one man show | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Teaching and learning through adversity in Gloucester Stage’s impactful ‘No Child’

Posted on August 20 by The Sleepless Critic

“If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

An American proverb like this speaks volumes about teaching being the very foundation of most everything in life. Without the inspiring art of teaching, the world would be a very different place.

To think some people know they are born to teach and through it all, they do just that.

Beautifully directed by Pascale Florestal, Gloucester Stage continues Nilaja Sun’s semi-autobiographical No Child, a one person production continuing live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 23. This insightful play within a play within a play contains strong language and runs 75 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Valyn Lyric Turner in Gloucester Stage’s ‘No Child’ Photo credit: Jason Grow Photographer

The poorest congressional district in the nation is within the Bronx. One teacher embarks on a dubious journey to teach 27 tenth graders and quickly wonders if she may be in over her head. Valyn Lyric Turner, starring in this one person production, takes on this insurmountable challenge and rises to the challenge with grace, wit, humor, and integrity.

Narrated by Turner as Custodian Baron with a twinkle in her eye, Turner embodies a wide range of animated characters from youthful to the elderly in innovative and brilliant ways capturing distinct mannerisms, posture, tics, accents, diction as well as various expressions and languages. In a performance that might have come off bumpy and awkward, Turner’s shrewd solo performance is engaging and lively with each character uniquely and astutely personified through smooth and fascinating transitions.

Turner as Janitor Baron speaks directly to the audience with sage musings and historical knowledge of the Bronx school Baron has cleaned since 1958 while sharing the story of aspiring theatre teacher Miss Sun. In a tailored shirt and dark pants, Jose, Miss Sun, Jerome, Miss Kennedy, Miss Tam, Chris, and Janitor Baron are only a small portion of the dynamic characters Turner masterfully delivers in swift succession with finesse and unmitigated charm. Not only exacting accents from southern to Jamaican at times within the same breath, but taking it one step further by occasionally correcting pronunciations in character from one character to another. It is extraordinary to see Turner accomplish this amazing solo acting feat within this inspiring and absorbing tale.

Hazy windows, a weathered light fixture, an uncovered beige radiator and a water stained linoleum floor punctuated by two red steel classroom chairs at center stage detail Christina Todesco’s intricate scenic design. Sound designer Jacques Matellus conveys the production’s surroundings through the show’s atmospheric sound design which includes a metal detector, a moving train and the authentic sounding class bell.

One of the many highlights of this production is it radiates not only what it is like to be a teacher in a challenging classroom, but unveils a number of significant perspectives including, as Custodian Baron states, what these “academically challenged” students are like facing fears, apprehension, frustration, lowered expectations and for some, an embattled home life.

A humorous, timely, poignant, educational and inspiring journey, No Child remarkably explores the distractions, sacrifices and challenges that even the most patient teachers face and the power of every victory in the classroom and beyond.

Gloucester Stage continues Nilaja Sun’s semi-autobiographical No Child, a one person production continuing live and in person at Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 23. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Greater Boston Stage Company gets spooky with ‘We Had a Girl Before You’

Posted on October 29, 2023 by The Sleepless Critic

Just in time for Halloween, Greater Boston Stage Company stages one creepy ghost story.

Taking a cue from the success of last year’s one man show, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Greater Boston Stage Company decided to draw from a few classic and haunting tales for this one woman show, We Had A Girl Before You.

Directed by Weylin Symes, Greater Boston Stage Company presents Trevor Schmidt’s We Had A Girl Before You live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA through Sunday, November 5. It is 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Annie Barbour in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘We Had a Girl Before You’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Wearing spectacles and with hair pulled back in a tight bun is just one of Annie Barbour’s many personas as she depicts Edwina Trout, a lonely and inquisitive woman who embarks on an ardent journey to work as a lady’s companion. Longing for love and a sense of belonging, she travels with hope on a dangerous journey to Wichham Manor.

Kathy Monthei’s gloomy and effective set boasts a distant and lit manor on a high hill, a large full moon, a wide staircase, a veiled and translucent black curtain, and bronze-like etchings on the walls with a built in crawl space. The show relies a great deal on David Remidios’s moody sound design and spontaneous special effects for a few jump scares along the way.

Annie Barbour not only depicts Edwina Trout, but a number of unsavory characters on her journey such as a gruff and surly barmaid and an abusive and resentful teacher. The physical prowess that Barbour carries is substantial, but she handles it while exacting accents, mannerism, and conversations varying from a dark scowl to a hypnotic stare. Trout is far more complex of a part than it seems and Barbour handles these variations of temperament believably. ‘We Had a Girl Before You’ is not as strong of a story as a classic tale of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ but it contains enough chilling content and wily twists that make for an interesting day at the theatre.

Greater Boston Stage Company presents Trevor Schmidt’s We Had A Girl Before You live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA through Sunday, November 5. It is 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ a family treat and delivering more surprises than things that go bump in the night

Posted on November 4, 2022 by The Sleepless Critic

Under a glimmering moon, fog rolls in as a candle burns.

Near a tattered fence and curtains behind a pedestal table sits The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’s author Washington Irving, portrayed by Boston-based actor Paul Melendy. Poised to share his gothic novel, Washington Irving is just one of several personas Melendy charismatically manifests for Greater Boston Stage Company’s semi-interactive, one man performance of Halloween classic, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Paul Melendy in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ Photo credit to Nile Scott Studios

With lively direction by Weylin Symes, Paul Melendy aptly bares the weight of this local, legendary, and family-friendly tale live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts as well as virtually through Sunday, November 6. This show is just under 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.

Already proving to be a wonderful talent in Greater Boston Stage productions such as The 39 Steps and Miss Holmes Returns, Paul Melendy captures the spirit of Sleepy Hollow through a frenzy of distinct personalities, rapid fire mannerisms, and occasional scares. This version has a historical and contemporary context, delivering more family- friendly and comedic content than a fright fest.

Melendy’s Icabod Crane is an eccentric, bumbling, and polite schoolmaster in love with the lovely Katrina and sets out to impress her and her family, but rumor has it that something ghostly just might be lurking through Sleepy Hollow. Feeding off the audience while drawing comedic inspiration and wide- eyed vigor reminiscent of Jim Carrey or Jerry Lewis, Melendy’s pliable features transform into a number of characters ranging from the elegant Katrina to a tough guy New Yorker to the mysterious Mister Knickerbocker. A cross between a recollection and a retelling, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow treats the audience to an assortment of dynamic characters who roam through this secluded valley along the Hudson River.

Melendy is an animated and quick-witted storyteller on this partially introspective journey as David Remedios’s chilling sound effects highlighted by a wild horse whinnying, Katy Monthel’s haunting scenic design, and Deirdre Gerrard’s eerie lighting elevate the production’s mysterious and uneasy tone. Add Melendy’s exuberance to the mix and audiences are in for an enjoyable ride.

The cast and creative team for Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ Photo courtesy of Nile Scott Studios

Greater Boston Stage Company presents The Legend of Sleepy Hollow live and in person in Stoneham, Massachusetts as well as virtually through Sunday, November 6. This show is just under 90 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW: ‘The Mom Show’ a moving recollection of survival and resilience

Posted on June 20, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

Michael Levin’s Polish Jewish mother hated one man shows. Jenny Graubart didn’t think there was anything interesting about someone standing on stage talking through an entire performance. However, what is so rewarding about Michael Levin’s The Mom Show is not just his reflections and a collection of family photos. It has wisdom, tragedy, resilience, love, disaster, music, and a cast of multi-faceted relatives existing during one of the most harrowing parts of history. Accompanied by a collection of original songs performed and composed by Levin (with the exception of one), The Mom Show is an intimate and engaging portrait of a survivor whose son still wonders how she did it all.

Written, composed, and performed by New York Times bestselling author and Tanglewood Festival Chorus tenor Michael Levin, The Mom Show continues live at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts Sundays through July 18 at 7 pm. It was the first in person theatre production to open in Massachusetts and it follows Covid guidelines. The show runs 80 minutes without an intermission. Click here for more information and tickets.

Unlike Levin’s mother, I think there is something endearing about one man shows if they are delivered with heart, finesse, and has a solid story to tell. The production explores three generations from 1908 Poland right into the present day exploring Levin’s family’s experiences as they ventured into different parts of the world to escape the Holocaust and ultimately settling in Queens, NY. Through their ever changing locations, Graubart’s versatility, worldliness, and resourcefulness shine through while overcoming difficult hardships and triumphs that will not be revealed here. We’ll let Levin tell the tale.

Levin is an engaging storyteller, adding humor and spontaneity to this emotional journey. Musically directed by Nancy Loedy, The Mom Show delves into various musical genres from rockabilly to the blues to a Cuban lullaby. What We Remember is a particularly stirring piece. Levin’s sincerity and heartfelt vocals add a lighthearted gleam that keeps in step with each segment of the production. Levin’s mom was also a big fan of musicals before her death in 2018 and The Mom Show is worthy of her approval.

The Mom Show continues live at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford Street in Arlington, Massachusetts Sundays through July 18. Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW: Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s ‘Until the Flood’ a raw, complex, and gripping docu-drama

Posted on May 3, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

Until the Flood begs the question, “How do you want to be remembered?”

Director Timothy Douglas frames a poignant, moving portrait of a community in pain with Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s virtual docu-drama Until the Flood continuing through Wednesday, May 5. The content of this program is not recommended for youth under age 16. This program was originally commissioned by The Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis. Click here for more information on Merrimack Repertory Theatre and how to stream the show.

Based on real life accounts gathered in 2014 by Pulitzer prize-winning finalist Dael Orlandersmith, Until the Flood delves deep into the emotional and complicated perspectives and recollections of this community and how it affected each person following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Maiesha McQueen in one person show ‘Until the Flood’ Photo courtesy of Kathy Wittman/MRT

A colorful, makeshift memorial is strewn on a chain link fence shrouded in a blue, haunting darkness. Sirens ring out in the distance amid tingling and powerful music. Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Until the Flood sets a foreboding undertone through Lindsay Jones’s chilling sound design and Bill Clarke’s haunting and true-to-life set pieces.

Encapsulating all the anguish, uncertainty, doubt, fears, and hope is Maiesha McQueen in a tour-de-force performance onstage as she takes on eight individual composites drawn from real life interviews in this one person show. From a 17 year-old teenager to a 75 year-old retired police officer, McQueen digs into the heart of each individual and delivers the kind of multi-layered performance that flows with each individual. From a subtle head tilt and a tumult of emotion brewing in her eyes to the careful movements and creaking in her bones as she takes on the persona of an ailing senior to the confident swagger of a teenager that feels like he can take on the world, McQueen writhes and broods with each character. Dressed in colorful and consistent street clothes by Yao Chen, each perspective and recollection made by each individual is fleshed out and brought together by McQueen as she pours herself into each character and makes each stand on their own. Her pliability transforms her stature, stance, rage, compassion, sadness, and anger “like the flood” over the state of the world.

Until the Flood provides not only each individual account of what they heard, saw, or experienced of the Michael Brown shooting, but a deeper look into how each person lived their life before and after this harrowing incident within this community. It is a raw, gripping look at how ugly and how beautiful a society can be and how easily friendships can change when people do not see eye-to-eye. It delves into anger that can be unleashed too easily, anguish, sadness, harrowing fear, and unbridled hope in fellow human beings in spite of life’s sorrowful circumstances. Most of all, it presents a fairly even handed, but complex account of what truly motivates human nature and how fear and hope takes shape.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre, located in Lowell, Massachusetts continues streaming Until the Flood through Wednesday, May 5. Click here for more information and tickets.