The Scene for February 29th (updated)

The Miami New Times' Stage Capsules praise The Sorrows of Young Werther at the Jesus Quintero Studio, Levee James from the M Ensemble, A Nervous Smile at New Theater, and the Actors' Playhouse offering for kids, The Wizard of Oz.

The Miami Herald reports that GableStage has had to push back the opening of Blackbird to March 6, due to the black out that affected nearly half the state this past Wednesday. The fluctuations that preceded the outage were too much for GableStage's aging equipment to bear. The Herald's Critic's Picks for this week are Jar the Floor at the Women's Theatre Project, and A Nervous Smile at New Theater.

Sun-Sentinel's Stage Bill discusses the 1st Stage Theatre Festival at Florida Stage. This is the second year for the festival, and has lined up six new plays by six well-known playwrights. These are staged readings, not full productions, but this is a great chance to see new works by some very important playwrights; William Mastrosimone, Marsha Norman, Vincent Delaney, Christopher McGovern, Catherine Treischmann, and Nilo Cruz.


Speaking of Nilo Cruz: Promethean Theater opens Two Sisters and a Piano a new play by Nilo Cruz, this Friday evening. Mr. Cruz is both a Pulitzer Prize winner and a native of South Florida. Mr. Cruz will be participating in audience talkbacks following the Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performances.

As always, complete listings for everything playing in South Florida can be found, logically enough, at SouthFloridaTheatre.com

A Peak Behind the Scenes: Dirty Story, Part 1

Director Kim St. Leon offers comments on starting rehearsals for the next play at Mosaic Theatre, whose cast includes her ex-husband, Steve Anthony.

She'll offer further insights in the middle of the process, and again just as the show opens.

The Scene for February 22

The New Times Stage Capsules are out. Interestingly, they almost review a children's show; The Wizard of Oz at Actors' Playhouse. There's just not quite enough there to qualify as an ACTUAL review. But it's nice to see children's theater getting some press.

The Miami Herald reviews Mad Cat Theatre's production of Some Girl(s).

The Sun Sentinel's Jack Zink is back in the saddle and riding hard. In addition to this week's Stage Bill, he has several reviews up. He enjoyed The Odd Couple at New Vista, and gives Broward Stage Door's take on Baby a passing grade, while Mary Damian writes something that's almost a review of Mad Cat Theatre's production of Some Girl(s). Almost, because as usual she wastes most of the article summarizing the play. It reads like mediocre ad copy. C'mon, Mary, give us at least one sentence that summarizes what you thought of the entire play. Great to see you mention everyone, but you still have to tell us about the evening as a whole.

As always, more listings of what's on area stages can be found at SouthFloridaTheatre.com

Two Classics Return

Two stories in the Herald herald the return of two names familiar to South Florida theatre lovers: the Hollywood Playhouse, and Rafael de Acha.

The Playhouse had closed after a bitter fight; the director, the board, and the person who bought the property were all at odds with each other. Some of the artists involved went on to start their own companies elsewhere, and we all wondered what the future would bring. At one point, there was talk about tearing the theater down to develop the land, but a deed restriction decrees the land can only host a theater.

So it appears that Gary Posner has refurbished the 60 year old facility, and re-opened it. The new Hollywood Playhouse is neither a community theater nor a production house; it's more like the Cuillo Center in West Palm Beach. They won't actually produce plays, but they will book productions in, and rent the space to producing companies.

Rafael de Acha stepped down as Artistic Director of New Theatre just about two years ago. He had taken the small company to great heights of success, including commissioning Nilo Cruz to write Anna in the Tropics, which premiered at their small theater in Coral Gables. The play went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, the first time a play has done that without a New York production. Since then, the play has not only been produced on Broadway, but in numerous regional theaters across the country.

de Acha and his wife, actor Kimberly Daniels, have had a tumultuous two years, but are stepping back into the theatre scene with a new project, Theatre By The Book. It's a series of play readings to be staged at Coral Gables Congregational Church. It looks like he'll be calling on a lot of the talent he's directed in years past, and that bodes well for us all. The program will consist of classic, large-cast plays; the ones no one can afford to produce as fully staged productions.

I'm very excited about Theatre By The Book; it will fill a large gap in the local theater scene. I'm also excited to discover that Rafael has a blog; he's one of theatre's most astute scholars, and it's great to discover that he's sharing it with us. Kudos, Rafi.

And call me if you need another voice.

The Playhouse has cast FOOTLOOSE

The Actors' Playhouse has posted the cast list for its upcoming production of FOOTLOOSE on its MySpace page. It's a cornucopia of South Florida talent. Check it out.

The Scene for February 15

What are the local rags saying about theater this week? Not a lot.

The Sun-Sentinel starts off with a blurb about a radio station, but they eventually get back on topic in this weeks Stage Bill. The best news is that it was written by Jack Zink, an indication he's feeling better. Welcome Back, Jack!

The Herald hasn't updated for this week, but the most recent Critic's Pick is New Vista's production of THE ODD COUPLE.

Hmm, The New Times hasn't updated, either, although Brandon K Thorp's review of M Ensemble's LEVEE JAMES is up.

Nobody seems to mention that Tony & Tina's Wedding just opened for a limited run in the Broward Performing Arts Center's Abdo New River Room. This one includes dinner and dancing!


Kid's Corner

For kids, you can see THE WIZARD OF OZ at Actors' Playhouse in Coral Gables. HANSEL AND GRETEL is playing at the Broward Center For the Performing Arts. In Palm Beach, Annie Jr is being presented by ShowTime Dance & Performing Arts Theatre.

Mosaic Theater puts a Critic to the Question

This interview was originally published in Mosaic Theatre's Newsletter. It's rare for a theater producer, director or actor to have a chance to question a critic; Richard Jay Simon is all three. He did a terrific job with this interview, and I asked if I could re-post it here. I appreciate his willingness to share this interview with South Florida Theatre Scene.

Be sure to read his blog TILES (linked in our sidebar), and be sure to check out Mosaic Theatre.

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Ten Questions with Miami Herald Theater Critic Christine Dolen!
By Richard Jay Simon

I'm often asked questions about the role of the critic so I decided to ask one of the best in the region, Christine Dolen of the Miami Herald. Also check out Christine Dolen's Blog, Drama Queen which is updated regularly and offers her insight into the theater world. Alas, the questions and answers.

Q: Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? What sparked your passion to become involved in the arts? Have you ever been involved in any other capacity aside from critic? How did you become a theater critic for the Miami Herald and tell us a little about your journey in becoming one?

A: I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and remember reading reviews even as a kid (I know -- very strange). My father, Bill Hindman, was an actor, and when I was a preteen, he did a couple of years of summer stock theater just north of the city, and I'm guessing that's when I got really interested in theater. During junior high and a bit in high school, I acted in a few teen/community productions, but I quickly realized: 1. I didn't have my dad's talent; 2. I was too self-conscious to be an actor.

Bill Hindman

I majored in journalism at Ohio State University and did some freelance film and theater reviewing when I was on the staff of the Columbus Dispatch. I was hired as an arts copy editor and rock music critic at the Detroit Free Press, and while I was there the theater critic left on a fellowship, so I filled in for awhile. I was hired at the Herald as arts editor, then returned to rock criticism, then got the theater critic job when the previous critic left in 1979.

Q: If you weren't a theater critic, what might you be doing to earn a paycheck? Feel free to discuss odd jobs that you've had since you were a kid.

A: It's probably sad to say, but I'm not sure what else I would be doing. The only non-journalism job I ever had was at a fast-food place in high school, and I don't think I'd want to go back to that. I'd probably be some sort of editor, I'm guessing. But I hope I don't have to find out.

Q: Please share your best and worst experience in your career. A local actor once told me that he was going to send a certain critic a copy of the Vincent Price movie "Theater of Blood" which is a B horror flick where an actor seeks revenge on the critics who gave him awful notices. Any wild stories to share and of course, feel free to omit the names of the individuals or organizations involved.

A: My friend, former UM film professor George Capewell, his actress-wife Cynthia Caquelin (who also taught at UM and New World) and I always agreed that the worst thing we had ever seen locally was an independent production of the play "Modigliani," which was directed by the (very bad, very egotistical and dialogue-challenged) leading actor's girlfriend. A few things came close, but nothing else here bottomed out quite that horribly. It's hard to say what were the best experiences, but I would count the Broadway production of "Nicholas Nickleby," a production of "Cyrano de Bergerac" starring Derek Jacobi and the first time I heard "Anna in the Tropics" read among things I'll always treasure.

Q: What was the most memorable interview you have conducted or story you have covered and why?

A: Again, it's tough to pin down one thing. I'll never forget interviewing Tennessee Williams at a cafe in Key West, and later writing an obituary of him that was published in the Herald AND in an English-language paper in China.

The first place I ever interviewed Edward Albee was in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel, as he sat and petted the Algonquin cat. I was always a little terrified of interviewing him -- he is SO bright and quick, and he doesn't suffer foolish questions -- but as I did subsequent interviews with him, I came to appreciate his humor and the warmth underneath the formidable intellect. I have also loved writing about theater talents from Miami who are having an impact on the larger world: Nilo Cruz, Raul Esparza, Tarell McCraney. And, way back when, I interviewed both Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (though not together).
In my rock critic days I: Went to the circus with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; flew on Led Zeppelin’s private plane; sat beside Billy Joel & behind Kris Kristofferson as we watched Stephen Stills perform in Havana. But that’s another interview.

Q: Please discuss your process as a reviewer. Do you have specific guidelines or criteria which you use to judge a production? Are new plays viewed differently than established ones? How are fledging new theatre companies judged versus established companies?

A: The bottom line is this: Good theater is good theater. Critics evaluate the play (particularly in the case of a new script) and the production; the performances; the direction; the design. We try to analyze what works and what doesn’t. We try to place a play in the larger context of that author’s work, or a production within the context of the work a particular company does. Writing about a new play is slightly different (and an interesting challenge). New works are seldom perfect the first time they’re produced, so if there are flaws, you point them out and analyze them. New companies usually don’t have the resources of established ones, so certainly you take that into account, but again – good theater is good theater.

Q: When you see a theatre with empty seats, do you feel any obligation or responsibility to give a positive review to help generate ticket sales?

A: No, I don’t. While I realize reviews can and do have an effect on sales (sometimes slight, sometimes major), there are enough critics in South Florida that theatergoers can access a spectrum of opinions about a production. Pulling punches, being “nice,” damages a critic’s credibility. Although what we do involves opinion writing, we are also journalists, and it’s our obligation to be accurate and honest.

Q: Does an audience's reaction (or lack thereof) to a show or the size of a house ever influence your review? Many producers fear critics attending a performance that is not well attended, especially for a comedy, might have a negative impact on a review. Is that a myth?
A: The audience’s reaction or the size of an audience has nothing to do with how I review a show. I have sometimes loved shows that an audience clearly didn’t like, and vice versa. An audience comes to a production to be entertained (or moved or enlightened!). A critic is there to analyze and reflect on a production. If there seems to be a major disparity between the way the audience is reacting to a piece and the way the critic sees it, the critic (as a journalist) really has an obligation to comment on that/analyze it as part of the review.

Q: Often times a glorious review with an ambiguous headline can mislead a reader, deciding whether or not the article is read. Ultimately that can have a significant effect on ticket sales. Is it fact or fiction that critics do not select the headline for a story?

A: Critics have nothing to do with headlines (or photo captions). Those are written by the folks on the copy desk. They should reflect the overall tone of the review – positive, negative or mixed (in which case, the headline should be neutral). Generally, the system works, though certainly there have been times when I felt a headline (which is, after all, just a few words) suggested a review was more negative than it actually was. And yes, that bothers me. That’s why I would resist a star system (like the one used with movie reviews) for theater reviews: It’s too easy for a reader to just look at that and skip the more nuanced analysis in a review.

Q: For me, there is nothing worse than sitting through an awful production. Yet, as a producer, I must see a lot and attempt diplomacy. Have you ever walked out of a production that you were covering? Do you find yourself after seeing a bad show desperately trying to say at least one positive thing about it? Do you find yourself after seeing a good show playing devil's advocate to find something negative?

A: The only time I ever left a play I was reviewing actually involved a Broadway production of the Scottish play, many years ago. But in writing a capsule review of it (the format I use when writing about multiple Broadway productions), I said in print that I had bailed at intermission, and said why.
If I go to a play that I’m not covering and it’s really bad, I feel no obligation to stick it out to the bitter end. But if I’m reviewing, I must and do stay ‘til the end.

I do NOT try to say something positive about a poor production, nor do I search for something negative to say about a good one. That has nothing to do with the critic’s task or process.

Q: Describe how you see the development of theatre in South Florida over the years, from when you started to now. And as you look in the "Christine Dolen Crystal Ball" how do you see the future of this arts community?

A: When I began as the Herald’s theater critic in 1979 (I know – before some of the people reading this were born!), there wasn’t much homegrown theater here. Ruth Foreman was a longtime force in theater, and there was (unlike now) the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the Caldwell, touring Broadway theater. Small and sometimes wonderful companies came and went: I particularly miss Area Stage and the Acme Acting Company.

Now, the region is home to so much good theater and so many small- to medium-sized companies. We have a burgeoning play-writing scene, a strong talent pool, artistic directors who compete to get provocative scripts from New York and regional theater, plus so much new work. It’s a great time to be in theater or writing about it. My hope is that the Coconut Grove Playhouse can be reborn (before too long!) as a strong regional theater reflective of the cultural richness of South Florida, a place where everything from new work to the classics can be produced. I think that’s the only thing missing from an otherwise vibrant theater community.

The Scene for the Weekend of February 8th. UPDATED

I know what you're thinking: "HEY! Where's the cool list with the pictures and the little blurbs about the shows?"

I'm discontinuing the lists because
A. southfloridatheatre.com already has a list and
B. I just don't have time with my new job.

But I still intend to help theater lovers decide what to see: I'm going to link to the recommendations of the various theater critics around town, and whatever new and exciting project catches my attention.

Brandon K. Thorp of the Miami New Times

Christine Dolen of the Miami Herald

The Palm Beach Post Weekly Listings sorted by "theater."

The Sun Sentinel (to be updated on Friday when they post it.) Well, it seems that the weekly Sun-Sentinel is only dealing with the Carbonell Awards in this week's Stagebill. The Carbonells, as noted earlier this week, will occur in APRIL. Not to denigrate Bill Hirschman's lovely tribute to Jack Zink, but shouldn't that have been its own article? The Stagebill is supposed to help Sen-Sentinel readers know what's happening each week in area theaters.

As always, southfloridatheatre.com has complete listings, with descriptions of shows and links the the theaters.

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2008 Carbonell Nominations announced

The nominees for the 32nd Annual Carbonell Awards have been posted.

The theaters leading with the most nominations are the venerable GableStage, located in Coral Gables, and the Maltz Jupiter Theater, located at the other end of South Florida in Jupiter.

The 32nd Annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony will take place at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Monday April 7, 2008 .

Visit the Carbonell website for breakdowns by show and theater, but here's the COMPLETE list:

COMBINED (plays and musicals)

Best New Work (play or musical) (award to author): David Caudle, Likeness, New Theatre; Michael McKeever, Melt, New Theatre; and Juan C. Sanchez, Red Tide, The Promethean Theatre.

Best Ensemble Production (play or musical): Glengarry Glen Ross, Mosaic Theatre; Melt, New Theatre; Steel Magnolias, Caldwell Theatre Company; and Summer Shorts, City Theatre.

PLAYS

Best Production of a Play (award to producing organization): Glengarry Glen Ross, Mosaic Theatre; A House With No Walls, Florida Stage; The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Talk Radio, Mosaic Theatre; and Trying, Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Best Director/Play: Joseph Adler, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Nanique Gheridian, Trying, Palm Beach Dramaworks; Richard Jay Simon, Glengarry Glen Ross, Mosaic Theatre; Richard Jay Simon, Talk Radio, Mosaic Theatre; and Louis Tyrrell, A House With No Walls, Florida Stage.

Best Actor/Play: Stephen G. Anthony, Faith Healer, Inside Out Theatre Company; Todd Allen Durkin, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; John Felix, Guest Artist, Mosaic Theatre; Peter Haig, Trying, Palm Beach Dramaworks; and Paul Tei, Talk Radio, Mosaic Theatre.

Best Actress/Play: Kameshia Duncan , A House With No Walls, Florida Stage; Lela Elam, In the Continuum, GableStage; Margot Moreland, Fat Pig, GableStage; Pilar Uribe, Nine Parts of Desire, Mosaic Theatre; and Tara Vodihn, I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady From Rwanda, New Theatre.

Best Supporting Actor/Play: Ken Clement, Faith Healer, Inside Out Theatre Company; Erik Fabregat, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; John Felix, Melt, New Theatre; Andrew Rassmussen, According to Goldman, Florida Stage; and Paul Tei, Glengarry Glen Ross, Mosaic Theatre.

Best Supporting Actress/Play: Linda Bernhard, Sister Cities, The Women's Project; Pat Bowie, Doubt, Caldwell Theatre Company; Kim Morgan, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Kim Morgan, Smut, GableStage; and Angie Radosh, The Fourth Wall, Palm Beach DramaWorks.

MUSICALS

Best Production of a Musical (award to producing organization): The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; I Love You Because, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; and

Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre.

Best Director/Musical: David Arisco, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; David Arisco, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Peter Flynn, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; J. Barry Lewis, Side by Side by Sondheim, Palm Beach Dramaworks; and Mark Martino, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

Best Actor/Musical: Neal Benari, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Jerry Gulledge, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Terrell Hardcastle, Side by Side by Sondheim, Palm Beach Dramaworks; Gary Marachek, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; and Tally Sessions, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre.

Best Actress/Musical: Irene Adjan, Funny Girl, New Vista Theatre Company; Natalie Hall, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Jennifer Hughes, I Love You Because, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Alicia Irving, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; and Laura Turnbull, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, New Vista Theatre Company.

Best Supporting Actor/Musical: Jim Ballard, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Marcus Davis, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Connor Gallagher, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Christopher A. Kent, Funny Girl, New Vista Theatre Company; and Michael Lluberes, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

Best Supporting Actress/Musical: Cherilyn Franco, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Rachel Jones, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Julie Kotarides, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Erin McGuire, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; and Lourelene Snedeker, Backwards in High Heels, Florida Stage.

Musical Direction/Musical: Eric Alsford, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Craig D. Ames, Side by Side by Sondheim, Palm Beach Dramaworks; Helen Gregory, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Helen Gregory, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; and David Nagy, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre.

Choreography/Musical: Chrissi Ardito, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Chrissi Ardito, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre; Lynnette Barkley, Backwards in High Heels, Florida Stage; Rob Dawson, Funny Girl, New Vista Theatre Company; and Denis Jones, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

DESIGN (plays & musicals)

Best Scenic Design: Lyle Baskin, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Michael Bottari and Ronald Case, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Dan Kuchar, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Sean McClelland, Guest Artist, Mosaic Theatre; and Sean McClelland, Talk Radio, Mosaic Theatre.

Best Lighting Design: Lance Blank, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, New Vista Theatre Company; Jeff Quinn, Fat Pig, GableStage; Jeff Quinn, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Donald Edmund Thomas, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; and Donald Edmund Thomas, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

Best Costume Design: Erin Amico, Summer Shorts, City Theatre; Michael Bottari and Ronald Case, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Jose M. Rivera, The Boy Friend, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Ellis Tillman, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; and Ellis Tillman, Urinetown, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre.

Best Sound Design: Matt Corey, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, GableStage; Matt Corey, Talk Radio, Mosaic Theatre; Luis Lojo, Man of La Mancha, Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Steve Shapiro, Summer Shorts, City Theatre; and Lane Starratt, La Cage aux Folles, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre.