By AARON KRAUSE WILTON MANORS, Fla. — “I will obliterate those who oppress and repress people they do not understand,” the ambitious, young, wide-eyed, if a bit naïve, man proclaims confidently. “And I will seek justice for those who’ve been marginalized by society.” If you think such a person sounds like someone sorely needed in […]
By AARON KRAUSE MARGATE, Fla. — As you hear his one-liners zing from the mouth of one character to the ear of another, a sense of serenity and amusement envelops your body. Suddenly, fears of nuclear attacks and terrorist plots escape your body like tension from tight shoulders following a refreshing, deep-tissue massage. A sense of […]
FT. LAUDERDALE — In the wake of last Saturday’s white supremacist rally and destruction in Virginia, New City Players’ production of Sam Shepherd’s True West serves as a striking example of art reflecting a terrifying reality that seems surreal. One scene bears a frightening similarity to the kind of force and violence a shocked nation witnessed […]
By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out“) Tennessee Williams was in many ways a man before his time and a man deeply concerned about his place in American theatre history. Following the successes of The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Rose Tattoo, Williams turned his attention to a project that dealt […]
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) With the final production of its 50th anniversary year, Summer Lyric Theatre (SLT) at Tulane has pulled off an amazing series under the helm of artistic director Michael McKelvey and “Gypsy” is the cherry on top of its sweet confectionary of Broadway classics old and new. But […]
By HARRY DUKE Musicals are the bread and butter of community theatre. They’re usually crowd pleasers and, with their large casts, can bank on a crowd of family and friends to fill a good portion of the house. They require a certain amount of space and a certain level of talent. Directors often cast for […]
By AARON KRAUSE PALO ALTO, Calif. — Award-winning Bay Area playwright and composer Min Kahng thought his discovery several years ago was “fascinating” and “unique.” It would be “fun and interesting” to adapt for the stage, he further believed. Kahng has done that. His adaptation of one of the first-ever graphic novels has opened for […]
By AARON KRAUSE POMPANO BEACH — There’s no question “Big Brother” is staring at us in Outre Theatre Company’s production of the disturbing, thought-provoking George Orwell classic 1984. It runs through July 30 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Arts Center. Several images on stage show an elderly, cross, if not outright intimidating man looking straight at us. This […]
By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out“) When composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman and his writing partner Scott Wittman opened Hairspray: The Broadway Musical 15 years ago, there could not have been an expectation as to how well-received and how pervasive the musical, based on the same-titled 1988 John Waters film, would become. Summer […]
By ALAN SMASON, Theatre Critic, WYES-TV (“Steppin’ Out“) During the summer months, New Orleans is a city beset in its defense from raging storms. But the mystical literary storm that approaches it now via the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University – The Tempest – has much to be admired, not feared. Director and […]