Lynn Beaver - Page 8

BWW Interview: REMARKABLY NORMAL by Jessi Blue Gormezano, Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign - Comes to Austin's Paramount Theatre

ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM directed by Kevin Gates and currently playing City Theatre is a fascinating piece of historical drama.

CAMELOT by Lerner and Loewe, currently playing at the Georgetown Palace Theatre is certainly a bright, shining moment on stage.

William Shakespeare's THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE THIRD, currently presented at The Curtain Theatre produced by The Baron's Men, written around 1592 and has been debated in historical circles as often as it has been performed. There has been even more discussion about the iconic play and it's controversial plot since King Richard III's physical remains were discovered under a car park in Leicester, England in August 2012 and reinterred with royal honor in March of last year. When Shakespeare wrote his play, 100 years after Richard's death and the rise of the House of Tudor to power, it was incumbent upon the playwright to cast the ancestor of Elizabeth I (Henry VII) in the role of heroic savior and the old regime shown in as bad a light as possible. The Elizabethan audience would have equated evil with physical deformity, so the hunchbacked villain was born. After intense study of the recovered remains of the king, including a positive DNA identity test, we now know that Richard suffered from a severe spinal curvature but he did not have any other disability. We know that he was also a well seasoned battlefield general who, from an early age lead the forces of his older brother, Edward IV, to put down rebellion across the length and breadth of England during the waning years of the War of the Roses. The play features twelve murders attributed to Richard in the five acts, including ghosts of his victims who haunt his dreams. Historians have outright dismissed many of them as Elizabethan propaganda and have cast serious doubt on the remainder. Shakespeare endures where history fails and the fictional plots, plans and murders make for a gripping story, entertaining audiences for 400 years. I will admit to being a bit of a 'Ricardian', (a believer in the redemption of Richard III as a man) and have devoted years of study to the subject.

KUTX personality, Laurie Gallardo, is one of our city's treasures. On March 6, 2015 a select audience was invited to an outstanding evening of Austin icon Gallardo reading several short stories and poems.

ZACH Theatre's production of Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND adapted by Katie Bender and Gabrielle Reisman, produced in partnership with Underbelly, is an interactive adventure for the whole family.

William Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT, by Shrewd Productions and playing at Trinity Street Theatre is a blissful, flawless evening at the theatre.

EXIT 27 by Aleks Merilo, produced by Southwest Theatre Productions at the Boyd Vance Theatre is a fascinating study in mind control and the effects of cult religion on the innocent.

Noel Coward's comedy, FALLEN ANGELS, produced by Different Stages and running at The Trinity Street Theatre is a sublimely entertaining evening at the theatre.

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, currently playing at Georgetown's Palace Theatre exhibits some truly wonderful performances from many of the actors, unfortunately it is the technical aspects of the show that are less than stellar.

One woman show STEALING BABY JESUS written and performed by master storyteller Bernadette Nason and directed by Michael Stuart, is an hilarious look at childhood holiday traditions and their sometimes odd translation to our adult lives.

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER THE MUSICAL is based on the Rankin/Bass animated television special. The stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank, script adaptation by Robert Penola, arrangements and orchestrations by Timothy Splain, made a stop at The Long Center. There can be no more delightful way to celebrate the Christmas season with the whole family.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Dave Steakley, currently playing at ZACH Theatre, is a stellar way to celebrate the holidays. Reimagined as a musical with contemporary songs and performed by a Broadway caliber cast, Dickens' classic has never been more entertaining.

DRACULA by Steven Dietz, adapted from the novel by Bram Stoker, produced by Different Stages and playing at The Vortex is pure ghoulish fun.

THE HISTORY OF KING LEAR, as revised by Nahum Tate, produced by The Hidden Room is an absolutely brilliant piece of theatre history.

DEAR PENELOPE by Kat Sparks, produced by SouthWest Theatre Productions that played a short two week run at the Dougherty Arts Center is a sweet love letter to girlfriend/buddy situation comedy.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by William Shakespeare, produced by The Baron's Men and currently playing at The Curtain Theatre is a stellar achievement for the veteran company.

Jarrott Production's FREUD'S LAST SESSION by Mark St.Germain, features two veteran actors at the top of their game.

Sirius Theater's production of LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN by Oscar Wilde, playing a short four show run at City Theatre, is an admirable company premiere.

'These lives matter and these stories need to be told' - Chelsea Manasseri