Theatre

	No Need to Stay Up Late for the School of Night By Frederik Sisa @ 12:00 PM November 12, 2008 Found in: Theatre An alleged Elizabethan-era association of free-thinkers devoted to science, philosophy, poetry, politics and the repudiation of religion, is an inspired topic for a play – especially when this association encompasses the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Marlowe. The School of Night’s history is so murky – even the name is, apparently, a retroactive indulgence by modern writers taken from a line in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour Lost – that it lends itself to intriguing historical speculation. Toss in a turbulent political climate under Queen Elizabeth I and we have a fertile setting for a provocative drama involving freedom of religion and thought and the birth pangs of science. read
	Take an Impassioned Stroll in…This Beautiful City By Frederik Sisa @ 11:00 AM September 30, 2008 Found in: Theatre ...I lumped faith and ignorance together. Without all the necessary philosophical and theological qualifications that would normally accompany that kind of statement, this particular lumping could come across as insulting. That’s how atheists feel when people like Danny Bental presumes to tell them they can’t really find meaning in their lives without God, beauty, or anything worthwhile... ...The disconnect I illustrated above arises from a simple letter to the editor, yet it hints at a greater disconnect like the one that exists between Evangelical Christianity and not only atheism, but other religions as well. This Beautiful City, based on actual interviews conducted by theatrical production group The Civilians, looks at the Evangelical movement through an exploration of Colorado Springs prior to the 2006 mid-term elections...It is arguably the best production put on by the Kirk Douglas in recent memory.read
	A Bravura Revival in a Renewed Taper Forum By Frederik Sisa @ 6:00 AM September 18, 2008 Found in: Theatre How swanky is the rejuvenated Mark Taper Forum? Let’s put it this way: The urinals in the men’s toilet (of all things) aren’t stainless steel or the usual boring white ceramic, but black. That’s right, black. In a lithe and sexy designer environment – think retro sci-fi lounge chic with a touch of glam – it’s the kind of small touch that acts like sequins on a little black dress. But the curious side-effect of the Forum’s year-long remodeling effort is as much a highlight of the (original) Forum’s architectural shortcomings as a glossing over. While the iconic exterior, with its defining circularity and cement mural by Jacques Overhoff, has been preserved, the interior suffers from flow control issues stemming from the crowding of circulation spaces on the edge of the Forum by the central theatre space. read
	Dead Men, Lively Play By Frederik Sisa @ 8:00 AM August 27, 2008 Found in: Theatre In the ultimate act of civil disobedience, six dead soldiers refuse to be buried, defying both their generals’ orders and the heartbroken entreaties of their wives, girlfriends, and mothers. A first reading of *Bury the Dead* would see this disturbance of the natural order as an anti-war screed, which on one level it is.read
	Whether or Not You’re in the Klub, The Actor’s Gang Makes Magic By Frederik Sisa @ 9:00 AM April 15, 2008 Found in: Theatre The program describes KLÜB as an existential comedy in which actors trapped in a play must audition to get out. To some extent, this is an accurate summary. Like a theatre of the absurd, KLÜB is a place outside the normal space/time continuum, a metaphorical stand-in for life and the acting profession, a continuation of Camus, Beckett and friends. A troupe of actors, harassed by the unseen, god-like voice of the Director, stages desperate performances in an effort to escape the paradox of an existence in which the only rule is that there are no rules. read
	Small Office, Big Play By Frederik Sisa @ 7:00 AM March 27, 2008 Found in: Theatre It’s a riff on The Office laid out in a series of loosely sequential sketches depicting the quirky, insular world of a boss and two employees in a small office. The humour is pitch-perfect; as dry as Anza-Borrego with absurdist, Monty Python-esque touches. The laughter is of the lingering kind, even days after seeing the production in the cozy little performance space that is Santa Monica’s Promenade Playhouse. And while it’s unquestionably cheeky to advertise “Only $8 to see the best show ever in the history of the spoken word,” a little bit of swagger in the production’s step is certainly justified. This is golden, funny stuff skillfully put on by a golden, funny cast. read
	At the Ivy: Exposing the Nastiest Side of Fundamentalism By Frederik Sisa @ 3:00 PM February 15, 2008 Found in: Theatre From the moment we walk in the back of the theatre through an elaborate “revival” tent that sets the mood, to the dimming of the lights on a Sibyl Wickersheimer’s big yet simultaneously humble set, Carnage weaves some of that magic unique to theatres. It’s productions like these, the kind that brings pleasure in a stellar cast’s performances and intellectual satisfaction in the post-show dissection, that make me love theatre all the more.read
	En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias de un Temblor) By Frederik Sisa @ 10:00 AM October 30, 2007 Found in: Theatre The Shattering Force of Memories Four actors from the Bolivian Teatro de Los Andes group embody composite characters based on real people. The stage is black. Hanging from ropes set to pulleys: table, chair, picture frame, window shutter. At times, the props are used with such force that, were it not for the actors’ precise choreography, one might worry about their getting beaned. But with nary a mishap, the set design’s clever minimalism yields powerfully dramatic moments. A memorable example among many memorable moments: The agonizing slice of time when a stick figure girl drawn in sand is slowly tipped off a table while a father recounts the loss of his daughter. read