At the root of all good theater is simple oral storytelling. So it goes in The Pillowman, a series of short stories from the fertile, feral brain of Ireland’s Martin McDonagh, directed by Miami’s Zoetic Stage artistic honcho Stuart Maltzer with a cast of four worthy accomplices. Unlike his usual darkly comic folk yarns set in remote rural villages of his native land … [Read more...]
Older, but still relevant: ‘Twelve Angry Men’ heads to Dramaworks
Although written 68 years ago, Reginald Rose’s jury room melodrama Twelve Angry Men is surprisingly apt to our current social and political Zeitgeist. So says Palm Beach Dramaworks’ producing artistic director William Hayes, who had been planning to revive the play two years from now during the stage company’s 25th anniversary season. “With all that’s going on, the gender … [Read more...]
‘The People Downstairs’ is a smart new take on Anne Frank’s story
One of the great works of literature of the 20th century is The Diary of Anne Frank, a saga of courage and endurance in the form of a journal by a 14-year-old Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis with her family and others in a cramped Amsterdam attic. But what about those non-Jews in the office below who heroically risked their lives abetting these stowaways? That is the … [Read more...]
Dramaworks emerging from lockdown with robust 2021-22 season
Early last year, when the pandemic we have come to know as COVID-19 first hit, disrupting the nation’s live theaters, closing their doors and halting their seasons, Bill Hayes of Palm Beach Dramaworks did the opposite of almost every other non-profit stage company. “One thing I had noticed very early on is many non-profits were immediately soliciting for funds,” says the … [Read more...]
McKeever’s ‘fable’ of unexpected love on stage at Levis JCC
The Levis JCC Sandler Center has kicked off its 2019-20 black box theater lineup with local playwright Michael McKeever’s Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors, presented by West Boca Theatre Company and running through Dec. 22. “We’re thrilled to present ‘Charlie Cox Runs with Scissors’ as our stellar season opener,” says Alan Nash, assistant director for the Sandler Center. … [Read more...]
‘Mr. Parker’ a superb tale of love, loss and moving on
JeffandTerry. Acclaimed photographer Jeffrey McCabe and so-so novelist Terry Parker were inseparable companions for 30 years – and married for six of them. They were so close they were like one word, and fully expected to grow old together. But Jeff died seven months ago in a car crash, and 54-year-old Terry is still grieving over his loss. He relates this to … [Read more...]
Michael McKeever: South Florida’s own prolific playwright
It is rare that the name Michael McKeever comes up without the adjective “prolific” attached to it. In the 21 years since the Davie playwright’s work was first produced in South Florida, he has written 27 full-length plays and countless short plays, probably between 20 and 24, by his offhanded estimate. Because he enjoys performing, McKeever often appears in his own plays … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: July 29-30
Film: I have little patience for horror films, so I almost skipped seeing A Ghost Story, which would have been a big mistake. Yes, it sounds like a spooky tale of spectral jolts, but instead it turns out to be a psychological study of the afterlife, reassuring in its affirmation of the beyond. Director David Lowery gathers an A-list cast headed by Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, … [Read more...]
‘Finding Mona Lisa’ a wry look at the power of art
The point is made several times: The portrait that has captivated the world for 500 years, arguably the most famous painting in history, is merely “oil on wood.” But when Leonardo da Vinci applied the wood with 30 layers of oil paint, he created an image of La Gioconda, the silk merchant’s wife with the inscrutable smile, that continues to fascinate us. The alchemy of art … [Read more...]
Theater in 2016: The year’s 10 best
The best in theater for 2016 throughout South Florida yields a healthy mix of new work and classic scripts. Of course, any such list is by definition a subjective opinion, so your mileage may vary, but by any measure, it was a good year at the theater: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Kravis on Broadway) — The five-time Tony Award winner from the … [Read more...]