We’re skeptical that any theatrical event this fall could possibly come close to grabbing the public’s attention quite like the epic comedy (or is it a tragedy?) that is our current presidential campaign unfolding on the political stage. That being said, theaters in our state have scheduled a mix of plays and theatrical events to challenge, […]
You’re new here. Haven’t had a chance to settle in and get your cultural bearings on the Ocean State. What even happens in Rhode Island? Is there life outside of Providence? It goes without saying that the food and drink scene is booming, and of course there’s a plethora of live music to sift […]
For the second year in a row, the fictional Boys of Saint Matthews are presenting their interpretation of a literary classic. Last year it was Tartuffe. This time they take on Christopher Hampton’s Les Liaisons Dangerueses, otherwise known as Dangerous Liaisons. The plot features enough wanton lust, deceit, seduction and betrayal to fill out a […]
The 2016 Motif Theater Awards may have been the best yet. The grand ballroom at Fete was filled to capacity — fortunately, theater people get along in close quarters — and the enthusiasm — at a high pitch for the full three and a half hours — was inspiring and contagious. With drinks, culinary delights from […]
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 Ocean State Theatre Company’s artistic director Amiee Turner. Kevin Broccoli: I ask all the artistic directors about the community they’re operating […]
It isn’t summer without an outdoor Shakespearian play. Head Trick Theatre has, excuse the pun, turned that idea on its head with its latest selection The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton, a Shakespearean contemporary. They have taken over the quaint park across from the Narragansett Boat Company in Providence, overlooking the scenic Seekonk River, which, […]
Bob Colonna and William Oakes make for a dynamic duo as “The Sunshine Boys”, a pair of ex-vaudevillians who reunite for a television special in 1972. Willie (Colonna) hasn’t seen Al (Oakes) for 11 years. The two men worked together for several decades but had a falling out. Willie despises Al, but respects his talent. […]
It’s no secret that theater is all about pushing the envelope and being ever edgier and raunchier. Even seemingly innocent shows may be riddled with unexpected innuendo and profanity. And then there are musicals like Avenue Q, that transcend edgy and embark into deliberately offensive and profane territory. With songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit […]
The 11th Annual One Act Play Festival, which began last month, is presenting eight plays in its second “wave.” Dwayne Yancey’s Death by Poinsettia is a deliciously dark comedy about a depressed woman who tries to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. Caroline sets up a video camera and proceeds to consume the leaves of a poinsettia […]
Junior versions of shows always make me apprehensive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fervent supporter of getting kids involved in the arts, and there are plenty of shows out there that make great kids’ productions. But there are some shows where the heart of the show can be lost with censorship. I went into […]