Eastbound tackles Durang

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 00:00

Eastbound Theatre, Milford: Christopher Durang’s one-act plays, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You, and The Actor’s Nightmare, are on the boards in Milford.

The first is a dark comedy about a Catholic nun who teaches the “old” rules. When her past students return to visit her, we see how Sister Ignatius can bend the rules.

The second is a hilarious comedy. This is a play that actors howl with laughter over as an actor is suddenly thrown into a play with no rehearsal.

‘Macbeth’ comes to America – 1969 version

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Wednesday, 01 February 2012 00:00

Adaptations are a tricky business when it comes to theater. Surprisingly, many of the classics are adapted into new eras and new locations without losing the integrity of the piece. They usually work especially well with the plays of Shakespeare and Moliere.

However, Eric Ting’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play Macbeth 1969 misses the mark. It doesn’t even fulfill what Ting intended and spelled out in the playbill.

He wrote: “I hope this production will remind us of Macbeth the man, caught up in the winds of a world at war, who tried to come home; but who, in the end, was engulfed by the monster.” Ting’s monster is post-traumatic stress disorder. Macbeth’s monster was ambition.

Music Theatre’s Valentine offerings

Written by Joanne G. Rochman
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 00:00

Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC), Westport: With snow on the ground and the calendar about to flip over to February, area theaters are getting ready for Valentine’s Day.

Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC), located in Westport, is’ a black box venue that defines intimate because it’s small and because audiences are so close to the actors that they can practically reach out and touch them. Happily, the MTC actors will reach out and go straight to your heart with their upcoming production of Almost Maine.

This sweetheart of a musical opens on Friday, Feb. 3, and is a romantic comedy perfectly suited for a Valentine treat. What is so extra special about this production is that it features local professional actors, including Cynthia Hannah (Wilton), Tim Reilly (New Haven), Jim Schilling (Norwalk) and Katie Sparer (Stratford).

Almost Maine is a clever presentation of eight vignettes, all set in the northern most New England state of Maine. “Almost” is the operative word in this play because it represents representations, not quite the typical love stories.