Misterman by Enda Walsh at Theater Row as part of Origin Theater Festival.

Origin Theater Festival.

"Misterman" by Edna Walsh at Theater Row

A One-Man Play: Starring Daniel Marconi

Directed by: Labhaoise Magee

Sound Designer: Elliot Yokum

Lighting Designer: Shane Hennessy

Misterman is a dark and disturbing play. Thomas Magill, a very lonely and isolated man who lives 

alone in a broken-down little shack in a fictional Irish town called, Inishfree.

Daniel Marconi's performance is superb as Thomas Magill with all the frantic and chaotic energy going

above and beyond human possibility on any stage.

Thomas Magill, is a deeply disturbed individual with chaotic energy and  extreme religious inclinations 

 He believes that most of the inhabitants of the village are sinners, and he has been appointed by God to

 purge them of their sins

 He spends all his time running up and down and replaying tape recordings of the

village people. He mocks and ridicule them constantly and record everything constantly in his diary.

He displays real manic behavior and his religious rigidity leads to some kind of mental illness.

The character has enormous energy to bounce around, throwing things, yelling and screaming at an 

invisible barking dog in a deeply disturbing manner.

We as audience members are mesmerized and hauntingly disturbed watching this young man going

 through his mental and emotional trauma which he no longer can control.

There is one very emotional and grief stricken scene when Thomas goes to his father's grave with 

flowers and lies down near his grave and after a stillness which lasts only a few seconds but seems

 eternal says, " I miss you, dad." 

That brief moment makes all his loneliness, isolation, his grief stricken existence which leads to mental

 illness totally naked and visible for us to see and feel for him.

Misterman, was first produced in 1999 in Cork Ireland and Enda Walsh himself played the lead role.

Then in 2011 the play was produced in Galway with Cillian Murphy and went to National Theater of

 London and St Ann's Warehouse in NY.

This brilliant play is the master work of a master playwright.

Daniel Marconi is a brilliant actor with energy of a wild tiger and total control of his fragmented soul.

It's a very tough role and he goes through it as a very slick craftsman. 

Play is amazingly directed by Labhaoise Magee with incredible skill and clarity which is not easy to do.

The very best sound design is by Elliot Yokum.

The recorded voice -over talents of Una Clancy and Mabel Byrne are so real as if all the town's unseen

 people were crowding the whole stage live.

This is one of the most unique and brilliantly original play I have seen in ages.

REVIEWED BY BINA SHARIF

 ATCA

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

BAD DATERS AT PARADISE (NOW CLOSED)

 BAD DATERS AT PARADISE

WRITTEN BY

DEREK MURPHY

DIRECTED BY

COLM SUMMERS

CAST:  KATE Arrington

             SHANE McNaughton

BAD DATERS is a kind of romantic two-handers.

Two good looking individuals who are kind of peculiar and very defensive especially 

Wendy (Kate Arrington) immaculately attired in a very stylish dark brown coat, perfect white blouse and

 fashionable black shoes is a perfect example of a lady who is in control. Not only in control but a

 control freak. The most hilarious thing is that she arrives for the date armed with pepper spray, a loud

 battery operated whistle and hand sanitizer which she uses repeatedly.

On the other hand Liam (Shane McNaughton) is polite, patient, subdued and humbled. Doesn't seem

like a great match but in reality they are both damaged people who hate themselves.

They have both gone through some tragic events recently. Shane's wife committed suicide and left

him a note, " Make an Effort."  Wendy lost her mother in an accident and blames herself for it.

Deep down they are the most lonely people who are in self exile because their fear of closeness

and intimacy. They have gone through a lot already and dating for them seems overwhelming and

a reminder of their psychic pain and psychological complexity.

These characters distrust themselves and are awkward. It seems that there will be no more dates

between them but they pursue under all odds and eventually the grace and beauty they are seeking

 shines within because of the magical writing by Derek Murphy who is also Irish and all the poetry

and lyricism is there to help that magic.

First date is impossible, the second date? Can digest, and the third one is a secret which is quite absorbing and almost thrilling. An exciting and an original new play is delightful.

Reviewed by

BINA SHARIF

MEMBER OF ATCA

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile:212-260-6207

"SIX REALMS OF HISTORY" Leo Tolstoy's book, 'What is Art?

 SIX REALMS OF HISTORY

The realm of knowledge

Realm of wealth

Realm of morality

Realm of faith

Realm of politics

Realm of beauty

AND ACTIVITY IN THE LAST REALM OF BEAUTY IS ART.          Leo Tolstoy

-----------------------

"Beauty produces pleasure in us"

"Beauty is tge foundation of love"  Tolstoy

----------------

'You put far too many demands on yourself."  BS

" Have to change my whole life thus my existence."

"You put far too many demands on your self."  BS

"When all matters will be settled?"   (Heedlessness and disbelief)

"The day of regret."

"Be Stead fast."

"To him belong whatever is before us and

whatever is behind us and whatever is in between,"

"BE AND IT IS."

"Peace be upon me the day I was born,

The day I die, and the day I will be raised back to life."

"THE AIM OF ART."

"The aim of art is pleasure

My art has become a source of torture,

a torment, a source of depression.

LET IT GO

DO NOTHING

THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED ART

So, there will be nothing to torture or depress you."   BS

PERMANENT TRMENT

ALMARI

KUPRAY

KITABAIN

FURNITURE

APARTMENT

KI HALAT APT KI?

FAZOOL THINGS

DEEL KARO OR THRIW AWAY

THIS NONSENSE HAS LASTED ALL YOUR MISERABLE LIFE...BS

DIARY OF A THOUGHT

 DIARY OF A THOUGHT AT THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY

DIARY OF A THOUGHT

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED

BY

KEVIN  MITCHELL MARTIN

DIARY Of A THOUGHT (Now Closed) was one of the best play i have seen

in a long time. It was a play of language as all the plays should be. It was a garland of words,

words, words. Sad words, funny words, melodious words, sorrowful words, nasty words, kind

words, remorseful words, heart breaking words, words which bring your heart out of your chest

and needs to be uttered. All these golden words, colorful words were made into a garland of colorful

words gathered together.

Some thorns had to be there to prick your fingers to remind you the presence of pain in beauty.

Without that sensation of pain and discomfort the delicacy of comforting words can not be felt.

The playwright himself played the English teacher. His a high class call girl (If there is one)

A house wife chained to her kitchen, an immigrant poet dressed like a queen in bright Rajastan

colors like a painting who wrote poems of sorrow only lamenting about the golden days of Raj

by the Moghul Muslim leaders many centuries ago. Her nostalgia was the best poem in the play.

She lived in the past of her history, the history which was of beauty, of power, of gold, of flowers, of

 architect, of candles, of light, of a family, of gardens, of mud paths on which she walked miles and miles

thinking of moonsoon and mangoes. Her outfit was of sparkling colors, magenta, gold, safran colors

 shawals, silver and gold jewels like patterns, her voice was a slow, deep, heart wrenching moan.

Her poems were never published. No one knew who she was. Her English teacher Sam (Martin) was

the only person along with her call girl class fellow and the house wife who had no idea what poetry

can be all about ever heard her poems. Yes, there was another student, a soldier, who had just returned

 from Iraq and suffered from permanent nightmares and insomnia thought perhaps by taking a poetry

and acting class all his trauma of death will transform into beauty. But alas! that never happened though

 the English teacher tried his best to humor him with some flowery word which the English language

 makes some roar with laughter. Sadly he left all his joy of life behind next to the un-buried bodies of

Iraqi innocent civilians on the roadside to be eaten by vultures.

The most hilarious was the call girl. Since she was high class she always flew to Qatar, Emirates and

the other Gulf states and made tons of money and got some gold bricks from the filthy rich leaders

who had their wives locked up in the kitchens like the other house wife in this glorious play.

The call girl was afraid that she will soon have some dangerous disease, so she left and tried to be a poet

in NYC. The poor American house wife to consol herself started to read some books to ease her anguish

and liked what she read. By mistake she chose the poetry of T.S. Elliot which was quite difficult for her

unskilled mind and to understand that book she joined this highly priced acting/poetry class.

The English Professor, the teacher was British, so very high class with his high class accent was

 expensive, so she one day stole some money from her husband's wallet and paid for the classes and

 when the husband found out he beat her and kept beating and black and blue and threw her out of the

 house and that's when she found this brilliant English professor.

I tell you I have never seen any play with such hilarity and such high class humor and language.

Audience were roaring throughout with laughter and never wanted this show to end.

By the way the call girl came to the class almost naked everyday.

She never forgot her glorious days of naked sex in the Middle East.

Brilliant play. Great language, fantastic garland of amazing words, words, words.

Brilliantly directed by Mr. Martin. Most beautiful costumes and a simple set of a room

with couple of chairs. Sometime a person of imagination and of talent can do a glorious

show with very little but with a lot of fascination, imagination and creativity of the mind and the spirit.

I can never forget this play, the actors and especially the English professor and his never ending list

of gloriously sparkling words.

Reviewed

by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

FRICKS PRESENT POMP

 FRICKS

PRESENT

POMP!

Written and Directed

by

Courtney Campbell

Set and costume design: Devon Horn

Sound: Emma Magnus

Lights: Taro Baugham

Sound Engineer: Max Robinson

Couldn't find the Slipper room on my way to this show, Pomp.

We walked back and forth on Orchid street looking for the magical, "SLIPPER ROOM"

And with all the slush and snow almost came back. Then we saw two other ladies looking for the same

 place and we reached the slipper room. On opening the door and seeing the long flight of stairs almost

turned back but something was telling me, "Sweetheart, don't lose heart and go up."

I decided to listen to that inner voice and went up huffing and puffing.

Once I saw the intimate room, red curtain and the excitement at the bar I was happy for not giving up

and once the curtain went up, oh! what a show they put up. I was so excited and thrilled to see  

Wolfie (Amazingly talented, Emma Magnus) wearing a grand costume and Stanzi (Madison Iosia)

equally marvelous in a beautiful costume, I was so excited from the beginning to the  very end and trust

 me,

They didn't disappoint me.

It made me think of the old Lower East Side and the shows they used to do. Those fun things have been

replaced by commerce but while I was watching Pomp, I knew there is still hope for new talent,

 Imagination and brilliant sense of humor which sustain great shows.

Emma Magnus and Madison Iosia are hugely talented. They had enregy, great sense of humor, style

and novelty. It was such a pleasure to see actors like that. So free and commanding the stage every

 second and wonderful Dash Perry (Debt Giovanni) coming in and scaring the hell out of Wolfie.

(I was whispering to my partner, "Here comes the debt collector to give Wolfie a heart attack."

Poor Wolfie, Loaded with talent and debt...a bad combination but Emma Magnus dealt with it

in such a fun way.

Everything about Pomp was brilliant, the lights, the sound, the set, the costumes and the writing and

 direction by Courtney Campbell.

I haven't had such fun at any show for such a long time.

These actors should be any playwright's dream come true.

Thank god the staircase didn't influence me enough. One must never give up.

There is bliss after the long flight of stairs.

REVIEWED 

BY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile:212-260-6207

EVERYTHING IS ....

 EVERYTHING IS ...

A scolar, philospher said,

Trust no body

Believe nothing

Share nothing

Silence is golden

Be silent

And live, and live fully

Forget about anything you hear, anything, you are told, it's gossip ...

Gossip and fake nonsense

Mostly fake

Fake news

Fake success, 

Fake stories

Fake friends

Fake strangers

Fake families

Even fake enemies

Nothing you see,

Nothing you hear,

Nothing you are told...

Nothing is real...

Just forget about everything, very nonsense

And stop wasting your energy and time...

You hear?

And this is the last time I am telling you...

Really, you have wasted your life on this bull shit

And it is bull ahit

STOP IT

STOP IT

STOP IT

FROM THIS MINUTE ON...STOP THIS NONSENSE ABOUT ETHICS, DIGNITY

INTEGRITY. JUST STOP IT...

Remember what AURELIUS said and take care of only that.

AURELIUS SAID,

" LIFE IS MADE OF THREE THINGS

BODY

BREATH

INTELLIGENCE

From this day on you are going to concentrate only on those three things.

Body, Breath, Intelligence.

Promise?

Promise...

You broke all your promises before

Please commit to your new promise.

Otherwise your gods will be upset with you

and you don't want that.

Do you?

Oh!no. No, you don't want that.

What are you without your daimon, your god

Your daimon lives inside of you

You breath because of him

Your body is healthy because of him

nd you are not a moron

You have intelligence

And who gave you intelligence? and all other things?

Your god inside of you

And that is the only deity you don't pay attention to?

May god forgive you.

You talk about corruption, fake people, fake success, important hustlers,

all day long, day after day...

You have such energy? such stamina? so much time on your hands to waste

And all you have forgotten is your god who lives inside of you...

Who gave you breath, a healthy body and intelligence, the power to distinguish

between good and bad, between right and wrong, between peace and turmoil

between reality and fake unreal gossip...

ALL DAY YOU LISTEN TO FAKE NONSENSE...

ACTUALLY, YOU LIVE IT...

STOP, STOP, PLEASE STOP.

JUST DO YOUR WORK

THE THINGS YOU LIKE TO DO

THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO.

PEOPLE, YOU WANT TO TALK TO

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SEE

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO HELP

PEOPLE YOU WANT TO LOVE...

LIVE A CLEAN LIFE

BE PROUD

BE THANKFUL...

MAMI BY MARIO BANUSHI AT NYU Skirball :UNDER THE RADAR

 MAMI, CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY MARIO BANUSHI AT NYU Skirball

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARIF

Mami is a visually stunning and incredibly poetic surrealistic poem about the mother-child

relationship. It hardly has any dialogue and it's a slow moving and majestic tableau of memory,

and grief.

According to the program,"Mami" (mother) and "mam" (Food) reflects the neglect and the attention

towards survival and tender care. This visual poem of a play explore-life's cycle and history

through slow movement, dance and a stream of consciousness.

The surreal images being created out of very little, a little house upstage, dimly lit, darkness surrounding

wast grounds, a lonely pregnant woman coming out of that little house, carrying a bag, walking slowly

eventually disappearing in the darkness, then an old woman starving and in the need of assistance and

many more beautifully haunting images of young men and women intertwined naked in search of

intimacy and love wander away into the wilderness. It's a very rare image of a poem in any theater.

There are dim lights and haunting silences and rhythmic slow and melodious movements which are

to be remembered for very long time.

The fascinating silence in this intimate and tender play is much more important then any words

to tell such a deeply human story.

Mami is the highlight of under the radar festival.

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

DARK MATTER BY CHERISH MENZO AT PS 122, UNDER THE RADAR

 DARK MATTER BY CHERISH MENZO AT PS 122; UNDER THE RADR

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARIF

The incredibly talented team, creating this unique performance/dance play is based in

Amsterdam/Brussels.

Cherish Menzo alongside her stage dance partner, Camilo Mejia Cortes explores

through the amazing dance movements which are, intense, challenging, aggressive,

frightening and tender at the same time.

These mesmerizing movements explore the reality of the body and it's public perception

as well as it's (afro) futuristic body.

The set has strips of white fabric smudged with black paint which hangs upstage behind

the dancers and is lit in blue color creating the effect of water dancing in the pool.

Their dance and the movements are at times intense and frightening turning abruptly

into intimacy, tenderness and love.

The dancer's silver teeth gleam and creates an out of body experience.

At one point the dancers pour buckets of black paint on the floor and then roll around

almost naked all over the paint creating haunting images of terror and bodily strength.

They twist and turn, run around sometime very close to the audience wearing black boots 

with high heels and incredible strength and confidence.

I have never seen such ferocious dance of intimacy, tension and fear.

It could have been called, "Dance of near death." It certainly keep the audience in awe

and amazement at the same moment.

Brilliant play.

A Tribute To Big Mama Thornton at Joe's Pub: Under The Radar

 A Tribute To Big Mama Thornton at Joe's Pub

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARI

A Tribute To Big. Mama is Conceived and Performed by the Poet/Performer/Singer/Visual Artist

Pamela Sneed.

Set list

They call me big Mama

Hound dog

Little red rooster

Summer time

Go down Mosses

BAND

David Barnes: harmonica

Viva De Concini: Guitarist and musical director

Mara Rosenbloom: Piano

It is an enormously moving Cabaret (Queer-Focused) about the Black blues-legend Big Mama Thornton.

The story is being told through music, spoken word and monologue which explain the history of the

 birth of blues. That music was often stolen by the white singers/performers such as Janis Joplin and

 Elvis Presley and many more.

 Pamela Sneed's dynamic performance and rhythmic singing and the revelation

of the historical facts about racism towards black artists set the record straight. Most of them never

 made money and died broke.

We learn the personal history of Big Mama Thornton  and of her early life,  how she started to sing.

Big Mama learned to sing from her mother who was a gospel singer and her father who was a preacher

in the church. She sang in small venues as the opening act for Big stars and eventually won a prize and

 became the feature performer. 

After singing a few melodious songs, Pamela breaks the fourth wall, take her hat off and tell us  about

 her own history.

  She came to New York from Boston to study and reclaim her roots and Identity as well as Big

 Mama's struggle through the times and reclaimed Big Mama and herself as proud lesbian who were

 bold and thrilled to reclaim the origin of being queer black singers who gave birth to the blues long

 before it was considered the part of a politically correct list.

The most brilliant performance by Pamela Sneed with great humor, honesty and energy excited the

whole house. Audience were with her all the way rocking and roaring.

Wonderful band and songs to die. I loved the songs, all of them but can't seem to get, Hound Dog

out of my mind.

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL 2026: ALL THAT FALL

 ALL THAT FALL

BY

SAMUEL BECKETT

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARIF

ALL THAT FALL is a one act Radio play written in 1957.

It's produced by the experimental company, MABOU MINES at PS122. 

Directed by: JoAnne Akalaitis and lit by Jennifer Tipton

Though Radio Plays are always an auditory experiences, here the director decided to stage it

with an enormous set design.

The photo graphs of the actors are shown in the beginning and then quickly removed.

The enormous and complicated set represents a rugged Irish town is by scenic designer

Thomas Dunn.

The houses in this town are tiny, like doll houses, beautifully lit. There is also a junk yard full

of broken bicycle, dirt filled tires which has been collapsed somewhere near a railway track.

One can see a beautiful blue river running through the town from the huge windows where the light

 shows the time of dawn and the dusk and the changing mood of the play.

One of the town dweller, Maddy Rooney (Voiced by Randy Danson) goes to meet her elderly blind

husband (Tony Torn) at the railway station and on her way she encounter other people from the town 

in an old automobile making crazy sounds. They offer her a ride.

The train has been delayed for some unknown reason but her husband Dan had not informed her of the

 delay and on the way back, the dark road and the expected thunder adds to their miserable conversation

during their trip back. They discuss loudly in a ferocious manner the idea of God-who-is the creator

of all that fall and end up in hysterics.

I throughly enjoyed the design, couldn't keep my eyes off the cute little houses lit like diamonds and the

beautiful river flowing outside the windows and the haunting shadows created by light which kept

 distracting me from the words. I tried very hard to concentrate but my mind kept wandering around.

Some words got lost though visually All That Fall is a marvel.

REVIEWED BY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMBER

Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

Mobile: 212-260-6207

RILKE: 1 MILLION WORDS, A SOLO SHOW AT TORN PAGE

                                                       RILKE: 1MILLION WORDS

A SOLO PLAY,  WRITTEN, PERFORMED AND PRODUCED BY

IVO MULLER AT TORN PAGE PERFORMANCE SPACE.

Directed by: Arieta Correa

Lighting by: Lucca Del Carlo

Costume by: Sophia- April Gross

Ivo Muller, a Brazilian actor has taken the challenge to do his solo play in English for the very first time

and he is pretty brilliant throughout his 60 minute long show in which he connects himself as an actor in

 2025 with one of the greatest poet, Rainer Maria Rilke who was born a Century ago in Prague and

 settled in Germany and created amazing and soul searching poetry in German language.

In an extremely intimate and fascinating space belonging to Late Rip Torn and Great actress, Geraldine

Page. The room is littered with tons of aged looking envelops with a school desk and a child's small

 chair. There is a pair of ruby colored slippers on the side. This minimalist approach enhances the poetry

and the idea of age and youth's freshness.

In 1903, a young poet took the courage to write Rilke a letter seeking his advice about how to create

 poetry. That correspondence continued till 1908 and Rilke wrote numerous letters to the young poet.

Actually, that's how I discovered the greatest poet Rilke myself. A book, "Letter to a young

 poet." as a gift and read the whole book in one sitting amazed by it's shear brilliance and the soul

 searching effort and desire to create something worthwhile. Rilke tells the young poet to reflect what's

the most important yearning within the deep depths of his soul, without expressing that desire he would

 perhaps perish and always feel like a child so he can have a sense of freshness and originality and child

 like truth and honesty in his reflection.

Ivo Muller uses his own inner desire to create as an actor in the present time remembering Rilke and

 also playing him in the very beginning of the show, anxiety stricken dealing with the numerous letters

 lying on the floor and suddenly changes into the actor paying homage to Rilke.

The show is mesmerizing and Ivo Muller is very capable and rooted in his creation sticking his courage

 to the moment and he succeed. He relates to us about his scattered identity as an immigrant where his 

foreign sounding name making it difficult to connect with the inner and  the outer worlds especially as 

an artist. 

Ivo Muller's struggle and dedication and love for Rilke is there all along and it absorbs us throughly.

I loved the show but at the same time wanted more of Rilke and his amazing poetry which I simply

 adore.

REVIEWED 

bY

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher :artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email:binashariff@gmail.com

Cell: 212-260-6207

La Musica Deuxieme: Produced by, blessed unrest

.                                      (Matilda Woods,Taylor Valentine)

La Musica Deuxieme: Produced by blessed unrest (theatre for the adventurous)

Written by Marguerite Duras; Translated by Barbara Bray; Directed by Jessica Burr.                  Costumes by Sera Bourgeau; Lighting Jay Ryan; Sound by Laura Galindo.

Marguerite Duras was a fantastic writer of lyrical and haunting poetry with a revolutionary style. She was a feminist who authored many novels, plays and screenplays. Her very praiseworthy and unique creativity includes this brilliant play ("La Musica Deuxieme") currently staged in the excellent space, The Drawing Room, a perfect venue for this highly charged story of love, desire and abandonment.  

It's a story of two lovers; He (Taylor Valentine) and She (Matilda Woods) have been separated for some time and meet again in a hotel room.  Many of Marguerite Duras' novels have hotel rooms, seaside resorts, beautiful white muslin curtains on gorgeous

                                            (Taylor Valentine, Matilda Woods)

French windows with a breeze that constantly makes the curtains wave restlessly -  like the people in the room; the character, "He", is restless, anxious, talks in French on the phone while anticipating something beautifully troublesome. Suddenly, here, the elegant Matilda Woods  ("She") enters. Thus, a tale of passion, longing, desire, betrayal begins one more time.

In a very charged language, they try to be vague about their dishonesty but both of them come to reveal how they have cheated on each other: He, with some exotic foreigner and She abandoning him (at least that's how he took it) while going to the bars all alone by herself. They each inhabit a dilemma of tortured passion to possess and abandon, and then possessing again under all odds, and followed by betraying and abandoning yet again, -  not only of the one that each desires but of one's own individual self, too.

The very tense and taut dialogue from both sides is all about this longing of being together at least one more time under all circumstances, though we (the audience) can see the ultimate result of said longing will be a disaster in the making a second time.

Duras' writing is all about an unfulfilled passion of ever longing, to be a winner of sorts that will encounter defeat over and again. The longing, (a beautifully and haunting word) is often suggested in a metaphorical, stream of consciousness manner that will lose its essence if that burning desire and long lost passion - still burning underneath - should unite. Duras's longing here has no union but merely stays as longing. It is an emotion that remains - expressing the characters' pain and regret of a love lost and in  spite of this eagerness to possess they both will have lost, alas! - one more time.  This passion, however, which leaves each lover naked without ever touching - surely lasts longer,

This is a wonderfully acted play by both Valentine and Woods, and directed to perfection by Jessica Burr.  Lit very effectively in dim light by Jay Ryan, it will be with me for a long time as well. I already feel a strong desire to see it one more time. 

Everyone should rush to catch a performance of a great play by one of the most gifted writers in the world.

May, 2024                                                                                                                                        Reviewed by BINA SHARIF

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Member: ATCA

email: binashariff@gmail.com

Cell: 212-260-6207

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THE DOUBLE BASS:Origin's First Irish Festival at Cell Theater

THE DOUBLE BASS: FirstOrigin's Irish Festival at Cell Theater

THE DOUBLE BASS

Written by Patrick Suskind in German language

Translated and performed by Sean Gormly

Directed by: Labhaoise Magee

Lighting: Chris Steckel

Sound: Mason Pilevsky

THE DOUBLE BASS is a solo play translated and performed by a charming and talented Sean Gormly,who has the through knowledge of musical instruments especially the double bass.

According to the player, "The double bass is absolutely vital instrument of an orchestra but least appreciated." The actor also informs us that the double bass originally had three strings but eventually the fourth string was added to it."  It's a very important play for all of us who know a lot about the double bass and the ones who know the least. It's an hour long monologue, almost a lecture about the musical instruments and the lives of their players and the passion of the musical career with all it's longings, desires and frustrations.

Sean Gormly, a lonely man who lives in a sound proof apartment, minimlly furnished is ironing his white shirt at the start of the play informing us charmingly about the love and frustration of being a musician especially as the double bass player. He is very attractive to the soprano named Sarah of his orchestra, actually not only attracted towards her but is actually in love. He confessed that he had no girl friend for the last two years and express his longing for sarah by dancing with the double Bass, a very touching scene of the lonely life of an artist.

He talks about other composers like Mozarts and thinks he is over rated and his ambitious father was cruel to him. He likes German and Austrian composers better, Wagner among some of them.

He is not happy about his fee as a player compared to some others but is proud that he paid much less for his double Bass. Despite his loneliness and frustration about many things dealing with his Orchestra and personel life, his passion for music and his craft is outstanding. He doesn't allow his despair to take over his passion, and Sean Gormly has passion and dedication for his instument and for his craft.

He keeps himself busy, getting ready for his immediate performance, get dressed , ready to go after venting some regrets and lack of companionship but you know that his heart and soul is consumed byhim playing the double Bass for life.

This play is very educational, brilliantly performed in a calmly agitated manner by extremely likeable Sean Gormly. The play which was originally in German language has some Irish references whichdoes justice to his Irish brogue. THE DOUBKE BASS is not only a good play, it's also a very important play. We often go to the theater to reflect, to be inspired, to learn something new...all those things happened to me during the play. I was fascinated and I really learned a lot about the musical world and the musical instruments and the dedication of the artist under all odds and obsticles.

REVIEWED

bY 

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

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LAST CALL FOR BABE REILLY: Origin's First Irish Festival

 LAST CALL FOR BABE REILLY: Origin's First Irish Festival at CELL

Written by: Marianne Driscoll

Directed by: Kira Simring

Lights: Chris Steckel

Scenic Design: Anita Simony de-Adelsberg

Choreography: Sean Crosby

At Cell Theater

LAST CALL FOR BABE REILLY Is an enchanting, funny and original little fairy tale of a play

about death, dying and being interviewed if you pass the test and can be admitted into the the gardens of

heaven. There is a gatekeeper (wonderfully animated Zoe Watkins) asking questions like if Babe Reilly(Marvellous John Keeting) was a kind person? Did he ever call his mother? was he nice to his neighbors? Then there is Babe's guardian angel Jasper (John Charles Mclanghin)  who is missing one of his wings and hoping that Babe Reilly will pass the test and enter the heavenly heaven so he can get his extra wing but alas Babe is not allowed in heaven this time and in a state of confusion somehow ends up in Penny's room. Penny( Nicole Borbone) lives all alone by herself, father is long gone, where is the mother? No idea, might be working very hard and has no time for Penny. Penny, a wonderful Nicole Borbone has no one but a very old cat and need Babe's help who happens to be her neighbor, youngerBabe played by( John Charles Mclanghin) who is very kind to Penny, plays guitar and sing songs and is Penny's only friend and savior.

Finally Babe Reilly is allowed in glorious heaven and every one is thrilled, The gatekeeper keeps her job, Jasper get his wing, Babe is safe and comfortable and Penny is saved.

There is a saying which goes like this, "What happens at the very end is sometime the best thing for you."

At least this charming little play which lasts only for an hour but delight us throughout proves that. The whole cast is incredibly talented, John Keeting is a master of his craft, a star actor at Irish Rep with incredible looks and voice and great stage presence and Nicole Borbone, a wonder, charming, funny, smart and a very talented young actress, so is Zoe Watkins, goofy, sexy and a flirt. John Mclanghin in both roles also delights.

Who would think that one can be rejected to enter heaven after dying and then finally being given a second chance? Don't ever forget to be kind  to all, and call your mother regularly. You might get lucky as well.

REVIEWED 

by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com

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"HERSELF" By: Tim McGillicuddy: At Goural theater: Part of Origin's Ist Irish Festival

"HERSELF"  By: Tim McGillicuddy:  At Goural theater: part of Origin's Ist Irish Festival;          Directed by Hamilton Clancy

Scene Design: Rebecca Lord Surrat; Light/Sound: Eric Nightengale; Costumes: Lisa Renee Jordan

"HERSELF"  A  World preimere, Produced by the drilling company, authored by Tim McGillicuddy is about a family story which has also effected the community and their social life. The story is about guilt, remorse, anger, shame, rumors and lots of serious gossip without many answers.

It takes place in a pub at the harbor sight in Gallway. Pub was owned by Jim Hays, co-owned by Peddy (Drew Vallins) Jim who was an alcholic and now deceased has left the pub for her sister Mureen (Kathleen Simmonds) who has come back from New York. She escaped to NY to suppress her dark memories of dysfunctional family and the father who was a tyrant and still is. Mureen is livid  still with her father and has never forgiven her father for mistreating her mother who is also deceased and her memory suffers from false rumors of perhaps having an affair with a parish priest which is a hot topic of gossip in the community which terribly effected jim.

This kind of scenario of a very prominent and wealthy family which has a lot of influence in  that town has left half baked rumors of impropriety which won't go away. Martin, the father brilliantly played by Hamilton Clancy. With incredible force, confidence and raging energy. He declares that he would rather built a shopping mall instead of his daugther keeping and repairing the old pub with the rotten pipes and floors. Mureen is also his father's daughter, ferocious Kathleen Simmonds dressed in a sytlish black designer's dress and an expensive rain court and high heels is livid and accuses her father about his maltreatment towards Jim and her mother. Hamilton Clancy doesn't give up, after all he is a billionaire and what do the billioners do? Build shopping malls...Wonderfully powerful scenes between the raging father and a very angry daughter.

The pub is frequented by the regulars, Peddy ( Drew Valins) who is also a bartender is a very nice peace loving person who likes to resolve every one's conflicts in a calm manner. There is Mary (Una Clancy) who is the town's gossip mongerer and knows all the secrets of every one as if she was an invisible presence at all occasions in every one's life. Una Clancy gives a stunning performance at once serious and hilarious.

Then there is Jane (Natalie Smith) pregnant girl friend of late Jim constantly consoled and loved by Maureen. Mureen has some kind of fetish of kissing the young Parrish Priest, father Michael (Skyler Gallun) who also is attracted towards Maureen and eventually goes for a confession. Of course this is an Irish play, a brilliant one on top of it full of the regular stuff, the pub, the lager, regulars, the gossip and rumors of all kinds with lot of dark humor, balm to the soul of Ireland.

The whole cast is absolutely brilliant. Kathleen Simmond, multi talented Hamilton Clancy, the director/artistic director of Drilling company theater and a powerful presence as an actor are scene stealers. Aiden (Patrick Hart) a handsome young fellow with a beautiful voice is also a heart breaker.At the end there is a surprise.

I throughly enjoyed this play as I enjoy most of the Origin's Ist festival's productions. I actually wait and wait for it's arrival. This year I haven't seen everything because I wasn't around but this is my usual experience.

Whenever I see a production of Origin's Ist show, I say to myself, "Oh! this one is the best" like recently I saw KING and was blown away, then I saw a sweet play brilliantly acted, "BUMBLED" and I said to myself, "Oh!  This one is the best and now, "HERSELF" and I declared to myself, "Oh! dear, this one is the best." I have come to a conclusion that almost every show, every reading, every event in this amazing festival is equally superb.

REVIEWED by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher:artsinternationl.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

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BUMBLED: Part of Origin I st Irish Festival At NY Irish Center

         
                                      Tir Na Theatre presens Bumbled at New York Irish Center                                            

                                                      "Bumbled", written by Bernard McMullan.                                                                 Directed by: Carmel O' Reilly; Performed by Colin Hamell

At the NY Irish center Carmel O'Reilly offers up a stingingly (pun-intended) directed presentation

of a skillfully acted one man performance thanks to the fine, energetic actor Colin Hamell in "Bumbled".

"Bumbled", over one hour plus minutes, give the audience a buzzingly (Pun-intended) smart look at the

 behavior of bees, drones, workers and the queen herself.

Deftly written by Bernard McMullan, "Bumbled" gives us a tour of ourselves. As the bumbled bee

actor Colin Hamell who is dressed just like a bee himself take us on a tour of warning about life.

He first dances up a wiggly-backside jig when the show begin and after a time of humerous tugging

settles furthur into more serious reflections, the plight of bee species itself which seem to have dwindled

world wide over the past many years. Why? How? Is it the canary inside nature's mine- are we being

 warned as a human species?

'Bumbled" is smart. apt reflection in lots of ways making it more than just a spoonful of honey.

Colin Hamell is blessed with the ability of  doing all kinds of accents and display his huge talent full of 

  humor and empathy while narrating the international bee festival in Ireland. He is so incredibly funny

    that the audience on first night of his performance were roaring throug out with  sudden bursts of

    laughter.

A brilliant and extremely enjoyable performance, well directed and well lit.

Run to catch the remaining performances. It's great fun to watch the talented Colin Hamell.

Reviewed by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA 

Editor/Publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

cell:212-260-6207

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Fishamble: The new Play Company presents KING at 59E59

 Fishamble: The New Play Company presents: Origin I st Irish Festival

"KING" at 59E59

Written and Performed byPat Kinevane

Directed by Jim Culleton.              Lighting design: Pius McGrath  Choreographers: Kristina Chaloir and Julian Brigatti                                                                       

In a dim and shadowy room appears a mesmerizing figure who is totally absorbed doing Tango and

wrapped around his troubled memories of the past, of his father, his school days and of his cherished grandmother. His grandmother named him Luther after Martin Luther King who was her hero.

His grand mother used to tell him," that the pain and oppression of the Irish and black people is the samebut now we are free."

Luther is very bitter about the history of Ireland and the occupation and maltreatment by the British.

It also makes him think how like Ireland he had been mistreated and abused many times by many

people and circumstanes but he keeps doing his Tango and keep dancing. Keep seeing light in the dark.

He is hopeful and is getting ready for a big night full of fun, dancing and of bright light of hope and

 promise.

His mind races and struggles with his past memories in a stream of consciousness manner which

combines incredible sadness and humor.

He often relates to the audience in a very intimate manner making believe as if they are part of the show.

I loved that sense of intimacy.

But his sharp humor and his Tango is the saving grace for his non-stop racing stream of memories and

wonder.  At one point he says, "I am mad but people who claim they are not mad are lethal."

It's mysteriously vague if he had been in mental institution some time ago and now recalling the time in 

a ward, the nurse and his difficult thought process like water flowing and not flowing at the same time.

But now he lives alone in a single room by himself and his present occupation is overflowing memories

 entangled in his most favorite occupation whic is the Tango and Pat Kinevane can do that Tango in a

fast and furious manner lit by beautiful and ominous and haunting lights by Pius Magrath.

It's the best lighting design particularly for this show, enhanced by the voice of Tango instructor, Jose

 Miguel Jimenez.

Pat Kinevane is an extremely versatile performer with booming voice which has a lot of range all

the way from a scary shout to a melodiously soft whisper which takes your breath away. He is

 agile, dramatic and stunningly captivating.

It's another fantastic production by the most wonderful Fishamble.

There are more fascinating plays in this amazing festival, Origin's 1st Irish festival is one of the best theater festival in NYC right now, The plays and readings are happening at many venues such as Cell theater, Irish arts center Ny Irish arts center in Queens, Irish historical society, 59E59 st and lasting till April 29. Plays are from Ireland as well by local Irish American playwrights/directors/muscians.

It's my most favorite theater festival and I am always excited for it's arrival and have been covering it for the last couple of years and it's such a delight to encounter the poetry and music and passion and humor and many other jewels and gems in such marvelous work of art. Don't miss it, still one more week left for you to treat yourselves.

Reviewed

by

BINA SHARIF

ATCA

Editor/Publisher:artsinernational.blogspot.com

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Cell:212-260-6207

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This review is also posted on www.facebook.com/hidramas

THE LOOK OF LOVE AT BAM

 "THE LOOK OF LOVE" at BAM

An Evening of Dance to the Music of Burt Bacharach

Choregraphy by Mark Morris

Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble

Lighting Design by Nicole Pearce.

Costume Design by Isaac Mizrahi

THE LOOK OF LOVE

A full enthsiastic house happily witnessed a choriographic musical medley of Bacharach's excellence.

Marcy Harriell's powerful and melodious singing elevated the retro songs such as, "Do You Know The

 Way to San Hose" "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head, "What The World Needs Now" by way

of her soaring magical voice. Her Stupendous singing is a superb interpretation of Hal David's lyrics.

The movements of colorful, playful and highly energetic dancer choreographed by the most brilliant

Mark Morris that accompanied each song skillfully and gracefully reflected the idea of each one.

The dance is set to the enthralling songs by the legendary Bacharach with new arrangements by

Ethan Iverson and it's a perfect match.

Morris uses these songs which adds pure joy of feeling of love. The whole dance is about love, love

 found, love's incredible heat and energy which also fades at times into cold rain, again seeking the

 warmth of love. Love is the thing which matters in this marvelous combination of love songs and the

 dancers incorporating the feel of love in their arms, knees, long legs and rhytmic movements.

Lovers come together, they embrace, they part, they move away, they find new lovers, they carry folding

 chairs, create a new area for new love,  play withe colorful cushions as if they were their intimate

 companions, a source of love and comfort and surprising heart break some times but the flow of love

 continue to sooth the senses and the colorful costumes of orange, red, purple, light olive green, and

 yellow by Isaac Mizrahi add so much to the feel of love that one almost want to fall in love with some

 one in that auditorium.

The beautiful lighting design by Nicole Pearce is effective and matters a lot in The Look Of Love.

All the songs were delicious but I loved, "Walk By" Just a walking dance was amazing, the walk on

 some road might take you to many optimistic choices, one might be the pursuit of love?

And I also throughly enjoyed, "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head." Dancers danced like the rain

 drops of water with their arms raised and their palms up as if they were trying to catch a few drops and

 all of a sudden the lightining flashes surprise them with some unexpected anguish.

"The Look Of Love" is a marvel.

Reviewed by Bina Sharif

Editor/publisher:artsinternational.blogspot.com

Member of ATCA

email:binashariff@gmail.com

Cell:212-260-6207

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

Corps Extremes at BAM

Choreographed by Rachid Ouramdane

Video: Jean-Camille Goimard

Music: Jean-Baptiste Julien

Chaillot- Theatre national de la Danse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 am so, so...

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

extremes of your desires.

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

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

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

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

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

REVIEWED by BINA SHARIF - Member of ATCA

Editor/publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

mobile: 212-260-6207

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

HOW TO BE A DANCER IN 72, 000 EASY LESSONS

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

Directed By Rachel Poirier and Adam Silverman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REVIEWED

By

BINA SHARIF

ATCA MEMEBER

Editor/Publisher: artsinternational.blogspot.com

Email: binashariff@gmail.com

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