First Prize: A View Into The World of Classical Music Performance

First Prize offers a glimpse inside the world of classic music performance, written by a performer who has lived it. Isrela Margalit is a both a Playwright and a musician. In First Prize, she tells the story of Adrianna Woodland, a pianist striving to succeed in the field of classical music. Ms. Margalit’s familiarity with the source material makes this a fascinating tour.

The story uses an interesting dynamic which follows the pattern of memory, not really the pattern of events. Since road to success was so memorable, the play focuses primarily on the journey - the fights to audition, the failures, and the endless closed doors which probably figured very prominently in the playwright’s life. This journey is shown so well and so detailed, that once Adrianna achieves her goals you expect the show to wrap up. Instead, her successful years are very lightly touched on, 25 – 25 years fly by in a flash. And then the career wrap up takes center stage.

Brian Dykstra, Susan Ferrara and Lori Prince

It is a four person show. Adrianna, the focus, is played almost entirely by Lori Prince with an honest freshness. The other 3 actors portray a variety of characters, teacher, lover, agent, conductor, etc. They do an excellent job of defining their own various characters, not easy given how distinctive each of the actors look. All of these characters are reflections of Adrianna’s memories, and so there isn’t so much character development with these roles, but instead character changes based on Adrianna’s reactions to long ago kindnesses or slights. The other three talented actors are Brian Dykstra, Susan Ferrara and Christopher Hirsh.

First prize brings some fun and touching moments to the stage and is very enjoyable. But the play does suffer from an autobiographical viewpoint, reducing the believability and making it difficult to relate to the character. In particular, Adrianna probably wasn’t “farm fresh and wholesome” all the time. Her lover didn’t awaken overnight to resent her distance. Her teacher never says a word of correction, only praise, confidence building and sage old advice.

The play ends with Adrianna reflecting on her life, her love of music and the fact she wouldn’t have changed a thing, even though she seems bitter. Eh… I would have changed a couple things.

The fight to make it in the business, the trails, the honesty – that was beautifully done, and is rightfully the focus of the show. It should have stopped there. There was a truly wonderful moment where Adrianna Woodlawn was all alone in a hotel bar after a show. She and the bartender flirt, despite the fact she has a lover waiting at home. It summed up what Adrianna’s life would (and did) turn into. The moment summed up, in those few sentences and their interaction, where Adrianna was going to end up. We didn’t need it spelled out over the next 15 minutes.

First Prize is a very good show, with a little cutting; it would be an excellent show.
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First Prize (Website and Tickets)
Playwright: Israela Margalit
Director: Margarett Perry
Cast: Brian Dykstra, Susan Ferrara, Christopher Hirsh, Lori Prince

Be A Good Little Widow: A Richly Satisfying Dramedy at Ars Nova

Jill Eikenberry is a bitch.  Well, at least in her amazing performance as Hope in the Ars Nova production of Be A Good Little Widow, she plays one very convincingly.  Hope is a widow who lives a spotless, upper class life in Connecticut.  She keeps house, works and volunteers with other widows.  Death doesn’t throw her off her stride; it is the living she has problems with.

Chad Hoeppner, Wrenn Schmidt & Jill Eikenberry            photo: Ben Arons

Hope is convinced that her son’s new wife isn’t up to the task of homemaker.  When he dies suddenly, she is convinced her daughter-in-law will not be an adequate widow.  It is a captivating performance that Ms. Eikenberry gives, playing a very difficult woman with very little vulnerability.

But what makes Be A Good Little Widow work so well isn’t just Ms. Eikenberry’s performance.  Widow draws on remarkable performances from rest of the cast, particularly Wrenn Schmidt as the new wife, Melody.  Melody is the perfect foil to Hope, because she isn’t up to the task of “homemaker” as Hope defines it, and she knows it.  Ms. Schmidt’s Melody is a newly wed young woman - unsure of her role in the household and a bit overwhelmed by a new home in a new city with a husband that travels too much.  Hope has to work hard to point out fault with Melody, not because there isn’t any fault, but because Melody cops to it so quickly.

Melody is also a bit at sea in her relationship with her husband Craig (a nice turn by Chad Hoeppner).  She loves him, but doesn’t seem sure how to relax around him.  Craig has emerged from college into a good job, back in his hometown.  He's the perfect guy - and Melody is made insecure by it.  The only person she seems  fully at ease with is Craig’s young assistant, Brad, played by Jonny Orsini with a goofy charm.

Ms. Schmidt’s performance swivels from comedic to dramatic and back with the speed of a pinball machine.  Melody is overwhelmed by adult events, while still very much a young woman. The interaction between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, always tense, is excruciating in these circumstances.

When Craig dies on a business trip, Hope treats Melody as she would any new widow.  Melody, who chaffed under her mother-in-law’s condescension as a new wife, cannot contain her emotions in this new situation, reacting randomly - but understandably.  The juxtaposition between how these two women deal with grief is wonderfully honest.

Be A Good Little Widow is deftly written by Bekah Brunstetter, who has a light touch.  A story like this provides a lot of opportunity to go wrong.  It is a tribute to the Ms. Brunstetter and Stephen Brackett, the director, that action states so tight and emotion so well executed.

Ars Nova is an intimate theatre, and this production uses the intimacy well, providing an excellent theatrical experience. 

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Be A Good Little Widow (website and tickets)

Playwright:  Bekah Brunstetter

Director: Stephen Brackett

Cast: Jill Eikenberry, Chad Hoeppner, Jonny Orsini, Wrenn Schmidt

Go and Investigate Locker 4137B

Locker 4173B, now playing at the Monkey, is the inspired work of the New York Neo-Futurists. Written and performed by Christopher Borg and Joey Rizzolo, it is a crunchy cartoon come to life, which only slowly reveals a warm emotional center – an off Broadway HoHo®, if you will.

Inspired by tales of riches, and ratings of reality television, our intrepid heroes set off to purchase a foreclosed storage locker, and weave a tale from the contents therein. They embark on the enterprise as archeologists, equal parts Phileas Fogg and Mr. Magoo. Their attire and attitude set a tone of humorous befuddlement. The gentlemen make erudite and joyous guides.

Christopher Borg and Joey Rizzolo, Writers and Performers in Loceker 4173B

Pompous self-importance is an effective choice in telling the story of Locker 4173B. The play starts as a lark, a happenstance method to construct a show. The stories which lockers reveal are played out for laughs, and are quite funny as presented. During the show, Yeauxlanda Kay reads from a journal with a dignity entirely out of proportion to the contents within.  There is excellent use of video footage, produced in a 1960’s classroom instruction style, to explain how a storage locker is purchased and where it is located. As presented, the video adds to the sense of whimsy.

But slowly the perspective changes and the proceedings gain heft. These faux archeologist's are not recreating some long lost civilization, but piecing together the history of the owners of these lockers. And, it is the story of owners who couldn’t afford rent, or weren't around to retire their contents. The realization brings out self-discovery in these two. Not the exaggerated self-discovery of slapstick, nor histrionics and gnashing of teeth, but a subtle honest discussion of their own memories which are triggered by these items.

Locker 4137B’s emotional punch sneaks up on the audience, prompting reflection and a bit of introspection. Director Justin Tolley does a good job of keeping the action moving for those most part.

The show could use some editing, as it bogs down in a few places. There is a long and detailed examination of a life, which later proves to be incidental. The length is particularly noticeable in the theater without air conditioning. However, these are minor blemishes in a very very good show. I highly recommend Locker 4137B.
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Locker 4137B
The Monkey (tickets and website)
Director: Justin Tolley
Playwrights: Christopher Borg & Joey Rizzolo
Cast: Christopher Borg, Joey Rizzolo and Yeauxlanda Kay

Julia is a Lovely Journey

Julia, now playing at 59e59 Theaters as part of their Americas Off Broadway, is a vibrant exploration of love and regret. It takes a simple story and brings it to the personal level, with immediacy, honesty and restraint.

The story is deceptively simple and relatable. As a young man, without family, Lou Perino worked at a local Pennsylvania department story with Julia. Lou developed a crush, as young men do, but doesn’t act on it for fear of being embarrassed or turned down or given the “we’re just friends” speech. Julia opens years later, as Lou returns to Philadelphia to watch the store be torn down. But Lou is here for more than that. He has returned to see Julia, the girl he left behind.

The cast is wonderful while bringing these characters to life. Richard Fancy plays Lou Perino, bringing a touch of humor to the role which could easily fall into the maudlin. Mr. Fancy plays the big scenes well, but he really excels in the tiny emotional tics that make the character so real. Lou left Philadelphia when he drafted into the Korean War. He is heartsick at leaving Julia – but hasn’t spoken to her since.

Keith Stevenson plays Julia’s son, Steve. Steve’s transformation from a mildly bemused and annoyed small time con man to a furiously angry son is quick, but understandable once we see what has become to Julia. Julia is now an old lady, her memory long gone. Lou becomes a focus of Steve’s anger at everything that has gone wrong with his mother’s life.

Haskell Vaughn Anderson III plays Frank, an African American who bridges the emotional gap between Lou and Steve. Frank worked with Julia and Lou at the Department store all those years ago, and stayed friends with Julia and her family ever since. He has been with the family through Julia’s husband’s death – and while Steve was growing up. It is Frank who champions Lou’s cause to Steve, even after Lou’s real motive comes out. Mr. Anderson’s is a wonderfully nuanced performance – capturing the motivations of friendship and the hint of historical deferential politeness in his interaction with Lou.

Midway through the show, we see what occurred between young Lou and Julia. It is written and performed beautifully, with a catch in your throat at the moment a minor wrong occurs. The actual transgression isn’t much, but it raises a barrier between these two young people. A moment that grows bigger in distance, as embarrassment, regret and distance multiply the infraction. Finally, the memory of the argument, so much worse than the action of it, change the trajectories of Julia’s and Danny’s lives. Justin Preston and Marley McClean bring the moment to life perfectly.

When we finally meet Julia, she is a shell of who she once was. The older Julia is played by Roses Prichard, who is extremely believable as the lost old woman that was once a vibrant and fun loving young girl. Her turns of annoyance, wonder and playfulness ring true.

Julia is a very touching work by playwright Vince Melocchi. It is written with the conviction that the little, almost incidental, acts of youth can haunt us for a lifetime, if we let them. Director Guillermo Cienfuegos gives the play enough time to get comfortable, and then lets some moments linger too long, to make the audience uncomfortable. It is a commendable job that invests the audience in the outcome. Julia is a heartfelt tribute to life and love, and a reminder to keep living it.
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Julia (tickets and website)
Playwrite: Vince Melocchi
Director: Guillermo Cienfuegos
Cast: Haskell Vaughn Anderson III, Richard Fancy, Marley McClean, Justin Preston, Roses Prichard and Keith Stevenson,

THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF CY COLEMAN swings into Americas Off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes the Rubicon Theatre in California to Americas Off Broadway with their critically acclaimed production of THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF CY COLEMAN, devised and directed by David Zippel. THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF CY COLEMAN begins previews on Tuesday, May 18 for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 3. Opening Night is Wednesday, May 25 at 7:00 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:00 PM; Friday at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM; and Sunday at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Please note, there is no 7:00 PM performance on Sunday, June 12; there is an added matinee performance on Wednesday, June 8 at 2:00 PM. The regular ticket price is $65 ($45.50 for 59E59 Members). The preview ticket price (May 18 – May 24) is $45 ($35 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

The first and only revue of the music of Cy Coleman fittingly arrives in Cy’s old neighborhood when THE BEST IS YET TO COME: THE MUSIC OF CY COLEMAN swings into 59E59 Theaters. The sparkling score features favorites from Coleman’s Broadway shows (Little Me, Sweet Charity, Seesaw, On The Twentieth Century, Barnum, City of Angels, The Will Rogers Follies, The Life); pop hits made famous by Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand; and new never-heard-before show-stoppers written toward the end of Coleman’s prolific life, which prove the best really IS yet to come!

Under the direction of Tony Award-winner David Zippel, the cast includes Tony Award-winner Lillias White, Grammy Award-winner Billy Stritch, Tony Award-nominee Sally Mayes, Tony Award-nominee Howard McGillin, Drama Desk Award-winner Rachel York and Helen Hayes Award-winner David Burnham.

How Very Cool Is This...

I think this sounds great from the New York Times Knowledge Network (with New York Times Reviewer as a guest one night)...
(link)

Theater and Global Change May 12 - June 8, 2011 5 Live Online Sessions: Thursdays, May 12, 19, 26 and June 2, and Monday June 6, 2011, 5:00 - 6:00 PM ESTInstructors: Bill Payne, Ben Brantley, with guest instructors$175.00

This two-part course will explore the diverse ways that theater can help us understand and interact with the significant global changes happening today. Through the study of classic and contemporary dramatic literature and the exploration of the Seven Revolutions taking place today (changes in Population, Resource Management, Technology, Information Flow, Economic Integration, Conflict, and Governance) students will generate awareness and action leading to an appreciation of the role that artistic creation can and does play in our changing world.

Focusing on the first four Revolutions (Population, Resource Management, Technology and Information Flow), this course will include:

• Ancient and modern classic plays by William Shakespeare, Sophocles, David Mamet, Tony Kuschner, August Wilson, and Carel Kapek are the texts used to explore the various ways theater can and does express the world we live in.
  
• A wide spectrum of material from the Knowledge Network, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and various other web sources help from the Seven Revolutions – global trends that will fundamentally change how we live.
  
• Weekly live online sessions with special guests like New York Times Theater Critic Ben Brantley and Theater director and activist Margarita Espada of Teatro Yerbabruja.

Target Audience
This course is for students wanting to learn more about theater, about global change, and about ways artistic creation can help us understand and respond to the changes occurring in our present and future worlds.

1. People interested in learning about global change.

2. People interested in theater.

3. People interested in new ways to respond to the challenges of the present and the future.

In addition to the daily self-paced lessons, online discussion forums and resources, there will be a weekly live online session with the instructor. Live sessions will be archived for future viewing. There will be five live sessions for this course:

New York Shakespeare Exchange continues their popular concert reading series with MUCEDORUS and A COMEDY OF ERRORS

New York Shakespeare Exchange is pleased to announce their next concert reading series, APOCRYPHA NOW!featuring concert readings of the Elizabethan comedies MUCEDORUS and A COMEDY OF ERRORS, followed by a discussion with the cast, creative team and Shakespeare scholars. Directed by Ross Williams, APOCRYPHA NOW!performs in rep on Sunday, May 15, Monday, May 16, Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23. Performances are at Urban Stages(259 West 30th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues. Via subway take the 1 to 28th Street; the A, C, E, 2, 3 to 34th Street-Penn Station; and the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R to 34th Street-Herald Square.). The performance schedule is Sundays at 4 PM & 7 PM and Mondays at 7 PM. The regular ticket price is $12for one performance; $20for two performances. For tickets, call Brown Paper Tickets on 1-800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, visit http://www.shakespeareexchange.org/.

The show schedule is as follows:
MUCEDORUS plays on Sunday, May 15 at 4 PM, Monday, May 16 at 7 PM and Sunday, May 22 at 7 PM / A COMEDY OF ERRORS plays on Sunday, May 15 at 7 PM, Sunday, May 22 at 4 PM and Monday, May 23 at 7 PM.

New York Shakespeare Exchange continues their popular concert reading series “Two Plays, One Conversation”by pairing the rarely performed MUCEDORUS(in its New York premiere) with Shakespeare's A COMEDY OF ERRORS, both rollicking Elizabethan comedies of mistaken identity.

MUCEDORUS was “discovered” in the library of King Charles II of England in a bound text titled “Shakespeare, Volume I.” Since then, it has been largely disavowed as a real Shakespearean comedy, but some scholars still believe that it may be a very early work by the Bard, potentially from when he was an apprentice. In Elizabethan England, MUCEDORUSwas one of the most frequently performed plays. It was presented in the courts of both Elizabeth I and James I and was published in 17 different editions in its day.

Pairing A COMEDY OF ERRORS, one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, with MUCEDORUSprovides a unique perspective for both plays. Written in the style of early Roman comedies, both plays are 80 action-packed minutes of physical comedy and slapstick.

Each performance is followed by a talkback with New York scholars discussing what truly defines "Shakespeare" and whether it really matters if a show has you laughing. The talkbacks are always lively, irreverent, funny and ultimately illuminating.