Jay Irwin - Page 43

The impetus to cast a largely male Shakespearean show such as "Titus Andronicus" (or any show for that matter) with an all female cast can come in a number of guises. A juxtaposition of male cruelty coming from the mouths of women or the opportunity for the ladies to take on these meaty roles normally slated for men, to name just a few. Well, the former, if that was an intent in Upstart Crow's production, was kind of lost on me as about 10 minutes into the show the novelty of women playing the parts wore off and these talented actresses disappeared into their male roles. This fact only strengthens the latter reasoning as the women brought the pain and betrayal just as well (if not better) than any men.

Take away what you want from The Schoolyard's latest endeavor, "The Last Leaper of Charenton"; a transitional tale of the struggle between science and religion or a morality play about who judges beauty and sanity with resonance of the issues of today. Either way what you're in for is a promising and intriguing new work from local playwright Todd van der Ark.

I don't think many would disagree when I say Tony Kushner is one of theater's most incredible playwrights with his amazing gift for language. And his adaptation of Pierre Corneille's 17th century tale "The Illusion" is no different with its poetic dialogue and gloriously surreal arc from melodramatic to stark truth. And Sound Theatre Company's production of this magical piece, for the most part, understands and delivers the beauty of that arc.

Village Theatre was back this last weekend with their 12th Annual Village Originals Festival of New Musicals. A weekend packed with five new musicals presented as script in hand, staged reading workshops; the festival aids in the fostering and growth of these exciting new works. Some previous works have even gone on to Broadway success as "Next to Normal" (previous title "Feeling Electric") and "Million Dollar Quartet" had their start through the Village Originals Festival of New Musicals and went on to win multiple Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize ("Next to Normal"). And, as they did with last year's "Cloaked" Village also took a previous festival entry and gave it a larger production as "Lizzie Borden" had a three performance off book workshop of it's own at the First Stage Theatre down the street from their main stage Francis J. Gaudette Theatre.

There's a reason that Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize winning heartbreaker "Driving Miss Daisy" isn't produced much around here: casting. It's not always so easy, especially for a small theater company, to find three strong, age and race appropriate actors to take on this beautiful piece and do it justice. And there is where ReAct Theatre director David Hsieh lucked out with their current production as their three amazing performers handled the subject matter and the sizable passage of time in the show with grace and heart and also managed some stunning chemistry among each other.

Take a classic girl detective, throw in more 90's references than you can shake a Beanie Baby at and before you can say, "Whazuuuuup?!" you've got the latest show from STAGEright, "Calling Nancy Drew". And while the show could totally use some tightening, it's a fun, frothy and radical good time.

You know that friend of yours whose entire life is one big ball of negativity. We all have them (or maybe you are them). That person who constantly goes on about his tale of woe yet can never seem to learn anything from past mistakes. But you let him go on as you like him for some reason. That's what the new play "99 Layoffs" by Vincent Delaney at ACT felt like to me, a couple of likable yet pathetic characters who never grow and ultimately go nowhere.

No tricks, no flash, no exploding video walls or gaudy production numbers. Just an ensemble of some of Seattle's most gifted actors brilliantly savoring the meaty dialogue of Harold Pinter. That's how ACT started off their Pinter Festival last night with their productions of "The Dumb Waiter" and "Celebration". Just outstanding storytelling and plain great theater.

Is it possible that "Rent", Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking hit from 1996 has now become so dated that it no longer has the edge it once had? Or is it that the current production from the 5th Avenue Theatre is so desperately trying to be edgy that it shows its weakness? That is the question before us. But whatever you feel about the show itself, the current production at the 5th takes so many missteps that it's hard to see the show as anything but an adorable relic.

One of the biggest pitfalls of casting "Romeo and Juliet" is that you need to find younger actors (the lovers are supposed to be 14 years old) who can handle these characters and this play without devolving them into petulant teens. And this was the major issue I had with the current production at the Intiman as neither of the two eponymous lovers seemed to connect with each other or the flowery speeches and therefore didn't connect with the audience. Luckily many of the other members of the cast turned in some stellar performances making the more interesting play, "Romeo and Juliet's Family and Friends".

If a play or the message of a play is important or affecting, as is the case with David Henry Hwang's "Yellow Face", currently playing at the Center House Theatre from React Theatre and Pork Filled Players, there is always the danger of the actors in the play to over intensify the work rather than letting it stand on its own. And while the current production at the Center House Theatre definitely has some wonderful moments and great laughs along for the ride, it unfortunately suffers from this problem as the message feels forced and long winded rather than meaningful.

Take a few particularly vile individuals, throw them into a house with some innocuous and naive others and have them all spurred on by a bored manipulative new bride and what do you have? No, this is not the latest reality series on FOX but it had about the same impact and appeal as one. No, it's Henrik Ibson's "Hedda Gabler" currently playing at Intiman as part of their Summer Theatre Festival. And while there were some interesting moments on the whole it amounted to a one-note melange of duplicity that had about as much intrigue as an episode of "Jersey Shore".

Crass, over the top and offensive. Filled with bad taste, outrageous costumes and more dick jokes than you can shake … well … a dick at. If anyone asked me to describe Intiman's current production, I'd have to go with that. But did I like it? Despite a few missteps and an Act One that needs some tightening, I laughed my ass off. But then, I occasionally like crass, over the top and offensive in my theater.

Dario Fo's 1970 play, "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" with it's anti-establishment rhetoric certainly has connections to items in the news today what with the occupy movement and people's disillusionment with the government. But the problem that the current production of the play from Strawberry Theatre Workshop has is that they don't trust the audience to make those connections and instead feel the need to jam them into the script and beat us over the head with them. And while the show is funny and has some amazing performances it also at times comes across as self indulgent and lacking commitment.

What starts off as a seeming battle of wills and words between two writers soon devolves and reveals itself to be more of a geo-political statement in John Patrick Shanley's "A Dirty Story" which opens the Intiman's Summer Theatre Festival. At times a bit clunky and forced the show ultimately amounts to a crazy ride with some outstanding performances that will give you plenty to discuss afterward.

What makes a "good" person? When is a horrific crime such as murder justified? Where does redemption come from and for whom? These questions and more are posed in the riveting second offering from fledgling theater company Azeotrope with their production of "Jesus Hopped the A Train" currently running at ACT. A heavy play to be sure but deftly delivered from a company that is quickly becoming one to watch.

Lewis Black, best known for his hilarious stand up comedy and in your face editorials on "The Daily Show" has brought his new wedding day farce for it's west coast premiere to ACT. And while there were a few good laughs including the opening moment of the show which nearly brought the house down, the show just loses it's way and goes downhill from there as it gets stuck in a morass of cliche, predictability, underdeveloped characters and stiff performances.

Rarely am I this surprised by a show, especially one I've already heard. But last night I had to completely change my tune over Green Day's "American Idiot", currently playing at the Paramount Theatre. Filled with stunning performances, inventive staging and poetic songs the show went from one I was mildly curious about to breathtaking evening.

Take the broadest physical humor and bad puns you can find, mix together with a half baked murder mystery and throw in enough current (and not so current) pop culture and local city references to choke the Mariner Moose and what do you have? You have "Shear Madness" currently playing at the Moore Theatre or as I call it one of the worst touring shows I've seen in the area since the 3 Redneck Tenors inflicted their 15 minutes of fame on Tacoma.

I have to say I love it when a playwright takes a genre and turns it on its head. Even more so when they have an amazing gift for words and storytelling as is very evident in Stephanie Timm's "Sweet Nothing, a (grim) fairytale" currently having its Northwest premiere at Annex Theatre from Macha Monkey Productions. With the sweetness of a fairly tale combined with the stark coldness of reality, Timm manages a haunting sensuality wrapped up in a thoroughly engaging story of lost innocence.