JACQUES LAMARRE TIMES THREE

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If you’re in Hartford theweekend of June 2, you have to work hard to miss playwright Jacques Lamarre’sthree openings.  He modestly refersto them as “Jacques-a-Palooza.”
The Unitarian Society of Hartfordas part of its Performing Arts Series will present the Herstory Theater Readingof his drama “PIERCE,” at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 2 at 50 Bloomfield Avenue,Hartford.  This historical playdeals with the tragic life of Jane Means Appleton Pierce, the religious andreclusive wife of Franklin Pierce who was elected President at the brink of theCivil War.
Born in Lamarre’s hometown ofAmherst, New Hampshire, the Pierces have been extensively researched throughletters and archives.  Will Jane beable to handle the rigors and responsibilities of being First Lady, a title shedesperately does not want to assume?
For tickets ($15, or $30 forVIP seating), call 860-233-9897, online at www.ushartford.comor at the door.  The reading willbe followed by a Talk Back with the playwright and Herstory Theater castmembers.
The busy Mr. Lamarre willthen head off to the Gay and Lesbian Film Fest at Cinestudio, 300 SummitStreet, on the campus of Trinity College, in Hartford at 10:30 p.m., Saturday,June 2 for the screening of “Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads,” a film heco-wrote for drag queen performer Varla Jean Merman.  The festival runs from June 1 to June 9.  For information and tickets ($10,students and seniors $7), call the theater at 860-297-2463 or the festival at860-586-1136, or online at http://outfilmct.org/.
As if that isn’t enough,Lamarre’s new play “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti,” a comedy he  adapted from the memoir by GiuliaMelucci, will premiere this weekend at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street, Hartfordand run through Sunday, July 8.  Adelicious diva in the kitchen, Giulia hasn’t mastered the correct ingredientsfor true love.  Share hertantalizing and tasty pasta, as she cooks up cures for a broken heart. 
For tickets ($50-63 orspecial kitchen seating at $76 that includes a front row table with wine andfood), call the theater at 860-527-7838 or online at www.theaterworkshartford.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sundaymatinees at 2:30 p.m.
Come cheer for JacquesLamarre at any one of his trio of exciting events or join his fan club andattend all three.

ROBIN HOOD SPRINGTIME FESTIVAL: AN ENCHANTED TRIP BACK IN TIME

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Step back into history and indulge all your secret fantasies by a visit to a Renaissance Fair.  The Guilford Fairgrounds were alive with color and pageantry the weekends of May 12 to June 3 as the Robin Hood Springtime Festival marched proudly in for all you milords and miladies.
With a garland of daisies firmly in place or a feathered cap, you were welcomed to dress as Robin Hood or Maid Marion for look-alike contests, or as your favorite knight, with or without full armor, or as a pirate, a fairy princess, or even a Disney character, if your fancy dictated it.  Costumes are recommended but definitely not required.
Don’t worry if your closet is not up to the challenge as there were costume rentals available from festive hats, tunics, vests, cloaks, gowns and full regalia from such outfitters as Heath’s Mr. Renaissance.  So whether you’ve always wanted to be Harry Potter, a chess piece, or Romeo, Heath is your man.  For the last fifteen years, he has traveled to a fair every weekend on the East Coast.
If you’re not up to the masquerade route, you can always accessorize with a quaint face painting, a hand carved and painted sword and shield, a pair of dangling star earrings, a couple of horns or pointed ears or even a tail, a wizard’s wand or a knight’s helmet.
For quieter and less obvious enjoyment, you can purchase some pina colada honey sticks, a bargain at 4 for $1, soaps of lavender or macintosh apple, a healing stone to rub for luck, a glittering henna tattoo, a gourd from Mother Earth or a lovely feather rose to present to your lady fair.
To quench your hunger or thirst, the festival overflows with gourmet treats, like grilled steak on a stick or a hearty roasted turkey leg at Giant’s booth.  For the more adventurous, you could partake at Sir Munch-A-Lots of fried twinkies (pastry dipped in vanilla batter and fried to a golden brown and then dusted with powdered sugar), or fried pb and j (peanut butter and jelly), fried snickers or even a fried pickle for the truly strong of stomach.  Quaff down a stein of beer, mead, hard cider or lemonade and then visit the dragon who dispenses ice cream on a stick or a cone.
Activities abound so you can try your hand at darts or crossbow or archery, hurl a bat or throw an axe, as well as watch Johnny Fox swallow a sword (but don’t try that at home).  The charming traveling troubadour Ellen A. Dale offered a minstrel show about Robin Hood and the villainous Prince John while Guido of the Hopeless Romantics inveigled innocent audience members on stage to help him act out the tale of Adam and Eve.
Each day was stuffed with entertainment, from Blackshear’s Curious Magic to Cirque du Sewer (a unique rat circus), Vixens en Garde (Swashbuckling Swordswomen), a Knighting Ceremony, Archery demonstrations, Spy games, Mud Slinging Ladies, Maypole dancing, Madrigals by the Village Singers, Belly dancing by the Tribal Deluna Gypsies and a Six Scene Story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
What festival would be complete without a Jousting Match between arch rivals, Sir Solomon and Sir Marcus, galloping across the tourney field, with only one victor at the end.  After all that exercise, you’ll be ready to relax at a soothing chair massage.
Special dates included a Mother’s Day brunch, a Feast of the Merry, Costume Competitions, a Romance Weekend and a Pet Day (that included dogs and a lizard named Sunshine).  Pets were free with a donation of two cans of dog food for a shelter.  All this great fun is thanks to the festival creator and co-owner Eric Tetreault who went to fairs as a kid and loved them. He saw there was nothing like this in Connecticut and has worked to fulfill his dream.
Never fear, you may have missed this Robin Hood extravaganza (www.Robinhoodfaire.com) but it will be back next spring.  Now is the time to mark your calendar for his King Henry the VIII weekend July28-29 on the Town Green in Enfield and autumn spectacular (www.ctfaire.com) King Arthur Faire the weekends of September 29-30, October 6-7-8 (Columbus Day), 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lions Fairgrounds, 347 Gilead Street, Hebron, CT.  General admission is $16, youth $10, children 6 and under free, parking $3.  All the magic and medieval merriment will be there so start planning your visit and costumes now.
If a day of turning back the clock is truly inspirational, think about a Renaissance themed wedding.  Get thee to the faire and prepare to be enchanted.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS A SMASH HIT

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The power and promise of the arts and our youth metin a spectacular synergy on Monday, June 4 at Waterbury’s Palace Theater forthe Fourth Annual High School Musical Theater Awards celebration.  Three thousand people dressed in gownsand black tie attended the event sponsored by Spirit of Broadway Theater inNorwich and its artistic director Brett. A. Bernardini.  Master of Ceremonies was actor KevinGrey who set a wonderful tone for the evening’s festivities.
The Theater Awards involved 19 high schools fromacross the state. The participating schools and their associated productionsincluded: East Lyme High School LegallyBlonde; New Canaan High School, Sweet Charity; Newton High School, SweeneyTodd School Edition; GranbyMemorial High School, No, No,Nanette;  New Britain High School, Hairspray; JonathanLaw High School (Milford) Hairspray; St.Paul Catholic High School (Bristol)LegallyBlonde; Trinity Catholic HighSchool, (Stamford) Beauty &The Beast; Trumbull High School, The Wiz;Valley Regional High School,(Deep River) Titanic, the musical;Westhill High School, (Stamford) TheDrowsy Chaperone; Stratford HighSchool My Favorite Year; Waterbury Arts Magnet High School, Esperanze Rising / Singing In The Rain; Guilford High School, Evita;Plainfield High School, Annie; Regional Center For The Arts, (Trumbull) Ragtime; Fairfield Prep, Kiss Me Kate;  Immaculate High School, (Danbury) Miss Saigon;  AmityHigh School, (Woodbridge) LegallyBlonde.
Each nominated school presented a number from theirshow that showcased their talents and the enthusiasm was contagious.  Outstanding leading actor went toShevance Stephens from Regional Center for the Arts in Trumbull as Coalhouse in“Ragtime” and to Ali Kramer from Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge asElle Woods in “Legally Blonde.” Valley Regional High School’s production of Titanic, the Musical” won asoutstanding production of the year. 
Mr. Stephens and Ms. Kramer will go on to New York’sMinskoff Theatre on Broadway from June 20-25 to represent Connecticut in theNational High School Musical Theater Program.  Congratulations to all the wonderful participants who provedthat the arts are alive and well.

PATTI LUPONE: A SMASHING CABARET SHOW AT 54 BELOW

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Until Saturday, June 16, youcan catch Patti LuPone in a wonderfully warm and vibrant cabaret show at thenewly opened 54 BELOW, a nightclub on 254 West 54^th Street, Cellar,in the Big Apple.  The star of suchBroadway hits asGypsy, Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Anything Goes and, most recently, Women on the Verge of a NervousBreakdown, she belts out such numbersas “It’s Just the Gypsy in My Soul,” “Far Away Places,” “I Want to Be AroundWhen Somebody Breaks Your Heart,” a story song about a tale of “The BlackFreighter,” the light hearted “Down by the Sea” and the obscure chansonspoofing Edith Piaf “I Regret Everything.”
LuPone’s brassy rendition of“Everything’s Coming Up Roses”  asMama Rose in Gypsy almost brings down the roof of this intimate house.  54 BELOW is Broadway’s newestnightspot, with classically inspired cocktails and cuisine, featuring “amusebouches,” petite explosions of flavor in your mouth.  Call 646-476-3551 or 866-468-7619 or online at www.54Below.com for tickets andreservations.  Future headlinersinclude Andrea Martin June 20-23, Ben Vereen July 10-21 and Andrea McArdle July23 and 30, among many others.
Heat up your summer plans fora cool visit to 54 BELOW, where intimate entertainment is definitely on themenu along with cuisine by award winning Chef Andre Marrero.  “Broadway’s living room” waits you.

“THE ODD COUPLE:” CHARLIE BROWN’S PAL PIGPEN MEETS MR. CLEAN

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          PAT SAJAK AS FELIX AND JOE MOORE AS OSCAR          PHOTO BY BOB COPLEY

Can a man who serves his poker buddies a choice of green or brown sandwiches with warm Coke find happiness with a man who trims the crust from his lightly toasted b.l.t. creations, accompanied by a cold beer? The answer is a Duncan Hines Unseal of Approval, but Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, both divorced friends, give it an Olympic try.
Oscar Madison is sloppy and scattered and wallows in a pigpen of an apartment, all eight rooms of it.  Felix Unger is fastidious and organized and a neatnik.  What brings both men together under one roof is the genius of Neil Simon and his classic comedy “The Odd Couple.”

Connecticut Repertory Theatre on the campus of the University of Connecticut will be setting up a playpen for the pair until Sunday, July 22 as “The Odd Couple,” under the capable direction of Vincent J. Cardinal, takes to the stage.  Turn the clocks back to 1966 and sit down at the poker game where Felix Unger, immaculately portrayed, with buttoned down perfection, by Pat Sajak lands on the doorstep of his good friend Oscar Madison, comfortably and casually expressed in a teddy bear persona by Joe Moore. When Felis announces his wife Frances has asked him to leave home permanently, Oscar proposes he move in to prevent Felix’s suicide threats from becoming real.
What makes this version so wonderful is that Sajak and Moore are real friends, back to the days when they were Army pals and they have maintained that close relationship, and also that Pat Sajak has been entertaining us for decades as the genial host of “Wheel of Fortune.”  Moore has spent years as a TV news anchorman which corresponds to his character’s career as a sports journalist. Both men are clearly having fun with their on stage bantering.

What seems on the surface to be ideal, with Felix sharing 50% of the costs  and 100% of the housekeeping duties, so Oscar can finally catch up on his child support payments, soon turns into an ugly war of Pledge and Lysol.  All the “improvements” which Felix has wrought turn into “annoyances” for Oscar to find fault with and complain about and become reasons enough to drive each other crazy. When Oscar calls Felix’s ladle a spoon, it’s a cause for a duel at high noon.

The weekly poker game with Speed (Brad Bellamy), Murray (Murray Rubenstein), Roy (David Alan Stern) and Vinnie (Patrick Kerr) soon bites the dust, if there were any dust.  The Pigeon sisters are adorably supportive in the hands of Liz Larsen and Kathleen McNenny and give the bachelors new material to argue about with delightful consequences and crying towels. Michael Anania’s apartment set is a great location for the domestic quarrels.

For tickets ($32-45, children $10), call the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs at 860-486-2113 or online at www.crt.uconn.edu.  Performances are Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Check in with Oscar and Felix before Felix has a nervous breakdown or Oscar kills him as they drive each other crazy in the name of brotherhood, bachelorhood and friendship.

“METAMORPHOSES:” MAKING A SPLASH IN WEST HARTFORD

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                               Photo by Rich Wagner of "Metamorphoses"
As ambitious projects go, West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park hasset the theatrical bar 
quite high and then proceeded to soar over it.  The theater has built a grand pool ofwater 
on stage in which to dip your toes or plunge in fully clothed as it tellsthe fascinating tales of 
“Metamorphoses,” myths of Greek and Roman origins asoriginally penned by Ovid in 8 
A.D. and adapted in 1996 by Mary Zimmerman.

Until Sunday, July 1, you are invited to experience a series ofvignettes about the gods and 
mortals who sought immortality and love, who feltgreed and lust, who gave in to 
temptations and wanderlust as a cast of tentalented actors – Amelia Randolph Campbell, 
David Nate Goldman, HarrisonGreene, Melissa Kaufman, Troy Peckham, Jillian Rorrer, 
Justin Sease, QuinnWarren, Eric Whitten and Ashley C. Williams-splash, float and come 
close todrowning in the shimmering waters as they retell ancient tales relevant totoday’s 
world.             The gods in all their power and frailty come to earth in a seriesof stories that will provoke and tease, stimulate and sadden, inspire andeducate.  You’ll remember KingMidas and his prized treasury of wealth, the classic workaholic 24/7, who whenoffered a boon from the gods chooses a golden touch.  His heart’s desire proves particularly painful when hetouches his beloved daughter and turns her into a pure and precious metal.            Thepool turns tempestuous for King Ceyx who leaves his bride Alcyone to go off tosea only to be killed in a storm. But her love and devotion persuade the gods to let Iris the rainbowgoddess transform the tragic pair into birds who will forever fly the heavens.            Othertales involve Phaeton who demands of Apollo, his father, the keys to hischariot so he can race across the sky, a story he relates to his therapist whenhe almost destroys the earth by flying too close to the sun, of Cupid with hisblinded eyes and his search for true love, and of gods who punish Erysichthonby sending him Hunger so no amount of food satisfies his craving fornourishment, after he cuts down a tree sacred to Ceres, the goddess of theharvest.        Mourn with Orpheus wholoses his bride Eurydice on their wedding day and travels to the Underworld toreclaim her, only to lose her not once more, but twice.  Enjoy the many disguises that Vertumnusassumes in his wooing of the nymph Pomona and how he eventually wins her loveby being himself.  Within thisstory is the tragic tale of Myrrha who is cursed to love her own father in anunnatural way and is punished by melting away in a pool of water, dissolvinglike her tears.
Sean Harris directs a talented troupe who are almost all makingtheir Playhouse on Park debuts in this imaginative work that spans centurieswith its universal themes of love, life, greed, loss, and all their wisdoms andwarnings.Original music is composed and played by Richard Hollman.            For tickets ($22.50-32.50) call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road,West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursdayat 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.            Diveinto this transforming pool where Mary Zimmerman plays lifeguard and the godPoseidon reigns supreme.  There’sno need to bring towels or shower caps.

Film: Brendan Fay, and Taking a Chance on God

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Howit’s NY:  Gay Pride wasinvented in New York City.
Howit’s Irish:  BrendanFay, a self-professed New Yorker, is a sprite off the streets of Drogheda. Heis Irish down to his boots and back up again.
Ladies and Gentlemen . . .  Brendan Fay
Honor Molloy considers Brendan Fay's new film Taking a Chance on God, and reflects on Brendan's many achievements.It was amomentous handful of days for Brendan Fay.
OnWednesday, June 13^th, he joined a handful of his fellow contributorsto the new essay collection Love, Christopher Street: Reflections of New York City  (Vantage Point Books 2012) atBarnes and Noble’s 82^nd and Broadway store. Brendan’s essay, titled“Finding Jesús onChristopher Street” is—like everything Brendan does—passionate and heartfelt,and relates his journey from Scarlet Street in Drogheda to the heart of NewYork’s LGBT community. He tells his story well, and his reading was similarlyimpressive, a rolling, rollicking evocation of his journey from repression inhis homeland to “the mad diversity and adventurous human imagination” he foundin New York City, “this rare and queerest piece of earth.”
Brendanwore another hat on Saturday evening, that of film director, when hisdocumentary Taking A Chance On God hadits New York premiere at the SVA theatre on W. 23^rd Street.
Brendan’sfilm, which was was produced by Ilene Cutler, is an hour-long look at the lifeand work of an unlikely hero of uncommon courage:  John McNeill, a Jesuit priest, World War IIveteran and a pioneering advocate for LGBT civil rights.

John McNeill (3rd from Left) and Dignity NY  in LGBT Pride Parade

Born in Buffalo, NY,McNeill—a burly, bearded unassuming Irish-American now in his 80s—spent time ina German prisoner of war camp as a teenage soldier. His experiences there led tohis involvement in the anti-Viet Nam War protests of the 1960s, when he servedas a counselor for conscientious objectors. His desire for justice and love ofhumanity found its central expression in the service of Gay rights. 

McNeill is theauthor of the groundbreaking theological study The Church and the Homosexual: Fourth Edition, the founder of the LGBT Catholicgroup Dignity/New York, and was a strong presence in the 80s Aids crisis. 

McNeill wasa controversial figure, twice officially ordered by the Vatican to keep silent.His inability to ignore the promptings of his conscience led to his eventualexpulsion from the priesthood.Brendansays the film was years in the making and was largely funded by many smalldonations. He describes it as the story of “McNeill’s love for his church, hisJesuit family, the LGBT Community and his beloved Charlie.” Charles Chiarelliis McNeill’s long-time companion.
The SVAscreening was packed with a friendly and enthusiastic audience. McNeill andChiarelli were in attendance, as were a number of others who played importantroles on and off the screen. The Hon. Noel Kilkenny, Irish Consul General inNew York, and his wife Hanora came to the podium to offer their congratulationsto Fay, Cutler and McNeill. A reception in the lobby followed the screening.
Brendandeserves a bit of a rest at this point, but it seems unlikely. The Sprite ofScarlet Street, Drogheda is not one to rest on his laurels.
A scheduleof screenings can be found here: www.takingachanceongod.com

Music Theater Conference Continues at O'Neill

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The National Music Theater Conference, Artistic Director Paulette Haupt, continues June 25 – July 1, with rehearsals and public staged readings of three new musicals.

A Good Man, book and lyrics by Philip S. Goodman; music by Ray Leslee will open its first of four public staged readings on Saturday evening, June 30 at 8pm. Set after World War II, A Good Man tells the story of Albert Clayton, a black sharecropper, who decides to paint his tenant house white causing an uproar in his rural Mississippi town. He struggles with a desperate wife, a frightened landlord, a sexy sister-in-law, and a furious town. The show will be directed by Jerry Dixon with music direction by William Foster McDaniel and feature performances Terence Archie, Ta’rea Campbell, Tina Fabrique, Antwuan Holley, Anastasia McClesky, Jacob Ming-Trent, Andrew Samonsky, Don Lee Sparks, and Dennis Stowe.

When We Met, book by Dan Collins with music and lyrics by Julianne Wick Davis, will wrap up with its third and final reading this Sun., June 24 at 3pm. String, book written by Sarah Hammond with lyrics and music by Adam Gwon, will perform its final readings Wed., June 27 at 8pm and Fri. June 29 at 7pm.

Theatermakers, the six-week summer intensive of the National Theater Institute, will also present original work on Monday, June 25 at 7pm. The performance is free and open to the public.

All performances take place at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, 305 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT 06385. Schedule is subject to change. Tickets for the National Music Theater Conference performances may be purchased online at www.theoneill.org or through the box office at (860) 443-1238.

KILLER JOE • St. Louis Actors' Studio

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This first play from Tracy Letts takes a look at the Smiths -- a brood that gives the phrase "trailer trash" a whole new meaning.  Killer Joe is the third play I've seen from Letts and so far, they all have this flavor of damage mixed with dark comedy.  Like sour candy or bitter chocolate…  …  You know what I'm sayin'.  At any rate, under Milton Zoth's direction, it's a hearty blend going on right now at Actors' Studio.
The swastika tattooed son of the Smith family, Chris (James E. Slover), is in debt to some tough guys for thousands of bucks he doesn't have.  His wounded, naive little sister Dottie (Rachel Fenton) walks and talks in her sleep, and his dad Ansel (Larry Dell), whom Chris shares joints and Stag beer with, doesn't care about much outside of old detective shows on television.  In addition, they all look like they kinda don't shower very often.  Sharla (Missy Miller) is Ansel's new but maybe not so improved wife.  When her stepson asks why she answered the door half-naked, she replies, "Well, it's the middle of the night!  I didn't know who you were!".  Yep.  A nice bunch.

Jason Cannon (Killer Joe Cooper), Rachel Fenton (Dottie Smith),Larry Dell (Ansel Smith), Missy Miller (Sharla Smith)and James E. Slover (Chris Smith).Photo credit: John Lamb

Chris decides that an end to the squalor of this family could be gained by one act -- killing his dad's ex-wife, his and Dottie's mother Adele, and splitting the insurance money.  Now, according to Dottie's accounts, Adele really is a miserable bitch, but still.  Chris hires Killer Joe Cooper, a Dallas police officer who "exterminates" on the side, to off the matriarch of the family.  Chris plans to pay Joe from a portion of the insurance policy proceeds, a policy where Dottie is the beneficiary.  But with no money for even the down payment, Killer Joe insists on a retainer.  "Retainer" -- a word among a catalogue of words and phrases that Chris and his dad don't understand.  They really are so stupid, it's hilarious.  Anyway, giving too much away would spoil the fun of this foul thrill ride, but let's just say that the Smiths have got to be one of the most fucked up families in Texas.
Make no mistake, in spite of, or because of its premise, this play is intensely funny -- it's basically a comedy, although it's a dark one.  It contains serious language, nudity, and naughty things involving a KFC drumstick, so I would leave the kids at home.

Jason Cannon (Killer Joe Cooper)and Rachel Fenton (Dottie Smith).Photo credit: John Lamb

The whole cast was very impressive.  James E. Slover's Chris Smith and Larry Dell as his dad Ansel don't seem to have half a brain between them.  While their braying back-and-forth is very funny, it was just a little tentative when I saw it, but these guys inhabited their characters well and I have no doubt the pacing will tighten up as the run continues.  Missy Miller's Sharla Smith delivers a lot of comic relief early on, but plays a much more serious part later, and Miller spans that gap wonderfully.  Jason Cannon gives Killer Joe Cooper a steely quality that's hard to resist.  As corrupt as he is, Cannon's Killer Joe displays a polite, calm but threatening self-assured presence that takes you from the minute he walks onstage.  He also comes off as the most intelligent one in this group.  You can understand why Rachel Fenton's Dottie Smith falls for him.  Fenton delivers a subtle, quiet, courageous performance as Dottie, who notes that Joe's "eyes hurt".  She's a bit of a wallflower, getting lost in the background at first, but once she takes center stage, Fenton's performance, while still submissive, is commanding.
From the opening moments peppered with thunder and a yard dog's barking, plus the almost constant sound of the television or radio, Robin Weatherall's sound design really sets the mood.  Costumes by Teresa Doggett blend perfectly along with Patrick Huber's terrific scenic and lighting design.
If you're like me, and you like sour candy, check it out.  Even if you don't like sour candy per se…  *sigh*  I'm still trying to work that metaphor.  Anyway, you won't be sorry.

Larry Dell (Ansel Smith), Missy Miller (Sharla Smith)and Jason Cannon (Killer Joe Cooper).Photo credit: John Lamb

KILLER JOE
Written by Tracy Letts Directed by Milton ZothThe Gaslight Theater, 358 N. Boyle Ave.through April 22 | tickets: $20 - $25Performances Thursday to Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm
Cast:James E. Slover (Chris Smith), Missy Miller (Sharla Smith), Larry Dell (Ansel Smith), Rachel Fenton (Dottie Smith) and Jason Cannon* (Killer Joe Cooper).* Member Actors' Equity Association
Creative:Scenic & lighting design by Patrick Huber; sound design by Robin Weatherall; costume design by Teresa Doggett; fight choreography by Brian Peters; scenic painter, Cristie Johnston; stage manager, Amy J. Paige.

BOWLING EPIPHANY - THE REVIVAL! • OnSite Theatre Company

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You really can't beat a night of theatre and bowling, right?  OnSite Theatre specializes in "site specific" plays.  Every show is set in a different location suited to the play, and trust me, this provides an exciting layer to its productions.  OnSites' five year anniversary presentation takes place at Epiphany Lanes and features three short plays.  Better still, you can get a frame of bowling in during the intermissions!  This presentation is truly set up for a great time.  Plays that are the perfect length, set in a perfectly encompassing location, with Joe Hanrahan's direction, and a talented, tight cast of three -- Elizabeth Birkenmeier, Antonio Rodriguez and Donna Weinsting -- you can't go wrong."Just Bowl" "(Gardenofeve(dot)com)"Donna Weinsting opens it up.  She narrates as we get to eavesdrop on an incredibly awkward first date.  You can tell these two don't get out much.  They want badly to connect with each other, but find it challenging when they have to meet each other in the flesh.  They've become socially inept.  Victims of the internet.  Our narrator calls it a "decline in social capital".  Rodriguez and Birkenmeier have a wonderfully clumsy way with each other, and they provide an entertaining and charming look at what happens when people are more comfortable sharing their feelings through a Facebook status update as opposed to face-to-face interaction.
---BOWL!!---"Anarchy of a Pin Boy"Next up, Weinsting is a free-wheelin' redneck bowling enthusiast trying to get her daughter (Birkenmeier) interested in the game, but her daughter isn't having it.  She'd rather be a poet, but Mom tells her that all that silly talk about poetry disrespects the clientele.  Ha!  Hoosiers…  Her daughter ends up meeting the alley's pin boy (Rodriguez), and their initially cautious flirty conversation turns into a rather surreal little chance encounter, proving that people may sometimes be a lot more that who they seem to be.---BOWL!!---"What Would Jesus Bowl?"Our last play has Job (Rodriguez), like the guy from the bible Job, laid out completely disoriented on the floor with angel (Weinsting) and devil (Birkenmeier) discussing what to do with him.  Apparently his trials and tribulations were just a human experiment, so the polar opposites, good and evil, have to sort it all out.  What better place than a bowling alley to do this, right?  Good times...So basically, you've got some plays about bowling taking place in a bowling alley with free bowling.  Need I say more?  I'm telling you, this will make for a really fun night.  Check it out -- it's playing until the 30th.BOWLING EPIPHANY - THE REVIVAL!"Just Bowl" "(Gardenofeve(dot)com)" written by Dan Rubin "Anarchy of a Pin Boy" written by Carter Lewis"What Would Jesus Bowl?" written by Dan RubinDirected by Joe HanrahanEpiphany Lanes, 3164 Ivanhoe Ave.through June 30 | tickets: $25 (June 21st tickets include drinks, food, bowling prizes and a champagne toast for OnSite's 5 year Anniversary)Performances selected Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pmCast:Elizabeth Birkenmeier, Antonio Rodriguez and Donna Weinsting.Creative:Stage manager, Linda Menard, artistic director, Ann marie Mohr; managing director, Kristen Edler. 

LAUGHTER, TEARS & THE RIGHT STUFF • ST. LOU FRINGE

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In case you haven't heard, there's a Fringe festival going on right now in St. Louis!  Before I get into that, let me give you a quick review of the show I saw earlier tonight.The West End Players Guild is presenting three short plays written by Stephen Peirick for the Fringe Festival entitled Laughter, Tears and the Right Stuff.  The first play, The Right Stuff, is a rollicking peek at three women who are reliving their high-school days, camping out for concert tickets.  Why camp out when there's the internet?  Unnecessary?  Maybe.  But all of the girls end up enjoying their throwback days on the sidewalk.  (I totally did that for Prince and the Revolution tickets once.)  The second play, The Goodbye Party, takes a serious turn as Lilly (Emily Baker) tries to cope with her loss in the midst of a wake.  The last play, The Third Time, looks at the humorous challenges of a couple who find themselves, for the third time, at the fertility clinic.  This is a really brief description of the plays (apologies), but trust me, all of Peirick's plays that I've seen are quality.  He has a way of sucking you in by slowly peeling away the layers of his characters and their various situations, that you almost can't help but become invested in them.  All of the performances are also top notch (Stephanie Merritt, Sarajane Alverson, Ann Hier, Emily Baker, Nancy Nigh and Jason Meyers).  Definitely worth checking out.  It was a great Fringe kickoff for me, and I hope to see more plays during the weekend.
So, about this Fringe business…  It's great!  Honestly, I just get a kick out of the fact that this is going on here.  It's been done before, albeit on a smaller scale, but although it hasn't been hugely advertised, this five day jammed-packed Fringe fest offers a lot, including over 30 wildly varying performances, featuring some local companies as well as artists from all over the country, four performance spaces, not to mention all of the stuff going on in between shows like drum circles, street painting, face and body painters, fire dancers, slam poets and more!  Plus the after parties starting at 10pm.  I know, right?!
Step one is to check out their website.  Everything is there, but I'll give a little breakdown here of some of the particulars.  Everything starts at “Fringeland” located at 3141 Locust.  Here's a map for your bearings.  At Fringeland you pay 5 bucks for a nifty little button that allows you access to the shows.  Then you pay for the individual shows, but none of the shows are over $12.  Another cool thing about these buttons is that once you get yours, you're offered rewards at restaurants, hotels, and great discounts that keep on giving when St. Lou Fringe is over.  You can get a printout of these rewards and discounts at Fringeland.  You'll also get a little paper that fills you in on some background info., venue breakdowns, and the schedule of shows and workshops.  Once you've figured out what you wanna see and you're equipped with your stylish button and tickets, it's time to fringe!
Did I mention the after parties?
I've never posted a blog this quickly, so I'm sure I've inevitably left a lot out.  As always, comments are welcome, so please leave them if you like, in addition to more info. you may have about the Fringe and your own Fringe experience!  Seriously, check it out this weekend if you can.  It promises to be a great time in the city!  Kudos to the organizers of St. Lou Fringe, including (but not exclusively) Em Piro, Billy Croghan, Tara Daniels, Tom Martin, Lauren Garvey, Sherre Waggoner and Toni Roper.
Now go get your Fringe on this weekend!

LAUGHTER, TEARS & THE RIGHT STUFFWritten by Stephen PeirickDirected by Stephen Peirick & Tina FarmerCabaret Space at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Blvd.through June 25 | tickets: $5 plus $5 for the Fringe button.Cast:Stephanie Merritt (Melissa), Sarajane Alverson (Bridget/Belinda), Ann Hier (Tracy/Julie), Emily Baker (Lilly), Nancy Nigh (Brenda) and Jason Meyers (Rick).

Theatre Review: Tiny Dynamite's sweet, slow burn

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How It's New York: Tiny Dynamite is presented by Origin Theatre Company, run by George C. Heslin, who present the NYC-based 1st Irish Festival, present "Mondays in May," and productions of great European playwrights- like this one. Also, the play takes place at 59E59, one of the best Off-Broadway houses. How It's (Celtic) Irish: Abi Morgan is Welsh.

You can't really see electricity. As with the wind, you see electricity's effects. Or do you?
It's a powerful force, like love, memory, longing, or hope.
Can it be controlled, or just contained?
One thing you can't do is deny it.

A wall of clear lightbulbs stands on each side of the galley stage for Tiny Dynamite.
You can see the filaments, some of which are blue, some orange.They light up in sequence or all at once and they change the way you see the characters on stage.There is also a rope of bulbs hanging from floor to ceiling.It's a brilliant setting for Abi Morgan's taut, shimmering play (set design by Maruti Evans; directed by Matt Torney).

All three characters in Abi Morgan's haunting play, produced by Origin Theatre Company, come to grips with nature, including human nature, as they hover around and collide with one another.
Two friends, Lucien (Christian Conn) and Anthony (Blake DeLong) go on a summer holiday, where they meet free-spirited Madeleine (Olivia Horton).


The story that starts off the show is that of "runt boy" and "shy boy," which really is about the two of them as children."Runt boy," who was Anthony, was hit by lightning at age 6.Anthony is homeless, and likes it, he says. Lucien funds their yearly summer trip.Yet Anthony, while touched, is not retarded.
When Lucien praises him for reading the newspaper, Anthony replies "well, don't give me an Oscar for it."
His sardonic yet friendly replies get you on his side instantly.

We'll learn that Anthony was hit by lightning as a child, which accounts for both men's obsession with freak accident stories. We'll hear a few times about a sandwich dropped from the Empire State building that supposedly killed a woman below.


If homelessness, lightning and mental illness weren't enough to deal with, we'll also discover that both men share a crippling guilt over the suicide of a woman they both loved. Lucien has coped with it by becoming a risk-manager, someone who always wants to know cause and effect. But some things cannot be controlled.Morgan's natural yet lyrical writing manages to conceal even as it reveals.For my money the backstory is a little overplotted. But that's just plot.
There's a lot more going on. Lucien's stories depend on fear of the unkown. Anthony's tend to have miracles, and happy endings.

Is faith a mental illness, or is lack of it? And what about love - or fear? Certain words and stories recur in the play, like ghost images on a television screen or the inside of your eyelid: "miracle." That sandwich, falling from the empire state building.

Morgan also captures how three young people goof off and play.
Madeleine at one point has to stop the two men from literally pinching each other. I think I've been at that all-nighter.

All of Matt Torney's innovations serve the play, and his pacing is outstanding.
These are rare qualities in a director, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of his work.
Torney's compelling stage pictures are punctuated with eloquent sound effects, and the lightbulbs become characters themselves.Maruti Evans' bare set with only two chairs, and limited yet soft lighting help create a fabulistic, ghost story feel.Will Pickens' sound design, including the splash of a character diving, pull us into the world.

As Anthony, DeLong crackles with energy that sometimes switches off completely in a frightening way.His sizzling, mocking humor reassures even as when he seems close to exploding. Conn resembles a young Matt Damon who feels much more than he dares express; he's a harder character to like but his insecurities make him impossible to write off.
Then, too, we see the effect he has on the other two, who yearn for his full attention. Horton's Madeleine radiates warmth and originality, with sensitive, expressive shadows that cross her face.
She's sweetly tough, in a floaty dress with short cowboy boots.
Nicole Wee's costumes unobtrusively tell us who these characters are.

You can count on Origin to present plays for strong theatricality, like last summer's Ivan and the Dogs, by Hattie Naylor. 

Zoe Boyle, George C. Heslin, Sophie McShera

At the opening night party on Saturday, supporters and stars circulated in 59E59's lobby: Origin's Artistic Director George C. Heslin with Zoe Boyle and Sophie McShera, who played Lavinia and Daisy on Downton Abbey (and who both looked far more glamorous than their television characters); Consul General Noel Kilkenny and his wife Hanora; Angela Murphy (whose husband Gerry's banana split we mentioned in our Teetotallers review last week); Lorraine Turner of the Northern Ireland Bureau, author Belinda McKeon, and many more.

At these parties people generally say nice things about the play and then talk of current events, love, the weather.
But Morgan's powerful play, like shimmering fireflies, danced around the party and alighted on each conversation. 
Tiny Dynamite leaves a lingering after-glow.

Music InteReview: Fiddle Champ Dylan Foley Fascinated by Fiddle

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How It's New York: Dylan Foley hails from New York state, and often plays in the tri-state area. In fact, tomorrow, Sat. June 23, he's playing at Irish American of Northwest Jersey (IAANJ). (To reserve email Iris Nevins)How It's Irish: Dylan just released his first solo CD   Hup!which he'll be launching officially at Catskills Irish Arts Week this summer. It's full of traditional music, the music he loves.This article was originally published in Irish Music Magazine, July 2012.
An American hasn’t won the All-Ireland Fleadh in fiddle since Brian Conway in 1986. But that could change.

Dylan Foley just won the Senior Competition in fiddle at the Comhaltas Ceóltorí Éireann Mid–Atlantic Fleadh in May, and will be competing in Cavan this summer. And the 20–year–old
is a force to be reckoned with. He has already been an All–Ireland champion three times in different categories. In 2004, in the under–12, in 2005, from 12–15, and in 2008, under-18. 2012 could be Dylan’s year to take it all. He recently resend his first album, Hup! at the encouragement, he said, of accordion player John Whelan.

He’s planning a CD release in Ireland this summer.  Pianist, Brendan Dolan (Pride of New York) and guitarist John Dukes (Old Bay Céilí Band) play on it also. And at 20, in America, he’s not even drinking–age yet, and has not finished college. He’s played Irish music seriously since he was 11, after studying the Suzuki. For Dylan, that nine years feels like a long time.

Dylan is part of a younger wave of musicians coming up through the ranks. He’s played with accordionist Dan Gurney (profiled recently here), and as a duet competed in Ireland last year. Originally, Dylan had considered making a duet album with Dan, and hearing Dan was making a solo album encouraged him to make his own. He’s from Highland, New York, the same part of the world as Dan.


Like Dan, he was taken to Father Charlie Coen’s sessions in Rhinebeck when he was a child. His parents were into Contra dancing, and from an early age Dylan was also fascinated by the fiddle.

“There was always a fiddle player. Maybe an old–timey fiddle player or a contra dance fiddle player. It seemed like such an act, this bow going across the fiddle, it was like wow, what is that thing and how can I learn it? One day I went to my mom and asked if I could take some lessons.” 

It was hard to practice at first. “There was a lot of pain, a lot of crying,” he says.

“But my mom was great. She made practicing fun. She would write all my tunes on popsicle sticks and throw them up in the air and I would choose one with my eyes closed. It made things more interesting.”

He describes his style as strongly rooted in the Sligo tradition, because that is the style used by his first teacher Rose Conway Flanagan (the original fiddler of Cherish the Ladies), and sometimes with her brother Brian. At one point he studied with them both, and laughs recalling how they used to bicker through him.

“I would go to Rose and she’d teach me a tune, and then I would go to Brian with that same tune and he’d say oh, why are you doing this? And I’d take it back to Rose who would say why is he telling you to do that? That’s totally wrong!”

After four years, Rose said she couldn’t teach him anymore. He continued with Brian for another year after that, and has been on his own ever since. “I’m not done learning, I learn every day,” he said,

“but they really gave me such a great foundation for the music. They showed me how to pass it down when the time comes.”

He’ll be doing that this summer at Augusta Heritage Center in its Irish/Celtic week. Dan Neely, who Dylan describes as a “great mind,” who writes for the Irish Echo and leads the Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, is running the Elkins week for the first time. Dylan will be teaching beginning fiddle.

Today, Dylan says, his style is also somewhat gritty, a little dark. He plays loud, but he credits that to his fiddle. Volume is also probably related to his being a big guy. Dylan is 6’5” and about 270 pounds. In high school, his friends encouraged him to go out for football, but he didn’t like tackling people, so he played basketball instead, juggling sports with playing professional gigs from eighth grade (12–13) on. “It was funny trying to explain it to kids, that I was going off to play in a pub,” he laughs.

Because he’s so big, people sometimes forget he’s young. In Ireland, people sometimes ask if he has any children yet, when in reality, he’s not even drinking age back home, and is still a student at SUNY New Paltz. Choosing tunes for Hup! was a journey into self–discovery. “Listening to what people thought about things, but not overriding your own thoughts” was a challenge. “It’s about what you want, what sounds best to you.”

His favourite set on the CD is the reel set that begins with "Humours of Castlefinn," which he learned from Patrick Ourceau, that continues through "High Road to Glin" and "Cavan Reel." The first track, too, that begins with "Kilteery Pie," is also special to him.

“That set kind of happened by accident. We didn’t really mean to record it, but I thought of that first tune by Brendan McGlinchy and then had to figure something out to go with it...”

That was all in a studio in the Catskills, mostly on two hours of sleep. He recorded the album after playing a céilí and session. But the polished, confident tunes suggest that the urgency only helped his playing. Catskills Irish Arts Week in East Durham has been a part of Dylan’s life since he was 4 years old, before he even played. He attended the children’s workshops while his Scottish mother, Ann took tin whistle lessons and his father, Tom studied guitar. Later on, he studied with Patrick Ourceau, Willie Kelly and Liz Carroll.

“It’s always great craic up there,” says Dylan.

“I know there’s a lot of people that go into states of depression after that week, it’s so happy and just so much fun. I think it’s one of the best weeks in the US today.” 

He and Dan Gurney will play in the Catskills this summer for a series of concerts at the Blackthorne Hotel that begin at midnight.

He’s come a long way since he first saw the Contra fiddlers and knew that was for him. Sometimes he thinks he might experiment with jazz, but then again, 95% of his iPod is filled with trad, he says. And fiddling is a release for him.

“The physical part of it brings me back to something good,” Dylan says. There’s something about the wood instrument, the vibrations and the tunes, that combines to express his emotions, he explains.

“It’s a gateway for me to express what I’m feeling. Some people write in a diary. Some people have to speak but I feel like this is how I express things.” 

Whatever he does, he’d never stop playing. “It’s like my left leg. It’s just part of me.”