Stage Write

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 ...

American Players Theatre (APT) is excited to announce its 2015 season, which will run June 6 – October 18, 2015. UP THE HILL THEATRE The Merry Wives of Windsor By William Shakespeare Directed by Tim Ocel When infamous mooch and layabout Sir John Falstaff arrives in Windsor, he immediately decides his path to riches lies in finding a wealthy woman to woo. So he sets about writing identical love letters to two married ladies about town – Mistresses Ford and Page. Though the letters fail to have the intended effect, the ladies find them an excellent inlet to toy with Falstaff, resulting in a funny and energetic exploration of marriage, miscommunication and forgiveness, featuring charming characters and shenanigans to spare. A Streetcar Named Desire By Tennessee Williams Directed by William Brown After losing her job and family home, fading Southern beauty Blanche DuBois heads to New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella. Stella’s enthusiasm over her sister’s extende...

I’ve always had an affinity for plays that teach me a bit about history. Golda’s Balcony, the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history, does just that. Written by the same playwright who brought Helen Keller’s story alive in “The Miracle Worker,” Golda’s Balcony explores the life of Israeli Prime Minister, Golda Meir. Miki Mathioudakis plays the titular character with a firm grace. Golda was the prime minister during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, a terrifying time for the country of Israel. There is a delicate tightrope to walk for all political leaders, but that’s even truer when a country is in the midst of a tumultuous time.   The set is a simple room, but the backdrop is a huge projector screen. Throughout the production the screen displays images of the political adviser and world leaders as she discusses each one. It also had photos from her childhood and maps of the areas under attack. These elements help bring the audience into the story, connecting them...

  When it comes to art, every person who views it can see something different. Even a simple color can mean a variety of things, stirring memories or emotions that bring on diverse reactions. The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Red” is a two-man play that explores the topic of art in all of its forms.     Abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko hires a young man to help in his studio in the 1950s. The two very different men give us two distinct viewpoints of the world of art. We see things through the eyes of the seasoned artist who has already found success. Then we see the point of view of his assistant, who shows joy and enthusiasm for everything around him. The old and the new come to a head as Rothko pushes the novice harder and harder, and the conflict leaves them both raw.     The performers themselves bring such power to the show with their portrayal of the two men both tortured in their own ways. Henry Woronicz plays the cantankerous Ma...

“I'm just a sweet transvestite, from Transexual, Transylvania,” if you don’t immediately recognize those lyrics than this probably isn’t the show for you. This cult classic, the basis for the 1975 film, has a strange story. A young couple find themselves stranded when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. They end up at the home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and their bizarre night gets even weirder as they meet his devoted crew of miscreants. The elegant Athenaeum theatre is an oddly fitting setting for the musical. The set included a full catwalk and scaffolding that allows the cast to take advantage of the whole stage. There were some occasional audio issues and moments when the music overwhelmed the actors’ voices, but it was a minor issue. Zach Rosing Productions did an excellent job casting actors who were willing to throw themselves full force into the roles. Without their enthusiasm the show could have easily fallen flat, but instead the whole audience cau...

ALCESTIS   Greek tragedy isn’t always at the top of everyone’s must see list, but this beautiful play dips into both the dark and light that every life holds. This production is based on Ted Hughes’ translation of the original play by Euripides. His skill as a poet is clear in each well-crafted line. From the opening scene we learn that Alcestis is dying, she has given her life so that her husband Admetus can live.   Alcestis, played by Melisa Pereyra, gives a hallowed-eyed performance as the selfless queen. To carry her to the Underworld is Death, deliciously played by Brian Mani. He’s charming in his chilling condescension.   The play’s second act isn’t as smooth or concise as the first, but it comes full circle by the end. We meander a bit as characters deal with the consequences of Alcestis’ death.     The play explores the ideas of grieving, sacrifice, and life carrying on despite mourning. In one man’s struggle with his wife’s death we c...