Trish Vignola - Page 2

It's closing night for TADA! YOUTH THEATER's EVERTHING ABOUT SCHOOL (ALMOST). Conceived by Eric Rockwell, Everything About School (Almost) has music and lyrics by Brad Alexander along with Daniel Acquisto, Deirdre Broderick, Helen Chayefsky, Richard Chiarappa, Van Dean, David Ganon, Keith Gordon, Bruce Keisling, Jim Lochner, Margaret Rose, Dan Shore, Shawn Sturnick, and Eddie Sugarman. Directed and choreographed by Joanna Greer, Everything About School (Almost) concludes its limited engagement at TADA! Youth Theater (15 West 28th St. 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10001) today at 4pm.

In The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov wrote: 'Suddenly a distant sound is heard, coming as if out of the sky, like the sound of a string snapping, slowly and sadly dying away.' That one sentence-one of the most controversial stage directions in western theater-has baffled sound designers for over a century. Chicago's Theater Oobleck has decided to confront the mystery in its own "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" fashion with The Hunchback Variations, now at 59E59 Theaters.

The play ultimately is 30 to 40 minutes too long. It is set in the present but the neo-noir language, scenic and costume design causes tonal confusion. Ahonen's dialogue leads to some comedic moments, but overall The Bad and the Better comes off as playing at being a Tracy Letts play and very much falls short.

The Gallim Dance biography stated that the group's work 'embodies fearless physicality grounded by deep humanity expressed through the madness and the joy of imagination.' 'Sit, Kneel, Stand' comes through on that promise tenfold. If you miss it, you've really missed something.

APPLE CORE THEATER COMPANY (ACTC) is pleased to present the world premiere production of Israeli-American playwright, Ken Kaissar's new satire - A MODEST SUGGESTION. Directed by Walter J. Hoffman, A MODEST SUGGESTION is in the midst of a limited engagement at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, between 9th/10th). Performances continue through Sunday, May 27.

TADA! YOUTH THEATER is back again with the World Premiere of UP TO YOU. The creative team includes book and music by Eric Rockwell, lyrics by Joanne Bogart and direction by Janine Nina Trevens. The limited engagement at TADA! Youth Theater (15 West 28th St. 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10001) continues through Sunday, May 20.

Ultimately, this was a series of hits and misses. Half the characters and plot points weren't really needed. Nonetheless, when you boil it down, "Pratfalls" is a great relationship piece. "Pratfalls" is presented by Ground Up Productions at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex's Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, 312 W. 36th St., NYC. The show runs now through May 19. Tickes are available through (212) 352-3101, (866) 411-8111, www.theatermania.com, or www.groundupproductions.org.

La MaMa, in association with Loco7 Dance Puppet Theatre Company, presents the World Premiere of Urban Odyssey. Conceived by Federico Restrepo and Denise Greber, Urban Odyssey depicts the experience of immigration to America through movement and visual theatre. A part of La MaMa's 50th Anniversary season, Urban Odyssey is a limited engagement run at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre (66 East 4th Street) from March 22 - April 8, 2012.

59E59 Theaters welcomes Pure Projects, Inc., in association with Uncle Frank Productions with the Off Broadway premiere of The Maria Project. Written and performed by Marcella Goheen and directed by Larry Moss, The Maria Project runs now through April 1st. Using documentary footage, music and story telling, The Maria Project takes the audience on Marcella Goheen's spiritual quest to uncover the mysterious disappearance of Maria Salazar - her grandmother.

CAP21 Theatre Company presents the world premiere of MARRYING GEORGE CLOONEY: CONFESSIONS FROM A MIDLIFE CRISIS. Based on a memoir by Amy Ferris, this new play by Amy and Ken Ferris along with Krista Lyons, officially opened March 1 at the CAP21 Black Box Theater (18 West 18th Street). Frank Ventura, Executive Artistic Director and co-founder of CAP21 directs.

It would be absolutely ridiculous if you missed this run. Performances are Thursdays - Sundays at 7:30pm, along with Saturdays matinees at 2:30pm and an additional performance on Monday, February 20 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors and can be purchased online at http://LaMaMa.org, in person at the box office or by calling 212-475-7710. The running time is 80 minutes. For more information visit http://www.TwoHeadedCalf.org.

TADA! YOUTH THEATER's original production, The History Mystery, is running now at the TADA! Youth Theater (15 West 28th Str. 2nd Floor). With book by Janine Nina Trevens, music by Eric Rockwell and lyrics by Margaret Rose, The History Mystery is directed by Ms. Trevens. Starring members of TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble, this limited engagement runs now through February 19th.

Overall, Kissing Sid James was a good production. Farquhar delivered an ending that was counterintuitive to what I was expecting and therefore thoroughly satisfying. The audience was so invested in the story that when the first reference to Sid James was mentioned in Act I, everyone in the audience had their smart phones out and were talking to each other about Sid James and his relevance to the show by intermission. Although the argument could be made that Sid James was a little random of a reference for an American audience, Farquhar had the audience talking. The performance lived up to the work as well, helping to unify the audience further.

59E59 Theatres welcomed the return of the New Perspective Theatre Company to their "Brits Off Broadway" festival with the American premiere of Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy. Adapted as well as Directed by Daniel Buckroyd, Farm Boy opened December 13, and runs for limited time. A sequel to Morpurgo's acclaimed novel War Horse, Farm Boy accounts the changing face of the English countryside as technology clashes with rural heritage.

I'm not going to lie. It's hard, coming from Sketch/Improv background like myself, to not know about The Reduced Shakespeare Company. Their fast, physical wit is what every Sketch Comedian and Improviser aspires to work toward.

Kudos to Creator and Co-Director, Timothy Haskell, for what is a truly brilliant idea. Why not explore the more macabre side of humanity through the Brother's Grimm? Wow. Did our parents really read this stuff to us as kids?

Last night I caught The Tramaine Experience - An Urban Dramedy at the American Theatre of Actors. Presented through the Araca Project, The Tramaine Experience is one man's journey to escape and then finally embrace his background and in turn himself. It runs now through October 2nd.

The First Ladies Project is a well-crafted satire written in the Second City style. It is interesting to note that three of the ensemble graduated the Second City Teen program. This sharpness is evident in moments such as Laura Bush's Stand-up routine and Lucretia Garfield's diphtheria-inspired rap. The ensemble were excellent bringing to light unknown First Ladies as well as fleshing out the lives of the more iconic ladies seated beside our Commander and Chiefs. For all of the hard-hitting satire evident throughout the show, there were some wonderful moments of humanity as well. Edith Wilson comforting her enfeebled husband and Hillary Clinton facing her husband's repeated infidelities were just some of those moments.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival and Small Pond Enterprises LLC presented the New York Premiere of Dad Doesn't Dance, a new solo noir piece written and performed by Nora Brown. It opened July 12th and is closing today. Directed by Karen Case Cook, Dad Doesn't Dance tells the story of Brown's search for her biological father and in turn her identity.

Neal Bell's Spatter Pattern: or How I Got Away with It is running now through July 31st at the Atlantic Stage 2 (330 16th Street). Directed by Potomac Theatre Project's Co-Artistic Director Jim Petosa, Spatter Pattern is a part of the PTP/NYC's 25th Anniversary season in rep with Territories and Victory: Choices in Reaction. Spatter Pattern is a story of colliding worlds and consequences. By the happenstance of an available apartment, failing screenwriter Dunn (played by Jeffries Thaiss) meets and bonds with Tate (Adam Ludwig), a successful professor accused of murder. The play follows the two opposites as their connection deepens and their two worlds become one.