Stage Write

In a post-electric world with no television, smartphones or computers, what does a group of survivors talk about? They rehash old plots of Simpsons’ episodes of course! This comedy tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world through the eyes of a small traveling band of people. It’s a strange show, unlike anything else you’ll probably see this year. It provides a surreal mix of humor and poignant reflection.  The group, huddled around a campfire, finds a sense of connectivity in their shared memories of pop culture. They also try to keep the semblance of normalcy in the formality of simple tasks. By doing things “properly” there’s the illusion of calm in the chaos. The cast is so in synch. They convey an instant sense of comradery when you first meet them. Eric Olsen, Jen Johansen, Eryn Bowser, Paul Collier Hansen, Paeton Chavis, Rob Johansen, and Ryan O’Shea work so well together. They provide our only view into this brand new world, but through their interactions we...

When I first saw the Phoenix Theatre’s production of " The Lieutenant of Inishmore " in 2008 I loved the unique feel of the Irish black comedy. The theatre’s current show “The Cripple of Inishmaan” is by the same playwright, Martin McDonagh, and has a similar tone. Set on the Aran Islands in 1934, we see the chaos caused when a Hollywood director visits to make a film. There’s a cruelty in small towns. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. They’ve all grown up together, so there’s a comfort level that tends to ignore privacy. No one flinches in calling someone a degrading nickname or referring to an embarrassing moment in their past, because it’s all common knowledge. It’s that very familiarity that can be so claustrophobic to residents. Nathan Robbins is our title character, Cripple Billy, and he feels more suffocated than anyone. Each member of the excellent cast adds their own eccentric layer to the rich fabric of the community. Ryan O’Shea is the bras...

A Beef & Boards Christmas  Luxurious sets and a whirlwind of costume changes are always hallmark elements of the annual Beef & Boards Christmas production. The variety show style offers up holiday favorites for crowds. There are familiar songs and faces from a quartet of singers that includes, Matt Branic, Peter Scharbrough, Heather Patterson King and Bobbi Bates.   Deb Wims and Kenny Shepard are back as well dancing across the stage together. There are also no shortage of Christmas icons in the cast, Frosty, Rudolph and the Grinch all make appearances. The show features half a dozen high-kicking dancers to jazz up most numbers.   The show mainly stumbles when it tries to do too much. There are times when Lucas, the quartet, co-hosts Wims and Shepard, Santa and six dancers are all vying for the audience’s attention on stage at the same time. The frantic nature of those numbers makes it hard to appreciate any single element, much less all of them at ...