politics

REVIEW:  Going to extremes in SpeakEasy Stage’s somber ‘Job’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Talk about the dark web.

A woman on the edge and a man is barely keeping it together…at gunpoint.

Such is the opening of SpeakEasy Stage’s intense thriller Job, a two hander production that is at times, a nail biter and other times, a deep dive into a woman’s unfiltered thoughts, observations and teetering panic with a startling twist that holds a grievous and agonizing truth. 

Directed with raw candor by Marianna Bassham, SpeakEasy Stage continues its 35th season with Max Wolf Friedlich’s searing psychological thriller, Job through Saturday, February 7 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts.  This fast paced production contains strong language and adult themes running approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

From left: Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dennis Trainor Jr. Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Set in downtown San Francisco in 2020, set designer Payton Tavares with Amanda E. Fallon’s moody lighting depicts a warmly lit and detailed therapist’s office in muted colors that features a leather couch, desk, several paintings and few family photos.  Intense, hollow and at times creepily deafening, Lee Schuna’s carefully orchestrated sound design signals several significant moments during the production.

Job is not unfamiliar territory for director Marianna Bassham who starred in her Elliot Norton award-winning and indelible portrayal as Nina in SpeakEasy Stage’s People, Places and Things in 2022.  While People, Places, and Things dives into the deep chasm of an addict, Job takes a different approach to trauma and addiction in Jane in a visceral performance by Josephine Moshiri Elwood.  Having recently performed as idyllic Emily in Lyric Stage’s Our Town, Elwood shows her broad range depicting a deeply wounded, distressed, controlling and flawed individual wearing haphazard loungewear with a colossal chip on her shoulder.  Jane condescends, snipes, is obstinate and shows narcissistic tendencies, but the why of it all will soon rise to the surface while Dennis Trainor Jr. skillfully portrays an alarmed yet seemingly mild mannered therapist Loyd who does what he can to temper this unpredictable situation. 

Josephine Moshiri Elwood Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Elwood and Trainor Jr. hint at a battle of wits rapport and both are guarded in their own way which only allows glimpses into their true nature.  It is fascinating to see how the conversation shifts as they learn more about one another.

From left: Dennis Trainor Jr. and Josephine Moshiri Elwood Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Job kicks off at an eleven and keeps its dialogue crisp. Much of this swiftly moving production tackles the nature of panic and anxiety and spans a number of scenarios real and imagined.  It also takes a raw look at the dangers and the dark crevices of the digital age.  It is a powerful production, but its potent content while gripping, may not appeal to everyone.  It was a lot for me and could possibly conjure up some complex feelings for you as well.   The production delivers pop culture references, politics, and contemporary issues while striving at lighter hearted moments in its occasional dark and dry humor, but the escalating situation may not leave much room for laughter.

From left: Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Dennis Trainor Jr. Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

SpeakEasy Stage continues its 35th season with Max Wolf Friedlich’s tense psychological thriller, Job through Saturday, February 7 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Reputation and a darker vision in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s stirring ‘Evita’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

She was a mystery, but everyone thought they knew her.  

From a wily and ambitious teenager to rising political figure, Eva (Evita) Perón knew she belonged at the top before she ever knew how to get there. 

Thoughtfully directed with sweeping chorography by Rachel Bertone as well as robust musical direction by Dan Rodriguez, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston proudly presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony award-winning musical, Evita through Sunday, July 20 at The Robinson Theater in Waltham, Massachusetts.  This production is approximately 2 hours with a fifteen minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Eddie Noel Rodriguez and the cast of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s ‘Evita’

Evita, with music, book and lyrics by award-winning collaborators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, is a rock opera set in Argentina from 1934-1952.  Part of what makes Evita such a captivating work is its vibrant pacing and memorable soundtrack.  Based on the life of Maria Eva Perón, Evita’s life moves much like the soundtrack’s quick rhythms as it journeys through song from night club to city street to majestic balcony with barely a pause for applause.  Cameron McEachearn’s grand set divulges Eva’s life in its sheer magnitude in its sterling balcony with brick bursting out of its cracked walls.

This version of Evita includes songs not featured in the 1996 film of the same name.  The Art of the Possible, a cryptic number not in the film and featuring a group of officers, is particularly engaging.  Eva, in a powerful performance by Isabella Bria Lopez, is a young woman taking Argentina by storm and sees opportunity in Juan Perón, depicted with regal like mindedness by Ryan Mardesich.

Eddie Noel Rodríguez as Che; Isabella Bria Lopez as Eva Perón; and the Cast of Evita

Lopez exudes stealthy charm in a knowing smile when she first appears as a teenager.  However, behind her feigned naiveté, Eva is shrewdly on the move as soon as her feet hit the ground for the catchy and effervescent number, Buenos Aires.  Lopez takes Eva from a vivacious teenager onward and excels at her developing influence and maturity through the years. 

She hits her vivacious stride with Buenos Aires which delves into her instant love for the city and keeps up the brisk pace for this demanding role throughout, though some notes at times can sound a bit strident.  She delivers an impressive version of Evita’s signature number, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, glowing in a pristine glittering gown, one of Ellie De Lucia’s 400 vintage costumes in a multitude of dress patterns from casual to elegant to military garb.  The production’s visceral ensemble ranges from heartwarming to heartbreaking as they collectively portray the elite to peasants to Eva’s fascinating family. 

Eddie Noel Rodríguez as Che; Isabella Bria Lopez as Eva Perón; Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin_ as Magaldi

No one succeeds without opposition.  Che, depicted with charisma and sardonic wit by Eddie Noel Rodriguez, resonates as part keen observer and part narrator while representing not only the poor working class, but perhaps the truth in his personable delivery.  In a vest, gray slacks and a scally cap, he occasionally engages the crowd, but his primary focus is on Evita.  Tempering each scenario with satirical flair, Rodriguez captures the essence of Che and makes the role uniquely his own as he travels on a risky path for speaking up.  From his mocking observations in Oh What a Circus as well as And the Money Kept Rolling In, his humorous duet in Good Night and Thank You with Lopez, and the reflective ballad, High Flying Adored, you’ll be glad to be taking this musical journey with Rodriguez.

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin and cast in Reagle Music Theatre’s ‘Evita’

Boasting rich and charming vocals for Magaldi’s signature song, On This Night of a Thousand Stars, Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin blends sensitivity, melodrama, and humor to bombastic night club singer, Magaldi and was a hit with the audience.  Other notable numbers include a tender rendition of Another Suitcase in another Hall by Rebekah Rae Robles and the stirring harmony of Santa Evita.

Rebekah Rae Robles in Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s ‘Evita’

Engulfing the audience from the moment of Eva Perón’s death from the very beginning, Reagle Music Theatre’s Evita delivers a darker and more distinctive version of Evita.  Baron Pugh’s alarming red and yellow lighting intensifies the fanaticism, dark humor and the power struggle not only between Eva and Juan tempering Eva’s supercilious ambition to run things behind the scenes, but among the masses and in the hypnotic cries of ‘Perón!’  Previous versions portray Eva and Juan as likeminded, but share a genuine love.  Here they seem more like fellow conspirators and Lopez’s You Must Love Me becomes less of a realization or statement, but a desperate plea.

Isabella Bria Lopez; Ryan Mardesich and the Cast of Evita

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston’s Evita offers a unique and memorable perspective that sets it apart from other versions in its resonating and cautionary storytelling while leaving room to get lost in the music and motivations of this intriguing, enigmatic and controversial figure yearning for the spotlight.

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston proudly presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony award-winning musical, Evita through Sunday, July 20 at The Robinson Theatre in Waltham, Massachusetts.   Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ create a spark

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Who really is the stranger at your door?

Directed ominously by Bob Scanlan, suspicion takes a front seat as Praxis Stage presents Max Frisch’s British absurdist satire, The Arsonists at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 15.  This semi-interactive production is approximately two hours with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

‘The naked truth told enough, nobody believes it’ is a variation of Nazi Joseph Goebbels’s Big Lie propaganda technique, ‘Repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.’  The Arsonists build on that here as being blind to the obvious. 

First published by Max Frisch in 1953, The Arsonists has since evolved from a radio play to television and a stage production under other names such as The Fire Raisers or The Firebugs.  It delves into many issues including hypocrisy, fascism and propaganda.

Michael Anderson as Pre-show MC and other roles in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

In an unnamed town, place, and setting, The Arsonists is unorthodox right from the start and focuses on Kim H. Carrell as Gottlieb Biedermann who is contrary in many ways.  Relishing in his upper middle class affluence in an expensive ascot in lieu of a tie while smoking cigars, Biedermann just finishes reading about arsonists setting fires in people’s homes in his neighborhood when a towering stranger with bleached blond locks arrives at his door.  Anxious, preoccupied and frustrated Biedermann reluctantly lets him in.

Daniel Boudreau and Kim Carrell in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

 The stranger is Daniel Boudreau as charismatically chatty and homeless former circus wrestler Joe Schmitz.  Boudreau and Carrell share a gnawing awkwardness as Boudreau’s Schmitz voraciously eats and insists he is looking for a little humanity.  Boudreau delivers another impressive performance as Schmitz not entirely unlike his persuasive character Goldberg in The Birthday Party and he shares a darkly fascinating rapport with Zair Silva as mysterious thrill seeker Will Eisenring. 

Zair Silva and Daniel Boudreau in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

The Arsonists reveal some of life’s minor truisms such as when people dismiss behavior over the weather to mask negative emotion and more serious ones such as overlooking any event if it was not reported in the news.  Carrell as Biedermann is fixated on appearances and insists that we are all human beings regardless of status yet disassociates himself with people and is extremely ruthless in other areas of his life.  Along with Julia Trueblood as Biedermann’s equally anxious wife Babette, they wish to appear accommodating even if that is not necessarily the case.

Annunciating Mr. Biedermann’s name for emphasis, Stephanie Charlton is humorous as practical and edgy maid Anna, reflecting much of the exasperation the audience feels at Beidermann’s increasingly bizarre behavior exemplified by an amusing moment amongst an otherwise somber scene between Biedermann and Anna arguing over table settings. 

Julia Trueblood and Stephanie Charlton in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

There is musical accompaniment to The Arsonists by vocalist Miss Mary Mac, Music Director David Krimsky and Malachi Connolly on guitar with percussionist Benedict Dawn-Cross highlighted by a grim cover of R.E.M’s It’s the End of the World as We Know it as part of this cabaret-style show.  Mackenzie Adamick’s sound design is often immersive and lends to some of the show’s tension as a timer sporadically ticks in the background. The most impressive part of Kevin Fulton’s lighting is inside a hidden door that is realistic, convincing and won’t be revealed here. 

Miss Mary Mac on vocals and the band Photo by Praxis Stage

Like Praxis Stage’s previous absurdist work for The Birthday Party, The Arsonists may render you speechless, a bit disoriented and frustrated, yet you may also find yourself invested in this production’s motivations and outcome especially in shifty Boudreau as Schmitz and Zair Silva as Eisenring.  Both absurdist works examine the human condition and deliver its share of truisms from an absurdist perspective but unfortunately, The Arsonists leaves little to interpretation as both productions culminate in a dining room table showdown in which the tables turn.

The Greek chorus of firemen, composed of five actors including Alison Butts, Abby Duell, Jean Dany Joachim, Gabriel Pagan and Jessica Newman, appear to pose as a neighborhood watch.  The idea is intriguing, but their welcome wears thin at first chorusing at times what the audience might be thinking before coming off as condescending, repetitive, and unnecessary with the exception of a brief haunting song sung by Jean Dany Joachim right after intermission.

Chorus: Left to Right Abby Duell Jean Dany Joachim Gabriel Pagan Alison Butts and Jessica Newman in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

At one point, the show encourages you to think for yourself and yet, the show is not without its subtle biases and political leanings.  It may have been more thought provoking if left ambiguous as the play is already witty and relevant on its own.

Directed ominously by Bob Scanlan, Praxis Stage presents Max Frisch’s The Arsonists continuing at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 15.  This semi-interactive production is approximately two hours with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s wildly revealing ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Life in the White House has always been messy.

Resourcefully directed and choreographed by Ilyse Robbins, Hub Theatre Company of Boston continues politically satirical play, 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 3.  This semi-interactive production is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and tickets are on a pay-what-you can basis.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Lauren Elias, Sophia Mulharram, Yasmeen Duncan and Katie Pickett in ’36 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ Photo credit Andrew Keefe

It is quite a feat having to navigate each distinctive perspective of ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ in a constrained and approximate 90 minute timeframe with no intermission, so this production hits the ground running.  It serves more as a crash course for each first lady starting from Martha Washington literally framed elegantly with a classic side view as buntings hang above and the American flag is occasionally projected behind her.   E. Rosser’s symbolic, patriotic and muted colonial style garments stay true to each setting with some occasional surprises along the way. 

Sophia Mulharram, Lauren Elias, Yasmeen Duncan and Katie Pickett in ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ Photo credit Andrew Keefe

With a cast of five which includes Yasmeen Duncan, Lauren Elias, Eleni Kontzamanys, Sophia Mulharram, and Katie Pickett portraying multiple roles with time saving costume changes and Samantha Mastrati’s essential props efficiently hidden in various places on the stage ranging from historical to contemporary to absurd, these hard working and talented individuals still manage to make it look easy. 

From absurdity to solemnity to comedy to tragedy including a few music numbers, each play is creative and vastly different with modern nuances and exposing the herstory and women’s societal hierarchy as time marches on.  Some of the production makes assumptions and analyses the perspectives of these ladies as modern observers.  Much of it is surprising and at the same time sadly not given the tumultuous state of politics throughout history.

Lauren Elias, Sophia Mulharram, Yasmeen Duncan, and Katie Pickett in ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ Photo credit Andrew Keefe

’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ offers a wealth of information in its limited timeframe backed up by direct quotes from these ladies stylistically displayed as each play progresses.  A vast array of scenarios took place in the White House (which was first deemed The White House by a First Lady) and the title ‘First Lady’ has its own interesting back story with some stories questioning who the first lady really was at the time.

The cast of ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ Photo credit Andrew Keefe

The elicit affairs, the worries, the losses, unspeakable tragedies, disasters, emotional turmoil, the hospitality, the gossip, mudslinging and slander all had its place in the lives of the Presidents and their first ladies.  Some did not know that their husband ran for President, some felt invisible while some reveled in their station as ambitious First Ladies and advised their husbands without getting credit, and some stuck to their domestic duties including one first lady who invented the pink bathroom. Some changed America forever for the better, one even deemed herself the Queen of America and that just the tip of the iceberg.

Yasmeen Duncan, Sophia Mulharram, Lauren Elias and Katie Pickett in ’46 Plays for America’s First Ladies’ Photo credit Andrew Keefe

It is not easy to delve into politics, especially these days. This fast paced production’s bold views are at times one sided and leading while exploring serious hot button issues in innovative and variety show style ways from vaudeville to comedic sketches to puppets to a play within a play and much more. While I enjoyed some parts more than others, the style of each play changes with each president and first lady with some revelations about these first ladies that just might unite us all.

Resourcefully directed by Ilyse Robbins, Hub Theatre Company of Boston continues politically satirical play, 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies live and in person at Club Café in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, August 3.  This semi-interactive production is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and tickets are pay-what-you can.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Central Square Theater reveals ‘Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches and Part 2: Perestroika’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

For a show about grief, life springs forth briskly inside the pristine walls of hospital quarters that house only a few scattered chairs.   The radio comes to life with a few select news and pop culture references signaling its 80s setting.  Much of what is portrayed isn’t what it seems and Director Eric Tucker and scenic designer Deb Sivigny provide order to the disarray as props twist, sashay, and sway in the semi-interactive chaos at a terrific pace.  In a particular highlight, members of the cast physically pile together to form a bed as they rely on each other for support while the dialogue flows and it all works beautifully.  Angels in America:  Millennium Approaches somehow makes sense of it as it embraces the manic nature of the world and in this genius and raw staging, consistently propelling it forward.

Eddie Shields as Prior Walter and Zach Fike Hodges as Louis Ironson in Central Square Theater’s ‘Angels in America Part 1’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Central Square Theater and Bedlam present Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning Angels in America Part 1:  Millennium Approaches and Part 2:  Perestroika at select times through Sunday, October 8 live and in person at Central Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.  This is a review of Part 1 which is three and a half hours including two intermissions and contains adult content, nudity, and some graphic scenes.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

This multi-talented, collaborative cast not only demonstrate physical prowess with its integral props and settings for each energetic and urgent scene, but some depict a mix of complex and sympathetic characters which intersect into different storylines.  Debra Wise slips into a beautiful Yiddish accent as a Rabbi tasked with officiating a funeral, a significant phantom from the past, and later as a stern Mormon mother.  The Rabbi’s terse, wry wit and candid delivery highlight Wise’s apt skills before she later manifests Hannah Pitt’s guarded and concerned motherly misgivings.  One looks death in the eye, one has faced death and the latter is afraid to watch.  At one point, the Rabbi examines an immigrant’s journey by exclaiming, ‘You do not live in America.  No such a place exists.’ 

Central Square Theater Angels in America Part 1 Debra Wise Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Angels in America takes off with the hustle and bustle of death and business that zings and marches as acclaimed lawyer and power broker Roy Cohn, depicted with biting wit and magnetic, yet morbid cynicism by Barlow Adamson meets his new Mormon assistant from Salt Lake City, Joe Pitt, portrayed with principled diffidence by Alexander Platt.  Adamson and Platt are quick to establish a mentorship as they learn more about each other.

Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Zach Fike Hodges, Kari Buckley, and Eddie Shields in Angels in America Part 1 Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Angels in America addresses many complex questions including the nature of love, grief, religion, freedom, and the state of the world where hope is so hidden and nearly bereft of existence.   John R. Malinowski’s menacing lighting is at once investigative and haunting as it veers and shifts so cleverly that it is difficult to tell if it is shedding light in a dark world or exposing the dark with light.  The show profoundly tackles loneliness in most of its characters and how each one of them copes with their present circumstances.  Eddie Shields as Prior Walter gets the brunt of it physically and psychologically as he is faced with HIV.  Using humor and escapism to mask his inner turmoil, Shields delivers a bold and heartrending performance facing obstacle after obstacle. 

Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Helen Hy-Yuen Swanson and Kari Buckley in Central Square Theater’s ‘Angels in America Part 1’ Photo By Nile Scott Studios

Kari Buckley suffers a quieter battle as agoraphobic Harper.  Buckley’s gleaming smile, endearing and quirky inquisitiveness, and denial masks her own inner turmoil as she turns to medication for relief and as a life raft for her unhappiness.  Harper muses, ‘People are like planets.  You need a thick skin.’ Buckley and Maurice Emmanuel Parent as Mr. Lies share some whimsical scenes that cleverly act as a relief from the heavier material.  Maurice Emmanuel Parent also portrays supportive, compassionate, and reasonable Belize who levelheadedly sets the record straight in a debate about love and politics with Zach Fike Hodges as Louis who is doing everything he can to avoid the truth about Prior’s condition.   Hodges weaves impulsively in out of the five stages of grief and in his suffering further complicates things.

Central Square Theater Angels in America Part 1 Maurice Emmanuel Parent and Zack Fike Hodges Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Angels in America is not for the faint of heart.  It is rueful, witty, cynical, sobering, and unflinchingly unearths the shadows and heartache of the boundaries of freedom in a world gone mad before it sheds some light.  Though both parts of Angels in America can exist on their own, Part 1’s conclusion leaves plenty of room for Part 2.

Helen Hy-Yuen in Central Square Theater’s ‘Angels in America Part 1’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Central Square Theater and Bedlam present Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning Angels in America Part 1:  Millennium Approaches and Part 2:  Perestroika at select times through Sunday, October 8 live and in person at Central Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.  Part I is three and a half hours including two intermissions and contains adult content, nudity, and some graphic scenes.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

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 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 300th 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 and Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

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 300th 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:  The Arlekin Players powerful and interactive ‘The Gaaga’ (The Hague) brings war under the microscope

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

What if during the pain and strife of war, leaders were rounded up and required to stand trial for war crimes?  What if during that trial, the very nature of war is peeled away to only exact more questions?

The Arlekin Players are known for daring and original productions fueled with a strong and universal message and this time, the audience had a say in this interactive trial through the eyes of a child.

Taisiia Fedorenco as Taya in Arlekin Players ‘The Gaaga’ Photo by Irina Danilova

Innovatively written and directed by Sasha Denisova, Arlekin Players Theatre and the Zero-G Virtual Theatre Lab presented The Gaaga (The Hague) live and in person at Beat Brew Hall in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA as well as a virtual option from June 2 through June 18.  This show contained some adult themes and is 2 hours and 40 including one 10 minute intermission.  Click here for more information.

The cast of Arlekin Players ‘The Gaaga’ Photos by Irina Danilova

The Gaaga delves into some heavy and heady content, but also has its share of satiric humor and spectacle told in an interactive manner through a child’s game delivered through a dark and intriguing performance by Taisiia Fedorenco as Taya in a bomb shelter in Mariupol, Ukraine.  Taya’s “game” is a trial that Putin, portrayed with striking resemblance by hair and makeup designer Anna Furman and depicted somewhat superficially as a child would see Putin by Paulina Dubovikova, and his network of operatives is on trial for their crimes in the Ukraine.  The audience is privy to the trial and then some as each operative parade out for aiding Putin in crimes against humanity. 

It is a powerful, gritty, harrowing, tense, and deeply personal production that leaves many more questions that it does answers about war, its consequences, and the dilemma of who is truly responsible for its uprising.  Though the cast is a dynamic group made of mostly conniving and power hungry adversaries all looking for a scapegoat, The Gaaga adds unexpected dimension to this almost assuredly doomed bunch, but things are never quite as cut and dry.

Taya is not just any girl.  She wants the audience (who can choose to be part of the online jury) to not just see her as narrator and orchestrator of the game, but to get to know her by revealing her favorite soup and what she loves as evidenced by tell tale surroundings including a rocking horse, tea set, and pink doll house.  It’s such a purposefully ironic and metaphorical setting by Environmental Designer Irina Kruzhilina which perhaps symbolizes the loss of innocence as war talk overpowers a child’s playthings.  Lighting designer Kevin Fulton enhances the crucial, mood setting atmosphere from a drab and dismal Dutch prison to the satirical buoyancy of a theatrical performance.  Sound designer Brendan F Doyle and composers Szymon Orfin and Jacek Jedrasik add spectacle and with a cryptic, but at times humorous soundtrack that includes classic rock and original score.

Ilya Volok as Patruschev Photos by Irina Danilova

The originality of The Gaaga varies from treacherous individuals dancing exuberantly in strange garb to being interrogated in a bathtub through the unique lens of security cameras and other means of revelation including a bleary and bombed window.  Quite a few of the cast members make powerful impressions especially handling dual or multiple roles such as Garrett Sands as a malicious soldier, Robert Walsh as Surovikin, Joe Biden and others, but Ilya Volok as conspiracy theorist Patruschev gives a mesmerizing performance, especially in a particularly commanding, absorbing, and unsettling monologue which combines comedy and cruel irony.

Not only is the audience asked show questions as trivia during pivotal points in the production, but invites others to share their thoughts.  Some questions are tongue in cheek, but others are sure to be considered long after the production is over.

Arlekin Players Theatre and the Zero-G Virtual Theatre Lab presented The Gaaga (The Hague) live and in person at Beat Brew Hall in Cambridge, MA as well as a virtual option from June 2 through June 18.  Click here for more information.

REVIEW: SpeakEasy Stage Company’s ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning’ delves deep

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

A fire pit and backyard party in the deep woods of Landon, Wyoming seems the perfect setting for fun and good conversation.  What could go wrong?

Certainly a relatable situation in contemporary society, Heroes of the Fourth Turning knows how to tackle difficult discussions in a heady and thought provoking way, but leaving the conversation between these five distinct individuals unscathed is seldom a realistic scenario.

Dayna Cousins, Nathan Malin, and Jesse Hinson in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Directed by Marianna Bassham who previously directed SpeakEasy’s acclaimed People Places and Things, SpeakEasy Stage Company presents Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning through October 8 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts.  This show has adult themes.  Click here for more information and tickets.

One of the greatest strengths of Heroes of the Fourth Turning is its multifaceted approach to each of its characters.  Each individual is complex and struggling in some way, but are rarely stereotyped and the production is not approached in a divisive way.  The show is most effective by keeping an open mind.

It is satirical and darkly humorous from its opening scene with Justin, in hunting gear and a plaid shirt, moments away from shooting a deer.  This scenario may seem indicative of some the preconceived notions of conservative thinking and the nature of its forthcoming characters, but it gradually thwarts any preconceived expectations.  Its strength is not in the black and white, but delves into the gray corners of each of its characters.

Arbery’s script does not shy away from hot button and controversial issues and the atmosphere can get realistically heated and uncomfortable as it would at any gathering in contemporary society.  It offers a glimpse of each character’s unique perspective while their struggle unfolds as well as their flaws.

Dayna Cousins, Nathan Malin, and Jesse Hinson in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

This cast of well rounded characters and their easy camaraderie is a convincing depiction of a group that has known each other for years, especially between Dayna Cousins as Teresa and Nathan Malin as Kevin.  The quirks they know about each other demonstrate their long history.  Visiting her hometown from New York, Teresa is the seeming intellectual of the group.  Portrayed with nerve and intensity, Teresa has adapted a way of know-it-all thinking that makes her cold and unable to see another viewpoint, stereotyping whoever is unlike her.  As she boldly discusses her opinions on the world, she lets loose an air of authority, waiting to be challenged.

Dayna Cousins, Nathan Malin, and Jesse Hinson in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Nathan Malin, who showed off his impressive dark comedic skills previously in SpeakEasy’s Admissions and The Sound Inside, portrays comical, chatty, and tormented Kevin.  Always ready for a party and deep conversation, Kevin longs to know the real secret of happiness in life as he contends with deep seated guilt and loneliness.

Justin, host of the party and veteran, is portrayed with a mix of sympathy and an air of mystery by Jesse Hinson.  A seemingly compassionate individual and clearly affected by his past experiences, it doesn’t take long to see there is much more to his story.

Jesse Hinson, Dayna Cousins, and Karen MacDonald in ‘Heroes of the Fourth Turning.’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Battling physical ailments is Emily, an angelic portrayal by Elise Piliponis.  Emily is sweet and nonjudgmental, but with her own strong and compassionate views.  Bearing the brunt of her daily challenges, Emily is insightful and introverted and would like to do anything but argue. 

Emily’s mother and much admired Gina, portrayed with charisma and decorum by Karen MacDonald, is no stranger to complex characters such as in SpeakEasy’s The Children and as Erma in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Erma Bombeck:  At Wit’s End.  MacDonald thrives here too, depicting a complicated political figure that has impacted each of the other character’s lives.

Jesse Hinson, Dayna Cousins, and Karen MacDonald in Heroes of the Fourth Turning. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Heroes of the Fourth Turning is a fascinating, darkly humorous, and concerning look at human nature and though the ending seems outlandish, the clever script offers an interesting perspective on what happens even among the supposed like minded.

SpeakEasy Stage Company presents Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning through October 8 live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts.  This show has adult themes.  Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW:  Company Theatre’s regal ‘The Audience’ delivers lessons from a queen

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

So much can transpire in a certain room.

Though I’m not a fan of The Crown, the intriguing Oscar-nominated Spencer is new on Hulu and I was too curious about the polarizing acting abilities of Kristen Stewart to miss this film.  Not only does the film focus on the tension, the princess’s fragility, and her deteriorating marriage, but  what is deemed a fable of a tragedy taught me a bit about the monarchy’s strict regime before heading out to see the Company Theatre’s production of The Audience.

Directed by Steve Dooner and the inspiration behind the Netflix’s hit drama The Crown, Company Theatre presents Peter Morgan’s The Audience through Sunday, February 20 at Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive in Norwell, Massachusetts.  The show is 2 hours and 15 minutes including an intermission.  Click here for more information and tickets.

Carol Laing Stearns as Queen Elizabeth II with Pembroke Welch Corgis Gregory and Laci Photo courtesy of Zoe Bradford/Company Theatre

The Audience is named after an important room inside Buckingham Palace where Queen Elizabeth II discusses a wide range of topics with various Prime Ministers over the Years.  As Queen, she must live up to certain standards to have these meetings on a certain day for a certain length of time and keeping discussions strictly to Cabinet, Parliament, and Current Affairs.  Needless to say, conversations often take a turn in unexpected directions.  The show delivers light and subtle humor throughout the production, but this is mostly a historical drama.

Carol Laing Stearns portrays the sharp and coolheaded English monarch with sophistication, grace, and underlying prowess (with her royal corgis in tow).  She dryly describes herself as “a postage stamp with a pulse,” but we all know better.  Stearns has a natural and likable presence, but also stoic and headstrong.  She rarely lets her emotions get the better of her, even when she is commenting on it.  It is interesting to see the quirks and tenacity, navigating her age progression well.  However in a rare moment, thanks to the keen lighting design of Dean Palmer. Jr, the spotlight shines on Stearns in a moment of vulnerability, and it is difficult not be entirely moved by it.

Carol Laing Stearns as Queen Elizabeth II Photo courtesy of Zoe Bradford/Company Theatre

Ryan Barrow’s elegant set is flanked with wall-to-wall gold trim, historical portraits, and a sparkling chandelier shining overhead.  Charismatic Rama Rodriguez as Equerry acts as half narrator and half historian, sharing the relevance of this special room and its astute history.  From a tartan skirt to the dapper suits on each Prime Minister to the very replica of Queen Elizabeth II’s white dress and royal sash symbolizing her position as the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, costume designer Elizabeth Cole Sheehan has a meticulous eye for historically-accurate regal flair.

The depiction of Elizabeth II’s flashes of childhood is handled in a unique and insightful way though at first it can be a little confusing.  Young Elizabeth, portrayed as a precocious and inquisitive old soul by Samantha LeBretton, struggles with her destiny and the separation of her public and private figure.  Although she is unsure of her place exactly, she feigns surefootedness, but not without questions. 

Carol Laing Stearns as Queen Elizabeth II Photo courtesy of Zoe Bradford/Company Theatre
Julie Dennis as Margaret Thatcher Photo courtesy of Zoe Bradford/Company Theatre

Chris DiOrio as Harold Wilson is the most sympathetic among the Prime Ministers while Julie Dennis as Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher comes in like a lion and remains one.  The tension between Stearns and Dennis as a compelling Thatcher is quite thrilling to witness as two people with much in common can barely agree.  DiOrio as Wilson thrives in the role, his strong Northern accent only accentuates his likability. 

Among the many political, social, and personal topics addressed, the clash between royal rituals and traditions with modernization and talk of the end of the monarchy is always looming.  However, The Audience presents a bigger picture and depicts just why Queen Elizabeth II’s, who just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this month and is the longest reigning English monarch in history,  secret to her longevity reaches far beyond her wit.

Company Theatre’s ‘The Audience’ is the inspiration behind Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Photo courtesy of Zoe Bradford/Company Theatre

Company Theatre presents Peter Morgan’s The Audience through Sunday, February 20 at Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive in Norwell, Massachusetts.  The show is 2 hours and 15 minutes including an intermission.  Click here for more information and tickets.

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

Posted on 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.