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REVIEW: Family dynamics in The Huntington’s world premiere of Mfoniso Udofia’s ‘The Grove’

Posted on March 13, 2025 by The Sleepless Critic

What comes before you is not as powerful as what comes next. Forging ahead has never been more difficult for Adiaha in The Grove.

Abigail C. Onwunali in The Huntington’s production of Mfoniso Udofia’s The Grove, directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin. Running February 7 – March 9, 2025 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02116).

With skillful direction by Awoye Timpo and captivating choreography by Adesola Osakalumi, The Huntington presented the world premiere of The Grove, the second of Ufot’s nine-play family cycle, live and in person at The Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 9 and is currently available to stream online. This intriguing bilingual production in English and Ibibio runs 1 hour and 45 minutes with one intermission. The Ufot Family Cycle features three Ufot Nigerian-American family generations. Click here for more information and how to steam this production.

The cast of The Huntington’s production of Mfoniso Udofia’s The Grove, directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin. Running February 7 – March 9, 2025 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02116).

Jumping from 1978 in The Sojourners to Worcester, Massachusetts in 2009, The Grove explores family roots, identity, and more as Adiaha’s struggles under the anxiety of facing her extended family as she carries a secret that she fears is against her Nigerian heritage and will ruin her family’s expectations.

Lit brilliantly by Reza Behjat, a silvery, translucent and multipurpose carousel backdrop not only serves as an extension into other scenes, but as a mysterious window into another world which features allegorical figures and inspiration for Abigail C. Onwunali as introspective perfectionist Adiaha Ufot, the eldest daughter in the Ufot household. The production opens to the Ufot family cooking and meticulously housecleaning to prepare for Adiaha’s master’s degree graduation under the direction of Ufot’s father and patriarch Disciple, depicted with righteous enthusiasm by Joshua Olumide. A grandfather clock, wooden stove, living room with sofa and chairs provide a portion of Jason Ardizzone-West’s sleek and innovative set.

Janelle Grace and Ekemini Ekpo of The Huntington’s production of Mfoniso Udofia’s The Grove, directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin. Running February 7 – March 9, 2025 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02116).

The Grove has a strong cast sharing a tight family bond, each holding their own deep convictions within an umbrella of expectations. In spite of his Disciple’s objections, Amani Kojo as Adiaha’s little brother Ekong Ufot dares to embrace the world around him and adopt American culture. Kojo as determined Ekong seems an unconventional voice of reason within the family remaining vigilant under his father’s pressure.

Left to right: Janelle Grace, Joshua Olumide, Abigail C. Onwunali, and Patrice Jean-Baptiste in The Grove; directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin

Olumide as Adiaha’s orthodox father Disciple, a PhD scholar himself, staunchly urges his oldest daughter Adiaha forward through higher education in hopes of marrying her off so she can carry on Nigerian tradition in her own family. Disciple’s insistent nature and urgency reverberates with Onwunali’s Adiaha as she anxiously follows another path weighed down by the fear of disappointing him. Onwunali encapsulates this role in her pleading demeanor exemplified by her nervous and short answers attempting to tow the line for her family and what is expected of her. Adiaha’s plight to be who her family wants and her own dreams are being squashed within and it is impossible not to feel for this young woman.

Left to right: Paul-Robert Pryce, Makuda Steady, and Joshua Olumide in The Grove; directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin

Aisha Wura Akorede as Toyoima Ufot shares a credible sibling rapport with Onwunali as Akorede delivering teasing yet tough love. Akorede brings lightheartedness and some laughter as the subject matter intensifies.

Patrice Johnson Chevannes is impressive as conflicted Abasiama, exhibiting Abasiama’s struggles and trauma with quiet and harrowing strength as a traditional Nigerian wife and mother in a sly and powerful scene with Adiaha. Abasiama also shares some amazing scenes with Disciple recalling their long and complex history.

Abigail C. Onwunali and Patrice Johnson Chevannes in The Huntington’s production of Mfoniso Udofia’s The Grove, directed by Awoye Timpo; photo by Marc J. Franklin. Running February 7 – March 9, 2025 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02116).

Adiaha’s outlet into herself is through her writing as mysterious voices and shadows, depicted vividly by Ekemini Ekpo, Janella Grace, Patrice Jean-Baptiste, Dayenne Walters, and Chibuba Bloom Osuala, are a driving force and play a uniquely powerful collaborative role in this production.

A journey of discovery, The Grove delivers a familiar storyline in a distinctive and fascinating manner. Its artistry, symbolism and multi-layered style of storytelling embellish every aspect of the production into a new and refreshing experience.

The Huntington presented the world premiere of The Grove at The Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 9 and is currently available to stream online. Click here for more information and how to steam this production.

REVIEW: Love and family drive a moving and powerful world premiere of ‘Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?)’ presented by Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions

Posted on November 30, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Family can be complicated. Some ancestors have passed away and maybe you would give anything to speak to or enjoy a meal with them one more time. Others you endure and it can be so emotionally draining, it is a battle to stay connected.

Featuring a special opening act concert performance by Sarah Shin on Wednesday, November 27 prior to Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?), this particular evening presentation manages to explore both types of relationships.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30. This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission. The paper program not only offers details on the show, but also features a wonderful and fitting cookbook section on Korean comfort food. Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

Candid and engaging, Did You Eat‘s featured a special opening act performance by Sarah Shin. With a peach electric guitar, she paid tribute to her late grandfather who led a big life with a big family. With yearning vocals, she longs for conversations with him about her craft knowing what she knows now. Though the song might have been explored an octave lower, it is a lovely and personal number that resonates with anyone who discovers they have common ground with those who have come before them.

With rich accompaniment by Alison Yueming Qu, Shin also performed a raw and humorous song about the aftermath of a breakup enhanced by Shin’s soaring and unique vocals.

Accented by ethereal and shrouded pastel colored drapes and a multicolored painted floor, Did You Eat evokes a guileless innocence and Aegyo in Szu-Feng Chen’s cheerful and lively set design and costuming featuring braids and sunflowers, a bloom which symbolizes resilience. Katie Kuan-Yu Chen’s lingering and at times dreamy sound design with Michi Zaya’s distinctive projections and Ari Kim’s dynamic lighting illustrates a wide range of emotions from hyper vigilance to love at first sight.

A mother (Umma) who was not ready to become a mother but wanted to please her family and a father (Appa) who wanted to please his family and prove his manhood by having a son. Diving into the dysfunction and expectations set by a Korean family, Did you Eat is a multifaceted journey performed and recounted by Korean-American Zoë Kim in a stirring one woman performance. Her use of the second person perspective is part of what makes Kim’s story engulfing for the audience as she navigates the struggle she endured growing up and the repercussions it had on her psyche and well being.

A winding journey that is at times funny, haunting, harrowing, relatable and always powerful, Kim transitions each feeling with skill, physical prowess, and a natural fluidity as each scene intensely alters in tone. An earnest piece steeped in emotion, the production is enhanced by Christopher Shin’s striking chorography that varies from subtle to sharp and abrupt movements to interpretive dance. Kim army crawls, slices the air, and slides across the floor and yet also emits joy through childlike movements and a beaming smile.

The term Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) is inherently a phrase used in love language and how actions speak louder than words and yet words are significant and binding. Kim also longs to please her family and within its raw honesty through resentment, isolation, shame, guilt and seemingly impossible circumstances, shares a beautiful life lesson about identity, trust, self love and what it takes to shine.

Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30. This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

REVIEW: Tom Stoppard’s indelible epic ‘Leopoldstadt’ at the Huntington

Posted on October 4, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Flanked with brass and crystal embellishments, a gorgeous Vienna apartment is festively adorned as a beautiful upper class family celebrates Hanukkah….and then Christmas and the Nativity. It is subtle at first, but there lies a divide in this extended Jewish family reaching further than 1899. Over the stretch of 56 years through war, strife, turmoil, heartache and tragedy lays a growing divide that impacts generations and it only gets more complicated.

Directed conscientiously by Carey Perloff, The Huntington and Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Tom Stoppard’s epic Tony Award-winning production of Leopoldstadt live and in person at The Huntington in Boston, Massachusetts through October 13. This multi-generational production is two hours and twenty minutes plus one 15 minute intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Left to right: The cast of Leopoldstadt b. Forefront (L to R): Brenda Meaney and Rachel Felstein
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

The Huntington has recently been presenting family multi-generational productions which include The Lehman’s Trilogy also directed by Perloff about the Lehman Brothers spanning a 163-year period before exploring the world of the Salomon family in Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic spanning almost 70 years.

Leopoldstadt is inspired by Stoppard’s own family experiences which span a pivotal time from 1899 to 1955. The show has a large cast which explores resilience, identity, grief, survival, fear, hate, and the struggle with one’s own faith in the face of growing darkness.

The cast of Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

Scenic designer Ken MacDonald impressively reflects transformation over time starting with the opening of the production in an opulent Vienna apartment with built-in bookshelves packed with various selections, a large decorated window with a stellar view of the city, a feast at the dining room table with a real Christmas tree lit with live burning candles. The Merz-Jacobovicz family is decked out in their best in colorful embroidered gowns and classic patterns in velvet and lace as the men dress in timely suits by costumer Alex Jaeger. A portrait of a family celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day as Phyllis Kay, in a dual role as Eva and here as fascinating Grandma Emilia, uses terms seemingly lightly such as ‘Christianized’ and presenting the tree ‘for the papists.’

Left to right: The cast of Leopoldstadt b. Foreground (L to R): Brenda Meaney, Nael Nacer
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

This extended family is its own melting pot of beliefs and heritage which is often explored through deep discussion between Brothers Nael Nacer as textile manufacturer Hermann and Firdous Bamji as mathematician Ludwig. The conversations intensify as the show progresses between Hermann as a Jew converted to Catholicism and Jewish Ludwig as they explore politics and their stirring reasons behind their demeanors and beliefs as time and turmoil takes hold through two world wars and as a new generation enters the world.

Left to right: Holden King-Farbstein, Joshua Chessin-Yudin, Quinn Murphy, Firdous Bamji
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

Another key figure in the production is Brenda Meaney in a nuanced depiction of Hermann’s complex wife Gretl who is Catholic yet enamored with Jewish tradition and takes part in a scandalous and unpredictable storyline. Samuel Adams is also memorable in a dual role as egotistical and shrewd Officer Fritz and English journalist Percy. However, Mishka Yarovoy is haunting in a dual role as devastated soldier Jacob and Leo who are both replete with loss.

Left to right: Mishka Yarovoy, Nael Nacer, Brenda Meaney
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

This historically significant and symbolic production takes some time to build as does the nature of fascism in its escalating subtlety and the revelations in this production are deep and impactful. The show’s affecting familial layers unfurl with resonance and familiarity as startling details take shape about these critical years including a riveting depiction of The Night of Broken Glass in 1938 infusing Jane Shaw’s stunning sound design, Robert Wierzel’s evocative lighting and Yuki Izumihara’s astonishing projections sure to stay with you long after the production has ended. Leopoldstadt is a timeless and cautionary piece of theatre not to be missed.

The cast of Leopoldstadt
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt; directed by Carey Perloff
September 12 – October 13, 2024 at The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave.
Photo by Liza Voll

Directed conscientiously by Carey Perloff, The Huntington and Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Tom Stoppard’s epic Tony Award-winning production of Leopoldstadt live and in person at The Huntington in Boston, Massachusetts through October 13. This multi-generational production is two hours and twenty minutes plus one 15 minute intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Company One Theatre with The Theater Offensive explores the power of friendship and an absorbing mystery with ‘The Interrobangers’

Posted on February 7, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Small town Foggy Bluffs, New York has things that bump in the night, but can a group of young sleuths solve the case?

With compelling direction by Josh Glenn-Kayden, Company One Theatre in partnership with The Theater Offensive and the Boston Public Library presents The Interrobangers, a new play by M Sloth Levine live and in person at the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library through February 24. The productions is free with pay what you want tickets and action is not limited to the stage. The Interrobangers is recommended for ages 13 and up. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Schanaya Barrows, Chris Everett, Anderson Stinson, III, Jenine Florence Jacinto, and Jay Connolly in ‘The Interrobangers’ Photo by Erin Crowley

Quaint, old towns can have such history including spooky legends, myths, and strange occurrences. Foggy Bluffs, New York is no exception but here also lies a big secret beneath its quiet façade. Accompanied by an adorable dog named Hoover, childhood friends Zodiac, Hank, Luna, and Dani must band together to uncover just what this little town has been hiding.

Founded in 1691, set designer Danielle DeLaFuente with Projections Designer Maria Servellon has carved out Foggy Bluffs, an impressive and realistic fictional town with rolling fog, haunting landscapes, and lively and colorful hangouts such as the Jackalope, Flatwoods Pizza, and Roswell’s Thrift n’ Find which is complete with a wide selection of authentic Foggy Bluffs souvenirs. The occasional grainy vintage town video footage is also a real treat. Lighting designer Elmer Martinez with sound designer Anna Drummond keeps the exciting pace of its interspersed friendly and eerie lighting as Drummond delivers a catchy and funky soundtrack.

Anderson Stinson, III and Jay Connolly in ‘The Interrobangers’

Taking place sometime in the 80s, the production has the earmarks of a Scooby-Doo vibe and it is amazing to observe the overall zany, spooky, and thoughtful tone including the making of a familiar van. E. Rosser’s trendy and multihued costume design highlights each character’s distinct personalities. Even during its comedic moments though, it tackles the angst, confusion, pressure to be perfect, identity, peer pressure, acceptance, trauma and other serious topics kids can experience growing up. An interrobanger is described as a bundle of emotions wrapped up into one word and suitably describes the show that delivers light and reflection in a unique manner.

Jenine Florence Jacinto, Anderson Stinson III, Schanaya Barrows, and Jay Connolly in ‘The Interrobangers’ Photo by Erin Crowley

It delves into the nature of friendship from a dynamic cast who share a warm and engaging rapport. Friendship as children grow up that may sometimes mean growing apart or those rare friends that even if time has passed, they can still find their groove. How a class president portrayed by Schanaya Barrows as Dani, a timid yet brilliant student depicted by Jenine Florence Jacinto as Luna, a fascinating and troubled bohemian portrayed by Anderson Stinson III as Zodiac with Jupiter Lê in a remarkable depiction of Zodiac’s energetic and empathetic dog Hoover, and popular jock depicted by Jay Connolly as Hank form a mischievous group that all might have more in common than they realize.

Anderson Stinson III and Jupiter Lê in ‘The Interrobangers Photo by Erin Crowley

Each character offers engaging and nuanced performances, especially Stinson as Zodiac who movingly depicts what it is like to struggle with issues that cannot easily be explained and still remain an open, inquisitive and loving person. In a gray suit and aviator sunglasses, Alex Jacobs is a hypnotic force as the mysterious Mr. Dahl to show that even a little town like Foggy Bluffs always has a mystery to be solved.

REVIEW: New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory’s ‘Here I Fall Up’ and ‘How I Disappeared’

Posted on August 22, 2023 by The Sleepless Critic

A girl is starting to wonder if she is fall apart or is she just falling up?

Gianna Milici, Sophia Drapeau, and Lauren-Quigley in ‘Here I Fall Up’ Photo credit to Natalie Powers

Featuring chiming melodies, a girl is somehow tethered to her family’s seaside home in a way that makes her question her own sanity. Surrounded by her sisters who narrate the story, Here I Fall Up is thoughtfully directed and composed by Beth Golison and directed creatively by Annabel Heacock and Maiya Pascouche and is just under an hour. It was featured at New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory in NYC and was streaming through August 12. Click here for more information.

The girl, portrayed sympathetically and realistically by Sophia Drapeau, ventures into dark places that keeps the audience guessing whether the girl is actually experiencing something outside this world or is it all happening inside the girl’s head? Drapeau’s suffering throughout this production makes a real case for either and watching the girl attempt to cope with anxiety and a severe degree of agoraphobia is heartfelt, earnest, and a bit distressing to witness. The bluish and haunting shadows by Chris Voegels combined with the simple, multifunctional set by Jessie Baldinger are as imaginative as it is symbolic of a girl longing to make a connection outside the girl’s fears and vulnerabilities.

Rose Tablizo and Sophia Drapeau in ‘Here I Fall Up’ Photo credit to Natalie Powers

Here I Fall Up’s inviting, folksy, and intermittently catchy acapella harmonies from sisters and narrators Samantha Medina Chachra, Lauren Rose Quigley, and Gianna Millici combined with Rose Tablizo’s mysterious presence keeps the production a bit lighter while tackling some darker issues.

Here I Fall Up is thoughtfully directed and composed by Beth Golison and directed creatively by Annabel Heacock and Maiya Pascouche and is just under an hour. It was featured at New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory and was streaming through August 12. Click here for more information.

Does it matter where I put my roots down?

Identity should be not what one is, but who one is. Not the labels, but the person. That is not such an easy journey living in NYC.

Told from the perspective of six immigrant Asian individuals living in NYC, How I Disappeared is a bilingual production about grasping for acceptance in the world without assumptions or grief, but with understanding. Directed by Tianding He and produced by CHUANG Stage, it is done creatively, though not always clearly in this abstract and Avant Garde production.

How I Disappeared is just under an hour and was featured at New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory and was streaming through August 12. Click here for more information.

From an individual covered in overwhelming and all encompassing remnants of NYC including a liberty hat, Broadway sign, wearing a mask and carrying a suitcase subway map to the desolate and metaphorical marine characters on the NYC subway, How I Disappeared emphasizes the intimidating, overwhelming, noisy, and isolating city atmosphere.

The glassy reflections particularly stand out in this part projection by Brian Shin-Hua Ellis and part animated puppetry by Wilden Weihn production. From a Puffer fish to a whale wandering on a subway, each distinctive marine creature delivers a combination of bittersweet and relatable humor as the narrator describes each creature’s authentic capabilities and defenses. Steeped in soothing blue aquatic lighting by Will DeJianne, it seems absurd witnessing them on the subway, and yet it becomes a snapshot of humanity as the show progresses.

The production does have lighter moments of dancing including catchy and original live music by John Tsung and Siyi Chen as well as its fair share of silliness with underlying messages of perseverance in the face of fears, doubt, and judgment. Staying true to oneself and anything is possible.

How I Disappeared is just under an hour and was featured at New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory and was streaming through August 12. Click here for more information.

REVIEW: In honor of Boston’s Old North Church’s tricentennial, Plays in Place rewinds the clock for tense and engrossing ‘Revolution’s Edge’

Posted on August 8, 2023 by The Sleepless Critic

After 300 years, Boston’s Old North Church has stood through some of the most exciting and harrowing moments in our nation’s history. The Old North Church’s clock has consistently kept time since 1726. Playwright Patrick Gabridge pens an original play that explores a particularly intense dialogue set on the eve of the Revolutionary War in 1775. Plays in Place rewinds the clock to 1775 where three individuals contemplate their fates as tensions escalate to panic, gradually making it impossible not to take action.

Nathan Johnson photo-by Nile Scott Studios

In honor of the Old North Church’s 300^th anniversary and directed skillfully by Alexandra Smith, Plays in Place presents Patrick Gabridge’s engaging Revolution’s Edge, live and in person at The Old North Church in Boston Massachusetts on select days through September 19. The production is 45 minutes with no intermission and the box pews provide an immersive view. It is an educational production that is appropriate for families. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

From colorful waistcoats to pristine linen shirts to proper vestments, Christina Beam’s elegantly detailed costumes are perfectly authentic to its era and one couldn’t have asked for a better setting than the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest surviving church right along the Freedom Trail.

Evan Turissini and Brooks Reeves Photo-by Nile Scott Studios

Three individuals composed of a reverend/doctor, his slave, and a sea captain are metaphorically tied together during this strained window in history. They are contemplating the state of Boston, the nation, and their future. Each clings to a different perspective of their future in terms of family, loyalty, occupation, politics, and identity. Two are a friendship divided through conflict and one is left without a choice as they articulate their thoughts and struggles while the world seems to be collapsing around them.

Gabridge’s passionate script has an intensity rooted in fear that looms quietly and then builds throughout the production. It also brings out the best in this trio of performers. Revolution’s Edge teeters from warmth to anxiousness to manipulation, but each evokes a note of consideration and compassion, even while blinded by fear.

Evan Turissini portrays American ship captain, vestryman, and patriot Captain John Pulling Jr. with reason, devotion, and compassion for the others, but is squarely dedicated to his cause. Turissini and Brooks Reeves as complicated Rev. Dr. Mather Byles Jr, a reverend and doctor with ties to England and America, share some pivotal and contentious moments that bring out some indelible performances. Huddled closely together, it is engrossing to watch their war of words. Byles’s impatience and manipulative side is particularly exposed in a significant conversation with Byles’s slave Cato, depicted sympathetically and astutely by Nathan Johnson. Johnson is faced with agonizing sacrifices and is truly the heart of this production.

Nathan Johnson and Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Revolution’s Edge cleverly weaves some of Boston’s most significant events including the Boston Tea Party and Revere’s Ride while the audience is still privy to dangerous events in motion right outside the church’s windows.

Though this would be especially fascinating for visitors of Boston and historians, Revolution’s Edge is an exciting and deeply educational window into a harrowing moment in history. Witnessing it knowing how the world is now brings intricate and profound meaning.

In honor of the Old North Church’s 300^th anniversary and directed by Alexandra Smith, Plays in Place presents Patrick Gabridge’s engaging Revolution’s Edge live and in person at The Old North Church in Boston Massachusetts on select days through September 19. The production is 45 minutes with no intermission and the box pews provide an immersive view. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Somber, funny, bleak, and hopeful, PTP/NYC’s ‘Standing on the Edge of Time’ waxes political and poetic

Posted on July 27, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

Opening with a remarkable reflection connecting theatre to the human heart, a bare stage shows signs of life once again.

Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) opened their virtual summer play series earlier this month with Lunch, a clever show that unconventionally explored the art of conversation. Directed judiciously by Cheryl Faraone, Standing on the Edge of Time waxes both political and poetic in conversation as it explores the bleak yet hopeful state of the world through a selection of works from different authors.

Standing on the Edge of Time is the second of three summer virtual plays presented by PTP/NYC and continues through July 27. Viewings are free and donations are encouraged. This show was filmed adhering to Covid guidelines, runs approximately 90 minutes, and has mature themes. Click here for more information, how to view the show, and how to support PTP/NYC’s mission.

From the haunted balconies of an old, empty theatre, even the dead wrestle with their wild, melancholy, and world-weary experiences in Mac Wellman’s Crowbar. This segment provides the perfect framework leading into various works that delve into contemporary issues from freedom, frustration, road rage, and relationships to downsizing, grief, sex, and paranoia.

Mac Wellman’s ‘Crowbar’ Alex Draper as Mr. Rioso Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

Though each segment is written by different authors, its engaging format provides a flow that rarely veers off course. The show boasts poetic and timely musings such as Mornings at the Lake with Madison Middleton and Spell of Motion by Stacie Cassarino with Stephanie Janssen featuring some beautiful outdoor cinematography as well as haunting James Saunders’ Next Time I’ll Sing to You with Tara Giordano. Though the majority of Standing on the Edge of Time is thought-provoking, these quieter segments provide respite from the production’s heavier topics and satirical themes.

Stacie Cassarino’s ‘Mornings at the Lake’ with Stephanie Janssen Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

Some highlights include Dominique Morisseau’s relatable and occasionally humorous Skeleton Crew, the zany and unique ideas presented in David Auburn’s What Do You Believe about the Future, and the surprising facts revealed of history repeating in Constance Congdon’s Tales of the Lost Formicans.

The cast portray a myriad of roles, but apart from Crowbar, do not seem like they are playing particular characters for the most part. The lively cast seems like a semblance of individuals exploring contemporary issues, fears, and unique ideas of the future.

David Auburn’s ‘What Do you Believe about the Future?’ (L to R) Stephanie Janssen, Christopher Marshall, Madison Middleton, Gabrielle Martin, Aubrey Dube, Becca Berlind, Wynn McClenahan, Maggie Connolly, Francis Price and Gibson Grimm Photo courtesy of PTP/NYC

PTP/NYC’s Standing on the Edge of Time continues streaming through Tuesday, July 27. Click here for more information. Please note there is a final segment following the production’s credits. PTC/NYC will present their final virtual summer show, A Small Handful from August 13-17.