It’s a Christmas miracle. The lights came up, the actors bowed, and the audience didn’t head for the doors. Anyone who knows me knows about my never-ending gripe with the audiences at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) rushing for the door as soon as a show ends. If you’re one of those people, please […]
“I call it a curtain, but it’s, of course, a drop scene,” says Richard Ring, deputy executive director for collections and interpretation at the Rhode Island Historical Society, as he unveils the broad swath of fabric. “This would have been dropped onto the stage between acts.” The recently restored curtain shows a view of 1809 […]
Competition, jealousy and uncertainty plague all pre-teen girls, but in few places are they more pronounced than on a competitive dance team. Playwright Clare Barron exploits the tensions teeming within both to craft a visceral and explosive exploration of adolescence in Dance Nation, which the Wilbury Theatre Group is presenting (directed by Angela Brazil) in […]
I went into this production of Seussical having never seen the show before. Like anyone, I know the classic Dr. Seuss lore, have a deep attachment to the characters and can see why the show is so popular among local theaters with its bright colors, fun musical numbers and stories suitable for children, but subtly […]
Working in college theater can be fantastically educational and rewarding; however, there are some inherent limitations, specifically for designers and technical engineers who are only exposed to their own school’s inner resources and programming. In order to gain experience, many students need to dabble in summerstock or regional theater work, schedules and policies permitting. To […]
A certain cynicism creeps in during the holidays as an evolutionary response to all of the unmitigated cheer that surrounds us before the gunmetal grey stoicism of the new year sets in. Christmas, for the most part, gets first billing, and our entertainment often reflects those segments of society who are either too disaffected or […]
Whether it’s a vicarious urge to keep ourselves warm, or because something about graceful movement conjures associations with the holiday season, or just because “Happy Holidays” makes you feel like dancing — or at least like watching others dance — this is the dance season. Here’s some of what’s coming up: Island Moving Company has […]
Quanah LaRose has lived a life that, if he wasn’t a real person, would be straight out of a movie. A celebrated powwow dancer and singer from the Ute tribe of the Great Basin, LaRose has followed the beat of the drum from Atlantic to Pacific and all the way back again, eventually settling in […]
I am going to admit something here, and once it’s in print, it is here forever — I really like Mamma Mia! And no, I’m not a closet ABBA fan. In fact, I turn ABBA off if it happens to find its way to whatever station I’m listening to. And, as a general rule I […]
Hamlet is a great way to show off your spine. Artistic directors usually only program it when they have a surefire actor to take on the lead role and an audience that’s been conditioned to appreciate the Moby Dick of theater. It’s a show you have to cross off your bucket list if you want […]