Oz is a magical land. Since 1900 when Frank Baum published the original The Wizard of Oz anyone with the faintest acquaintance with this American cultural treasure will recognize it. Roll that into the gay culture’s fetishizing of Garland and her solo performances, stir in a bushel of camp, pore in a religious cult running a reparative therapy clinic; blend well. What you get is Wizzer Pizzer: Getting over the Rainbow …
Fun, Mischief and Music in the Forest
Focusing on the mysticism in the forest scenes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream composer Celeste Axelson, adapted Shakespeare’s play, presenting an outstanding creative endeavor, which enthralled the audience both with its music and ethereal visual effects.
Kurt Vonnegut’s classic Slaughterhouse-Five has to be one of the more unwieldy narratives ever to be brought to the stage. The tale involves multiple points of view, time and space travel and a long piece covering the devastating and controversial bombing of Dresden. It became a forgettable motion picture back in 1972, but now has reemerged as a compelling theater piece adapted and directed by Josh Aaseng for Book-It Repertory. This production’s success largely rests on the astounding effectiveness of Vonnegut’s language. For through all the story’s explosions, horrors and confusion, it is Vonnegut’s unique voice that drives the play to some breath-taking heights.
America is a dirty slut. There, I said it. Wait – I didn’t mean – you thought? No, no: not
ACT’s just-opened “Threesome,” by Seattle writer Yussef El Guindi, daringly explores volatile territory at the intersection of sex, politics, and
Eight Little Sit-Coms in a Row
Live Girls! Quickies is an annual event of short ten minute plays written by female playwrights about women, which has happened annually since 1999. This year’s offering, Live Girls! Quickies 16 opened at the Annex Theatre on Saturday June 6th.
Affirmative Action Cubed-Female, Alternative gender and Latina
For one night only Theatre Off Jackson presents Valls to the Wall, a standup special from nationally renowned, LGBT/Latina/Womencentric comic, Sandra Valls. Voted one of the top ten lesbian comics in the country, Sandra Valls unapologetically takes the road less travelled, celebrates her sexuality, and steps up to the front lines entertaining and educating folks through laughter and plenty of PRIDE!
What Theater Schmeater has done with John Patrick Shanley’s 4 Dogs and a Bone should be enshrined as a movie. It begs for permanence so that one can return and savor its delights. Alas, this sharp, biting, witty, and funny gem is theater, not a movie, so go see it live. Be alert to all the clever funny nuances director Julie Beckman unearths in the script. This isn’t too hard, when the audience laughs or gasps—that’s your cue to join in.
Who are the four dogs, what are they fighting for and what are they fighting over?
