The Burbage Theatre Company opens previews of the second installment of their summer rep series -- 'LOVE SONG' by John Kolvenbach -- on Thursday, August 20 at 7 p.m. at Aurora Providence, 276 Westminster St, downtown Providence.
It may be something rare when a theater company is able to utilize its two performances spaces at the same time to feature two plays which are extremely similar yet completely different in important ways. Two plays that deal with similar issues and in a sense tell the same story, or kind of story, but execute that story with vastly differing results. Such is the case at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren, where the current production in the UpStage space, Seminar, bares a striking resemblance to the just-closed production that playe din the DownStage space, Collected Stories. While Collected Stories was a finely crafted study of two nuanced and textured characters, Seminar is the exact opposite. This play, written by Theresa Rebeck, doesnt even begin to scratch beneath any surfaces as it deals with four writers who are participating in a writing seminar with a well-known, past-his-prime writer of fiction. As the seminar progresses over the course of a number of weeks, we begin to see conflicts arise as the egos, insecrities, passions, dreams and failures of the writers, young and old, tumble together and clash.
An arguably wise person once told me there are four major issues that can potentially ruin any relationship. They are, 'money, religion, sex and family.' Hard to argue with that. For the moment, let's take out three and just focus on one of those issues: religion. It's a topic that can be thorny at best and downright destructive at worst. It can lead people to violent extremes but also guide them to extreme peace and tranquility. And it's the issue at the heart of a funny, moving and thought-provoking play called A Bright New Boise, currently playing in the Downstage space at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren.
The 2nd Story company very ably presents this character-driven, dialogue-heavy piece, and under the smart direction of Mark Peckham, 'Dancing at Lughnasa' unfolds plainly and naturally.
Peter Shaffer creates an intriguing piece of historical fiction by recognizing that the most forceful and compelling of human foibles often emerge clearly in situations of artistic rivalry.
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