As most of the country debates whether or not Anastasia Steele’s sexual awaking is empowering or just pure smut, Ocean State Theatre Company’s current offering, the contemporary musical The Last Five Years, presents a much more realistic look at love and relationships, warts and all. So realistic, in fact, that writer and composer Jason Robert […]
“Pick a black card, pick a loser” – Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog Topdog/Underdog has been described as a “postracial” play, but that moniker is purely academic. Suzan-Lori Parks’ story of two brothers who struggle against poverty, identity and each other necessarily uses race as a context, but not a crutch. Parks’ metaphors may be heavy-handed at […]
For many aficionados of classical ballet, the enjoyment comes from watching a dancer’s technique, strength and stamina. Critics often refer to long, clean lines and gravity-defying leaps whereas with contemporary ballet, the lines are often angular and truncated, the movements far more grounded. Success resides in the dancers’ ability to convey the choreographer’s theme or […]
Best-selling and award-winning local author Steven Manchester delivered the world premiere of his first ever stage play, Three Shoeboxes. Put on by Footlights Reportory Co. at The Grange in Swansea, the play opened February 25 and details a man’s struggles with PTSD and the devastating consequences his illness has on his family. The lead character, […]
Epic Theatre Company’s Shining City takes place in Dublin, where John (Thomas Briody), a middle-aged businessman, pours his heart out to his therapist Ian (Jim Brown) about his wife Mary, who died in a horrific crash. John has been distraught and guilt-ridden since. He can’t sleep at night and sees Mary lurking in his house. Is she […]
The popular Broadway show Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical will be performed by the Rhode Island Stage Ensemble at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket from Feb 13 through 15. Jekyll and Hyde is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story about a brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart. Convinced the […]
On Tues, Feb 24, the Queen of Hearts Ball will be held to raise funds for the production of a new musical by the drama club at the Nathan Bishop Middle School. The event will feature music and dancing and will be held from 6 to 10pm at the Providence Marriott, 1 Orms St, PVD. There […]
Creating art isn’t easy. Creating great art can be even harder. In Seminar, now playing at 2nd Story Theatre through Feb 22, four aspiring novelists gather for a seminar where they receive critiques from a famous literary figure. Izzy (Tania Montenegro), Martin (Ara Boghigian), Kate (Erin Elliott), and Douglas (James Lucey) sit on sofas in […]
I should concede at the outset that Tom Stoppard’s now-classic meta-theatrical Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is one of my favorite plays. It is a clever and rapid-fire comedy that combines Marx Brothers witticisms with serious philosophical quandaries, but – trust me on this from personal experience – is a lot funnier than a graduate-level […]
It never ceases to amaze how art often reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Thus Ocean State Theatre Company’s presentation of The Meeting will surely strike a chord with many. Jeff Stetson’s compelling play depicts an imaginary meeting between two of the civil rights movement’s most iconic figures: Dr. […]