Jesse Griffith - Page 2

Amy is a pregnant teen with no one to help her. She has a BFF (Reba), and yet she seeks help from high school swim team newcomer, Ester. Amy is too scared to trust anyone else, least of all an adult, and asks Ester to help her self-abort the pregnancy. A precarious situation, does Ester help Amy with such high stakes? It's a controversial topic to say the least and all politics and viewpoints aside, it's an all-too-common predicament in twenty-first century America.

Welcome to The Alchemy Theatre, a new Austin venue presenting the regional premiere of Mary Page Marlowe from playwright Tracy Letts (August: Osage County) at the Mastrogeorge Theatre. Mary Page Marlowe showcases nineteen high-caliber artists who give us eleven glimpses, (in nonlinear order) into the life of one woman, and the results could not be more compelling.

Where to start when reviewing the best play in town? Start with the beginning I suppose, and The Children begins with a gorgeous set courtesy of Michael Krauss and Carlo Lorenzo Garcia. It's a small cottage on the east coast of England and it has that perfect 'lived-in look'. It would be easy to create a passable set but this one is rich with details, depth and character. Add to that a terrific lighting design from Alison Lewis and sound design from Craig Brock and you have a three-dimensional environment worthy of a play of this caliber from playwright Lucy Kirkwood.

For over 30 years DIFFERENT STAGES has been entertaining Austin audiences with carefully selected seasons of the finest of plays. Not to be outdone, multiple award-winning playwright Karen Zacarias' The Book Club Play provides us with a marvelous glimpse into what goes on in a typical American book club.

Before Bridget (Pam Taylor) goes off to law school in the fall, she decides to spend the summer with her favorite Nana, Sylvia (Susan McWilliams) in her rent-controlled New York apartment. Syliva's best friend Vera (Nikki Bora) is never far away and newly-appointed beat cop Tom (Jacob Maspero) drops in often to check up on Sylvia and now to flirt a bit with Bridget and constantly with Vera.

It's a bit embarrassing to admit that a life-long theatre junkie like me had never seen OUR TOWN until last Saturday night. I have read it and loved it of course; I am familiar with the plot, characters, etc, but had never actually experienced this American treasure and I am so glad and grateful I got to see this production. Austin Theatre lovers have a special affinity for The City Theatre I think because it's a 'neighborhood' theatre. Andy Berkovsky and company treat you like family and instead of dropping in for coffee, we drop in for some quality art time.

The Alexandre Dumas classic The Three Musketeers has been told, retold, produced and reimagined in countless ways in its 175-year history. This production is a marvelous retelling of the story from playwright Megan Monaghan Rivas with what I would term a gender-blend cast (versus gender-blind). It is a tight, witty and thoroughly entertaining revisit of this timeless tale.

Unfolding before us in flashback mode, HEARTLAND delves into a 'West meets East meets West' tale that explores the differences and similarities between two very different cultures that fuse into one coherent story. We are reminded throughout the play of how alike human beings are and just how quickly, easily, and dangerously the simplest of misunderstandings can escalate and create dire, life-long consequences.

Paradise perfection!Welcome to Paradise! 'A town of sinners and saints', brought to you by Austin Playhouse courtesy of Frost Entertainment. Originally produced by Ruskin Group Theatre Co of Los Angeles and now on tour, this gem is currently in Austin and what a delightful treat it is! With an incredible book, music, and lyrics from Bill Robertson, Tom Sage, and Cliff Wagner, this show has it all. Add to that a stellar cast and a terrific set and what more does one need?

Welcome to Tuna, third - smallest town in the great state of Texas. I have been in love with it since my first visit in 1984 and it always feels like a return to the folks of my native Texan childhood. Never been to Tuna, Texas? Well I'm sorry and bless your heart, but fret not, even Yankees and foreigners enjoy visiting the fine residents of Tuna, Texas, especially at Christmas.

I was eager to finally experience The Santaland Diaries this year at Zach Theatre's intimate Whisenhunt Theatre, a perfect venue for this classic one-man show. I had heard David Sedaris deliver the story on NPR and I've read it a time or two over the years, but somehow never caught a production until this past Saturday night.

I was only vaguely aware of the plot of this sequel to the Phantom of the Opera and was a bit surprised to find no synopsis in the program. However, no synopsis was needed to follow the plot and I prefer not to know too much (or to reveal spoilers). All I knew was that some time has passed since the last story (10 years), Christine and Raoul venture to America to further her career and that the Phantom has something to do with how it all transpired.

Within the gorgeous Rollins Theatre in a 1950s plantation-bedroom set we are transported into the mind's eye of the genius that is Tennessee Williams. All of the supporting elements are here - an elaborate but not overbearing set, great lighting, sound, and props, beautiful costumes, wigs and make-up, nothing omitted, nothing overlooked.

It has been said many times that the difference between an adequate play and a truly great play is that great plays force one to think. They stay with you, you are compelled to discuss them with your play-going companions, you reflect upon them. While DOUBT: A Parable certainly made this reviewer think - a day later and struggling to adequately review it, it continues to haunt me.

McCallum Fine Arts Academy has mounted a major musical of inter-stellar proportions worthy of a good run with packed houses.

Samuel is a typical American yuppie who is honestly grateful for the creature comforts his career affords but something is lacking. Incarceration in a corporate-office cubicle structure stifles his growth and eats away at his soul. Petty torments at the hands of his fellow inmates exasperate the situation and yuppiedom becomes increasingly unbearable.

Do not miss! THERE AND BACK

Get down and dirty with these rotten scoundrels

There is trouble in River City 'I-oh-way' (Iowa) circa 1916 and that trouble is a complacency so intense that the citizens are prone to repeating malicious gossip. Petty judgements have begun to erode the very fabric of this idyllic town threatening to destroy its 'Mark Twain meets Normal Rockwell' perfection.

The best thing about GREASE is that it's such a popular musical, and the worst thing about GREASE is that it's such a popular musical. What I mean is that because GREASE is so popular it was over-produced for many years by most every group imaginable, all too often rank amateurs with middle-aged actors playing teenagers. Ouch.