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REVIEW:  Company’s One’s ‘Hoops’ take on greater meaning

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Not to be mistaken for basketball, Hoops are jewelry individuals wear as a fashion piece, display cultural or ancestral significance or to make a statement as Bronx-born Puerto Rican Jennifer Lopez once fiercely remarked during a comedy sketch on The Tonight Show, ‘Don’t make me take off my Hoops!’  It served as a warning to host Jimmy Fallon that Lopez was not to be messed with.

Hoops can add subtle and delicate elegance or stand out as its own remarkable, not-to-be-missed fashion statement.  I love my own hoops.  Whether formal or casual, they go with everything and fit in for every occasion.  Produced in all patterns, colors, and sizes, Hoops are unmistakable and certainly have a way of expressing themselves.

So it is no secret that this topic is right up my alley.

L to R Tiffany Santiago, Kaili Y. Turner, and Karimah Williams in Hoops Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography

Hosted by DJ Brandie Blaze who is also part of the cast and enthusiastically directed by Tonasia Jones, Company One continues its 25th season with Hoops by Eliana Pipes live and in person at the historical Strand Theatre in Dorchester, MA.  This semi-interactive production is free with pay-what-you-want options, contains some adult language and is a dense 90 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Brandie Blaze in Hoops Photo by KenYotsukura

Lively and pulsing rhythms greet the audience as multi-talented DJ Brandie Blaze spins tunes by local Boston artists as the production begins.  This is not the kind of show where one watches and remains silent.  The audience is encouraged to get up and dance, clap and show their enthusiasm as Blaze introduces this fervent cast who uniquely take the stage in their own style.

Part dance party, part testimonial and reflections, and part history lesson with a mix of comedic scenarios, the cast of Hoops share personal experiences, coming of age stories, and dig in deep into the idea that a piece of jewelry can make such an impact. Whether it is to feel closer to their family through an heirloom or to build confidence for an intimidating event, each individual has an original reflection on how their hoops made a difference in their lives.  Sometimes the production gives hoops a bit too much credit, but it is effective serving as a reminder that they had the courage and power to get through these challenges within themselves.

L to R Albamarina Nahar and Tiffany Santiago in Hoops Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography

The cheerful, hoop-inspired set design by Payton Tavares with Grace Kroeger has a bit of a ‘90s feel featuring bursts of neon green, pink, yellow and blue with dripping paint decorated on blocks.  The DJ Booth is stylish and cozy featuring embellished shelves, vinyl, and flowers lining the walls.  Each character decked out in their own signature pair of hoops, Erica Schoenberg’s colorful, urban and summer-inspired costumes makes each individual stand out as they portray various roles.

Elijah Brown in Hoops Photo by Ken Yotsukura-Photography

In large and sparkling hoops, affable Brandie Blaze hypes up the audience by singing and rapping to Blaze’s original music.  Sharp and upbeat choreography by Jenny Oliver keeps the show exciting as  Elijah Brown, Albamarina Nahar, Tiffany Santiago, Kaili Y. Turner, Karimah Williams and Beyoncé Martinez not only break out into dance, but collaborate well together onstage sharing a spectrum of stories and anecdotes about sharing hoops, breaking hoops, status, generational wealth and their own individual journeys.

L to R Brandie Blaze Kaili Y. Turner Tiffany Santiago Karimah Williams and Albamarina Nahar in Hoops Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography

Funny, upbeat, and poignant, Hoops is a meaty exploration about feeling good about oneself while taking on the weight of the world with flourish.

Hosted by DJ Brandie Blaze who is also part of the cast and enthusiastically directed by Tonasia Jones, Company One continues its 25th season with Hoops by Eliana Pipes live and in person at the historical Strand Theatre in Dorchester, MA.  This semi-interactive production is free with pay-what-you-want options and is a dense 90 minutes with no 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 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.

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.

REVIEW:  Fresh Ink Theatre’s searing and contemplative ‘John Deserves to Die’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Be meek and seek perfection.  Approval is what makes dreams come true.

In an intimate space inside the Boston Center for the Arts unfurl two simmering and intertwining tales.  One dives deep into the lives of a group of college students under the tutelage of their tenured and egotistical theatre professor.  The other is the centerpiece for Mamet’s play, Oleanna.  This play within a play focuses on power, rivalry, perspective, image, and how manipulation comes in many forms.  Who is the culprit and how innocent is a victim?  Yet, it is also about something more.

Fresh Ink Theatre presents ‘John Deserves to Die’ Photo credit to Paul Fox

Directed cleverly by Regine Vital, Fresh Ink Theatre Company presents Rachel Greene’s contemplative dramedy John Deserves to Die live and in person at Black Box Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through May 13.  The show is two hours and 20 min including one intermission and has some mature themes. Click here for more information and for tickets.

John Deserves to Die is not a murder mystery, but it does have its share of venom.  Gripping from the start, the show is a searing, darkly humorous, and multilayer production delivered with haunting and progressive conviction.  It does not just grab attention as the cast occasionally breaks the fourth wall, but it is a careful and thorough analysis of how lines can blur between right and wrong.

Devon Whitney as Laura Vogel, Ethan Williams as Steven Sanders and Alex Jacobs as Professor Daniel Holmes in Fresh Ink Theatre’s ‘John Deserves to Die’ Photo credit to Paul Fox

James Cannon’s charged sound design showcases a selection of tunes that imply or speak directly to the show’s narrative, but none fit quite as brilliantly as Britney Spears’s remixed and eerily stirring Toxic.  Two multifunctional bookshelves of carefully selected works filling each side of the stage are just part of Victoria Rojo’s integral stage design and props by Victoria Hermann.  Kat Lawrence’s colorful and distinct apparel thoughtfully tap into each individual’s character while Isaak Olson’s cryptic lighting lends to the show’s heated moments.  

Tiffany Santiago as Andy Stark, Cara Clough as Jen Barnett, and Lorraine Victoria Kanyike in Fresh Ink Theatre’s ‘John Deserves to Die’ Photo credit to Paul Fox

This engaging production boasts a powerful cast in which each character plays a pivotal role in the big picture.  Cara Clough depicts self doubting yet determined Jen Barnett who longs for stardom through her theatre professor Daniel Holmes, depicted by Alex Jacobs.  Jacobs is impressive as enigmatic Professor Holmes with easy charm, quick wit, and a deliberate way with words that make his portrayal suave and astute, while always teetering on something amiss. Clough is riveting and understated as Jen especially in her quieter moments while Ethan Williams as Steven Sanders delivers memorable and darkly humorous moments from his skewed perspective. Lorraine Victoria Kanyike as Leah, Devon Whitney as Laura, Tiffany Santiago as Andy, and Cara Clough as Jen are collectively compelling which carries through this cleverly staged production. Approval is not always what it cracks up to be, but to these four individuals, it seemingly means everything.

Fresh Ink Theatre presents Rachel Greene’s contemplative dramedy John Deserves to Die live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through May 13.  The show has two select pay what you want and buy one, get one free productions. Click here for more information and for tickets.