Most human life consists of an ongoing, benumbing experience of mundane, routine existence. What “drama” appears isn’t all that pretty. We seek out events and connections that transport us beyond that limited experience, that can add hope, context and meaning. We long for joyful release in living our often-frustrating lives. Truly creative theatre can transport … Continue reading
Tagged with Matthew Posey …
Criticalrant’s Final “First Choices” of 2015
2015 unfolded as a stunner of a thespian year, from classics to new work, dynamic paradigm-shifters to re-invigorated audience favorites, ensemble achievements to compelling solo work. Youth to senior artists. And music? Glorious music! Performance art in our region thrives with energy, respect, initiative and genuine variety. Dedicated, impassioned creative people form the backbone … Continue reading
Giving a Fig: The Ochre House Goes Flamenco
Good thing The Ochre House Artistic Director Matthew Posey doesn’t give half a fig about sticking to telling linear stories in his original plays. Otherwise, the Dallas stage-scape would be a lot less enchanting. September 9-12, Posey and his crew of “Pioneers of the Suavant Guarde” mounted a deliciously enchanting, and non-linear, co-production with the … Continue reading
Anti-Intellectual Antidotes Triumph Center Stage
With the rise of a particularly unsavory brand of anti-intellectualism blasted across cable media and boldly defended in many halls of political discourse, especially in Texas lately, it’s a delight to observe the success of two outstanding theatre productions setting the artistic standard for the N. Texas region. By success, I mean their ability to … Continue reading
Best of 2014 On Stage: the view from Criticalrant
“I operate on the premise that a theatre’s job is to prevent people from leaving their seats before the entertainment is over.” I concur wholeheartedly with Tom Stoppard, who uttered those words in … Continue reading
Back to the Garden: “Flower in the Machine” @ THE OCHRE HOUSE
Creation is the Buzzword at Matt Posey’s The Ochre House, where collaborator artist Kevin Grammer’s original play Flower In The Machine surprises the audience with a tender, budding love fable that emerges from a grim, robotic, computer-dominated desolation drama. Simple language and sympathetic, intriguing characters ricochet off of a drab, ultra-compartmentalized Orwellian existence. Hope flourishes! … Continue reading
Grace in Styrofoam: CHRISTHELMET at The Ochre House
As posted on Dallas Morning News online: http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/arts/headlines/20140717-matthew-posey-packs-a-punch-in-christhelmet-at-the-ochre-house.ece Glide from chaos to redemption with the Ochre House’s Christhelmet, a vaudevillian drama with a transformative twist, written and directed by Ochre House founder Matthew Posey and featuring him in the title role. A fixture of local theater for more than 20 years, Posey has carved out a … Continue reading
Mirror, Mirror: Culture’s Voice
Round II Critical Rant entry in Spring for Music’s 2012 “Great Arts Blogger Challenge”: voting resumes on Monday April 2: VOTE HERE DAILY, YALL: for Critical Rant, representing Texas! http://springformusic.com/2012-great-blogger-challenge/ Question: We live in an aggressively visual age; images dominate the popular culture. But which art form has the most to say about contemporary culture, … Continue reading
Join me at the theater? Schedule Updates
Come with me to the theater? Play productions are beginning to sprout like colorful weeds all over the region. Here’s what’s opening soon or playing now: THE EXECUTIONER’S SONS by Catherine Bush Directed by Terri Ferguson Runs February 5-19, 2011 Echo Theatre Bath House Cultural Center Dallas TX http://www.echotheatre.org http://www.bathhousecultural.org The Executioner’s Sons, Photo by … Continue reading
Hitch a death-defying ride: The Ochre House
“Time is precious and there’s no accounting for it.” So sayeth the writer iconoclast Hunter S. Thompson who suicided at his Colorado retreat on February 20, 2005. Pretty mild comment for a guy who hung out with Hells Angels, was a liberal poster child for the NRA and regularly pissed off the media establishment with … Continue reading
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 