As the lights fade in on 2nd Story Theatre’s production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, we are voyeuristically introduced to the play’s only two characters in a dimly lit scene of uncomfortable intimacy. At that moment, they connect in the moaning throes of romantic entanglement. After that, rarely do they harmonize […]
This continues a series of interviews where Epic artistic director Kevin Broccoli interviews other ADs in the area to create a more in-depth conversation about theater in Rhode Island. This month’s interview is with Burbage’s artistic director Jeff Church. Kevin Broccoli: Burbage has been producing theater for a while, but you’ve only been at your […]
Premiering this weekend at the Jamestown Arts Center, PARt is an exercise in juxtaposition. It is a collaboration in dance, music and painting conceived by choreographer Ali Kenner Brodsky and fulfilled by a cast of five dancers (Brodsky, Meghan Carmichael, Jessica Howard, Ellen Oliver and Sarah Osterhus) as well as three musicians led by MorganEve Swain and […]
On October 29, RISD will host Queen Boudicca: A Metal Opera, an epic performance that tells the story of an ancient Celtic queen. Don’t think you’ll have to sit through a bunch of high-pitched Italian singing and all those ridiculous wigs. It’s an opera in the sense that it uses music and lyrics to tell […]
Marc Blitzstein’s Depression-era pro-union musical The Cradle Will Rock has always held an almost mythical “bad boy” spot in the history of theater, so it was really no surprise to me that the always irrepressible Head Trick Theatre chose to produce this rarely seen script. The play’s pedigree is pretty impressive as it was […]
EPIC Theatre Company’s latest production is a real treat. Bootycandy is directed by EPIC’s artistic director, Kevin Broccoli. The provocative, comical play, which spotlights members of one southern black community’s views toward homosexuality, was written by Robert O’Hara. Set between the 1970s and present day, it stars Cardryell Truss as Sutter, a teenage (gay, but not 100% […]
The word “appropriate” can be pronounced (according to the American Heritage dictionary) either as an adjective “(ə-prō′prē-ĭt)” meaning “suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place; fitting” or as a verb “(ə-prō′prē-āt′)” meaning “to take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission.” The ambiguity is deliberate in the title […]
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a musical version of the beloved Peanuts, the long-running comic strip. Creator Charles Schulz depicted human frailty in the ongoing saga of Charlie Brown, the endearing sad sack who faces endless heartbreak and disappointments. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown features all the famous characters: There’s Charlie’s […]
Time Stands Still is a powerful drama that depicts the sacrifices some people are willing to make in the service of a greater good. Playwright Donald Margulies has created some vivid three-dimensional individuals who are torn between their own desires. Sarah (Kathleen Povar) is a photojournalist who has been severely injured while covering a conflict in […]
The mark of a classic show is one that has received multiple revivals around the world and across the decades. Such shows are brought back again and again, not for nostalgia’s sake as a piece of history, but rather because of their timelessness. Perhaps it says more about humanity than the quality of a production […]