“Break a leg” is a phrase actors use to wish each other luck before taking the stage. But, in Ocean State Theatre Company’s production of Tom Dulack’s dark comedy Breaking Legs, it takes on a whole new meaning when a playwright turns to members of organized crime to fund his new play. Directed by RI […]
Ah, the adaptation. Sarah Ruhl’s practically made a career out of them and lately, everyone from Suzan Lori Parks to Ben Jolivet is getting in on the action. Aaron Posner’s Stupid Fucking Bird, the latest from The Wilbury Theatre Group, is touted as a ‘sort of’ adaptation of Chekov’s The Seagull. It dances between the […]
The Binding Room, now being presented by the Players at Barker Playhouse, features charming performances and an intriguing story about the lives of librarians. The main theme letting go of the past in order to guarantee a brighter future. Susannah (Linda Monchik) and Margo (Carole Collins) work in the binding room of a library in […]
Into the Woods not only features a giant, but is one. However, Little Theater of Fall River’s production at the Firebarn co-directed by Aaron Gendreau-Visco and Deborah Sadler, takes this giant and places it into a small “black box” theater. These co-directors are successful in this feat through their sensible use of space and staging. One […]
How do you review a conversation? It ebbs and flows, but really does not exist for someone to decide if it is good. However, this is the task I’ve been given after seeing Epic Theatre’s newest selection, Let Me Down Easy, by Anna Deveare-Smith. This Rhode Island premiere is just that; a conversation. And in […]
Despite its Homeric inspiration, Happy Birthday, Wanda June is not a play that wallows in subtlety, as emphasized in its opening lines: “This is a simple-minded play about men who enjoy killing – and those who don’t.” In the hands of Burbage Theatre Company, it’s a well-acted, viciously funny comedy, a dark satire that shows […]
I had the opportunity to sit down with two of Rhode Island’s youngest and most prolific artistic directors: Kira Hawkridge of Out Loud and Jeff Church of Burbage Theatre Company. I wanted to find out what exactly was happening in downtown Providence — how these would-be rivals manage to cohabit the same block and compete […]
This is the second in a series on 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 Gamm artistic director Tony Estrella. Kevin Broccoli: Like many other people, I was so impressed by Streetcar. I’m […]
In 1951, the late Langston Hughes questioned societal ideologies with a simple question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Many have dared to tackle this question and failed, but one man has defied the odds of living the American Dream: Sokeo Ros. Born in a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand and the first of his […]
With a story that features more twists and turns than a roller coaster, you would expect Deathtrap to be a thrilling ride. Instead, what the Community Players have assembled turns out to be a bloody bore. Playwright Sidney Bruhl (C. Richard Koster) lives with his wife Myra (Michelle Walker) in a secluded country house in […]