Theatre
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All My Sons at Barrington Stage
Old Men Send Young Men to War for Profit
By: - Jul 23rd, 2012All My Sons, 1947, by Arthur MIller is on the short list of Great American plays. Currently Barrington Stage, under artistic director, Julianna Boyd is presenting a compelling, meticulously crafted production with a top notch cast. It is hardly what one would call light summer entertainment.
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Far from Heaven Williamstown Theatre Festival
Gorgeous New Musical Not Far from Off Broadway
By: - Jul 22nd, 2012The world premiere of Far From Heaven, a musical at the Williamstown Theatre Festival through July 29 is truly celestial. It has been adapted with a book by Richard Greenberg, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie based on the 2002 film written and directed by Todd Haynes. The WTF production, directed by Michael Greif featured stunning leading roles by Kelli O'Hara and Brandon Victor Dixon. In 2013 it is headed for New York's Playwrights Horizon. See it now if you can get a ticket.
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Morgenstern and Baxter at Anthony Greaney Gallery
Queer Performance Moves Critic to Tears
By: - Jul 20th, 2012I don’t think I’ve ever cried during a piece of performance art, however. That changed during the July First Friday openings on Thayer Street when recent MFA Museum School grads Hayley Morgenstern and Creighton Baxter performed their graduate thesis piece “It Might Get Better†at the Anthony Greaney Gallery. I hadn’t seen such coruscating queer performance art since I left San Francisco in 2003.
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ArtsEmerson Announces Additional Shows
Third Season of Boston Theatre
By: - Jul 20th, 2012After two critically-acclaimed seasons of programming from all over the world, ArtsEmerson announced eight productions for its third theatre season several months ago, with the promise of more. Today, ArtsEmerson announced four additional productions for the 2012-2013 Season, with a promise of still more to come in the “Stay Tuned†roster over the coming months.
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John Douglas Thompson on Iceman Cometh
Taking Time from Rehearsing Satchmo to Discuss O'Neill
By: - Jul 20th, 2012Currently, John Douglas Thompson is rehearsing the new Terry Teachout play Satchmo at the Waldorf at Shakespeare & Company. He took a break to edit a dialogue about his roles in The Emperor Jones and Iceman Cometh which we saw at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. His views on Eugene O'Neill are a part of a series of dialogues about his roles that started with Othello four years ago at S&Co. This is the first of a two part report.
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Tod Randolph in Cassandra Speaks
A Hit for Shakespeare & Company
By: - Jul 19th, 2012Because of her syndicated newspaper columns and radio broadcasts, in 1939, Dorothy Thompson was recognized by Time magazine as the second most influential woman in America next to Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1931 she was the first American to interview Adolph Hitler. By 1934 her Cassandra like dispatches led to her being dispelled from Germany. The one woman play by Norman Plotkin, starring Tod Randolph, conveys her in 1943 on the day of her third marriage.
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Leslie Kritzer at Barrington Stage July 30
Kritzer Sings Jule Styne with Vadim Feichtner
By: - Jul 18th, 2012Barrington Stage Company presents the return of Broadway’s Leslie Kritzer in Hello, Gorgeous! Leslie Kritzer Sings Jule Styne, with music director Vadim Feichtner, on Monday, July 30 at 7pm on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union Street.
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Turgenev's A Month in the Country at Williamstown Theatre Festival
Radical Plans by Director/Translator Richard Nelson
By: - Jul 18th, 2012Visitors to the final Main Stage production of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, A Month in the Country, August 1 to 19, should expect the unexpected. Director Richard Nelson who worked on a translation of the Turgenev play with Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is planning a spare, minimalist, radical production that reflects the revolutionary impact of the Russian masterpiece which was written in 1850.
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A Class Act at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn
A Sidebar to Chorus Line at the Colonial Theatre
By: - Jul 16th, 2012In 1976 the team of Marvin Hamlish, music and Edward Kleban, lyrics won the 1976 Tony Award for the score of A Chorus Line. Currently that show is a hit for the Colonial Theatre. On the Unicorn Theatre stage of Berkshire Theatre Group is a vest pocket, thrifty production of the musical A Class Act, assembled posthumously, which focuses on the neurotic life and failed ambitions of Kleban. It fleshes out the history of a gifted and enigmatic theatrical genius. The shows are best seen in tandem.
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Jenny Gersten Discusses Williamstown Theatre Festival
Mid-Semester Report Card of Her Second Season
By: - Jul 14th, 2012This week the Williamstown Theatre Festival opens its second of three plays on the Main Stage. With the second of four now running on the Nikos Stage, artistic director Jenny Gersetn is at the mid point of a seven play season. We asked about her second season as artistic director of WTF? How does she plan a program and manage some 300 individuals on the Williams College campus? She surprised us by saying that it takes "muscles."
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Last of the Red Hot Lovers Sizzles at WTF
Jessica Stone Directs Neil Simon Comedy
By: - Jul 13th, 2012In a brilliant romp, a Williamstown Theatre Festival favorite son, Brooks Ashmanskas, has returned in the first ever WTF production of a Neil Simon comedy, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, from the peak of the sexual revolution in 1969. This is also the 8th season for Jessica Stone at WTF and her second time as a director. She made her directorial debut in 2010 with a smash hit of the Steven Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with the twist of an all male cast.
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Cast for A Month in the Country at WTF
Turgenev Play Runs August 1 to 19
By: - Jul 11th, 2012The cast has been announced for the final main stage production of the Williamstown Theatre Festival season. A Month in the Country by Ivan Turgenev will be directed by Richard Nelson who also worked on a new translation of the Russian drama. It opens on August 1 and continues through August 19.
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Olympia Dukakis in The Tempest at S&Co
July 19 - August 19 in the Tina Packer Playhouse
By: - Jul 09th, 2012Artistic director Tony Simotes will direct his former teacher, Olympia Dukakis in The Tempest at Shakespeare & Company. The Tempest runs from July 19th through August 19th in S&Co.’s newly renamed Tina Packer Playhouse. There is a 40% discount for Berkshire residents and many other affordable options.
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Boffo A Chorus Line at Berkshire Theatre Group
Through July 21 a Heart Wrenching Barn Burner
By: - Jul 08th, 2012With the deft direction of Eric Hill, and the fabulous choreography of Gerry McIntyre, Berkshire Theatre Group is staging a terrific production of Michael Bennett's ground breaking, 1975 musical , A Chorus Line. This is the thrilling Berkshire summer sensation we've all been waiting for. Don't miss this one.
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Randy Harrison at the Colonial August 20
QWAN (Quality Without a Name) presents SWAN!!! and NOTES!!!
By: - Jul 06th, 2012QWAN (Quality Without a Name) presents SWAN!!! and NOTES!!! at Berkshire Theatre Group’s The Colonial Theatre on August 20 at 7:30pm featuring Christian Coulson, Jack Ferver, Jenn Harris, Randy Harrison, Phillip Taratula and Matthew Wilkas
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7th Monarch by Jim Henry in NY Run
Theatre Row’s Acorn Theatre Through September 9
By: - Jul 06th, 2012Despite 7th Monarch’s familiar storyline, seen all too often on the stage, TV, and at the movies, and a couple quirky disclosures stretched to the outer limits of believability by Chicago based playwright Jim Henry, my eyes and ears, as well as those of my date du jour, were riveted to the stage as we watched, what is something of a who done it and was it done at all, unfold bit by bit.
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Celebrating La MaMa’s 50th Anniversary Season
The Etiquette of Death A Community Project
By: - Jul 06th, 2012What better way to celebrate La MaMa’s 50th Anniversary season than to round up a gaggle of actors and writers, assemble a musical play about death, get Ridiculous Theatre legend Everett Quinton and choreographer Julie Atlas Muz, former Miss Coney Island and Miss Exotic World, to co-direct it, hire a 7 piece orchestra led by Jeremy X. Halpern, and return them to the Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa where not a few of them have been treading the boards for decades.
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Blythe Danner Returns to Williamstown in The Blue Deep
World Premiere by Lucy Boyle
By: - Jul 04th, 2012The Blue Deep, a world premiere by Lucy Boyle, is selling out on the intimate Nikos Stage of the Williamstown Theatre Festival mostly through the mega watt star power of a legendary alumna Blythe Danner. In a return after a long absence she is as stunning and sensational as ever. But is she enough to carry a new work that needs drastic revisions before a when and if next production.
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Debra Jo Rupp's Dr. Ruth at Barrington Stage
Mark St. Germain's Hit Returns Through October 7
By: - Jul 01st, 2012The world premiere of Dr. Ruth All the Way sold out its initial run at Barrington Stage Company. With some sharpening by playwright Mark St. Germain the one woman show starring Debra Jo Rupp returns to Pittsfield through October 7. Catch it while you can.
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WTF’s Gangsta The Importance of Being Earnest
David Hyde Pierce’s Direction is Wilde
By: - Jun 29th, 2012For the opening of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, artistic director Jenny Gersten has rolled out the heavy artillery. In only his second venture at directing Emmy and Tony winning actor David Hyde Pierce is offering a Guys and Dolls spin on the classic Oscar Wilde comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. The Emmy and Tony winning Tyne Daly is a spot on Lady Bracknell who, amazingly, is upstaged by the fabulous Marylouise Burke as the hilarious Miss Prim.
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Shakespeare & Company 35th Season
Special Events in Celebration
By: - Jun 28th, 2012As part of the celebrations for its 35th Season, Shakespeare & Company is pleased to introduce a series of presentations and events tailored to its summer performance season. Engaging discussions, riveting talks, and insightful Q&A’s will all be featured in the Company’s packed calendar of special events. For more information on all of Shakespeare & Company’s special 35th Season offerings, including Founders’ Talks, Author! Author!, Tuesday Talks, Wednesday Q&A’s, Behind the Scenes Tours, and other special events.
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A Tyne Daly Speed Date
Going Wilde at Williamstown Theatre Festival
By: - Jun 26th, 2012During a remarkably rich and enduring career Tyne Daly has been known for playing strong women from a cop in TV's seminal Cagney and Lacey to a Tony Award winning Mama Rose in the great musical Gypsy. Revealing her discipline and versatility she is appearing in the witty Oscar Wilde comedy The Importance of Being Earnest at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
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American Theatre Critics Association Meets in Chicago
Exploring the Arts and Architecture of the Second City
By: - Jun 25th, 2012During ten days in Chicago we saw seven plays with five of them as delegates to the annual conference of the American Theatre Critics Association. We arrived early for Iceman Cometh at Goodman and The March at Steppenwolf. As well as time to visit the Art Institute of Chicago, Millenium Park, and take a river architectural tour.
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Paul Zindel Returns to Broadway
The Longview Theater Revives the Reardon Family
By: - Jun 24th, 2012Playwright Zindel grew up in Staten Island. His father left home early. Zindel wrote often and movingly about the consequences of his departure. And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little is a lively take on what happened.
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Dennis Krausnick Masterful as King Lear
Stunning Production by Shakespeare & Company
By: - Jun 24th, 2012Some 35 years ago Dennis Krausnick was a founding member of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox. His involvement with King Lear began fifteen years ago when he directed a production starring Olympia Dukakis who returns this summer with The Tempest. He has been performing Lear on the road and returns home with an astonishing performance in a triumphant production.
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