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Gianni Schicchi presented by Sin City Opera & Cockroach Theatre Company



Rinuccio (Alex Rodin Mendoza) and Lauretta (Dominique Mendez) are in love, but will Donati family Matriarch Zita (Victoria Fox) allow them to get married? Just one of the many family dynamics at play in Gianni Schicchi, opening February 22 and running February 22-25, March 2-3 at Art Square Theater.

Sin City Opera with Cockroach Theatre Company present an updated, inter-active version of this beloved, family feud, presented in a combination of English & Italian.

The comic opera is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico (The Triptych), three one-act operas with contrasting themes, originally written to be presented together. Although it continues to be performed with one or both of the other trittico operas, Gianni Schicchi is now more frequently staged alone. The aria "O mio babbino caro" is one of Puccini's best known, and one of the most popular arias in opera. Sin City Opera’s presentation of the one-act opera will be extended with additional family intrigue as you get an in-depth glance at the characters that make up the tale.


2/22/2019 - 3/3/2019

Friday/Saturday 7:30 PM Sunday 2:00 PM

Cockroach Theatre at Art Square

1025 S 1st St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

TICKETS

#EatMoreArt #vegasmusic #vegastheatre #sincityopera #Cockroach #Downtown #Listing

EMAV Review: 'Small Mouth Sounds' is a near-silent tour-de-force ★★★★★

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



★★★★★ - Irresistible

We’ve often heard “acting is reacting” but that is an over-simplification. It’s really not that easy. Not by a long shot. The toughest job an actor can face is being on the stage without any lines to speak. For without lines, most people would ask, how does an actor let you know what is going on, what their motivation is, what is bothering them–what their innermost thoughts are–at the crux of a scene?


Silence your electronic equipment and breathe in…breathe out. Breathe in…breathe out. Those are only a couple of the “Small Mouth Sounds” you’re going to hear as A Public Fit presents Bess Wohl’s delightful, quirky play. You’ll hear even less speaking. Yet this talented ensemble evokes laughter and tears without a need for Silent Screen-type captioning.

Six people gather at a woodland retreat to make peace with what life is shoving (or has shoved) at them, or simply “find themselves.” As directed by Ann-Marie Pereth, “Small Mouth Sounds” is a tour-de-force. Consider it a Master Class, not only in acting but in life.

The cast portrays a cornucopia of disparate characters: Jan (Timothy Cummings) is the follower dealing with loss, Rodney (Mario Peoples) is the experienced-at-this hunk, Ned (Marcus Weiss) is easily confused and unsure, Joan (Valerie Carpenter Bernstein) is the exhausted caretaker and partner of Judy (Dina Emerson) the cancer patient, Alicia (Jamie Carvelli Pikrone) is a hot mess and deals with a different kind of loss albeit no less (immediately) painful than Jan’s. Then there is the unseen Teacher (Erik Amblad), who leads the group through their week of silence and does the most speaking via a god mic.


Assisted by Josh Wroblewski’s beautiful atmospheric lighting, Eric A. Koger designed a wonderful set that provides everything from classroom to bunkhouse to forest. Add in sound by Arles Estes and the effect is complete immersion.

Without dialogue, how does one gather even the most basic of information? The way we all do. Every day as we interact with everyone around us. By shrugs, by exasperated sighs, by smiles, hand gestures, head nods or shakes, or the short verbal phrase here and there; an “I guess,” or “Whatever.” How we interpret those signals determines our immediate emotional reaction. Interesting how alike and together in the world we all are, isn’t it?

In the end, what you find funny, what brings you to shed a tear, will depend upon where you are in your own journey. That determines how you interpret the display of humanity on the stage. One thing is guaranteed, this production will move you.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays through March 10

2 p.m. Saturday March 2, 9

Where: The Usual Place, 100 S. Maryland Parkway

Tickets: $25 - $30 (www.apublicfit.org)

Producer: A Public Fit; Artistic Director: Ann Marie Pereth; Producing Director: Joseph D. Kucan; Director: Ann Marie Pereth; Set Design: Eric A. Koger; Lighting Design: Josh Wroblewski; Sound Design: Arles Estes; Costume Design: Mariya Radeva-Nedyalkova; Stage Manager: Brandi Blackman

#EatMoreArt #APublicFit #Theatre #Review #Atreides #downtown #vegasculture

Gianni Schicchi presented by Sin City Opera & Cockroach Theatre Company



Sin City Opera with Cockroach Theatre Company present an updated, inter-active version of this beloved, family feud, presented in a combination of English & Italian.

The comic opera is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico (The Triptych), three one-act operas with contrasting themes, originally written to be presented together. Although it continues to be performed with one or both of the other trittico operas, Gianni Schicchi is now more frequently staged alone. The aria "O mio babbino caro" is one of Puccini's best known, and one of the most popular arias in opera. Sin City Opera’s presentation of the one-act opera will be extended with additional family intrigue as you get an in-depth glance at the characters that make up the tale.

2/22/2019 - 3/3/2019

Friday/Saturday 7:30 PM Sunday 2:00 PM

Cockroach Theatre at Art Square

1025 S 1st St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

TICKETS

#EatMoreArt #vegasmusic #vegastheatre #sincityopera #Cockroach #Downtown #Listing

Small Mouth Sounds at A Public Fit



A Public Fit theatre company presents Small Mouth Sounds, a play by Bess Wohl.

In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat. As these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect. Filled with awkward humor, this strange and compassionate new play asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us?


2/15/2019 - 3/10/2019

7:30 pm for evening productions 2:00 pm for matinees

The Usual Place

100 So. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV, 89101

Tickets

#EatMoreArt #vegasculture #vegastheatre #APublicFit #Downtown #Theatre #Listing

EMAV Review: Cockroach Theatre's "Anarchist" is brilliant madcap mania ★★★★★

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



★★★★★ - Irresistible

Cockroach Theatre is presenting a new adaptation of “Accidental death of an Anarchist” by Dario Fo. The Italian-born playwright was the recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature and was best known for his comedy criticizing everything from government to the Catholic Church. This new adaptation by James Sandlin Ashby is farcical but you won’t find any slamming of doors. This is more in the true spirit of Commedia dell'arte (a popular form of early Italian play) wherein the cast and audience are in on the jokes, and improvisation is welcome.

Deftly directed by Allegra Libonati, the production is full of vivid sparks, colorful fireworks, and madcap mania. It is, in short, a brilliant production.

From the moment you are escorted into the venue you are immersed in the experience and the laughter starts. It rarely lets up. But, I warn you this is not the type of farce where you want to lose focus – you’ll miss some of the gags. A scene change might make you think of the old “Batman” TV series, a scene may remind you of a Three Stooges bit, and some characters may harken to mind “The Pink Panther”’s Inspector Clouseau. All of it will both remind you about the current dour reality of our world and make you forget it at the same time.

Brett Alters as Maniac heads the superb cast. His physical comedy is great, and using sleight of hand manages new surprises at every turn. His comedic timing with a line, punching the punch line with wrinkled, brow brings this performance to a new level. He easily slips from one character to the next with a wink and a nod. And, lest you begin to doubt the validity of the jest, he’ll drop the ruse just long enough to make sure you pick it back up.


Christopher Brown (Deputy Chief), Annette Houlihan Verdolino (Commissioner), Brian Sloan (Bertozzo), Jillian Austin (Journalist), and Brent Mukai (Officer) round out the superb cast. They not only support Alters, they support one another in a waterfall of comedy. I would find it difficult to extoll the ways in which each actor shines.

The production values from Jesse Soper’s scenic design to Rosalie Chaleunsouck’s sound design are top notch. Rising above are the props of Rebecca Sass. Yes, she deserves special notice and you’ll realize why when you see this show.

There are so many things that I refuse to let you in on because it would spoil the experience. You’re going to have to fully trust me on this one. If you’re looking for fun and laughter, look no further.

When: 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday through February 10

NO PERFORMANCE on February 1 due to First Friday.

Where: Art Square Theatre, 1025 S First St, #110

Tickets: $20 - $25 (www.cockroachtheatre.com, 725- 222-9661)

Producer: Cockroach Theatre; Artistic Director: Daz Weller; Director: Allegra Libonati; Scenic Design: Jesse Soper; Lighting Design: Ellen Bone; Sound Design: Rosalie Chaleunsouck; Cosume Design: Abby Stroot; Props: Rebecca Sass; Production Stage Manager: Marni Lewis

#Theatre #Review #Cockroach #downtown #vegastheatre #vegasculture #EatMoreArt #Atreides

EMAV Review: Majestic Rep's Spring Awakening blossoms then soars ★★★★★

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



★★★★★ - Irresistible

Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote, “In the Spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Only it’s not so delicate as Tennyson states. It rises up full-bore like a heat-seeking missile. But what happens when that young man and the girl he seeks have no real idea of what is happening?

You can find out as Majestic Repertory presents “Spring Awakening,” the rock musical with book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik which was based on the 1891 play of the same title by Franz Wedekind. The 2006 musical won eight Tony Awards under the direction of Michael Mayer.


Under the astute direction of Troy Heard, the Majestic production soars. Each and every piece of this puzzle is perfectly in place. It’s a tough show with some tough subject matter; it’s not only awakening sexuality that is brought to light.

The cast is headed up by Nicholas Lamb as Melchior and Callie Maxson as Wendla. They aren’t Romeo and Juliet-type star-crossed lovers, they are two teens seeking truth and love amidst a society – much like today’s – intent on keeping them in the dark.

Lamb has a beautiful tenor that fills the room with hope and vivacity and darkness and grief. This young actor takes the very soul of the character and bares it almost as if he needs you to see through the sinew and veins to the raw nerve endings. His is an incredible performance so fully rendered I dare you to walk out at the end of the play unmoved.

And he’s matched beat for beat by Maxson. When the two come together in scenes and in song, such as “Word of Your Body” and “Guilty Ones,” their portrayals and voices blend perfectly. Maxson carries her joy and then confusion and sorrow on her sleeve, we are able to see her work through the emotions, we see the gears turning as she remains always in the moment.

The characters of Moritz (Joel Ruud) and Martha (Tatum Rajsky) are especially tormented, and Ruud and Rajsky are up to the task. Both actors allow the haunted look associated with their plight under an exterior that belies their reality.

Michael Sullivan, plays all the Adult Men, and Kate Sirls renders the Adult Women. Both actors switch smoothly between roles. Each character comes across believable and separate.

The remaining ten characters are brought to life by a wonderful supporting cast of actors. Not a single one disappoints in any way. However, RJ Viray is a particular standout as he makes direct visual contact from time to time; each emotion reflected not only in stance but in his eyes.

The choreography by Jenna Szoke is fitting of a rock musical though still manages to invoke the time period of late 19th Century Germany. Movement provides an interesting, sometimes jarring, counterpoint and juxtaposition to the emotions of a number emitting the bottled-up sexual energy longing to be freed.


Yale Yeandel’s simple thrust stage is overhung with bare tree branches and softly glowing lanterns serves multiple settings. Abby Stroot’s costumes – particularly the boys – are period and detailed. And, Marcus Randolph lights it all in a mixture between harshness and soft-focus enhancing the mood of each scene.

While the production is about teenage angst the theatre offers a cautionary word: There are sexual situations, language, and brief nudity. What may surprise you is the realization that, as art imitates life, we haven’t progressed much at all as a society in these matters.

An important end note: Due to scheduling the rental cost of the microphone kit tripled for this production. The theatre is trying to raise $5,000 during the run of this show to purchase equipment. It’s a very worthy cause and I encourage you to make a donation.

When: Thursday - Saturday 8pm; Sundays 5pm through February 10

Tickets: $15 - $28 (www.majesticrepertory.com)

Producer: Majestic Repertory Theatre; Director: Troy Heard; Musical Director: Andrew Tyler; Choreography: Jenna Szoke; Lighting Design: Marcus Randolph; Scenic Design: Yale Yeandel; Costume Design: Abby Stroot; Sound Design: Kat Gonzalez; Technical Director: Joe Hammond; Stage Manager: Cory Covell

#Review #Theatre #MajesticRep #Atreides #downtown #vegastheatre #vegasculture #EatMoreArt

Accidental Death of an Anarchist @ Cockroach Theatre Company



Cockroach Theatre Company opens the third show in our 15th-anniversary season, Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo. This criminally funny play about corruption in government couldn’t be more timely. A man has fallen to his death from a police station window. Did he jump or was he pushed? The cops want a cover up, but first they have to contend with an unlikely detective – a certified lunatic with a knack for impersonation. We are thrilled to welcome Allegra Libonati to helm this glorious battle of the individual against the establishment in a hilariously biting brand-new adaptation by James Sandlin Ashby. Joining forces with one of Vegas’ favorite fools Brett Alters (LeReve, The Piff Show), alongside a stellar cast featuring Jillian Austin, Christopher Brown, Annette Houlihan Verdolino, Brent Mukai and Brian Sloan, this is certainly a show not to be missed.

1/23/2019 - 2/10/2019

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8pm Sunday 2pm

Art Square Theatre

1025 S 1st St #110, Las Vegas, NV, 89101

Tickets

#vegastheatre #Theatre #Cockroach #vegasculture #Downtown #Listing

EMAV Review: Nerve cells connect 'Incognito' at A Public Fit ★★★★☆

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



★★★★☆ - Delicious

"Who tells the story of self? That's like asking who thunders the thunder or rains the rain. It is not so much a question of us telling the story as the story telling us." (Paul Broks, neuropsychologist)

Neuropsychology is the science of analyzing the relationship between personality, performance, and the anatomical and physiological structure of the brain. Broks is one practitioner who asks the question: What is the relationship between the brain and the mind and the self?

"You can learn a lot about the brain, but you don't necessarily learn much about the self because that's a different layer of existence. What makes a person unique is how the mind utilizes the brain, and how the mind is shaped by interacting with other minds to form the self.”

Audiences are miraculously transported to a theatrical illustration of this very conundrum in a delicious 4-Star presentation of Nick Payne’s “Incognito”, the first production of the 2018-19 Season by A Public Fit Theatre Company (APF), which runs through December 16th in co-production with Cockroach Theatre Company at the Art Square Theatre.


Four gifted actors play a combined 21 characters within the play’s three artfully interwoven stories: A pathologist steals the brain of Albert Einstein; a neuropsychologist embarks on her first romance with another woman; a seizure patient forgets everything but how much he loves his girlfriend. “Incognito” braids these mysterious stories into one breathtaking whole that asks whether memory and identity are nothing but illusions.

“Incognito” features Tina Rice, Jasmine Kojouri, Marcus Weiss, and Erik Amblad. Each member of this exceptionally supple quartet transfers the dramatic energy of their multiple characters as if part of one shared central nervous system – like synapses found where nerve cells connect with other nerve cells to guarantee that the signal of the brain reaches its destination. They switch characters at the drop of a hat and fluidly move between wit and deeper emotion. Through and through it is a compelling, humane story enacted by absorbing characters with whom we feel a connection.

Directors Ann Marie Pereth and Joseph D. Kucan maintain a lively pace throughout the evening, skillfully balancing playwright Payne’s ability to meld complicated philosophic and scientific tenets with simpler human struggles. The production team has kept their components intentionally modest so as to ensure that our focus remains fixed on the thought-provoking human interaction before us. Kudos to Mariya Radeva-Nedyalkova (costumes), Ellen Bone (lighting), Yale Yeandel (sets), and The Dog & Pony Show (sound).

Nick Payne is the recipient of the 2009 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright, 2012 Harold Pinter Playwright’s Award, and the 2012 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play for Constellations. The play was originally produced in the USA by Manhattan Theater Club at City Center in May, 2016. As Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times:

“Mysteries swirl in storm clouds in Nick Payne’s “Incognito,” enough to fill many seasons of cliffhanger soap operas. The subjects of these tantalizing puzzles include questions of paternity, a man who murdered his wife on their 30th wedding anniversary, the secrets that lovers keep from each other and the disappearance of an essential anatomical part of a great scientist.”

“Yet the biggest mystery of all, the one that dominates every aspect of this lively, self-examining drama of ideas, is the very apparatus that you’re using to make sense of this sentence. I mean your brain.”

Incognito, written by Nick Payne and directed by Ann Marie Pereth and Joseph D. Kucan

Presented through December 16th by A Public Fit Theatre Company at Art Square Theatre, 1025 South First Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101.

#APublicFit #Downtown #Cockroach #ArtSquare #Stalter #Review #Theatre

Krampus @ Majestic Repertory Theatre



Majestic Repertory Theatre celebrates Christmas with a brand new immersive experience: KRAMPUS. You’ve been invited for a holiday gathering of drinks and snacks at the Krumeich’s house. You know them, that nice couple down the street...Jerry and Marge. The entire family’s coming together tonight: Oma flew in from Germany, daughter Carly’s home from college, and son Kevin has just arrived with his new wife...and an ancient curse. See, something very dark has haunted the Krumeich family for centuries and tonight, you will either defeat it...or succumb to it.


Dec 6 - 23, 2018

Thurs, Fri, Sat @ 7 & 8:30 pm Sun @ 5:30 & 7 p.m.

NOTE: Krampus is designed for audience members age 21 and up only. Tickets are limited to fourteen per performance so advance purchase is required. This production will NOT be held at Majestic Repertory Theatre, but at a private residence in Downtown Las Vegas. Location will be shared with ticket buyers the day of the show. Location is east of Maryland and south of Charleston.

www.majesticrepertory.com

#MajesticRep #Theatre #Listing #Downtown

'Incognito' at A Public Fit, coming soon to Cockroach Theatre



A Public Fit, in partnership with Cockroach Theatre Company, presents 'Incognito' by Nick Payne, directed by Ann-Marie Pereth and Joseph D. Kucan.

A pathologist steals the brain of Albert Einstein; a neuropsychologist embarks on her first romance with another woman; a seizure patient forgets everything but how much he loves his girlfriend. These three artfully interwoven stories delve into the nature of identity and how we are defined by what we remember.

Nov 29 - Dec 16

Cockroach Theatre at Art Square

1025 So. First Street, Las Vegas, NV, 89101

Tickets


#Theatre #Listing #Cockroach #ArtSquare #Downtown #APublicFit

EMAV Review: Majestic Repertory's "Measure for Measure' breaks the barrier between Las

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



(Photo: Majestic Rep put Shakespeare in the Limelight.)

Majestic Repertory Theatre recently produced a satisfying interactive immersive theatrical “experience” (that's the key word) for local audiences inspired by one of Shakespeare's rarely produced -- yet extraordinarily relevant -- plays. The production ran from September 27th through October 21st.

Artistic Director Troy Heard assembled a merry band of revelers to create a very original "interactive and immersive experience" –limited at any given performance to eighteen audience members who met up with eighteen cast members -- to explore eight different settings in the City of Lost Wages circa 1977. Depending on which character you met at the opening of the evening, there were at least twelve different storylines you could follow. If you came with a group, you were most likely split up.

For this production of “Measure for Measure: The Immersive Experience”, the production took audiences on a unique, personalized, emotional journey. Patrons were fully immersed in the seedy world of Lost Wages, in the middle of the action, moving from room to room and interacting with the characters one-on-one. They got to play and laugh and make new friends in Lost Wages, during this 65-minute journey that involved moments of sitting, standing, travel...and a little disco dancing. There were accommodations throughout the space for those who could not stand for long periods of time. Because of the intimate design of the show, only eighteen tickets were sold for each performance and many performances were sold out!


(Photo: Natalie Senecal and Kyle Jones.)

Mayor Vincent "The Duke" Greyson took a sabbatical and left Deputy Mayor Angelo Santoro in charge. The most virtuous public servant in town, Santoro implemented all the ancient laws - tearing down casinos, brothels, and putting one particular favorite son on the chopping block for knocking up his fiancé before the official vows are exchanged.

It's left to a young nun-in-training to sway Angelo's decision...but the results are not what she expects!

Given the limited space within the “awesome, little playhouse right downtown,” (as self-described theater geek Kate Turner Whiteley has called it), the production team did a masterful job creating eight different settings in the City of Lost Wages. Kudos to Creator and Director Troy Heard, Co-Director Natalie Senecal, sets by The Design Ninjas, costumes by Kathy Wusnack, lighting by Marcus Randolph, and sound by Joey Jevne.

The multi-talented ensemble of wild revelers / disco dancers included: Jessie Johnson, Kyle Jones, Natalie Senecal, Rebecca Reyes, Joel Ruud, Charlie Starling, Rowan Morris, Amanda Guarado, Roxanne Farrar, Ronn L. Williams, Richie Villafuerte, Lissa Townsend Rodgers, Angel Mendoza, Josh Sigal, Venus Cobb, Cory Covell, Bob Gratrix, and Dimo Gerenski.

For those new to “immersive theater” (as was I, before attending three performances): Immersive Theatre is all about creating participative theatre experiences where audience members give up their “observer’’ status to become co-actors of the storytelling process -- and sometimes co-creators of the narrative. Audience is inside the space, walking through site-specific installations, oftentimes choosing what scenes to see to create site-responsive theatre. Each performance is unique because the audience is never the same!


(Photo: Majestic Rep welcomes the audience to their stage)

While researching “immersive theatre”, I also ran across Anca Doczi, Ph.D., actress, researcher and applied drama practitioner who is currently undertaking practice-based research at the Centre for Performing Arts Development, University of East London. Her latest project is MEMODROME, an applied drama technique she has coined and developed to explore performed testimony and simultaneous dramaturgy. I found that Anca – much like Troy Heard, Majestic Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director – continues to try different methodologies, especially immersive and participative theatre, to represent contemporary life and the social dynamics of the communities around us.

As Shakespeare wrote it, Measure for Measure stages the interweaving of sexuality, morality and power. On the one hand, the plot shows the traumatic consequences of extending the legal surveillance of social behavior into the bedroom; and on the other, it shows how hard it can be to expose and condemn the misuse of public power for sexual purposes. It is a play that is as timely and resonant in the early decades of the 21st century as it was at the beginning of the 17th or end of the 19th century. [Kate Chedzgoy, British Library: “Discovering Literature” project, a free online learning resource that provides unprecedented access to the British Library’s unique literary and historical collections.]

A proven artistic strategy, isn’t it?

Yes and no. Theatre has always been around, but today it looks quite different from fifty years ago. And the immersive effect today is indebted to very central, new digital technologies, which don’t themselves have to appear at all, yet have already changed our perceptual behavior and our hunger for experience profoundly. The panorama pictures of the nineteenth century are analog precursors of this. But what the new technological development is changing at the moment is that you don’t connect this immersive element to the situation of an overview anymore, but experience it as someone thrown into it, into the thick of it, and at least as much in the quality of the perpetrator as that of the witness. In contrast with the peephole stage, in virtual space, you don’t look at the things, but enter yourself into this space. [THEATRE AND IMMERSION: “YOU ENTER YOURSELF INTO THIS SPACE”, Christine Wahl, The Theatre Times, Nov 2017, Germany]

Everyone involved in bringing this innovative, interactive, immersive theatrical “experience” to Las Vegas audiences deserves our applause and can proudly hold their heads high.

#Theatre #Review #MajesticRep #Downtown

Human Experience LV



Monday 10/29/18 will be our 10 Year Anniversary as well as our last show of 2018. We are grateful for all the friendships bloomed throughout the moments, timelines and years shared. There is more yet to come! We believe that the energy of Human Experience still lives on and will rise again in full bloom. We have so much love and gratitude for each one of you. Thank you all for the healing, the commitment, the support and most importantly, for your ART!!

10/29/18 6:30 PM – 11:59 PM We Hope To See You ALL There :) . With love & gratitude, . Human Experience Open Mic [Est. 2008] "Being the action of love through art, music and culture."

HumanExperienceLV

1009 S. Main Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101

http://www.instagram.com/humanexperiencelv

#Poetry #Listing #Downtown

Measure for Measure @ Majestic Repertory Theatre is Valley Recommended

EMAV Review: "Every Brilliant Thing" is fundamental theatre ★★★★★

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



★★★★★ - Irresistible

The origins of drama have often been attributed to simple storytelling, as when the storyteller adopts a false voice or adds characterization through movement and costume. In such terms, the art of theatre could be described at its most fundamental as the presence of an actor before an audience.

Visceral proof of such “fundamental” theatre is on display through September 30th at the Art Square Theater. Actor Marcus Weiss and Director Jane C. Walsh have fused their inventive talents in a truly outstanding, 5 STAR, irresistible evening – bringing playwright Duncan MacMillan’s “Every Brilliant Thing” to life under the auspices of Cockroach Theatre Company.

As a bit of background, Eric Bentley (eminent British born drama critic, playwright, editor and translator), believes that there are three elements which are essential for a theatrical performance: an actor, a character (developed by the playwright in the script), and an audience.

This play depends on little else, though there are certain benefits to having a director along for the journey. Ms. Walsh stages “Every Brilliant Thing” with an eye for detail: as with the list of every (brilliant) thing, it’s the little things that matter in this show. It’s staged in a small space with the audience on all four sides; this approach takes an already emotional story and adds to its immediacy. She navigates the space, tempo, and script with grace and efficiency. Her design team successfully enriches the simplicity of the production without disturbing the intimacy throughout: Zac Phillips (sets), Elizabeth Kline (lighting), and John McClean (sound).

Before the show starts, audience members are given slips of paper with numbered items written on them, and at certain points they are asked to call them out: ice cream, staying up past your bedtime, laughing so hard you shoot milk out of your nose. So, as a mother battles chronic depression, her young son begins the list that makes life worth living, the list that is the grounding theme for the entire show. As time passes, the list grows and what began as a naive attempt to deal with tragedy becomes an epic chronicle of life’s small joys. Staged in-the-round, this touching, funny and intimate play charts the lengths to which we will go for those we love.

Plays with audience participation are often awkward. Not everyone wants to be part of a show, and it can feel like a breach of an unspoken contract between performers and audience members to rope people in and make them the focus of everybody in the room. “Every Brilliant Thing” pulls off the trick of participation by approaching audience members beforehand (so there are no surprises), and by incorporating Mr. Weiss’ sunny personality: instantly trustworthy, in control of the room and yet, when it’s called for, courageously vulnerable. He is a marvelous storyteller, and has terrific material to work with.

Weiss is thorough and caring when connecting to each and every member of the audience, narrating the story. He’s seven years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s “done something stupid”. She finds it hard to be happy. So, he starts a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world -- everything worth living for. He leaves it on her pillow. He knows she’s read it because she’s corrected his spelling.

As the narrator gets older, attends university, falls in love and gets married, the list -- which eventually swells to nearly a million entries -- includes such offbeat things as “peeing in the sea and nobody knows,” “the smell of old books” and “Christopher Walken’s hair.” Meanwhile, the narrator discovers, much to his heartbreak, that the list and his best intentions are not enough to prevent tragedy.

Weiss is an accomplished, versatile actor whose impish charm, warmth and naturalism serve him well here. A former clown, he had never set foot in Las Vegas until he was cast in Blue Man Group at the Luxor in the winter of 2000. He has also performed with the world-renowned improvisational troupe, The Second City, fine tuning his flexibility and inventiveness that come in handy as he must interact with new audience members every evening. His improv skills take the show to a higher level, allowing him to take liberties with the text without making the show run aground.

As a play, "Every Brilliant Thing" doesn't candy-coat the subject of suicide and family survival. But it does shine gentle theatrical light on the way sweetness and sorrow are both magnified by tragedy. While this is, indeed, a solo performance piece, theatrical art demands the collaboration of actors with a director, with the various technical workers upon whom they depend for costumes, scenery, and lighting, with volunteers across many departments, and with the business people who finance, organize, advertise, and market the productions. Cockroach Theatre Company has, yet again, successfully summoned their artistic resolve and the community support necessary to embrace local artists and patrons for their 15th Anniversary Season.

Oscar Wilde would be proud: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

First produced by Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre Company, “Every Brilliant Thing” was originally only ever meant to be performed twice: at Ludlow Fringe Festival and Ledbury Poetry Festival. It didn’t exactly turn out that way. It captured people’s hearts at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe, played in New York for four months and has toured around the world. This utterly charming solo performance piece was also broadcast on HBO in December 2016.

Playwright Duncan MacMillan, who wrote the show with stand-up comic Jonny Donahoe, deliberately created a one-actor theater piece that could readily be adapted for a male or female performer and adjusted to fit any given time and place. The universality of the play’s themes — angst, family conflict, the fear of being an inadequate spouse or partner, time’s inevitable passage, and unavoidable loss — intersect seamlessly with its democratic approach. Should you ever find yourself phoning up an old teacher late at night to seek comfort from her sock puppet, you can take heart in knowing that even then, you’re not alone.

#Cockroach #Downtown #Theatre #Review #Stalter

The Grief Dialogues @ The Asylum Theatre and Cockroach Theatre Company #VegasStrong

Updated: Mar 8, 2019



The Asylum Theatre, in partnership with Cockroach Theatre Company and The Grief Dialogues Foundation, will commemorate the first anniversary of 1 October with an evening of theatre and guided conversation about life after loss.

The performance of short plays, in collaboration with local performing artists from across the community, will take place Wednesday, September 26th at the Art Square Theatre, to be followed by a supportive conversation on the general topic of grief led by specialist Dr. Robyn Donaldson.

General admission tickets are available for $20 (plus a $2 service fee) at cockroachtheatre.com.

Wednesday, September 26th - 8PM

Cockroach Theatre:

1025 S 1st St Ste 110, Las Vegas, Nevada

Tickets: $20 | Call 702-222-9661

#VegasStrong #Route91 #GriefDialogues #EatMoreArt

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, a place of healing and support dedicated to serving as a resource and referral center for residents, visitors and responders affected by the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. vegasstrongrc.org

The performance will be directed by Sarah O’Connell, Artistic Director of The Asylum Theatre, and Cockroach Theatre and the Grief Dialogues are co-producers..

“We believe that out of grief comes art.TM” Elizabeth Coplan, The Grief Dialogues

For two years, the Seattle-based Grief Dialogues worked with playwrights around the country to bring just the right mix of works for production. From 180 submissions, The Grief Dialogues Advisory Council, on which Asylum Artistic Director Sarah O’Connell served, evaluated 80 semi- finalists based on their adherence to the mission of erasing the stigma around dying, death and grief, and the play's ability to engage a diverse audience. 20 short plays were selected for the final “library” to choose from when presenting each performance. FUSION by Las Vegas playwright, Paul Atreides, was among the final selections.

“Art saves us when words fail us, and the local Las Vegas performing arts community wanted to offer the tools that Theatre provides for us to help cope with the toughest parts of life.

These new plays are an empathetic way to honor the first anniversary of VegasStrong but they are reflections on all kinds of loss, love and life moving forward. I believe that everyone will find a story that echoes their own experience among the collection. We are grateful to Dr. Donaldson for offering her professional expertise to help lead the conversation.

Cockroach Theatre is a special place, right next to the Las Vegas Healing Garden which many local artists, along with their friends and neighbors across the Las Vegas Valley, helped to create, working together as one family.” - Sarah O’Connell, The Asylum Theatre

The Asylum gathered 12 performers to collaborate who frequently appear with local companies including: Cockroach Theatre Company, A Public Fit, Majestic Repertory Theatre, Las Vegas Little Theatre and Nevada Conservatory Theatre. The Las Vegas production will also include a selection from the book Vegas Strong, an anthology of short stories by local authors who donate 100% of the proceeds from its sale to support for First Responders.

#TheAsylumTheatre #Cockroach #Downtown #Theatre #Listing

Every Brilliant Thing @ Cockroach Theatre Company



Ice cream, rollercoasters, the smell of old books - as a mother battles chronic depression, a child creates a list of everything that makes life worth living. As time passes, the list grows and what began as a naive attempt to deal with tragedy becomes an epic chronicle of life’s small joys. Staged in-the-round, this touching, funny and intimate play charts the lengths we will go for those we love.

Starring Marcus Weiss and directed by Jane Walsh.

9/13-30/2018

Thursday, Friday, Saturdays: 8:00pm Sundays: 2:00pm

Art Square Theatre

1025 S. 1st Street Las Vegas, NV 89101

Tickets

#Cockroach #Downtown #Theatre #Listing

24 Hour Play Project @ Cockroach Theatre Company



12 playwrights, 12 directors and 60 actors will gather at 7pm on August 31 to form teams, collaborate, create and then perform original theatrical pieces on Saturday September 1st at 7pm. This project hopes to foster new collaborations in the Las Vegas community and give voices to local writers and playwrights. Three writers will be selected at the end of the night to receive grants and one will be offered the opportunity to workshop and expand their piece with CTC support in the 2018/2019 season.

September 1st at 7pm

Art Square Theater

1025 1st Street Las Vegas, NV 89101

Tickets

#Listing #Theatre #Downtown #Cockroach

Cabaret @ Majestic Repertory Theatre is Valley Recommended

EMAV Review: It’s Cabaret, old chum



★★★☆☆ - Satisfying

Most of the general public going to “Cabaret” at Majestic Repertory Theatre will expect a version of the 1972 film starring Liza Minelli. The stage version with the same music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Joe Masteroff, based on John Van Druten's 1951 play “I Am a Camera,” which itself was based on a short story by Christopher Isherwood titled “Goodbye to Berlin,” is mighty different. Over the years stage revivals cut and reinstated songs, added and cut songs from the film. The stage version, despite being a musical is darker, more edgy than the film, clinging more to the underbelly of the Nazi takeover.

Under the direction of Troy Heard it doesn’t quite get there. While the venue is beautifully set for an immersive experience (thanks to The Design Ninjas), and the space is well used, the free-for-all eroticism turned dark political turmoil is somehow lacking. Pacing is slow, some of the songs are sung too prettily, and the tension doesn’t rise throughout the 2-1/2-hour show.

Heard took a risk in casting Anita Bean as the Emcee. It’s a ballsy move. And it could’ve worked to advantage if they’d gone whole hog. But Bean plays it as male, singing in lower chest registers and, particularly with the song “Two Ladies,” it loses the impact it could’ve had – despite that the two ladies are men in drag.

Bean does bring the right amount of bravado and brassiness to every scene. But she a problem with the dialect that whips from German-tinged to French, to Romanian, to American. “And” is “und” with all the other characters, but not Bean. She’s not consistent with the “th” sounds either; sometimes it’s “zay,” sometimes “they.” Her “w” slips from “ven” to “when.”

The two unfortunate star-crossed lovers, played by Axel Knight (Clifford Bradshaw) and Charlie Starling (Sally Bowles), are, for the most part, flat and one-dimensional. There’s no emotional depth. Transitions are missing. A connection is missing, the chemistry isn’t there. When Clifford gets badly beaten by refusing to cooperate with Ernst Ludwig (played with superb subtlety by Andrew Young), in the next scene Knight is bouncing around the stage with nary a wince. The voices are there, though. Knight has a pleasing tenor, and Starling can belt out numbers with the best of them.

Gail Romero (Frauline Schnieder) and E. Wayne Worley (Herr Schultz) work really well together. The comedic timing is there, and we can see the relationship unfold; the reticence and regret in Romero’s performance when she breaks off the relationship with Schultz; and Worley’s sad but pragmatic response is perfectly brought to bear.

The Kit Kat Boys and Girls are great, every single one of them. When Katie Marie Jones breaks from the pack to deliver a spine-tingling “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” you know she means it. It’s a highlight of the evening.

Kimberly Amblad brought touches of Fosse into the choreography yet made it her own, and Kathy Wusnack’s costuming is wonderful.

The play is relevant given the current rise of certain elements in the country. Want to see how unchecked power gains ground? Go to “Cabaret,” old chum.

What: Cabaret

When: Thursday - Saturday 8pm; Sundays 5pm through August 26

Tickets: $15 - $28 (www.majesticrepertory.com)

Producer: Majestic Repertory Theatre; Director: Troy Heard; Musical Director: Andrew Tyler; Choreography: Kimberly Amblad; Lighting Design: Marcus Randolph; Scenic Design: The Design Ninjas; Costume Design: Kathy Wusnack; Sound Design: Andrew Young; Production Manager: Coral Benedetti; Stage Manager: Josh O’Brien

#MajesticRep #Atreides #Review #Theatre #Listing #Downtown

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