The Happiest Medium Review by guest contributors Anjali Koppal and Saurabh Paranjape

In Chad Beckim’s frothy romantic comedy Cookie, it is hard not to cheer for mopey, instantly likable man-child Alan as he awkwardly navigates the unexpected pitfalls and redemptions of a hastily put-together ‘Green Card marriage’ scam. Told through a series of short and consistently entertaining vignettes, Cookie is a breezy story of unlikely love that also takes the occasional light-hearted jab at society’s unspoken racial stereotypes.

(...)
Read the rest of Cookie: Warm, Crisp, And Delightfully Sweet (Fringe Festival 2010) (389 words)

© The Happiest Medium for The Happiest Medium, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anjali Koppal, Chad Beckim, Cookie, Fringe Festival 2010, Janet Bobcean, Saurabh Paranjape, The Robert Moss Theater

The Happiest Medium Review by guest contributor Kate Mickere

The art of storytelling seems to be in the Irish blood. Ancient bards used to wander the Irish countryside, singing the haunting ballads of the isle for a pint of ale. Ray Yeates is a modern bard, traveling across the Atlantic to perform the beautiful one-man show, The Parting Glass.

Written by Dermot Bolger, The Parting Glass examines the story of Eoin, a middle-aged man returning to Ireland after a twenty year absence. Telling his story from the waiting area of the Dublin airport, Eoin takes us through his life. With a great warmth and sharp humor, he discusses childhood friends, life in Germany and soccer. He beautifully explains a father’s love for his son and mourns the loss of his parents and the Irish way of life.

(...)
Read the rest of The Parting Glass (undergroundzero Festival 2010) (258 words)

© The Happiest Medium for The Happiest Medium, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dermot Bolger, Ray Yeates, undergroundzero festival

The Happiest Medium Review by guest contributor Kate Mickere

 

(L-R): Alex Draper, performer of Plevna: Meditations on Hatred, and Robert Emmet Lunney, performer of Gary the Thief (photo credit: Stan Barouh)

Four floors below the sizzling New York streets, the Potomac Theatre Project is exploring hate.

Gary the Thief and Plevna: Meditations on Hatred are two dramatic poems by Howard Barker (both directed by Richard Romagnoli) . The playwright, who has coined the term “Theatre of Catastrophe” to describe his work, is arguing for the return of tragedy in the theatre. Tragedy, in Barker’s opinion, makes theatre more poetic. This short presentation, however, is mostly devoid of the heightened theatricality Barker typically pursues.

(...)
Read the rest of Two Short Pieces That Are Long On Anger: “Gary The Thief” and “Plevna: Meditations On Hatred” (422 words)

© The Happiest Medium for The Happiest Medium, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alex Draper, Atlantic Stage 2, Gary the Thief, Plevna: Meditations on Hatred, Potomac Theatre Project, Robert Emmet Lunney

The Happiest Medium Review by guest contributor Kate Mickere

Magazines and television often proclaim that a good makeover can be life changing. Women are constantly being told that a new hairstyle or designer dress will allow them to get over that boyfriend, get a new job and take over the world. While a new tube of lipstick hardly seems like proper therapy, sometimes a little care makes a huge difference. A trip to the spa transforms the woman in The Awakening (Story by Yakup Almelek, adapted for the stage by Annie Ward and presented by the Complete Theatre Company at Theatre Three).

(...)
Read the rest of “The Awakening”- Produced By The Complete Theatre Company (455 words)

© The Happiest Medium for The Happiest Medium, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Annie Ward, Complete Theatre Company, The Awakening, Yakup Almelek

THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED – BUT YOU CAN STILL CHECK OUT THE SHOW!

(...)
Read the rest of Win Tickets To An Ideal Husband! (296 words)

© The Happiest Medium for The Happiest Medium, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: An Ideal Husband, big rodent productions, Oscar Wilde, The Happiest Medium Giveaways

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations. The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.

The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival) is finally wrapping up our Planet Connections Q&A!  We hope you enjoyed reading all the interesting answers.

Our last post casts the spotlight on two shows which we reviewed here and one show which sounds like a blast (no pun intended) but which we were not able to cover.  Read on to see how Aliza Shane (Playwright/Director) & Laura Hirschberg (Assistant Director/Stage Manager) of ARE YOU THERE ZEUS? IT’S ME, ELECTRA. answered our five questions. Then, keep reading to see what Ashley Jacobson, writer of his beauty had to say. And finally, stick around to see what BJ: A Musical Romp has in store for its audiences . . .

(...)
Read the rest of Planet Connections Q&A: Final Three For The Price Of Two (1,614 words)