CenterStage North is pleased to announce the
Atlanta Premiere of a heartwarming new musical!
 
The Story of My Life
 
This one-act, two-man show - starring CSN veterans Kelly David Carr and John Stanier - explores the history of one friendship and the mark it's left in each man's life. Told through memory, we watch these two life-long friends meet, grow (and sometimes grow apart), argue, discover, play, and love and slowly their story is revealed to us. It is these small moments, so often taken for granted, that we come to discover have mattered the most. 
 
Please join us for this funny and poignant performance.
Friday, May 11 through Saturday, May 19th 
 Tickets are available at www.centerstagenorth.org
or by calling (770) 331-0079

 Still to Come In Our Exciting 2012 Season!  
All the King's Women 
Driving Miss Daisy


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Don't miss the Pplk Street Players world premiere of local playwright Raymond Fast's funny and fascinating dark comedy "Bonneville Love", opening May 4 on the Stellar Cellar stage. Directed by Carolyn Choe, it stars Emily Tyrybon and Matt Calvo as a couple of lovebirds whose life takes a sudden sharp turn when the husband is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Performances Fri/Sat May 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 at 8pm, Sun. May 13 at 2:30pm and Thurs. May 17 at 8pm. The playwright will attend three performances with a reception for him following the opening show and audience talk backs following the May 12 & 19 performances.

St. James' Episcopal Church
161 Church St.
Marietta GA 30060, near the Square.

Tickets $12.50-$20 (Sat.dinner shows May 5, 12). Box Office 770/218-9669 for reservations. T

This is a Polk Street Players MAT Award entry.

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It’s that time of year where those companies on an August to July season announce their coming 2012/2013 slate of offerings.  As a public service, we offer her a compilation of all those we could gather.   We'll add to this is more announcements come over the transom.

ACTORS EXPRESS (www.actors-express.com.)
            Kiss of the Spider   8/25/2012 - 10/7/2012
            Wolves   11/10/2012 - 12/2/2012
            Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson   1/12/2013 - 2/17/2012
            Equus   3/23/2013 - 4/21/2013
            TBA   5/18/2013 - 6/16/2013

ALLIANCE THEATRE  (www.alliancetheatre.org)
            Main Stage
                        What I Learned in Paris (Pearl Cleage)   9/5/2012 – 9/30/2012
                        Next to Normal   10/17/2012 – 11/11/2012
                        A Christmas Carol   11/23/2012 – 12/23/2012
                        Good People (David Lindsay-Abaire)   1/16/2013 – 2/10/2013
                        Zorro   (4/3/2013 – 5/5/2013
            Hertz Stage
                        Apples & Oranges (Alfred Uhry)   10/5/2012 – 10/28/2012
                        Holidays with Chalks   11/30/2012 – 12/23/2012
                        Bike America (2013 Kandeda Winner)   2/1/2013 – 2/24/2013
                        The Whipping Man   3/8/2013 – 4/7/2013
            Family Series
                        The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta:  The Final Assembly   10/27/2012 – 11/3/2012
                        Charlotte’s Web   2/20/2013 – 3/10/2013

ATLANTA LYRIC THEATRE  (http://atlantalyrictheatre.com/)
                        (Dates TBA)
                        Anything Goes
                        White Christmas
                        Beehive
                        Ragtime
                        Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

AURORA THEATRE  (www.auroratheatre.com)
            Sweet Charity   8/2/2012 – 9/2/2012
            Betrayal   10/4/2012 – 10/28/2012
            Christmas Canteen 2012   11/23/2012 – 12/23/2012
            Bob   1/17/2013 – 2/10/2013
            TBA (Musical)   3/14/2013 – 4/7/2013
            Don’t Dress for Dinner   5/2/2013 – 5/26/2013

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA (www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/atlanta)
            War Horse   9/25/2012 – 9/30/2012
            Disney’s Beauty and the Beast   11/27/2012 – 12/2/2012
            Flashdance   2/5/2013 – 2/10/2013
            Million Dollar Quartet   3/12/2013 – 3/17/2013
            Sister Act   4/23/2013 – 4/28/2013

GEORGIA ENSEMBLE THEATRE (www.get.org)
            The Man Who Came to Dinner   9/6/2012 – 9/23/2012
            A Taffeta Christmas   11/8/2012 – 11/18/2012
            Roswell Dance Theatre does “The Nutcracker”   
            Swell Party (Topher Payne)   1/10/2013 – 1/27/2013
            TBA   
            Hello Dolly!   4/11/2013 – 4/28/2013

GEORGIA SHAKESPEARE (www.gashakespeare.org)
            The Tempest  (Shakespeare in the Park)   5/9/2012 – 5/13/2012
            Illyria:  A Twelfth Night Musical   6/6/2012 – 8/5/2012
            Much Ado About Nothing   6/21/2012 – 8/4/2012
            The Importance of Being Earnest   7/5/2012 – 8/3/2012
            The Emperor and the Nightingale   7/17/2012 – 8/3/2012
            MacBeth   10/4/2012 – 10/28/2012

NEWNAN COMMUNITY THEATRE (www,newnantheatre.org)+
          Fiddler on the Roof  (8/30/2012 - 9/9/2012
          The Little Dog Laughed  (9/20/2012 - 9/30/2012)
          And Then There Were None  (9/8/2012 - 9/18/2012)
          November  (11/8/2012 - 11/18/2012)
         A Christmas Carol  (12/6/2012 - 12/16/2012)
          Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge  (12/7/2012 - 12/16/2012)
          Rabbit Hole  (2/14/2013 - 2/24/2013)
          The Producers  (3/14/2013 - 3/24/2013)
          Driving Miss Daisy  (4/11/2013 - 4/21/2013)
          On the Razzle  (5/9/2013 - 5/19/2013)

THEATER OF THE STARS  (www.theaterofthestars.com)
            The Producers   7/24/2012 – 7/29/2012
            Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby   8/7/2012 – 8/12/2012
            The Addams Family   8/14/2012 – 8/19/2012
            The King and I   9/5/2012 – 9/11/2012
            Blue Man group   1/15/2013 – 1/20/2013
            Mary Poppins   4/2/2013 – 4/7/2013

THEATRICAL OUTFIT (www.theatricaloutfit.org)
            My Name is Asher Lev   8/25/2012 – 9/16/2012
            Two Drink Minimum   10/27/2012 – 11/18/2012
            Fly   2/2/2013 – 2/24/2013
            The Fabulous Lipitones   3/30/2013 – 4/21/2013

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On Monday, March 19, Marietta’s Theatre in the Square closed its doors after 30 years of bringing professional theatre to us suburbanites north of the city.  The irony was, I was going to see its last production (Pearl Cleage’s “Flyin’ West”) on Tuesday, which would have been today’s review. 

The causes of the Theatre’s demise are depressingly familiar – when money gets tight, artistic contribution seems to be the first casualty.  The theatre continued doing outstanding work, continued to play to sold out houses.  But the harsh reality is that ticket sales will never fully off-set a professional theatre’s cost (unless they’re priced in the stratospheric range that none of us can afford on a regular basis).  What’s needed are donations from corporations and individuals, and these were becoming as rare as a chilly day in Georgia.

So, rather than bemoan the loss of still another theatre (this one hurt, since it’s the closest to my home), I thought I’d use this space to celebrate the theatre’s history.  It was, after all, Theatre in the Square’s 2001 production of “Fully Committed” that inspired my first “Theatre Review” posting, And I’ve added dozens since.  I haven’t always been kind, but I hope I was at least respectful, recognizing quality work even on plays I wasn’t especially fond of.

What I appreciated most about this venue was the wide range of productions.  Impossible to “pigeon-hole” Theatre in the Square was equally comfortable with edgy contemporary plays (“Take me Out,” “Blue Door,” “The Little Dog Laughed”), Classic Classics (“Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Persians,” “The Importance of Being Earnest”), Modern Classics (“The Little Foxes,” “Streetcar Named Desire,” “A Man for All Seasons”), and writers who run the gamut from Christopher Durang to Harold Pinter to George Bernard Shaw to Ray Cooney.

So, to celebrate the last decade (or so) of its history, here are my thoughts on a bevy of productions from Theatre in the Square.  What are your favorite memories?  And, what shows did I miss (there have been many that passed me by)?


The Ladies Man (2012)

Theatre in the Square’s “The Ladies Man” made me laugh out loud. It also made me amazed at the physical and verbal skills of its talented cast and production crew. It is a tightly-wound construction that springs forth to brighten any evening spent in its company.


On Golden Pond (2011)

Still, when all is said and done, this is a welcome revival of a well-liked play, a chance to visit characters and relax with them by the shores of a favorite lake. If the play has always been the theatrical equivalent of a still-life watercolor (and if the tableau backdrop makes it even more so), what of that? It makes its simple points gently and easily, then lets us relax, kick back, and bask in the company of these characters.


Red, White, and Tuna (2011)

Still, if you liked these characters, you’ll probably like ‘em again. If you never met ‘em, well, you just might like ‘em too. After all, I’m just a narcoleptic old smarty-pants who needs to get more sleep and see fewer high-falutin’ shows, so what does what I say really matter? It don’t, it don’t!   So, all I can say to all y’all is you could do yourselves a favor by moseyin’ on over to the Theatre in the Square (which, of course, the Smut Snatchers won’t let me abbreviate) in Marietta GA (a big city by Tuna standards, I reckon), and visit with some folks you may (or may not) have visited before.


The Little Foxes  (2011)

“The Little Foxes” is a production that does justice to a classic of the American stage that highlights how plot can be used to reveal character and character to propel plot. It is also a production that showcases an actress and a costumer at the peak of their abilities, doing work that will be remembered for a long time to come.


A Tuna Christmas  (2010)

Somethin’ that made my weekend shine a little bit more was another trip to Tuna, TX, just for the Halibut! I’ll be durned if Theatre in Square’s Alley Stage didn’t just put an ole Lone Star flag on its floor and plunk down two fine and dandy actors on top of it to play all the folks of Tuna TX. And I’ll be durned if the whole blamed thing don’t just wiggle along like a sidewinder dumped out of a tub of motor oil.


Stealing Dixie (2010)

The physical production is probably this show’s greatest asset. Scenic Designer Dale Brubaker has filled the stage with a silhouetted locomotive (complete with moving parts), with the downstage playing area convincingly alternating between “flashback,” “now,” and “the plan” sequences. It is well lit by Ken Yunker (one of the best lighting designs of the year, in my humble opinion), and Thom Jenkins has created a soundscape that combines night sounds, train sounds, and musical ambience that mix nicely with the usual passing train noises that are this theatre’s unfortunate lot in life.


Ethan Frome (2010)

This show is an example of that old adage that there is nothing depressing about a depressing story if it is done well (with the converse, even a happy story done badly can be depressing). Paul Hester gives another in a series of wonderful performances that bring us into this story, and takes us back safely to the warm comfort of our own lives, lives hopefully free of the bleak durance endured by these denizens of Starkfield, Massachusetts. As our own winter melts towards spring, it is harsh reminder of the cold days that will soon be left behind.


Caught in the Net  (2010)

And, for the most part, I really liked Theatre in the Square’s production of “Caught in the Net.” Co-directors Alan Kilpatrick and Jessica Phelps West have composed an almost musical stream of perfectly timed door slams, dialogue and action, allowing no moment to drag with excess exposition or linger with ill-timed “moments.” If I wasn’t laughing at every gag, at least I was smiling. If I wasn’t fully convinced by all the characterizations, at least I was semi-seduced by them. If I was a tad distracted by the patchwork wallpaper of the set, I wasn’t disappointed by the plethora of doors, primed and ready for slamming.


Tradin’ Paint  (2009)

Oh, and you definitely don’t have to pity anyone racin’ up to Marietta’s Theatre in the Square for Catherine Bush’s “Tradin’ Paint,” one of the funniest and most engaging plays I’ve seen this year.


A Man for All Seasons  (2009)

Theatre in the Square has mounted a marvelously designed and performed spectacle, one that uses theatrical razzle-dazzle to tell its simple story. This production shows us a panoply of characters who are seduced by the dazzle, who find theatricality in everyday interactions. And at its center is a thoroughly grounded and honest man whose feet are planted more in the earth than on the stage, yet who plays a central role in one of the major turning points of post-medieval history. John Ammerman gives an outstanding performance as More, showing us a man who lives on the cusp of sanctimony, a humorous and self-deprecating moralist who nevertheless shows us the steel behind the sanctimony, the honesty behind conscience. He repeatedly pronounces faith in his king and in the safety of the law, even when that king uses the law against him.


Secrets of a Soccer Mom  (2009)

Taking place in “real time,” the play is a snapshot into the lives of three suburban Moms at a Mother-Son Soccer game. Throughout one two-hour afternoon, they bond, confess, kvetch, plot, reminisce, and let the behavior of their always-in-view (but unseen) children take priority over everything else. And, somehow, at the same time, they glimpse that ever-elusive perspective that helps them see their lives as less a trap and more an adventure.


Christmas at Sweetapple  (2008)

The play itself is woven together like a tapestry – actors break character to assume roles in the story they’re telling. They spontaneously burst into song for no other reason than to underscore a mood, or to express a thought mere words cannot encompass. Staged in the small, thrust, Alley Stage, it provides an intimacy that invites us into the worlds and stories of the characters. Humor comes out of the most grim scenarios, and tears come unbidden when things should be happiest.


The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (2008)

Can this really be so? Is he indeed innocent? Or is he the classic “Big Bad,” lying his bahooky off in an attempt to take home the bacon and eat it too?  A fitting spectacle for the young and for those who keep them, this trial has been extended through October 24, and can be witnessed at the Piggsylvania Courthouse, near Theatre in the Square, Marietta.


Looking Over the President’s Shoulder   (2008)

To be sure, not much happens in James Still’s “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder,” currently on view at Marietta’s Theatre in the Square. A man, waiting for a bus, talks to us, alone and unsupported. At the end, he catches his bus and moves on with his life. That’s it.  But, oh my stars and bars, what he talks about!  His name is Alonzo Fields (played with quiet intensity by Barry Scott). And, for twenty-two years (1931 – 1953), he was a servant at the White House. He was a silent witness to four presidencies, two wars, one economic recovery, and countless state visits by the dignitaries from abroad and the not-so-dignitaries from Hollywood. He knew Marian Anderson before the world ever heard a note. And, today, no one knows his name.


The Poetry of Pizza (2008)

There is an axiom of cooking that the best meals require the best ingredients. While it is true that good ingredients will give a “head start” on creating that perfect meal, I believe that the best chefs can create wonders using little, if any, quality parts.  I submit, in evidence, Theatre in the Square’s production of Deborah Brevoort’s delectable concoction, “The Poetry of Pizza.” Ms. Brevoort has taken the most stale and time-rotted ingredients and fashioned a play that not only goes down easily, but also provides the sort of satisfaction only the best of meals can give. And, as directed by Jessica Phelps West, the meal is given a presentation that would satisfy the tastes of even the most discriminating gourmand.


The Little Dog Laughed (2008)

(Editor’s Note: The following is a Transcript of a one-sided Telephone Conversation overheard at Shillings on the Square in Marietta. Certain Euphemisms have replaced a few Colorful Character Descriptions.)

Yeah, I just saw this play that’ll make a good property. It’s like “The Player” only with {Gay Men and Women}. Hold on, a second … I SAID NO BACON IN MY COBB SALAD! I SAID DRESSING ON THE SIDE! WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOUR HEARING? COMPRENDE? … Where was I? Oh, yeah, this property, it’s called “The Little Dog Laughed,” but don’t worry, we can change that to something with some more zip.


The Belle of Amherst (2008)

William Luce's "The Belle of Amherst" was written over thirty years ago, but, in the capable hands of Theatre in the Square, director August Staub and his design team, and, especially Holly Stevenson, it is as fresh as yesterday's sonnet, as tasty as a slice of Ms. Dickinson’s Black Cake (get a first row seat if you want a slice), as welcome as a visit to a well-loved, oft-missed relative.


Blue Door (2008)  

To be sure, this play made me angry, and, as such, I’d actually like you to see it, to show me where I’m wrong in my analysis. Contrary to the popular trend, I dislike writing negative columns – it’s hard to let go of the anger, and it puts the lie to my pretentions of being “an advocate of theatre” rather than a critic. But being an advocate, I suppose, sometimes means providing a “tough love smackdown” when it is needed. And I would like nothing better than to be proven wrong.

In summary, this play raises topics that should be discussed, conflicts that need to be resolved to maintain a healthy society, stories that, if not known, should remain familiar (almost cliched) to prevent them being forgotten. Under normal circumstances, this would have rated a high score in spite of misgivings I may have had about the production or play. But, here, the contrivances, the conclusions, the judgments, and the blatant self-stereotyping all make anything good about this play bitter. This is what drove my ultimate “Grade” to absolute zero. So, regretfully, I will stand by it.


Room Service  (2008)

It’s finally happened! A farce is being produced in the Atlanta area that looks as if the design and conceptual team know what they’re doing! That creaky old Community Theatre stand-by, Murray and Boretz’s “Room Service,” is being given a top-notch professional mounting that is face-paced, funny, ludicrous, funny, rife with desperation, funny, filled with inspired directorial flourishes, funny, and way-way over the top. It’s also very funny.


The Persians  (2007)

At its basic level, Greek Tragedy is stylized and ritualistic, as far removed from the realism we expect from our contemporary theatre as you can get. Highly poetic language and song are used as cautionary tales about overreaching pride and the very real,very strict dividing lines between the actions of mortals and the actions of gods. The productions that work the best today are those that employ ideas of theatricality – performance concepts that try to recreate that same awe in us that original Greek audiences felt.

“The Persians” at Theatre in the Square adds layers of theatricality that work. Act curtains that get magically “sucked” into invisibility, Choral characters that bear an individuality absent from the script, Blood-red sand pouring constantly onto the set, presaging the inevitable collapse of the Persian Empire with its accompanying reclamation by the war-soaked desert sands – all these hide the lack of any plot (in its contemporary sense) without hiding the poetic language and larger-than-life characters and emotions on display.


Pecos Bill and the Ghost Stampede  (2007)

Anyway, like she said, all the kids at the performance we saw were havin’ a rip-snortin’ good time. Grown-ups may find the tale a little too tall and the goings-on a little too silly, but, like all Clint Thornton-directed stuff, it’s fast-paced and short. The sets and costumes and puppets are deliberately cheesy (like the best-remembered worst-produced Westerns we Baby-Boomers grew up with), and a bigger-than-life time was had by all.


Miss Witherspoon  (2007)

I’m usually a fan of Durang’s work. As such, I had high expectations of this play. The idea of a depressive woman engaged in eternal struggle with the afterlife struck me as a fertile playground for Durang’s humor and satire – ample opportunity to skewer new age philosophy, after-life mythology and mis-placed optimism (like my own). To say I was shocked that Durang not only left these targets “off the hook,” but also seemed to actually embrace them would be an understatement of cosmic proportions.

           
The Story  (2006)

It is my humble opinion that, when Truth becomes a variable, trust becomes impossible. It is this state of affairs that Tracey Scott Wilson’s “The Story,” currently on view at Marietta’s Theatre in the Square, examines with irony and effect. Everything pulls together in a compelling story that, in less capable hands, would have come across is a mere political polemic. Theatre in the Square has assembled a dynamic cast who attack the material with an eye on the truthfulness of each moment. The setting is refreshingly simple, though some of the lighting cues are a bit muddy. Still, all elements of the production gel into a coherent picture of the dangers of building a story out of the shifting sands of a variable truth. Would I lie to you?


Bus Stop   (2006)

Take the Bus up to Marietta’s Theatre-in-the-Square. You will get to pleasant attraction that, luckily enough, is still running. William Inge’s “Bus Stop” is a popular piece that hasn’t lost its appeal.  An interesting thing happened while I’ve been writing this. This started out as another “good but not memorable” production I’d been putting off writing about. But, as I’ve been focusing on the play and performances, and how it all actually sits with me at this point in time, the production has grown in memory, in resonance.  And isn’t that what it means to be classic?


Charley’s Aunt   (2006)  

Curse the evil that chooses to manifest itself so! Curse the liberal conspirators who undermine our Godlike civilization! Curse the manic talent of Chris Ensweiller that make my own efforts in the same role pale like the flailings of a Guffmanesque amateur! Curse the rest of the cast for their skilled support! Curse the theatre that can bring such happiness to so many people, when it is a truth self-evident that such happiness and pleasure are the only real harbingers of chaos!


Take Me Out  (2005)

Oh, what a difference a decade makes. In the same theatre that was closed by Cobb County for daring to mount Terrance McNally’s “Lips Together, Teeth Apart,” we now see a shower-full of Atlanta Actors showing everything they’ve got. Not only that, but they let it all dangle in a play centered on a Star Baseball Hero coming “out of the closet” as a (dare I write this word in Georgia?) homosexual. It’s a credit to the theatre-goers of Marietta and Atlanta that “Take Me Out” has proven to be so popular that it’s been extended throughout April.


Much Ado About Nothing  (2004)\

To be honest, [this play is] one of my all-time favorite Shakespeares, Mr. Ammerman carried the show through a lot of low spots (Gary Yates as Don John was also very good). The set (an early 20th-century Italian courtyard with running fountain) worked for the most part (other than not providing enough hiding places for the “Noting” scenes). Even the orange trees worked until the staging required the actors to carry them around, drawing attention to the fact that they were potted.


Red Herring  (2002)

Michael Hollinger’s “Red Herring,” recently closed at Theatre-in-the-Square’s Alley Stage, was a well-directed, well-acted and funny parody of 50’s crime melodrama which had a script that too often sabotaged the good work that was happening on stage. The pace is lively, with scene changes performed in full character by the cast. The set works well in the small Alley Stage space. And the evening was filled with laugh-out-loud moments.


The Caretaker (2002)

In this case, it was the performance by ... were they brothers? Yes, they blustered or whispered or ... paused. But their pauses were not Pinteresque, filled with meaning and mystery. They were only filled with silence. They came across not as characters (even Pinteresque cyphers) with unspoken subtext, they came across as actors following the author's direction to ... pause.

And this was fatal.

After all, why should we, a poor slumbering audience, delve into the mystery that is Pinter, if the actors choose not to do their homework?

In essence … "The Caretaker" had a beautiful mounting, was directed intelligently, but was undermined to the point of pointlessness by two very shallow performances.

But, I could be ... wrong.


Fair and Tender Ladies  (2002)

Theatre in the Square's production of "Fair and Tender Ladies" is filled with good acting and is staged on an effective set with the best lighting I've seen this year. The set is a break-away of Ivy's childhood home, with the front porch being the focus of her life and the center of activity. It is lit (by designer Ken Yunker)in a palette of primary blues and yellows, with a cyclorama adding emotional underscoring and beautiful skyscapes of a sort difficult to find in large theatres, let alone one as small as Theatre in the Square.


The Importance of Being Earnest  (2002)

Sometimes, a production has a concept that is just so darn clever, it can be overlooked that it doesn't serve the production especially well. Such is the case with Theatre in the Square's production of "The Importance of Being Earnest."  This was a lively, and fast-paced show, most of the witticisms found their target, and all of the performances were above par.  Now if, they can just get over their cleverness ....


Far East (2002)

Watching Theatre in the Square's production of "Far East" is a little like taking a ride on a Steam Locomotive, only to have it ran out of steam before getting to its destination. Starting out beautifully, it presents a story of culture clash by clashing cultures -- presenting Gurney's usual Country Club cast of characters in a semi-Kabuki setting.


Fully Committed  (2001)

I loved this production. When I first read the play a month or so ago, I thought it was an amusing bit of fluff; but seeing it performed by a highly competent actor made it fly! Filled with distinct characterizations and well-aimed satire, it was a tour-de-force for actor Bill Murphey. And, it has an essential quality for a week-night show -- it was over by 9:15.

   --  Brad Rudy   (BKRudy@aol.com)

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Always interesting. Between our critics and several readers submissions.

Professional and Semi Pro

Best Plays 
August Osage County (Alliance)
Superior Donuts (Horizon)
Picasso At The La pine Agile (Onstage)
Feet First In The Water With A Baby In My Teeth (Synchronicity)
Double Falsehood (Shakespeare Tavern)

Best Musicals 
Spring Awakening (Actor's Express)
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Legacy)
Bring It On-(Alliance)
RENT (Lyric)

Best Actor in a Play 
Freddy Ashley (The Judas Kiss)
Eric J Little (Superior Donuts)
Adam Bailey (Picasso...)

Best Actress in a Play 
Tess Malis Kinkaid (August Osage County)
Brenda Bynum (August Osage County)
Veronika Duerr (Exit Pursued By A Bear) Kelly Criss (Double Falsehood)
Bethany Anne Lind (Carapace)

Best Actress in A Musical 
Denise Arrabas (Bye Bye Birdie)
Courtney Goodwin (25th Annual...)
Wendy Melkonian (Sound Of Music)
Alison Brannon (RENT)

Best Actor In A Musical 
Nick Morett (Bye Bye Birdie)
Nick Arapoglou (Avenue Q)
Stanley Allyn Owen (RENT)
Charlie Bradshaw (25th Annual...)
Alejandro Gutierrez (25th Annual)

Best Supporting Actor/Actress in both Plays and Musicals: 
Leslie Bellair (Avenue Q & 25th Annual)
JC Long (The Mikado)
Jonathan Horne (Double Falsehood)
Jo Howarth (Butterflies Are Free)
Jeremiah Hobbs (25th Annual)
Michael Stiggers (25th Annual)
Jennea Tamisiera (Fat Pig)
Glenn Rainey (Guys and Dolls)
Del Hamilton (August Osage County)
Patt Bell (The Last Romance)
Googie Utterhardt (Forbidden Broadway)

Best Set 
Bring It On (Alliance)
August Osage County (Alliance)
Legacy Of Light (Horizon)Noises
Noises Off (Georgia Shakespeare)

Best Lighting 
August Osage County
RENT

Best Choreography 
Spring Awakening (Sarah Turner, Actor's Express)

Best Music Direction 
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jodi Cotton White, Legacy)
Bring It On (Alliance)
Avenue Q (S. Renee Clark, Horizon)

Best Direction 
Michael Henry Harris for Picasso At The La Pine Agile at Onstage.
Mark Smith (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Legacy Theatre)
Susan V Booth (August Osage County at The Alliance)
Freddie Ashley (Spring Awakening at Actor's Express)

Next Week  --  Non-Professional Theatre

12/31/2011    A Dedalus-Eye Look at 2011:  The Year in Review  

It’s become a tradition for me to recap the year at the end of December.  There’s another tradition that says that the theatrical season goes from July to June.  This strikes me as a needless confusion now that we live in a post-Air-Conditioner society, and, some theatres (Horizon most notably) have switched to a January to December Season.  I will refrain from judging the others, but, of course, I shall not refrain from blindly following my own tradition.  Herewith is a Dedalus-Eye View of 2011 in Atlanta Theatre.

I suppose I can be described as a “True Theatre Geek,” since, most of what I saw I liked.  Out of the 108 shows I saw and reviewed, I rated most (92) as “B” or better (4-5 Stars).  Like last year, culling a “Best of” list will mean I have to relegate many deserving productions to “also-ran” status.  You could say that this makes me more of a cheerleader than a true critic, but, somehow, I think I can live with that.  For me, it’s been a very busy and very satisfying year!

This year, the production that left all others “in the dust” had to be Alliance’s “August: Osage County,” a breathtakingly impressive journey into family dis-harmonics, filled to the brim with off-the-hook performances by Atlanta actors, impressive work by set and light designers, and a true emotional roller-coaster ride for anyone fortunate enough to witness it.  I also really appreciated the Shakespeare Tavern’s foray into lesser-known works of the Shakespearean canon, particularly “Two Noble Kinsmen” and “Edward III.”  Their quick look at the Restoration “Bowdlerization” of “Cardenio” (“Double Falsehood”) took an archaic and silly performance style and made it one of the funniest productions of the year.

On the performance front, this was Tess Malis Kinkaid’s year, with three drop-dead wonderful portrayals (“August: Osage County,” “Antony and Cleopatra”, and “Broke”).  Mary Lynn Owen (“The Little Foxes” and “The Glass Menagerie”) and Bethany Anne Lind (“Carapace” and “The Glass Menagerie”) also give multiple performances to remember.  Still, as you will see below, they were not alone in impressing me.

As to Community Theatre efforts, Act 3 Productions and Next Stage Theatre company gave several fine productions of musicals, and CenterStage North continued its tradition of offering high-quality productions of farces and comedies.  My favourite production of the year, though, was one few people saw and one I couldn’t review because of my involvement with it –Epidemic’s production of the Edward Albee’s “The Lady From Dubuque,” a sketched-in-acid look at dying and “letting go.”. 

On the other hand, there were tons of shows I wasn’t able to see, so, rest assured, whether your preference is for the professionals or the local Community productions (or both), there sas plenty see and enjoy, and very little to be disappointed by.

This year, I reviewed fewer film/video adaptations – PBS’ “Great Performances” seems to be focussing more on music than on theatre, and movie adaptations continue to pass us by.  I was able to catch up with the DVD’s of last year’s “Rabbit Hole” and “For Colored Girls” and loved them both, though I was very disappointed by Julie Taymor’s film of “The Tempest.”  On the horizon are movie versions of “Coriolanus,” “God of Carnage,” and “Les Miserables.” 

As to my usual laundry list of “axes-to-grind,” last year I finally decided I DO tend to review Professional and Community productions differently, that I’m more likely to rate on a curve when I’m watching non-professionals.  So, again, I’ll be making separate categories for Professional and Community productions.  That being said, many of this year’s Community Theatre work was on a par with the professional houses, and the separate categorization should not diminish the achievements on view. 

I still see no need to segregate “Actresses” from “Actors,” or “Supporting Roles” from “Leading Roles.”  If a performance moved me, it moved me, if it astounded, it astounded.  Making these distinctions levels a playing field that, in my opinion, was fairly level to begin with.  I also have to admit these are hardly the "Best" of the year, merely my favorites, and I'm not ashamed to include productions I was part of.

So, without further ado, here is the stuff that made me jump and cheer this year.  It will soon be obvious that I’d rather not limit myself to a “Top 10” or any other arbitrary cut-off count, but, this year, I will NOT try to keep smaller lists than last year.

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS

FAVORITE PLAYS
Inherit the Wind  (Georgia Ensemble)
Superior Donuts  (Horizon Theatre)
Two Noble Kinsmen  (Shakespeare Tavern)
The 39 Steps  (Theatre in the Square)
Paul Robeson  (Georgia Shakespeare)
Legacy of Light  (Horizon Theatre)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (Shakespeare Tavern)
August: Osage County  (Alliance Theatre)
Double Falsehood  (Shakespeare Tavern)
Great Falls  (Essential Theatre)
Broke  (Alliance Theatre)
Underneath the Lintel  (Aurora Theatre)
The Glass Menagerie  (Georgia Shakespeare)
In the Next Room, or, The Vibrator Play  (Synchronicity theatre)
Feet First in the Water With a Baby in My Teeth  (Synchronicity Theatre)
 
FAVORITE MUSICALS
Bring it On – The Musical  (Alliance Theatre)
Bye Bye Birdie  (Stage Door Players)
Travelin’ Black  (Theatrical Outfit)
See What You Wanna See  (Actors Express)
A Chorus Line  (Aurora theatre)
Spring Awakening  (Actors Express)
Motherhood – The Musical  (G-4 Productions)

FAVORITE CHILDREN’S SHOWS
Honk!   (Alliance Theatre)
The Jungle Book  (Georgia Shakespeare)
The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta  (Alliance Theatre)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever  (Synchronicity)
Madeline’s Christmas  (Horizon Theatre)

FAVORITE HOLIDAY SHOWS
The Santaland Diaries  (Horizon Theatre)
A Christmas Carol  (Alliance Theatre)
A Christmas Carol  (Aurora Theatre)

FAVORITE PERFORMANCES  (In Alphabetical Order).
Denise Arrabas (Bye Bye Birdie)
Freddie Ashley  (The Judas Kiss)
Pat Bell  (The Last Romance)
Avery Brooks  (Paul Robeson)
Lane Carlock  (Legacy of Light)
Carolyn Cook  (The Tempest)
Christopher Corporandy  (The Judas Kiss)
Steve Coulter  (Underneath the Lintel)
Kelly Criss  (Double Falsehood)
David DeVries  (Carapace)
Kate Donadio  (In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play)
Josh Donohue  (Butterflies Are Free)
Taylor M. Dooley  (Exit, Pursued by a Bear)
Veronika Duerr (Twelfth Night / Exit, Pursued by a Bear)
Allan Edwards  (Legacy of Light)
Tovah Feldshuh (Golda’s Balcony)
Anne-Marie Gideon  (Noises Off)
Megan Hayes  (Butterflies Are Free)
Shelby Hofer  (101 Humiliating Stories)
Jonathan Horne  (Double Falsehood)
Jo Howarth  (Butterflies Are Free)
Chris Kayser  (Superior Donuts)
Tess Malis Kincaid  (August: Osage County / Antony and Cleopatra / Broke)
Eddie Levi Lee  (Over the River and Through the Woods)
Bethany Anne Lind (Carapace / The Glass Menagerie)
Eric J. Little  (Superior Donuts)
J.C. Long  (The Mikado)
Jeff McKerley  (The Mikado)
Bryan Mercer (The 39 Steps / Red, White, and Tuna)
Nicholas Morrett  (Bye Bye Birdie)
William S. Murphey  (Red, White, and Tuna)
Mary Lynn Owen  (The Little Foxes / The Glass Menagerie)
Marry Russel  (Edward III)
Yvonne Singh  (A Thousand Circlets)
Jennea Tamisiea  (Fat Pig)
Leigh Campbell-Taylor  (Legacy of Light)
Tony Vaughan  (A Thousand Circlets)
Scott Warren (The 39 Steps)
Jessica Phelps West  (The Little Foxes)

FAVORITE ENSEMBLES
August:  Osage County  (Alliance Theatre)
Avenue Q  (Horizon Theatre)
A Chorus Line  (Aurora Theatre)
Circle Mirror transformation  (Theatre in the Square)
Gray Areas  (Aurora Theatre)
Honk!  (Alliance Theatre)
Inherit the Wind  (Georgia Ensemble)
The Man From Atlanta  (Theatrical Outfit)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (Shakespeare Tavern)
Noises Off  (Georgia Shakespeare)
Rent  (Atlanta Lyric Theatre)
Travelin’ Black n (Theatrical Outfit)
Two Noble Kinsmen  (Shakespeare Tavern)

FAVORITE SETS
Academy  (Aurora Theatre)
August: Osage County  (Alliance Theatre)
Bring it On – The Musical (Alliance Theatre)
Broadsword (Actors Express)
Broke  (Alliance Theatre)
A Grand Night for Singing  (Stage Door Players)
Legacy of Light  (Horizon Theatre)
The Man From Atlanta  (Theatrical Outfit)
The Mikado  (Atlanta Lyric Theatre)
Noises Off  (Georgia Shakespeare)
Over the River and Through the Woods
See What I Wanna See  (Actors Express)
Superior Donuts  (Horizon Theatre)
The Tempest  (Georgia Shakespeare)

FAVORITE ADAPTATIONS TO FILM OR VIDEO
Rabbit Hole                                           (DVD / Blu-Ray / PPV)
For Colored Girls                                   (DVD / Blu-Ray / PPV)


COMMUNITY THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

FAVORITE PLAYS
The Meeting  (Kelvin Wade Productions)
In Lieu of Flowers  (Lionheart Theatre)
Bad Dates  (Pumphouse Players)
The Diary of Anne Frank  (Act 3 Productions)
Moonlight and Magnolias  (CenterStage North)

FAVORITE MUSICALS
[title of Show]  (Oglethorpe University)
The Fantasticks  (CenterStage North)
The Last Five Years  (Next Stage Theatre)
All Shook Up  (Act 3 Productions)
The Wedding Singer  (Next Stage Theatre)
Once on This Island  (Act 3 Productions)
Rent  (Next Stage Theatre)

FAVORITE PERFORMANCES  (In Alphabetical Order)
Joe Arnotti  (All Shook Up)
Jeffrey Bigger  (Moonlight and Magnolias)
Brian Clements  (Urintown)
Erin Deebel  (Once on This Island)
Kip Henderson  (‘Til Beth Do Us Part)
Rosslyn Milne  (Once on This Island)
Mashad Olufani  (The Meeting)
Daniel Pino  (The Wedding Singer)
Lauren Rosenzweig (The Wedding Singer / The Last Five Years))
Alli Sheehan  (Urinetown)
John Stanier  (There Goes the Bride)
Jo-Jo Steine  (The Diary of Anne Frank)
Maggie Taylor  (One on This Island)
Stacy Vacarro  (Bad Dates)
Rene Voige  (Til Beth Do Us Part)

FAVORITE ENSEMBLES 
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee  (Act 3 Productions)
All Shook Up  (Act 3 Productions)
The Curious Savage  (Polk Street Players)
[title of show]  (Oglethorpe University)
Urinetown  (Next Stage Theatre)

FAVORITE SETS
Moonlight and Magnolias  (CenterStage North) 
The Wedding Singer  (Next Stage Theatre)

So, thank you all for your marvellous work this year, and, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me in 2012!           

  -- Brad Rudy (BKRudy@aol.com)

TOTAL SHOWS SEEN AND REVIEWED (BY THEATRE):

Venue                               Total   Average Grade
Alliance Theatre                    10       4.4
Aurora Theatre                      9       4.2
New American Shakespeare Tavern     8       4.2
Georgia Shakespeare                  6       4.4
Horizon Theatre                      6       4.5
Synchronicity Theatre                6       4.3
Theatre in the Square                6       3.8
Act 3 Productions                    5       4.0
Actors Express                       5       3.9
Georgia Ensemble Theatre             5       3.8
Stage Door Players                   5       4.3
Atlanta Lyric Theatre                4       3.8
CenterStage North                    3       4.2
Essential Theatre                    3       4.2
Next Stage Theatre                   3       4.0
Theatre of the Stars                 3       3.8
Theatrical Outfit                    3       4.3
Pumphouse Players                    2       4.0
Broadway Across America              1       3.5
Cobb Children’s Theatre              1       4.0
Flickering Productions               1       3.5
G-4 Productions                      1       4.5
Gas South Broadway Series            1       3.5
Kelvin Wade Productions              1       4.0
Lionheart Theatre                    1       4.0
Meet Before You Marry Entertainment  1       1.0
Oglethorpe University                1       4.5
Onion Man Productions                1       3.5
Polk Street Players                  1       3.5
360 Entertainment                    1       3.0
Vitality Productions                 1       3.0
Video / Film                         3       4.2

GRAND TOTAL                        108       4.07

TOTAL COLUMNS WRITTEN AND/OR POSTED:             124 (Whew!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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