1940s

REVIEW:  Vivid dreams of what could be in Gloucester Stage Company’s affecting ‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

This is a memory play. 

This description speaks volumes about legendary playwright Tennessee Williams’ autobiographical and deeply personal play, The Glass Menagerie.  De’ Lon Grant serves as narrator, the protagonist Tom and perhaps Williams himself focusing on the dysfunctional Wingfield family, the delicate nature of life, and the hope of what the future holds.  This memory play was the first of its kind and Tennessee dedicated it to his sister in real life.

De’Lon Grant in Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Photo by Shawn Henry

Exquisitely directed by Doug Lockwood, Gloucester Stage presents their 46th anniversary summer season with Tennessee Williams’ classic drama The Glass Menagerie live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through June 28.  The show runs two hours and 25 minutes including one 10 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Adrienne Krstansky and Liza Giangrande in Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Photo by Shawn Henry

There is a certain magic in The Glass Menagerie, even as dreams and reality collide.  Taking place during the Great Depression in the 1940s, hope and illusion inhabit a cramped apartment in Saint Louis, Missouri even as dusty dining room chairs are uncovered in a dank room.  Thin, translucent curtains, dining room chairs and a square of iridescent light shine in this space as De’lon Grant as Tom, Liza Giangrande as Laura, and Adrienne Krstansky as Amanda make themselves at home. Jenna McFarland Lord’s amazing set design infused with Aubrey Dube’s rich and crucial sound design is a breath of fresh air and holds a surprise which will not be revealed here.

Nia Safaar Banks successfully rewinds the clock to this vintage era with floral tea length dresses, wide brimmed hats, suspenders, and page boy hats.  Amanda Fallon blends inviting and haunting illumination to this production which is often moody, veering from the evocative red flash of dancehalls to soft and luminous candlelight casting vivid shadows in the background.

Patrick O’Konis and De’lon Grant in Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Photo by Shawn Henry

In a long coat and brimmed hat, Grant weaves in and out of his dual role charismatically recalling Wingfield history and recollections while playing his part as Tom as the play unfolds.  The Glass Menagerie’s small cast holds challenging and meaty characters steeped in deeply rooted flaws.  Some of the family and societal issues that are brought up in Williams’ timeless work, The Glass Menagerie could have been written yesterday.  Working as a workhouse shipping clerk, Tom has grander dreams and secretly struggles as the man of the house since his adored father left the family.  Liza Giangrande portrays Tom’s helpful, quiet, anxious, sweet and imaginative sister Laura who has lived with a disability her entire life.  Pretty and slight with delicately braided hair, Giangrande delivers a meaningful performance as Laura exuding quiet strength in this sympathetic character as she struggles between escaping the world and a longing to fit in.

Liza Giangrande and Patrick O’Konis in Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Photos by Shawn Henry

Patrick O’Konis is enchanting as Jim O’Connor who dreams of a life beyond working in a factory with Tom.  Easygoing and ambitious, O’Konis makes quite an impression with Amanda and Tom while sharing some endearing moments with Laura.   

 At the center of the family is Adrianne Krstansky as Tom and Laura’s chatty, bubbly and yet anxious and controlling mother, Amanda Wingfield.  Visibly shaking at times and fiddling with her clothes, Krstansky delivers a brilliant and unsettling performance as Amanda who veers from sing song excitement and fixation to alarm and paranoia handing out backhanded compliments.  Dwelling on past charms and occasionally reminiscent of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire, Amanda fixates on her days of prosperity when she was the bell of the ball.  Ruminating on symbolic jonquils, she nitpicks, fusses, plots, plans and worries over her children’s success and happiness hoping to find Laura a husband. 

De’Lon Grant, Lia Giangrande and Adrienne Krstansky in Gloucester Stage Company’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’ Photo by Shawn Henry

Boasting raw and compelling characters, The Glass Menagerie is an affecting drama that mixes relatable humor, cruelty, regret, and generational trauma, but also joy, sweetness and amazement.  Strong are the ties that bind.  It is poignant, hopeful and it unveils a certain beauty in this family’s unwavering strength in these hard times.

With exquisite direction by Doug Lockwood, Gloucester Stage presents their 46th anniversary summer season with Tennessee Williams’ classic drama The Glass Menagerie live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through June 28.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Domestic bliss takes a spooky turn in Sullivan Rep’s immersive ‘Blithe Spirit’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

It is much more interesting to feel part of the dinner party.

Surrounded by a glowing fireplace and mantel, a grandfather clock, a vintage piano, stained glass doors and a Victrola inside a cozy living room, Sullivan Rep truly sets the stage for an immersive experience.   As house guests, audience members are strategically placed without a bad seat in the house to become an intimate observer in this enclosed space.

In light of the 125th anniversary of Noel Coward’s plays directed by Dan Sullivan, Sullivan Rep performed Noel Coward’s haunting comedy Blithe Spirit live and in person from October 16 through October 26 live and in person at the Women’s Club of Newton Highlands in Newton, Massachusetts.  The three act production was 2 hours and 40 minutes with an 20 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for more on Sullivan Rep’s future events.

of Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Though Blithe Spirit is partially an otherworldly experience, it is also a comedy on marriage and much more.  Set in the early 1940’s, Robert Orzalli as novelist Charles and Melissa Paz as Ruth are a well to do married couple who decide to hold a dinner party with guests Brian Higgins as dubious Dr. Bradman and Carly Evans as distinctively merry Mrs. Bradman and a séance featuring Catherine Lee Christie as medium Madame Acarti.  The two couples are skeptical and consider it entertainment until something goes eerily awry.

Brian Higgins, Melissa Paz, Catherine Lee, Robert Orzalli and Carly Evans in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Blithe Spirit is helmed by a supremely capable cast.  With an eccentric and enthusiastic delivery selectively rolling her R’s in a singsong lilt, Catherine Lee is a captivating scene stealer as Madame Acarti.  In bright purple stockings and distinct boots, Lee humorously and masterfully encapsulates Madame Acarti infusing her subtle and unique idiosyncrasies into her daily mannerisms.  A particularly fascinating highlight is Lee’s kicks and peculiar dances as she attempts to tap into the spirit world.

Catherine Lee as Madame Acardi in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Robert Orzalli as sophisticated intellectual Charles shares an elusive tension with his new wife Ruth portrayed by Melissa Paz.  They seem a happy couple and supremely cordial at first, but the mood becomes strained when Ruth asks Charles about his late wife.  Logical, matter of fact and persistent, Paz also depicts Ruth with an underlying anxiety in her demure mannerisms as Charles evaluates his late wife mostly on her flaws. 

Robert Orzalli in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

In silver from head to toe in Bridget Sullivan’s amazing hair and makeup design, Janis Hudson portrays youthful, spontaneous, and confident Elvira, Charles’s late first wife.  Noel Coward’s dialogue can be complicated to pull off because it often contains overlapping and parallel conversations.  To see these separate relationships and snappy conversations so distinctly articulated with sharp comedic timing especially between Orzalli, Paz, and Hudson is quite a feat.  Ozalli’s Charles is refined, a bit narcissistic and is quite enjoying the attention while comically navigating these conversations.  Blithe Spirit is about domestic bliss and dysfunction simultaneously and it is both fascinating and amusing to see how this trio pushes each other’s buttons and sparks fly in such an intimate setting.

Silk gowns and gloves, tuxedos, pearls, and diamonds are just a part of the Dan Sullivan’s primarily elegant costume design. Paul Roach’s sound design features popular music of the time and a key component in some of the production’s clever special effects with Eric Fox’s mood infused lighting.

Melissa Paz and Robert Orzalli in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Blithe Spirit is a bit lengthy, but the suspense certainly builds in a darkly comical way and contains a few powerful twists and lasting observations about love and marriage before it brings this production to its wild conclusion. 

Sullivan Rep performed Noel Coward’s haunting comedy Blithe Spirit live and in person from October 16 through October 26 live and in person at the Women’s Club of Newton Highlands in Newton, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and for more on Sullivan Rep’s future events.

REVIEW: The Huntington makes history with a remarkable ‘Toni Stone’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Everyone should live for something the way Toni Stone lives for baseball and everyone should also know Toni Stone’s history making story.

It is also almost impossible to think of another person more enthusiastic than the glow that appears across Eunice Woods’ face as she talks about beloved baseball.  The devotion, the stats, the storytelling, and Stone’s very nature is engrained in this exciting sport and that is only the beginning of Toni Stone’s story.

The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Based on a true story and engagingly written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond with innovative choreography by Ebony Williams, The Huntington continues Toni Stone live and in person at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, June 16 and streaming online through July 14.  The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Toni Stone, depicted in this performance by understudy Eunice Woods, approaches baseball with a fearlessness and blind ambition that would inspire anyone to pursue their dreams.  A historical figure and natural athlete willing to do whatever it takes to fit in while ignoring the naysayers, Stone possesses the kind of determination needed to become the first woman to play baseball professionally on a regular basis.  However well Stone knew baseball though, other areas in life came with uncertainty. 

Left to right: Jonathan Kitt, Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

At the center of this production is Woods as Stone who wittily and engagingly recalls what brings her to the plate playing for an all-male Negro League called The Indianapolis Clowns.  The collective team, which Stone affectionately refers to as ‘my boys,’ share a teasing and genuinely likable rapport as they transform into other roles in Stone’s recollections.  In a pinstriped suit, Jonathan Kitt portrays smooth and mysterious Alberga with enlightened charm and protectiveness while Stanley Andrew Jackson’s wise and nurturing Milly delivers a number of the show’s well timed dry humor and encouragement.

Left to right: Stanley Andrew Jackson, Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

From a bar scene to  a steel mill factory to a picturesque stadium setting with flood lights and absorbing lighting by Brian J. Lilienthal, Scenic Designer Collette Pollard’s nostalgic and functional set makes the most out of the Huntington stage as Woods shares Stone’s time jumping memories.  The impressive set is likened to a little piece of vintage Fenway Park as the green worn wooden stadium with bleachers display billboards for Stetson and Gimbel to reflect the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Aubrey Dube’s rich sound design echoes the swing of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the sonic play-by-play announcer while Lucas Clopton’s big band and jazz-inspired original music resonates with the ‘Nifty Fifties.’  Bold colors enhance the Indianapolis Clowns in authentic style uniforms right down to the striped baseball stirrups while other costumes add a hat or a subtle touch as members of the team play multiple roles by Costume designer Mara Blumenfeld and Wig, Hair, and makeup artist Earon D. Nealey.

Left to right: Jennifer Mogbock in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Ebony Williams’ dynamic choreography combines athleticism and a touch of Broadway while infusing sweeping 50s era dance moves starting with the swooping opening chorography that not only depicts Stone’s laser focused passion for the game, but the very essence of why people love baseball.  After all, Boston is a city steeped in baseball history and known for its avid fans, so it is no surprise that Boston would be an ideal location for this groundbreaking individual to share her story.

Left to right: The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Though I do think the show would be further appreciated by fervent baseball fans, Toni Stone’s story is essentially about an individual who is discovering who she is and who she wants to be beyond what society expects from her.  Often misunderstood from childhood, Stone faced an uphill battle with few who shared her vision, but never took her eyes off of her heart’s desire.  Woods not only depicts Stone’s unconventional and confident persona, but also in braving racism, segregation, and harrowing obstacles and challenges with a combination of anxiety yet unshakable faith that she can do anything with enough persistence.  Woods as Stone is funny, lively and confides in the audience like we are old friends. 

Left to right: The cast of Toni Stone in Toni Stone; directed by Lydia R. Diamond; photo by T. Charles Erickson

Based on a true story and engagingly written and directed by Lydia R. Diamond with innovative choreography by Ebony Williams, The Huntington continues Toni Stone live and in person at the Huntington Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, June 16 and streaming through July 14.  The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Greater Boston Stage Company delivers a heartfelt ‘Boulevard of Bold Dreams’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Arthur and Dottie had big dreams beyond what 1939 could dream up.  Then Hattie McDaniel arrived.

During Hollywood’s Golden Age, 1939 was deemed one of the greatest years in motion picture history.  Gone with Wind was among a long list of acclaimed classic films that premiered that year including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, Gunga Din, Ninotchka, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and Dark Victory.  However, Gone with the Wind also marked an indelible moment in history.  At the 1940 Academy Awards, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Samantha Jane Williams and Stewart Evan Smith in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Boulevard of Bold Dreams’ Photo credit to Nile Scott Studios

Directed warmly by Taavon Gamble, Greater Boston Stage Company delivers a perfectly timed, heartfelt tribute to one of the greats with the east coast premiere of Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts and streaming through Sunday, March 19.  The show is 90 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

This year’s 95th annual Academy Awards marked a revolutionary year as Everything Everywhere All at Once not only dominated the night winning Best Picture, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay but also delivered a historic win for Michelle Yeoh as the first Asian actress to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  One of the actresses that presented Yeoh’s Oscar was none other than Halle Berry who was the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  When Berry won in 2002 she declared, “This moment is so much bigger than me.”

Michelle Fenelon, Stewart Evan Smith and Samantha Jane Williams in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Boulevard of Bold Dreams’ Photo credit to Nile Scott Studios

Hattie McDaniel’s groundbreaking Oscar win as Mammy in Gone with the Wind garnered acclaim and ongoing recognition for the barriers she broke as well as controversy while she paved the way for Halle and many other actresses including Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Diahann Carroll, Jennifer Hudson, Regina King, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, and Ariana DeBose.  Those actresses were able to write their own acceptance speeches, sit with their cast, and although some aspects of Boulevard of Bold Dreams is fictionalized, the show delivers some eye-opening facts about McDaniel within segregated Hollywood.  Facing a tough road, McDaniel had had the foresight and tenacity to make sure her name was on that Oscar ballot.

Michelle Fenelon and Stewart Evan Smith in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Boulevard of Bold Dreams’ Photo credit to Nile Scott Studios

Boulevard of Bold Dreams also boasts a memorable and tenacious cast.  Bartender Arthur Brooks, an imaginative and aspiring director in a standout performance by Stewart Evan Smith, has big dreams well beyond his current occupation.  Smith’s candor, charisma, and enthusiasm brighten each scene and his unflappable vision for his future makes it easy to root for his success in the face of any obstacle.  Maid Dottie Hudson, a cynical, yet aspiring singer portrayed with wit and humor by Michelle Fenelon, has her feet planted closer to the ground.  Smith and Fenelon strike a delicate balance of resourcefulness, wishful thinking and persistence when they arrived in Hollywood with little money and big ambitions.  However, things are more complicated than they appear.   In a distinctive and glittery blue gown, Samantha Jane Williams gracefully captures Hattie McDaniel’s humble and frank demeanor with an underlying anxiousness as she faces a potentially life changing night.  Fenelon and Williams have quick and complex camaraderie as their strong vocals combine for a playful and impromptu duet.

Boulevard of Bold Dreams Samantha Jane Williams Michelle Fenelon and Stewart Evan Smith in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Boulevard of Bold Dreams Photo credit to Nile Scott Studios

Kiara Escalera’s meticulous costume design recreates McDaniel’s look with precision as well as the vintage sophistication of the 1940s.  Enhanced by red and gold jacquard curtains and distinguished black and gold doors, scenic designer Rachel Rose Burke elegantly recreates a section of the Ambassador’s Coconut Grove Night Club in Los Angeles.

Boulevard of Bold Dreams not only depicts life’s possibilities through McDaniel, but the extent of the segregation and racism of that time and the struggle to make their dreams come true.   Whether or not a fan of the Academy Awards or Hollywood, Boulevard of Bold Dreams tells an inspiring story for all the dreamers of how one person can create lasting change one step at a time.

Greater Boston Stage Company’s Boulevard of Bold Dreams by LaDarrion Williams live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts and streaming through Sunday, March 19.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Concord Players make ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ savvy, vintage entertainment

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Before we tackle this vintage holiday favorite, I would be remiss not to mention the acclaimed founder of the Concord Players.  Fans of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women know of the beloved drama club that was established in the book as well as the Pickwick Papers, the title a nod to Charles Dickens.  Beloved author Louisa May Alcott founded the Concord Players and Little Women has been staged annually as Concord Players reached their centennial year.  Perhaps the drama club in the book was part of her inspiration.

Speaking of Charles Dickens, A Dramatic Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol read by Johnny Kinsman will be the next Concord Players streaming event on YouTube Friday, December 18th at 7 p.m. Click here for more information on the event and how to support The Concord Players.

Classic holiday entertainment resurfaces the way mistletoe suddenly hovers over unsuspecting lovebirds at just the right moment.  One of the holiday season’s most anticipated classics is Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, a 1946 film about life’s joys and struggles culminating on Christmas Eve starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.  It returns to the television screen every year with several opportunities to watch.

Directed commendably by John Pease, The Concord Players presented this beloved classic in November with a novel and nostalgic twist.  Rewinding the clock to Radio’s Golden Age in the 1940s on a dark, snowy night in Manhattan, NY, Concord Players streamed Joe Landry’s It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play staged as a live radio broadcast on fictional station WCPR for a limited time on Broadway on Demand from Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22. 

The bright and festive studio stage was adorned in Christmas lights, garland, and a Christmas tree while a group of voiceover artists included Freddie Filmore as Announcer, Lana Sherwood, Sally Applewhite, Eileen Rivera, and Jake Laurette as George Bailey recreate the show on vintage sterling microphones, portraying a number of roles in the process.  Rachael Rabinovitz’s authentic and colorful costumes set a cheerful tone as performers dress in their festive Sunday best for the radio.

Optimistic George Bailey’s faith in life and humanity is challenged as he desperately struggles to figure out life’s meaning as a certain angel is vying for his very own set of wings.  Touching, poignant, and darker than one would expect, It’s a Wonderful Life is a timeless family production that reminds audiences what truly matters.  Foley artist and sound effect expert Elizabeth Havenor’s technical wizardry is a scene stealer as Concord Players bring new perspective to this classic tale.

The cast masters the tricky task of portraying 1940’s voiceover artists, while also embracing a number of beloved characters in the production.  Navigating between each individual character while voicing multiple characters young and old within the play take particular skill.  Craig Howard brings warmth and charm to wise, yet bumbling Clarence and it was fascinating to watch Howard change his voice to Sam Wainwright by placing a glass against his mouth.

It was refreshing to see Jay Newlon portraying dreamy George Bailey not with Jimmy Stewart directly in mind in a good natured, earnest, adventurous portrayal, though he needed a bit more fire during the show’s more climactic moments.  A particular highlight was witnessing the torment in George’s face as he struggled with leaving his hometown behind while also feeling obligated to stay.  His scenes with heartwarming and hopeful Rachael Rabinovitz as Mary Hatch and with Jenn Bubriski as Rose Bailey have beautiful candor.

John Alzapiedi delivered a versatile performance as a winning narrator, skillfully depicts Potter’s booming narcissism and menacing gravitas, and brings sympathetic Mr. Gower to life.

Sound designer Tim Powers was behind the show’s authentic vintage sound which included the organ-tinged, melodramatic music and jingles of old and a couple of engaging commercials “from our sponsor.”

Foley artist and sound effect coordinator Elizabeth Havenor seamlessly kept the show rolling as her busy hands maneuvered every sound seamlessly.  Allen and Anne Bantly must have brought new meaning to providing the appropriate props to keep Havenor up to speed.  She rang every bell, blew each whistle, and slammed every door while also creating an impeccably-timed ringing telephone to a wild storm to popping champagne.  It was amazing to see how all of it was done during radio’s golden age.  It’s a Wonderful Life is such a timeless show and yet translates so well into a live radio play that it never misses a beat.  

Concord Players will soon present A Dramatic Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol read by Johnny Kinsman will be the next Concord Players streaming event on YouTube Friday, December 18th at 7 p.m. Click here for more information on the event and how to support The Concord Players.