It starts with a snicker and a chuckle. Then comes a few snorts and a guffaw. More chuckles, leading to moans and groans. And suddenly the audience finds itself busting out in belly laughs…. That’s how Peter Shaffer’s 1965 romantic farce Black Comedy affects audiences as the absurdity picks up steam and careens down a … Continue reading
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Of Art’s Magnificence: Theatre Arlington’s “Of Mice and Men”
Transforming major novels into viable stage plays presents challenges for adapters and performance companies, alike. Aside from the need to condense entire chapters into scenes without making the play appear like a Cliff Notes version, preserving the tone and voice of a novel in stage form and delivering the conflict/resolution aspects of viable theatre within … Continue reading
Neither Virgin Nor Whore: WIT at Theatre Arlington
We need more plays like “W;t”, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer prize for Drama by Margaret Edson, about a professor of literature facing her impending death through the lens of her life’s embrace. Vivian is neither virgin nor whore. The only pedestal she stands on is one of her own making. She isn’t any version … Continue reading
A Joyful Noise: On & Off @ Theatre Arlington
Added Performance due to sell-out crowds: January 29, 6pm!!!!! “One day I must write a farce from behind,” exclaimed British playwright Michael Frayn in 1970, while watching a light comedy he wrote for Lynn Redgrave unfold from backstage, where “it was funnier.” In 1982 his celebrated farce Noises Off emerged, its title referring to offstage … 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
Theatre Arlington’s Corpse! It’s Alive!
Seen something narsty in the woodshed? Missing that ol’ esprit de corpse? Sprinkle a thimbleful of witchy dust on your favorite broomstick and jet over to Theatre Arlington to enjoy an internationally celebrated seasonal delight, Corpse! Gerald Moon’s 1983 darkly comic thriller takes place in December 1936 on the day of Edward VIII’s abdication, when … Continue reading
Peachy Keen in Plaid: Theatre Arlington
Theatre Arlington grabbed the spotlight for a double note of sweet success with Forever Plaid. Fifteen years ago four talented artists crooned well- harmonized tunes over 500 times to enthusiastic acclaim at Fort Worth’s Casa on the Square in Stuart Ross’ 1990 Off Broadway hit musical fantasy revue featuring a “guy group” modeled after the … Continue reading
DUI Intensive: Theatre Arlington
Reviewed by R. Andrew Aguilar on 6/12/2011 Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer prize winning play How I Learned to Drive is a gut-wrenching, powerful exploration of human manipulation that can burn into the mind and soul of any audience. The play focuses primarily on the issue of pedophilia, but enmeshes it with the problems of family life, … Continue reading
Attired to laugh @ Theatre Arlington
Theatre Arlington’s clever folks realize that January’s slump is the perfect reason to mount a rollicking romantic production to usher in the New Year. In Don’t Dress For Dinner, directed by regional actor and DFW Theatre Critics Forum honored director Andy Baldwin, they found the ideal vehicle to launch 2011 in fine style. A cheery … Continue reading
2009-10 Honorees: DFW Theater Critics Forum
Spirited conversation and congenial laughter, give and take, sober observations and impassioned advocacy over a tasty potluck lunch at Martha Heimberg’s stately Lakewood home made two hours simply fly by. Here’s the consensus of what worked well in regional theatre since September 2009, what we critics saw of it. DALLAS-FORT WORTH THEATER CRITICS FORUM AWARD … Continue reading
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 