DC Theater Arts

Tag: Curio Theatre Company

Review: ‘Crimes of the Heart’ at Curio Theatre Company

Curio Theatre Company’s production of Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize winning tragicomedy, Crimes of the Heart, is the dark and hilarious tale of the Magraths — as twisted a set of sisters as you will surely ever meet.

Tessa Kuhn, Colleen Hughes and Rachel Gluck. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Crimes of The Heart, directed by Curio founding member Gay Carducci, is set in sleepy Hazlehurst, Mississippi, and presents a day in the life of sisters Lenny, Meg, and Babe Magrath, who all find themselves reunited unexpectedly at their Grandfather’s home.

Rachel Gluck plays eldest sister Lenny, who is celebrating her thirtieth birthday in typical Magrath fashion — alone and miserable. The play begins with her attempting to light a solitary candle atop the saddest birthday cookie, priming the audience for Crimes’ unique brand of melancholic humor.

Lenny, who is well on her way to spinsterhood, is brought vividly to life by Gluck — dejected mannerisms, southern drawl and all. She never once falters as the lovable, monotone, frump.

Colleen Hughes plays middle sister Meg, fresh from a California mental institution following the dissolution of her singing career. Hughes gracefully bounds about the stage, defiant in the face of her own crumbling life, and provides the perfect yin to Gluck’s downbeat yang.

Meg, a master in the art of passive aggression, seems to antagonize Lenny by her very presence. Much of the tension in the play is built upon their craggy relationship — and yet even as they are at one another’s throat, the audience roared with laughter, a testament to the sardonic humor the play shrouds itself in.

Colleen Hughes, Rachel Gluck and Tessa Kuhn. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Tessa Kuhn plays Babe, the angelic-faced youngest Magrath sister who may or may not be guilty of attempted murder of her abusive husband. Kuhn reminded me of a grown-up Alice in Wonderland — out of the rabbit hole and into the terrifying world of marital anguish.

The play revolves around Babe’s pending trial, her defense, and her grappling with the reality of an utterly bleak future. She, not to be outdone by her big sisters, is a character racked in pathos and dark comedic gold.

Supporting the loathsome and lovable trio is Lesley Berkowitz as Chick Boyle, the sisters’ condescending cousin. She’s perfect as the pompous, type-A ditz you can’t help but smile through your teeth at. Harry Slack plays Doc Porter, Meg’s laid-back former lover, and Chase Byrd plays Barnette Lloyd, Babe’s goofy defense attorney with a score to settle.

The play takes place entirely in the Magraths’ kitchen – but thanks to clever lighting design by Tim Martin, the passage of time, from afternoon to the early hours of the following morning, is clearly shown. Set designer Paul Kuhn also made the most of the minimalist set by constructing the outline of a house around the kitchen, giving the audience the illusion of loving home. Aetna Gallagher’s costume design was a perfect time capsule of the early eighties, making for a true period piece.

In a play which left the audience in a constant chorus of gasps and laughter, it would be hard to pick a standout. It was a joy to watch each actor breathe life into their characters — characters that will make you laugh, even if you should probably be crying.

Running Time: Two hours, with one 15-minute intermission.

Colleen Hughes, Tessa Kuhn and Rachel Gluck. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Crimes of the Heart plays through December 9, 2017, at Curio Theatre Company, performing at Cavalry Center for Culture and Community – 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143. For tickets, call the box office at (215) 525 1350, or purchase them online.

November 23, 2017
2017 Philadelphia Fringe Festival Review: ‘I, Peaseblossom’ by Curio Theatre Company at The Woodlands Cemetery

I, Peaseblossom, written by Tim Crouch and directed by Dan Hodge, is a fun, magical way to become more familiar with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The dreams of the fairy Peaseblossom (Brian McCann) are filled with wondrous things: sleepy star-crossed Athenian lovers lost in a forest, his mistress Titania kissing an ass (donkey) named Bottom, ill-advised (in his unasked opinion) enchantments practiced by Puck on behalf of Oberon, a wedding, a play performed by tradesmen (panned by Peaseblossom), and other amazing visions!

Brian McCann. Photo courtesy FringeArts.

Told from this fairy’s perspective, the events of A Midsummer Night’s Dream take on an added element of hilarity and insight. Imbued with improvisation, snappy asides, and various levels of audience participation, with some audience members being invited to don character costume pieces and possibly recite lines from Shakespeare’s script – and maybe perform the Chicken Dance – I, Peaseblossom makes for a lively evening of entertainment. The show is very family friendly, as McCann’s Peaseblossom has an excellent rapport with children of all ages, from toddlers to elders. Peaseblossom himself avows that he will never, ever grow up or give up his “Teddy.”

Colorful costuming, playful props, lighting, and marvelous music performed by Paul (Paul Kuhn), who also helps out by wearing other hats in the show, coalesce to create a most pleasant experience, and transform the setting into a spellbinding woods where anything might happen, as in a dream…

Running Time: Approximately 60 minutes, without intermission.

I, Peaseblossom plays through Sunday, September 17, 2017 at The Woodlands Cemetery – 4000 Woodland Avenue, in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call the Fringe box office at (215) 413-1318, or purchase them online.

September 16, 2017
Here are the 2017 Barrymore Awards Nominations

The nominations for the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre for the 2016-17 season have been announced by Theatre Philadelphia.

A total of 23 companies were recognized across 27 categories. 22 of the categories are determined by a group of 60 nominators and 12 judges, all theatre professionals. Five special awards (F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist; Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award, for “a production that best leads audiences to a better understanding of the unique experience of particular segments of our global community”; June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company; Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program; and Lifetime Achievement Award) – the first four of which include cash prizes totaling more than $75,000 – are decided by committee.

Arden Theatre Company leads this year’s nominations with a total of 39, followed by The Wilma Theatre with 16, People’s Light and InterAct Theatre Companies each receiving 13 nominations, and EgoPo Classic Theatre with 11.

The Barrymores will be awarded on Monday, October 30 at 7pm at the Merriam Theater on the Avenue of the Arts. Tickets for the ceremony and the after-party celebration at the University of the Arts’ Dorrance Hamilton Hall will go on sale on Monday, August 30th, at noon at Theatre Philadelphia.

Here are the 2017 Barrymore Award Nominations:

Outstanding Overall Production of a Play
Hand to God (Philadelphia Theatre Company)
How to Use a Knife (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Company)
The Mountaintop (People’s Light)
The Seagull (EgoPo Classic Theater)
Stupid Fucking Bird (Arden Theatre Company)
When the Rain Stops Falling (The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
A Year with Frog and Toad (Arden Theatre Company)
Godspell (Eagle Theatre)
Gypsy (Arden Theatre Company)
The Light Princess (Arden Theatre Company)
Lizzie (11th Hour Theatre Company)
Monty Python’s Spamalot (Resident Theatre Company)

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Steve H. Broadnax III (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Emmanuelle Delpech (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Brenna Geffers (Anna, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Claire Moyer (Radiant Vermin, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Aaron Posner (Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Lane Savadove (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Blanka Zizka (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Kate Galvin (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Kristin McLaughlin Mitchell (Monty Python’s Spamalot, Resident Theatre Company)
Terrence J. Nolen (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Steve Pacek (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Ted Wioncek III (John and Jen, Eagle Theatre)

Charlotte Cushman Award for
Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play
Jaylene Clark Owens (Vanessa, WHITE, Theatre Horizon)
Sarah Gliko (Marianne, Constellations, The Wilma Theater)
Eleanor Handley (Romaine Helger, Witness for the Prosecution, Bristol Riverside Theatre)
Patrese D. McLain (Camae, The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Kittson O’Neill (The Pilot, Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Susan Riley Stevens (Emma Goldman, Marcus/Emma, InterAct Theatre Company)
Samantha Rosenstrater (Shelly, Grand Concourse, Theatre Horizon)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play
Akeem Davis (Jackson, Buzzer, Theatre Exile)
Akeem Davis (Marcus Garvey, Marcus/Emma, InterAct Theatre Company)
Scott Greer (George, How to Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Jered McLenigen (Roland, Constellations, The Wilma Theater)
Aubie Merrylees (Tyrone, Jason, Hand to God, Philadelphia Theatre Company)
Matteo Scammell (Casey, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Lindsay Smiling (Steve, How to Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Bowman Wright (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, The Mountaintop, People’s Light)

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical
Kim Carson (Chanteuse, Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Alex Keiper (Lizzie Borden, Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Mary Martello (Rose, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Nicole Stacie (Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, New Freedom Theatre)

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical
Alex Bechtel (Prince/Witch, The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Ben Dibble (Toad, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Steve Pacek (Gordon Michael Schwinn, A New Brain, Theatre Horizon)
Tim Rinehart (Black Stache, Peter and the Starcatcher, Eagle Theatre)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Carla Belver (Genevieve, John, Arden Theatre Company)
Nancy Boykin (Older Elizabeth Law, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Taysha Canales (Younger Gabrielle York, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Eleni Delopoulos (Radiant Vermin, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Melanye Finister (Older Gabrielle York, When the Rain Stops Falling, The WIlma Theater)
Hillary Parker (Liz, You for Me for You, InterAct Theatre Company)
Stephanie N. Walters (Lamb 1, Peaceable Kingdom, Orbiter 3)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
David Bardeen (Frog, Grand Concourse, Theatre Horizon)
J Hernandez (Carlos, How To Use a Knife, InterAct Theatre Company)
Dan Hodge (Dev, Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)
Mikeah Ernest Jennings (Rexy & Jason, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Stephen Rishard (Joe Ryan, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Ed Swidey (Trigorin, The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Greg Wood (Dr. Sorn, Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Rachel Brennan (Bridget Sullivan, Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Rachel Camp (June, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Caroline Dooner (Louise, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Leigha Kato (Mouse, Bird, Mole, Squirrel, Young Frog, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Malik Akil (Tulsa, Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Doug Hara (Mr. Bungee, A New Brain, Theatre Horizon)
Steve Pacek (Bird, Lizard, Snail, Mole, Father Frog, A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Josh Totora (Sam Slug, Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)

Outstanding Scenic Design
Tony Cisek (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Paul Kuhn (The Birds, Curio Theatre Company)
Tim Mackabee (John, Arden Theatre Company)
Sara Outing (How We Got On, Azuka Theatre)
Matt Saunders (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Thom Weaver (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design
Oana Botez (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Richard St. Clair (A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Nikki Delhomme (Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Olivera Gajic (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden)
Rebecca Kanach (Peaceable Kingdom, Orbiter 3)
Jill Keys (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Kayla Speedy (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)

Outstanding Lighting Design
Joshua Schulman (The Mountaintop, People’s Light)
Maria Shaplin (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Masha Tsimring (Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Thom Weaver (The Seagull, EgoPo Classic Theater)
Yi Zhao (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Sound Design
Christopher Colucci (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Lucas Fendley (How We Got On, Azuka Theatre)
Damien Figeuras (Antihero, Tribe of Fools)
Rob Kaplowitz (Grounded, InterAct Theatre Company)
Daniel Perelstein (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Toby Pettit (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Chris Sannino (The Birds, Curio Theatre Company)

Outstanding Original Music
Alex Bechtel (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Alex Bechtel (Sleeping Beauty, People’s Light)
Christopher Colucci (When the Rain Stops Falling, The Wilma Theater)
Michael Hahn and Liz Filios (An Iliad, Lantern Theater Company)
Andrew Nelson (The Arsonists, Azuka Theatre)
Marina Sadovksa (Adapt! The Wilma Theater)
Daniel Perelstein (Stupid Fucking Bird, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Choreography / Movement
Terry Brennan (School Play, Tribe of Fools)
Michael Consenza (Anthihero, Tribe of Fools)
Melanie Cotton (The Legend of Georgia McBride, Arden Theatre Company)
Brenna Geffers and K.O. Delmarcelle (Anna, EgoPo Classic Theatre)
Jenn Rose (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)
Samantha Reading (Mauritius, Act II)
Derek Roland (Monty Python’s Spamalot, Resident Theatre Company)

Outstanding Music Direction
Alex Bechtel (The Light Princess, Arden Theatre Company)
Dan Kazemi (Lizzie, 11th Hour Theatre Company)
Amanda Morton (A Year with Frog and Toad, Arden Theatre Company)
Jason Neri (Godspell, Eagle Theatre)
Ryan Touhey (Gypsy, Arden Theatre Company)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play
Anna (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
How To Use a Knife (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arden Theatre Company)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (People’s Light)
Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3)
The Seagull (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
When the Rain Stops Falling (The Wilma Theater)

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical
Gypsy (Arden Theatre Company)
The Light Princess (Arden Theatre Company)
Lizzie (11th Hour Theatre Company)
Monty Python’s Spamalot (Resident Theatre Company)
Sleeping Beauty (People’s Light)

Independence Foundation Award for
Outstanding New Play/Musical
Anna by Brenna Geffers and the Ensemble (EgoPo Classic Theatre)
How to Use a Knife by Will Snider (InterAct Theatre Company)
The Light Princess by Anthony Lawton and Alex Bechtel (Arden Theatre Company)
Marcus/Emma by Mary Tuomanen (InterAct Theatre Company)
Peaceable Kingdom by Mary Tuomanen (Orbiter 3)
WHITE by James Ijames (Theatre Horizon)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Penelope Reed, Director Emeritus of Hedgerow Theatre Company, in recognition of her significant contributions to the theatre community.

F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist
Rachel Camp
Jaylene Clark Owens
Katherine Fritz
Allison Heishman
Mary Tuomanen
Rebecca Wright
* The winner will receive $15,000. Each finalist will receive $2,000.

Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award
Buzzer (Theatre Exile)
The Mountaintop (People’s Light)
Peaceable Kingdom (Orbiter 3)
WHITE (Theatre Horizon)
* The winner will receive $25,000. Each finalist will receive $2,500.

June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret
Curio Theatre Company
EgoPo Classic Theatre
Quintessence Theatre Group
Simpatico Theatre
Tribe of Fools
* The winner will receive $10,000.

Victory Foundation Award for
Outstanding Theatre Education Program
Curio Theatre Company
Lantern Theater Company
Theatre Exile
Theatre Horizon
* The winner will receive $7,500.

August 22, 2017
Review: ‘The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary’ at Curio Theatre Company

How do you turn one of literature’s greatest tragedies into a raucous comedy? Very carefully.

I read Madame Bovary in high school, and while it’s been (ahem) a few decades since I’ve thought of it in depth, I have fond memories of the novel, the sympathetic title character, and the urgency of her plight. Author Gustave Flaubert faced an obscenity trial in France after the book’s publication in 1856, and that’s probably due as much for the story’s then-shocking plot – a woman in a loveless marriage has affairs in order to find the romance she’s long missed – as for the vivid (for its time) way in which Flaubert made the reader feel all of Emma Bovary’s pleasure, pain and anguish. And its themes, including the subjugation and helplessness of women in a patriarchal society, are as relevant today as they were in the 19^th century.

Aetna Gallagher and Andrew Blasenak. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

In short, Madame Bovary is not the type of story that screams out for a comic adaptation. (Emma does play a central role in Woody Allen’s comic masterpiece “The Kugelmass Episode,” but that’s a short story, not a full-length adaptation.) But Madame Bovary also is not the type of story that readers have come to cherish; these days, its title is more familiar than its plot. A few minutes into Curio Theatre Company’s production of The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary, the actors stop the action and ask the audience members to raise their hands if they’d read the book. I raised mine – but I only saw one other person do it.

That widespread unfamiliarity has given the British comedy troupe Peepolykus (pronounced “people like us”) free rein to concoct an irreverent stage adaptation, now receiving its American premiere in Curio’s production. (The script is credited simply to Peepolykus.) But while the show’s comedic attitude is refreshing, its absurdity never quite meshes with the somber elements of the story.

There is a lot of comedy in The Massive Tragedy…, but most of it has little or nothing to do with the novel’s plot. The show opens with a newly added framing device about a pair of ratcatchers (yes, ratcatchers) who come to Emma’s rural French village to do their work… except they don’t have any arsenic to kill the rats. (Those who know the book, or its movie adaptations, will know why arsenic is important to the plot.) Instead, the ratcatchers are armed with multiple types of cheese to catch the rats. This plays off clichés about the French and their love of cheese; before long there are characters singing “Frère Jacques” and spouting lines like “Sacre bleu!” and “Eiffel Tower!” The more comic characters speak in exaggerated French accents (and wear strapped-on oversize mustaches), while the main characters don’t speak in French accents at all. (One character is Spanish and speaks with a Castilian lisp… because the show’s creators felt like mocking another ethnic group for a change, I suppose.) There are also anachronistic references to French and American pop singers, and even to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Some of these jokes are quite funny, but most of the laughs come from corny jokes with little connection to Emma Bovary’s story. There are also several moments where the actors “stop the show” for various reasons – for example, to explain the framing device, or to argue with each other about the issues the story raises (“You can’t be so reductive with this book,” somebody says). These meta-theatrical moments are supposedly improvised (and even feature the actors being addressed with their real names), but they never seem remotely convincing.

Aetna Gallagher and Doug Greene. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Occasionally the plot of Madame Bovary intrudes, and at times it’s even dealt with sensitively. But the comic moments that find their way into the story – like having Emma’s father celebrate his recovery from surgery by tap dancing across a barnyard, or showing Emma and her lover in preposterously acrobatic (though fully clothed) sex positions – feel forced, out of step with the plot’s tender tone.

John Bellomo’s direction pulls out all the stops, barreling through the material quickly. But at the performance I attended, Aetna Gallagher, playing Emma, was having a hard time keeping up with the relentless pace, repeatedly fumbling her lines. She also comes off as too hard-edged and jaded for the the role of an innocent convent-educated lass. (Gallagher also designed the excellent, versatile costumes.)

Three other actors fill out the ensemble; together, all four play dozens of roles. Andrew Blasenak is Emma’s straitlaced husband Charles, acting both proper and properly silly. Chase Byrd plays everything from the lisping Spaniard to both of Emma’s lovers; his approach to the latter roles provide the show with its most grounded performances. And Doug Greene plays everything from an evil merchant to an adenoidal teenager. All three show a fine facility with voices and quick changes in characterization. And all three get a chance to perform in drag, which shows off Peepolykus’ ties to British theatrical traditions.

Paul Kuhn’s set design is filled with chalkboards that serve as doors and walls; when Emma draws a knife and a fork on a board, we know she’s in the kitchen. It’s a witty concept that gives the show a distinctive visual style. And Conner Behm’s sound design is also impressive, with weather and nighttime sound effects employed well. But Robin Stamey’s lighting is inconsistent, with actors sometimes in half-shadows at inopportune moments.

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary goes out of its way to be farcical and ridiculous. It succeeds, but its playful tone is out of sync with its story. I enjoyed it merry attitude and the skill with which Curio’s production is told.

Running Time: Two hours and 10 minutes, including an intermission.

Aetna Gallagher, Andrew Blasenak, and Chase Byrd. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary plays through May 20, 2017 at Curio Theatre Company, performing at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community – 4740 Baltimore Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call (215) 525-1350, or purchase them online.

May 1, 2017
Review: ‘Waiting for Godot’ at Curio Theatre Company

Waiting for Godot is generally considered a comedy. Samuel Beckett himself called this, his most famous play, a “tragicomedy.” But its reputation as an important, monumental piece of art can have a way of choking off the laughs. I’ve seen tedious productions that left me scratching my head and asking “What’s so funny?”

Brian McCann and Paul Kuhn. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

If the very name “Godot” strikes fear into your theatergoing heart, don’t worry. Curio Theatre Company’s Waiting for Godot is miles removed from the ponderous piece you had to struggle through back in high school. Director Dan Hodge has fashioned a fresh rendering of Godot. The result is a bouncy and surprisingly raucous take on the Existentialist classic in which Beckett asks big questions and (artfully) avoids big answers.

What’s different this time? Start with Paul Kuhn’s in-the-round set design, which is far removed from the play’s conventions. Beckett’s script mentions that a bare tree should be on the stage, but Kuhn has gone all out, providing a huge metal-and-muslin palm tree that dominates the space. Torn sheets wrap around the metallic trunk and hang between the rubber tubes that serve as branches. The sheets serve as fronds, providing shade for the stage – and for most of the audience, too.

If this is a palm tree, then are we on a desert island? Are the characters castaways? A hard, slate-like surface covers the playing area. This doesn’t resemble the barren wasteland we normally associate with Godot. It’s a sign that we’ll be seeing Godot in a new way.

In addition to designing the set, Kuhn acts in the play too, playing Estragon opposite Brian McCann as Vladimir. They’re two hapless tramps waiting in vain for the mysterious Godot to make his entrance. Why are they waiting? And why are they doing it every day? They search in vain for the answers, but even though they don’t find them, that doesn’t mean they’re going to give up waiting.

McCann’s Vladimir is fussy and flamboyant, facing the world with a sour expression. Kuhn’s Estragon has a more quizzical look, as he keeps trying to discover the reason they’re waiting, though Vladimir takes it for granted. But despite their differences, they make a terrific team, and they come off as devoted friends. (They even share a few quick kisses in this production, though nothing really gets made of that.)

Brian McCann, Harry Slack, Paul Kuhn, and Robert DaPonte. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Beckett peppers the script with references to Laurel and Hardy: Vladimir and Estragon wear derbies like their forebears, and Vladimir even uses some of Hardy’s catchphrases (such as “I have nothing to say”). But those allusions have rarely seemed as strong as they do here, thanks in part to McCann and Kuhn’s exceptional comedic skills. These guys seem like they’ve been vaudeville partners for years. Little bits of stage business – including some audience interaction – have been added. They enhance the play’s humor and anarchic spirit, but without distracting from the play’s purpose. One gag, in which Estragon slips out of Vladimir’s embrace in an unexpected way, is a gem of physical comedy.

Robert DaPonte arrives halfway through Act One as Pozzo, an imperious loudmouth determined to dominate the proceedings. Beaming with knowing smugness and condescension, DaPonte gives the production a blast of energy, whether he’s shouting with juvenile glee or mocking Kuhn’s Philly accent (“put down his baaaags”). Harry Slack, as Pozzo’s slave Lucky, is so worn down by his master’s oppression that he’s hunched over and barely able to open his eyes. Three youngsters (Judy Gallagher, Liam Swiggard, and Isabella Walls) alternate in the remaining role of a messenger boy.

Aetna Gallagher’s costumes provide more than just a pair of derbies. Vladimir’s tasteful black suit contrasts pointedly with Estragon’s sloppier ensemble, with its tan slacks and just-starting-to-fray brown jacket. Pozzo shows off his elite status by wearing a formal ensemble (including tails, top hat and red vest) that wouldn’t be out of place on a circus ringmaster. Conversely Lucky’s low position is revealed by his mishmash of clothing styles.

Tim Martin’s lighting extends into the audience, accommodating the actors’ occasional excursions among the spectators. Kyle Yackoski’s sound design uses rustling wind and low whispers to create a subtly unsettling atmosphere.

Beckett purists might blanch at the few minor liberties in staging that Hodge and his crew have taken. And with more time focusing on comedy, there’s less time available to speculate about what it all means. But if Curio’s production doesn’t quite strike the perfect blend between its comedic and philosophical sides, it still ends up being a more enjoyable production of Godot than any I’ve seen.

Hodge’s reshaped vision of Waiting for Godot is more concerned with pratfalls than profundity. But that’s OK by me. I found Curio’s production delightful. After all, if I’m going to spend eternity waiting for a mysterious, Godlike figure, I’d like to do it with a smile on my face.

Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes, including intermission.

Paul Kuhn and Brian McCann. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Waiting for Godot plays through March 4, 2017 at Curio Theatre Company, performing at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community – 4740 Baltimore Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call (215) 525-1350, or purchase them online.

February 15, 2017
Review: ‘Antagonyms’ at Curio Theatre Company

An antagonym is a word with two opposite meanings, such as “left” which can mean “remaining” or “departed.” Rachel Gluck’s world premiere Antagonyms at Curio Theatre Company (“Curio”) centers around four young people who embody the deception and double-meaning intrinsic to that grammar anomaly. As the play begins, we meet Jonny (Andrew Carroll) and Mauve (Colleen Hughes), who are a rather odd couple. Jonny is a recovering alcoholic and artist, while Colleen is an uptight accountant. At a bar, with third wheel Charlotte (Alexandra Spadoni) in tow, they unexpectedly reunite with Mauve’s estranged brother Dorian (Alexander Scott Rioh). Charlotte and Jonny have a tumultuous history of lust and passion, and she has a knack for pushing Jonny dangerously close to the edge. And when Charlotte falls for Dorian, unrequited love rises to the surface and games of power and deception threaten their relationships, as well as their very lives.

Antagonyms takes place in present-day West Philadelphia but feels like an old-school noir film. Director Jack Tamburri elicits a nostalgic feel to the piece. There are dramatic pauses as Jonny takes cigarette breaks in the alley, illuminated by Dom Chacon’s sultry lighting design and sound designer Liz Atkinson’s moody saxophone-centric lounge music layered on top of silence and dialogue. Antagonyms ultimately succeeds because Tamburri and the actors create a believable world with real people inside, even though the dialogue is full of wordplay and droll, poetic verbal spars that may have been ripped from Casablanca. And indeed, they reference Casablanca throughout, a point-of-reference for their ideals of love and perhaps an inspiration of Gluck’s when writing the play.

Alee Spadoni. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Paul Kuhn’s set also juxtaposes the contemporary setting; always visible are a seedy saloon, and Charlotte’s brick-wall bedroom full of vintage furniture and tchotschkes. The visual and aural world Tamburri and designers build for Curio’s small black box theatre is remarkable. Gluck writes witty dialogue with a deftness that takes other playwrights several plays to achieve.

Playwright Rachel Gluck. Photo courtesy of Curio Theatre Company.

The play’s youthful voice with a retro tone crafts a unique vision of West Philadelphia, where Curio resides. Dorian, a transgender man, who is played by trans actor Alexander Scott Rioh, subverts and adds depth to noir film archetypes. The femme fatale Charlotte (a memorable performance by Spadoni) challenges the sexism inherent in that role; Charlotte is accused of playing with hearts despite the fact that she makes her intentions with her lovers quite clear. Even though she does revel in attention of men who can’t control their primal urges, she’s perhaps the most honest character of them all. There is also a funny meta-theatrical moment early on, illuminating the noir genre’s sexism, when Mauve declares “This is the first conversation we’ve had that passes the Bechtel test and all we’ve talked about is shoes!”

In these dark times, theatre like this provides hope for the creative future of the Millennial generation.

Running Time: Two hours, with a 10-minute intermission.

Antagonyms plays through December 17, 2016, at Curio Theatre Company – 4740 Baltimore Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call (215) 525-1350, or purchase them online.

December 4, 2016
Review: ‘The Birds’ at Curio Theatre Company, in Philadelphia

When you think of The Birds, you probably think of Tippi Hedren running for her life through the streets of a California town – a town inexplicably under attack by every winged creature within miles.

Aetna Gallagher and Tessa Kuhn. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Well, you won’t see any attacking birds in Curio Theatre Company’s production of The Birds. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get scared. Director Elizabeth Carlson-Guerin’s production uses low-key theatrical magic to ratchet up the terror in insidious ways. It’s an engrossingly creepy experience that’ll get you in the perfect mood for Halloween.

While Conor McPherson’s play is ostensibly based on Daphne du Maurier’s short story – the one that also inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s movie – the three works actually have completely different plots, all set against the backdrop of a relentless, baffling mass bird attack. In McPherson’s version, we’re in a boarded-up house where two victims of the attacks – strangers to each other – have sought refuge. Diane is a writer estranged from her husband, while Nat has a history of mental problems. They strike up a wary friendship while making occasional reconnaissance missions into the nearly-abandoned small town that surrounds them, scavenging for food and supplies.

Eventually they’re joined by Julia, a young woman whom they have rescued from a bird attack. Julia’s elusive, erratic attitude leads to arguments and shifting allegiances between all three of the housemates. Is she as much of a threat as the birds themselves are?

McPherson’s script builds tension effectively in its first hour, but it devolves into a standard drama of jealousy, secrets, and recrimination towards the end. Diane and Nat are rather bland characters, though actors Aetna Gallagher and Rich Bradford give them a tough edge. And while Tessa Kuhn’s lively performance as Julia spices things up, the character is not a satisfying antagonist because her motivation is as mysterious as the birds’.

Director Carlson-Guerin serves up a nerve-wracking, immersive production that puts the audience in the middle of the action. After walking through the front door of a miniature house built in the middle of the high-ceilinged church sanctuary that Curio calls home, audience members sit on three levels of seating on the edges of Diane and Nat’s living room. Paul Kuhn’s set design is full of nice, lived-in touches; the wallpaper with silhouetted images of birds is an especially clever touch.

Aetna Gallagher and Rich Bradford. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

And thanks to Chris Sannino’s relentless sound design, you’ll feel as if you’re in the middle of a bird attack. (You’ll even feel the rafters overhead shake from time to time.) Robin Stamey’s lighting design is inspired, drawing nearly all of its illumination from candles and from light seeping in from between the slats of boarded-up windows. It’s so dark at times that it’s almost impossible to see the actors deliver their lines. That adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere that makes The Birds so chillingly effective.

Late in the play, a fourth character appears: Tierney, a neighbor played with a nice touch of menace by Ken Opdenaker. At the performance I attended, when Opdenaker made his unexpected appearance, a woman in the front row shrieked “Oh my God!”

That shriek was a sign that Carlson-Guerin and her crew are doing something right and special.

Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, with one intermission.

The Birds plays through October 29, 2016 at Curio Theatre Company, performing at the Calvary Center – 4740 Baltimore Avenue, in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call the box office at (215) 525-1350, or purchase them online.

October 10, 2016
2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival Review: ‘Omeletto: Like Hamlet, Only Scrambled’ at Ombelico Mask Ensemble

Commedia dell’arte meets Shakespeare in Ombelico Mask Ensemble’s original deconstruction of Hamlet. Omeletto: Like Hamlet, Only Scrambled synthesizes all of Shakespeare’s dramatic characters with the comic archetypes from the 16th-century Italian genre, in a madcap ensemble-devised work making its world-premiere al fresco, per convention, in Liberty Lands Park.

Angelo Aiello and John Bellomo. Photo by Margo Reed.

Directed with flair by John Bellomo, an international cast–speaking a variety of languages and wearing traditional masks and costumes by Tina Giovannone and Curio Theatre Company–brings its wacky new perspective to the Bard’s tragic story, delivering all of the major plot points with exceptional wit and impressive physical agility. There are silly slapstick fight scenes, clever improvisations with the all-ages audience, and hilarious sight and sound gags—just wait till you see poor Yorick’s skull and hear how Laertes’ beautiful eulogy to his sister inspires a song by Simon and Garfunkel!

Here Hamlet’s famous play-within-a-play, staged by the Danish Prince to expose his father’s killer, is presented as a riotous puppet show in the style of Punch and Judy (which has its origins in Commedia’s stock character Pulcinella), by Italian master puppeteer Angelo Aiello. A side-splitting scene between the Innamorati Omeletto and Ofelia (the Italian equivalent of Ophelia), portrayed with ebullient charm by Spain’s Enric Ortuño and Israel’s Yarit Dor, captures the essence of the lovers’ mercurial relationship by repeating each other’s names over and over again, but with uproarious changes in their vocal intonations, facial expressions, and actions.

Running jokes about the darkness (though it’s still daylight), the location of the underworld, the deep voices of the dead (led by Brendan Gawel as the spooky moaning ghost of Hamlet’s father), invading Norwegians (“They’re terrible!”), and Ofelia’s “nice personality” all add to the non-stop fun. And the iconic closing scene, reworked by Ombelico with a zany swordfight and thirst-quenching poison, will have you laughing at the mound of bodies like you never thought you would. Rounding out the delightful ensemble are France’s Claire Loiseau as a lusty Gertrude and Andrew Clotworthy as Oratio (Horatio), who, along with musician Rachel Icenogle on cello and Bellomo on cymbal, accompanies the proceedings on guitar and vocals.

Omeletto: Like Hamlet, Only Scrambled is an irresistible concoction of “infinite jest” and one of the highlights of this year’s Philadelphia Fringe Festival. That comes as no surprise, since Ombelico’s consistently entertaining work is a highlight of every year’s festival. In true Fringe and Commedia fashion, admission to the show is free, so be prepared to put something in the donations bucket–or even to empty your wallet after enjoying this terrific treat!

Running Time: Approximately 55 minutes, without an intermission.

Omeletto: Like Hamlet, Only Scrambled plays through Saturday, September 24, 2016, performing at Liberty Lands Park – 926 North American Street, in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call (215) 413-1318, or purchase them online.

RATING:

BEST OF THE 2016 PHILADELPHIA FRINGE!

September 17, 2016
Review: ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ at Curio Theatre Company in Philadelphia

Telling stories is what the Irish are known for, and Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan, directed by Joshua Browns at Curio Theatre Company, does not disappoint. The rumors are as reliable as the people telling them, which makes for fine story-telling and wickedly funny moments.

Cripple’s world, much like that of J.M. Synge’s, is set in rural Ireland and centers around the lives of those who are stuck between the way things are and they way they wish they could be. Not only are the characters in this land of flux, but the time period as well, stuck between the old ways and the emerging modern times.

Pete Danelski (Billy). Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

The play is set off the coast of Ireland, on the isolated Aran Islands in 1934. Daily life for the small island of Inishmaan is interrupted by news of film being filmed on a neighboring island. The cast of quirky characters begin to swarm into the local shop owned by Eileen (Trice Baldwin) and Kate (Aetna Gallagher) looking for more stories and spilling some secrets of their own.

Trice Baldwin, plays every single beat with professional perfection and has the audience rolling in their seats with her spot-on comedic timing. This is an actor we wish could be in every show. Aetna Gallagher plays a lovely counterpart to Baldwin and the two of these ladies together are a force on the stage. The Ring Leader of the Rumor Circus is Johnny Pateen Mike, played by the marvelous Paul Kuhn. Kuhn pushes the story forward with wry humor and impeccable timing. Johnny Pateen’s scenes with his mother, Mammy, played by the incomparable Peggy Smith are charmingly disturbing. The doctor of the town, Dr. McSharry (played by Robert Ian Cutler) often plays the middleman to the madness.

While many of the young folk in the town rush at a chance to be in the film, Cripple Billy, or “Just” Billy, played by Peter Danelski, rushes at a chance to break out of boredom, ridicule, and the everyday life of the Island. Peter Danelski tackles the challenging role with ease and finds an incredible balance of nuance, charm, and sadness. His physical work is inspiring to watch as he moves his twisted limbs about the stage. On top of this, Danelski finds a truthful somberness that seduced me into devastation and glee.

Helen (Colleen Hughes) the cursing firecracker, and Bartley (Andrew Carroll), the possibly “touched” brother, divulge to Billy that they convinced BabbyBobby (Steve Carpenter) to take them to the filming. Billy convinces BabbyBobby to take him along to the filming after offering a tragic tale that really sets the rumor mills turning. BabbyBobby was perhaps one of the most complex characters on stage, going from a mysteriously brooding Seaman, to a friend we’d all like to have, to the man of your nightmares.

Trice Baldwin-Browns, Andrew J. Carroll, Colleen Hughes, Aetna Gallagher and Steve Carpenter. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

Martin McDonagh’s writing is often as harsh as a slap in the face, but the wit is so quickly and fiercely delivered that you forget you were hit in the first place. The sting is replaced by a laugh and the play continues on to deliver blow after marvelous blow.

At my performance, the fight choreography by John Jezior was hastily executed, and some of the dialects slipped in and out for some of the actors, and appeared to come from different parts of Ireland. I am confident that this has been rectified for the next performance.

Paul Kuhn and Peggy Smith. Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas.

The set, designed by Paul Kuhn, rotates to transport the audience into completely different landscapes within seconds. Each room keeps the authenticity of the bleak and often gruesome reality of life in Rural Ireland. The Sound Design by Susan Adelizzi is hypnotizing, especially in the scene with Billy and BabbyBobby, where there are dull sounds of the ocean throughout. The lighting, designed by Robin Stamey, feels like a painting by Norma Wilson, both tranquil and daunting, without giving away any secrets. The use of the single light above Billy’s head was particularly memorable, as it gave a picture right away of a stark and bare place, while the audience was getting a rare lone glimpse to the inside of Billy’s mind. The costumes, designed by Aetna Gallagher, had an authentic feel and helped place us immediately in Rural Ireland.

https://youtu.be/2qr3DRwjXZQ

I admire that Curio Theatre trusts its actors to tell the story. While the set, designed by Paul Kuhn, is nothing short of genius, this story could have been told with two black boxes and had still been just as masterfully crafted.

Curio Theatre Company’s The Cripple of Inishmaan is a delightfully sinful production. The entire ensemble has created a spectacular world that invites everyone to relish in the delicious gossip being spread around Inishmaan. Don’t miss it!

https://youtu.be/2qr3DRwjXZQ

Running Time: Two hours, with one intermission.

The Cripple of Inishmaan plays through May 21, 2016 at Curio Theatre Company, performing at the Calvary Center- 4740 Baltimore Avenue, in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call OvationTix at (866) 811-4111, or purchase them online.

Note: Peter Danelski is a writer at DCMetroTheaterArts and this did not influence my review.

May 1, 2016
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ at Curio Theatre Company in Philadelphia

As I walked through the narrow passageway leading into Curio’s space, I entered into a spacious, deteriorating church to an ominous red lit stage, hearing that it was a two hour and ten minute one-woman show admittedly seemed daunting. However, it’s not nearly that unpromising.

Isa St. Clair. Photo by Rebecca M. Gudelunas

Though Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale may be thirty years old, Joseph Stollenwork’s stage adaptation does not feel dated, but feels other worldly. It covers so many important issues still prevalent in today’s society recognized through the metaphor of the dystopia: reproductive rights, rape, gender inequality, and patriarchy just to name a few. Through the anecdotes and narration of one woman recounting her experience in this baby-bearing obsessed hellish society, a modern audience can’t help but leave asking questions.

Director M. Craig Getting gives a voice and physicality to this powerful one-woman show. The single narrator embodies so many different locations and times that specificity in the continuous monologues help the audience imagine those characters. The director’s particularity and exactitude in choosing the movement helps the audience follow this jumpy narrative.

Many commendations have to be given to actor Isa St. Clair, who carried over two hours of stage time all on her own. Her lines are clear and articulate with no hint of tiring after a full two hours. St. Clair truly shined in the extreme emotional moments of reliving the visceral horrors of her life, specifically the sex scenes she experiences right in front of our eyes. Each movement, facial feature, and gesticulation was calculated intelligently.

However, that specificity, at times, created some less than organic moments. Within the perfunctory narrative, St. Clair’s voice keeps a one note timbre making it difficult to discern any sort of deeper sentiment while she completes the detailed blocking. The different character voices within flashbacks also lacked clarity in personas and continued to lack richness while speaking as different people.

Everyone loves a good turntable, and this is no exception. The abstract cylindrical set by Set Designer Paul Kuhn, with nothing but a set of stairs, a few benches, and a ramp gives means for the multiple-location storytelling. Though the turntable motor is loud in an echoing space such as this church, its movement is so perfectly suited to the narrative that you easily drown it out.

The large amounts of scrim to this allows for effective abstract lighting by Lighting Designer Tim Martin. The backlighting and shadows are especially beautiful, bookending the acts and important moments of the show. However, the LED lights used are not flawless: they have the ability to change color, but the transitions are apparently not smooth. Specifically, the use of the color in the LED under the stairs felt brash and fragmented with the rest of the design.

The one costume by designer Aetna Gallagher suited the story just right. Everything was red as described in the text: a flowy dress reminiscent of a choir robe, booties, tights, and a head covering that felt the right amount of manufactured.

I left this The Handmaid’s Tale thinking and raw. And while the entire company worked together to tell this story, the tale does belong to the Handmaid.

The Handmaid’s Tale is playing through November 14, 2015 at Curio Theatre Company – 4740 Baltimore Avenue, in Philadelphia, PA. For tickets, call the Box Office at (215) 525-1350, or purchase them online.

Running Time: Two hours and 10 minutes, with one intermission.

RATING:

October 24, 2015