Tagged with Kitchen Dog Theater …

Best on the Boards: DFW Theatre Critics Forum 2015

Another year of outstanding D/FW thespian endeavor rolls by. Herein I post the decisions arrived at by the Dallas-Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum after three hours of deliberation, negotiation, advocacy and munching David Novinski’s delicious gluten-free brownies to finish our potluck meal at Martha’s. I’m stoked by the diversity and quality of performance art in … Continue reading →

2013-14 DFW Theater Critics Forum Awards

Some of these shows I did not see. A number I  would not honor with awards. EVER. I am disappointed that neither Ochre House’s Christhelmet (directed by Matthew Posey) nor Diana Sheehan’s  Full Gallop or her sophisticated cabaret,  Searching for Gertrude Lawrence at WaterTower Theatre met the critical popularity threshold. I am quite thrilled for other wins. Call it a draw…. Direction: … Continue reading →

DFW Theatre Critics’ Forum Awards: 2013

Critics’ Forum Awards in 2013: a testament to the diverse, dynamic thespian output produced in our North Texas region, from originals to Classics, contemporary and edgy to the beloved, tried-and-true. In 2013 a youth theatre program figures prominently in the honors, and a 12-year-old member of its dedicated ensemble earns recognition for giving one of … Continue reading →

Diverse, Dynamic, Dramatic Dallas Welcomes the TCG Conference

“It’s death by art,” she grins, ruefully. Referring to her killer arts schedule as Kitchen Dog Theater’s Co-Artistic Director, Tina Parker welcomes Theatre Communications Group’s annual national conference descending this week on Dallas TX in stride. Multi-tasking? No problemo for this canny, creative, ‘wondrous’ woman…. She just opened two major productions at her unique theatre … Continue reading →

2012 in North Texas Theatre: From A Feminist Lens

Why feminist? We women make up over half of the US populace and purchase more tickets to theatre yearly than men, even with our 77 cents to any man’s dollar earned salaries. Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. Some amazing, creative people, who happen to be women, enlivened regional theatre here in … Continue reading →

Rambo or Gekko? Shakespeare Dallas Does “Macbeth”

Does Macbeth project as Rambo or Gordon Gekko? This is not a trick question. In Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth”, an injured sergeant describes the title character’s conduct on the field of battle early in the play: ”For brave Macbeth, … Disdaining fortune, with his brandisht steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour’s minion, Carved out … Continue reading →

Best of 2011: On Stage in North Texas

Reflecting on North Texas’ stage performance in 2011, I take pride in recognizing the region’s senior directors. They bring immense creative vision and studied, practiced, pragmatic understanding of their craft to the arts community. They inspire performers, critics, advocates and patrons, alike, to “keep after it”, even as we have less than a 9% share … Continue reading →

No Roadrash for 26 Miles: Kitchen Dog Theater

A teen-ager’s frantic plea for help due to a queasy stomach upsets the cozy familial status quo applecart. Quiara Alegria Hudes’ popular 2009 domestic dramedy 26 Miles evolves into a rapid-fire twenty-six-scene journey of exploration from a blue collar Philadelphia suburb to Yellowstone’s pristine peaks. Feeling sometimes like drawing source material from the films “Kramer … Continue reading →

Baby’s Long, Long Way: It’s No Act

“You’ve come a long way, baby.”This congratulatory advertising slogan from 1968 endeavored to sell gender-tailored cigarettes to young professional women, capitalizing on their expanding roles in the non-menial workforce and enhanced personal and sexual freedoms due to the Pill, revealing attire and popularity of women’s lib. Aside from wondering how truly far today’s women have … Continue reading →