Rhode Island has the highest population of persons living with disabilities in New England according to U.S. Census data. It makes sense that Tom Griffin’s 1988 play, The Boys Next Door, which is about four adults with various diagnoses living in a shared apartment, resonates with Rhode Island audiences. The script in turns humanizes the […]
Some people love to be scared and are willing to pay for the experience, accounting for the popularity of haunted attractions ranging from the tiny involving only a few people to the nationally known with a cast of hundreds. Traditionally tied in with the Halloween season, most are open Thursday through Sunday in October. Known […]
Modern dance company Fusionworks is celebrating their 30th anniversary with a special concert on November 5. Artistic director Deb Meunier, who founded the company and serves as its primary choreographer, promises a lot of variety in the performances. “It will be a wonderful rollercoaster ride,” Meunier said. “I wanted to create a new piece […]
Richard Griffin has directed 24 feature films in the last 14 years through Rhode Island-based Scorpio Film Releasing, which he runs with his husband and producer, Ted Marr. This article combines excerpts from a single interview. Current projects On November 5 we’re premiering a film called Strapped for Danger, which is a comedy, kind of […]
Society has long been fascinated by serial killers. Macabre though it may be, we are drawn to these stories of people who represent the extremes of derangement and the gory details of their deeds. Hence their prevalence in the media: in documentaries, television shows, films, books and, yes, a musical. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber […]
Some shows are meant for audiences to sit back and enjoy. The story is packaged neatly and delivered to the listener without making them do much work. This is not to say there is anything wrong with that; it has its place. Shows like Dreamlandia, however, require more from the viewer. It can be easy […]
When the average person thinks of Broadway musicals, they often envision the mega-musical: a feast for the senses with big, intricate sets and lavish costumes. Such shows are, above all else, spectacles. Even the most astute audiences can’t help but be floored by the sheer magnitude of the production, even if the writing is thin […]
Sometimes all you need are the right mix of performers to make a show shine, and the cast of the Arctic Playhouse’s production of On Golden Pond did just that. Terry Simpson shows some sharp comic timing as the grumpy, yet endearing, curmudgeon Norman Thayer, who is staying at his lakeside home in Maine […]
The Gamm opened their season last week with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Fred Sullivan, Jr. It’s a strong, albeit thoroughly traditional, production of the play; designer Patrick Lynch’s beautifully set-dressed and very Victorian sitting room is the first thing the audience sees and it sets the tone for the show […]
Two thoughts occurred to me as I watched the Academy Players’ latest production of The Lion King: 1) “Circle of Life” is a really fantastic song, and 2) this show works exceptionally well with a young cast of performers. Under the capable direction of Brianna Geyer and Justina Mabrey, the large ensemble of pre-teens […]