Review: THE UNSEEN HAND and KILLER'S HEAD Showcase Sam Shepard's Loners in the Middle of Nowhere or at a Dead End
by Shari Barrett - Feb 4, 2020
Sam Shepard, who left this world in 2017, was an American playwright and actor whose plays adroitly blend images of the American West, pop motifs, science fiction, and other elements of popular and youth culture. His settings are often a kind of nowhere, notionally grounded in the dusty heart of the vast American Plains. His characters are typically loners, drifters caught between a mythical past and the mechanized present; his work often concerns deeply troubled families, lovers or friends. Two of his plays centering on loners at the end of their rope, THE UNSEEN HAND coupled with Shepard's gritty and audacious KILLER'S HEAD, joins Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception.
Ron Sossi Re-Visits Obie Award-Winning THE SERPENT 50 Years Later
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 31, 2020
Go ahead a?" take the apple. Founding artistic director Ron Sossi directs a revival of The Serpent by Jean-Claude van Itallie a?" winner of the 1969 Obie award and arguably the most successful ensemble work ever created a?" as part of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season. Sossi previously directed the West Coast premiere exactly 50 years ago, in the spring of 1970, as the second production ever at the then brand-new Odyssey Theatre. The Serpent opens on March 7 at the Odyssey's current home in West L.A., where performances will continue through May 3.
Photo Flash: Odyssey Theatre Presents Sam Shepard's THE UNSEEN HAND
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 20, 2020
What happens when 1880 Western bandits are brought back to life in Azusa, CA by a space alien? Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand joins Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary “Circa '69” Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception, coupled with Shepard's gritty and audacious Killer's Head. Longtime Shepard collaborator Darrell Larson directs both plays for a Jan. 25 opening at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., where performances will continue through March 8.
BWW Review: THE CAKE: Two Brides, One Conundrum for North Carolina Baker
by Nancy Grossman - Jan 20, 2020
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court handed a narrow victory to a Christian baker from Colorado who refused for religious reasons to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. Hailing from a conservative North Carolina background, playwright Bekah Brunstetter is personally familiar with people like Della, the protagonist of THE CAKE, and ideally positioned to protect her and defend her humanity, while also setting her on a path to self-reflection and change. Although the story may be ripped from the headlines, Brunstetter tells it from the perspectives of a quartet of ordinary, yet multi-faceted characters, each of whom comes with a strong set of beliefs.
The Segal Centre Will be Kicking Off 2020 with SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 10, 2020
The Segal Centre will be kicking off 2020 with a unique theatrical experience that takes #selfcare to the next level - just in time to help keep those New Year's resolutions going! Directed by Segal Centre Artistic Associate Caitlin Murphy, the Montreal premiere of Bess Wohl's Small Mouth Sounds will be in the Segal Centre Studio from February 9 to March 1, 2020.
Casting Announced For Sam Shepard Double Bill At The Odyssey
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 8, 2020
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has announced the schedule of rotating actors, including Shameless actor Steve Howey and film actor Dermot Mulroney, who will appear in Killer's Head by Sam Shepard, a monologue that makes up the first half of the Shepard double bill a?" the second half is his 1969 one-act The Unseen Hand a?" that is part of the Odyssey's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception.
Reyes | Finn Presents Nick Doyle and Mike Cloud & John Riepenhoff
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 6, 2020
Reyes | Finn have announced a debut solo exhibition by artist Nick Doyle accompanied by a two-person exhibition by Mike Cloud and John Riepenhoff, on view from January 10-February 22, 2020. Examining various modes of production-from the mass production of quotidian objects emblematic of the American Dream, to the production of art-both exhibitions bring to the fore standards of worth, exposing unseen systems of social mobility and support.
MY NIGHT WITH REG Will Tour UK Theatres
by Stephi Wild - Jan 6, 2020
Groundbreaking gay play My Night With Reg is set to captivate theatre audiences with a vibrant new revival which embarks on a UK tour this month.
Frolic Pictures Releases New Grindhouse Double Feature DVDs
by Stephi Wild - Dec 28, 2019
Celebrating the work of Klaus Kinski, Linda Blair and Rutger Hauer!... Cult horror classics, obscure thrillers, vintage erotica, absurd 80s action, outrageous Kung Fu and more! The next wave of Frolic Pictures' new limited edition grindhouse series double feature DVDs are now available online, wherever DVDs are sold (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, etc.) Hand-selected by Hollywood exploitation filmmaker Jared Masters. A sordid combination of old school horror, vintage black comedies and juicy exploitation fare. Each DVD is a one-of-a-kind experience, like going to a drive-in back in the day, except in the comfort of your own home.
Sam Shepard Double Bill Joins Odyssey's 50th Anniversary Season
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 10, 2019
What happens when 1880 Western bandits are brought back to life in Azusa, CA by a space alien? Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand joins Odyssey Theatre Ensemble's 50th Anniversary a?oeCirca '69a?? Season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the company's inception, coupled with Shepard's gritty and audacious Killer's Head. Longtime Shepard collaborator Darrell Larson directs both plays for a Jan. 18 opening at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A., where performances will continue through March 8.
BWW Review: THE NUTCRACKER at Houston Ballet
by Jenny Taylor Moodie - Dec 2, 2019
The Nutcracker is beloved for many reasons; the endless eye candy, the dynamic score, and the marriage of artistry and excellence. The element of tradition keeps us coming back for more. We yearn to feel connection, and to remember what it's like to wonder about magical things. Houston Ballet's multi-faceted Nutcracker is a delicious carnival of mystery and joy. Creative director Stanton Welch has built a production that serves the audience and leaves us completely fulfilled. Nothing sends you back to your childhood more quickly, with all things seemingly possible and your imagination offering an endless sweet escape.
Sundance Institute Names Latest Nonfiction Grantees
by Sarah Jae Leiber - Nov 26, 2019
Sundance Institute today named the global cohort of independent nonfiction film projects that comprise its latest Documentary Fund Grantees, including specialized grants administered by The Kendeda Fund and the Stories of Change Fund.
Anna Chancellor, James Fleet and More Join Cast of THE WATCH on BBC America
by Kaitlin Milligan - Nov 19, 2019
BBC AMERICA today announced Anna Chancellor, James Fleet, Ingrid Oliver, Ruth Madeley, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Bianca Simone Mannie have joined the cast of the network's disruptive original series, The Watch, premiering in 2020. Co-produced by BBC Studios and Narrativia, The Watch is inspired by Sir Terry Pratchett's bestselling “Discworld” novels.
Annie Russell Theatre To Present Improvised Film Noir Show, PRIVATE LIES
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 6, 2019
Set in a murky crime-infused cityscape of Prohibition-era America, Private Lies is a fully improvised long-from theatre experience framed as a serialized detective series. The original production pits Richard Lies, an unlucky Private Eye, against a nefarious underworld in film noir-inspired episodes. In each fully improvised performance, our haunted gumshoe seeks to piece together a random assemblage of clues to solve the a?oecrime of the daya?? while witnesses, suspects, and criminals help and hinder his pursuit of justice.
BWW Review: LET'S RUN AWAY is a Moving Look at Life and Legacy
by Isabella Perrone - Nov 3, 2019
LET'S RUN AWAY is a deeply personal look into the life of a man through what his late birth mother wrote about him in her memoir; the premise is simple enough, but it's the layers and puzzles scattered throughout the interactions between mother and son that make the story so intriguing.