Amy Tarver - Page 2

Tom Stoppard is regarded as one of the greatest living playwrights of our day. His time spent in India in the 1940's as a boy, no doubt influenced the author's point of view in writing INDIAN INK. By modern terms, Stoppard's writing would be described as a slow burn, with a style gradually revealing plot and character as the play progresses. In INDIAN INK, the scenes travel long distances in both space and time, to reveal the heart of Flora Crewe played by Jill Blackwood. Examining the imperial British rule in early 20th century India - the clash of cultures between India and the British, display both the casualties and inspiration of such a combination. At the heart of our story Flora leaves England for a warmer climate amid advice from her doctor for her failing health. The story jumps back and forth between Flora navigating India in the early 1900's to more modern times detailing a biographer and her sister investigating the aftermath of her fascinating life. The story gently exposes itself as a subtle tale of love in many capacities. Love between sisters, scholarly love and the forbidden budding relationship between Flora and her portrait artist Nirad Das (played by Tamil Periasamy). As described of Flora throughout the show, her many affairs were fleeting, which made the building of her love for Nirad sweet, leaving the audience wanting more.

Bringing the muses off mount Olympus to beachside California, XANADU is as wacky as its namesake would suggest. Following their mystical purpose, the greek muses find a struggling artist to inspire and guide on their journey to creation. Muse Clio (played by Mandy Foster) discovers bright-eyed Sonny (played by Daniel Drewes) and decides to transform herself into a skating Australian beauty name Kira, to help light his way. With the muse and artist in tow, they set out to create a roller-disco. With their vision blocked by the fantasy of rollerskates and sequins, fellow muses Melpomene (played by Megan Richards Wright) and Calliope (played by Amy Nichols) hatch a plan to thwart their sister Clio from falling in love with Sonny. This poses a serious problem for Clio, as her Father Zeus forbids muses to love or create art themselves. Navigating their attraction and the giant task of procuring and opening a roller disco, Kira and Sonny continue their plight challenging landlord Danny Maguire (played by Huck Huckaby) to grant them a space for their dancing dreams.

Decorating the stage nonchalantly, stretching and chatting with little regard to the fourth wall, six actors join together to explore the storytelling possibilities into the lives of the Herero people of Namibia. Creatively presented by Director Liz Fisher, the action onstage toggles between artistic commentary on the feelings of how the actors desire to present this story, and the social responsibility of portraying the truth about colonialism. The six characters often onstage debated how the story should be told, experimenting with comedy and how the color of one's skin impacts the perception of and more often the ignorance of historic events. Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury, WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE HERERO OF NAMIBIA, FORMERLY KNOWN AS SOUTHWEST AFRIKA, FROM THE GERMAN SUDWESTAFRIKA, BETWEEN THE YEARS 1884 - 1915, opens a pandora's box about the genocide of the Herero Tribe in Namibia committed by Germany long before the holocaust of World War II.

Tackling the roles in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, proved to be no easy task for the students at The University of Texas. The heart of the show is a story of prejudice, social standing and ultimately redemption. A young Venetian, Bassanio needs money desperately to woo wealthy heiress Portia into marriage. Asking his friend Antonio for the funds, Antonio in turn borrows money from a local Jewish lender named Shylock. Apart of their contract (with a bit of dark humor), the loan must be repaid in three months or Shylock may exact a pound of flesh from Antonio. Spoilers, he doesn't repay the loan in time and chaos ensues between Shylock and our gentlemen. With many suitors vying for Portia's attention, a tricky quest of caskets is the obstacle to her hand. Other characters intertwine themselves in marriage on both sides of the prejudice further complicating Shylock's relationship with her daughter, escalating her desperation and feelings of betrayal. Adding a modern interpretation to Bassanio and Antonio's friendship into lovers and elevating Portia to reality star status - UT put forth a one of a kind exposition of this classic story.

Filing into the Paramount for POTTED POTTER, the passion and love for the wizarding world buzzed in the air. Proud members of Gryffindor and Slytherin alike, adorned themselves with scarves, robes and faintly drawn scars, showcasing their Potter items with pride. If there is any place to let your Potter flag fly, it's at POTTED POTTER this weekend. At the helm of this show are two very energetic and larger than life actors Scott Hoatson and Brendan Murphy. Their larger than life characters and interactions take on the task of compressing the entire Harry Potter series into 70 minutes. Having named the show, POTTED POTTER: An Unauthorized Harry Experience, the audience is prepared for the farce that is about to explode onstage. Travelling book by book, these kooky actors take on all the major plot points and the major characters within Rowling's magical world.

Continuing Austin Opera's relationship with Italian Operas, Giuseppe Verdi's OTELLO opened at The Long Center last Saturday. To a packed house and a full stage, Verdi's adapted story of Shakespeare's classic tragedy OTHELLO, struck a chord with the audience. Moving from the familiar OTHELLO, Verdi transformed this classic story into a true Italian operatic experience. Pulling inspiration from catholicism - the division of good vs. evil is ever more dramatic in the operatic telling of this betrayal. With OTELLO's clear religious thematic exploration, Shakespeare's original story is more expanded on rather than altered. For audience members unfamiliar with the story of OTELLO, the key plot driving intentions of our characters is simple. Unlucky and pure Desdemona falls victim to power hungry and manipulative Iago's plot to convince Othello of Desdemona's unfaithfulness. With envy driving Otello, he is overcome by jealousy and thus acts out on his anger, altering the fate of many players upon the stage.

Now playing at The Dougherty Arts Center in Downtown Austin, TRYOUTS brings to life an examination of Leonardo da Vinci's painting, The Virgin and Child with St. Anne. Painted in 1503, this work has been analyzed by many historians to decipher Leonardo's relationship to both religion and female expression. Among the analysts is psychology's godfather, Sigmund Freud. The essay Leonardo da Vinci and A Memory of His Childhood psychoanalyzes Leonardo's life based on his paintings. Freud theorized the depiction of the two mothers and the child in this painting represent Leonardo's emotional suppression and a manifestation of what Freud refers to as, The Vulture Fantasy. Moving from the subject matter presented by the men of the past, TRYOUTS consists of five talented women navigating the mother-daughter dynamic in the present day. Against the backdrop of an uppity all-girls school, more modern and common feminine themes are presented for the audience to contemplate - at least that is what appears on the surface.

Performing at The BARn off Brodie Lane in South Austin, BLACK DOG presented by the Bottle Alley Theatre Company is an immersive theatrical experience, not designed for the faint of heart. Reflecting on the anger and frustration abuse survivors experience, this piece ventures deep into the female characters psyche, providing a taste of what they desire. No doubt inspired by the ME TOO movement, BLACK DOG is a performance piece written by Chris Fontane - a familiar writer and contributor to Bottle Alley. This tragedy is performed creatively by three actors, mostly communicating directly to the audience about the hardships of Ophelia (played by Rachel Holderbach) and Rainey (played by Sara Cormier). The third character is Sam (played by William F. Reed) who represents the abusers of a variety of women, including our protagonists. Overcome by revenge and pain, Ophelia and Rainey capture, torture and kill men who have abused women. However their will for revenge does not stop there, the desire for blood and retribution propels the ladies to cannibalize their victims, or atleast openly fantasize about it. Needless to say, given the premise and rhetoric of this performance piece, it is not appropriate for everyone. Like a pickle shot, there is no middle ground.

Entering through a doorway into a hazy house, AFTER PARTY tells the story of young Claire Leverrier tormented by the death of her childhood crush Devon. Or is it? Written by Reina Hardy in its world premiere, AFTER PARTY moves through a love story creating a modern day mythological tale of how stargazing can score you a ticket to a party at the end of the universe. Beginning with a small light in the darkness, much like the known universe, the light grows to reveal a hillside perfect to observe the stars. Playfully interacting with one another, Claire and Devon wrestle and dance but never kiss. Creating tension of young love that propels Claire's journey to self-discovery as she embarks on her search for life.

Utilizing his own genius and artistic experiences, Stephen Sondheim paints the picture of an artist's life work through pointillist painter, George Seurat. In SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, George's characterizations are fictionalized by Sondheim, telling the story of the artist chasing his masterpiece. However this famous artist's painting that this show is based on is very real: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Creatively springing to life with it's variety of personalities throughout the park, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE creates disposition and purpose for the subjects the artist is sketching. The pointillist's sweating muse is a young parisian woman named Dot, who is clearly a little grumpy from waking up so early to stand in the sun to be painted. From the top of the show, this introduces theme of sacrifice, both by the artist and those close to their work. As the Sunday morning progresses, more Parisian characters roll onto the stage displaying the Island of La Grande Jatte in 1884 as conceivably the trendiest brunching spot in modern day. As the different storylines begin to mix, much like the paint in George's brush strokes, Dot begins to feel alone posing idly. As a bystander in her own story as rather than the focus of a romance with her lover George, Dot arrives at a crossroads in her life. George's obsessing over his use of the colors red and blue in his famous painting reflect the hot and cold nature of his current love affair. Travelling a century into the future and revealing the heartache of networking within the arts community, the story quantifies the aftermath of a masterpiece. SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE examines the impact of an artist both during creation and in the distant future.

Inviting guests to enjoy MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING in the open air amphitheatre in downtown Round Rock, Penfold Theatre presents a delightful adaptation of this Shakespearean classic. Traditionally classified as a comedy, the comedic elements were matched note for note with somber country western style songs - making this interpretation a dramedy for your viewing pleasure. At the heart of our story are two couples, thriving in desperation and desire at any given time in respect to their ingenue and sarcastic style of speech, they echoe classic Shakespearean qualities. As the character's continue intertwining, Claudio (played by Nathan Daniel Ford) declares his affection for fair Hero (played by Emily Christine Smith) these two are quickly swoon and a wedding date is set. A trick is hatched to play on funny man Benedick (played by Nathan Jerkins) and fiery Beatrice (played by Jennifer Coy Jennings) to falsely reveal the others affections through not-so-private conversations from other characters. Resorting back to childish tactics apparently has worked on people for centuries as their attraction for each other begins to bloom. However a more tricky foil comes to fruition when Don John (played by Suzanne Balling) falsely reveals Hero's infidelity the night before her wedding to young Claudio. Outraged by the thought of an unfaithful partner, Claudio rages away from the wedding altar cursing Hero's name for her promiscuity. The stage is set, the plot is hot and the characters are clamoring to protect one another and come out on top.

The Glass Half Full Theatre at The Vortex in East Austin, is currently an ocean chock full of plastic. In a special event for World Oceans Day on June 8th, POLLY MERMAID: APOCALYPSE WOW! examines how humans create and use plastic in a destructive way. These plastic items humanity continues to use fleetingly and toss into the nearest bin, make a bigger impact on our planet each day. At the heart of this story is Polly Mermaid herself (played by Indigo Rael), a mermaid comprised of plastic with her loyal friends in tow. With plastic lids replacing schools of fish and disposable bags covering her underwater throne, the depths of the sea resembles a landfill. Transcending space, time and terrain, we meet Dr. Deborah (play by Katy Taylor) as a crazed scientist, zapping objects in her lab transporting the 'trash' to an unknown place. After multiple calculations and tests, the mad scientist turns her experiments on herself, sending her on a path of self-discovery and global realization. Dr. Deborah lands in Polly's lagoon, surrounded by plastic both from her lab and the world at large. After seeing the styrofoam creatures and flip-flop fishes, the Doctor quickly realizes the toll humanity's plastic use has taken on the ocean floor. Realizing the future is dim, the Doctor vows to change things based on her discovery, but with ex-lovers and big business in the way, the outcome is mirrored to reflect what today's environmentalists face - overwhelming odds.

Beginning with small talk near a white picket fence, and dramatically escalating as the Keller family's skeletons reveal themselves, Arthur Miller examines the aftermath of the war within the home front. Currently running at The City Theatre, ALL MY SONS tackles the moral code of a small family and the ability to look the other way. Joe Keller (played by Rick Smith), the patriarch of the family, reads his newspaper and drinks his coffee, examining the fallen tree in his front yard - the memorial tree planted for his 'missing' son, Larry. The audience meets Kate Keller (played by Tracy Hurd), Joe's stubborn wife holding onto the hope her son Larry, who has been missing in action for three years after fighting in WWII, will come home any minute. Despite Kate's pining for her son Larry, Chris Keller (played by Sean Gordon), the surviving son from the war, has arrived home and invited a guest. Originally Larry's girlfriend, Ann Deever (played by Katrin Otterness) arrives with different intentions than Kate Keller would approve of. Given the domestic drama of Ann's love fitting within the Keller clan, the audience learns Joe Keller worked with Ann's father Steve Deever at their manufacturing plant during the war. As the drama unfolds between the moral love triangle of brothers, the moral conundrum between good and evil is examined with Steve's current imprisonment and Joe's delightful morning coffees free to brew on his current freedom. Initially, peering into the lives of the Kellers reveals a content family with friendly neighbors and patriotic, hard-working values. However, as Arthur Miller shines a critical light on their moral denial, the part the Kellers collectively played in the death of 21 World War II pilots becomes shockingly more apparent.

AS YOU LIKE IT, currently running at The City Theatre, has been transformed from its original comedic writing by William Shakespeare, into a dramedy set during the great depression in America's backyard. The premise of this show begins with young and fair Rosalind, fleeing the court from persecution into the Forest of Arden. Rosalind, along with her cousin Celia, venture into the woods dressed as a maid and a gentleman  in what appears to be a young child's game. The laws of attraction quickly interfere with their plan of evasion from the court. Young Orlando catches the eye and heart of Rosalind early in the play, and as their adventures continue in the forest, their paths inevitably cross. However, with Rosalind in disguise, Orando plays like putty in her hand, as she manipulates his motives and desires. Seemingly all characters in AS YOU LIKE IT are desperately looking for love, and falling hard for the wrong person. With one of Shakespeare's most renowned comedies, the show presented at The City Theatre is presented more dramatically with less gags than common productions.

Highlighting the old time blues and soul style of Bessie Smith AKA The Empress of The Blues, MOAN THEM BLUES provides a different style of theatrical entertainment. Essentially a one woman show starring Toni Ringgold, with her piano man sidekick Jawbone (played by Ke'Aier Mufasa Denson), the reminiscent blues of Bessie Smith is performed, while revealing deeper emotional connection to the material sung for the eager audience. Missing only cigarette smoke in the lounge, Frank Benge directs this show simply with a piano, a flask and tumbler and of course the traditional crowd work vintage vaudeville performances were known for. With a career beginning with a traveling vaudevillian performance troupe, Bessie Smith began to rise as a star in the early 1920's. Gaining a following in the Southern United States along with the east coast, Bessie quickly climbed monetarily to be the highest paid performer of her time and genre. With the show set towards the end of Bessie's career in the early 1930's, the rise of 'talkies' and the the great depression completely devastated performers and the music industry alike. Remembering the 'good ole days' of rising fame, men and the love of gin, Toni Ringgold performs Bessie's more memorable songs. The storytelling (written by Robert King Jr) in between the songs reveals more and more about her tumultuous life that has led her to the dim stage in The Sahara Lounge.

Venturing into East Austin as a theatre- goer is bound to deliver the more experimental artists and their creations within Austin's theatre community. Blurring the lines between performance and therapy/social commentary, Bottle Alley Theatre Company present SELF PORTRAITS. An ensemble-driven collection of scenes (for lack of a better term) that present more like improvisation, or an open mic variety show but with a little more rehearsal. With the content developed by the performers, monologues are the consistent pulse through the show, allowing the actors the opportunities to share their personal and sometimes traumatizing stories. With soliloquies ranging from terminally ill family to intense personal reflection, the collection of artists sharing their tales show bravery and clearly display the therapeutic nature art and more specifically performance art, can provide to survivors and victims alike. Peppered throughout the emotional feast are quick dances breaks, funny skits and political sentiment of a younger generation fed up with the current system. These young people have found passion in their expression, passion both upbeat and completely devastating.