Nowadays, it seems that everything old is constantly being rebooted, updated, adapted, reimagined, etc. etc., so on and so forth. Any time something is re-imagined or adapted into something else, such as the many new Broadway musicals based on Hollywood movies, it can be a risky proposition. In the case of The Gamm Theatre's live radio play version of the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life, the adaptation is pulled off perfectly, honoring and respecting the source material while doing it in a creative, imaginative and immensely entertaining way.
The board of directors of The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) has announced the hiring of Amy Gravell as managing director, effective November 11. Gravell comes with more than 20 years of experience in Rhode Island's nonprofit sector, and a deep commitment to community building and the arts.
When it comes to United States history, it can be easy to gloss over the period between the early 1800s to the cusp of the Civil War. The generation who lived during this forgotten era, however, faced no less tumultuous times than we do in modern times. Aaron Posner's play, JQA, specifically looks at this time period through the eyes of John Quincy Adams, who, as the son of founding father John Adams, and later a statesman in his own right, was uniquely poised to survey the era's ups and downs. Through the use of fictionalized encounters with some of America's most dynamic figures, the political and personal issues raised in JQA are as relevant now as they've ever been.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) celebrates the holiday season with It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Adapted by Joe Landry from the screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra and Jo Swerling, this family friendly play is set in a radio studio on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1946, with radio personalities retelling the redemptive story of George Bailey. Damon Kiely, chair of performance for The Theater School at Chicago's DePaul University, makes his Gamm directorial debut transposing the movie classic from screen to stage, as if it were a live radio broadcast. A cast of 7 actors play multiple characters, with radio jingles and an onstage Foley artist creating real-time sound effects.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) presents the New England premiere of JQA by Aaron Posner. The Helen Hayes- and Barrymore Award-winning playwright is known for such successful adaptations as My Name is Asher Lev from the Chaim Potok novel and his Chekhov-inspired Stupid F**king Bird. Posner's first play not adapted from an existing work, JQA uses telling and frequently humorous incidents in the life of one-term President John Quincy Adams to shed new light on our own relationship to government, as well as the evolving American experiment.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) opens its 35th season with the Rhode Island premiere of A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath (Hillary and Clinton, The Christians). Fred Sullivan, Jr., who directed Henrik Ibsen's classic A Doll's House at The Gamm in 2011, returns to the helm with Jeanine Kane (Hannah in The Night of the Iguana, Season 34) and Steve Kidd (Austin in True West, Season 34) reprising their roles as Nora and Torvald.
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) is pleased to continue its Common Access Initiative as part of its 24th season of "Free Shakespeare on the Common." Cymbeline runs July 17 - August 4 on the Boston Common. CSC is committed to keeping theatre accessible - financially, geographically, and artistically - as well as inclusive for patrons of all abilities. CSC has offered at least one American Sign Language (ASL) performance nearly every season since its founding in 1996, and in recent years has had the opportunity to meaningfully expand its disability access programming and offerings.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm), under the leadership of Artistic Director Tony Estrella, today announced the addition of Aaron Posner's new play JQA in the second slot of the 2019-2020 lineup. Estrella will direct the New England premiere of JQA, in which a diverse cast of four actors share the role of one-term American President John Quincy Adams. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' An Octoroon, previously announced as the season's second play, will open The Gamm's 2020-2021 season instead. Joe Wilson, Jr., Coordinator of Activism through Performance and Resident Acting Company Member at Trinity Repertory Company, will direct Jacobs-Jenkins' Obie Award-winning play that explodes ideas about race and American identity.
JQA runs from October 24-November 17 at The Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI. Season subscriptions for Season 35 are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale in early August. Information at gammtheatre.org.
W. Lynn McKinney, president of the board of directors of The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm), announces that Oliver Dow is leaving the organization after five seasons as managing director to pursue other interests.
Sponsored by David and Ellen Galkin, on behalf of the Ira S. and Anna Galkin Charitable Trust, FUN(d) HOME The 2019 Wilbury Group Gala honored stage and film Actor Richard Donelly with the 5th Annual Kerry Callery Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Arts, and introduced the Arthur Richter Spirit of Giving Award to the man himself, Arthur Richter.
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Founding Artistic Director Steven Maler, is pleased to present its 24th season of "Free Shakespeare on the Common:" William Shakespeare's romantic fable Cymbeline directed by Fred Sullivan Jr.
In the forty years since its debut, Sam Shepard's 'True West' has been lauded for its stark portrayal of the duality of the American soul. The Gamm Theatre has mounted a visually compelling production with penetrating performances that slice to the heart of Shepard's darkly comedic vision.
Trinity Repertory Company announced today that three area residents will be honored at its 2019 Pell Awards Gala on Monday, June 3, 2019 in Providence. Storyteller Valerie Tutson will receive the Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts. Central Falls High School teacher Deloris Davis Grant will receive the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. The Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts will go to Rosanne Somerson, President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Additional honorees will be announced at a later date.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) closes Season 34 with True West by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard. Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella directs this legendary black comedy about sibling rivalry, male angst and the fragility of the American Dream. Steve Kidd (Astrov in Uncle Vanya) and Anthony Goes (Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire) play feuding brothers whose longstanding tensions simmer and boil over in the kitchen of their childhood home, before exploding on a hilarious and horrifying scale.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) will hold its annual fundraiser on Monday, April 1 at 6 p.m. at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI. GAMM GALA 34 will honor Steve Durkee with The David Wax Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Arts in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the arts in Rhode Island. This special evening also celebrates The Gamm's first season in its new Warwick home.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) pairs the New England premiere of Caryl Churchill's newest play, Escaped Alone, with Samuel Beckett's 1965 minimalist play, Come and Go, for what promises to be a compelling theatrical experience.
Trinity Repertory Company invites the public to nominate outstanding local artists for the 2019 Rhode Island Pell Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The Pell Awards' criteria include distinction in the artist's chosen field, work that significantly advances the art form and contribution to the betterment of the community, and the world at large through artistic presence and community service. Awards will be presented at the theater's gala event on Monday, June 3, 2019 at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.
It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.
There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Rhode Island Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.
