ARTS INTERNATIONAL
Editor/Publisher, Bina Sharif
ARTS INTERNATIONAL covers THEATER, FILM, VISUAL ARTS, CUISINE, AND LITERATURE

Monday, October 30, 2023

BAM and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef &Arpels Present Corps extremes


Corps Extremes at BAM

Choreographed by Rachid Ouramdane

Video: Jean-Camille Goimard

Music: Jean-Baptiste Julien

Chaillot- Theatre national de la Danse

Corpse extremes is a testament of human resolve, energy, strength and desire.

Most brilliant Rachid Ouramdane expresses a desire and the desire is, " To be really focussed

on the fascination triggered by the wish to take off, to drifft, a state of weightlessness, a suspension."

That manifestation of Rachid Ouramdane comes to life in Corps extremes in mesmerizing reality.

It is beyond human power to reach such heights of desire, such an out of body experience, to overcome

 unfathomable fear and achieve and fulfill that desire,  is beyond human ability but with resolve,

 concentration, will and belief in yourself and the divine power bestowed upon you and the

talent and perseverance, you reach the heights of your imagination and create and Rachid has created

 with all those blessings the most incredible dance piece the likes which I have never seen before and I

 am so, so...

 fortunate to have seen it. It makes you believe again in human power and the will to accomplish the

extremes of your desires.

The set has an impressive big wall across the back of the stage.A long rope crosses high above.You see a highliner, a tightrope walker (amazing Nathan Paulin) His balance and control is a miracle happening right in-front of you.  Sometime the wall transform into a screen and most beautiful images of French Alps, the sky and the earth are projected.  You forget that you are at the Howard Gilman Opera house.  The stirring music by Jean- Baptiste- Julien accompanies the images of natural landscape which transport you to a dream world in between the sky and the earth wondering and holding your breath , watching, at the divine power and lack of fear which is a major factor of all humans, not imbeded in these marvellous human beings to create works of such enormous beauty and courage.

There are acrobats and climbers of un-believable ability. They throw each other up in the air, on the wall and then catch them while they just fly back into your hands and arms as weightless, fragile and soft feathers. You have to see these craftsmen, atheltes  fullfilling their dreams with extreme power.

Watching Corps extremes was one of the greatest experience of my life.  Most of the time I felt I was flying with them,  jumping high above,  falling safely back on earth.  What a dream I was dreaming while I was still sitting at the majestic Opera house where audience was riveted. At the end we all stood 

and  in ravenous disbelief gave standing ovations at the performers god given ability, talent and the will to achieve their dreams and desires and making us part of that adventure which also took us above the sky for a little time.  I felt like a singing bird flying with Nathan Paulin...Oh! how I wish...

I am also very blessed that I was given the chance to see human beings who are so capable and equipped with divine energy and power to do and create such beauty with such strength.



REVIEWED by BINA SHARIF - Member of ATCA

Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

mobile: 212-260-6207

HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72.000 EASY LESSONS AT ST. Ann's Warehouse

HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72, 000 EASY LESSONS

By Michael Keegan-Dolan; Choregraphed and performed by Michael Keegan-Dolan and Rachel Poirier

Directed By Rachel Poirier and Adam Silverman

How to be a dancer is a memory dance and theater piece.  Michael Keegan who came from a big familyrecalls how he always wanted to be a dancer but his feet were a problem. He was told that with his pigeon-toed feet, it might be very hard to be a dancer but that's what he desired the most and inspite of all odds he joined a ballet school where he was the oldest boy in the class.

In a bare room, there is a huge crater and Michael and his dance partner Rachel Poirier (extremely energetic and skilled in more than one way to say the least) opens it and take out certain items, such as flowers, tools and even a colorful children bicyle.

They set up the stage. right infront of us. Poirier happily rides that bicycle in a joyous manner. She is an amazing and fascinating presence throughout.

The story is about Michael growing up as an Irish boy surrounded by lots of brothers and sisters and

big dreams to dance. He was told by a teacher, " Is there anything else you might like to do with your

 life?" But no, that's all he wanted, He was obsessed with dancing.

He eventually moves to England where in the 1980s he is not welcomed because the violence of 

I.R.A. He was an outsider, a foreigner and lonely but with persistence and circumstance he turns to choreography and theater and dance and eventually achieved great success as a dancer, and a choreographer.

His last appearance as a dancer was in 1994 but he rose to acclaim as a choreographer of Opera and started his own company, Teac Damsa with Rachel Poirier.This is the story of his life told by him with great sense of humor and pathos. He is a superb story teller,

He doesn't dance much in the piece, but is a master of spoken words. 

It's the most mesmerizing Rachel Poirier who is blessed with incredible talent of all kinds. She can sing, she can act, she is an expert with handling the props, jumping up on the crater, coming down with ropes and she can dance. Oh! can she dance? Yes, and yes again.

The highlight of the show is a fifteen minute solo dance by faboulous Rachel Poirier to Ravel's "Bolero". It's breath taking, she is lighter than air, she floats, she moves like a dream, she is so absorbedthe moment and throughly enjoying and enjoyable. What an ability, what a talent!  It was amazing to watch every move she made on that stage. She is totally blessed with talent and grace.  Both Rachel and Michael choreographed the dance and thay did a marvelous job.

Everyone should make an effort to see this vibrant show. I loved it.

REVIEWED

By

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMEBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

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Monday, October 23, 2023

BROKEN CHORD AT BAM

 BROKEN CHORD AT BAM

A memory of a difficult relationship between the colonised and coloniser, shaping their existence of resentment with each other in South Africa through dance and music and their history of the past and the present.

It's about a particular memory of a 19th -century Westward journey of an African choir.

This amazing dance piece begins in the darkness. After a few seconds the dim lights refelect a man (Gregory Vuyani Maqoma) twirling around and around with a long white chord. Brilliantly focused dim light has a stunning effect on the dancer and the chord which is moving in a fascinating snake like movements. In the mean time we hear faint sounds of a song which eventually becomes louder and we see four vocalists, Tshegofatso Khunwane, Luvo Rasement, Nokuthula Magubane and Avuya Ngcawent and the choir of Trinity Wall Street walk in and settle in the back row. 

The song by the vocalists is melodious and haunting at the same time.

Their story is of a group of young African singers travel to Britain, Canada and America by boat. Gregory Maqoma is so equipped with his dance movements that we really believe by the movements of his feet and precise steps that he is in a boat. This imaginary journey is just breathtaking. 

Finally their songs and dance swells with joy and anticipation of seeing London and then the excitementis replaced by racism and colonial attitude of power and control.

In one of the most effective though very painful scene,  all members of choir circle the African vocalists and dancers and shout at them telling them to, "Go home, why are you here? you are not like us." these words chill you to the bone. The choir is all white and the African group is all black and though the play/dance is taking place in 19th Century and here we are in 21st Century,  we are aware that we have heard these racists words recently and history seems like repeating itself. The white choir sings, "God save the queen." African performer also participate and asks, " You think I am only here to be a good black, just to sing for you, but in truth I am here to disrupt and dismantle." 

This beautifully rendered piece is about the clash of cultures which are unfortunately still going on.

The scene I loved the most is when the whole group do a dance and song out of kneading flour and there appears stunning shafts of light as if their hands are burning in fire. and we hear these words, "I want to go home." The brilliant lighting design is by Ralf Nonn.

This dance and song represents the global tensions in a mesmerizing manner, a very difficult task made throughly moveing and enjoyable by the whole cast, the choir and Maqoma who has such sense of command and balance over every step he takes on the stage and Thuthuka Sibisi, the great Composer.

So very thankful to BAM for bringing such facinating cultural events here in NY and just a train ride away, we are exposed to amazing countries and their glorious cultures.

REVIEWED By

Bina Sharif

ATCA

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Cell: 212-260-6207

Friday, August 11, 2023

 MARK SAVITT AND EVA HEINEMANN REVIEW THE SAVOIR

Irish Repertory Theatre Presents

Landmark Productions

Written by Deirdre Kinahan

Directed by Louise Lowe

Scenic and Lighting Design by Ciaran Bagnall

Costume Design by Joan O’Clery

Sound Design by Aoife Kavanagh

Marie Mullen as Maire

Jamie O’Neill as Mel

Featuring Voices of:

Belle Boss as Lucy

Alex Finucane as Sean

Jonathan White as Martin


MARK SAVITT:

In Deirdre Kinahan’s THE SAVIOUR, an elderly Irish woman, Maire (Marie Mullen) on her birthday, addresses a long monologue to Jesus. She informs Him that she has unexpectedly had great sex with Martin, a younger man she has met through her church affiliation. She had never had such exciting erotic moments with her deceased husband whom she loved and took care of. She seems revivified by her connection to this man who she feels is a good man who has repented his sins. 


Mel (Jamie O’Neill), one of her adult children, arrived that morning to deliver a birthday present and have a serious conversation with his mother. 


The present is a doll whose eyes open and close. It seems that he wishes to infantilize his mom and urge her to maintain a childish innocence. Maire feels that she has a right to present herself as a sexual adult woman in a relationship with a man. 


Mel confronts his mom with information gleaned from the internet that connects Martin with a sordid and criminal past. With good reason, he wishes to protect his siblings’ children, Maire’s grandchildren, from contact with Martin. 


Maire insists on seeing Martin as repentant and forgiven by Jesus while she condemns her son for his, as she perceives it, sinful lifestyle. 


Are there limits to what Jesus can forgive? Who, other than Jesus, is the savior. Is it Martin who resurrects Maire’s body and soul, or is it Mel, the son who wishes to save his mom and her family from harm? 


The play raises more questions than it can or should answer. The ending seems to propel Maire into a dark and loud challenge to her trust in Jesus. 


Marie Mullen delivers a tour de force performance and Jamie O’Neill creates a strong foil.

HAPPY FACE


EVA HEINEMANN:

This might be construed as a spoiler alert if you’ve seen me arguing with Mark in the past about this subject matter.But I just have to point out the discrepancy.


The argument before the Mom and son made me think of me arguing with Mark over “Downstate”. To me there are actions that are irredeemable and I have no sympathy for them. Surprisingly in this play and case Mark agrees with me but still maintains the question if there is a point of forgiveness or at least caution.


I admit I did have my suspicions of Martin as he took so long to make coffee. 


Mark got it all wrong about Mel infantilizing his mom.It was a truly thoughtful sentimental gift as it was a replacement for a doll she lost in her youth that she always longed for. That her son remembered this story and wanted to make her happy and close off a regret in her life is admirable. 


Deirdre Kinahan is a sly writer as she drops these throw away clues that go by so fast you almost miss them. They completely change your perception of the characters every time these tidbits are dropped.


The acting was monumental. Marie Mullen gets your attention immediately. I instantly fell in love with her character as she reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara after Rhett Butler had his way with her. 


Jamie O’Neill was amazing as he navigated between a dutiful son with a difficult mom.


I believe in The Savoir!

HAPPY FACE

END AUGUST 13TH


REMAINING PERFORMANCES:

Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm

Friday at 8pm

Wednesday & Saturday at 2 & 7pm

Sunday at 3pm


Irish Rep

132 West 22nd Street

https://irishrep.org/



Tuesday, July 25, 2023

ORPHEUS DESCENDING AT POLONSKY SHAKESPEARE CENTER

 ORPHEUS DESCENDING BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

Theater for a new audience's production at Polonsky Shakespeare Center of Tenessee Williams play, Orpheus Descending, is a treat in many ways because Tennessee is one of the most lyrical writer of our times  and this play is not produced often and that's the reason of the anticipation and the excitement of the wait before you rush to the theater to hear the great melodious poetry. The language and the poetry is very much there and it's a great joy to sit and watch this Southern Gothic tale  resembling a bit of a Greek tragedy, with many characters who are into Tennessee's lyrical language and express it very well.

The location is a drygoods store in a Southern town run by an American Italian middle aged lady named

Lady Torrance (Maggie-Siff). She has a tragic past. Her father had been murdered in a fire while he was trying to save his wine garden and her husband is a redneck, violent brute and a bully. They live on top of the store and he is sick under the care of a nurse. LadyTorrance runs the store on her own.

There is also a drunk drifter, Carol (Julia Mcdermott). Though she is a free spirit but like many of Tennessee's character is totally lost. Her poetic expression is her only freedom but she is imprisoned as well like many others in this town full of bigots.

Another artistic soul who loves to paint is Vee -Talbot (Anna Reeder) married to a racist Sherrif, Talbot (Brian Keane) who detests her amaturish artistic bend and is a violent man.

And we can't forget Valentine Xavier (Pico-Alexander) The handsome young man, a drifter wearing a snake skin jacket who just turned thirty and is very proud of it and keep mentioning it often.

He wanders in the store with a guitar and ask lady Torrance for a job. She asks for references and he shows her one and the reference indicates that he is hard working, good guy, honest and all that but had been let go because he is a bit ,"Peculiar" a favorite word of Tennessee Williams. And that is the reason that Valentine was fired.

Lady Torrance gives him a job and is smitten by him because she has been very repressed sexually and oppressed by all the bullies of that town and is trapped in her extremely unhappy marrige.

Her husband who is sick upstairs but not sick enough to knock so loud on the floor of his room upstairs that it startles not only lady Torrance but scares the whole house. Thats an order for her to go upstairs.

But there is a problem in this play and that is the lack of burning chemistry of longing between the two lead charatcers.

The problem is  the lack of fire burning between lady Torrance and Valentine Xavier. There is very little magnatism and  danger of desire and sexuality though both characters try their best but the sparks have to fly from the moment Valentine Xavier enters that store but unfortunately the fire doesn't ignite. Also Maggie-Siff is too elegant and sophisticated for this role. Lady Torrance is a firy Italian with rough and tough edges and Xavier is very handsome but doesn't show the burning desire for the lady.

Because of this lack of sexual chemistry the production doesn't burn, it becomes a bit icy.

The set by Amy Rubin is good, serves the purpose of claustrophobia which is necessary but somehow doesn't serve some scenes especially the most intimate scene between Lady Torrance and xavier which is kind of lost on an over crowded set.

David Weiner's lights are pretty effective and creates an atmosphere of despair.

The play is directed by Erica Schmidt. She does her best but there are inherrent problems in the script

and the lead roles are miscast thogh they are brilliant actors but somehow lack that peculier energy.

But still I enjoyed the whole production and all the actors a great deal. I am a huge fan of Tennessee Williams like the whole world and I try never to miss any of his plays and I am always ready to have a great time and I did. There is no poet playwright like him and there is no poetry anywhere which touches the depth of your soul like his language full of lyricism and sadness. With all the little unfortunate hiccups this play is very well worth attending.

REVIEWED

by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Founder/publisher of: artsinernational.blogspot.com

Email:binashariff@gmail.com

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Thursday, June 8, 2023

THE COMEUPPANCE ATSignatureTheatre

 THE COMEUPPANCE

By

Branden Jacobs- Jenkins

Directed by Eric Ting.

THE COMEUPPANCE is a play about a group of old high school friends who gather together to pregame before their 20th reunion. The setting is a suburban porch of the house of Ursula (Brittany Bradford) who has lived there all her life with her grand mother who recently passed away and Ursula herself is not very well with a patch on one of her eye because of the loss of her vision. She suffers from Diabetes.

The first person to arrive is Emilio (Caleb Eberhardt) a successful artis who has moved to Berlin and is back not only for the high school reunion but for the Biennial at the Whitney museum. Ursula and Emilio get a bit high drinking Jungle juice. The next friend to arrive at the scene is Caitlin (Susannah Flood ) who married a man much older than herself, we are told trhat he was present at the 6th January protest in Washington DC. Then comes Kristina accompined by her cousin Francisco (Bobby Moreno) who dated Caitlin in school and then joined millatry service to become a marine. He suffers from post traumatic syndrom and trauma. Kristin is a doctor and has five children and is over worked from the year of Pandemic which is having a toll on her. Emilo somehow is very angry at all of them in an arrogant manner. He pokes and make abusive remarks towards all of them for making the wrong choices in their lives. He doesn't spare any one of them. He comes across as the most unfulfilled person even when he is supposedly the most productive and successful. His bitterness is poisonous.

Actually he is angry at everyone of them and esecially at life itself and blame them for choosing wrong poartners and making unhealthy choices. There is lot of mention of death and not only death is being reffered to but actually present.  Death has occupied everyone's soul and speaks to the audience directly one by one starting with Emilo first. He faces the audience and become death. His voice changes echoed by sound effects which makes the words some how inaudible. In the beginning I didn't get it. I thought he was doing a soliloquie in a different tone of voice but got it eventually since all the characters at times became death one by one. Also there is a of mention of death in the play. 20 years ago when they were students, they experience the trauma of Columbine, the Sept 11, now Pandemic, Even Trump is mentioned. I guess Trump is also one of the major trauma of Millennials The play is very much about the angst, trauma,  and all the dreams of a grand life promised in high school has been turned into nightmarish halluciations of death. 

The play is very long and the topic of death is persistent. It becomes a bit tiring and disappointingly repititious.  The one of the best performance is goiven by Caleb Eberhardt who is exteremly bold and un-inhibited in his horrendous sarcasm. Brittany Bradford is also solid in her frequent silences. Shannon Tyo is a bit over the top.  Bobby Moreno has the toughest role and he delivers. The last scene between Emilio and Ursula is very poignant. Extremely intelligent writing.

REVIEW 

By 

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher of artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

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WET BRAIN, A CO-PRODUCTION OF PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZON AND MCC THEATER

 WET BRAIN By John J. Caswell, Jr

Directed by Dustin Wills

WET BRAIN is a play about addiction and a dysfunctional family.

The father Joe ( Julio Monge) is at the verge of death, poisoned by alcohol, incapacitated, stumbles and has lost the power of speech. He vomits everywhere and uses a few corners in the main room to urinate. He is perhaps an alien too, not so clear though but his children have a vague memory of him  taking them to the roof and looking for a star or want to be aducted by aliens.

He has three grown up children, daughter Angelina ( Ceci Fernandez)  son,  Ron (Frankie J. Alvarez) and Ricky ( Arturo Luis, Soria) Ricky is gay and Ron is an awful homophobe. Ricky has left this horror house to escape to NY and after six years of absence has returned to the family home in Arizona where the sister Angelina is the one who takes care of the father while studying to be a nurse. Ron helps the father more than any one else and is very angry about it and takes it out on Ricky. They are all very abusive towards each other and use extremely vulgar and horrific language. Angelina wants to move out and want Ricky or Ron to be the care takers of the very sick father. Ricky is not ready for that and there is a reference of him being abused  the most by his father who was also a homophobe.a homophobe.

They have lost  their mother Mona (Florencia Lozano) also.  In a brilliantly designed scene in the middle of the play Mona is alive and she and Joe can talk and the siblings confront them. 

The play is quite confusing sometime especially about the Aliens coming in and abducting the father, it's all metaphorical perhaps but not very clear. Some funny lines make people laugh but it's more like a horror show with the most tragically dysfunctional family. The siblings also suffer from addictions of various kinds. It's very bold of the playwright to write this play admitting in a note that his family have the histoiry of addiction.

The play is competently directed by Dustin Wills.  The set by Kate Noll,  sound by Tei Blow and John Gasper and lights by Cha See are most effective. The play is quite disturbing. No one wants to have a family like this one but maybe it's a stark lesson to avoid all kinds of addictions.

REVIEW BY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

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