1. Title of Production: Old West Producing Theatre Company: ArcTisTics Performance Dates: November 8, 2008 Key Artists: Director-Cristina Masoliver
Picture with Caption: "Media Credit: Courtesy of ArcTisTics Gabe Rael, left, Philip Torres, center, and Juanita Romero from ArcTisTics will perform in the play "Old West" at the KiMo Theatre on Saturday."
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My Own Words: This show is unconventional because of it's casting choices. The cast is comprised of actors and mentally handicapped actors.
2. Title of Production: "Twelfth Night" Producing Theatre Company: the artists of the Theatricum Botanicum Performance Dates: August 31-October 20, 2001 Key Artists: Director-Susan Angelo Writer-William Shakespeare
Quote: "It's blessed with an excellent piece of unconventional casting but weighed down by an equally striking miscasting." Link:
My Own Words: There is unconventional casting in this performance as well, the director made the choice of casting a dwarf as Feste. A few lines make this choice a little comedy of itself, while throwing sight gags at the man's height.
3. Title of Production: "A Streetcar Named Desire" Producing Theatre Company: Roundabout Theatre Company Performance Dates: March 26, 2005-July 3, 2005 Key Artists: Director-Edward Hall Writer- Tennessee Williams Blanche DuBois-Natasha Richardson Stanley Kowalski-John C. Reilly Stella Kowalski-Amy Ryan Mitch-Chris Bauer
Quote: "Rather than attempting the impossible feat of casting another Brando...Edward Hall has opted for a totally against the grain Stanley." Link:
My Own Words: Again, unconventional casting was used in this production. Having such an icon as Marlon Brando precede you in a role is daunting, but then to also know you're not the typical body type/stature that most every one imagines in that role....the result can be quite overwhelming.
4. Title of Production: "PAY UP" Producing Theatre Company: Pig Iron Theatre Company Performance Dates: September 2, 2005-September 17, 2005 Key Artists: Director-Dan Rothenburg Writer-Pig Iron Theatre Company Robert Quillen Camp Actors-thirty-five members from the Pig Iron Theatre Company
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Caption: "A site-specific, choose-your-own adventure performance installation about buying and selling everything under the sun." Link:
My Own Words:
5. Title of Production: "The Boys Next Doors" Producing Theatre Company: Mixed Blood and Interact Theatre Performance Dates: December 4 - January 26 Key Artists: Writer-Tom Griffin
Quote: "It's a risk to put on a play about the mentally handicapped and doubly so to have mentally handicapped actors star in the show, but Mixed Blood and Interact Theatres' unusual production of Tom Griffin's 1986 play The Boys Next Door reaps huge dividends from blending an ensemble of mentally challenged and professional actors." Link:
Summary: This play is controversial because it takes stories from real first times and airs it on the stage. The director uses a projection at the end of the show to say 'this isn't a life changing event', but some of the stories done on stage are about incest and rape which in my opinion are very life changing. This show has been called vulgar, provocative, phenomenal, erotic and political.
Summary: “Equus” features a moment involving a naked boy and a horse. For many hearing this, not even seeing the play or knowing what it is about, they automatically think of zoophiliac actions.
Gay Broadway
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What: ''Corpus Christi,''
Where: Manhattan Theater Club
When: October 14, 1998
Who: Manhattan Theater Club, Lynne Meadow, artistic director; Barry Grove, executive producer
Summary: This show is seemingly innocent and, deemed by numerous reviews, harmless. The only reason for controversy of this gay show is the main character involved, Jesus. In this show Jesus, as well as his disciples, are portrayed as gay. There are sex scenes in the show, but from reviewer’s standpoints they were heterosexual sex scenes. The main hoopla of debate concerning this show is that Jesus is gay.
Summary: This show deals with peoples’ hatred of the word “black”. This show uses an all black cast; the “white roles” are played by African Americans with white masks. This was done to show that “the illusion of their whiteness is meant to be transparent.” This show was written to show the problems the community has with a word, a color, and a race of people.
Raided or Closed
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What: "The Pleasure Man" by Mae West
Where: The Biltmore, at 261 West Forty-seventh Street
Summary: This show was closed by the police after only one showing because of the lurid content that shocked the audiences. The main character was castrated and dies under the knife of his “surgery”. This and the “surgery” being performed by a brother of a woman this main character has impregnated, and cares nothing for, and is watched by a largely transvestite crowd.
Summary: This was considered controversial because of several sex scenes. Mae West, and the entire cast, was arrested on charges of obscenity. This play was considered “A crude, inept play, cheaply produced and poorly acted….” It gave for a cheap thrills, but was considered indecent.
Summary: This show was controversial because of the homoeroticism on-stage between two female characters; one being a comfortable femme fatale, in knowing and embracing her sexuality, while the other is not acknowledging her preference. It makes for a witty and dramatic show.
Regional Theatre
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What: "Beclch" by Rochelle Owens
Where: Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadephia, PA
When: February 1967
Who: The players of the Theatre of the Living Arts
Quote: Two of the female trustees of this theatre say that if shows of this caliber continue the only attendees of the theatre will be "...junkies, delinquents, potential suicides and some college kids."
Summary: This production was controversial because of the violence and sexual scenes that happened. The violence was of the main female character that beats a child, sacrifices a goat, and eats the remains. The sexual scenes include the dancing in the script that not only mimic the act but with the chosen costumes it seems as though the women are truly naked. This show has been called "theatre of cruelty" and aptly so.
College/University
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What: "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You"
Summary: The show produced has been claimed a satirical commentary on western religion. There were complaints that this show wasn’t funny, nor intelligent and not suitable for performance. There were objections that this show wasn’t sensitive to people in the community, nor to season ticket holders. It ridicules certain peoples religion and they aren’t ready, perhaps nor capable, to handle such joking.
10. High School
What show: The Laramie Project Where: Grandfield, Oklahoma
Grandfield ISD
When: March 5, 2009
Who: Debra Taylor
"Debra Taylor was suspended for continuing with a class production of "The Laramie Project" as part of the ethics and street law class at the high school."
"By penalizing this teacher for trying to teach students that they can have a disagreement with another human being and NOT have to kill them, Mr. Turlington is doing nothing but advocating the senseless violence against a class of people that he has a problem with. "
My Own Words: What seems to be the case in this situation is that the school board members have made a decision without knowing all the facts. The school board believes the show to be about gay rights activism and condoning violence against fellow human being; however, that is not the case. The teacher and the students and the parents of the students are rightly outraged because of the actions that are being taken against their teacher.
"With a battery of special effects, director David Ira Goldstein combines a serious tone with the wacky grotesqueness of the old TV show The Addams Family."
This is a short review, it gives a quick summary of the play. This reviewer sings praises of Kushner while giving a unique comment to the director.
2. The Original Broadway Production (1993)
Soaring "Angels in America"//Ethereal epic of dissolution takes flight on Broadway by David Patrick Stearns, USA TODAY, May 5, 1993, Wednesday, FINAL DESTINATION
"But director George C. Wolfe has taken the best from the Los Angeles production, shored up the weaker areas and delivered a work that unfolds with such fleetness, you wish there weren't intermissions..."
This reviewer again delivers a short review of this production. This review consists of a compliment to the director, a judgement on the acting performances, and a few compliments to Tony Kushner.
3. A Non-NYC-Based Professional Production (since 1993) Theatre: Angels in America. Part One: Millennium Approaches by James Marland, 28 April 2008, Media-Culture Reviews
"...Alex Galeazzi has directed an impressive adaptation of Kushner’s extraordinarily complex text."
This review delivers a summary of the play, a description of set and projections used during this production. The acting choices, directing and technical choices are observed. This reviewer was quite subjective in this re-telling of his experience
4. A College Production (anytime) K-College theater hits most notes of 'Angels in America' just right by Mark Wedel, Special to the Gazette, May 16, 2008
"...the cast and crew of Kalamazoo College's Festival Playhouse hit most of the many notes just right, giving the three hours a moving emotional core."
The reviewer praises Tony Kushner on his script. This review covers the look of the set, the prop mishaps, and the scene changes. The casting and acting are judged and found acceptable if not exemplary, in the reviewer's eyes.
"The six-hour movie is a dazzling exploration of faith, politics and sexuality in the United States soon after the start of the AIDS era."
This review gives a summary of the play, tells of directing and acting choices and discusses problems this viewer had with certain aspects of this production. One of the points of this review is to discuss the light in which nurses are portrayed.
