So I'll get this out of the way right now.
I am NOT a reviewer.
I am, however, a producer who is always looking for fresh and exciting work, so I do occasionally use this blog for recommendations.
Today I have two:
My good friend Glory Bowen along with Frank Calo and a host of talented people created their own Theatre Festival. How's that for awesome?
What's even cooler is the fact that they have managed to pull in some major writing, directing, and acting talent. When you start in this business, it's all about finding amazing projects and moving them. This festival is full of them and for any producer starting out, this is a chance to discover people who most likely will be working on Broadway in a few years.
Also, if you're a fellow member of the ITBA, these are shows worthy of blogging about.
Alright so on to My comments:
New Beulah by Dan Moyer and produced by The Shelby Company is like watching a Christopher Guest movie on stage. The Characters are incredibly quirky and the story is hilarious, clever and heartwrenching all in one sitting. 8 actors play over 30 characters which is no small feat. Especially impressive is each actors ability to translate age through posturing and vocal quality, so a twenty-something becomes late 40's and the audience is completely willing to believe it. The shows use of projections combined with live action is quite inventive and fans of literature will have a warm chuckle over Moyer's nod to the classic short story The Gift of the Magi using a jock and a nerd (Their terms not mine). One really amazing piece of writing is Moyer's allegorical mermaid monologue that has stuck with me since I saw the show. See it and you'll see what I mean. So again, I'm NOT a reviewer, but I see ALOT and something this clever only comes along once in a while. See the show. Nuff' said.
Everybody Dies by Molly Rydzel and produced by Edible Brains Productions features writing, acting, and direction that is absolutely top notch. This is a show that combines slapstick farcical humor that is reminiscent of Christopher Durang with the intensity of Neil Labute. Rydzel is defintiely a writer to watch as she had me laughing one second and cringing the next. The play is such an amazing commentary on our desire to be part of something whether it be the cool crowd, our nation, or a revolution. The acting is so spot on and the performers so committed, I bought everything no matter how outrageous, and believe me, it gets outrageous. There's a full review here, my personal suggestion though is to see it knowing nothing about it. It's much more powerful that way.
So there you have it. If you're looking for creative talent, get on down to this festival. You won't regret it. Trust me.
Excelsior!
Comments