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Annie Baker’s THE FLICK at Company One
In an interview Annie Baker gave for Walter Bilderback for her production of Uncle Vanya, she had said that “[she] love[s] Chekhov’s writing[…]He taught me a lot about offstage action, offstage characters, and how important it is to have dialogue that does not appear to forward the plot.” There is no doubt that Chekhov had […]
Let’s Be Plumbers
Monday night, American theatre exploded, and there is definitely a mess that needs to be cleaned up right now. The Summit held at the Arena Stage on Monday brought together artistic directors and members of the local theatre scene to talk about the future of American theatre. Prominent artists were to talk about the progress […]
Race: Center Stage
We Are Proud to Present a Presentation asked the same question that Rebecca Stevens’ article poses: When/how can a person not of a particular race tell a story inherent to that race? It’s a question that we, as Americans, cannot answer and partially refuse to acknowledge mainly because of the racial past in this nation. This […]
The Power of Art in a Naiton
There once was a city called Medellin tucked away in the mountains of northwest Colombia. It was once home to the cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, and with the cartels came crime and violence. In 1991, it was the murder capital of the world. The Colombian government intervened to help alleviate this horrific state, but not […]
Body Normalcy
What do we as theatre artists do to perpetuate “normalcy?” Certainly there has been room for those who are not white, heteronormative, mainstream, etc. But what of the differently abled. Personally, I have never seen a play or any theatrical work that portrayed a differently-abled actor. It is beyond a shame, and it is one […]
‘Tis the Season
In earlier posts, I have discussed films as causes of controversy and as a means to satiate the public’s thirst for entertainment. But now, it is that time of year to discuss the more “artistic” side of Hollywood. Yes, folks, we are gearing up for Oscar season! Unlike summer, winter is the time of year […]
The Dirty Boots
All semester long in this Dramaturgical course, I have been immersed in Greek dramas and their modern adaptations/translations of them. Finally, I had an opportunity to see something very similar to what I had been studying through ArtsEmerson, Mies Julie by Yaël Farber. Yesterdays performance was extraordinarily important in the conversation that Farber seems to wish to […]
Are We Not Entertained?
Summer movie blockbuster season might be my favorite time of for movies in that my brain can have a rest from the cerebral work from Oscar season, which we currently are entering. That said, now that it is time for Oscar-bait, movies that are considered the most artistic, its a bit disjointed to hear about […]
Toxic or Stronger for Broadway?
Tomorrow night, Broadway’s Foxwood Theater will depart from its current show of Spiderman: Turn off the Dark and premier, for a single night, SPEARS: The Gospel According to Britney. I would like to take a moment for this idea to percolate into the consciousness. The musical tells the story of Jesus Christ from birth to […]
Coming of Age Controversy
In less than one hour, the midnight premier of Gavin Hood’s Ender’s Game will hit movie theatres across the country. Ender’s Game stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Ben Kingsley and depicts a post-apocalyptic Earth being invaded by aliens, a young boy, Ender (Asa Butterfield) proves himself to be the greatest hope in ensuring Earth’s survival. Reviews of […]
Romeo and Juliet
As part of the Boston Univeristy School of Theater’s season, Femina Shakes is currently (as of the authorship of this article) performing Romeo and Juliet. I encourage anybody to go see this interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy of lovers. Femina Shakes is a way for female students to gain access to roles that would not normally […]
TV and Theater
Recently, I saw the production of All the Way at the American Repertory Theater starring Bryan Cranston. The playwright, Robert Schenkkan, specifically wrote in the use of television monitors as a backdrop to this play, which ART compromised using a projection that resembled television. It was not until I browsed HowlRound and read Jonathan Mandell’s 8 Ways […]
The Show MUST Go On
With the United States’ government still shut down for over a week (with no real signs of progress), the disturbing statistics still remain intact and continue to compile. Though 800,000 employees were furloughed at the beginning of the government shutdown, less than half have returned; all though have no guarantee in back pay. Some of […]
With LBJ
All the Way at the American Reparatory Theater is a play that sits in the middle of an entire series of plays based on American history. These plays take a note out of Shakespeare’s book to tell a story through the history of a nation. Though this series is not yet complete, the thesis behind it […]
A Necessary Call to Action
What exactly is the point of art and artistry if it cannot be constructed to do something? Not just make something, but to say something-to change something. Art, theatre in this case, has a place in the human psyche as a powerful means to create messages throughout the ages. From Terences’s subversive Eunuchus to Tony […]
Interactions with A.R.T.’s All the Way
The American Repertory Theater currently is showing a production of Robert Schenkkan’s All the Way, a dramatization of Lyndon B. Johnson’s first year as President of the United States. Having been thrust into the Presidency, LBJ (played by Bryan Cranston) inherits what his predecessor had left behind including the mounting Civil Rights Movement. A.R.T. offers those […]
America’s Theatrical Responsibility
Twelve years ago, the United States faced a tragedy the likes of which are unparalleled in the history of this country. The impacts and aftershocks of these events are still being felt today. News anchors and politicians readily recall images from New York to serve their own agendas. The Left and Right wings of American […]
Drama Lit Blog 2.0: BU School of Theatre 