The Crucible

The Crucible

Walter Kerr Theatre

March 12, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Crucible

Director Ivo Van Hove exceeds all expectations with the Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible.  His concept transcends all time periods and illuminates Mr. Miller’s intention by transferring its relevance to our present day struggles.  The structure of the script and majesty of the words are magnified under his direction.  The cast is superb.  They are viscerally connected to the material and one another.  They draw the audience in for the totality of the experience.

Saoirse Ronan & Ben Whishaw
Photo courtesy of The Crucible

Ben Whishaw’s portrayal of John Proctor is honest, bold, and stark.  His chemistry with Saoirse Ronan’s Abigail Williams is electric.  Ms. Ronan’s character manipulates the events of the play with a captivating confidence and composure.  This makes tangible what Elizabeth Proctor declares to her husband, that there exists an unspoken “promise” made during intimate acts between a man and a woman.  Sophie Okonedo brings a new dimension to Elizabeth Proctor that rings true.  Her performance reverberates with a deeper level of Arthur Miller’s subtext.  Bill Camp is remarkable as Reverend Hale.  There is a gradual peeling away of his understanding of the events, which causes a clearly motivated transition in his conviction.  The devastating effect this has on his ego and belief system is blatantly expressed.  Jason Butler Harner authentically reveals a vulnerable, petty, and insecure side of Reverend Paris that clearly illustrates the kind of unrest that exists within a community in order to justify the extreme reaction the events generate.  Tavi Gevinson is wildly constrained as Mary Warren.  Ciaran Hinds commands the stage as Deputy Governor Danford.  

Photo Courtesy of The Crucible
at the Walter Kerr Theatre

The design of the production is powerful.  The play preaches black and white issues, good vs. evil, God and the devil.  There are no grey areas in these debates, yet the design is all shades of grey.  The scenic design, by Jan Versweyveld, is a unit set that evokes a classroom from the 1950s with hints and accents from earlier decades as well as the present.  The costume design, by Wojciech Dziedzic, also transcends time period with disheveled catholic school girl uniforms, conventional overcoats, and unrestricted trousers.  The lighting, also designed by Mr. Versweyveld, allows the space to change as the sun rises through the windows, birds swarm and disperse, and the devil blows in from the outside.  The original score by Philip Glass enhances every moment, whether it be intimate or jarring.

Ivo Van Hove’s work needs to be experienced first-hand.  You need to sit in the theatre and hear how words suddenly have a different meaning when heard within his context.  He has an uncanny ability to strip down distraction so that every word of the playwright has a strong and clear purpose.  In this production there are a few jaw-dropping images that encapsulate bold thematic messages: a homogenous classroom, a young girl floating in midair, a wolf crossing the stage and staring out at the audience.  You must see it yourself to feel the powerful impact of his work. 

Domenick Danza

Angel Reapers

Angel Reapers

Signature Theatre

The Pershing Square Signature Center

March 6, 2016

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Angel Reapers is a collaborative project between Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry presently running at Signature Theatre’s Pershing Square Signature Center.  When you enter the theatre, you are on the set, which is a Shaker Meeting House.  Ladder back chairs are sporadically placed, and one male character is seated in meditation.  Right away you sense this experience is going to be unique and intimate.  With equal seating on two sides of the playing area, you are ready to be drawn into the lifestyle, worship, and beliefs of the Shaker community.  The next hour and ten minutes does not disappoint, yet the experience is not as uplifting as you would hope.

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

One by one the characters enter the meeting house dressed in identical costumes that remind you of the Amish or Puritans.  You get a sense of some individuality by their walk and pace.  After an interval of silence, a joyful laugh spreads from character to character.  This leads to song (The Shaker Hymn, “Simple Gifts”) and a sharing of the belief and rules they live by.  The story is told through movement, song, and short snippets of dialogue and monologue that offer insight into what makes this community strong.  You also find that they are united not only in their beliefs and joy of a simple life, but in their shame and isolation.

Photo courtesy of Signature Theatre

Ms. Clarke’s movement patterns are structured and rhythmic.  The staccato stomping and clapping is counterbalanced by sweeping, graceful movement illustrating the dichotomy of the community’s lifestyle.  The ensemble carefully creates unity and conformity while offering brief glimpses into their individuality.  This is the wonder of the piece.  You get an almost desperate sense of their underlying need for personal connection, while getting an even stronger sense of fulfillment in compliance.  It is when you see two characters ostracized and banished for breaking away that you gain another layer of understanding of the fear that keeps them together.

In this production Martha Clarke offers a visceral insight into the lives of the Shaker community.  It is simple, yes, but hardly joyous.  Angel Reapers has been extended through March 20.

 

Domenick Danza

Boy

Boy

Keen Company

The Clurman Theatre / Theatre Row

February 27, 2016

Photo courtesy of Keen Company

Keen Company is partnering with Ensemble Studio Theatre to present the world premiere of Boy, written by Anna Ziegler.  Based on true events, the script brings to light the nature vs. nurture debate with the respect to gender.  The action of the play takes place between 1968 and 1990.  This well constructed script is sensitively directed by Linsey Firman and brings a proven perspective on the topic of gender identity.

After the botched circumcision of one of their twin boys, Sam (played by Bobby Steggert) is raised as a girl, Samantha.  He/She is treated and studied by Dr. Wendell Barnes (played by Paul Niebanck), who believes that gender roles can be nurtured.  When Samantha’s parents (played by Heidi Armbruster and Ted Koch) realize that the strong rejection of the imposed gender is proof that this theory is wrong, they decide to reverse their decision.  The play is an emotional chronicle of struggle, betrayal, and facing the truth.

Bobby Steggert is honest and subtle in his portrayal of the main character.  We see him play him/her from age six through twenty-three.  His range and transitions are strong and smooth.  He is matched by Rebecca Rittenhouse, who plays his love interest at age 23.  Her performance is genuine and her character is filled with a pragmatic level of heart and hope.  Paul Niebanck, Heidi Armbruster, and Ted Koch all play their characters’ objectives with a strong commitment that allows their points of view to be clearly voiced and understood. 

Linsay Firman’s direction finds the right balance that permits the science and emotion of this play to reverberate without bias.  Anne Ziegler’s writing provides strong evidence for heated debate on the topic of gender identity.  Sandra Goldmark’s set design clearly reflects the theme of duality that turns the world of the characters upside down.

Boy runs through April 9 at the Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row.  It is a well-produced play on a controversial topic that is well worth seeing. 

Domenick Danza

What’s Your Wish?

What’s Your Wish?

Thicket &Thistle

Access Theatre Space

February 26, 2016

Photo courtesy of Thicket & Thistle

Thicket and Thistle celebrated a short run of their production of What’s Your Wish? at the Access Theater space on February 26 and 27.  You might have seen this show at the NY Fringe Festival in August 2016.  It is funny, bright, refreshing, and endearing.  This performance truly achieves the company’s mission to “strive to surprise and delight, to enchant and enlighten… to challenge audiences to break down the 4^th wall and meet the performers half way.” 

It is Nicholas’ sixteenth birthday.  He is very saddened that he did not get the car he wanted.  Instead he got an heirloom watch and an enchanted book.  Nicholas and his best friend, Brian, are sucked into the book when they reluctantly open it and begin reading.  The only way back to the real world is to go through the death forest and ask the Enchantress to grant their wish.  The show is a grown-up musical tale about friendship, truth, disappointment, and sacrifice. 

The cast of What's Your Wish?
Photo courtesy of Thicket & Thistle

The ensemble is amazing.  Kyle Acherson and Sam DeRoest have great chemistry and authenticity as best friends Nicholas and Brian.  Joshua Stenseth is charming and hysterical as Nicholas’ Step-Dad and Old Vern.  Corley Pillsbury doubles as Nicholas’ Mom and the Enchantress.  Both characters are playfully intense.  Lindsay Zaroogian shows her broad range as Nicholas’ younger, goth sister and the optimistic fairy.  Not only does each cast member play an instrument throughout the performance (guitar, flute, mandolin, accordion, and kazoo), but they are part of the creative team who collaboratively wrote and composed the show along with Director, Jonathan Eric Foster and Producer / Managing Director, Sarah George.  Mr. Foster’s directing and staging is sharp and witty. 

Unfortunately, this was a short, one-weekend run.  Check Thicket and Thistle’s webpage and Facebook page for upcoming performance dates of What’s Your Wish?  Keep your eyes on this company.  They are doing unique and great work! 

  

Domenick Danza

Fun Home

Fun Home

Circle in the Square

February 17, 2016

Photo courtesy of Fun Home

Fun Home is an emotional journey of growing up and facing life’s hidden truths. It is a tender and realistic view of the world at that time in life when certain truths that have been held back are brought out into the open.  It is the emotional triumph when you make sense of it all and are able to face life with hope and truer sense of yourself.  These are very big statements to make about a Broadway musical, yet to sit in the theatre and experience the lives of the characters unfold in a multi-dimensional manner is rare.  The story itself, based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, is funny, honest, and moving.  The book and lyrics by Lisa Kron are bold and riveting.  The music by Jeanine Tesori engulfs and engages you in the dichotomy of both the whimsy and stark realities of the characters and situation.

Beth Malone & Micheal Cerveris
Photo courtesy of Fun Home

The main character, Alison (played by Beth Malone), tell us in the first scene that she and her dad (played by Michael Cerveris) are gay and that he killed himself by stepping out in front of a speeding truck.  That very tragic proclamation is quickly forgotten as you follow the playful antics of Alison (played by Gabriella Pizzolo as a child) and her two brothers (played by Zell Stelle Morrow and Oscar Williams).  She comes out while in college (played at that age by Lauren Patten) and begins to face the darker truths of her family life.  The fact that we simultaneously see Alison played by three actors at specific phases of her life combined with the amazing writing and emotional score allows the story to peel away and be revealed one layer at a time.   This gives the

Judy Kuhn & Sydney Lucas (original cast)
Photo courtesy of Fun Home

perspective of Alison’s memory a dominant role in the narrative as facts open up and then folds back in non-chronological order.   The most heart-rending moment is by Judy Kuhn as Alison’s mother in the song “Days and Days.”  It is a courageous confession of the disappointments in her marriage and the hopes for her daughter.  Ms. Kuhn delivers it flawlessly.

The set design by David Zinn and lighting design by Ben Stanton are phenomenal.  The flow from one moment to the next is conceived and conveyed brilliantly.  The design is in the scheme as set pieces and furniture rise up from beneath the floor, then descend to reappear on the other side of the stage.  They utilize the capacity

Photo courtesy of Fun Home

and technology of the space with carefully crafted expertise.

Everything you heard and read about Fun Home is true.  It is sure to be running for a long while, yet don’t put off seeing it.  It is a work of theatre that needs to be experienced first-hand. 

Domenick Danza

Pericles

Pericles

Theatre for a New Audience

February 18, 2016

Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

Pericles is presently previewing at Theatre for a New Audience.  The production is magnificently directed by Trevor Nunn.  It brandishes richly designed costumes by Constance Hoffman and whimsically composed music and song by Shaun Davey.  It is written that this play was a collaborative work between William Shakespeare and George Wilkes.  George Wilkes is believed to have written about half the script, yet Shakespeare was given full credit when it was first published in 1609.  This production is a must see for any Shakespeare scholar or enthusiast, or anyone looking to embark on a daring adventure.

The Cast of Pericles with Director, Trevor Nuinn
Photo courtesy fo Theatre for a New Audience

Pericles, King of Tyre (played by Christian Camargo) seeks the hand of King Antiochus’ daughter (played by Sam Morales).  In order to win her hand, he has to answer a riddle.  When he realizes the riddle points to proof of incest between the King and his impending bride, he embarks on a sea journey to escape retribution.  This extensive journey leads to a number of perilous adventures, including his meeting Thaisa (played by Gia Crovatin), who he later weds.  On his return voyage to Tyre, Thaisa dies in childbirth.  Stricken with grief, he leaves the infant, Marina, in the care of trusted fiends Cleon (played by Will Swenson) and Dionyza (played by Nina Hellman).  The final act is the poignant journey to reunification.

The play is narrated in verse and song by poet and storyteller, Gower (wonderfully played by Raphael Nash Thompson).  The tale he weaves contains tempests, pirates, a burial at sea, far off exotic lands, and noblemen and kings.  Nothing is left out of this adventure.  The entire cast is phenomenal.  The overall mood of the play is light, yet when tragic events happen, they are serious, real, and heartfelt.

Pericles opens at Theatre for a New Audience on February 25 in downtown Brooklyn.  Put it on your must see list!

Photo courtesy of Theatre for a New Audience

Domenick Danza

Blackbird

Blackbird

Belasco Theatre

February 17, 2016

Photo courtesy of Blackbird

I wanted to see Blackbird when I first received an advertisement in the mail.  It is starring Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams.  When I took my seat at the theatre and chatted with the person next to me, I realized that I knew nothing about the play or the playwright, David Harrower.  My expectations were high because of the stars, so I allowed myself to experience the unknown.  The writing is bold, suspenseful, and emotionally engaging.  The play is riveting and jaw-dropping. 

Photo courtesy of Blackbird

Jeff Daniel’s character is visited by Michelle Williams’ character at his workplace at the end of a long day.  Their history has caused him great agitation.  After about twenty minutes it is revealed.  He gains some sense of composure, which makes her nervous.  The back and forth of power continues until they each have moments of revelation and brutal honesty in two intense and superbly delivered monologues where they face their truths and fears.  The questions remain: Which is truth and which is fear?  Who is the predator and who is the prey?

Joe Montello brilliantly directs this skillfully crafted, intricate play.  Michelle Williams amazingly creates a quirky, concise, bold, and fragile character.  Jeff Daniels commands the stage with frailties and determination.  Each character gains control at different times during the performance, revealing the depth of their complexities.  The set, designed by Scott Pask, and lighting, by Brian MacDevitt, is stark, raw, and realistic… and just right.

Presently in previews, Blackbird opens on March 10 and runs for only seventeen weeks.  Get a ticket immediately!  I recommend going into the theatre not knowing the details and circumstances of the plot.  The experience will shock and enthrall you! 

Domenick Danza