sullivan, opera productions and Shakespeare on the Green) works similarly — all works that are produced are proposed by students and their design teams, which allows for a multitude of perspectives to be considered. This year, productions like Back of the Throat, Yellow Face by David Henry Hwang — which deals with Asian-American representation in the entertainment industry — and Next to Normal, which deals so thoughtfully with mental illness — have all been timely, and spoke to a truth we are living as a community.
    We as a student body are constantly in response to the world around us, and it is comforting to see theater at Brown provide a different platform through which students from all walks of life and backgrounds have their voices heard. That, combined with the open curriculum, means that theater at Brown is truly a communal creation where everyone has a say in what they want to see, and not just dictated by the few students who are concentrating and their faculty mentors. I think students who are considering making a career in theater should really consider this program for its awesomeness.
    AO: How has this program impacted your life? Is there a sense of community?
    AA: To say that the program has been a second home to me is an understatement. I started out as an engineer at Brown, and had only taken one TAPS class in my first three semesters at Brown. I didn’t come from a theater background either — I only started my junior year of high school. The beauty of the open curriculum is that you can find your home/your calling at any point, and you’d still be able to jump in, dedicate yourself as much as you want, and be the architect of your own experience. This program has taken me as I am and provided me with the space to grow at my own pace, and I am so so SO excited for the next step in my life after today. And with the openness of the program to everybody, I feel like, unlike a lot of BFA programs, I am in community with the entirety of Brown — not just the select few who’ve decided to concentrate/major.
    I sat at the strike of Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea last spring, directed by my mentor Kate Bergstrom (Brown/Trinity MFA’18), and reflected on my time here. I looked at the cast — a phenomenal group of people who I am still very close with — and thought of how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing every day. Theater at Brown has changed me from a person who hates rain to a person who runs into it, and I think that is telling of the program — a community of people that is focused on creating spaces for discussion, growth and change. And boy, do we need the arts now more than ever to bring about change in what can be a very bleak world. Brown Theatre is that engine of change, and I am so so so proud to be a part of this program!
    Back of the Throat runs from Nov. 29th – Dec. 2nd in Leeds Theatre, 83 Waterman Street in Providence. For tickets to this or other upcoming shows, contact the Brown Theatre Box Office at boxoffice@brown.edu, or call 401-863-2838 Tuesday – Friday 12pm-4pm.

  • Wrimos Take Note!

    Ever thought about writing The Great American Novel? Well, what are you waiting for? November is National Novel Writing Month! Often shortened to NaNoWriMo, this is an annual, Internet-based creative project in which participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript during the month of November.
    NaNoWriMo’s focus is on the length of a work rather than the quality, encouraging writers to complete a draft to be edited later at the author’s discretion. The project started in July 1999 with 21 participants (called Wrimos). By the 2010 event, more than 200,000 Wrimos took part and wrote a total of more than 2.8 billion words. Participants may see encouraging messages from well-known authors on the website, designed to motivate them throughout the process. It also provides participants with tips for dealing with writer’s block, information on where local participants are meeting, and a virtual community of support.
    Looking to participate? You may register on the website, where you can post a profile and information on your novel. Word counts are validated on the site, with writers submitting a copy of their novel for automatic counting. Municipal leaders and regional forums help connect local writers. For more info visit: nanowrimo.org
    The RI chapter of NaNoWriMo is in full swing for this event. If you’d like to participate, check out the NaNoWriMo Sprint Day at What Cheer Writers Club in Providence on Sunday, November 18 from 10am to 5pm. “NaNoWriMo participants can come and work side by side with snacks and support provided!” says What Cheer’s Jodie Noel Vinson. What Cheer Writers Club is a non-profit society dedicated to providing coworking and community for content arts. See our story at motifri.com/calling-all-creators

  • An Interview with Trinity Rep’s Conversationalist-in-Residence, Christina Bevilacqua

    I had the recent opportunity to speak with Trinity Rep’s conversationalist-in-residence, Christina Bevilacqua. Our conversation follows:
    Alison O’Donnell: What does a conversationalist-in-residence do, and what brought you to play that role at Trinity Rep?
    Christina Bevilacqua: I kind of made up the title! In the 11 years I spent producing humanities-based conversations at the Providence Athenaeum for the Salon Series, which I founded in 2006, I came to appreciate how much impact frequently held community-based discussions can have, especially when they feature a mix of people across disciplines. In fall 2016 when I began meeting with Trinity Rep’s artistic director Curt Columbus, associate artistic director Tyler Dobrowsky and artistic associate for community Rebecca Noon about Trinity Rep’s commitment to community engagement, I proposed working as the conversationalist-in-residence as another way to bring attention to the theater’s increased focus on its relationship to the wider community, enhancing the important, inspired work that Rebecca had been doing for several years. Trinity Rep has an incredible asset in its audience — some of whom have been loyal subscribers for over 40 years! That audience is very knowledgeable about the company and the world of the theater in general, and they love the talk-backs with actors and directors that have long been a feature of Trinity’s productions. What we began to talk about two years ago was Trinity’s potential for cultivating conversations outside of the theatergoing audience, using the works that Trinity was presenting on stage to create conversations about issues going on in our local and national communities, and centering those conversations within the local community. So I began to work very closely with Rebecca to think about how to bring the themes and ideas from the plays to a wider audience.
    Then last fall I began working full-time as programs and exhibitions director at Providence Public Library (PPL), where my charge was to create humanities-based programming in arts and culture that was open to the diverse public that PPL serves. So as a collaborative endeavor, Trinity Rep and PPL piloted a program series called Context & Conversation, where we looked at the themes and ideas at work in each of the plays in Trinity’s season, then thought about places in our city and state where those themes and ideas could be found in real life, and then invited people from these real life settings to see the play and then join us for free, open-to-the-public, moderated conversations in which we could use the play as a springboard for discussion of issues and ideas. We  made sure to hold the conversations in places that connected to the themes of the play, so for instance when Trinity Rep was producing Death of a Salesman and Skeleton Crew last fall, our Context & Conversation event took place at the Amalgamated Transit Union’s offices in South Providence; when Native Gardens was on stage last spring, Context & Conversation happened in a greenhouse in Cranston. We learned a lot in doing the pilot, and this year we have another wonderful series lined up, in settings from Wage House (an improv theater in Pawtucket), to Butler Hospital, to the Sophia Academy, to the Herbarium at Brown University. And each conversation will include at least one artist, one scholar and one community practitioner among the participants, to make sure that we get a wide range of perspectives from which to view and discuss all our topics. [See the full schedule and lineup here: trinityrep.com/context-conversation]]
    AO: What are your beginnings, and how did you develop your interest in theater?
    CB: I grew up in a military family and moved nearly every year and went to lots of different schools, which I think gave me a sense of curiosity, taught me to celebrate different ways of life and gave me an ability to weather and even enjoy a certain amount of uncertainty and change. I went to high school and college in the 1970s, a time experimentation and creativity were in the air, and in both of those experiences I had a lot of freedom and independence to create my own path. I studied literature and creative writing at Bard College, then moved to New York City and got a job in a giant publishing firm, where I pretty quickly determined that corporate life was not for me. I was doing volunteer work at the time and realized that my volunteer work was more interesting than my paid work, which eventually led me to a master’s program in social policy at the University of Chicago, followed by two years working to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who were going through the criminal justice system. I then moved back to the East Coast and in a story too long to tell, I spun a childhood love of sewing into spending the next eight years as a custom milliner, making hats for customers in Boston, Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and San Francisco. I would travel to each city and set up an open studio in someone’s home, I’d bake tiny cookies and serve wine, and for two days women of all ages would come and try on hats and place orders. I loved gathering people, and also loved watching the way that a hat could in some cases underscore a person’s identity and in other cases totally transform it — very theatrical! Other obvious connections to theater were through my parents, who always subscribed to the local theater wherever we lived, and I grew up with them playing the records from the musicals of the day, somewhere in my brain are stored all the songs to Wonderful Town, Fiddler on the Roof, etc! And I was an avid ballet student from 5 till around 20, including performing a lot in high school; I still find myself humming the mazurka from Coppélia every now and then. As an adult I became actively interested in theater when I moved back to Providence in 1997, the mix of productions and plays was very rich, and I think I came to appreciate the way that theater helps us ask questions about our lives and times and see them in new ways. And of course my interest in conversation and dialogue is utterly engaged by theater, which takes its energy not only from the dialogue between the actors on stage, but from the communication between the actors and the audience, and then the conversation that the audience members have with one another as soon as the lights come up. The theatrical experience is also conversational in that it happens in real time and carries that sense of uncertainty — unlike a movie, where the performances are set, one of the great pleasures of theater is to see a production on two or three or five different nights and have each experience be different, because it’s live, and happening in a moment and living only in memory in the next moment. There is nothing like it! And in a world where there’s so much trashing of the humanities, the experience of being in the theater makes clear how important the humanities are to people’s lives. Theater gives people a way to work through difficult issues. It’s not like a political debate, which is more like a boxing match, where you’re defending a position and the stakes are high. In the theater, and in conversations about what we’ve experienced in the theater, we can consider issues from different angles, and there doesn’t have to be a winner or loser. People can go away considering different ideas than those they were certain of when they came in. That is something very important and increasingly rare these days. 
    AO: What are the accomplishments that mean the most to you, and what are you working on now and for the future?
     
    CB: I loved the work I got to do at the Providence Athenaeum in curating and producing the Salon Series, in part because I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many fascinating and varied people and organizations, and in part because it was such a laboratory of experience. I feel like I am still analyzing what I learned and thinking about how to apply it in new settings. The PPL is currently undergoing a major building renovation that also heralds a new era for the library in terms of mission and reach. The role of the public library in American history and culture is so foundational, the opportunities that it has represented and continues to represent for people of all different ages, backgrounds and identities really has no parallel; it’s essential in our democracy to have this kind of civic space. PPL’s incredible collections staff has also carved out a unique role in working with local artists through our Creative Fellowship, and also with acquiring, cataloging and making available to the public the archives of important local arts organizations like AS220 and UPP Arts, and both of these endeavors provide great resources for programming. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to think about how we animate our collections and our civic space with humanities-based programs, both in the newly-configured library (when it’s finished!) and out in the community. Context & Conversation with Trinity is one such program, and we’re also working collaboratively with many other individuals and organizations in the city and state, including Stages of Freedom, Community MusicWorks, Southside Cultural Center, the Pond Street Project, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and others, so given the great collaborators we have lined up, I’m optimistic about new accomplishments to come. Finally, this summer I was very fortunate to be a fellow in the month-long National Endowment for the Humanities-funded Munson Institute of American Maritime History at Mystic Seaport, where I met many legendary as well as soon-to-be legendary scholars, and since PPL’s Special Collections include many maritime-related items (including not only whaling logs, but actual whale teeth!) I now know a host of scholars who can help us bring the stories of these collections to our audience in new and lively ways.

    AO: What is your sky’s-the-limit dream project?

    CB: I’ve never been good at definitively deciding where I want to be and then heading directly there, I’m better at starting out with a kind of vague idea and sense of curiosity and then learning through experience where I want to go next. I’m very interested in getting people together, across differences, for shared experiences. I’m keen on cultivating interest in the arts as a way to make sense of the world, whether that means creating your own art, going out of your way to experience the art created by others in your community, or both. I’m dedicated to bringing the meticulous work of scholars out of the academic halls and into our community, where their ideas can help us see our lives in new ways, and where they can engage a non-academic audience in discussion and maybe see their work in new ways. I think that knowing some history can help us be more creatively and resourcefully responsive to our own time, so I like putting together events in which a historical context gives us new understanding and opens our eyes to possibilities. So some combination of those things would be my dream project, and in the work I get to do at PPL and Trinity Rep, I am engaged in all these endeavors. Plus, after a lifetime of living in different places, I absolutely love Providence, and its mix of people, its beauty, its complicated history, its deep commitment to arts and culture, and its idiosyncrasy and eccentricity make it endlessly inspirational. So despite never having known what I wanted to do when I grew up, I think I have found it — even if I can’t totally explain exactly what it is!

  • CCRI Puts Students on the Right Path

    CCRI’s theater program offers students the opportunity to explore the theatrical arts academically, professionally and in performance. “I had a very profound experience helping people discover themselves as actors or lovers of theater,” said Ted Clement, CCRI theater program coordinator.

    CCRI’s Associate in Fine Arts degree in theater offers two tracks: performance and technical. Both tracks combine liberal arts general education courses and fundamental theater arts courses. General education requirements fulfill the theater student’s need to develop conceptual and communication skills necessary for successful transfer and completion of a Baccalaureate of Arts degree or a successful professional career. Clement explains, “The structure is to start students as theater majors from the beginning.”

    Fundamental coursework in theater not only prepares students to understand the process through which plays are created, but helps them comprehend the roles played by the dramatic arts in their local, national, international and multicultural communities. Practical instruction in the performing and technical arts offers students a hands-on opportunity to participate in the theater and prepares them for future careers.

    “This program is a professional training program designed to lay the groundwork, serving as the first half of a BFA degree,” explains Clement. “Our graduates leave us with considerable expertise, a clear career path and a strong sense of achievement. We also proudly serve a huge population of students from a variety of non-theater majors. We endeavor to share the experience of theater with the entire CCRI community. All things for all people, depending on what you’re looking for. It’s a place where students find community, collaborating in their art in the variety of classes they’re experiencing. A lens to look at life and a way to express it.”

    The CCRI Players, originally the Gamma Tau Players, is the longest continually existing student group at CCRI. It is governed by an elected group of student officers, guided by a constitution, and supported by faculty advisor Bert Silverberg. “The productions staged by the CCRI Players and presented to the community provide the laboratory experience that enables students to pursue lifelong learning by exploring the forms of expressions through which we interpret ourselves and the world,” says Clement.

    They offer a four-show season during the school year, including three faculty-directed main stage productions and a student-directed project. This year they begin with Green Day’s American Idiot in October, then Joshua Harmon’s Bad Jews in December. They’ll present Bethany Henley’s Crimes of the Heart in February, then close in April with a student-directed one-act festival. They also house the CCRI Summer Repertory program, which is an intensive, seven-week program open to students, alumni and the general public during which two Shakespeare shows are produced entirely by students. The program also serves as a recruiting opportunity for high school students.

    Student Frank Gilleese, who was nominated in Motif‘s theater awards for 2018 Male Performance, College, feels a sense of family here. “The CCRI Players is an organization that focuses on providing a loving environment that accepts people of every walk of life and gives students the chance to be theater artists and experience the art form in a safe place,” says Gilleese. He is passionate about the “plays, musicals and 10-minute shows they do throughout the year, as well as opportunities to go to the KCACTF festival to compete and grow among other talented artists.”

    Gilleese can’t say enough about the camaraderie within the group. “The program accepted me right from the beginning and gave me a chance to be a part of the experience, and I am thankful for the program every day!” He reflects briefly and adds, “I’ve grown as a person and made some great friends along the way who inspire me to be the best I can be on stage and off.”

  • Get Your Flippie-Floppies: Blackstone Valley River Tours Will Put You On a Boat

    The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council held its Silver Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, August 20, to commemorate the first launch of their river boat, Explorer. The celebration took place at Festival Pier in Pawtucket, which now has a beautiful park and easily accessible boat ramp. Not so long ago, people wouldn’t have dreamed of putting a boat or kayak into this area of the polluted Blackstone River, and wildlife also was scarce.

    The free event included rides upon the 40-passenger Explorer, which took its maiden voyage 25 years ago. Blackstone Valley Tourism Council president Bob Billington welcomed visitors with a quick intro on the history of the boat before we launched into a kid-friendly tour that offers many discovery opportunities for adults. We marveled in peaceful awe as our boat glided up the Blackstone River, under the skillful hand of Captain Bob Dombrowski, toward a waterfall located just before historic Slater Mill. Tour guide Patti McAlpine reminded us the mill was at the head of the Industrial Revolution circa 1760, making the region famous. This waterfall, larger than the highly visible one by the mill itself, is hidden under a highway overpass and might’ve eluded us for life if we hadn’t gotten close up on a river boat tour.

    As Dombrowski turned us around toward East Providence, down the Seekonk River, McAlpine told us the Indian names for different borders and landmarks. She playfully asked us historical questions, and, if we answered correctly, we were rewarded with swirly green lollipops.

    “It’s exciting to explore your own backyard from a whole different vantage point,” said director of marketing James Toomey, and locals on the tour marveled at the landmarks they’ve known forever (“That’s the back of the Boys & Girls Club! … That’s Shea Field back there! … ”), viewed from a different perspective. It’s surreal to think you can live somewhere your whole life and suddenly see something completely new that’s been there all along.

    Each seat had a small pair of binoculars at the ready, which passengers could use to watch wildlife in and along the water’s edge. We saw a turtle sunning himself on a limb, a few jumping fish, a soaring turkey vulture, cormorants and ducks. You never know what you’ll see, and a different trip might include deer, muskrats, egrets, blue herrings, falcons and even bald eagles. “We continue to update our tours so we invite people to come back and check out our other locations,” says Toomey. He adds, “This wildlife needs protection. If we don’t manage it properly, it will go away.”

    In fact, it had for a while. McAlpine informed us the river was once teeming with salmon, which died off after a dam was built and industrial pollutants made their way into the river. Efforts to clean the river and restore its natural beauty encouraged wildlife to return.

    Back on land, visitors were treated to the fun sounds of ukulele band The Unlikely Strummers. Also on hand were members of the Providence Children’s Museum who were there to discuss their upcoming programs while kids played on a giant foam block building set nearby. Director of education Kristin Read pointed out that, ironically, a group of kids worked together to create a waterwheel! The BV Tourism Council also partners with Mystic Aquarium on most of their environmental programs, and aquarium representatives were in attendance with live sea animals. Blackstone Valley Tourism Council director of environmental education Marina Flannery managed the event and was available to answer questions about educational tours and classroom programs. The council also works closely with the RI Preservation Society.

    The well-informed guides will turn tourists and locals on to Blackstone Valley’s rich history and scenic landscapes. Toomey encourages folks to take advantage of these resources. “Getting people out there and seeing the beauty has really been the goal of the councils, and fall foliage season is prime time to be on the water.”

    Coming up in September are the Pawtucket Arts Fest Dragon Boat Races on September 8 – a cultural event that draws thousands of people each year — and the Blackstone Culinaria Food Tour on September 22. After September 9, the tours switch from the Pawtucket location to Cold Spring Park in Woonsocket. Also check out the regularly scheduled Nature & Heritage tours, special sightseeing events and food tours, and youth environmental education programs, or charter a tour for coworkers and friends for your next event! Visit rivertourblackstone.com for more info and to book online, or call 401-724-2200.

     

  • Unnecessary Farce Is Totally Absurd!

    Unnecessary Farce Is Totally Absurd!

    20180804_190619Two rookie cops. Three unpredictable pilferers. Eight doors. In one room, an alleged embezzling mayor is due to meet with his female accountant to discuss the budget. Meanwhile, in the room next-door, two undercover cops wait to catch the meeting on videotape. The sting goes awry when there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s being videotaped, who’s taken the money, who’s hired “The Highland Hitman,” and why the pretty accountant keeps taking off her clothes. (Yes, really!)

    The two rooms are actually one open area, separated only by the passage between the two doors of these adjoining rooms. Two doors are front exits, two are back exits and two are closets. You can already hear the ‘coming out of the closet’ jokes waiting to be sprung!

    Things seem to go very wrong every time one of the rookies opens a door. Act I opens with Eric (Jake Clarke), an awkward and horny young man, assuring his boss the surveillance cameras are set for the mayor’s arrival. Enter Billie (Christine Cauchon) in uniform — which kinda defeats the purpose of being undercover. And what cop surveillance would be complete without doughnuts? Cauchon’s overly dramatic character makes for the perfect bumbling novice, and she’s got a sense of humor to boot. You can’t help but love her. Cauchon embraces her part whole-heartedly. “The role of Billie is one of my hardest to date. The physical comedy, the timing, the high speed nature of the show in general is all new to me in the scripted world. I’ve loved every second of working on it, especially the cast and crew. It’s been such a positive rehearsal room, and that really is such a joy.”

    Eric apparently has some skill in the bedroom, despite his gawky mannerisms. As Karen (Emily Carter) settles in her room waiting for the mayor, she can’t seem to control her urges to relieve Eric of his clothing. This seems to be a theme. She later undresses for Agent Frank (Daniel F. Green) when things get “hot.” Frank also seems to be a fledgling in the field. His blundering buffoonery creates some heated hoodwinking. We can’t tell if he’s trying to be good or bad.

    When the sweet mayor enters Karen’s hotel room, things really liven up! He’s ready to get down to business. Unfortunately, the neophytes aren’t ready for him, and he is asked to wait in the lobby until Agent Frank can inspect the room for electronic bugging devices. Mayor Meekly is portrayed by Terry “Santa Claus in plain clothes” Simpson. With his great delivery and expressions, Simpson is a scene stealer who leaves you smiling!

    Another scene stealer is Ryan Sekac, who portrays Todd, the jovial but crazy Scottish hitman. Ya gotta love his sneaky grin and articulate eyebrows, which seem to have a life all their own. His hair is as thick as his accent — which is incoherent to everyone but Billie. There are some fun moments trying to ken his meanin’. Also, we’re still not quite sure whether or not he can play a manly bagpipe, but he can rock a kilt! Hats off to costume designer Witt Tarantino for that one.

    There is a lovely twist after Mayor Meekly’s wife, Mary (Sandy Cerel), enters Karen’s room. Simpson was especially pleased to share the stage again with Cerel, with whom he appeared in On Golden Pond at Arctic Playhouse.

    Rebecca Magnotta is the director as well as the scenic designer of this Paul Slade Smith script at the Contemporary Theater Company. She has been with CTC since 2010, and this is her fourth production here (Rebecca is known for aggressively painting the sets deep into the night). Our hotel rooms were a calming, oceanic shade of green, pleasing to the eye. The French doors add a touch of class to the otherwise economy-class feel of the beds (which see a fair amount of activity as the night progresses). Lighting design credit goes to Jeremy Chaing.

    Magnotta says this show was a departure from her norm. “I’m more used to directing Shakespeare,” she says, “which is a lot of poetry, and Unnecessary Farce is more of a machine. Every element is a gear, and at every moment, the gears need to turn in a very specific way to make the whole thing work.” It does. She adds, “Thankfully, I’ve had the privilege of working with some absolutely amazing artists who make the show happen.”

    The folks who made the show happen seemed to really enjoy themselves, as they sometimes had a bit of trouble keeping a straight face, reminiscent of a live SNL skit. You will leave grinning too. At the end of the play, we learn what unnecessary farce really means.

    Unnecessary Farce plays at the Contemporary Theater Company, 327 Main St, Wakefield. Fridays and Saturdays Aug 10 – Sep 1. All shows at 7 pm

     

  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

    Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

    JosephaTDCTheatre By The Sea continues celebrating its 85th anniversary with 50-year-old Webber/Rice classic, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a show that owner/producer Bill Hanney describes as a “rousing, rollicking rock opera.” Rock? Well, let’s just say you are treated to a variety of styles in this musical with little dialogue, save for the Narrator’s parts, angelically delivered by Marie Eife. Says Hanney: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was so well received when we produced it at North Shore Music Theatre, I thought, since it hadn’t been done at Theatre By The Sea in nearly two decades, it was about time we bring it back.” He describes the show as “energetic and exhilarating… the perfect family entertainment!”

    The sights! The sounds!  A cast of young actors dances down the aisle toward the stage and swallows it whole. It’s a fun feast for the eyes, reminiscent of a one-ring circus. There is so much going on, with each fleeting second, the eye tries to decide where to focus next within a veritable popcorn machine of activity. Lights, by Jose Santiago, include large Christmas-y bulbs in primary colors above the audience seating area. This not only gives a festive, psychedelic feel to the show, but adds dimension beyond the stage.

    You can thank director/choreographer Richard Sabellico and associate director/choreographer Aldopho Blaire for the precision synchronicity of the cast, which can only come from persistent rehearsals. The energy flow here is unbelievable from start to finish. There is a bit of a lull after the intermission, then a sort of physical crescendo happens that brings you right back to the exhilarating liveliness.

    According to Sabellico, this story is told by a traveling troupe of beleaguered performers touring the country in 1967, Jacob and Sons Traveling Salvation Show. “As the Overture begins,” Sabellico explains, “the actors enter the theater and start loading in the show, setting the props, hoisting the scenery and readying the stage for the performance. Their costumes (by designer David Costa-Cabral) are makeshift, catch as catch can garments — whatever could be bought, borrowed or stolen. They may not look the best, but they serve the purpose and Jacob’s budget.” Sabellico goes on to explain, “The Salvation Troupe encourages its audience to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. We are asking the same thing of our TBTS audience.”

    You may recognize the biblical story of Joseph (Luke Steinhauser) as told by the Narrator (Marie Eife). The patriarch of this circus is seasoned veteran Tom Gleadow, whose lines are delivered with comedic skill as Joseph’s father, Jacob, and as two additional comic characters, Potiphar and Baker. Jacob and his 12 sons are introduced, and we learn that the brothers are jealous of Joseph for his coat of many colors — a not-so-subtle reminder that he is Daddy’s favorite. Joseph’s dreams foreshadow his destiny to rule over them. When their attempts to off Joseph fail, they instead sell him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites, who take him to Egypt. They lead Jacob to believe that Joseph has been killed, showing his ravaged coat smeared with (goat) blood as proof. In Egypt, Joseph becomes the slave of Egyptian millionaire Potiphar, rising through the ranks of slaves and servants until he is running Potiphar’s household, but suspected advances on Potiphar’s wife (Julia Feeley) land Joseph in jail. It is here where Joseph, no stranger to nightly visions, helps two inmates interpret their dreams. The Baker is to be executed, but the Butler (Gerard Lanzerotti) will return to servitude. The remaining prisoners encourage Joseph to chase his dreams.

    The freed Butler — who’s got the moves like Elvis — tells the Pharaoh (Michael Williams) of Joseph and his dream-interpretation skills. Joseph not only correctly prophesizes, he oversees the famine preparations and soon becomes the second-most powerful man in Egypt. Famished back home, Joseph’s brothers express regret at selling their brother and deceiving their father as they travel to Egypt in search of food. It is here where the unrecognized Joseph feeds them at a table for 12, much like the apostles at the Last Supper, and we hear each cast member sing a short phrase. While each has a trained voice, the heavenly sound of Levi (Bryan Dougherty) is cotton candy to the ears.

    Joseph lovingly gives them sacks of food, but plants a golden cup in the sack of his youngest brother, Benjamin (Marty Lauter). When the brothers go to leave, Joseph stops them, inquiring about the “stolen” cup. Each brother empties his sack, and Joseph accuses Benjamin of robbery. The other brothers implore Joseph to take them prisoner and set Benjamin free. It is within this scene another actor stands out – Elijah Emmit Curry portrays Naphtali, complete with dreadlocks, and a calypso tone overtakes the stage. His deep, soulful voice is one you could listen to all day. Now seeing his brothers contrite, Joseph reveals himself and sends for Jacob. After a happy reunion, Joseph dons his dreamcoat once more for a joyous conclusion.

    You can’t help but notice Joseph using sign language during the dream sequences. “The sign language was Richard’s (Sabellico, director/choreographer) idea. It is not a part of the original script,” says Luke Steinhauser. “Though I’m not entirely sure (of) Richard’s intent with it, in my opinion, Joseph’s translation of dreams transcends normal speech, or, in this case, song. The magnitude of the act is otherworldly or divine and by both signing and singing, I’m speaking in two languages at the same time.” He goes on to say, “I haven’t used sign language before! But I find the physicality of it with what I’m saying to be magical and inspiring.”

    Directors tend to put their own special stamp on their productions, and Steinhauser wasn’t too far off the mark with his assumption. Says Sabellico, “I decided to use sign language after seeing a college showcase where a young deaf actor signed his performance. I was so moved by it and felt it to be a very spiritual demonstration of the emotion of the piece. I began to think how Joseph’s journey involves a spiritual awakening for him and eventually for his brothers. I listened to the music and envisioned what it would be like for an audience to watch the character sign as he sang. Initially, I only was going to use it for the final song, but then got the idea that when he explains his dreams to his brothers, he also signs them, an action which connects him more deeply to the experience and hopefully connects the audience on a different level as well. So, each time he explains a dream, he signs it. As soon as I watched the first run through, I knew I had made the right decision. That’s when I got the idea of Joseph teaching the whole cast to sign to signify the completion of the journey.”

    Sabellico further explains that he sees the whole piece as a spiritual journey, “a return connection with God, which, I’m sad to say, many people lose along the way in life. I am hoping the audience senses what I am trying to do and they leave the theater a bit more connected to their spirituality than when they came in.”

    Bill Hanney’s Theatre By the Sea presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through August 12. 364 Cards Pond Rd., Wakefield, RI 02879. Email: boxoffice.tbts@gmail.com or call 866-811-4111 / 401-782-8587 or visit http://www.theatrebythesea.com/joseph for tickets.