Mondays are Dark

It's a new year on the Theatre Scene, although we're only halfway through the current theatre season.

This week's dark theater is the Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach.  The 878 seat theater was built in 1958 to showcase Broadway stars in limited run productions, usually "straight" plays, for vacationing snowbirds.  The last production in the venue was 2004.  And as you'll see later, it doesn't look like it will be opening again any time soon.

And now for your Monday reading list:

A Peak at The Interview
BroadwayWorld has a pictorial up for The Interview, playing now at The Women's Theatre Project.

The Once and Future Bard
Florida Theater On Stage talks with Tarrell Alvin McRaney, who hopes that his upcoming adaptation of Hamlet at GableStage will eventually lead to a proper Shakespeare festival.  Which makes the springboard of GableStage especially appropriate, as the company was built from the bones of the Florida Shakespeare Festival.

Sandy Fundriaser
The Examiner fills us in on who's performing in the Broadway Sandy Relief Fundrasier at Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre tonight in Fort Lauderdale.

Dramaworks' Master Series Continues
The Palm Beach Daily News reports that Palm Beach Dramaworks, which just closed Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance, will be screening a documentary on the playwright during the week.

The Lost Craft
The Village Voice ruminates on the lost craft of acting on stage.  Gold standards of stagecraft that have been lost include 'opening out," "cheating," and "countering."  Perhaps instead of chasing ephemeral constructs to lure in audiences, we should re-instill the basics that strengthen live performances in subtle but meaningful ways.

The Big Story
Tee big story this week seems to be Mad Cat Theatre Company's production of Christina Wong's Cat Lady.  In addition to Mary Damino's story, Florida Theater On Stage did a feature, BroadwayWorld had a pictorial, and was the pick of the week for The Miami Herald.

New Blog In Town
Mary Damiano has started a blog; MaryDamiano.com.  Her first story is....
 an advance for Cat Lady at Mad Cat.

Good News for The Plaza
The Palm Beach Post reports that work on the Lantana Bridge - the primary access to Manalapan from the mainland - is running ahead of schedule.  Why, it could be open as soon as... November.  Which is sooner than March.  But probably not soon enough for the businesses languishing on the beach side of Ocean Avenue, such as The Plaza Theatre, which has been struggling to get audiences in to see its recent crop of critically acclaimed plays.  BTW, you can get there very easily by crossing to A1A via the Woolbright Avenue Bridge in Boynton Beach and heading north.  Or crossing in Lake Worth and heading south.  Pretty drive, too.

WWJD?
For those who've been wondering were Jesus Quintero got to, he's relocated to Montana.  Read about his move in the Bonner County Daily Bee.  And no, we're absolutely not making this up.

Meanwhile...
...in Palm Beach, the Royal Poinciana Playhouse is still closed.  And The Palm Beach Daily News reports that Patrick Flynn, the man working hardest to get it re-opened, passed away this past Friday.

Several months ago, Mr. Flynn informed the South Florida Theatre Scene that he had submitted a lease application to The Sterling Group, but we have not heard any more from either side on the issue.  It remains to be seen whether anyone will continue the fight with the same passion as Mr. Flynn.  Rest in peace, sir.