OK Art Scene and Hurd

Sherif Lotfy as Professor Aman translates for Oscar Jaimez as Elliot Ortiz in “Water by the Spoonful” Photo courtesy of Jewel Box Theatre.

“Water by the Spoonful” is the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winning play by Quiara Alegria Hudes being presented at Jewel Box Theatre under the direction of Isaiah J. Williams.  The show moves fluidly from chat room scenes to real world meetings.  In many scenes the characters who are all members of a support group for crack cocaine addiction are shown in solitude as they type away in their chat room.  These characters share a common… Continue reading →

Cast of “Gilligan’s Island: The Musical From left, Doug Carlton as Thurston Howell III, Denise Hughes as Lovey Howell, Jim Clark as the Professor, Lance Overdorff as the Skipper, Maddie Wall as MaryAnn, Abigail Brock as Ginger and Lucas Schrantz as Gilligan. Not pictured is the Alien with Jon-Philip Olson. Photo Courtesy of April Porterfield

The mid 1960’s was a time of hope and sometimes discord.  But from 1964 to 1967 the television seduced  us with an escape into silliness found in the situation comedy called “Gilligan’s Island” turning a shipwreck into an idyllic dream.  The survivors… Continue reading →

Kendra Johnson and Grant Brittan in Damaged Goods at 3rd Act. Photo courtesy of April Porterfield

3^rd Act Theatre is presenting “Damaged Goods” written by French dramatist Eugene Brieux and translated by John Pollock.  The play has been adapted for the 3^rd Act audiences by Denise Hughes who also directs.  Written in 1901, “Damaged Goods” or “Les Avariés” in the original French, examines the horrors of syphilis–a disease that ran rampant through all levels of society in the Victorian and Edwardian Era.  The problem was due largely to lack of information, people did not know… Continue reading →

Joseph Campbell and Emily Pace display innocence. Photo courtesy of Miki Galloway

It is always fun to watch folk poke fun at themselves, and especially fun in theatre.  “The Play That Goes Wrong!” is about a theatrical company presenting a show called ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor’ and everything that can go wrong goes wrong in the show.  In order to do that, the actual production must be absolutely perfect in execution or the end result might not be funny.  Ashley Wells directs a perfect cast with a crew that handles the technical aspects flawlessly as they… Continue reading →

Alex Ewald as Edward Ferrars gaxing adoringly at Lindsay Seaman as Elinor Dashwood. Photo courtesy of David Bricquet.

One of the most beloved names in literature is Jane Austen author of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park among other novels.  Her stories reflect her time and her time is Regency.  She was born in 1775 and died at only 41 years of age.  The Regency period is the period where King George III was indisposed enough so that his son and heir to the throne ruled in his stead until George III passed away… Continue reading →

Libby McCormack Wano as the Detective along side one of the suspects, Seth Paden as Professor Plum.  Clue Photo courtesy of Jared Blount, Artistic Director, Pollard Theatre.

What a fright!  There is murder in the air tonight.  A classic Whodunit is in order. Who will die?  Who will cause the death?  What weapon will be used?  In what room will the murder occur?  These are the questions one has when settling down with a good mystery novel.  Or, in playing the classic Parker Brothers’ Game.  The show has a detective form… Continue reading →

Taylor Reich as Elwood P. Dowd conversing with his best friend, the pooka, Harvey in “Harvey” Photo courtesy of April Porterfield

“Harvey” by Mary Chase is considered to be one of the greatest plays to ever grace a stage as well as one of the greatest movies ever made.  It is considered to be an ideal comedy and opportunity for comedians to show off their expressive skills. Caprice Sorg is directing “Harvey” at 3^rd Act Theatre with a troupe of very funny folk.  They have mastered the double take, the deadpan, and the ridiculous in telling the… Continue reading →

Alex Rodriguez as Huckleberry Finn and Maximus White as Jim. Photo by Miki Galloway

“Big River” is a delightful musical adapted from Mark Twain’s classic ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and is a generous example of American development.  The storyline follows young Huckleberry on his runaway journey from the untenable kindness of the Widow Douglas.  He meets up with Jim, a runaway slave and the two young men adventurously travel the Mississippi River on a raft.  Ultimately they both find freedom, adventure and a measure of happiness. 

The adaptation from the Theatre for Young Audiences Edition is comfortably short… Continue reading →

Spending an evening with Patsy Cline–if only it were possible. 

We Waited Whispering Words of Wonder

It is possible.  Yes, Virginia, there is a patsy in your future.

Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932 she took the name Patsy Cline for performance and she made that name famous beyond dreams.  She died in a plane crash when she was only 30 yet in her short life she became one of the most influential musicians of the 20^th century.  She was country and she loved country, but she also crossed over into pop because the quality… Continue reading →

– Scapino (Keegan Zimmerman) as The Boy takes fishing advice from Ruffiana (Allyson Rose) as The Girl.

Commedia dell’Arte was a very popular form of theatre in Europe from the 16^th through the 18th century. A troupe of players would develop specific characters and continually portray those characters through each improvisational production.  Wearing masks, there would be a warrior, a vamp, two young lovers, a wiseman and of course the harlequin  among them and they would play those same characters in every production as they traveled.  George Herman, American playwright first published “A Company of Wayward… Continue reading →