by Karen Tortora-Lee on June 16, 2010

For the first few minutes of his beauty (written by Ashley Jacobson and directed by Nadine Friedman) it’s almost impossible to understand what’s going on - all that’s obvious is that a couple is fighting. Soon enough, however, you realize that that’s pretty much all you need to know. The fact that they’ve stepped out of a bar (or a party, or a friend’s house) really doesn’t matter. All that matters is that she’s considered to be, by all around her, a Beauty . . . His Beauty. And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her in her place by reminding her as often as he can that she belongs to him. That is, when he’s not telling her to stay away from him because she “smells like slut”.
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by Diánna Martin on June 16, 2010


One theatre company very near and dear to my heart is Oberon Theatre Ensemble, now celebrating its 13th season bringing invigorating theatre to New York City. Their M.O. is usually a Rep that involves both a play by The Bard and an original piece or revival. The last few years they have been doing their Reps at Theatre Row.
This year is very exciting for the company; they are again on 42nd Street, and they bring us Othello, directed by Prospect Theatre’s Cara Reichel (yes, THAT Cara Reichel), and Order, by Christopher Stetson Boal (of 23 Knives fame), directed by Austin Pendleton (yes, THAT Austin Pendleton – is there any other?). The pairing of these two plays is perfect; both involve men that strive to do good, but end up committing the most atrocious of crimes – both with their dearest “friends” whispering in their ear to bring about their own end. Only in Order . . . one must be careful not to mix friends with demons . . .
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by Sarah V. Schweig on June 16, 2010


“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a quirky Arthurian romance penned in alliterative Middle English in the 14th-century by the anonymous Pearl Poet. Because it is one of my favorite stories, of all the Planet Connections productions I was slated to see, my hopes were highest for this adaptation of the legend, The Green Knight, written by Brian Rady and directed by Jeremy Bloom.
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by The Happiest Medium on June 15, 2010

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), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.
Today we ask one question each of Emma Koenig, director and playwright (as well as one of the actors!) of I Don’t Want to Hurt Your Feelings and John Patrick Bray, writer of Liner Notes. Both shows have strong relationship-based stories. Let’s see what they’re all about . . .
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on June 15, 2010

By all accounts the Come Out and Play festival was a huge success. And we’re pleased to say that The Paper Plane Derby (featured earlier on THM) was winner of the Best Family Game! CONGRATULATIONS!
Our very own Stephen Tortora-Lee was an eager participant in the derby and wound up bringing home “Most Innovative Design”; his lovely award now hangs proudly in our home for all to see. (You can see a picture of him lined up and ready to compete after the jump.)
We caught up with Rachel Schutt and Linda Perkins again to see how they felt the day went and asked them to tell us about some of their favorite moments.
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on June 14, 2010


Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray over a hundred years ago and while it wasn’t tremendously well received in its day Wilde’s cautionary tale of a man captivated by vice and enslaved by hedonism is such a timeless one that there have been numerous adaptations of Gray – from movies to musicals and even an opera. It’s a juicy story with a lot of thought-provoking themes wrapped in an alluring package.
This new adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray is no exception. Directed and written by Glory Bowen it’s playing now at The Robert Moss Theater.
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by Stephen Tortora-Lee on June 13, 2010


I’ve always been a fan of A Midsummer Night’s Dream because (like the other plays by this Shakespeare fellow) it is well written, but unlike Hamlet or Macbeth it’s a comedy making fun of all the foibles of humanity . . . rather than a tragedy about the consequences of all the foibles of humanity. But did A Midsummer Night’s Dream end happily-ever-after or did it just seem that way? That is the question that The Thyme of the Season (written and directed by Duncan Pflaster) seeks to answer, all the while utilizing lots of funny jokes and allusions to our changing attitudes in the last few centuries in order to do it.
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by The Happiest Medium on June 12, 2010

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), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.
Today we ask one question each of Mark William Butler writer of Book, Music & Lyrics of Cat Gets Credit Card! and Julia Sandra Rand writer of Sunrise, Sunset Or Breakfast With Julia. As different as two stories could be, one is a musical romp about, well . . . a cat getting a credit card, and the other story is Julia Sand’s personal journey as she deals with her mother’s failing health.
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by Sarah V. Schweig on June 12, 2010


“The Manhattan Project” was the code name for the research and development of the atomic bomb between 1942 and 1946. The project’s early manifestations did occur in Manhattan, but the project would later expand to about 30 different locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and employ over 130,000 people.
One could assert that there are two kinds of people in this world: Those of a perhaps morose disposition who know seemingly erudite specifics about the making and dropping of the atomic bomb and those who don’t.
Manhattan Project, written by Ricardo Garcia and directed and designed by Oscar A. Mendoza, would also make binary assertions: Events are either predictable or unpredictable, mathematical or chaotic, physical or linguistic, which is to say, tangible or intangible. Even the medium of the play is divided in two—film and theatre.
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by The Happiest Medium on June 11, 2010

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), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.
Today we ask one question each of Andrew Rothkin – writer and director of Danny and Dorothy Marcic, writer of Married Plus One.
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