Mondays are Dark

The Latest Addition
Miami Artzine.com's Roger Martin tells us a little more about the newest theatre on the scene, Zoetic Stage, founded by Michael McKeever, Christopher Demos-Brown, and director Stuart Meltzer.  Martin also explains the company's name:

...and yes, I had to look it up. "Zoetic" means, according to the Dictionary of Obscure Words, “living” and “vital”. Knowing these guys, I'd say that's pretty apt.

Did we mention that two of the three founders are playwrights? 

Zoetic has lined up a powerful company to start with:  Irene Adjan, Stephen G. Anthony, Jeffrey Bruce, Nick Duckart, Lela Elam, John Felix, Elena Maria Garcia, Maribeth Graham, Amy London, Margery Lowe, Amy McKenna, David Perez Ribada, Jerry Seeger, Kim St. Leon, Barry Tarallo, Laura Turnbull and Tom Wahl.

High Hopes for Low Down
The Palm Beach Daily News looks into the inaugural production at Florida Stage's new home, Low Down Dirty Blues.

Wheetman and Randal Myler created Low Down Dirty Blues, the musical revue with which Florida Stage will make its grand entrance Saturday at its new digs in the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse.

“Whenever you’re going through hard times, music can be a vehicle for releasing anger, frustration and grief, and getting on with your life,” Wheetman said. “The blues is very much like that. In the black culture they often talk about how when they hear someone sing the blues, they smile. There’s an acknowledgement that we’re all in this together.”

Put that way, the blues sounds like a remedy for the recession doldrums and an apt accompaniment for Florida Stage’s belt-tightening, options-opening move to the Kravis.

In case you're wondering about how their move is going, 1st Stage has pictures showing the company's move, including a shot of the Rinker Playhouse and its new seats.

Other Big News at Kravis Center
And just in case you think that Florida Stage is the only big thing happening at the Kravis Center, the Shiny Sheet has news for you.

Elsewhere in Palm Beach County
The Palm Beach Post talks about Secret Order, which opened at the Caldwell this last weekend, with Gordon McConnel, and talks with Kevin Crawford about his upcoming turn as director and actor in Macbeth, at the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival.  Hap Erstein notes that Crawford and actress Heidi Harris starred in the Scottish Play the last time the company mounted it, some 14 years ago.  But he neglects to mention that it's also the first play the company ever presented. And while Crawford scoffs at the curse, some of us recall that the set had to be radically re-constructed overnight...
Well, OK that was actually due to a misunderstanding between director Kermit Christman and his contractor, who had no scenic experience but "built a deck for Perry Como, once." But that's kinda curse-like, right?

Still Waiting...
We're already about two weeks into July, and still no sign of life at South Florida Theatre Review.  Broward County's black hole of theatre coverage continues...

Giving Back
TheatreMania reports that Raúl Esparza, one of South Florida's Broadway stars, will be teaching a workshop for YoungArts Miami.  The workshop is tomorrow, and it's only open to Miami-Dade high school students.  Esparza came to town to appear in the critically acclaimed Babalu, with Lucy Arnaz.

Meanwhile...
... in Palm Beach, the Royal Poinciana Playhouse is still closed:

A judge will be asked Wednesday to toss out a town lawsuit requesting a judicial opinion on the constitutionality of a referendum that would beef up protection of landmarked buildings.

Flynn and the PAC seek to preserve the landmarked Royal Poinciana Playhouse from any future action by the council or Landmarks Preservation Commission that would allow its demolition. The long-shuttered Playhouse has been in the crosshairs of developers who want to put up condos on the waterfront site.