ORIGIN 1st IRISH THEATRE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

                                   ORIGIN 1st IRISH THEATRE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
   
                       London Assurance                                                           Scourge

                                       
                                                               Round Room

ORIGIN 1st Irish Theatre festival just ended after it's glorious one month run in various venues
in Manhattan, queens and long Island. This is not only a fascinating theatre festival but a very important one as well.  We are fortunate to see wonderful original productions of new and raw
materials by aspiring writers, directors, designers and actors from all over Ireland and from the world.
How fortunate for us to be dealt with such a treat.

I wasn't able to catch everything the festival offered but the plays I saw were deeply engrossing
and left an impression with me that the most important thing in life beside having good health is the
arts in all its form and especially theater.  Some time you don't know what to expect and then you live with the beauty, the revelation about something scary, something mesmerizing and even painful and you leave the space with a different mind set which enhances your own sensibility, your own inner
beauty and sorrow.  And the shows I saw dealt with all that.

I saw the ROUND ROOM by HONOR MOLLOY, not only a superb playwright but a wonderful
poet as well.  Her play takes place in the wards and corridors of a maternity hospital ROTUNDA HOSPITAL in DUBLIN and its about the childbirth of various women mostly poor and desperate over the Centuries. Molloy was very fortunate to have extremely talented actresses who in a limited studio space and the production which is in development process made us forget that this is work in progress and is as good as any finished product in any theater big or small.  The space was perfectly used and there were movements as fluid as a dance.

The highlight of ROUND ROOM was also SUSAN McKEOWN,  grammy award winner Irish singer
and songwriter who had the voice of a nightingale who provoke sensations of stirring ancient times gone by and its pain, sorrows and regret in a dirge like sensation which gave me the chills.  I am still hearing her.  I am so thrilled to know that Molloy won the award for the best playwright.
I would like to see this production again a few more times.

Another highly recommended, profoundly moving and touching the depth of your soul play was
SCOURGE written and acted by MICHELLE DOOLEY-MAHON produced by Wexford arts
and Irish Rep.  The play is about the relationship of mothers and daughters at the times when both need each other.  In SCOURGE, which is about Michelle's own life story about her mother
being in the nursing home with dementia for seven years where the daughter diligently and with great tenderness takes care of her.  The mother never moves ore talk and the daughter feed her, changes her clothes, and put her to bed.  She has all the patience to do this great deal with affection for seven years.
Michelle Dooley Mahon is one of the most brave actress and writer who opens her soul and heart for us and we feel everything she is going through all along. It created lots of pain in my own heart because my own mother passed in an other country oceans apart...without me.
The play is amazingly directed by BEN BARNES, a highly imaginative director from ABBEY TEATER.  I love his concept of using a doll as the mother figure and the tenderness which the actress showed to deal with it was extremely powerful and touching. I am still thinking about the writing and acting of Michelle.  This is what good theater does for you.  Make you feel, think, laugh and cry.
MICHELLE DOOLEY MAHON won the special Jury prize and I am very happy about it because she really deserved it.

I also saw LONDON ASSURANCE at the IRISH REP directed by incredibly talented CHARLOTTE MOORE.  It's a comedy of manners, a farce very well designed with wonderful period costumes and well acted by the whole cast.  The play was written by DION BOUCICAULT, most prominent playwright of 19th century.  He was also an actor and a director.  London Assurance was produced
at Covent Garden in 1841.
The play is about the upper classes with all their spoiled dissatisfaction with life and the wonderful
things they have.  It deal with identity confusion, romance, mystery, intrigue, love triangles and perfect resolutions which work for every one at the end.  It was throughly enjoyable.

The whole ensemble was good but I particularly liked Rachel Pickup as Lady Gay Spanker and  Colin McPhillamy as Sir Harcourt Courtly.  Rachel Pickup got the best actress award, a great choice.
Charlotte Moore won the best director and the play got the best design as well.

I just can't go away without mentioning the most heart wrenching film called NUALA about
Nuala O'Faolain, a great writer who became very well known all over with her memoir, ARE YOU SOMEBODY?. The film is beautifully shot and is immaculately narrated by Marion Finucane,
a radio show host and a childhood friend of Nuala. Once you see this film you will never be able to forget it. A MUST SEE.
 WRITTEN
 by
BINA SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell: 212-260-6207
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NUALA--A LIFE AND DEATH PRESENTED BY ORIGIN IST IRISH FESTIVAL

NUALA--A LIFE AND DEATH, AN AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED BY ORIGIN IST IRISH FESTIVAL

A multi award winning documentary film about Nuala O'Faolain, an intellectual, novelist, literature professor, newspaper columnist and the New York Times best selling memoirist.
Her memoire, ARE YOU SOMEBODY?  made her an international celebrity and sold millions of copies and after that she wrote three more books including two novels.

Nuala 0' Faolain was born in a catholic house hold and had eight siblings.  Terry 0'Sullivan her father, a dashingly handsome philanderer and a playboy was a famous gossip columnist  who neglected his
wife and his children throughout his life and had multiple affairs with younger women.  Her mother developed a lonely
habit of going to the pub and staying there and drinking till she would pass out.
Nuala had a very lonely childhood and out of her loneliness she developed the love of books and of literature.  As a grown woman she had an unconventional life.  Beside being a brilliant woman who was full of life and a literary intellectual force she always felt like an outsider.  She went through the
struggle of painful self discovery and was hungry for love but always looked for it in the wrong places.  She started to have affairs with much older married men, having a glamorous life, going to the parties, drinking and having a lot of sex.  But she was restless and in the desire of seeking what she couldn't find, she kept moving away from most of her relationships eventually. Love was not there for her.

It's such a poignant and sad story that in her defeated effort to seek her father's love the tragic result of never finding it was obvious. She started to drink, her mother passed away of alcoholism and two of her brothers died of the same disease in England. She got a scholarship but it was taken away from her because of her bad behavior but since she was the most capable and brilliant young intellectual she ended up in Oxford. She became a force of nature when she came back.  In her late 50's she published her memoire which became a phenomenon.  She ultimately had a relationship with  another brilliant woman Nell McCafferty for 15 years but moved out of that as well and went to NY where she had her last lover, a lawyer named John with a little daughter from his previous marriage and Nuala had difficulty being with the kid as well.

Film makers of Nuala are Patrick Farrelly and Kate'O Callaghan and they did a great job.
Film is narrated by stunning Marian Finnucane, an RTE talk radio host and a childhood friend of Nuala.  She interviews Nuala's three sisters who are a riot with great Irish humor, there are clippings
and photographs of her family, her interviews after her memoire was published and photos of Nuala who was a beauty.  The movie has very sad moments but amazingly wonderful laughs in it as well but then comes the most tragic part of the movie which made me cry so much when out of the blue Nuala is diagnosed with brain cancer. She doesn't want to go for chemotherapy but decides to get radiation treatment.  She decides to still travel.  She goes to Paris, Madrid, Berlin, New York but eventually decides to come back home,  Then there comes the most moving moment of this tragic documentary when she is interviewed by her friend Marion Finucane's on her radio show.  During her devastating illness she had been extremely brave in dealing with it.  At her radio interview she sadly confess, "Marian,
I don't want more time.  As soon as I heard I am going to die, the goodness went from life."
Her last words in the film are, "I am broken hearted--was loving life, am afraid."

This documentary is one of the best film I have ever come across.  It is so immensely sad, so touching, so brilliantly energetic like Nuala herself and at the end very very tragic.
We also found out at the screening that Marian Finucane, the narrator and Nuala's childhood friend also passed a few weeks before the screening in NY.  I couldn't sleep all night and Nuala's brilliance,  her tragic death and the pain of her loneliness which she felt intensely throughout her life will not leave me soon.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell: 212-260-6207
facebook,com

"FEOS" UNDER THE RADAR AT PUBLIC THEATER

"FEOS"  PART OF UNDER THE RADAR AT PUBLIC THEATER (NOW CLOSE


A story by Mario Benedetti adapted by playwright Guillermo Calderon is a mesmerizing tale
of people who have a strong belief that they do not fit in any society and they don't actually because
they are not the most handsome and pretty  to look at. The word Feos mean, "The ugly ones"

In the beginning we see a number of people standing in line to see a movie. All of a sudden a dim light,  a kind of mysterious shines on a woman standing in the middle of the line and she notices a man standing a few feet behind her.  Their faces are not perfect.  They are disfigured. Their physicality have some kind of relationship with each other.  It's  like when two people meet by an accident of destiny. These hopefuls to find a love life are portrayed by mannequin puppets manipulated by large
human beings  in black, creating a very haunting effect under the brilliant lights designed byJose Luis Cifuentes.

After the movie the nameless man asks the woman if she would join him for a drink at a nearby cafe.
She agrees.  In the cafe they talk mostly about how others might see them and people with disfigurement like theirs can ever have a romantic and sexual relationship?
They speak haltingly but in a frank way and are often interrupted by a very funny waiter who talks about finding a girl friend. Their dialogue mostly consists of their physical appearance.

The scene moves to a bus stop, (I guess she accepts his invitation to go home with him.)
The bus stop scene is very funny.  To take the bus or to get a cab?  Becomes an interesting question.
She offers to pay for the cab...

Next morning is the most amazing scene of them holding each other naked and never uttering a single word.  This show is another high light of under the radar festival.  I  was throughly mesmerized by the ability of puppeteers and the lights and the story. The show is now closed because I saw it on the last day of the festival but will be remembered for a long time to come. Very sensitive, very emotional and very romantic story.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA  SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell:212-260-6207
Facebook.com

"NOT I" BY SAMUEL BECKETT UNDER THE RADAR AT BRICK

"NOT I"
by
SAMUEL BECKETT
AT BRICK, BROOKLYN
PART OF UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL

PERFORMED BY : JESS THOM
DIRECTED BY : MATHEW POUNTNEY

"NOT I" . Is one of the most challenging and complex monologue written by the great playwright
Samuel Beckett.  Beckett's language and his meticulous directions are so precise that it's even hard
for very accomplished actors to follow and Jess Thom ( wonderful performer) has Tourett's Syndrome which is a neurological condition and the person suffering from it can not control verbal
and motor tics, so Thom throughout the 12 minute monologue often incorporate words such as, "Biscuit" to control her verbal tic.  She thumps hard on her chest every time she utters that word without disturbing Beckett's language. The flow of the word, biscuit has a very different speed and once she resumes Beckett's words she resumes the high speed which the monologue requires and the result is absolutely brilliant.  Jess Thom is such a presence and is endowed by special skill and an enormous gift to handle the writing of Beckett which is never completely easy but she is extremely brave in the doing of it . Thom adds such an enormous effect to Beckett's strong and mesmerizing
words.

What a monumental effort for any actor but especially for Jess Thom.  This role written for  Mouth requires vocal, emotional and physical energy and a tremendous  skill and Thom deals with it head on.

The director Mathew Pountney has to be congratulated for trusting the talented Thom and taking a chance and giving us an un-forgivable experience. The performance is also signed for the deaf.

At the talk back after the show Thom revealed that it took her one year to master the role and to reach
the level of vocal speed required by the author.  She has amazing energy, powerful voice and a great sense of humor.  This play should give every actor the hope to surpass all kinds of obstacles in the theater.  Actually not only the play but Jess Thom is the marvelous example to overcome tremendous
odds because of her skill, determination and will power.
"Not I" . is the highlight of under the radar festival.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell:212-260-6207
Facebook.com

TRUTH HAS CHANGED UNDER THE RADAR AT PUBLIC THEATER

TRUTH HAS CHANGED
PART OF UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL
AT PUBLIC THEATER

TRUTH HAS CHANGED is a solo piece written and performed by Josh Fox.  Josh Fox is a documentary film maker and an activist.  His film won an award at the Sundance film festival.
Documentary is called "GASLAND"

Truth has changed is about the misinformation and the propaganda spread by the media, corporations,
politicians and advertisers. Josh Fox focuses on Face book and  Cambridge Analytica and doesn't have any thing nice to say about them. He presents a short film in which Mark Zuckerberg avoids
questions asked by the Congress woman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez.

Truth has changed is extremely dense show.  It starts when the actor was part of a protest against fracking
at the Delaware river when a young student asked a question, "How do we know the truth?"
I guess the student's question was really profound because there are always so many conflicting stories and opinions about all kind of news which eventually become exhausting and one just
gives up.  Mr. Fox's show also has far too much information in it about so many topics such as
fracking, oil spills, 9/11, Iraq war, climate change and 2016 election.

After a while one can't absorb all the disturbing information which we are already familiar with.
It also has racism, corporate greed and a big section is about the digital technology and because
of that all the people in the world are part of a data and no one has any sense of privacy left.

Mr. Fox is a passionate performer but for this show which is more about journalism than real drama
 his passion seems a bit much. There is a long sequence when Mr. Fox starts to dance under an
Umbrella making believe it's raining, like Gene Kelly and it seems over-dramatic.
His intentions are really sincere and its admirable to inform the public about misinformation of all kind but most of us are already suspicious of the information we get about the most serious events happening in the world but perhaps its a good idea to be reminded again even if its very difficult to
handle.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell: 212-260-6207
facebook.com

ANDARES AT THE PUBLIC THEATER:UNDER THE RADAR

ANDARES: PART OF UNDER THE RADAR THEATER FESTIVAL AT THE PUBLIC THEATER

ANDARES is an exploration of the mythic past and difficult present of Indigenous people of Mexico,
created by Makuyeika Collective Teatral and conceived and directed by Hector Flores Komatsu.

ANDARES is performed in a very sensitive and tender manner with song and dance on a bare stage with a very few props such as a few masks, and beautifully colorful ribbons in the shape of a hat/mask. The minimalistic approach to this mythical and ancient fable is very effective.

One by one the performers narrates in a moving manner about their cultural beauty being threatened by the modern contemporary forces of destruction.  There are ancient stories about how gods of fire created peace, calm and beauty which turned into nasty and destructive forces called human beings.

There is a narration about a stag's eyes full of tears and weeping about the memory of the beautiful forest in which he roamed freely  and was his dwelling which is now no more.  That bit was the best part of the show taking us back into the calmness of nature which is turned into cement and steel in
the modern times and even its memory is weeping.  Imagine! how sad the image of that haunting memory can be?

The whole show is spoken in Spanish with very clear super-titles which really helps .
There are tales of parents, grandfathers and animals.  The Mayan culture has as much respect for animals as for the humans and that is very touching. There is also the confusion of a young man
about the power and control of patriarchal society and his recollection of being a male who dresses as female by his deep desire and inclination.

The actors, Jesue Maychi, Domingo Mitangos, Lupe-de-La-Cruz and Guitarist- Raymundo Pavon-Lozano are very effective. The best thing about them is that they are extremely calm and natural
and that makes the whole experience very moving.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA SHARIF
artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell: 212-260-6207
Facebook.com

BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES AT BAM'S NEW WAVE FESTIVAL

                         BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES AT BAM'S NEW WAVE FESTIVAL

Barber shops in many parts of the world especially in Asia and Africa are the regular meeting places

for men.  They can't wait to get there and beside having their hair cut enjoy an amazingly relaxed,

intimate and fun atmosphere where they express themselves freely about all kinds of things dear to

them.

In Inua Ellams's incredibly vibrant production of Barber Shop Chronicles' from London's National

Theater, a big hit which has been traveling in Britain and now in United States is a testimony of the

real barber shops and what takes place there.

This production has the incredible energy of a fast moving traveller without a pause.  The set is vast and fluid, the actors are on  cocaine high energy, they dance, they sing, they laugh, they entertain, they cut hair, they move their barber shop moveable chairs fast and furious to make the play move to
a different location without any other change of scenery and make it absolutely effective.

When the show hasn't begun yet, they actually begin entertaining, welcoming audience members to be part of their play.  They invite them onto the set, they take selfies, they make them sit on their chairs and mime cutting their hair.  A very welcoming and comforting gesture and we the audience members are instantly involved.

The whole company is totally relaxed and are a great fun even when they express many episodes of pain which can give any body a pause but everything is handled with great poetry, song  and movement.

When the show opens, they are in Lagos, Nigeria and its 6am.  A customers knocks and knocks
and wake up the barber and kind of order/request for the finest haircut like a car speeding in a race.
When it comes to pay, he says, "I am short of cash." He gets chased and then let go...

The scene moves to  other locations, like London, and five other cities in Africa.  There is
a clock on the wall which informs us of different time zones and every time the scene changes there
descend a sculpture made of wire and beautifully lit in magenta blue depicting a different part of the globe and the actors move with great energy and thrill with the hip-hop music in the back ground.

The play is not only a dance and the movement piece taking place all over Africa. It's a very deep and complex tale of culture, language, relationships and tradition of the people who live there, who migrated to the West, people who came back, people who never came back but never escaped their past, never forgot their language, never stopped missing their culture and their language.

The amazing thing about the Barber Shop Chronicles' is how easily the customers and their barbers
discuss the intimate stories of their lives.  Them traveling to the foreign countries, their love and lack of love from their fathers, their ambitions and dreams, their unending pain with such humor, with such gossipy feel, with such ease that it's so fluidly and smoothly gets into our consciousness and we feel for them and want to sing and dance with them as well.

The ensemble seems like they are all travelers and where ever they go they take their stories with them and are looking for an audience and the Barber Shop becomes their audience.  It's that intimacy of the same culture and language and customs which make them open up and talk about any thing and everything.

They discuss politics, a must, their leaders, Mandela, a father figure in the culture of missing fathers, they make fun of their language as well as are very proud of it, they talk about going abroad, making a dream come true, escaping their past and realize at the same time that they can never escape anything inherent in their genes.

It seems a heavy play but it's not at all.  That's the beauty of it all.  Incredibly important topics are being talked about, gossiped about, migration is discussed, the difficulties of leaving home, coming back, never coming back, all is being talked about but we never feel the heaviness of all that.  It
never seems like a serious tragic loss.  The greatest success of this play is that with the serious depth of its complexity it's the most fun, fast and furious play in its entirety.

There is a very funny sequence about how in the West the importance of time has been valued, how every bit of time has its own schedule but in Africa when one is supposed to arrive at 1pm, it's normal to arrive at 3pm.  How true that is in South East Asia as well. People are surprised when anything starts on time.

Barber shop is superbly directed byBijan Sheibani and the movement director, Aline David has done
a great job. A wire model of earth lit in a blue light and suspended from above is by genius, Rae Smith.

REVIEWED
BY
BINA SHARIF

artsinternational.blogspot.com
binashariff@gmail.com
Cell: 212-260-6207
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