tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52164552008-05-24T12:45:34.783-05:00Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comBlogger698125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-54216986320634192932008-05-24T11:33:00.008-05:002008-05-24T12:45:34.838-05:00

Alfred Hitchcock's Saboteur contains some grating dialogue and plot holes the size of, well, the whole country. Which is appropriate since that is where the movie takes place. It starts in Los Angeles and makes its way, to Ellis Island, stopping along the way to admire the Hoover Dam and some ranch country. Like Humbert and Lolita, making their way through the motels of the United States,

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-56042261971095664952008-05-23T13:32:00.004-05:002008-05-23T13:44:04.372-05:00

Laura Miller, writing in Salon about the Death of the Literary Critic: I think of blogs not as alternatives to reviews or essays, but as a forum for short items, news and remarks, as well as links and responses to longer pieces posted on the sites that commission them. I could be wrong, though, as I'm not really a reader of blogs. And the following from an interview with Sarah Ruhl in

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-14033910743397418912008-05-23T07:35:00.002-05:002008-05-23T11:03:34.068-05:00

If you are looking for theatre this weekend, there is plenty to choose from: Last Chance: Ryan Landry's spoof of the Wizard of Oz closes this weekend. If you can work and angle and get tickets somehow, I don't think you will be disappointed. Whizzin' plays at Machine through the weekend. The National Theatre of Allston, (what a great name,) continues their short works evening at the Boston

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-33228981837127306312008-05-22T10:44:00.004-05:002008-05-22T10:58:19.384-05:00

Blogger Rob Kozlowski just defended his title at the Drekfest. Two years running he has won the award for Worst Ten Minute Play! He then turns to discuss the musical Wicked which is touring in Chicago (Here is just a section): The musical is not terrible, and it's certainly less offensive than tripe like Legally Blonde or The Wedding Singer, if only because the score is passable (albeit free

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-39015780025251654862008-05-21T16:18:00.002-05:002008-05-21T16:36:44.986-05:00

The Broadway transfer of the British hit revival Boeing Boeing, has given many critics a platform to ponder one of the gaps in British and American theatre culture: Bedroom Farce. Here is Leonard Jacobs: Broadway, you see, has traditionally been unfriendly to farce, especially the libidinous kind. Maybe it’s the difficulty U.S. actors have adjusting their Method-centric technique to the idea

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-34493559349259340052008-05-21T14:37:00.003-05:002008-05-21T15:19:14.316-05:00

"The staging was amazing as usual, but I found the play itself a bit fluffy and perhaps predictable."... "The people who attended the play with my could see no reason, save that Greenblatt is a member of the Harvard faculty, why the ART should have produced that play." "It was the most contrived and artificial play I have seen in a long time. The endless homages to Umbria, past and other things

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-64776554901985185182008-05-21T07:08:00.001-05:002008-05-21T11:05:11.585-05:00

Mrs. Mirror and I watched Rebecca last night. The Criterion DVD has an interesting extra in which you can watch the screen tests for about five of the actresses who were vieing for the role of the Second Mrs. DeWinter, identified as "I". You can also read, subsequently, Producer David O. Selznick's and Director Alfred Hitchcock's comments on the various actresses. Vivien Leigh auditioned and

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-26684735064347590722008-05-20T07:58:00.001-05:002008-05-20T09:26:07.272-05:00

Talking about theatre awards seems tiring before you even start. Better, usually, to just congratulate everybody. Both Thom Garvey and Bill Marx, each in their own way, wonder about the IRNE's and Elliot Norton Awards. (Boston's two sets of theatre awards.) One thing that unites both Mr. Garvey and Mr. Marx is Man of LaMancha. Here is Thom Garvey: The recent Norton Awards only reminded me

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-81854567880847142662008-05-19T08:58:00.004-05:002008-05-19T09:30:40.024-05:00

The Atlantic Monthly has an article written by an anonymous adjunct university professor who teaches required composition and English literature classes far from the "idylls" of the Ivy League or even the US News and World Report's list of colleges. His article is sobering and wickedly funny. (Although it seems as if he needs a sabbatical, or may be burned out permanently.) He has to fail over

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-63173247853704356832008-05-16T09:31:00.006-05:002008-05-16T10:26:14.779-05:00

Opening: Way Theatre Artists who just picked up an Elliot Norton Award for Best Fringe Production for The Kentucky Cycle, co-produced with Zeitgeist Stage, present The Memory of Water with a great cast: Michael Steven Costello, Marc Harpin, Liz Brunette, Lyralen Kaye, Shauna O'Brien, Elizabeth Brunette, and Amanda Good Hennessey, (Full Disclosure: One of these people lives in my house.) Local

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-61515353242273945192008-05-15T07:43:00.002-05:002008-05-15T12:29:38.360-05:00

Larry Stark provides probably the most comprehensive coverage of the Boston Theatre Marathon. He attends pretty much the whole day and takes copious notes. I was there for a few hours, and to be honest Larry jogged my memory about a two plays that I had watched, but completely forgot about. It is fun way to spend an afternoon, but it can all go by in a blur. However, I am think I am over my

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-57164788619704278472008-05-14T12:50:00.005-05:002008-05-14T13:09:30.765-05:00

Yvonne Abraham has an article that asks the question: So, with all the stress on corporate accountability, and emphasis on responsibility in MBA programs, what kind of corporate citizens are our top schools turning out? The answer is...perfect corporate citizens. After a "homophobic" e-mail was sent out out MIT's Sloane School, an investigation was launched and a punishment handed down to the

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-71697144502278628982008-05-12T23:14:00.003-05:002008-05-12T23:18:28.850-05:00

Nick at Rat Sass senses a propaganda war on talk about theatrical production.

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-42237940342563021352008-05-09T07:34:00.000-05:002008-05-09T12:00:14.107-05:00

One Time Only! It's That Time of Year Again. The Boston Theatre Marathon invades the Wimberly Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts on Sunday, May 11. The day-long marathon of ten minute plays features directors, playwrights and actors from all corners of the Boston theatre community. Last Chances Merrimack Repertory's production of The Four of Us, the recent off-Broadway hit by

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-50307842693537098232008-05-07T15:46:00.005-05:002008-05-08T14:13:04.891-05:00

Tony Adams at Jay Raskolinkov posts a clip of a very positive review of his company's production of Pirandello's Henry IV on the centerstagechicago.com site. Tony then reveals the following: Here's the rub. Due to unforeseen circumstances, (a trip to the emergency room) the critic was only able to see the first act. Which until now only The Wife and I, and the folks at centerstage know. So

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-27723366937731670392008-05-06T10:55:00.003-05:002008-05-06T11:03:01.890-05:00

The whole idea of contextualizing performances, whether it be through post show, pre-show or programmed pairings of plays seems to be on the rise. Thom Garvey, in three parts tries to tease out the success or failure of the New Rep's recent pairing of the controversial My Name is Rachel Corrie, and Pieces. Part One Part Two Part Three

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-38295697735672813252008-05-04T09:01:00.003-05:002008-05-04T09:05:53.883-05:00

A site termed Library Smut has this by way of introduction: By “library smut” I am in no way referring to the photo books on native peoples, or the illustrated health manuals, or any of the other volumes which, in your childhood, you lurked about the library aisle to find with the sole purpose of sneaking guilty glances at naked bodies. Nor am I referring to the “risqué” novels by Miller,

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-12464285515109330172008-05-03T23:15:00.003-05:002008-05-03T23:30:47.506-05:00

This may be a first, or maybe not. But Sinan Unel, the playwright who wrote Cry of the Reed, which premiered at the Huntington Theatre last month, started a blog that basically was created for the purpose of gathering audience feedback in defense of a bad review received from the Globe. Here is the introduction from his blog: My play, THE CRY OF THE REED, opened at The Huntington Theater in

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-56867572785168854542008-05-03T23:01:00.002-05:002008-05-03T23:06:39.403-05:00

The Globe has a very honest interview with Nicholas Martin who will be leaving the Huntington Theatre Company at the end of this season, Here is just a snippet: MARTIN:What I'm getting to here is what [the Huntington] used to do is schedule a season, an August Wilson and a classic Shakespeare and a Restoration play and an American classic and you know, fairly programmatic. But I don't think

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-59202793461499198922008-05-01T14:55:00.003-05:002008-05-01T15:07:18.548-05:00

Boston is going changing AD's for two of its large Regional Theatres. Meanwhile, in Seattle David Esbjornson is leaving the Seattle Rep, while Bartlett Sher, (AD of the Intiman Theatre for the past nine years,) has signed for one more year, but seems as if he is destined for other places. In the Seattle Weekly, John Longenbaugh, talks about some of the differences in the two AD's and the two

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-3124828365081563502008-05-01T07:11:00.001-05:002008-05-01T09:17:27.322-05:00

From the Telegraph in London: One could even say that the idea of creativity has become thoroughly debased; very few of us are creators in the pure sense of using our imaginations to make something significantly new, let alone useful. The medievalists were largely right: most of what gets called creative activity is more accurately described as copying or reflecting existing elements. Meanwhile

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-30995826245863613582008-04-30T07:57:00.000-05:002008-04-30T12:01:44.536-05:00

Richard Greenberg on his new play: "The Injured Party" opens in Manhattan in early 2005, when Christo's highly publicized art project, "The Gates," was installed temporarily in Central Park. Everyone predicted a tidal wave of smart-alecky Big Apple naysayers, but New Yorkers were uncharacteristically kind to the hundreds of orange fabric-festooned portals that lined the park's walkways. The

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-21086098729643078562008-04-25T23:43:00.004-05:002008-04-25T23:51:33.178-05:00

The Rhombus is having a series of staged readings, along with workshops this weekend. More info here. Patrick Gabridge, of Writing Life X3 has an open rehearsal of his play, Constant State of Panic on Saturday at 2PM. At 11AM on Saturday, April 26th there will be a roundtable discussion on Models of New Play Development with the following: Joe Antoun (artistic director, CentaStage), Ilana

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-43803953156155230042008-04-25T13:52:00.003-05:002008-04-25T13:55:26.805-05:00

Leonard Jacobs is asking for help. NYU is planning to destroy the famed Provincetown Playhouse in the Village. Here is more. He has information about who you should contact.

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5216455.post-20235776709883797172008-04-25T08:39:00.000-05:002008-04-25T09:45:29.785-05:00

Gawker author Richard Lawson took a swipe at the ART on his blog. Geoff Edgers of the Boston Globe was interested in Gawker's assessments, but finds out that Mr. Lawson, really didn't have that much of a leg to stand on: I asked Lawson, via e-mail, how he developed his anti-crush on the ART. Though several exchanges, it became clear he actually didn't know all that much about the company. For

Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04845394320537913576noreply@blogger.com