New Jerusalem, The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation:Amsterdam, July 27, 1656

Baruch  de Spinoza's interrogation

The Lantern Theater Company, located at 10th and Ludlow Streets is presenting the Philadelphia Premiere of New Jerusalem, The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656, through November 6, 2011.

Spinoza is a member of as small Jewish community who fled Portugal during the time of the Inquisition and landed in the seemingly more tolerant Amsterdam. Sam Henderson, portraying Spinoza, finds himself in the fight of his life when he is not only accused of being an atheist, but also must bear the responsibility of carrying shame for the entire Jewish community if he is convicted.. Threatened with excommunication by his teacher and Rabbi, he tries to convince everyone of the logic of his views, even those that he is “still working on.” This very intense production is sprinkled with laugh lines. Just when you are sitting on the edger of your seat, you have an opportunity for a chuckle. Because the seating in the Lantern Theater is on three sides of the stage, characters move around frequently, somewhat akin to actors in a theater in the round.. It is not an easy task to keep up a great measure of intensity while being on the move; the cast of New Jerusalem manages to accomplish just that. Henderson is very expressive both with his body language and his facial expressions. He does not even need to utter a word to get his feelings across.  Kittson O’Neill, portraying his half sister Rebekah, gives an excellent portrayal of a female who isn’t about to let her brother ruin her life or reputation as a religious Jew. David Bardeen as Rabbi Saul Levi Mortera also has an opportunity to display his fierce emotions as he can not understand the thinking of his once-prized pupil. The set is very simple but effectively reminiscent of a small 17^th century synagogue with a few benches and chairs and an ark to hold the Torah scrolls. Maggie Baker makes her Lantern debut as costume designer and hopefully she will be working on some more productions. The costumes of the women are striking and those of the men are intriguing. This is a potent story and a very powerful production. Be prepared to be enlightened. For ticket information, call 215-829-9002 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org.

August: Osage County

The Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, is producing Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning August: Osage County through October 30 on its F. Otto Haas stage.

The production gives a whole new meaning to the term dysfunctional. If you can think of a dysfunctional member of your family or of a family you know, multiply the ramifications of that one person’s actions by 12 (there are twelve members in this extended family) and then multiply that magnitude yet again at least tenfold.  Such would be the chaos and pathos you would be facing if your family were representative of the one portrayed on stage. Every character has his or her own set of problems. Even on the heels of the patriarch’s funeral, laugh lines abound at the sheer farcical nature of the insincerity that is obvious as family members lie and try to hide things from each other (or not, as in the case of Violet, the mother who,when strung out on drugs, develops a mouth with a mind of its own.)

There is no weak link in this very strong ensemble cast. Whether the actors are well seasoned with much experience to their credit or making their professional theatre debut, all work well with the fine script Tracy Letts has provided. The audience is treated to an unfolding of the characters as each one is fleshed out over the course of the three acts. Each act is stronger than the preceding one; there is more humor; the characters become more fully developed; and more attention is paid to the details on the stage.

The set is outstanding. Kudos must go to Dan Conway for designing a three story, 6 room house with two staircases and an additional area outside the house which is used for conversations between family members. Exits are carefully executed.. Special mention must also be given to Thom Weaver for his excellent work in lighting design. Lighting is an integral part of this production as lights off signal the end of a scene and when the lights come back on, they are usually lit in another area of the house or on the sidewalk outside highlighting a different set of characters. You may laugh. You may cry. Your jaw may drop at the incredulity of it all…. but what you may not do is miss this show! For tickets and further information, call 215-922-1122 or visit online at www.ardentheatre.org.

University of the Arts Alumni Directing Students

Two young female directors who are alumni of the University of the Arts will work with a new generation of undergrads in October productions produced by the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts. Jackson Gay will direct Top Girls from Oct 6-9. Gay graduated from the University of the Arts in 1999 with a BFA in acting. She received her MFA in directing from the Yale School of Drama and currently directs off- Broadway, at a variety of theaters throughout the U.S, and at new play festivals .Top Girl, which examines the price that ambitious women must pay to become “top girl”, can be seen at UArts  Caplan Studio Theater, located at 211 South Broad St, 16^th floor.
 Megan Nicole O’Brien will direct two weekends of performances of High Fidelity Oct 14-16 and 20-22 at the Arts Bank Theater, located at 601 South Broad Street. A Philadelphia based director, O’Brien, co-founder and Resident Director of 11^th Hour Theatre Company, was nominated for the 2011 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical.

The casts of the two productions are comprised of students in the Brind School’s BFA programs in Acting and Musical Theater. The school provides programs in scenic, costume and lighting design, directing, playwriting and all aspects of production, graduating talented artists, many of whom continue to work in the greater Philadelphia area. This year alone UArts alumni and faculty garnered 12 Barrymore Award nominations.

Aspects of Love

Aspects of Love, is being produced by the Walnut Street on the theatre’s main stage and will run through October 23. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 18 melodies composed for the Aspects of Love may have been inspired by a novella of the same name, but they are the driving force behind this most enjoyable show. Charles Hagerty, in the role of Alex Dillingham, a young student who falls in love with the Actress Rose Vibert, handily belts out the opening number and the production’s theme song, Love Changes Everything. Rose is played by Jennifer Hope Wills and we don’t have to wait very long to hear her magnificent voice as she sings a duet with Alex. The other main aspects of love that we are introduced to in the first act are displayed by George Dillingham, portrayed by Paul Schoeffler and Guilietta Trapani, portrayed by Danielle G. Herbert. The audience is treated to their blended voices in A Memory of a Happy Moment. A duet between Alex and George, She’d Be Far Better Off  With You, brought some levity to a much appreciative audience. The voices of all four principals were strong, but the members of the ensemble not only did a credible job with their dance numbers, but also added to the quality of the music. It is not the music alone which makes this production a success. The set and lighting design is both simple and intricate at the same time. Tracks on the stage floor glide vehicles and desks on and off the stage. Crew members dressed in white move diaphanous curtains aside to display hidden scenery. Scenes are projected on walls and curtains and one has the feeling of being immersed in a different culture. Blink and you are looking out a window in Venice. Take another look and you are in the middle of Paris. Some aspects of love are fulfilling; others are filled with anguish. You’ll want to see them all. For tickets, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787 or visit online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org.

Miss Saigon

Chris and Kim share a moment in Saigon

Miss Saigon is being produced on Walnut Street Theatre’s main stage through July 24. Inspired by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, composers of Les Miserables, collaborated with Richard Maltby Jr. to create this masterpiece. It is the love story of an American soldier and a Vietnamese girl who are separated during the fall of Saigon.

Following its London premier in 1989, Miss Saigon appeared on Broadway in 19991 and earned 11 Tony nominations, including Best Musical.  A bit of London and Broadway are appearing on the Walnut Street stage. Melinda Chua, as Kim gives an exceptionally powerful performance. Her voice is strong and her anguish is palpable. Eric Kunze, as Chris also gives a commanding performance.  It is no surprise that they both have performed in Miss Saigon on Broadway stages. Bobby Martino, who plays The Engineer, performed the musical with the original London cast. Although Kate Fahrner, as Ellen, plays a minor role, she is certainly not lacking in talent.  Choreographer Michelle Gaudette must be commended for the several intricate pieces designed for the large ensemble cast. Whether portraying ladies of the night or Viet Cong soldiers, they execute their steps perfectly. Scenic Designer John Farrell has done an excellent job with set changes. A series of screens slide in many directions to create the illusion of more space and different places. Did I mention the helicopter? What a feat to have a camouflaged helicopter hover over a barbed wire fence as soldier climb in and make their last exit out of Saigon before it falls while native Vietnamese plead to be freed. Miss Saigon is not for the faint of heart but it is for everyone with a heart. This is a wonderful must-see production. Keep tissues handy if you must, but don’t miss it. For more information or tickets, call 215-574-3550 or visit online at www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.

My Wonderful Day

Paula apologizing to Winnie

My Wonderful Day is being produced at the Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, through June 19, 2011. A very talented Opal Alladin portrays Laverne, a Caribbean cleaning woman who has wealthy London clients. Laverne has aspirations of saving enough money to return to her native Martinique where the local language is French. She encourages her young daughter, Winnie, artfully played by Philadelphia native Lavita Shaurice, to speak only French on Mardi (Tuesday). You don’t have to understand French to catch all of the nuances of this extremely funny production, but a smattering of French vocabulary is helpful. Winnie accompanies her mother to work, ostensibly because she doesn’t feel well enough to go to school, when in truth; she is worried about her pregnant mother’s health. As an obedient child, she sets about to do her homework assignment-- to write about “My Wonderful Day”. Following her mother’s admonitions to speak French on Mardi, she responds to all the adults in the house in that language.  They therefore make the mistake of assuming she doesn’t speak English nor understand their use of inappropriate language nor references to inappropriate behavior.  As Winnie’s eyes open wide she jots down sentence after sentence in her notebook. And the audience roars. When her mother is taken to the hospital in labor, even more havoc ensues. Lavita Shaurice, a Temple graduate with a BA in theatre, does an outstanding job of convincing everyone that she is an innocent preteen. David Andrew Macdonald, as Kevin, is quite a credible sleaze-bag. He is supported by friend Josh, played by John Zak and girlfriend Tiffany, played by Kelly O’Sullivan. Kate Eastwood Norris is on stage for a short period of time as Paula, Kevin’s wronged wife, but she gives a very strong performance.  Lynne Innerst, voice and dialect coach is to be commended for the first-rate accent mastered by Opal Alladin. Recognition must also be given to set designer Lee Savage. The set is brilliantly conceived and will certainly be given a Barrymore nomination. It not only revolves on a turntable, but also makes partial turns so that characters can be seen in different rooms of the house at the same time. This is a delightful play that will enjoy many wonderful days.  Make sure that you catch one of them. For more information or tickets, call 215-546-7824 or visit online at wilmatheater.org.

In A Daughter's Eyes

Krista Apple and :Lynnette R. Freeman

In A Daughter’s Eyes is a world premiere inspired by Philadelphia history. It is being presented by the InterAct Theatre Company on the main stage of the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, through June 19, 2011.  Mumia Abu-Jamal is an activist who was briefly a Black Panther and has been incarcerated in Pennsylvania prisons for the past thirty years for  the murder of a Philadelphia Police  Officer. There are those who disagree with his guilty verdict and the veracity of the eye witness account and therein lies the basis for the beginning of this riveting saga. Don’t get too comfortable in your seat for you’ll soon be sitting on the edge of it. Lynnette R. Freeman is phenomenal in her role as Rehema Salaam, the sophisticated Stanford educated attorney/cum daughter of the imprisoned Abu Jamal. The impassioned vitality she brings to her character electrifies the stage. Krista Apple layers many dimensions to her role of Kathryn Tinney, daughter of the slain police officer. At times meek and friendly with Rehema, who wants Kathryn to testify on her father’s behalf, she becomes argumentative and belligerent when the two don’t see eye to eye. More than one tragedy befalls these two daughters who cannot seem to escape the destiny of their family’s history. With each calamity their need for each other temporarily overcomes their innate mistrust…until it doesn’t. Hold onto your seats for the ride of your life! For tickets or further information about this superb performance, call 215-568-8079 or visit online at www.InterActTheatre.org.