tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17777711196330882282024-02-22T12:22:39.153-08:00arts internationalARTS INTERNATIONAL COVERS THEATER, FILM, VISUAL ARTS, CUISINE AND LITERATURE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLDarts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-38369387275023120452023-10-30T11:25:00.010-07:002023-10-30T20:05:14.463-07:00BAM and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef &Arpels Present Corps extremes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUTSEpMA95Lt0TNaqASzt-8yNxVCDpIErZlK4sLe7OmJjkw-dhuJVDbLAsFI5EYisbBaumCnKCp14kKT_fibIZGZYSewYi_Op_wBN3hKH0Ie15Ee8wlo-d7QPaPD3kdDJ1JDymfMp9vAsbqqeDMt2FwLGPiJHH0mXu-PSSujDnD1g1IabYqTDXnge5iBU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUTSEpMA95Lt0TNaqASzt-8yNxVCDpIErZlK4sLe7OmJjkw-dhuJVDbLAsFI5EYisbBaumCnKCp14kKT_fibIZGZYSewYi_Op_wBN3hKH0Ie15Ee8wlo-d7QPaPD3kdDJ1JDymfMp9vAsbqqeDMt2FwLGPiJHH0mXu-PSSujDnD1g1IabYqTDXnge5iBU=w627-h287" width="627" /></a></div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">Corps Extremes</b><span style="text-align: left;"> at BAM</span></div></div><p>Choreographed by Rachid Ouramdane</p><p>Video: Jean-Camille Goimard</p><p>Music: Jean-Baptiste Julien</p><p>Chaillot- Theatre national de la Danse</p><p>Corpse extremes is a testament of human resolve, energy, strength and desire.</p><p>Most brilliant Rachid Ouramdane expresses a desire and the desire is, " To be really focussed</p><p>on the fascination triggered by the wish to take off, to drifft, a state of weightlessness, a suspension."</p><p>That manifestation of Rachid Ouramdane comes to life in Corps extremes in mesmerizing reality.</p><p>It is beyond human power to reach such heights of desire, such an out of body experience, to overcome</p><p> unfathomable fear and achieve and fulfill that desire, is beyond human ability but with resolve,</p><p> concentration, will and belief in yourself and the divine power bestowed upon you and the</p><p>talent and perseverance, you reach the heights of your imagination and create and Rachid has created</p><p> with all those blessings the most incredible dance piece the likes which I have never seen before and I</p><p> am so, so...</p><p> fortunate to have seen it. It makes you believe again in human power and the will to accomplish the</p><p>extremes of your desires.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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 </p><p>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...</p><p>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.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoWTBOAZZtNU5X2gVPkh8cbpGOk4GTAv3IL2srToOz-lMhjsbdrUAjNEJHELZLwdisswJ2fgLNeuz7eDbGmzgDi3TFNMGS30REez9yTXbQL6bwhv9DpgJOSXHOpTzq3xMq7ghy2EATBDv0nNoj98E_oePE_5Q7cT7KEGk_Krw_3HaPHEpwGNXbnh9KGQc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoWTBOAZZtNU5X2gVPkh8cbpGOk4GTAv3IL2srToOz-lMhjsbdrUAjNEJHELZLwdisswJ2fgLNeuz7eDbGmzgDi3TFNMGS30REez9yTXbQL6bwhv9DpgJOSXHOpTzq3xMq7ghy2EATBDv0nNoj98E_oePE_5Q7cT7KEGk_Krw_3HaPHEpwGNXbnh9KGQc=w508-h343" width="508" /></a></div><p></p><p>REVIEWED by BINA SHARIF - Member of ATCA</p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>mobile: 212-260-6207</p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-68397409388541020512023-10-30T08:36:00.002-07:002023-10-30T20:11:48.641-07:00HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72.000 EASY LESSONS AT ST. Ann's Warehouse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72, 000 EASY LESSONS</span></div><p></p><p>By Michael Keegan-Dolan; Choregraphed and performed by Michael Keegan-Dolan and Rachel Poirier</p><p>Directed By Rachel Poirier and Adam Silverman</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The story is about Michael growing up as an Irish boy surrounded by lots of brothers and sisters and</p><p>big dreams to dance. He was told by a teacher, " Is there anything else you might like to do with your</p><p> life?" But no, that's all he wanted, He was obsessed with dancing.</p><p>He eventually moves to England where in the 1980s he is not welcomed because the violence of </p><p>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.</p><p>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,</p><p>He doesn't dance much in the piece, but is a master of spoken words. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Everyone should make an effort to see this vibrant show. I loved it.</p><p>REVIEWED</p><p>By</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA MEMEBER</p><p>Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>www.facebook.com</p><p>Instagram</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-40051759098202402732023-10-23T13:43:00.001-07:002023-10-23T13:43:57.436-07:00BROKEN CHORD AT BAM<p> BROKEN CHORD AT BAM</p><p>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.</p><p>It's about a particular memory of a 19th -century Westward journey of an African choir.</p><p>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. </p><p>The song by the vocalists is melodious and haunting at the same time.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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." </p><p>This beautifully rendered piece is about the clash of cultures which are unfortunately still going on.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>REVIEWED By</p><p>Bina Sharif</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Cell: 212-260-6207</p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-38490034227656626912023-08-11T20:31:00.001-07:002023-08-11T20:32:09.704-07:00<p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">MARK SAVITT AND EVA HEINEMANN REVIEW THE SAVOIR</span></p><div class="adn ads" data-legacy-message-id="189e0b42d7831684" data-message-id="#msg-f:1773867684941993604" style="background-color: white; 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margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Irish Repertory Theatre Presents</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Landmark Productions</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Written by Deirdre Kinahan</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Directed by Louise Lowe</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Scenic and Lighting Design by Ciaran Bagnall</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Costume Design by Joan O’Clery</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Sound Design by Aoife Kavanagh</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Marie Mullen as Maire</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Jamie O’Neill as Mel</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Featuring Voices of:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Belle Boss as Lucy</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Alex Finucane as Sean</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Jonathan White as Martin</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">MARK SAVITT:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Maire insists on seeing Martin as repentant and forgiven by Jesus while she condemns her son for his, as she perceives it, sinful lifestyle. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Marie Mullen delivers a tour de force performance and Jamie O’Neill creates a strong foil.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">HAPPY FACE</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">EVA HEINEMANN:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">I admit I did have my suspicions of Martin as he took so long to make coffee. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">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. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Jamie O’Neill was amazing as he navigated between a dutiful son with a difficult mom.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">I believe in The Savoir!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">HAPPY FACE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">END AUGUST 13TH</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">REMAINING PERFORMANCES:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday at 8pm</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednesday & Saturday at 2 & 7pm</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday at 3pm</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Irish Rep</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">132 West 22nd Street</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://irishrep.org/&source=gmail&ust=1691897308685000&usg=AOvVaw0QZ-ypMjAEX9OyJrklklF8" href="https://irishrep.org/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">https://irishrep.org/</span></a></p></span><div class="yj6qo"></div><div class="adL"><br /><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="adL"></div></div></div><div class="hi" style="background: rgb(242, 242, 242); border-bottom-left-radius: 1px; border-bottom-right-radius: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"></div></div></div><div class="ajx" style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="gA gt acV" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top: none; color: #222222; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"><div class="gB xu" jslog="184332; u014N:xr6bB;" style="border-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="ip iq" style="border-top: none; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px;"></div></div></div>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-63798573347469996732023-07-25T10:26:00.001-07:002023-07-25T10:26:58.634-07:00ORPHEUS DESCENDING AT POLONSKY SHAKESPEARE CENTER<p> ORPHEUS DESCENDING BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS</p><p>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.</p><p>The location is a drygoods store in a Southern town run by an American Italian middle aged lady named</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>But there is a problem in this play and that is the lack of burning chemistry of longing between the two lead charatcers.</p><p>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.</p><p>Because of this lack of sexual chemistry the production doesn't burn, it becomes a bit icy.</p><p>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.</p><p>David Weiner's lights are pretty effective and creates an atmosphere of despair.</p><p>The play is directed by Erica Schmidt. She does her best but there are inherrent problems in the script</p><p>and the lead roles are miscast thogh they are brilliant actors but somehow lack that peculier energy.</p><p>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.</p><p>REVIEWED</p><p>by</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Founder/publisher of: artsinernational.blogspot.com</p><p>Email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>facebook, Instagram, Twitter</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-83885869719981420092023-06-08T12:38:00.004-07:002023-06-09T09:11:05.290-07:00THE COMEUPPANCE ATSignatureTheatre<p> THE COMEUPPANCE</p><p>By</p><p>Branden Jacobs- Jenkins</p><p>Directed by Eric Ting.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>REVIEW </p><p>By </p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/Publisher of artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-82121549234623249432023-06-08T12:26:00.011-07:002023-06-08T12:37:19.454-07:00WET BRAIN, A CO-PRODUCTION OF PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZON AND MCC THEATER<p> WET BRAIN By John J. Caswell, Jr</p><p>Directed by Dustin Wills</p><p>WET BRAIN is a play about addiction and a dysfunctional family.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>REVIEW BY</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>instagram</p><p>Twitter</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-21861495275174174842023-05-09T15:34:00.002-07:002023-05-11T08:08:57.612-07:00"DIMANCHE" at BAM Fisher Hall<p> "DIMANCHE" at BAM<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidtheX6M5p4-gAHKvPKwoo49cJ9zXW0vHmV5tXyayUpGKmSuc78MAfxeqZHBELqUEIA_4JnGlz-gA7mKrKk55OP1qaIjrt-k3j1ItwZCB8dE1EdjAtWRRxN3IOVGA_piR6eBo73s_wxJOz8oDFjz2SGlXboSfeeefjYZbQx97n2x7o54Rj5HTTdRCO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidtheX6M5p4-gAHKvPKwoo49cJ9zXW0vHmV5tXyayUpGKmSuc78MAfxeqZHBELqUEIA_4JnGlz-gA7mKrKk55OP1qaIjrt-k3j1ItwZCB8dE1EdjAtWRRxN3IOVGA_piR6eBo73s_wxJOz8oDFjz2SGlXboSfeeefjYZbQx97n2x7o54Rj5HTTdRCO=w570-h354" width="570" /></a> From left: Sicaire Durieux and Sandrine Heyraud</p><p>The most fantastic and magical spectacle at BAM regarding the devestation of climate crisis.</p><p>Written and directed by Sicaire Durieux, Sandrine Heyraud and Julie Tenret. Trust me, there is no actor or performer in town right now who can match these artist's talent. This brilliantly theaterical show is by the superb Belgian company, CieFocus & ChaLiwate'.</p><p> It is an extreme joy to watch so much brightness of talent about a devastatingly bleak subject matter such as the havoc on earth created by the climate disater.</p><p>From the beginning to the the very end of this surreal and fascinating fast paced, 75 minute long show, you will be riveted to the fact and amazement that so much ability of all kinds, movement, acting, puppeteering, writing, directing is embeded in these blessed bodies and minds.</p><p>Dimanche consists of different vignettes. Three reporters in a van trying to document the wild life near the snow clad glaciers, perhaps at the Arctic Circle. It's as physical as it can get. One of the greatest Puppet of a polar bear on a glacier and the Cub coming out and going right back in and finally lost at the ocean when the iceberg separate and finally breaks losing the Cub for ever. We watch in awe of the puppeteers ability.</p><p>Next vignette takes place in a dining room of a house. An old lady, (the greatest puppet ever made, coming downstairs in a mechanical chair, which stops and begins again and she is exhausted and have a little stroke, finally sits and rests on a chair. The room is so hot that multiple fans absolutely are of no use. Everything is flying off with the sudden gush of awful wind, the whole dinner including the plates and utensils fly away, the chairs melt, rain pours, everything is flooded, inhabitants of that room hang on to whatever they can for their lives but to no avail. There are storms, floods, howling wind, great flamingo puppet torn into pieces, a sad and devastating picture of precarious conditions because of the traged of climate change everywhere. I have never seen a stunningly beautiful performance, at times hilarious about such a sad and tragic subject. If you have the chance to catch only one show in your life, run to Bam to see Dimanche. This great experience will stay with you for a long time.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiOX550SQ7A4PI-05m3JzEX1HnTCGJEyY0tgM5rhfgF5SH81GXv0ln4JJ6PWcQ0qv_m2eSFcloWff_aLo5NyK3XIPWv186S43njICa_KnzUVlGggSvUY-F8aK22ehHhHd6f6YtpGeAvfZjw-Yba7E44h8y32_hn4DeUB87Ee4ccOxvFa0lsAmp0JtV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiOX550SQ7A4PI-05m3JzEX1HnTCGJEyY0tgM5rhfgF5SH81GXv0ln4JJ6PWcQ0qv_m2eSFcloWff_aLo5NyK3XIPWv186S43njICa_KnzUVlGggSvUY-F8aK22ehHhHd6f6YtpGeAvfZjw-Yba7E44h8y32_hn4DeUB87Ee4ccOxvFa0lsAmp0JtV=w560-h255" width="560" /></a></p><p> Flamingo Puppet from "DIMANCHE"</p><p>Reviewed by Bina Sharif</p><p>ATCA (Member of American theater critic's association)Editor/publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com. Email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Cell:212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram</p><p>Twitter</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-13725127746636184232023-03-03T09:46:00.010-08:002023-03-03T09:55:49.466-08:00"LETTERS FROM MAX, A RITUAL" AT SIGNATURE THEATER<p>"LETTERS FROM MAX," A RITUAL," AT SIGNATURE THEATER</p><p>By Sarah Ruhl</p><p>Directed by: Kate Whoriskey</p><p>The play is based on orrepondence between the playwright Sarah Ruhl and his brilliant young student Max Ritvo who died of cancer at the age of 25, and the book of letters between the playwright and Max, "Letters From Max." which was published posthumously. This epistolary play is the letters they exchanged for almost four years. Max Ritvo was a brilliant poet and there is amazing amount of beautifully sensitive poetry, dialogue and songs in those letters. Since the play is based on a real tragedy, an early death of a wonderful talent and we are always aware that this young poet who has already published a few books and have a great future ahead of him will not survive, still the play is a happy play, not all along but there is plenty of humor and vitality in it though the underlying sadness is palpitable and that's where the brilliance of the playwright, the director and the actress (Jessica Hecht ) lies. Jessica Hecht who play the role of Sarah Ruhl, the Yale drama teacher is very tender, soft, funny and extremely caring. Her compassion comes through all along and that adds to the softness of the grief. Actual the play is done not about grief so much but about the celebration of Max's young life and his potential.</p><p>Max is being played by two actors, Zane Pais and Ben Edelman. I saw Zane Pais in the role the night I saw the play and Zane Pais was amazingly energetic and full of enthusiasm and very funny. He has great stage presence and Charisma and even when we know that he is terminally ill, we want to postpone that feeling and enjoy his vitality and his poetry.</p><p>Jessica Hecht as Sarah is beguiling, she breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience involving us in the feeling of the ultimate loss of her friendship she is going through but hiding it with great un-hidden pain with her humerous remarks.</p><p>Some time the play does feel like a long poetry reading with music (Ben Edelman on piano) but that's ok because the play is about a poet and his work and the work is very impressive. Any one who loves the spoken word won't be disappointed. Max Ritvo was twenty years old when he started studying with Sarah Ruhl and for the remaining five years they wrote letters to each other about morality, philosophy, after life and the joys of poetry.</p><p>The set by Marsha Ginsberg is exciting and original. There is a round cube like structure upstage center and once in a while the front wall/doors open up and that area serves as a room in the hospital with Max lying there for one of the many tests he had to go through. Finally he moves to California to be his mother and the letters between the two of them continues. Finally he dies and the sadness engulf us, that sadness all of us have been avoiding for two hours.</p><p>Costumes are by: Anita Yavich, lighting by Amith Chandrashhaker and projection and video by S Katy Tucker.</p><p>Ben Edelman and Zane Pais composed original music created with sound designer, Sinan Refik Zafar and the beautiful song at the end of the play was composed by Max Ritvo.</p><p>REVIEWED</p><p>By Bina Sharif</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Co-host: HI DRAMA</p><p>binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Cell: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-91115107524932980132022-12-22T15:05:00.104-08:002022-12-23T00:14:11.417-08:00Des Moines at Polonsky Shakespeare Center: Brooklyn<p>"<b>Des Moines" </b>at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center by Denis Johnson Presented by Theater for a New Audience with Evanstar Films.</p><p> Directed by Arin Arbus</p><p>"Des Moines" is the final play of the late Denis Johnson, who was also an esteemed novelist and a short story writer. This play have had many workshops and perhaps many things were cleared up but some of them still retain it's mystery, mostly confusion about its construction. Having said that, the play does hold it's intrigue for us. We are keen to know where it is leading us because the characters are very interesting and surreal.</p><p>There is a husband, Dan (Arliss Howard ) his wife, Marta (Johanna Day) having breakfast in their kitchen. Dan is a taxi driver who gave a ride to someone who died in a tragic plane crash and he is extremely traumatized by it and keep trying to remember what were the last words spoken by that un-fortunate man. Dan, actually has nightmares about it and keeps shouting during his sleep. Marta, his wife is eager and nervous to reveal some important news to her husband but doesn't have enough courage because the news is also tragic. So, she avoids the issue and they both end up talking about mundane things such as butter and margerine. Dan prefers butter. Dan has a friend who is a pastor, father Michael (Michael Shannon) who wears heavy face make up including bright lipstick and was seen by Dan outside a gay bar at the time of bar's closing.</p><p>Michael Shannon who is a brilliant actor (great performance by him in the play Killer at the same theater) is kind of wasted here. There is the couple's grand daughter Jimmy (Hari Nef ) a trans woman who's gender affirming surgery went bad and she ended up in a wheel chair. Set designer, Riccardo Hernandez created majestic French doors in the middle of the kitchen and when they open, Jimmy, whom we have not met yet appears in a wheel chair. Her rooms is beautifully lit byScott Zielinski giving us a colorful early Christmas like atmosphere. A pleasantly glamorous surprise.</p><p>The wedding ring of the person who died in the crash was given to Father Micheal and Dan is waiting for the pastor to bring it to his house because the deceased's widow, Mrs. Drink water has been visiting Dan to get her ring back.</p><p>After Pastor shows up, Dan gets the ring and Mrs. Drink Water arrives shortly after that and then the play assumes a dream like shape. I personally thought that the play was Dan's dream but I dismissed the idea soon after.</p><p>They all start to drink, and I mean some serious drinking goes on for a long while. A drink called depth charger is consumed by all. Depth charger is a drink consisting of beer mixed with a shot of strong whisky. All of them drinkk lots of depth chargers and Mrs. Drink Water (Heather Alicia Simms) even stand up on the kitchen table and sings and do dance like movements.</p><p> I was so afraid that she might hurt herself because she was so drunk like the rest of them but she was a pro and thus kept her balance.</p><p> Mind you it's not a realistic play though the beginning of the play and it's kitchen set is pretty realistic. At the end every one is smashed and they make a real mess. Then, they abruptly leave. Jimmy goes back to her make believe early arrival of bright Christmas lights, and Father Micheal also decides to call it a night.</p><p> Next morning Marta clean up the mess as she wakes up from a very strange night. In between all the confusion, there is talk of morality, the belief in life and doubts about the purpose of our existence by Father Micheal without a clear promise or hope of any kind of comforting spirtuality for our troubled souls.</p><p>It still held my interest in a an absurd way because the play is kind of absurd which is fine with me. Actors are pretty good and work very well throughout but can't solve the confusion inherent in the script.</p><p>While we were leaving some one in the elevator asked, "What was this play about?" And a wise woman answered, " Everyone was trying to get away from their pain."</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-36047161593543570122022-12-17T06:57:00.019-08:002022-12-22T14:00:42.204-08:00NOWISWHENWEARE (the stars) at BAM /Fisher Hall<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">"NOW IS WHEN WE ARE" (the stars) at BAM/Fisher Hall</span></div></div><p></p><p>Installation/Theater/Performance by Andrew Schneider Part of Next Wave 2022. </p><p>Review by Bina Sharif</p><p>"The truth, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars but in ourselves." - Wm. Shakespeare</p><p>"NOWISWHENWEARE" Is a captivating audience participation-on foot journey of about 45 minutes done within a pitched, darkroomed, immersive light show, the workings of which occur under a starry (very starry) and celestial canopy, represented by thousands of quite tiny overhanging lights (the stars) all dangling from above whilst one get speckled with voiced comments from within the same ebony environment - of our shared unconsciousness, perhaps, There are many other sounds, too. I had no idea what to expect- but I have to confess, "NOWIS WHENWEARE" Is entirely original in both its ideas: imaginative, creative and technical and its overall presentation. It is a deeply reflective visit to the mysterious neighborhood of one's faraway imagination. You shouldn't feel bored in any way possible.</p><p>This show is bold, imaginative and energetic- and made entirely possible by the excellent artistic and technical skills of its creator, Andrew Schneider. This show is also extremely brave. It's not so easy to led the audience into the pich- perfect darkness with such care and concern and make them completely comfortable and safe. It's quite surreal and evokes many emotions about the darkness in our own souls which seek light constantly. </p><p>It's a brilliant Infinity Mirror Room created by Yayoi Kusama (lighting), all inspired by seeing the great Milky Way for the first time. Perhaps in the future we will all reflect better upon our existence.</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-74555262011119942582022-11-23T13:58:00.013-08:002022-11-24T11:51:55.980-08:00THE PATIENT GLORIA AT St. Ann"s Warehouse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQTaxxauXSfo6fw3o8m_tTnfr6hYUxkh6G53D63bh9cre-OlgRhApNVHc1tL_gyMgVbat0xGOXaLn6NhrCKODBKaoSIbL39MSMzJRZfmf0FaLnycaGQmK4I1i6xitCGANA_1yuQiKVoJCuW5faUfR9MZnozGI-vLUzz2FWKSW10eeFwRtjqtZPhT3u" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQTaxxauXSfo6fw3o8m_tTnfr6hYUxkh6G53D63bh9cre-OlgRhApNVHc1tL_gyMgVbat0xGOXaLn6NhrCKODBKaoSIbL39MSMzJRZfmf0FaLnycaGQmK4I1i6xitCGANA_1yuQiKVoJCuW5faUfR9MZnozGI-vLUzz2FWKSW10eeFwRtjqtZPhT3u" width="240" /></a></div><br />THE PATIENT GLORIA by Gina Moxley; Directed by John McIlduff; Producer: Emma Coen<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYi1gqeXA_HqXyXUe-3JIwAp-LRoGPIBHZMeHCFXH8NHFRE0Nw2NbRcvmnH2dW7-1VddiYYB5gYI_kEDsFqRJkfl82xpk1beHAQpngjQ0iGq3xEZcmsb9AQNpKd4Rdw5a2ZpZwet_TF8vI0JSF0vYGeyA1AEJWCK7QCsGLNyKMd84qlF4qp8xqC2WZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYi1gqeXA_HqXyXUe-3JIwAp-LRoGPIBHZMeHCFXH8NHFRE0Nw2NbRcvmnH2dW7-1VddiYYB5gYI_kEDsFqRJkfl82xpk1beHAQpngjQ0iGq3xEZcmsb9AQNpKd4Rdw5a2ZpZwet_TF8vI0JSF0vYGeyA1AEJWCK7QCsGLNyKMd84qlF4qp8xqC2WZ=w357-h270" width="357" /></a></div>With: <b>Gina Moxley, Liv O'Donoghue, Jane Deasy</b><p></p><p>A divorced woman named Gloria gave permission to be treated and filmed by three well established</p><p>psychotherapist in three different session with the promise that the film will be only for training</p><p> purposes, but they broke that promise and eventually put it on Television.</p><p> The Patient Gloria is based on that film. </p><p>The film was called, "Three approaches of psychotherapy."</p><p> Gina Moxley plays all the psychotherapists,</p><p> with her own twisted and hilarious take and performance.</p><p>Before tha play begins, she is sitting and sewing something which reveals itself as a penis, actually three</p><p> different kinds, for three different therapists. This approach is hilarious for a while but eventually</p><p> become redundant and loses the fun it evoked in the very beginning but Moxely is a great performer</p><p> and still commands the stage.</p><p>She herself explains that in her real life in Ireland as a young women she was always told that sex is</p><p> never enjoyable but it's actually violent and relates her experiences of men exposing themselves to her</p><p> and in one of her depiction of the psychologist she just goes right in between the legs of her patient</p><p> Gloria and magically disappears from the couch. That is an amazing bit. Liv O'Donoghue as Gloria</p><p> is quite effective, confused, anxiety stricken, believig in her therapist, revealing her most private</p><p> thoughts to therapists who are non-serious with many problems of their own and un-knowingly become</p><p> caricatures of themselves.</p><p> The play is very much a satire about psychoanalysis.</p><p> Jane Deasy is energetic and plays, electric guitar and sings songs such as.,"In my room" and "Shitlist"</p><p>which are quite enjoyable. She also did the choreography. Moxley as a therapist tell Gloria that if any</p><p> one has one disability, such as having a mangled arm should not dislike all her other normal body parts</p><p> and must admire her person as a whole. She brilliantly displays her make believe mangled arm in such a</p><p> brilliant manner that it becomes one of the best scene in the play. As a whole the play is very</p><p> enjoyable, maybe not for everyone but I imagine it must have been a riot in Ireland. </p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIvCXiLntrEpj9Cw2P8oQYlZKH-G42idb42IOtUhehCDfQ9-_yCuCe74FOQ2gpSN0yCbQwE68WQ0Hmt5wHedgo6YJJlaw1Y1NLnzMY9D0fHzBj-PFXvl48_D8Sir3Kyfp8GIuFX3nxGAyR63gOnp5ZFmK_bXfCRGUxizuWhzkSEHrBMfZg2njKR7U4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIvCXiLntrEpj9Cw2P8oQYlZKH-G42idb42IOtUhehCDfQ9-_yCuCe74FOQ2gpSN0yCbQwE68WQ0Hmt5wHedgo6YJJlaw1Y1NLnzMY9D0fHzBj-PFXvl48_D8Sir3Kyfp8GIuFX3nxGAyR63gOnp5ZFmK_bXfCRGUxizuWhzkSEHrBMfZg2njKR7U4=w379-h240" width="379" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-5091443179248832252022-11-23T11:59:00.022-08:002022-11-24T11:22:19.725-08:00DOWNSTATE AT Playwrights Horizon<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> DOWNSTATE </b></span>by Bruce Norris; Directed by Pam MacKinnon</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAMoAfk66ewbzqxMQwd7xvSJlk2O6dr7JhMcqJ18pfAApkd4sih20xVog6Sha_eZ5HmQlGSuffZTtpfEsz_VuOdlTEXutfuZ2CCUlkzAC7uYeFhatI5IK9E4ZrG06y_GC3trzPhheZ9Q5BifIb8Gw3QkU7WnIHzLlR3ASBPAnQqOvrp8i2HsPe-C-6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAMoAfk66ewbzqxMQwd7xvSJlk2O6dr7JhMcqJ18pfAApkd4sih20xVog6Sha_eZ5HmQlGSuffZTtpfEsz_VuOdlTEXutfuZ2CCUlkzAC7uYeFhatI5IK9E4ZrG06y_GC3trzPhheZ9Q5BifIb8Gw3QkU7WnIHzLlR3ASBPAnQqOvrp8i2HsPe-C-6=w413-h226" width="413" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Francis Guinan and K. Todd Freeman </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Bruce Norris, who won the Pulitzer for Clybourne Park, </span><span style="text-align: left;">has come up with an entirely different</span></div></div></div><p></p><p>subject matter which is quite disturbing as well as gripping throughout. In the very first scene we</p><p> encounter a very angry and anxiety stricken young man Andy (Tim Hopper ) and Em (Sally Murphy)</p><p> Andy's wife confronting a wheel chair bound older man Fred (Frances Guinan )</p><p>We soon realize that Fred is one of the four men convicted of sex crimes against the Minors and Andy is</p><p> one of the victim who thirty years later has found Fred in a group home with three other room mates</p><p> who had been convicted and been sentenced already but now live under the supervision of their parole</p><p> officer Ivy (Susanna Guzman) who is very strong and caring about their wellfare.</p><p>The other three men are, Dee (K. Todd Freeman ) Gio (Glen Davis ) and Felix (Eddie Torres ) . They are</p><p> all convicted of sexual crimes against minors except Gio who served for statuary rape.</p><p>These men are not allowed any smart phones or internet leaving a vey claustrophobic life and express</p><p> lots of anger about their situation. In conrast Fred is very calm and in control. He listens to Andy and</p><p> his wife as if nothing dangerous ever happened, but it did and Amdy had been traumatized all his adult</p><p> life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Fred was a Piano teacher and Andy was his student and Andy's pain is coming across from the stage to<p></p><p> the audience while Fred still plays Chopin in a very peaceful manner.</p><p>Dee on the other hand doesn't believe that he committed a crime. He thinks he had a love</p><p> relationship with a minor who was totally in love with him and used to write him letters during his</p><p> prison stay telling him how much he missed him. Ivy tries very hard to convince Dee that he needs to</p><p> deal with his denial of reality and not hide behind the fake notion of love. K. Todd Freeman, as Dee is </p><p> very emotional and strong about his belief. He is also the one who takes care of Fred with lot of concern</p><p> about his disability.</p><p>Glen Davis as Gio who works at Staples and brings a co-worker, Effie ( Gabi Samels ) home, while he is</p><p> not allowed and they indulge in drugs in defiance and doesn't express any remorse about his past while </p><p> Eddie Torres as Felix is extremely expressive about his guilt and remorse and try to seek redemption in</p><p> religion, bible is his redemption.</p><p>All these characters are extremely disturbing to watch. The play is about guilt, repentence, redemption</p><p> but there are no simple answers and the playwright deals with all the complexity of these issues which</p><p> are very hard to take with a sense of a razor sharp eye and leave it upto us how to feel about these very</p><p> disturbed and disturbing characters who evoke our disgust and sympathy at the same time.</p><p>Pam Mackinnon 's direction is srong and sharp.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmRlxEc8D8AdTeBDjOONJccIcGxLO0OG31SJil1Y9mSodvgBlxF-MUdE68jbyssvP7ICQTwSde3AcvVpwRcgoYsmXq-r9uQyOb_Lfl7-_2KrrLjpXdLQ_IjyzWxuCP-iKY38_yaoQSZRsApRctMbC075gtc-PJMzb8TiLv2RUKt4e6TQoI-EZAv_zK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1582" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmRlxEc8D8AdTeBDjOONJccIcGxLO0OG31SJil1Y9mSodvgBlxF-MUdE68jbyssvP7ICQTwSde3AcvVpwRcgoYsmXq-r9uQyOb_Lfl7-_2KrrLjpXdLQ_IjyzWxuCP-iKY38_yaoQSZRsApRctMbC075gtc-PJMzb8TiLv2RUKt4e6TQoI-EZAv_zK" width="320" /></a></div> Sally Murphy and Tim Hopper<p></p><p>Reviewed by Bina Sharif (ATCA)</p><p>Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>email:binashariff@gmail.com cell: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook; Instagram</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-66910968382408498002022-11-21T11:34:00.015-08:002022-11-27T19:08:45.034-08:00BOSWELL, A PLAY BY Marie Kohler <p> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b> BOSWELL</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span>by Marie Kohler<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6qdVc1lW7uvaK4hVANfhxV-pkjjScwCBqefLCEjVL93WsnXZe-ONF1Q32wMEJWcqEmkbEEp2qicRTXLF6VtcXkM2fL3Rj7mXeKE3gzSd7EPbOpzz2ZpvVIYETkkcIWjhQYux_PRppjSSNsPqNcze941zEYWHFysDjcMjR3YXQJ4nEsUjH7am203x7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="5526" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6qdVc1lW7uvaK4hVANfhxV-pkjjScwCBqefLCEjVL93WsnXZe-ONF1Q32wMEJWcqEmkbEEp2qicRTXLF6VtcXkM2fL3Rj7mXeKE3gzSd7EPbOpzz2ZpvVIYETkkcIWjhQYux_PRppjSSNsPqNcze941zEYWHFysDjcMjR3YXQJ4nEsUjH7am203x7=w483-h232" width="483" /></a></div> Josh Krause and Brian Mani<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Director: Laura Gordon; Costume Design: Misti Bradford; Scenic design: Jody Sekas;</span></div><p></p><p>Lighting Design: Katy Atwell; Wig Artisan: Emily Christoffersen;</p><p>In a small theater packed with artifacts of the time, depicting 1763 when Boswell, a Scottish-biographer, diarist and a lawyer visited London and met one of the greatest conversationalist, Dr, Samuel Johnson who was a poet, an English writer who wrote the dictionary of the English language and was also an essayist, moralist, critic, lexicographer and a man of letters.</p><p>Boswell was a young ambitious man who had great curiosity and he, made notes of every experience in his every day life diligently and that's how he ended up composing the biography of Johnson called, The life of Samuel Johnson, a rare book which had real quotations of Johnson and it was of a different style of biography because it was based on Boswell's journals and his memory and his conversations with Samuel Johnson.</p><p>In Boswel, a contemporary fictional researcher, Joan (Phoebe Gonzalez ), a graduate student travels from Chicago to Scotland in 1950 being aware of the newly unearthed, scripts, letters, diaries in(1920-1950) to check out the new material. </p><p>The set by Jody Sekas serve many locations and have many maps, books, old trunks filled with papers, notes, manuscripts, pure gold for the researcher, and also serves as a salon, meeting places of great literary scolars of London such as Oliver Goldsmith, most famous actor of his times, David Garrick and a reat friend of Samuel Johnson, Burke and Henry Thrale and his wife Hester.</p><p>It also serves as an Inn where a certain lady Fiona (Miriam A. Laube, who also plays three different roles) Has a treasure of gold for Pheobe to dig in. They bicker quite a bit but it's an intersting, intelligent, and mildly acidic bicker.</p><p>Boswell is played by very charming and likeable Josh Krause. He is also very well liked by the ladies he meet and for sure is a ladies man but doesn't shy away from making copius notes of everything he hears.</p><p>After 11 years of their friendship, Boswell and Dr, Johnson travell together to Scotland and Boswell ends up writing his journal of a tour to the Hebrides on which the biography, The life of Samuel Johnson is based.</p><p> Brian Mani is excellent as Samuel Johnson and he even looks like him. Majestic and bigger than life,</p><p>the greatest conversationalist and wit who ever lived. His costume is also very effective. In-fact all costumes are brilliant. All actors did a wonderful job. The play is very well directed by Laura Gordon. The transition between scenes is smooth and subtle. Boswell is MHK production's award winning play.</p><p>It was a great delight to see this play acted with intelligence, skill and wit. Boswell is MHK production's award winning play. It's one of the very best play I have seen recently and I have always loved Dr, Samuel Johnson and Boswell and their amazing contribution to the history and literature. </p><p><br /></p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5ejxnqJjxgoGXHsk-42oUzv6LxLVMyPI5OHTAxLfzyVtAwX_sFeS3F_xKvWu1waG9dV-vF-eDfMto3piqlRw7tRVMWgtPfH0opn4_b_5V34E0YlWJxzgF5J6V0Pptn6Ox57_9aq7asjLPen6xPrO91bIroc0uteXvIZ-r4gL8rN2XjNJJT6BYGdLn" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5ejxnqJjxgoGXHsk-42oUzv6LxLVMyPI5OHTAxLfzyVtAwX_sFeS3F_xKvWu1waG9dV-vF-eDfMto3piqlRw7tRVMWgtPfH0opn4_b_5V34E0YlWJxzgF5J6V0Pptn6Ox57_9aq7asjLPen6xPrO91bIroc0uteXvIZ-r4gL8rN2XjNJJT6BYGdLn=w330-h240" width="330" /></a></p><p> Miriam A. Laube and Phoebe Gonzalez</p><p>Reviewed by Bina Sharif (ATCA); Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com email:binashariff@gmail.com Cell: 212-260-6207; Facebook; Instagram</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-7230468244414639722022-11-15T09:17:00.000-08:002022-11-15T09:17:06.723-08:00"WHERE WE BELONG" AT PUBLIC THEATER<p> "WHERE WE BELONG, " AT PUBLIC THEATER</p><p>"WHERE WE BELONG,"</p><p>Written and performed by Madeine Sayet who was named for Jeets Bodernasha whic means flying bird who was the speaker of Mohegan, the language spoken by indigenous people.</p><p>Madeline Sayet's ancestors were those people and this play is autobiographical.</p><p>The actress is extremely fluent and has incredible energy as a narrator of her search to find a place where she would absolutely be comfortable with the most urgent feeling of belonging. That search takes her to England, the land of language, Shakespeare's language. She feels like a flying bird herself landing at many airports, restless, curious, desiring to find a final destination for the Indigenous people who for centuries have been disappearing, being displaced and out of sight.</p><p>She feels that the language will perhaps be the saving grace for her people. She enrols in a PHD programe in Shaespeare at the Royal Shaskpeare company where she acts and directs some Shakspeare plays such Tempest and relates with the character such as Caliban.</p><p>Eventually she doesn't complete her studies, though she finds satisfaction in Shaespeare because she thinks he is anticolonialist. She is a researcher and very critical of colonialism and is disappointed when she visits British museums where she learns that the museum preserves the remains of at least 12-000 human beings from all over the world.</p><p>The play is directed by Mei Ann Teo and the production design is by Hao Bai with a glamorous lighting</p><p>which actually doesn't really serve the purpose of the show whic is more like an intellectual recitation</p><p>which could have been done a bit more with stillness under one focused light instead of lots of movements which distracts from the seriousness of the piece. Though Madeline Sayet is very energetic,</p><p>she somehow lacks emotional depth which prevents her to be intimate with the audience in her extremly important and painful search for belonging.</p><p>Nevertheless it's an important show and very informative about the history of Indigenous people.</p><p>Reviewed</p><p>by</p><p>Bina Sharif</p><p>ATCA, (American Theater Critics association) member</p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Co-host: HI Drama</p><p>email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Cell: 212-260-6207</p><p>facebook, Instagram</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-67625213365592224292022-10-03T13:18:00.010-07:002022-10-05T11:57:10.700-07:00" 300 el x 50 el x 30 el. BAM'S NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL. FIRST FEATURE FROM BELGIAN FESTIVAL<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaeB4ozEALB75efsAV_NwQqrXrRzRWTnwXpSw8KwRSZkRC_JEYNl2ytHnJfWZVW9tjcqS8mjF7udNlFhHjNH1UYV6vNkF3izvMSU0isTn5mbuDNThGjVih438WVPxd21aTnFpkYyGe8o2PhrxwttBAlRjYudQ7es8WlZk0QhaVbg01EAIJV9irsd54" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4752" data-original-width="7128" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaeB4ozEALB75efsAV_NwQqrXrRzRWTnwXpSw8KwRSZkRC_JEYNl2ytHnJfWZVW9tjcqS8mjF7udNlFhHjNH1UYV6vNkF3izvMSU0isTn5mbuDNThGjVih438WVPxd21aTnFpkYyGe8o2PhrxwttBAlRjYudQ7es8WlZk0QhaVbg01EAIJV9irsd54" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p> 300 el x 50 el x 30 el, ( pronounced 300 el by 50 el by 30 el )</p><p> Is the amazing story of an entire village faced with an oncoming flood.</p><p> There is an on stage film crew which takes the audience behind it's closed and broadcast</p><p> the villagers private lives which the audience members watch on screen.</p><p>This play/performance art is nothing like any one has ever seen before, especially the New York audience and the performance is mesmerizing from the beginning to the end. Just the set depicting many cabin like houses in dire need of fixing and the flood is being anticipated on top of it. Beside the oncoming flood and the feeling of devastation, the set implied, at least to this viewer the decay, the waste and the metaphorical horrors encountering us soon about the demise of human behavior under threat of all kinds especially of the enviornment. There are no words in this play and still the Belgian theater collective FC Bergman with their incredible visuals and an extremely praise worthy set, depict so many emotions such as ever present human fear, anxiety, loneliness, extreme isolation, terror of oncoming disaster and humor and hope as well. I could never take my eyes away from the set, the performers and even the film crew. They were fast and furious with their energy and stamina and craft.</p><p>This show has travelled all over Europe and it was a great chance for me to see it. I wish it ran for a longer period of time because it's worth seeing twice or even three times.</p><p>The show becomes a volcano of human energy and stamina when many, many other performers join the group with intense dance like movements witch accompanies the furious fever's highest pitch and the scary enthusiasm of the flood's approach.</p><p>This show is fascinating, unique, engrossing and very funny at times. I shall think about it for a long time to come.</p><p>BRAVO FC BERGMAN COLLECTIVE .</p><p>REVIEWED</p><p>BY</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ACTA </p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>www.facebook.com</p><p>Instagram</p><p>Co-host of Hi Drama.</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-81069642498075970912022-06-12T09:24:00.043-07:002022-06-13T08:11:25.166-07:00"A KID LIKE RISHI'S" AMERICAN PREMIERE<p>"A KID LKE RISHI" by Kees Roorda; Directed by Erwin Maas; </p><p> produced by Origin Theater Company</p><p>"A Kid Like Rishi," is a Duch docudrama about a racial profiling police killing in the Hague.</p><p>While a 17-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing was waiting for a train at The Hague Holland Spoor</p><p>station was shot by a police officer who suspected him for assaulting a homeless person who was</p><p> never questioned. Actually he wasn't even identified. Rishi died immediately of a gunshot to the</p><p> head. This play was also inspired by Kees Roorda (playwright), because of a personal racial</p><p> profiling incident about his partner Rob who is black and was unfairly refused entry to the U.S.</p><p>That very experience with racial profiling never left Kees Roorda and compelled him to want to</p><p>write about the killing of an unarmed 17-year-old Rishi Chandrikasing in 2021.</p><p>"A kid like Rishi" is being produced by the Origin Theater Company.</p><p>The play is set in a long room with a big wooden table in the center. Audience sits on all sides of</p><p>the room. There are couple of microphones set up on the table and throughout the play some</p><p>scenes are projected on the walls. Three amazing actors play multiple roles. When the play starts </p><p>a judge, (Sung Yun Cho, superb) declares the verdict. and the verdict is, "The district court in the</p><p>Hague deems legally and convincingly proven that the defendant intentionally inflicted grievous</p><p>bodily harm resulting in the death of the victim". But the defendant, a police officer is not</p><p>convicted even after this kind of verdict. One can only imagine what kind of uproar and protest</p><p> must have gone on after this horror which sounds quite familiar in many other parts of the world</p><p>where many murders are because of race and the victim's skin color. The play presents certain</p><p> witnessess, such as Rishi's mother played by Atandwa Kani in a heart breaking performance, - a</p><p>brilliant, sorrowful and passionate rendition of any mother who loses her young, innocent son in</p><p> an instant, never ever to see him again. Then there is a witness account given by a neighbor</p><p>(again played by Sung Yun Cho, who is amazing in all the roles. Kaili Vernoff also brilliantly and</p><p>boldly portray a few parts, such as a journalist, a police shooting instructor, all accounts gathered</p><p>from courtroom interviews and transcripts. They all perform in English translation by Tom</p><p>Johnston while the original duch transcripts are projected on the wall.</p><p>The scenography is by Guy de Lancey and it is extremely effective.</p><p>Some things, the accounts by the police, and of the bystanders are vague and murky. The most </p><p>important fact in this case is that the victim was unarmed. The police referes to him as a, "young</p><p>black man in a white coat." He is shot dead instantly. Imagine, after this kind of verdict, the</p><p>defendant, a police officer is not convicted. This is an acquittal. Horrifying, to say the least.</p><p>'A Kid Like Rishi" is superbly directed by Erwin Maas. It's not an easy play to direct but he is</p><p> brilliant in his great effort, and with an extremely successful result.</p><p>This play and the whole creative team left me in awe and tears. I have been constantly thinking,</p><p>thinking about "A Kid Like Rishi" and his mother and his family and his friends amid the awful</p><p>justice system in the world.</p><p>Bravo to Origin Theater Company for bringing this important play to New York. </p><p><br /></p><p>Reviewed by</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p>ATCA</p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-7714844446127039162021-12-15T13:09:00.010-08:002021-12-18T09:08:16.505-08:00NO MAN'S LAND: PRESENTED BY EPIC ACTOR'S WORKSHOP IN NJ<p> NO MAN'S LAND</p><p>REVIEW by BINA SHARIF </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AI1HkY4LoRzAewcRA8RDcmeminyag3AO10FgDRhYNgQ4WHbaIkhp1bRjcDy17Q7EZam43ISA_QTLJCBF7wFSClDWu1dQXj-aS6OEdZHKgv5fRCus9Niqiak6Vn5GNFkTvAurXgGuYfo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3847" data-original-width="5769" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AI1HkY4LoRzAewcRA8RDcmeminyag3AO10FgDRhYNgQ4WHbaIkhp1bRjcDy17Q7EZam43ISA_QTLJCBF7wFSClDWu1dQXj-aS6OEdZHKgv5fRCus9Niqiak6Vn5GNFkTvAurXgGuYfo/w320-h213/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="placeholder" id="5b8165a6dd168" src="https://www.blogger.com/img/transparent.gif" style="background-color: #d8d8d8; background-image: url('https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/i/materialiconsextended/insert_photo/v6/grey600-24dp/1x/baseline_insert_photo_grey600_24dp.png'); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; opacity: 0.6;" /><span style="text-align: left;">A STAGE PLAY: Based on a short story by Mojaffer Hossain and adapted for the stage by Golam Sarwar Harun. Shamita Das- Dasgupta is the script adviser. The play is in Bengali with English supertitles. The play is part of the 15th South Asian Theater Festival staged in new Brunswick Performing Arts Center.</span></div><p>NO MAN'S LAND (Also the title of one of Harold Pinter's amazing show) is about a nameless, disabled, abandoned and presumably a homeless woman ( Brilliant, Gargi Mukherjee ) who one day suddenly appear laying on an isolated rock in the middle of a desolate area called, No Man's Land between the borders of India and Bangladesh without a soul in sight to help this un-fortunate woman and all of a sudden the soldiers from both sides appear in a furious state and start to fight with each other.</p><p>They bicker, curse and insult each other, involved in their own age old bureaucracy and apathy without ever showing an ounce of concern for the poor woman who is lying outdoors, a victim of nature's forces such as heat and cold and thunderstorms and hunger. There is absolutely no caring or concern for the</p><p>nameless woman struggling with the elements, fighting for life without an ounce of humanity shown by</p><p>any one of them. Eventually the media shows up, there are Ngo's who are there in the name of human rights but actually only have concerens of their own. The play is about humanity's indifference and callousness towards the destitute who are eventually completely ignored and finally forgotten.</p><p>One wonder after being a witness to all the atrocities piled up on certain human beings as if they were wounded animals who howel and howel for attention, for pity, for help but are totally ignored as if they are completely invisible. Everyone who is present in that No Man's Land, who ever comes to watch the tragedy made into a spectacle has complete lack of concern for the un-fortunate and forgotten woman.</p><p>It seems like their collective humanity for the downtrodden and so called, unimportant people is imprisoned behind bars never to be released again.</p><p>In one of the most stunning scene in the play, a raging storm with fury descends upon the woman and everyone else. Storm is a combination of thunder, rain and hails pouring down from heaven and the scene is staged with incredible imagination and craft with amazing lighting by(Sunanda Mitra) and brilliand actors who with lengthy and light blue colored fabrics make the rivers rise creating the most dangerous flood which brings the ultimate tragedy. When the storm is showing it's signs of ultimate rage and destruction, a young girl dressed in beutifuly bright red color with gold rim in her native clothes (Beutiful Roopkatha) representing life, light and hope and she is the only one of the whole crowd who pleads with her mother for the abandoned woman's safety. She wants her mother to take her away from the rock and inside their home for safety. The little girl is so aware and sensitive about the ultimate tragedy of a human life if she is not removed from the dangerously roaring thunder storm. This scene is so touching, so moving and so sadly demanding help but still no one pays attention. It's heart breaking.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKegyxeeRhXMSSmnrUYpUASAJYTTJJ_QvVIkCNtlzuedlP_GaYxsY334BM1iE0LPx_3919o1V36qCyLR7MUyCA5sGrWdjJVw81YsbdX382aUr-m86M20X_ebtUqwbY0ywX4lCz7Y0UwA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3775" data-original-width="5663" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKegyxeeRhXMSSmnrUYpUASAJYTTJJ_QvVIkCNtlzuedlP_GaYxsY334BM1iE0LPx_3919o1V36qCyLR7MUyCA5sGrWdjJVw81YsbdX382aUr-m86M20X_ebtUqwbY0ywX4lCz7Y0UwA/w320-h213/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The situation of political and social fall out in that part of the world is not new. Its Centuries old story</p><p>of conflict, wars, in-humanity, hunger, poverty, indifference and colonialism and it's unfair divisions</p><p>and random borders, a source of permanent battle making the suffereing of ordinary human beings</p><p> unbearable.</p><p>I loved this production. Its wonderfully staged, brilliantly lit and barvely acted. The whole ensemble</p><p>is great and some are excellent such as Sajal Mukherjii, Golam Sarwar Harun (In three roles who adapted the story, acted in it and did a great job as the co-director) Gargi Mukherjee who is superb as the</p><p>abondoned woman on the rock and also plays multiple roles and her grief as the nameless, sick woman is heart piercing. She has Madea like quality, a wonderful actor and also the co-director. The most brilliant and so touching and sensitive is the young star in the making, Rupkatha Datta who feels the pain of the woman and wants to take her home, make her warm, feed her and take care of her. I just adored her presence in the show. I just wish that I could speak Bengali so I could get all the delicate references in the show but English supertitles did help.</p><p>This production will not be so superb without the original score by Birsa Mukherjee Chatterjee. It's so melodious and haunting. It goes deep into your soul and you hear it constanly long after the show is over.</p><p>This Epic Actor's Workshop chaired by Dipan Ray has always interested me a great deal in the past.</p><p>I have attended the Asian Theater Festival a few times and I have never been disappointed. It's very diverse, with theater groups from India, Bangladesh, United States participating and the audience is the biggest Asian theater goers in their most festive clothes and jewellery, just to be with them is a source of joy and brightness.</p><p>All actors have done a superb job and the crew is very talented. I love the set as well by Prapaditya Mulick, Jayanta Majumdar and Saumitra Bagchi. Perfect set for this kind of a play, minimal and hugely effective.</p><p>Visuals in this production gets the highest marks and the sound projection, by Ameeya Mehta and Arindam Shome is excellent. Supertitles are by, Prabir Mitra and Ujjal Mukherjee are helpful, but they move too fast for some one like me who doesn't speak Bengali.</p><p>Bravo to the whole company, cast, crew, and extremely energetic chair person Dipan Ray who year after year has given us such gems especially the the rare and precious Asian gems in the theater in the USA.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CQQvAcs9pC5bzbef3M2qb12Hw780vi-ftQRf7G7BfjuIogsAwBcAxvsHCW0TxDmUug4TETggr3Aog9oVunM6416-YBLHiuZrirLHi4JHP0W4fJnV0JmIRUbDAtJhn1a8vJWxoqXJWu8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CQQvAcs9pC5bzbef3M2qb12Hw780vi-ftQRf7G7BfjuIogsAwBcAxvsHCW0TxDmUug4TETggr3Aog9oVunM6416-YBLHiuZrirLHi4JHP0W4fJnV0JmIRUbDAtJhn1a8vJWxoqXJWu8/w320-h213/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Bina Sharif: Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>ATCA (Member of American Theater Critics Association)</p><p>email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile; 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook</p><p>Instagram</p><p>Co-host, HI DRAMA</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-72057468064018458072021-12-02T12:31:00.002-08:002021-12-02T12:52:21.314-08:00KIKI & HERB SLEIGH AT BAM.<p> KIKI & HERB SLEIGH AT BAM</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozTq6Gvcm_UsbufKM-33nAVSi_UtLafn7f8w82RWxz0rjAIx1a5ZJLGtXxr5J7TDGUFXy9J3TS5iT9B5XssF3VQ4Wnkfa5_RaThJazEm09J3b6GyjgcIIOcytYh9DaNIzD-f5gprQUjg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1158" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozTq6Gvcm_UsbufKM-33nAVSi_UtLafn7f8w82RWxz0rjAIx1a5ZJLGtXxr5J7TDGUFXy9J3TS5iT9B5XssF3VQ4Wnkfa5_RaThJazEm09J3b6GyjgcIIOcytYh9DaNIzD-f5gprQUjg/" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Kiki & Herb by Justin Vivian Bond and Kenny Mellman is back and it's a roaring 2 hours of songs, music, anecdotes and comedy performed with great joy, enormous energy and plenty of booze and the show is a non stop amazingly hillarious teller of stories in the most enjoyable manner.</span></div><p></p><p></p><p>These two characters, Kiki &Herb are beloved by fans of Bond and Mellman all over the world. They stopped performing for almost a decade and now are back delighting their followers who never forgot them and are thrilled to have them back. The enormous energy is not only on stage but in the audience who are riveted at every turn, every song and every gesture made by Kiki and Herb during the entire evening.</p><p>Not a dull moment from the beginning to the end. When Mr. Mellman walked in with his glittering jacket and take a seat at the piano singing lyrics of Billy Joel's "Miami 2017 (Seen the lights Go Out on Broadway) and then Kiki, the singer enters and the howls of excitement welcome her. She sings with a meldious voice, move around on stage like a wounded tigress and sings and drink her heart out.</p><p>In between the singing Kiki sits on a high chair, have a table next to her with a bucket full of ice and a big bottle of booze of some kind and tell us amazingly funny stories about the birth of Jesus Christ, how as a child she was taken to an institution where she meets an other toddler, Herb and they practice music in a padded room. Kiki tells us that she is in her 90's and had met everyone important on this palnet, including Sylvia Plath who had the habbit of putting her head in the oven and one day there was no one around and it was too late. Then Kiki gets up and sing many songs, the most effective was, "Crucify, " by Tori Amos, Kiss's "I was made for loving you, " Radiohead's "Creep" and "Jesus Loves MeThis I Know." My very favorite song Kiki sang towards the very end, "Send In The Clowns." by Stephen Sondheim. At one point Kiki looks at the audience with great affection and says, "If I could love I would love all of you." This sentence had such pathos of the awareness of suffering and survival which all human go through but the cabaret act is very much about the happiness of approaching Christmas and being able to celebrate together after the most awful year of isolation. There is also mention of HIV/AIDS epidemic and World AIDS Day which falls on Dec 1, the day I attended the show.</p><p>Bond's Kiki also have great critiques of religion and society, At one poing Kiki raises the question about Immaculate Conception as if Mary was asked for consent or not. No matter what Kiki says can't be annoying at all, actually it's highly amusing and that's because the perfection of their craft together. Mellman and Bond have been performing for a long time and their style, their emotions, their singing is priceless even when Kiki drops the mike and an audience member comes on stage and picks it up for her because she is supposed to be more tha 90 years old and can't bend down so easily. Hillarious and intelligent with incredible wit and sophistication. Their stories seem more real than any real story I have been told. There is courage, conviction, honesty and talent involved. Lots of talent. Bravo.</p><p><br /></p><p>Reviewed by Bina Sharif</p><p>for, artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>BINA SHARIF: EDITOR, FOUNDER OF artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Member of American Theater Critics Association, (ATCA)</p><p>email: binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Mobile: 212-260-6207</p><p>Twitter</p><p>Instagram</p><p>Facebook</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-7959436356095080102021-11-28T11:26:00.011-08:002021-12-16T07:32:51.317-08:00NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, I PROMISE<p> NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, I PROMISE.</p><p>NEVER AGAIN I WILL BE KIND TO YOU</p><p>NEVER AGAIN I WILL BE GENEROUS</p><p>NEVER AGIAN I WILL GIVING</p><p>NEVER AGAIN I WILL BE POLITE</p><p>NEVER AGAIN I WILL FEEL FOR YOU</p><p>NEVER AGAIN I WILL BE SINCERE</p><p>I WILL ALWAYS BE SUPERFICIAL</p><p>I WILL ALWAYS BE PHONY</p><p>I WILL ALWAYS BE BUSY</p><p>I WILL ALWAYS IGNORE YOU, YES, I WILL.</p><p>I WILL NEVER TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY</p><p>I WILL NEVER GIVE YOU AN OUNCE OF MY TIME</p><p>I WILL NEVER GIVE YOU AN OUNCE OF MY AFFECTION</p><p>I WILL NEVER GIVE YOU AN OUNCE OF MY KINDNESS</p><p>I WILL NEVER FEEL HURT AGIN</p><p>I WILL NEVER ALLOW MYSELF TO BE HURT AGAIN</p><p>I PROMISE. I PROMISE. I PROMISE. I PROMISE. I PROMISE.</p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-65648113845834506822021-10-28T13:57:00.023-07:002021-10-29T18:00:02.560-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKCzpClQR5vTqifhkDOChZ2zOkzEehIM8BriE_3xwtzOd0eAgjiVuB6M8vKa93fxZIYvrrEmjSrhBHv2xbK1ozi1VZRxNc4YXp8FIGJWLNcureipXsU8enBM3eeKMUQtXfvKA-ZTK9Ec/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKCzpClQR5vTqifhkDOChZ2zOkzEehIM8BriE_3xwtzOd0eAgjiVuB6M8vKa93fxZIYvrrEmjSrhBHv2xbK1ozi1VZRxNc4YXp8FIGJWLNcureipXsU8enBM3eeKMUQtXfvKA-ZTK9Ec/w452-h301/image.png" width="452" /></a></div><br />Review: "By Heart"<p></p><p>By: Tiago Rodrigues </p><p>At Brooklyn Academy of Music-BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Pl. (Now closed)</p><p>By Bina Sharif</p><p>Any one who is interested in literature or any other soul who wants to be interested, this show is a must</p><p>for them.</p><p>Not only it will feed your appetite for amazing words, sentences, poems, sonnets ever written by the greats such as Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, F. Scott Fitzerald but you will instantly learn one of the greatest Sonnet written by Shakespeare, Sonnet 30 during the show.</p><p>The stage has ten empty chairs and quiet a few books on wooden crates in the center of the stage.</p><p>If you had no idea about the show, you would think that there are ten actors participating in it, but no, it's a solo.</p><p>Tiago Rodrigues charmingly invites ten audience members to join him. I thought he was just kidding in the beginning because he has that ability as if he is just cracking jokes to warm up the audience, but it wasn't a joke and audience members eagerly rushed to participate and whoever couldn't get there on time looked very disappointed. </p><p>He wants them to memorize the whole sonnet line by line. He coaches them like an Orchestra conducter</p><p>with grand gestures of his hands, arms and wrists. He takes deep breaths to indicate that they must repeat the line again and again till they get it. Some audience members were very sharp as if they knew the sonnet already and some had a little difficulty but Tiago had lots of patience and persistent in his</p><p>pursuit of making them learn and memorize. It was a great pleasure to watch. I really wanted to be one of those ten volunteers but a bit nervous as well, in case I would have had difficulty during the process, but what a great challange it would have been. In between the lines of the Sonnet, Tiago would take breaks and improvise and indulge with the audience with great sense of humor and ease.</p><p>He is an amazing story teller and tells us about his grandmother Candida who was a serious reader all her life. Her house was full of books but one day she told him to take all the books away because she was having lots of trouble wth her eye sight and asked him to get him one last book which she wanted to memorize. She was rapidly becoming blind.</p><p>Tiago had been writing letters to George steiner earlier and he decides to write him the second letter,</p><p>to take his suggestion for choosing that last book for his grandmother whom he loved so much. She wanted to memorize that last book by heart. Then he quotes a great statement by George Steiner, that what we memorize and hold it in our memory become the, "decoration for the house of our interior." Just for that, the slow learning of the sonnet, line- by -line, word- by- word was worth every minute.</p><p>Tiago Rodrigues has presented, "By heart" in Portugal, Canda, Spain and France. He has been recently appointed as director of the Avignon Festival In France.</p><p>He teaches us Shakespeare while dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a T-shirt completely relaxed</p><p>because he has inherited the wealth of memorizing the greatest words and sentences ever written by</p><p>amazing writers and scholars. He has a gift of a superb charmer with the immaculate knowledge of</p><p> literature. I throughly enjoyed this amazing show.</p><p>Bina Sharif</p><p>Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>Member of American Theater Critics Association: ATCA</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-38675673000055552652021-01-27T07:48:00.081-08:002021-01-28T11:37:07.460-08:002021 ORIGIN Ist IRISH THEATRE FESTIVAL<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div> 2021 ORIGIN 1st IRISH THEATRE FESTIVAL (VIRTUAL)<p></p><p>REVIEWED BY BINA SHARIF</p><p>This incredible and important Irish festival is back and it's a delight as usual.</p><p>With great effort and determination the producers, directors and the talent got</p><p>together across the Atlantic and did what they do best.</p><p> They brought us the festival on line, lucky for us who always look forward for</p><p>it's arrival every January.</p><p>The festival has six productions of new work from well known companies on either side of </p><p>the Atlantic. There are six films and documentaries plus panels on various topics such as</p><p>productions during the Pandemic and diversity.</p><p>The opening night play is EVA O'CONNOR'S award winning one woman show MUSTARD</p><p>produced by Fishamble in Dublin.</p><p>"MUSTARD"</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3YdayOwN-9fz6PEXdKNcTOuj0a_xvSSSqF5ZFq37jjan_jWqhseWJMuIH2L-NK09qIXXcAvg3SIO-K-PYxdldbHAv_pbe4ZKFxoJUUJ0Hl95lZeXHwXts7Xx5AL_SMOYhtYwjASLAko/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="767" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3YdayOwN-9fz6PEXdKNcTOuj0a_xvSSSqF5ZFq37jjan_jWqhseWJMuIH2L-NK09qIXXcAvg3SIO-K-PYxdldbHAv_pbe4ZKFxoJUUJ0Hl95lZeXHwXts7Xx5AL_SMOYhtYwjASLAko/w329-h221/cpQB7oJA.png" width="329" /></a></p><p> Eva O'Connor in "Mustard"</p><p>WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY EVE O' CONNOR</p><p>Eve is an award winning playwright and performer who brought her, "MAZ &BRICKS"</p><p>another one woman play in 2020 Origin Ist and had won an award in Edinburgh Fringe.</p><p>Eve is a very powerful actress with great control over her delivery and strong presence.</p><p>In her play Mustard, the character's name is also Eve and she is going through difficult times</p><p> emotionally.</p><p> She is heart broken and devastated about a difficult relationship and Mustard is on her mind.</p><p> Mustard is also present in plenty amount throughout the show.</p><p> But I think it's a metaphore for healing with it's warmth and </p><p>stingging sensation. Eve tells us that Mustard is the only British export to Ireland and she</p><p>happened to be in love with a rich British guy who was very much in love with cycling rather than with</p><p> her. He abruptly ends the relationship and she takes it to heart. She returns to Ireland and starts</p><p> stripping and soaking her body....</p><p>with Mustard either to heal or go through more pain of cleaning up.</p><p>Her mother thinks that she has gone mad and perhaps she has, and I felt bad for her because her</p><p>boy friend didn't seem worth all that heartbreak. It's a comedy with serious elements of a broken heart</p><p>trying desperately to heal with the power of a strong, bright yellow condiment such as Mustard.</p><p>She gives a strong performance as usual.</p><p><br /></p><p>"THE GIFTS YOU GAVE THE DARK"</p><p>WRITTEN BY: DARREN MURPHY</p><p>DIRECTED BY: CAITRIONA McLAUGHIN</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZmWN5tETNEwm05HRNY-eeomyOv7on6IYvQfLDAkUHUBd6cAGDnPdVjeW7YRfftu9iC7gl7epJOCd3elMZk81ApSI_-fWYGiYSHepVkvxBaKbrwk7hyphenhyphenzYkTEmtkgXr8kYE_DLtusKHqI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="178" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZmWN5tETNEwm05HRNY-eeomyOv7on6IYvQfLDAkUHUBd6cAGDnPdVjeW7YRfftu9iC7gl7epJOCd3elMZk81ApSI_-fWYGiYSHepVkvxBaKbrwk7hyphenhyphenzYkTEmtkgXr8kYE_DLtusKHqI/" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQYShsQR_T49-oyEOK5bXDigkFfFd5vABvoktyZvleK-cL6rnyac3HmPWskJQywiZDzfeOm1QGtpIrf7WicFeW0x50_tPmhCFP9GkkvNpMP_uQ_srqiyso5rNRrQP0lAPjqxkcVAeoeI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="178" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQYShsQR_T49-oyEOK5bXDigkFfFd5vABvoktyZvleK-cL6rnyac3HmPWskJQywiZDzfeOm1QGtpIrf7WicFeW0x50_tPmhCFP9GkkvNpMP_uQ_srqiyso5rNRrQP0lAPjqxkcVAeoeI/" width="240" /></a></p><p> Marie Mullen Marty Rea</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCSySkJXu0bwEEb2DYIjid9S3I1veuCpgYt5OYLo2s-_fqmR2WW2W_uDmsK_CISUm4uqIg8916Dg4Vszc8KcYmcvecGh7bneGG6uzx-FR_U9uX7ow3an0-ZPZ4NS-2rpDk_8E1oG-_1Q/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCSySkJXu0bwEEb2DYIjid9S3I1veuCpgYt5OYLo2s-_fqmR2WW2W_uDmsK_CISUm4uqIg8916Dg4Vszc8KcYmcvecGh7bneGG6uzx-FR_U9uX7ow3an0-ZPZ4NS-2rpDk_8E1oG-_1Q/w235-h313/2gWYmzYA.jpg" width="235" /></a></p><p> Sean McGinley</p><p>Irish Repertory Theatre's digital production.</p><p>A heart breaking story of a man in Belfast who himself is sick during the time of Pandemic,</p><p>and his mother Rose who is struggling to breath in a different city with her brother Larry who </p><p> has been taking care of her for many weeks and asks Tom to at least talk to her since he can't make the</p><p>Journey to see his mother for the last time. And he does. He talks to her on line.</p><p>Rose, played by Marie Mullen, the most brilliant actress in Ireland, is just superb.</p><p>She gasps for breath and gasps again and it is so painful to watch. It seems so real, her waiting</p><p>for the son, her last moments of remaining life and the wait to hear her son's voice before it's too late.</p><p>Tom, played by amazing Marty Rea is told by his uncle Larry, Sean Mcginley that Rose</p><p>is holding on just to be with him. "Be with her Tom." "Talk to her." "She is holding on just for you."</p><p>These simple words have such an impact because Sean says them so poignantly with depth of feelings.</p><p>And Tom along with the fits of awful cough and soaking with diseased sweat struggles to laugh</p><p>as he describes the road blocks and dark skies of Belfast. There are beutiful lines in Mr Murphy's script</p><p>such as, " That beautiful amber light of your eyes." Tom tells his dying mother while he himself is trying</p><p>so hard to not fall apart with the onslaught of the imminent sorrow.</p><p>This play is brilliantly written, produced and acted by all the actors.</p><p>A MUST SEE</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p> "STAY HOME AND STAY SAFE"</p><p>Four short plays commissioned by origin theatre company and written by four Irish playwrights-</p><p>Geraldin Aaron, Honor Molloy, Derek Murphy and Ursula Rani Sarma.</p><p>All the plays deal with domestic violence which errupted during the Covid -19 Pandemic.</p><p>The plays have been self filmed by actors in Dublin and New York.</p><p>"ALL THE LAST WEEKEND"</p><p>WRITTEN BY: HONOR MOLLOY</p><p>DIRECTED AND ACTED BY: ANGEL DESAI</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEick0NDKqBFfPC6aw3IKlpHUw1M9VLXeiOK7eWGujqA5zj4iAEXlJm0JuqV6LMKnKUgK7ocaB8nALoUIap_D4xdyBtX-uxijY5qL0IroJZBIH5sAhFZioKbdVkLC6s13XJvv511zwiyesg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="178" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEick0NDKqBFfPC6aw3IKlpHUw1M9VLXeiOK7eWGujqA5zj4iAEXlJm0JuqV6LMKnKUgK7ocaB8nALoUIap_D4xdyBtX-uxijY5qL0IroJZBIH5sAhFZioKbdVkLC6s13XJvv511zwiyesg/w295-h295/XQ438Yqg.jpg" width="295" /></a></p><p> Angel Desai </p><p>The play takes place during the lockdown of Pandemic and the increase in domestic</p><p> violence. A woman is reciting the sad story of another woman who is her neighbor and</p><p> she often hears her anguished voice and screams after her husband abuse her.</p><p>Cops have been coming to that apt long before the Pandemic lockdown.</p><p>The upstair neighbor even hears cops exchanging dialogue about this particular couple.</p><p>Cop complains about coming back again to the same apt to investigate domestic</p><p> violence. Female cop asks the abused woman if she has ever lost consciousness?</p><p>The husband always blame the wife, oh! she is bipolar, she is messed up, she is disturbed.</p><p>Sometime the neighbor sits on a sofa to think about her awful existence, he hits her, pulls</p><p> her hair. We are told. Many times he...lift her up smashes her on the floor,</p><p>lifts her up and smash her against the wall again and again. "You want to play dead?" Ok, play dead. I</p><p> have a gun in my sack." he shouts and shouts at her.</p><p>Very disturbing to hear the plight of the victim who is totally trapped in this abusive</p><p> relationship which is exaggerated with the confinement of Covid-19 lockdown</p><p>but the seeds of domestic violence against women has been there since ages and</p><p>not much has been done to prevent it.</p><p>Then the story shifts. The actress who was reciting the neighbor's story is perhaps now</p><p> telling us about her own story in a surrealistic fashion about her own horrible</p><p> experience.</p><p> While she was taking a nice walk on green street in Soho to get bagels</p><p>with her husband/lover, he started to abuse her and hit her and she regrets not leaving him years ago.</p><p> This particular person ends up having a violent death in her own bathroom soaking</p><p> with blood shot by her own husband multiple times. </p><p>.A bit confusing for me but whatever, these plays are very tragic depiction of domestic</p><p> violence. There are some effective visuals at the end in this particular piece.</p><p>Strong writting and performance.</p><p>I have always enjoyed Honor Molloy's work. She is a superb writer. </p><p><br /></p><p>"THE ISOLATION OF Mr MOORE"</p><p>WRITTEN BY: DEREK MURPHY</p><p>DIRECTED BY: BILLY MANGAN</p><p>CAST: NIAMH HOPPER AND DAVID SPAIN</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAEPedX_TES6mav_pmUTdeGU0rvbmbvI_tnSPGDG06f0mwStbIo_YyoU-HO4mxU4ptGeTFeMrWgD2oiN4UtKsTX6Tid9gtWm_BQ0zxQr_mHCIvme3JnZShv8vfOUKZEpOyvyjtDAO1eA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="178" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAEPedX_TES6mav_pmUTdeGU0rvbmbvI_tnSPGDG06f0mwStbIo_YyoU-HO4mxU4ptGeTFeMrWgD2oiN4UtKsTX6Tid9gtWm_BQ0zxQr_mHCIvme3JnZShv8vfOUKZEpOyvyjtDAO1eA/w276-h276/aCtqD76w.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">David Spain</div><br /><p></p><p>A completely isolated man named Moore, (Brilliant David Spain) goes out and buys tons of beans, all</p><p> kinds of beans,</p><p>Pinto beans, black beans, red beans, kidney beans right at the beginning of lockdown.</p><p>He has a big tv and he watches episodes of gilmore girls in his quiet apt. There is silence all around</p><p> him except one afternoon when he hears a knock at his door. He is totally startled and fearful.</p><p>Eventually the knocks continues and then he hears a female voice, (Niamh Hopper) ...</p><p>He becomes more paranoid, He feels someone is trying to hurt him and never opens the door.</p><p>The faint voice of the woman continues often with the knocking. "I hear you breathing Mr Moore."</p><p>'I can smell the beans cooking" "Are you alright Mr Moore?" "I am worried about you Mr Moore."</p><p>The more he encounter this sound the more frightened he becomes. Then we hear the woman talking</p><p> about her husband, Mylo and his aggressive behavior. He still doesn't respond, till it's too late.</p><p>One day Mylo smashes her against the wall couple of times and thats the end.</p><p>Actually the lady was seeking help from Mr Moore. She wasn't safe from her husband and was</p><p> desperate for her life. After that tragic incident Moore is so frightened that he believes Mylo is </p><p>going to come aftre him. He starts to put bean cans right outside his door and the next morning they are</p><p> all gone. After a few days he has no beans left. At the start of the show he says, "I have nothing." I have</p><p> absolutely nothing."</p><p>I am sure he also feel terrible for not helping his lady neighbor when she was in trouble. Well, the</p><p> lockdown and Covid-19, a tragedy too immense has changed everything in a frighening way.</p><p>David Spain is a wonderful actor, great presence and even fun to watch under such difficult</p><p> circumstances. The voice over by Niamh Hopper is also very effective tough some time the words are</p><p> not clear but I enjpyed this show immensely.</p><p><br /></p><p>BINA SHARIF: Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>Cell: 212-260-6207</p><p>Facebook, Twitter</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-68720611319741241272021-01-18T07:00:00.018-08:002021-01-24T10:39:22.609-08:00UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL AT PUBLIC THEATER<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDRdbTxGf9GlXnkJVcR4tlRpBtjeD-5U2oTi_pw_fa_dTGrXxhwUx8bf13uy0EIf4L7lik699dnBUhL9z871ciTnHkHrRoSIeXQ2hRyccLo7WbMXUxhWTOz30KgSgNHVix44dLkAb4pc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDRdbTxGf9GlXnkJVcR4tlRpBtjeD-5U2oTi_pw_fa_dTGrXxhwUx8bf13uy0EIf4L7lik699dnBUhL9z871ciTnHkHrRoSIeXQ2hRyccLo7WbMXUxhWTOz30KgSgNHVix44dLkAb4pc/" width="320" /></a></div><br /> UNDER THE RADAR: PUBLIC THEATER<p></p><p>REVIEW</p><p>BY</p><p>BINA SHARIF</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>CAPSULE:</p><p>Peter Mark Kendall and Whitney White collaborate on a fascinating cinematic</p><p>journey of a part of their lives which covers many aspects of their emotional calm and tensions,</p><p>their isolation, desires, intimacy, identity which encompass race and class at a time of many difficult</p><p>and intense passages of time.</p><p>It covers seasons and passions and seasons pass through like a memory of pain in a beautiful and</p><p>poignant song cycle.</p><p>We encouner times of violence, loneliness and shock of pandemic, empty streets and protests.</p><p>Lonely country roads with fallen leaves of changing seasons. In a short time the piece which </p><p>have been pre-recorded covers a wast journey of extremely difficult time of this very moment</p><p>when many questions have to be asked and answered.</p><p>Peter Mark Kendall's character is a white rich man and Whitney White is black.</p><p>He is from South Africa but their family has moved to America to avoid the violent and painful</p><p>history of South Africa. Present day violence hits hard and it for sure complicate relationships between</p><p>the couple of mixed race and class.</p><p>They sing, they take longwalks, they drink wine on a swing, they express lots of their personal</p><p>feelings but those feeling reflects grave emotions of current events, BLM, Pandemic, violent</p><p>protests. It's a very effective way to sing through the mixture of emotions.</p><p>Whitney White has a great husky and melodious voice which goes deep into our soul when she sings, </p><p>"Things are not alright." And for sure things are not right.</p><p>Capsule is beautiful, sensitive and tender depiction of difficult emotions to say the least.</p><p>ESPIRITU:</p><p>Espiritu, a production of Teatro Anonimo of Chile is written and directed by Trinidad Gonzalez</p><p>who also is an actor in it. Espiritu is a combination of a few different stories taking place on</p><p>one night in an unknown city. The three characters in the play seems like facing a crisis in the city</p><p>and want to do something about it. They feel they need a purpose to live because their lives are</p><p>not to their taste. They are unhappy about consumerism and exploitation but subconsciously</p><p>some of them also have a desire of entitlemnt. In one story a woman is standing in the street</p><p>near a car and that little area of the street is lit by the light from above, coming through his window</p><p>so he yells at her as if she is occupying his space. He believes he owns that part of the street.</p><p>In another story, a woman wants more than love which her musician boy friend provides her</p><p>in plenty but she desires other things, material things such as a car.</p><p>The characters plan to have a revolution. They want to trap the evils of the world in a bottle and get rid </p><p>of it but never carry it out. The piece loses momentum at some point but still is worth it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oDWGscPTAON8wHhyphenhyphenXa9pMUwcDlRy9haI4XxBhvqOTD3iU9BiPZ-4CEhAM0Ly3RlfoEivpijiLhFy86HTEwa-YtVHhTF4h-ryfbTtOza2D1HGkYVur2vbGuztSmRFQGWk_o-Abz3dKBs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oDWGscPTAON8wHhyphenhyphenXa9pMUwcDlRy9haI4XxBhvqOTD3iU9BiPZ-4CEhAM0Ly3RlfoEivpijiLhFy86HTEwa-YtVHhTF4h-ryfbTtOza2D1HGkYVur2vbGuztSmRFQGWk_o-Abz3dKBs/w386-h290/213_themotownproject.jpeg" width="386" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>MOTOWN PROJECT</p><p>Stunning Alicia Hall Moran sings with her husky and melodious voice. Songs which combines jazz, </p><p>opera and motown blues and poetics. Shot in clubs and different locations in different neighborhoods.</p><p>Steven Herring and Barrington Lee (Vocals) equally good.</p><p>Alicia's presence, her voice and her beauty is hauntingly moving.</p><p>Her voice is choking with the desire and longing of love, infatuation, yearning to be together and it</p><p>crosses all bounderies of nations, the occeans, color and race. It's a great production and a great </p><p>ensemble together. Thomas Flippen (Guitar) Reggie Washington (Bass)</p><p>I would love to see this again live soon when we can all gather without the fear of pandmic.</p><p>Congratulations to the Public theater to do this under difficult times.</p><p><br /></p><p>Bina Sharif: editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com</p><p>email:binashariff@gmail.com</p><p>facebook</p><p>cell: 212-260-607</p><p><br /></p>arts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-60268626553551928692020-02-20T08:30:00.003-08:002020-02-21T09:44:26.500-08:00DRACULA AND FRANKENSTEIN AT CSC DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN at CSC<br />
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Dracula</div>
<br />
New adaptations of two great novels of Gothic literature, Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.<br />
Dracula is being adapted by Kate Hamill and it is not such a scary tale as the original but a melodramatic, comic, witty take of feminist revenge on patriarchy.<br />
<br />
Count Dracula (wonderful Mathew Amendt) swagger around in Transylvania in a lavish long white coat sucking people's blood turning them into vampires and his slaves for ever. He has two beautiful women slaves ready to attack any new victim and here arrives Jonathan Harker (Michael Crane)<br />
a lawyer to make arrangements for his client count Dracula to move away from Transylvania to England to find new victims.<br />
He is quite hapless and is soon seduced by the count. He has a pregnant wife back home, Mina (powerful Kelly Curran) who is a good friend of Lucy (Jamie Ann Romero) who sadly becomes the new victim of Dracula and Mina is totally at loss of Lucy's new illness.<br />
<br />
Kate Hamill herself takes the role of Renfield, a deranged woman who is in a mental institution<br />
and recites poetry, keep announcing the arrival of Dady. Kate Hamill is excellent and very funny<br />
in her bandaged outfit and battered eye make up. We eventually find out who the, "Dady" is.<br />
SomehowI found her wait for her Dady hilariously funny and cracked up every time she mentioned it.<br />
Doctor Seward (Mathew Saldivar) who is engaged to Lucy and is in-charge of the institute is at a loss<br />
about Lucy's illness and that's when a Vampire expert cowboy doctor Van Helsing (Jessica Frances Dukes, an amazingly powerful performer) takes over and convinces Mina to take control of her own destiny. Mina and Dr. Van Helsing will eventually will become a two women team and deal with patriarchal power men have over women for centuries. She wants Mina to be bold, assertive and convinces her to stand up for herself.<br />
<br />
The last part of the play becomes a battle of sexes like fight mimicking an action movie scenario<br />
and we do know who is going to be the winner here.<br />
<br />
It's a wonderful production with many familiar laugh lines which takes away from the fear of the horror we came to see. Not very scary at all but totally funny, light and enjoyable.<br />
<br />
The costumes by Robert Perdziola are refreshing and beautiful. The lighting design by Adam Honore<br />
is very effective and the sound by Leon Rothenberg is haunting and creates an atmosphere which can make you shiver in your seat.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed the script by Kate Hamill and the direction by Sarna Lapin. The direction is clean and fluid<br />
on a bare stage.<br />
<br />
<br />
FRANKENSTEIN<br />
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Tristan Bernays adaption of one of the most famous novel by Mary Shelly is also sharing the bill with Dracula. Frankenstein, directed by Timothy Douglas and is performed by Rob Morrison who is on his guitar and assume some other roles later on. Stephanie Berry, a very powerful actress who is blessed with an amazing stage presence plays the doctor Victor Frankenstein who creates the monster and the monster as well. This double role some times becomes confusing but still doesn't take away from the mesmerizing ability of the actress.<br />
<br />
<br />
The beginning of the play is like a silent performance piece except some vague sounds of the guitar<br />
when the monster is born and is trying to breath life into herself, Stephanie Berry tries to move her limbs, tries to take some steps, smells some herbs, eat some berries, picks up a book, tries to learn some words and then eventually with the help of an audience member slowly pronounce the word, "Frankenstein" From then on there is a quick transformation of the character into a poet and a scholar.<br />
That transition is un-nerving. The creature asks fundamental question from her invisible creator about why was she created in such an image? Eventually the monster becomes violent and goes on a killing spree after she leaves the laboratory. The play is very serious and has a metaphorical element to it. When people who look different, even scary to the ones who call themselves normal and are totally afraid of the otherness of, "Others" are also born by the same creator, one and only creator for all. But the so called normal beings forget that part completely and that question which is very complex is subtly being raised here.<br />
The question is complex and not very easily answerable. it's like saying, "God created me and god created you and we are both so very different and whose fault is it? And what should be done about it?"<br />
The play might not be as enjoyable like a comedy but we are not watching a comedy. We are witnessing something human and horrible at the same time. Very timely. society is like that and had been for some time.<br />
<br />
REVIEWED<br />
By<br />
BINA SHARIF<br />
artsinternational.blogspot.com<br />
binashariff@gmail.com<br />
Cell:212-260-6207<br />
Facebook.comarts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1777771119633088228.post-36407394521780868782020-02-17T07:39:00.000-08:002020-02-17T07:43:42.709-08:00TU AMARAS AT BARYSHNIKOV ARTS CENTER"TU AMARAS" at BARYSHNIKOV ARTS CENTER<br />
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<br />
REVIEW By Bina Sharif<br />
<br />
Bonobo, a Theater Ensemble and Baryshnikov Center present "Tu Amaras"<br />
<br />
Written by: Pablo Manzi<br />
Set, light, and costume design by: Felipe Olivares and Juan Andres Rivera<br />
Music by: Camilo Catepillan<br />
Produced by: Horacio Perez<br />
Directed by: Andreina and Pablo Manzi<br />
<br />
CAST: Gabriel Canas, Carlos Donoso, Paulina Giglio, Guilherme Sepulveda, and Gabriel Urzua<br />
<br />
Bonobo is a Chilean theater company founded by Pablo Manzi and Andreina Olivari.<br />
Their goal is to create plays which deal with the discrimination of ,"Otherness"<br />
They create their work collectively and their approach is experimental with emphasis on improvisation. Their subject matter is often very serious but has incredible humor in it and all of that is in their new work TU AMARAS.<br />
<br />
A group of medical doctors are getting ready for an international conference trying to explore how to deal with others who are different and at times assume the role of the enemy in modern societies even in today's democratically oriented societies thus creating great animosity and hatred towards others who look different, behave differently and perhaps speak a different language.<br />
<br />
These doctors unexpectedly also have to deal with aliens who have landed on earth to avoid genocide<br />
and it disturbs their method of working, their research and their way of presenting their material<br />
at the conference. They start to explore their own racism and prejudice towards others who might<br />
occupy lower income status or utter an un-pleasant word and thus the excuse for violence, even murder. Doctors tease one of their fellow participant that he looks like a rabbit and the word is repeated so often that it becomes a source of their hilarious amusement. The guy who is being called a rabbit is so enraged that when he hears this sentence again, "You look like a rabbit" by a taxi driver that he ends up murdering him. All these scenarios are created with great humor.<br />
The play is unusual but deals with the most important topic, racism, otherness and prejudice which<br />
is sadly prevalent even now in 21st century. Excellent presentation loaded with hilarity.<br />
Keep an eye out for bonobo.<br />
<br />
artsinternational.blogspot.com<br />
binashariff@gmail.com<br />
Cell: 212-260-6207<br />
facebook.comarts internationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18189744507521881267noreply@blogger.com0