New England Dance Ensemble founder Barbara Mullen knows that if people do not know history, they are doomed to repeat it.
On Sunday, April 16, the New England Dance Ensemble (NEDE) performed A Child’s View of the Holocaust at Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua, NH. The show was free and a benefit for the nonprofit organization. The temple generously served lunch prior to the production. This ballet was 40 minutes with no intermission followed by a brief Q and A session and the show is currently streaming online. The audience was encouraged to pause in quiet reflection rather than applaud. Click here for more information.
A Child’s View of the Holocaust presented by New England Dance Ensemble Photo credit to NEDE
Barbara Mullen, NEDE’s Artistic Director, first produced A Child’s View of the Holocaust in 1990 and it has become an educational tool for thousands of audiences in its over 30 year history. Its purpose is to memorialize the youngest victims of the Holocaust to ensure society will never forget and these horrors will not ever be repeated. Few survived to tell their story, but relatives of a few of the victims were present in the audience on April 16.
Set in 1939, A Child’s View of the Holocaust is a depiction of how insidiously and methodically the new Nazi regime darkened the world and lured millions of victims. One million out of six million victims of the holocaust were children. It shows the progression of once innocent school children in braids and plaids as they wave at their friends shortly before a new and harrowing reality unfolds. The panic, the shame, the indignation, and the implied brutality are difficult to watch, but the discovery and final understanding is the most poignant piece in the production.
The Nazis, led by Anya Petravicz, snake like a menacing train. Stiff, militaristic, and linear, the dancers invade with expressions vacant and unyielding. Coordinated by ballet master Andrew Matte, the production has a wealth of physical engagement that implies violence, but is no less powerful.
Students in ‘A Child’s View of the Holocaust’ Photo credit to NEDE
A Child’s View of the Holocaust is a collaborative and stirring production delivered with careful grace, skill, and sensitivity by these young performers. However, Harrison Conellier as the Holocaust’s first victim and Ipeksu Yucel as a Jewish mother offer powerful performances in evocative surprise, anger, and anguish as they are forced into impossible decisions in this journey to find light in the depths of loss.
New England Dance Ensemble continues to offer this important production to different institutions for educational purposes. NEDE will next present The Lorax followed by The Nutcracker in the fall. Click here for more information.
Full of Easter eggs and a time hopping storyline, this cleverly titled production lives up to its name many times over and reveals a family secret near impossible to see coming. Sponsored in part by the Mass/NH Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Breadcrumbs is a mysterious piece of theatre about the meeting of two individuals and how they fit into each other lives.
Jennifer Haley’s Breadcrumbs, Theatre Kapow’s most recent production, ran live and in person February 17 to 19 at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord NH before streaming live on February 24 and 25. Directed intuitively by Catherine Stewart, Breadcrumbs is 80 minutes with no intermission and is part of Recent Remote Remember, the theme of Theatre Kapow’s 15th season. Click here for more information and here for more on Theatre Kapow.
From L to R Rachel Chapin Longo and Katie Collins Photo credit to Matthew Lomanno Photography
Stark blue lighting evoked a haunting quality as Alita, a hardworking, unassuming, and reclusive writer depicted perceptively by Katie Collins, knows there is something is missing. Collins, in a multilayered performance, portrays Alita with an increasingly brisk and suspicious manner as she struggles to connect with what is occurring around her. Rachel Chapin Longo commands a challenging and multi faceted role as compassionate, talkative, impulsive, resourceful, but needy Beth who seemingly cannot get her life together to Alita’s rising frustration. Beth admires Alita’s work which often focuses on metaphorical fantasy which is a surprising contrast to Alita’s practical sensibilities.
From L to R Rachel Chapin Longo and Katie Collins Photo credit to Matthew Lomanno Photography
What is fascinating about this meticulous production is each item, scene, and aspect including Alita’s writing plays an integral and significant role within a sometimes unreliable viewpoint. Longo and Collins seamlessly navigate a number of vivid, stirring and mercurial scenes together and there isn’t a piece of dialogue that strays from this insightful look at these two individual’s lives. The production also serves as an informative vehicle for an all too common life altering impairment.
From L to R Rachel Chapin Longo and Katie Collins Photo credit to Matthew Lomanno Photography
Tayva Young’s nostalgic and evocative lighting combined with Matt Cahoon’s vintage and eerie sound and projection design navigates each sudden flashback and time leap in an innovative and engrossing manner. Barbara Holbrook’s distinctive costume design boosts each character’s personality with subtle hints on what they mean to each other.
Jennifer Haley’s Breadcrumbs cultivates a rich and unique path through trauma and struggle to reveal what is ultimately important. Directed intuitively by Catherine Stewart, Breadcrumbs is 80 minutes with no intermission and is part of Recent Remote Remember, the theme of Theatre Kapow’s 15th season. Click here for more information and here for more on Theatre Kapow.
Two dynamic actors take the stage for some wacky fun in Popcorn Falls, a wild, improv-inspired tale about a small, provincial New Hampshire town brimming with zany townspeople of all ages affectionately called, “kernels.” From a feline-loving librarian with a flair for the dramatic to jack-of-all-trades Joe, Popcorn Falls must find a way to save itself from bankruptcy before it’s too late.
Christopher Chew and Sarah Elizabeth Bedard in ‘Popcorn Falls’ Photo courtesy of Greater Boston Stage Company
Written by James Hindman and directed warmly by Lisa Rafferty, Greater Boston Stage Company presents quirky, family-friendly comedy, Popcorn Falls live and in person through October 2 at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. This show is 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Sarah Elizabeth Bedard and Christopher Chew in ‘Popcorn Falls’ Photo courtesy of Greater Boston Stage Company
Doing the heavy lifting is Christopher Chew depicting a set of unique characters including the Town Mayor and Sarah Elizabeth Bedard who portrays other wild characters including Joe. They are more than up for the challenge of keeping the pace of this lively production from a broken mic wire to journeys unknown. From shifting voices to lightning-fast wardrobe changes thanks to dynamic Properties Designer Sarajane Mullins and Costume Designer Deirdre Gerrard, Bedard’s ability to transform into a wide spectrum of characters from seductress to meet cute to smarmy sometimes in mid-sentence is amusing to say the least. The kernels can make a lot of noise and the audience is in on the joke rooting on each shifting character. Christopher Chew largely portrays the straight man with few exceptions, enduring the eccentricities of each alternating character in stride while putting his own twist on his changing persona.
‘Popcorn Falls’ full cast and artistic team Photo courtesy of Greater Boston Stage Company
Kristin Loeffler’s inviting town hall set up including a brick backdrop, a chalkboard, and a town flag does little to reveal the path this duo is about to embark on while sound designer Caroline Eng enhances each running gag. Popcorn Falls doesn’t take itself too seriously, but each prop, sound, and set piece lends itself to the production’s playful and zany antics.
Sarah Elizabeth Bedard and Christopher Chew Photo courtesy of Greater Boston Stage Company
Quite a tale develops as this play kicks off in mid-action as the audience must piece together what exactly is happening onstage and what “kernel” the audience is sure to meet next. Popcorn Falls is a feel-good show for the whole family that will keep the audience guessing at each unpredictable turn. It is endearing and funny journey that saves the big, eye opening reveal for last.
Greater Boston Stage Company presents quirky, family-friendly comedy, Popcorn Falls live and in person through October 2 at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. This show is 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information, discount tickets, and more.
Comic great Robin Williams once said, “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.” Williams suffered from depression, but his ability to feel the lows and to make people laugh perhaps contributed to his gift on a deeper level. Getting the laugh is greater when the pain in which it is earned is also felt, achieving connection. Perhaps this is why there is also an in-house psychiatrist at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California.
Theatre Kapow captured isolation and resilience in a play centered around a group of people clinging for hope in A.J. Ditty’s resonating play, The Boyg based partially on the life of Per Krohg. Art and isolation are key elements and are heavily weighed as each character attempts to connect with each other in their own distinct way.
Dan Daly’s set and cast Photo credit Matt Lomanno Photography
Celebrating its first indoor production in over a year, Theatre Kapow presented A.J. Ditty’s The Boyg in Derry, New Hampshire in September, toured in Charlestown, Massachusetts as October started, and the show is now available online through October 10. Click here for tickets and more information.
Before continuing, it is important to note that A.J. Ditty’s The Boyg, named after Ibsen’s classic play Peer Gynt’s groundbreaking literary monster, does not make the play a prerequisite to appreciate this production, but a companion piece. The show is part play within a play and for those who know Peer Gynt, having read Ibsen’s work may promote a richer understanding, but does not affect the universal appeal of this show.
There is a phantom presence lingering over The Boyg, a sense of tension and dread that builds throughout the production and is rarely addressed until it is unavoidable. It hides in games, questions, plays, and pleasant conversation and perhaps glimpsed in a pause or a worried glance. Enhanced by Tayva Young’s mood-induced lighting and versatile sound designed by Jake Hudgins, it is an element as real as any of the characters in this production.
Sabrina Schlegel-Mejia as Mikhail and Rebecca Tucker as Per in ‘The Boyg’ Photo credit Matt Lomanno Photography
Set inside a Norwegian concentration camp during World War II, each character has every reason to try to forget their present circumstances, but struggle within the inevitability of their situation. Duty, work which is often self defeating, and art seem only to hold more than a moment’s distraction.
R to L: Lisa Boyett as Old Man and Sabrina Schlegel-Mejia as Mikhail Photo credit Matt Lomanno Photography
The cast displays good timing and chemistry even as characters who often struggle to understand each other in their mutual pain. As barracks leader Odd Nansen, portrayed ardently by Carey Cahoon, Odd seems the most willing to give into whatever is necessary to keep up morale while Professor Francis Bull depicted by Molly Kane Parker, prefers to escape into literature and theatre to cope with the present.
Rebecca Tucker delivers an intriguing and heartfelt performance as secretive, complex, and anguished Per Krohg who struggles with what it takes to survive. Tucker’s cat-and-mouse conversations with Nicholas Wilder as harsh and manipulative Captain Denzer and Sabrina Sehlegel-Megia’s earnest portrayal of rebellious and mysterious Mikhail Hjorthson’s haunting recollections of past experiences are particular highlights.
R to Left: Rachael Chapin Longo as Robert and Rebecca Tucker as Per Photo courtesy of Matt Lomanno Photography
What does it take to peel back life’s meaning where there is no other choice? Reflecting on art and culture while staring into the face of mortality, isn’t life better with connection over dread?
Directed contemplatively by Matt Cahoon, Theatre Kapow timely production of A.J. Ditty’s The Boyg streaming through October 10. Click here for more on The Boyg and Theatre Kapow’s new season, Return.
An unusual walk, a wordless journey spoken in song, a hollow room, and bittersweet scenes from the past is just a peek into ROOM, a series of three one-act plays by two Irish playwrights. It explores three people who see the world through their isolated circumstances yet share so much.
Directed by Rachael Chapin and Matt Cahoon, New Hampshire’s Theatre Kapow embarks on their final virtual show of their 13th season themed ‘We will get through this’ with ROOM, a poignant and meaningful journey into loss, isolation, regret, and hope continuing to live stream through Sunday, May 2. Click here for more information and tickets.
Through Edna Walsh’sRoom 303 and A Girl’s Bedroom as well as Ailis Ni Riain’sI Used to Feel, each actor take in their surroundings, reflect on happier and more sorrowful times, and take in what they can of the present while depicting the meaning behind their “room.”
Heidi Kranz in ‘A Girl’s Bedroom’ Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
In A Girl’s Bedroom, ethereal special effects portray a rich countryside and more as Emily Karel reflects on a significant childhood memory. Karel offers a captivating portrayal as the girl as her world becomes vast in her small, colorful bedroom. Her bright inflections, enthusiasm, and surety are also tinged in sadness and loneliness as she reminisces on her young life.
Heidi Krantz embraces an emotional journey of loss and misunderstanding in I Used to Feel. In this brief musical portrait, Krantz evokes the frustration and heartache of misunderstanding due to a disability and the longing for connection again in any way possible. The visual imagery tied into a solitary clarinet makes this piece particularly poignant.
Peter Josephson in ‘Room 303’ Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Perhaps the most powerful piece is in Room 303. Peter Josephson delivers a raw and moving portrayal of a bedridden man reflecting on his past and his future in his current circumstances. His journey calls to mind those who have been sick and alone with only the comfort and betrayal of their thoughts and imagination in these uncertain times. Anxious and bitter through his steely and weakening eyes, Josephson struggles with his recollections as his world becomes smaller.
Theatre Kapow’s ROOM continues live streaming through Sunday, May 2. Click here for more information and for tickets.
It is no surprise that Theatre KAPOW added Peter Josephson’s A Tempest Prayer, based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, to their 13th season entitled, ‘We Can Get through This.’ Having lived through the Great Plague of London, Shakespeare was sadly familiar with the anguish of isolation and solemnity that encapsulates a person during a pandemic and the closing of theatres. It is a perfect choice for this indelible year.
Peter Josephson’s A Tempest Prayer, a solo retelling of William Shakespere’sThe Tempest also starring Peter Josephson, was live streamed at various times from Theatre KAPOW’s studio in Manchester, NH from November 13 through November 15. Click here for more information on season 13 and how to support them on Giving Tuesday on December 1.
Theatre KAPOW company member and award-winning actor Peter Josephson takes on quite a lot capturing the essence of a Shakespearean classic while displaying a full range of emotions not only as Prospero, but as other mystical figures. It is a harrowing journey within a man’s psyche stranded with his daughter on a mystical Mediterranean island imprisoned by his thoughts. He knows there is a way to escape, but must come to terms with himself in order to find freedom. If the show’s surroundings and lead actor’s struggles do not seem a bit familiar in this odd year of 2020, maybe you’re adjusting better than you might expect.
Peter Josephson in ‘A Tempest Prayer’ Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Though A Tempest Prayer is a solo retelling, Josephson portrays other mystical characters on the island in innovative ways while simultaneously making him look that much more unhinged. He uses marionettes for the illusion of interaction and Prospero’s daughter Miranda looks lifelike in a moving CGI portrait. Multiple camera angles, the dark and ominous island setting, and stirring sound effects by Matt Cahoon, Tavya Young, and Jake Hodgins all contribute to Peter’s captivating torment.
Josephson gives a fierce and gripping performance as Prospero expressing his inner turmoil as he struggles to forgive, the weight of his ills threatening to drive him mad unless he can let go. He’s menacing, fearful, shrewd, and human. It is easy to witness this turmoil and have empathy while he is wracked by loneliness and confinement. He paces and ponders the insignificance of life as he attempts to propel himself into a brave new world and appreciate what he does have.
Peter Josephson in ‘A Tempest Prayer’ Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Perhaps you are your own worst enemy. Perhaps more than anyone surrounding you, the unbearable truth is that the biggest struggles are the ones you endure within yourself. Letting go is the key to making things better if only it were that easy.
Sleepless Critic had the honor of interviewing Peter Josephson on a past production he performed with Theatre KAPOW. Click here for the interview.
Theatre KAPOW’s 13th season is underway. Click here for more information about Theatre KAPOW, their mission, and how you can support them on Giving Tuesday on December 1.
Megan Gogerty’s interactive and dynamic Feast makes you part of this production and it won’t be long until you get reeled into dinner conversation. New Hampshire’s Theatre Kapow brings back theatre in a unique way all while delivering real dessert (and a little extra) and as a person starved for the arts, Megan Gogerty’s Feast will leave you full while remaining behind the computer.
Theatre Kapow delivered party favors for ‘Feast’ Photo credit to Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Directed by Matt Cahoon who offers an insightful introduction, Theatre Kapow presented Megan Gogerty’s Feast live with select performances from Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27. This show contains mature content and has its own share of dark notes. Click here to learn more about Theatre Kapow’s 13th season, We Can Get through This and much more.
Feast is an intriguing blend of the classic and contemporary featuring to-the-minute pop culture references while unraveling an ancient mystery. Cleverly self-aware through its philosophies and contextual principles, Carey Cahoon is the hostess of this part conversation and part confessional one-woman show in 75 minutes – no small feat for one person. Opening night had a few technical glitches, but Carey didn’t miss a beat, picking up the moment she left off.
Feast acts as much a warning as a mystery and does not shy away from raw and difficult topics, but Carey’s candor makes these subjects easier to swallow. From government to grief, Feast is not preachy or “political” per se, but you’d be remiss if the conversation doesn’t cause you to look inward.
Carey Cahoon as Agathae Photo credit to Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Carey Cahoon is refined, biting, powerful, but most of all compelling as Agathae, an upper-class socialite getting to know the company she is keeping. She handles this complex personality with zeal through her gripping, slow-burn performance and combined with Megan Gogerty’s innovative script, keeps the tension rising as revelations are unveiled.
The show could have been one note and a bit long, but Matt Cahoon’s discerning staging and Tavya Young’s ominous lighting made interesting use of the limited space and various props, especially for an evocative scene involving a curtain. Multi-faceted, shrewd, and on its own calculated mission, Feast also markedly holds onto the famous proverb, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’
Theatre Kapow presents Lauren Gunderson’s ‘Natural Shocks’ from October 23-25 Photo courtesy of Matthew Lomanno Photography/Theatre Kapow
Theatre Kapow continues its 13th season with a live stream of Lauren Gunderson’s Natural Shocks from October 23 – 25. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Ice Dance International’s Executive Artistic Director and choreographer Douglas Webster reflected wistfully as he introduced what was likely Ice Dance International’s final performance on The Skating Club of Boston’s ice rink on Saturday, February 29. With a 100-year reputation of bringing everything from amateur to Olympic skaters to the ice, The Skating Club of Boston has been sold and will move to a much larger facility in Norwood, Massachusetts. During the week of Ice Dance International’s historic performance in Boston, WGBH’s Open Studios’ star Jared Bowen interviewed Ice Dance International’s exemplary ice dancers at WGBH and took to the ice with them for a stunt or two.
ICE DANCE INTERNATIONAL “IN FLIGHT: LIVE” TOUR 2020 FULL Cast Front Row: Laura Seal, Klabera Komini, Lara Shelton, Douglas Webster, Alissa Czisny, Kseniya Ponomaryova; Back Row: Ian Lorello, Neill Shelton, Rohene Ward, Collin Brubaker Not pictured: Adam Kaplan Photo credit to David J. Murray, ClearEyePhoto.com
Ranging from searing romance to lighthearted fun to big band to catching the wind, Ice Dance International’s ‘In Flight: Live’ gave The Skating Club of Boston a proper send off with a sold out show at 1240 Soldiers Field Road in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ice Dance International, who holds residence at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, Massachusetts, is currently on a national tour through April 4. Click here for more information and tickets.
Neill Shelton and Kseniya Ponomaryova in ‘Till the End’ Choreographed by Douglas Webster
Ice Dancing is not competitive skating, but a unique artistic journey on ice. Not only did ‘In Flight’ feature captivating and extraordinary ice dancers that delivered more than their share of eye-popping stunts, but what was most impressive was how different each dance was from the other. Featuring dynamic choreography from Douglas Webster, Trey McIntyre, Stephanee Grosscup, and Benoit Richaud, Ice Dance International delivered a wide range of music from classical to contemporary including pop, hip hop, and ballads evoking stories of heartache, excitement, humor, and passion.
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Just a few of the highlights included a stirring couples skate from Collin Brubaker and Kseniya Ponomaryova called ‘Till the End’ to the haunting ballad, Kissing You by Des’ree. A passionate and bittersweet performance, the pair seemed to float upon the ice as Collin dipped, spun, and lifted Kseniya. They joined together as one before he must let go. Another elegant performance was delivered by Klabera Komini and Neill Shelton called ‘In Space’ choreographed by Douglas Webster with music by Tom Yorke called Suspirium. To a luminous, piano-infused melody with a deeper meaning, the dancers skillfully glided together connected only by a sheer purple scarf.
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Alissa Czisny and Rohene Ward delivered beautiful solo performances. Rohene was charming and humorous in a beard and suspenders in ‘Wind Dancer’ choreographed by Stephanee Grosscup while Alissa was a vision in blue skillfully keeping a precise, quick pace to Yo-Yo Ma’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major in ‘Primavera.’
Some lighter moments included a group skate with Collin Brubaker, Adam Kaplan, Ian Lorello, Laura Seal, and Lara Shelton to Ben Kweller and Parsonfield’s How It Should Be. In a dance appropriately called ‘A Blade of Sunshine,’ what looked like a freestyle, fun loving group skate in bright, rich colors culminated into a jaw dropping moment as one dancer dove underneath and through the group of moving dancers and landed on his feet. It’s only one example of the sensational stunts witnessed throughout the evening from daring lifts to high speed spins to impossible twists and turns.
Ice Dance International’s ‘In Flight: Live’ continues its 2020 national tour through Saturday, April 4, concluding in Aspen, Colorado. Click here for more information and tickets. For upcoming events and more, follow Ice Dance International on Facebook.
Admissions is not a mystery, but this clever comedy is as tense and thought-provoking as any mystery could be and takes an unexpected turn that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Partly taking place at Hillcrest, a New Hampshire boarding school, award-winning play Admissions tackles many tough and occasionally uncomfortable topics such as white privilege, diversity, and more. It has a dark sense of humor and nonetheless hilarious, but may leave you at times wondering whether laughing is the right thing to do, inviting the audience to skew their outlook on the world.
Nathan Malin, Maureen Keiller, and Michael Kay in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Admissions’ Photo courtesy of Maggie Hall Photography/SpeakEasy Stage Company
With fascinating direction by Paul Daigneault, SpeakEasy Stage Company continues Admissions by Joshua Harmon through Saturday, November 30. Click here for more information and tickets.
With a well constructed wooden staircase, an island kitchen, and a well-furnished and fold out set, Props Master Matthew Robert and Wooden Kiwi Productions create an inviting household and faculty office which alternate throughout the show.
Nathan Malin delivers an intense, witty, and complex performance as Charlie Luthur Mason, a Hillcrest student distraught and frustrated over his deferment to Yale despite his stellar grades and dedicated work ethic. Hillcrest’s Headmaster Bill, portrayed by Michael Kaye and Dean of Admissions Sherri, depicted by Maureen Keiller, are Charlie’s parents. Charlie believes there are other forces at work.
This intriguing show features a small and mighty cast, leaving the audience plenty of time to get acquainted with these multi-faceted characters. Each character represents a different perspective and offers a carefully balanced view of the show’s topics while the show may leaves you wondering which side it represents.
Cheryl McMahon and Maureen Keiller in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Admissions’ Photo courtesy of Maggie Hall Photography/SpeakEasy Stage Company
Admissions is quick-witted and funny right from the start as Roberta, portrayed by Cheryl McMahon, shares a humorous story on her plans for Christmas break. McMahon is candid, animated, and glorious as Roberta, a staff member at Hillcrest eager to please, but marginally on her own terms. McMahon’s chatty demeanor and sharp comic timing with Maureen Keiller as Sherri make for some eye opening and captivating moments.
Marianna Bassham and Maureen Keiller in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Admissions’ Photo courtesy of Maggie Hall Photography/SpeakEasy Stage Company
Maureen Keiller, who was also impressive in SpeakEasy Stage’s Riverside and Crazy, delivers another excellent performance as Sherri. Sherri juggles her life as a wife, mother, and a frustrated but proud Dean of Admissions. She strives to be inclusive and politically correct, but her confidence is waning lately as she is forced to look at her work from a different angle. The show examines some signs of helicopter parenting as Sherri is overwhelmingly concerned with Charlie’s emotional state and fixing it any way she can. However, she also demonstrates reason and compassion as she faces some intense moments with Charlie, Michael Kaye as her patient and accomplished husband Bill, and Marianna Bassham as Sherri’s open and honest best friend, Ginnie. Kaye and Bassham also hold their own in compelling performances.
What makes this show so intriguing is each character struggle to understand each other while each are convinced they are right. One of the production’s most memorable scenes involves Nathan Malin’s Charlie as he delivers a powerful, effective, and perplexing diatribe on how he sees the world. The speech is as amusing as it is controversial and Malin gives it all the gusto it deserves.
Michael Kaye, Maureen Keiller, and Michael Kaye in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Admissions’ Photo courtesy of Maggie Hall Photography/SpeakEasy Stage Company
Admissions is as uncomfortable as it is riveting, cleverly and uniquely addressing some tough topics while delivering more than its fair share of humorous moments. It harbors an important message about genuinely striving to make a difference in the world while acknowledging that looks can be deceiving.
Joshua Harmon’s Admissions continues through Saturday, November 30. Click here for more information and tickets. SpeakEasy Stage Company’s current season also features upcoming performances of Passover,The Children, and Bright Star.
Making its debut in New Hampshire, Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, written by Anne Washburn, is a powerful, wildly funny musical that may offer a whole new perspective on the beloved, long-running television series, The Simpsons, all while staying true to its characters. Directed by Matt Cahoon, theatre KAPOW proudly presents Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play for one weekend only Friday, March 2 through Sunday, March 4 at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Award-winning actor and Saint Anselm College Politics Professor Peter Josephson shares details about working with theatre KAPOW, the fascination behind The Simpsons, and becoming Homer.
Sleepless Critic: You work as a Professor of Politics, but you are also a director, you train and teach acting workshops, and have won quite a few New Hampshire Awards for your art. It’s safe to say theatre is your other love.
Peter Josephson: That’s true. I performed quite a lot in school and in my 20s, but left when I went to graduate school. For almost 20 years, I didn’t perform and got back into it again almost 10 years ago. Since I was very rusty, I sought out training and still train as well as teach. It’s been terrific to get back to it over the last decade.
SC: What is it like to perform with theatre KAPOW again? I understand you have taken the stage with them a few times.
PJ: Quite a few times and I find it valuable to go to other groups. I have friends there and learn a lot from them. I hope I bring something to them, but theatre KAPOW is home base for me in terms of performance. Since my first show in 2010, I’ve typically done 2 or 3 theatre KAPOW shows a year and help lead their trainings.
Matt and Carey are wonderful human beings and have built a theatre company that is always looking for the next exploration, the next way of learning how theatre works, and what we can do with it. Matt curates the season so we are not just doing a series of shows. We have an idea of how shows connect and build on one another. Last year, we did our first musical and Mr. Burns is our second.
Nicole Viau, Emily Karel, and Rich Hurley in theatre KAPOW’s production of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, March 2 – 4, 2018. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno
SC:Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play is a unique opportunity to do that. The Simpsons have been part of the pop culture landscape for decades and have made commentary on politics, entertainment, science, and current events. What do you think draws people to the Simpsons and as a professor of politics, do you think the Simpsons are insightful?
PJ: When The Simpsons first started, a lot of controversy surrounded the show because it seemed to snub its nose at family values and traditional morality. Some scholars take it very seriously as a contemporary text of America. I have had colleagues at other schools write about it and find it as a way to talk to students about serious concerns in contemporary politics. People wouldn’t watch it if the show weren’t crazy and funny. It helps them see more clearly what is going on in their own lives.
SC: Lately, The Simpsons have predicted a number of things that have come to fruition.
PJ: Unfortunately, that’s true. Hopefully the plot of the play doesn’t come true.
SC: Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play has many layers to it. It’s about surviving an apocalypse and using stories from The Simpsons as a means for survival.
Matt and Carey brought the script to me last spring and I was really struck by how funny it was. It’s scary, shocking and underneath all of that, it’s an interesting story about how people use culture to work through their problems and how ideas of sacred truths develop culturally. It’s fascinating and I think Anne Washburn and the actors she worked with when she was writing the script are brilliant.
Rachael Chapin Longo, Rich Hurley, Nicole Viau, and Emily Karel in theatre KAPOW’s production of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, March 2 – 4, 2018. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.
SC: You play dual roles as Gibson and Homer. Setting up a cartoon onstage and portraying a cartoon must have been a new kind of challenge.
PJ: Yes, it’s kind of weird and crazy. I would expect just about everybody in the audience knows who Homer is and I’m supposed to do that in some way, which isn’t really possible. I had to find a central trait about Homer, express that, and remind the audience who the character is. I play Homer in Act 3 and he is put into a different, darker environment. His response to that is what one would expect Homer’s response to be and that is everything is going to be wonderful.
SC: Mr. Burns is Homer’s adversary.
PJ: Yes, Rich plays Mr. Burns in Act 3 and Washburn’s script has taken the cartoon character, identified his corruption, and made that part the most essential thing. I would guess that if a Simpsons fan sees the show and then watches The Simpsons on television, they are going to see Mr. Burns in a different way.
In the second act, two actresses debate about what we do when we perform a play and whether the primary purpose is entertainment or to express some deeper meaning. I think Washburn’s script accomplishes both. Having worked on this play and going back and watching The Simpsons, I don’t look at Mr. Burns the same way anymore because I am aware of what Washburn saw in him and he’s deeper than I thought.
SC: Bringing the cartoon to life onstage is its own challenge. Some of the masks for the show are amazing.
Yes, they are wonderful. We’ll be using masks in late June for an original show we are working on. It’s an interesting acting challenge. The masks’ design elements are goofy crazy and I think we have really captured the cartoon-ish quality of the characters and the challenge is to take that quality and put it into actual living human beings.
Rachael Chapin Longo, Rich Hurley, and Emily Karel in theatre KAPOW’s production of Mr. Burns, a post-electric play by Anne Washburn, March 2 – 4, 2018. http://www.tkapow.com. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.
SC: Regarding the musical element of the show, I understand it features popular songs from the last ten years.
PJ:Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Eminem, and Ricky Martin show up as well as some Gilbert and Sullivan. There are three acts and in the second act, we’re following a traveling theatre troupe and part of the show features a commercial jingle that we sing and part of the show features six or seven pop hits the audience might remember from a time when we had electricity. Act three is all singing in a peculiar operetta that is funny, crazy, and frightening.
SC: What do you think is the best reason people will enjoy Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play?
PJ: I think audiences will attach themselves to it because it speaks to something we are all looking for in wildly entertaining ways. It invites the audience in and makes them part of what is happening. I’m confident the show will resonate deeply with the audience and keep them laughing.
Click here for more information and for tickets as theatre KAPOW presents Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play from Friday, March 2 through Sunday, March 4 at Shepard Auditorium at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. Follow theatre KAPOW on Facebook and Twitter for upcoming events and more.
