Past

Preview-The Twilight Zone Live

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“You’re entering another dimension…a dimension of sound, a dimension of signs, a dimension of mind.”

Yes, it is happening, the show we have all been waiting for since last December, Theater Schmeater’s annual live re-enactment of episodes from Rod Serling’s seminal sci-fi TV anthology series, The Twilight Zone. Directed by Rachel Delmar, the four episodes this year will be: To Serve Man, Deaths-Head Revisited, The Shelter and The Changing of the Guard.

Past

Honesty and Integrity Painted Over in ‘Framed’

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On one surface, Framed investigates questions about art: What is art? What is talent? What do you see in a painting? Who makes a work valuable? On another surface this show is about spoiled, foiled, and soiled relationships.
Soon enough, we learn what each desires. Joanie wants her art to be respected and sold in legitimate galleries though she is more poseur than artist; May has natural talent and takes art lessons from Joanie to learn how to draw a particular face; Jake wants to work for Nick; and Nick wants to keep his wife happy, stay married, and a make money booking illegal bets.
In sound human relationships we desire ethics, truthfulness, and honesty. These characters don’t have these virtues so there’s double-crossing, lying, and deceit. What fun!

Past

Juan Palmieri Debuts at ACTLab

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This month at the ACTLab, Arlene Martinez-Vazquez directs the debut of her English translation of Juan Palmieri, a play tracking the Tupamaro revolutionary movement that occurred in Uraguay in the late 60’s into the early 1970’s. The controversial piece was written by Antonio Larreta in 1971 but wasn’t performed until 1973 in Buenos Aires. Even then the play’s director was forced into exile. Though it won the Casa de las Americas theatrical award, it could never be performed in Uruguay until 2012. The work covers the death of the titular character as perceived by his mother, Carmen, played by an outstanding Carolynne Wilcox.

Past

The White Snake-Stuns not with Venom but with Beauty

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Chinese Folktale-

The White Snake, React Theatre’s superb production of Mary Zimmerman’s play of the same name, now playing at 12th Ave Arts, was 95 minutes of sheer aesthetic beauty involving exquisite original music, incredibly creative visual effects, excellent acting and a truly amazing script. It was delightful in its simplicity and simply delightful.

One of the four great Chinese folktales, the tale of The White Snake has evolved over the years from a horror story to a romance. It has been performed as an opera in China, musical theatre in Hong Kong, and a dance piece in Taiwan. Zimmerman’s English version premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2012. React’s production is the first all Asian Cast in the U.S. And what a cast it was!!!

Past

A Bright Room Called Day-During a gloomy epoch called the Rise of the Third Reich

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You would sleep with a Nazi?????????
Well, you sleep with a Trostkyite!

The above quote sums up a lot about the multi-leveled conflicts, presented in A Bright Room Called Day, by Tony Kushner, produced by The Williams Project at The Hillman City Collaboratory on Rainier Ave, in South Seattle near Columbia City. Since Drama in the Hood’s mission has always been to review the shows in the neighborhoods, I was delighted to see this show in a place, south of the I-90 bridge, in a space which serves the community as a sort of “multi-purpose” room, at a cost anybody can afford. ( Pay What You Can)

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