“I don’t view Shakespeare’s work as intimidating anymore.” — midterm reflection from college freshman
“It has made me more confident in myself, and I don’t view Shakespeare’s work as intimidating anymore.” –freshman student reflecting on the first half of my “Shakespeare in Context” course. In lieu of reading comprehension quizzes, I have students post informal responses. They respond to an orientation lecture and each act of the play as…
The Woman in Black
Last night’s preview was a layered treat. A theatrical framing story, the story being dramatized, and a story being uncovered. twists and chills at every level. Well done.
Faces the girl makes during her Luisa monologue. (Four more chances to see The Fantasticks.)
The Measure of a Man (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 9)
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. Data’s autonomy is at stake in a taut, character-driven courtroom drama that resists pandering — no distracting fist-fights or space battles. This episode not only succeeds as a stand-alone meditation on the human condition, it meshes narratively with events from past shows and offers affordances for future story arcs…
Saint Crispin’s Day Speech from “Henry V”
Dennis Jerz performs the famous speech proclaimed by the titular king before the Battle of Agincourt, from William Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” (WAOB Audio Theatre)
She was a musical ingenue Sunday, filmed a slasher movie past midnight Monday, and was prepared for dance kinesiology class Tuesday morning.
Fanciful Fun in Theatre Factory’s “The Fantasticks”
A great review from Pittsburgh in the Round: Aided by Kirk Howe’s skillful musical direction, and the excellent instrumental work of Howe (Keyboard 1) Beth Minda (Keyboard 2), Dave Minda (Bass Guitar), and Jesse Wall (Percussion), the performers of Theatre Factory’s latest production dazzle and elate throughout the many silly twists and turns. Fantasticks is wonderfully…
Fantasticks (Theatre Factory, Oct 18-27)
Preview of “The Fantasticks” (thanks, Tribune-Review, for covering the arts community)
For Luisa, Jerz’s character, “the world is still a magical place, full of epic characters and situations and — above all — romance.” She says the audience should like Luisa and care about her, not wanting the world to hurt or change her. A fun show to perform “‘The Fantasticks’ music is uniquely beautiful, and…
The Fantasticks (Oct 18-27, Theatre Factory)
Come see Carolyn as “The Girl” in The Fantasticks, Oct 18-27.
The dress we ordered for the “girl next door” role in The Fantasticks… vs the dress that we received!
Love This Headline: “He took a date to the park where he was gored by a bison, figuring it wouldn’t happen again. He was wrong.”
Loud as a Whisper (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season 2, Episode 5)
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. A mediator who communicates via a telepathic chorus is a warring planet’s only hope for peace. While the episode isn’t perfect, nothing made me want to facepalm. I cared about Riva (the mediator) and his romantic (but at the same time respectful and professionally empathetic) interest…
My Review of the Charlottesville Tryout of “A Few Good Men” 30 Years Ago
A librarian at the University of Virginia kindly scanned and emailed the review I wrote, as an undergraduate student journalist, of the pre-Broadway tryout of A Few Good Men, in September 1989. I was prepared to cringe, but I was actually kind of proud of the lead, which applies equally to the professional production now…
Evita in Zelionople
A Few Good Men at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre
Fantastic performances, powerful writing. 30 years ago when this play had its pre-Broadway tryout at the University of Virginia, I wrote a review for the University Journal. (I just sent an email to the U.Va. library in the hopes of tracking down that review.) Director Marya Sea Kaminski, who consistently introduces herself as someone who…
In September 1999 I was blogging about Tom Stoppard, techno-utopianism, voice-recognition software, and Edgar Rice Burroughs
In September 1999, I was blogging about What makes a play worth seeing twice, according to Tom Stoppard The then-unrealistic expectations of voice-recognition software A critique of the “information wants to be free” mantra A Microsoft exec who predicted that digital publication would eclipse print publication within a decade How marketers are pushing your buttons…
Me (glares in iambic pentameter)
Me: I need to post the opening lecture for my online Shakespeare class. Also me: I should compose it in blank verse. Me (glares in iambic pentameter): Also me: O for a Canvas of fire, to surpass The farthest distance of instruction. SHU tech is cool, but can a Macbook hold A seminar discussion? Can…