The play opens in the kitchen and stays there for almost the entirety of the show. (Photos: Sean Moore)
It’s difficult to imagine a more Memphis-centric theater outing than the opening night of The Circuit Playhouse’s production of The Hot Wing King — written by Memphis native Katori Hall, performed by a cast of six Memphis residents, set in Memphis, and attended by none other than the mayor of Memphis.
If the audience’s response is anything to go by, this show’s success could be described not by a traditional two thumbs-up, but rather by a rapid-fire volley of finger snaps. The Hot Wing King serves up not only an often-hilarious look at the bonds and squabbles of a found family, but also a refreshing, unapologetic depiction of gay Black men comfortably presenting a full range of everything non-toxic masculinity can be.
This play has a bit of a sitcom-like feel to it, right down to Andrew Mannion’s scene design of a slightly upscale lived-in Memphis house. The play opens in the kitchen and we stay there for almost the entirety of the show, but you’ll find no complaints here as the set dressing was beautifully homey.
The Hot Wing King follows Cordell, a St. Louis native who recently relocated to Memphis to move in with his boyfriend, Dwayne. Their cohabitation seems like it’s off to a rocky start despite their obvious affection and deep feeling for one another. Cordell, who is currently looking for a job, seems to be rubbed the wrong way by the idea of being supported by another person. Thus, he pours himself obsessively into his hobby, trying to win the annual Memphis “Hot Wang Festival.” Much of the play’s two-and-a-half-hour runtime is taken up with the intricacies of the cooking, prepping, marinating, etc. of the wings by the couple and their two close friends, but the real meat in this production lies in the struggle of the characters’ internal battles of guilt and accountability, and of the external conflicts that subsequently stem from within.
One such major conflict arises when Dwayne’s nephew EJ and EJ’s father TJ make unexpected appearances in the middle of the festival prep. Sixteen-year-old EJ is in need of a place to stay, and as his mother, Dwayne’s sister, died after being restrained by police (police that Dwayne had called for a welfare check) almost exactly two years ago, it’s understandable why Dwayne wants to take EJ in. At least, it’s understandable to the audience. Cordell, on the other hand, is still struggling with his discordant relationship with his own adult children, who don’t know that he divorced their mother in order to pursue a relationship with Dwayne.
The situation is messy, yet it has an air of familiarity to it that most audience members will probably be able to relate to. Anyone who has been through great loss will understand that though everyday events and emotions are a necessity for navigating daily life, the pain is never too far away. While the dialogue occasionally drifts into somewhat unrealistically poetic expressions of this sort of grief and pain, the cast carries it off well. The jump between comedic hijinks and somber self-reflection doesn’t feel quite as stark as it could, when the actors are performing with such open honesty.
What makes this play truly special and important is the matter-of-fact presentation of queer Black men who are completely at ease with their sexuality. As a straight white woman, I can only imagine what it would mean to see that kind of representation onstage to a person struggling with their own sexual identity. What I especially appreciated was Katori Hall’s method of revealing the characters’ struggles after we had been introduced to their confidence. Again, I have only imagination and empathy to go off of here, but I think seeing these characters being their full authentic selves would be inspiring to young queer people; to see that they, too, overcame struggles to get to that point could only be incredibly validating.
When it comes to serving up quality theater, The Hot Wing King has everything to offer: heart, saucy exchanges, slapstick comedy, and even redemption.
Nathan McHenry and Carly Crawford (Photo: Tony Isbell)
Quark Theatre is gearing up to finish off its season in the coming weeks with the regional premiere of Constellations by Nick Payne, opening Friday, May 10th.
“I have been calling this a multiversal love story,” says director Tony Isbell. “Because it’s about two characters — Roland and Marianne — and the story is they meet, they go on a date, they hit it off, they fall in love, they break up, they get back together, and they deal with some very serious issues along the way and some very funny issues. But it’s not that straightforward: We follow their relationship through the lens of the multiverse. … It jumps to different universes and it occasionally jumps back and forwards in time as well. So there’s a lot going on.”
At just about 80 minutes, the play, Isbell says, feels like a montage sequence. “Like short scenes cut together,” he says. “But these two actors [Carly Crawford and Nathan McHenry] are phenomenal because when they switch universes there’s no technical aspect — there’s not necessarily a scene change or sound change. It’s all conveyed by the actors and just something as simple as a change of tone of voice or a change of their posture or the way they’re relating to each other. And the amazing thing is you can almost always tell when there’s a change, when they jump through the universe, not only because they end up repeating some of the same lines but just because of the nuance they bring to the characters as they move from universe to universe.
“I call it a love story because that’s really what it is. The most important thing here is the relationship between these two people and how much chemistry they have and how much the audience roots for them. Because they’re both really likable people most of the time, and in a couple of universes, they’re not so nice, but most of the time they’re really likable and the audience is really rooting for them. I think people will just really be fascinated by the show.”
Isbell hopes this production follows the success this season has offered so far with The Wasp and The Sound Inside. “In terms of audience we’ve just done really well,” he says. “This has been our most successful season, and we’d like to continue that with this show.”
Tickets for Constellations can be purchased at quarktheatre.com. Performances run Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., May 10th through May 26th.
Constellations, Theatre South at First Congo, 1000 Cooper St., Friday, May 10-May 26, $20.
National Touring Company of Wicked (Photo: Joan Marcus)
In my junior year of high school, our revamped theater program found its feet with the production of a traditional spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. It was 2008, and three years previously, the smash hit Broadway musical Wicked had begun its national tour, one that would break every house record in every city it played in. As a 17-year-old voracious reader, I knew of Wicked the novel, not the show, but that changed when, for the first time I could ever remember, a Broadway musical became a common topic of conversation in the hallways of a small-town high school. At the time, I was confused about what the big deal was. Wicked the book was a strange and almost unpalatable read, and I could barely understand how it had been translated to the stage in the first place. It took over 15 years, but I finally have seen what all the hubbub was about.
Wicked has become a global phenomenon and a household name, just as much as its origin story, The Wizard of Oz. I can’t bring to mind another example of a spin-off gaining as much traction and coexisting so long alongside the original. The Orpheum Theatre was a packed house last Thursday, with the audience hanging on every word and madly cheering after every number. The merch table in the lobby was nearly overrun, and all this after 20 years of the show being on stage.
Olivia Valli as Elphaba (Photo: Joan Marcus)
On the drive home, my friend Meagan Kitterlin asked me how I already knew some of the songs when I hadn’t actually seen the play before. “Doesn’t everyone know ‘Defying Gravity’?” I answered. I couldn’t tell you the first time I heard that song, or “Popular,” but they are both nearly as familiar to me now as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The wild success of this musical is staggering, and seeing it in person, I understand why musical-lovers go crazy for this show.
The grandeur of Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre lends itself to the opulence of Wicked’s presentation. A giant clockwork dragon adorns the proscenium arch, looking like some sort of steampunk nightmare come to life. Wicked reimagines the early life of the Wicked Witch of the West, painting her as a complicated, misunderstood figure. The musical centers not only on the Wicked Witch — whose name is Elphaba, after The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum — but also largely on Glinda, nee Galinda, the Good Witch. Celia Hottenstein, who plays Glinda, says, “For both characters, you’re observing how society and the public views these women. Glinda the Good and Elphaba, this person who is other, different, but you, through the show, see who they really are as people.” Glinda and Elphaba are college roommates, and from their first meeting, immediately at odds. Elphaba has obviously lived a life of hardship, constantly judged for her green skin, while Glinda has obviously lived a life of privilege, being granted her every desire almost before she can even wish for it. The two inexplicably become friends, and their friendship becomes the backbone of the entire musical.
Olivia Valli’s portrayal of Elphaba is surprising. I expected a bitter, passionate introvert, but Valli plays Elphaba as almost spunky. She’s hopeful, she seems like kind of a nerd, and she’s got moxie. It’s not at all what I was expecting, but it works. Valli and Hottenstein have undeniable chemistry onstage, and watching Elphaba and Glinda interact is where the true magic of Wicked lies. The musical is all about people’s perspectives, especially around what is considered “good” and what is considered “wicked.” As Hottenstein points out, “I think this show really delves into what it means to ‘do good’ and to ‘be good.’ It’s not as easy as you think.” This show’s message resonates with so many people, and Hottenstein is no exception. “To have compassion for people is the message that really has stuck with me. To always have compassion and always have empathy for others because everybody has their own struggles. And everybody is trying to be a good person, I think, for the most part.”
With show-stopping vocal performances, a set that might as well be another character it has so much personality, and a message all audiences can relate to, it’s no wonder Wicked is so justifiably good.
Paint with local women painters on the riverfront this March at Cossitt Library. (Photo: Courtesy Cossitt Library)
With winter melting away, now is the time to spring into the arts as new exhibits, performances, and happenings begin to pop up all over town. So be like the groundhog and come out of your hidey-hole. Spring has sprung, Memphis.
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Painting on the River Series
With March being Women’s History Month, Cossitt Library has teamed up with five local women painters for a Painting on the River Series, offering a painting class each Saturday in March on the riverfront.
“We’re just trying to create an initiative that aligns with our commitment to promoting diversity and just celebrating women’s achievement,” Cobbert says. “I really wanted to highlight a lot of different artists. Me being in the art scene, it’s easily noticeable that sometimes the same artists are always on the pedestal, so I like to highlight local artists to just give them a platform. That’s something that the library can contribute since everybody can’t book out larger venues and stuff.”
Each artist will introduce their own style, Cobbert says. Baker will do a class on healing through watercolors, for instance, while Willoughby will focus on portraiture. “People should be able to find their fix within this group of five talented women.”
The classes are completely free, with all supplies provided through the Memphis Library Foundation. “We plan to have tables outdoors, so people can touch the grass a little bit and just paint,” Cobbert says. “It’ll be a way to build community through people who see painting as a hobby or a career and just come and learn.”
ARTSmemphis’ Art by Design will bring in vignettes of living spaces. (Photo: Laquita Tate)
After a pandemic pause, ARTSmemphis is bringing back its Art by Design fundraiser, a five-day series of events highlighting Memphis’ interior design community. At the core of the fundraiser is the gallery showroom where just over 20 designers will have created vignettes of living spaces. There will be arts activations, music, food, and more, during the showroom’s hours.
“It’s a great way for people to come and not only maybe get inspiration for their own houses, maybe buy a few things, maybe learn about some new Memphis artists they may not know about, but also to support our process,” says Elizabeth Rouse, ARTSmemphis president and CEO. “Most of our work is really focused on raising money and then granting it out and supporting arts organizations and artists in a variety of ways, and so this is just a really unique opportunity for interior designers, who in some cases are competitors, to come together for Memphis and to showcase their own work, which is very different.”
This will also be the first year that Art by Design will implement its Emerging Designers program, through which it will waive the vignette fee for regional emerging designers Colin Chapman, Brittney Murckson, Jurnee Kelley, and Baylor Pillow. “We really see this as an opportunity to help strengthen the interior design field in Memphis and bring that community together,” Rouse says.
Designer Carmeon Hamilton created this program in 2020, and even had designers prepared to participate, before the event was canceled due to Covid. Laquita Tate was one of those initial emerging designers, but she will now be joining Art by Design as a “fully emerged designer.”
“We were able to at least get together and plan some things out [in 2020],” Tate says. “I was able to see how some things work behind the scenes, which helped me, and so I’m just really excited to be able to do this even now, four years later. ”
Ultimately, though, Tate hopes that people will come out to the event for the sake of community. “Memphis is rich with a variety of different types of arts here,” she says, “and people might miss out on some of that with some of the other things that are going on currently in the city, but that should be the most important piece: Come out, support us, support the city of Memphis, and support the arts.”
Art by Design will have several accompanying events in addition to the showroom, such as Dinner with Designers, The Art of Mahjong game night, Cocktails by Design, and a special speaker. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit artsmemphis.org/art-by-design.
Art by Design will take place April 3rd to 7th at Agricenter International.
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“The Concert Photography of Jack Robinson”
“Horns High, Sam & Dave Horn Section, Soul Together” (Photo: Jack Robinson | The Jack Robinson Archive, LLC)
In partnership with the Jack Robinson Archive, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music’s latest exhibit presents 15 of Robinson’s finest images from the iconic Soul Together Concert of 1968. Held just two months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Madison Square Garden concert raised more than $75,000 for two charities, and Robinson was on the job for Vogue magazine, capturing the star-studded roster of Atlantic recording artists such as Aretha Franklin, Sam & Dave, King Curtis, and more.
“Jack Robinson’s work is so well-known,” the museum’s executive director Jeff Kollath says, “and he has this incredible connection to Memphis. People have seen Jack Robinson photographs — they just might not know that they’re a Jack Robinson — but we’ve all seen Jack Robinson photographs. … His style and how he practiced his craft is just so unique and interesting and it really shows in these photographs.”
Yet unlike Robinson’s typical portraits and studio shots, the photos in this temporary exhibit are on-the-scene, so they have a different kind of “energy and raw power,” Kollath says. “He’s taking photo after photo after photo and they show how he’s able to capture movement in a way that still shows so much clarity — especially at a Sam & Dave day concert, where they’re dancing, the band is dancing, and you sense this movement, this speed at which they’re all moving and yet the photos are so clear. He’s a remarkably skilled photographer.”
Robinson’s photographs will be on display through the end of March.
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ON DISPLAY
Coe Lapossy’s “School of Ool”
“School of Ool: Whose Views Ooze Muse” Coe Lapossy revisits artifacts of queerness wedged within a seemingly straight world. Clough Hanson Gallery, through March 22
“Breaking the Rules” Seventy-five paintings, watercolors, and drawings spanning the entirety of Paul Wonner’s and William “Theophilus” Brown’s careers. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through March 31
“Marking Time” Remy Miller’s landscapes and Joe Morzuch’s still-lifes and self-portraits. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, through April 14
Curtis Arima, Shifting Hierarchy, 2014. Recycled silver, copper, enamel, recycled gold, found objects. Courtesy of the Artist.
“Shelby Canopy: Our Shared Connection” An immersive public art project that aims to raise awareness of natural resources. Wolf River Greenway, through April 19
“Iliumpta” Birdcap’s retelling of Homer’s Iliad set in the Southernmost bayous of Mississippi. Crosstown Arts, through April 28
“The Earthworm and the Hawk” Melissa Dunn generates drawings intuitively from her imagination. Crosstown Arts, through April 28
“What Were You Meant For?” Kevin Brooks uncovers the seldom-seen layers of Black male identity. Crosstown Arts, through April 28
“Everyday People: Snapshots of The Black Experience” A photography exhibition showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photo collection of 20th-century African Americans. Museum of Science & History, through July 14
“Branching Out” Discover intricate connections between students, teachers, and casting communities. Metal Museum, through September 8
“A World Apart” Roger Allan Cleaves’ paintings exist in a rich and wondrous multiverse. Sheet Cake Gallery, March 9-April 27
“Christian Siriano: People Are People” Drawing from American designer Christian Siriano’s archive of bold creations. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, March 22-August 4
“Progression” Exhibition of work by Sowgand Sheikholeslami. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, April 14-July 7
Kong Wee Pang, Voyeur Moment, 2023, featured in “Memphis 2024” (Photo: Courtesy Kong Wee Pang)
“Memphis 2024” A dazzling array of work by the most creative men and women working in the Mid-South today. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, April 21-June 30
Kelly Cook, Amber and Ruth, 2023, featured in “Memphis 2024” (Photo: Courtesy Kelly Cook)
“It’s All Relative” Morgan Lugo’s pieces speak to the lasting effects of past experiences. Metal Museum, April 21-July 7
“No Place Like Home” This brief, month-long installation encourages the visitor to consider the concept of “home” in the queer community, and specifically in metalsmithing. Metal Museum, May 1-June 2
ON STAGE
Little Women at Germantown Community Theatre (Photo: GTC via Facebook)
Little Women Jo March gives us her greatest story: that of the March sisters, four dreamers destined to be imperfect little women. Germantown Community Theatre, through March 17
Succession Succession explores the world of Black theater through the actions of Steve Harrison, a promising young actor. Hattiloo Theatre, through March 24
LOCAL: Art Moves Memphis Dance concert presented by Company d dancers with Down syndrome and inspired by the vibrant urban art and murals throughout the Memphis community. Wiener Theater, Hutchison School, March 23
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical This jukebox musical takes you on a journey that realistically documents Carole King’s rise to fame and superstar status as a songwriter and performer. Theatre Memphis, March 8-30
Peter Pan Fly with Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and the Darling children straight to Neverland for a timeless adventure. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, March 8-10
(L to R) Axel Bernard Rimmele (Christopher Hillard), Giselle Gutierrez (Lydia Hillard), Rob McClure (Euphegenia Doubtfire), and Kennedy Alexandra Pitney (Natalie Hillard) (Photo: Joan Marcus)
Mrs. Doubtfire Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny comes to Memphis. Orpheum Theatre, March 12-17
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown Experience the magic of childhood and the beloved Peanuts gang in this Tony Award-winning musical. The Circuit Playhouse, March 15-April 13
Zanna Don’t! A Musical Fairy Tale Emerald Theatre Company presents a play, set in a world where everyone is gay — well, almost everyone. TheatreWorks @ The Square, March 15-24
Opera Memphis:La Calisto A baroque masterpiece of love, lust, vengeance and … astronomy. Playhouse on the Square, March 22-23
MOMIX presents ALICE at GPAC. (Photo: Courtesy GPAC)
MOMIX: ALICE Presented by a company of dancer-illusionists, ALICE, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, takes audiences on a journey down the rabbit hole. Germantown Performing Arts Center, March 23
Pink Floyd And The Planets Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents psychedelic tunes and enchanting melodies. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, March 23 | Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, March 24
Feelings & Other Uncomfortable Things Get in your feels with this artistic experience centered around listening to music and creating a collage. Shady Grove Presbyterian Church, March 29
Hattiloo Theatre Presents: Sing, Sistah, Sing Hattiloo celebrates the indomitable spirit of Black women with concerts, step routines, original all-women dance performances, and spoken-word from talented Black female artists. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, March 30
Celia Hottenstein as Glinda and Olivia Valli as Elphaba in Wicked (Photo: Joan Marcus)
Wicked This Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz … but from a different angle. Orpheum Theatre, April 3-21
Fairytales on Ice Presents: Peter Pan and Wendy The beloved, classic story of Peter Pan and his pal Wendy comes to life with dramatic and imaginative enactment, as the Buckman stage converts into an ice rink. Buckman Performing Arts Center, April 4
Hamlet The tragedy by William Shakespeare. Tennessee Shakespeare Company, April 4-21
Master Class A fierce and clever production about diva opera star Maria Callas. Theatre Memphis, April 5-21
Out in the Woods Friends of George’s presents a dragnificent adventure. Evergreen Theatre, April 11-20
Blues in the Night The soul of the blues wails out full and strong in the scorching, Tony-nominated musical. Hattiloo Theatre, April 12-May 5
Science of Movement: Collage Dance Collective Witness how a dancer prepares for the stage and experience excerpts from Collage Dance Collective’s repertory. Museum of Science & History, April 13
American Roots Ballet Memphis’ celebration of Americana through dance. Crosstown Theater, April 19-21
ELEVATE Collage Dance’s spring program. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, April 20-21
Celtic Woman (Photo: Courtesy Orpheum Theatre)
Celtic Woman A blend of traditional and contemporary Irish music. Orpheum Theatre, April 25
Steel Magnolias A touching portrait of women. Theatre Memphis, performances April 26-May 12
Your Arm’s Too Short to Box With God An uplifting musical with gospel-inspired music and inspiring storytelling. Playhouse on the Square, April 26-May 19
Orchestra Unplugged: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture Memphis Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Moody brings you inside the minds and music of composers to discover new connections and meaning to incredible works of art. Halloran Centre for Performing Arts, May 9
Constellations Quark Theatre presents a play about free will and friendship, but also about quantum multiverse theory, love, and honey. TheatreSouth, May 10-26
The Hot Wing King Katori Hall’s searing new comedy that follows a group of friends as they prepare for the “Hot Wang Festival” in Memphis. The Circuit Playhouse, May 10-June 2
Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony in the Garden (Photo: Courtesy Dixon Gallery & Gardens)
Symphony in the Gardens The annual Mother’s Day outdoor celebration in a beautiful outdoor setting featuring the MSO Big Band. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, May 12
Opera Memphis:La bohème Puccini’s timeless classic of youth, love, and freedom in a brand-new production. Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, May 17-18
Shrek the Musical This Tony Award-winning fairy tale musical adventure brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life. Orpheum Theatre, May 31-June 2
AROUND TOWN
Resident Artist Talks Crosstown Arts’ spring 2024 resident artists will present artist talks. Crosstown Arts, March 20
Metal Petals & Healing Roots A one-day event where artists will create art from disassembled gun parts. Metal Museum, March 23
Art by Design A curated series of events and presentations designed to highlight Memphis’ interior design community and simultaneously support the local arts community. Agricenter International, April 3-7
Barrel to Barrel Grand Auction Enjoy exclusive wine pairings, premium bourbon tastings, incredible wine and bourbon pulls, and a grand auction filled with unique experiences, rare vintages, and whole barrels of bourbon. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, April 6
Central to the Arts Festival Celebrate the arts with live performances, film showings, fashion shows, and interactive arts booths. University or Memphis, April 6
Art in The Loop 2024 A juried artists market, plus craft demonstrations and performances of classical music. Ridgeway Loop Road, April 12-14
Chalkfest at the Brooks (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Brooks Museum of Arts)
Chalkfest 2024 Join local artists and transform the Brooks’ plaza into the most colorful work of art. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, April 27
Spring to Art with Creative Aging Activities, performances, and discussions for art lovers 65+ and carers. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, April 30
2024 Art For All Festival Arts and culture will showcase performances and art-making from across Shelby County through live performances, artist markets, food trucks, and more. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, May 11
Here Comes the Sun Community Day Enjoy art making, garden tours, musical performances, and more at this community gathering designed for all ages. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, May 11
Martha Jones as Madame Arcati (Photo: Carla McDonald)
During the opening scene of Theatre Memphis’ production of Blithe Spirit, I was worried. Noël Coward’s arguably most successful play starts out with a quiet moment between husband and wife, the exposition leisurely woven into the mundane, everyday sort of conversation that occurs between spouses. What made me anxious was the possibility that I would have to work to give my full concentration to this show — I’m currently going through the sort of personal crisis that makes distracting my mind difficult.
Fortunately, my worries proved fruitless. Once the action got going, I experienced one of the purest joys of entertainment: I forgot everything else. Blithe Spirit is funny in the way that I like best: There are plenty of big laughs, but much of the humor is hidden in the dialogue-heavy play; blink and you’ll miss it. Luckily, the cast makes you want to pay attention.
Blithe Spirit is a black comedy, one that is perfect for October as it is rife with both death and the arcane. Upper-crust author Charles Condomine and his second wife, Ruth, are planning a dinner party/seance in order to covertly observe their town’s local medium, Madame Arcati. Charles wants to see the “ticks of the trade” in action as research for his next literary project. Charles, Ruth, and their two friends are all decided skeptics, but it turns out that Madame Arcati is the real deal. During the seance she inadvertently summons the spirit of Charles’ first wife, Elvira, though Charles is the only person who can see or hear her. Crises ensue.
I always enjoy plays with unsympathetic protagonists. Characters who are inherently flawed are the most interesting and realistic, but in watching this play, I am fully on Ruth’s side, all imperfections notwithstanding. A woman making every effort to remain level-headed while attempting to rationally explain something to a (predictably obtuse) man is something I gleefully identify with, all the more so because of Lena Wallace Black’s energetic performance. I’ve observed Wallace Black in other productions, but seeing her embody Ruth Condomine I realized she possesses a rare gift, one that pertains to the physicality of acting. Simply put, her movements look natural, which may sound easy but is actually one of the most difficult things to achieve onstage.
Each member of this relatively small cast brings their own panache to the humor of the script, but one thing that stood out was the way Martha Jones approached the somewhat odd (if we’re being polite), downright weird (if we’re not) character of Madame Arcati. This is a role that could very easily fall into an archetype pitfall of being boring to watch, as audiences know what to expect from a batty fortune teller. Jones, however, brings a sincerity to the character that makes her antics that much more humorous; it’s obvious she’s having fun playing this character, which in turn makes it fun to witness.
There’s not really a weak link in this cast, as even the character I was least interested in — Charles Condomine — shifts at the last minute and becomes much more intriguing. The ending of this play is one that had me scratching my head, but not in a bad way. Adam Remsen plays Charles Condomine as a kind of weak-sauce, limp-fish-handshake man who is ruled not only by the women in his life but also by his own selfishness. In short, a pretty familiar male cliche. That is, until the final scene, when the hitherto boring Mr. Condomine becomes something else. Remsen does a delightful job in showing Condomine’s true colors, leaning into the snide, boorish cad that has been hiding under the surface all along.
What I’m curious about, in contemplating the close of this play, is this: Is Charles Condomine acting like such a selfish prick in order to drive away the spirits of his wives (yep, by this time they’re both dead) for their sakes, or is he truly just another asshole finding his stride? The latter seems far more likely, but it is an added layer of entertainment to wonder.
Blithe Spirit runs through October 29th at Theatre Memphis.
For last year’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series, the company performed Macbeth. (Photo: Courtesy TSC)
On select dates through the month of October, Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) invites you to free outdoor performances of The Tempest for the company’s seventh annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series.
Though scholars categorize the play as a romance, TSC’s artistic director Dan McCleary says the story encompasses so much, touching on themes of betrayal, revenge, and love; it even dips into the genre of science fiction as the world of the story is entrenched in magic. “The Tempest starts tragically,” the director says, “but it ends with grace, and along the way, there’s some of the most beautiful poetry.” And some of this poetry you probably recognize: “brave new world,” “What’s past is prologue,” “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
This year happens to be the 400th anniversary of the printing of Shakespeare’s First Folio, in which The Tempest appears first in the collection. Written in 1610-1611, the workis thought to be one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote alone. “It’s his farewell to the stage,” McCleary says. “And so it’s personal and, like the best science fiction stories, even though it might be in a land of fantasy, it’s quite meaningful. And Shakespeare is meant to be played, not read. It’s meant to be fun and not every word is meant to be understood necessarily. But it is meant to be enjoyed.”
For TSC’s performances, the company has condensed the play to 90 minutes, “without sacrificing any of the story or any of the music — a good 60 to 65 percent of the play is music. It’s sung or it’s danced or it’s underscored down to the island [the play’s setting].”
The performances, McCleary adds, will also be outdoors, so the sounds of nature and Memphis — airplanes, birds, cars, neighbors passing through — will add to the soundscapes and to the theatrical experience. “The whole notion of [the outdoor performances] to make it accessible, surprising, and fun,” McCleary says. “We wanted happy accidents with patrons. We wanted to be in a public forum, where we might confound people’s notion of a Shakespeare play and theater space. The whole purpose of this initially was wanting to capture a young person who was, for instance, coming by on a skateboard and just capture that person for five minutes and then maybe they’re on their way, but they had five minutes of hearing and seeing Shakespeare. We hope it brings an immediacy to the storytelling that audiences walk away, saying, ‘I’m never going to see something like that again.’”
For this series, in addition to the traditional free outdoor performances, TSC has added two ticketed indoor performances on October 28th and 29th for half-priced admission. For these two performances, patrons can purchase tickets here. A full schedule of performances can be found below, and more information on TSC’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series can be found here.
FREE Outdoor Performances, No Reservation Required: Friday, October 6, 7 p.m.: Overton Square’s Chimes Square Courtyard Saturday, October 7, 4 p.m.: Woodlawn, LaGrange, Tennessee, no reservations required Sunday, October 8, 3 p.m.: Dixon Gallery & Gardens Friday, October 13, 7 p.m.: Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center Sunday, October 15, 4 p.m.: Overton Shell Thursday, October 19, 7 p.m.: Broad Avenue Wiseacre Brewery Friday, October 20, 7 p.m.: St. George’s Episcopal Church Saturday, October 21, 7 p.m.: Collierville Town Square’s Train Depot Sunday, October 22, 3 p.m.: Davies Manor
Half-Price Tabor Stage Performances, Reservations Required: Saturday, October 28, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Shakespeare Company Sunday, October 29, 3 p.m.: Tennessee Shakespeare Company
Photo: Jarvis Boyland, Expectations, 2019, Collection of a Friend of the Brooks. Jarvis Boyland.
As the temperatures are cooling down, the Memphis arts scene is heating up — with exhibitions, performances, and unique experiences. See for yourself in our Fall Arts Guide.
Calida Rawles, United States, b. 1976, Thy Name We Praise, 2023. (Photo: Courtesy Terra Foundation for American Art and Spelman College Museum of Fine Art)
“Black American Portraits” at the Brooks
In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the general public was flooded with images of Black pain and suffering. From news stations to social media feeds, these images, proliferated by modern technology, were and are instantaneous with nothing, really, to prevent them from surfacing on our screens.
To counteract this, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) curated the “Black American Portraits” exhibition, filled with portraits celebrating and depicting Black joy, power, and love. And now the exhibit has made its way to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
As a majority-Black city, Memphis needs this, says Brooks executive director Zoe Kahr. “It’s so important to see every Memphian reflected back in the museum.”
Though this exhibition originated in Los Angeles, the Brooks has included additional pieces to lend the experience a Memphis touch. An Augusta Savage sculpture is on loan from the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, and works by Jarvis Boyland, Derek Fordjour, Catherine Elizabeth Patton, Jared Small, Ernest Withers, and the Hooks Brothers Photography Studio punctuate the gallery walls. “We wanted to highlight talent in Memphis and show it in a national context,” Kahr says.
With 129 pieces of art in total, the sheer number of works, encompassing a variety of media and spanning over 200 years in history, is in itself a feat. “One of the things that struck me about this show and taking it here is just this idea of abundance,” says Patricia Daigle, the Brooks’ curator of modern and contemporary art. “So there’s this idea about being prolific, and the impact of what it means to see this many portraits of Black people in one space.”
“Black American Portraits” is on display through January 7th. For more information about the exhibition and its related programming, visit brooksmuseum.org.
In his artist statement, Theaster Gates writes, “This is my small contribution to the possibility of healing.” (Photo: Patrick Coleman)
Tom Lee Park Activates the Community Through Creativity
In 1925, Tom Lee rescued 32 passengers from the numbing waters of the Mississippi River. The steamer they were on had capsized, and the Black river worker, passing by in his small wooden skiff, soon became their hero, even though he couldn’t swim. Today, his bravery is largely forgotten, but with the recently completed renovation of Tom Lee Park, named in his honor in 1954, the folks with Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) are hoping to change that and to inspire Memphis to channel his spirit of community, heroism, and selflessness.
For the renovation, MRPP commissioned Chicago-based and world-renowned artist Theaster Gates to create an art installation, complementing David Alan Clark’s Tom Lee Memorial, which depicts Lee in a moment of heroism. Gates’ A Monument to Listening overlooks this original sculpture and features 33 “thrones,” representing those Lee saved in 1925 and Lee himself.
All the thrones are made out of the same basalt stone, are the same height, and are marked with imperfections — all except for one that’s taller and “is perfect in a sense. That’s the one that represents Tom Lee,” says Michalyn Easter-Thomas, MRPP director of education initiatives and strategic partnerships. The idea is that all who sit upon the thrones are made equal and are (almost literally) given an equal platform from which to listen and to be listened to.
To enrich visitors’ experience with the sculpture, MRPP has enlisted three organizations to curate activations: UrbanArt Commission, the Orpheum Theatre, and The Big We Foundation, a collective of local Black artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs. These activations are expected to be unique experiences that will evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, celebrate creativity, and foster dialogue.
So far, activations have included an American sign language class with UrbanArts Commission and an open meeting with The Big We Foundation. More activations will be held through the end of the year, and next year, a new cohort of curators — this time creative individuals — will build upon the work of the current group. “And ‘creative’ doesn’t necessarily have to be the arts,” adds Easter-Thomas. “We’ve searched out folks in the food scene, in architecture, in philanthropy. It’s really about how you envision connecting Memphis to the Tom Lee story — how can we ensure that everybody knows this story?”
Keep up with the activations surrounding A Monument to Listening at Tom Lee Park on MRPP’s social media and at tomleepark.org.
Cremaine Booker (Photo: Courtesy Iris Collective)
Iris Collective Introduces Its Small Business Series
When Iris Collective rebranded from being the Iris Orchestra in 2022, the group began to think of itself not as a concertizing organization, but as a “community music organization that does concerts,” says Iris’ executive director Rebecca Arendt. “The idea is that everything we’re doing is with community rather than for community.”
Over the years, Iris has mentored hundreds of high school and middle school students in Memphis and Shelby County, regularly visited patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and worked with memory care and nursing home patients at retirement homes — just to name a few examples of the collective’s commitment to community.
For the 2023-2024 season, Iris will be debuting its new Small Business Series, through which they will partner with three small businesses to highlight the intersection of entrepreneurship and the arts. “It’s a fun and nontraditional way for people to engage in music and dialogue around things that are important to them,” Arendt says.
The first performance of this series will take place in December at the soon-to-be-opened Cafe Noir, Jasmine Settles’ bookstore that specializes in highlighting BIPOC and LGBTQ authors. Cremaine Booker, aka ThatCelloGuy, principal cello for Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and Jackson Symphony Orchestra, will perform and will work “with an author of Cafe Noir’s choosing to put together a program that talks about being an artist from an underrepresented community.”
The following performances in this series will take place at Music Box in January and ARCHd in March. “As you know, these are all very small environment venues,” Arendt says, “and so you can get up close and personal. Not only will you get to hear great music, but you’ll be able to talk back and forth, express ideas, and use it as a chance to see how arts can make our community better. … The Small Business Series speaks to where we want to be, where we want to have that shared artistic experience, and we feel that one of the best ways to do that are small environments where people can come together with a shared interest.”
Cremaine Booker performs on Friday, December 8, 5:30 p.m., at Cafe Noir. Tickets are $20. For more information on Iris Collective and its upcoming season, visit iriscollective.org.
Chiffon Thomas, A mother who had no mother, 2018, is on display at Clough-Hanson Gallery. (Photo: Clifton Thomas)
ON DISPLAY
“Hued” Rachelle Thiewes’ jewelry empowers its wearer through rhythmic repetition, architectural forms, and vibrant auto paint. Metal Museum, through January 28
“Overstuffed” This exhibition features mixed media fiber artists Sharon Havelka and Paula Kovarik. Gallery talk on October 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ARTSmemphis, through December
“The Molasses Man & Other Delta Tales” The show serves as an anthology of stories based on Ahmad George’s life and experiences with people they’ve encountered here and not. Crosstown Arts, through January 21
“Young, Gifted and Black” This show champions an emerging generation of artists of African descent. One of the artists, Sadie Barnette, will give an artist talk on November 2 at 6 p.m. An artist panel will take place on November 14. Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College, through December 9
“Lens Language” Explore the depths of love from behind the lens of MadameFraankie and Kai Ross. Opening reception on October 7, 4-7 p.m. TONE, October 7-December 12
“Woven Arts of Africa” This comprehensive visual exhibition defines the major woven artistic styles and traditions derived from cultural/regional groups from all over Africa. Opening reception on October 7, 3-5 p.m. Art Museum University of Memphis, October 7-January 20
Kaylyn Webster, Light Showin July, 2023; Oil on canvas; Courtesy of the artist.
“Commune” Memphis artist Kaylyn Webster’s paintings capture, with quiet honesty, the divine aspects of communing with those we love. Artist’s reception on October 26, 2-3 p.m. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 8-January 7
Zaire Love Zaire Love’s films and photography honor, amplify, and immortalize the stories and voices of the Black South. Artist’s reception on October 27, 5-8 p.m. Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery at Christian Brothers University, October 16-December 10
“Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial” This exhibition considers the various ways in which Black American artists responded to and challenged the cultural, environmental, political, racial, and social issues of the era from the Civil Rights Movement to the Bicentennial. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 22-January 14
Beetlejuice, pictured (l-r) Britney Coleman (Barbara), Will Burton (Adam), Isabella Esler (Lydia) and Justin Collette (Beetlejuice). (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
ON STAGE
Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: The Tempest Tennessee Shakespeare Company performs the Bard’s final romance for this free outdoor series. The final two performances will be ticketed. Various locations, through October 29
Father Comes Homes From the Wars An explosively powerful drama about the mess of war, the cost of freedom, and the heartbreak of love. Hattiloo Theatre, through October 22
Variations on a Theme Opera Memphis presents a new series of intimate, curated evenings of vocal music in all its forms. Opera Memphis, October 7, November 11
Funny Girl The indomitable Fanny Brice becomes one of the most beloved performers in history. Orpheum Theatre, October 10-15
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Ballet Memphis reimagines the iconic Shakespearean play. Playhouse on the Square, October 13-15
Blithe Spirit A spiritualist, a crime writer, an ex-wife back from the dead — what more could you want from this farcical and outrageous play? Lohrey Theatre at Theatre Memphis, October 13-29
Moody Conducts Beethoven 5 The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs this revolutionary work. Crosstown Theater, Friday, October 13, 6:30 p.m. Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, October 15, 2:30 p.m.
Underwater Bubble Show This show incorporates drama, pantomime, dance, puppetry, juggling, aerial arts, acrobatics, contortion, sand art, and imagery with the beauty of soap bubbles. Participants of all ages will delight in this colorful, magical utopia that merges science, light, and imagination. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, October 26, 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Carmina Burana Opera Memphis and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra present a Halloween-inspired concert. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, October 28, 7:30 p.m.
Sons of Mystro Brothers Malcolm and Umoja interpret reggae classics, American pop songs, and their own creations, accompanied by a DJ and a drummer. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, November 2, 7 p.m.
Silent Sky The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, who changed the public’s understanding of the heavens and Earth. Next Stage at Theatre Memphis, November 3-18
Schoolhouse Rock, Live! This show is based on the cherished animated series that taught generations of youth. The Circuit Playhouse, November 11-December 22
NutRemix New Ballet Ensemble presents an electrifying and innovative production set on Beale Street. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, November 17-19
Take the Soul Train to Christmas This holiday spectacle is a time machine through the evolution of the African-American Christmas experience. Hattiloo Theatre, November 17-December 17
The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale is whisked away by a powerful twister and finds herself in the mystical land of Oz. Playhouse on the Square, November 17-December 22
The North American Tour Boleyn Company of SIX. (Photo: Joan Marcus)
SIX This new original musical about Henry VIII’s six wives is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over. Orpheum Theatre, November 21-26
Who’s Holiday See a whole new side of Cindy Lou Who. The Circuit Playhouse, November 24-December 22
Michael Flatley’sLord of the Dance A unique combination of high-energy Irish dancing, original music, storytelling, and sensuality. Orpheum Theatre, November 29
The Importance of Being Earnest Tennessee Shakespeare Company presents Oscar Wilde’s trivial comedy for serious people. Tabor Stage, November 30-December 17
A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge returns to the stage for this holiday tradition. Lohrey Theatre at Theatre Memphis, December 1-23
Magic of Memphis The Memphis Symphony Orchestra offers a beloved holiday tradition, complete with a collage of Memphis performing groups. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, December 2, 6:30 p.m.
The Nutcracker Ballet Memphis’ production promises to delight in both familiar and unexpected ways. Orpheum Theatre, December 9-17
Clara & the Nutcracker Tennessee Ballet Theater presents a charming rendition of the classic tale. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, December 10, 2 p.m.
The Nutcracker Ballet This production of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet features dancers from Center’s Esprit de Corps Dance Company. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, December 15-17
Christmas Fiesta at the Dixon returns for a third year. (Photo: Angel Ortez)
AROUND TOWN
First Wednesdays at the Brooks Every first Wednesday the Brooks will have incredible live music. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, first Wednesdays of the month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Jazz in the Galleries: Saturday Series Every third Saturday of the month enjoy good jazz and great times in the galleries at the Brooks. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, third Saturdays of the month, noon-2 p.m.
Munch and Learn Every Wednesday during lunchtime, join the Dixon for presentations by local artists, scholars, and Dixon staff sharing on a variety of topics. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Wednesdays, noon-1 p.m.
Super Saturdays at the Brooks The first Saturday of every month, the Brooks will have free admission from 10 a.m.-noon and art-making. (PS: Every Saturday, admission is free from 10 a.m.-noon.) Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, first Saturdays of the month, 10 a.m.-noon
Free Family Day On the second Saturday of each month, the Stax Museum offers free admission for everyone. There will also be food trucks, games and activities, arts and crafts for children, bouncy houses, face painting, balloon artists, and live music. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, second Saturdays of the month, 1-5 p.m.
Art History Lecture The Brooks’ art history lectures series covers virtually every aspect of human history and experience, with new topics each week. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Fridays through October 27, 12:30-3 p.m.
Artwalk More than 40 local artists will be on hand selling a variety of handcrafted items at this year’s Artwalk. V&E Greenline, October 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Teen Arts Fest Young artists (ages 13-19) are invited to an informal social and networking event. Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, October 14, 2-5 p.m.
Repair Days Bring your metal items to the Metal Museum to have them restored to their former glory. Metal Museum, October 19-22
Family Fun Day The Metal Museum hosts a day of free hands-on activities, demonstrations, and kid-friendly games, plus free admission to the museum. Metal Museum, October 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
RiverArtsFest This two-day festival is a celebration of fine arts and fine local music with live artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities for all ages. Riverside Drive, October 21-22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Art on Fire Enjoy live music, tastings from local restaurants, drinks, an art sale, and a roaring bonfire. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 21, 7 p.m.
Indie Memphis Film Festival This festival presents a range of independent features, documentaries, and short films from all corners of the world. Various locations, October 24-29
Night at the Museum AMUM will have several interactive, kid-friendly programs inspired by the visual arts in the collections that will bring the museum to life. Art Museum University of Memphis, October 27, 5-8 p.m.
Día de los Muertos Festival & Parade The Brooks, along with the Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, invites you and your family to honor your ancestors and celebrate the cycle of life and death. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, October 28, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Collage’s Annual Gala This brunch is an enriching affair with performances by Collage’s world-class professional company and students from the Collage Dance Conservatory. FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park, October 29, 2 p.m.
ARTSmemphis Anniversary Celebration ARTSmemphis celebrates its 60th anniversary with a dynamic, lively, interactive, immersive, and spirited evening. The Kent, Thursday, November 9, 6:30 p.m.
Raised by Sound Fest This free event showcases local and regional talent, honoring Memphis music, new and old, across genres. Crosstown Concourse, December 12, 1-11 p.m.
¡Christmas Fiesta! Learn about the Christmas traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean with Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, Opera Memphis, and the Dixon. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, December 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
From left: Mary Hollis Inboden, Tony Isbell, Meghan Lisi Lewis (Photo: Quark Theatre via Facebook)
Thanks to Quark Theatre, Memphis is about to be home to the American debut of The Wasp, the critically acclaimed play written by London native Morgan Lloyd Malcolm in 2015.
“As crazy as this sounds, we have been told that no other theater company in the United States has done this play,” says director Tony Isbell, who founded Quark Theatre with Louisa Koeppel and Adam Remsen in 2015. “I just sort of stumbled across it. When I read the script for the first time, I lost count of the number of times I was taken by surprise because there are so many twists and turns. Usually, especially if you do theater a lot, you can read a script and kind of get an idea of where it’s going. But I will admit I did not see where this one was going. Even up until the very last page, I did not see where it was going.”
A psychological thriller, The Wasp unravels the relationship between once-childhood friends Heather and Carla, who have lost touch since school where a bully incident tore the two apart. At the start of the play, the women reunite 20 years later over tea at a cafe, where one offers the other a significant amount of cash and an unexpected proposition. What ensues is a dark exploration of how trauma shapes us.
“I highly recommend you don’t do your research,” Isbell says. “Spoilers. Don’t watch the previews. Just let us take you on a ride.”
As with most Quark productions, the cast of the play is small — just two women: Meghan Lisi Lewis, who was most recently in Theatre Memphis’ The Play That Goes Wrong, and Mary Hollis Inboden, a University of Memphis alum, whom you might you might remember from a number of Memphis productions before she moved to work in television, most recently on shows like Kevin Can F**ck Himself and The Righteous Gemstones.
So far, more than 50 percent of tickets to The Wasp performances have been sold, and Isbell predicts the show will sell out. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at quarktheatre.com. Performances will run September 22nd through October 8th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Sunday matinées at 2 p.m., at First Congo Theater in Cooper-Young.
In anticipation of Lewis and Inboden’s performance, the Flyer spoke with the two actors to learn more.
Mary Hollis InbodenMeghan Lisi Lewis
Memphis Flyer: What interested you in this play?
Meghan Lisi Lewis: You just don’t often get the opportunity to do a two-woman show. So for me, that is a gift. I was hooked by this script from jump. It’s a smart, smart script. And it really takes the audience on a ride, and I was really excited to go on that ride myself as a reader and audience member. It’s also a really big stretch for me. I’ve been in the Memphis theater scene for a long time, but I rarely get to dive into roles that are this far outside of who I really am.
Mary Hollis Inboden: I’ve spent the last 10 years doing exclusively television, and this is a great opportunity for me to make sure that I’ve still got it while we [the Screen Actors Guild] strike. It’s been 17 years since I’ve been on stage in Memphis, and a chance encounter brought me into the space of Meghan, who was talking about having just auditioned for this play. She actually asked if I’d be interested in coming and doing this two-hander play. And of course, I was terrified. It is a challenging piece, and it’s also a show that features two women, and only two women. And, in a way I feel like only women can, the show touches on empathy, and love and support and understanding and also cruelty and violence and how we hold resentment. And it’s so completely well-rounded the way they kind of get at these really hard topics. Of course, I’m always drawn to women, female characters, especially who can behave badly, but also have a full scope of their existence and world. So that was exciting for me, and quite frankly, the reason why I took it on.
Meghan, you mentioned that part of the reason you took on this role is that you’re not like your character. As actors, how do you approach characters that are so outside of who you are?
MLL: The way that these women are written is so complex. So while the lived experience of my character Carla is nothing like my own lived experience, I think in ways universal experiences come through. We all either know these people [like our characters], interacted with these people, or have bits and pieces of them in ourselves. And so I think the challenge that’s been so interesting to me is to find where our humanity does align and how I can bring truth to her through my own lived experiences or the experiences of my friends and loved ones and also through the relationship that Mary Hollis and I have built, both as individuals and then through the relationships we’re building in the play. It’s like the characters are both far away from us and very close.
MHI: I would piggyback on that, fully agreeing that we’re always using our experience to bring these characters to life. And I do associate with my character. While I wasn’t a victim of bullying, I am a victim of a mass shooting [the 1998 Westside Middle School shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas] and have grown up with that sort of trauma in my past. The shooting, while it was so very tragic, and I really wish that it hadn’t happened to me or my classmates, in some ways, it propelled me forward. I understood immediately how precious life is and wanted to get at that. And so I would be wrong if I said that there wasn’t a little part of what I feel like is my success that is kind of overcoming that tragedy every day.
Mary Hollis, what’s it been like being back on stage in Memphis?
MHI: Being back on stage in Memphis, it has turned out to be the very, very right choice for me because I get to be in the room with Tony and Meghan. I mean, they’re just so fantastic and so talented, and they are a great representation of Memphis theater as I remember it. We’ve all grown up a little bit, but coming back, I am taking it back to brass tacks and learning so much again. So, as a working actor, it’s been a really, really great exercise, performing alongside and with Meghan and under Tony who has like the lightest touch. It feels very free in the rehearsal space to kind of make big decisions. While I’m so grateful for my jobs in TV, you can sort of feel, especially in some of those smaller roles on TV, that it’s not super creative all the time. [Theater] really forces you to have imagination and really express yourself and give everything that you have so that the live beating heartbeat of the theater is felt, and especially in a company like Quark that’s so small, and just about two chairs and two actors, it’s a real turn on. So I hope that once out of the strike, which will be resolved and hopefully in the favor of labor and actors, I can make some time and remember how productive it feels to do a live show, especially with creatives like Tony and Meghan who are just really filling my cup.
Meghan, though this is your first Quark production, you’ve been involved in the Memphis theater scene for a while now, right?
MLL: I’ve spent most of my decade or more on Memphis stages, mostly at Theatre Memphis. I most recently just did The Play That Goes Wrong there. So that’s sort of my home base. One of the things that is the most special about the Memphis theater scene is that 90-plus percent of the shows that you see in Memphis, outside of the Orpheum Theatre, are all done by volunteers. They’re volunteer actors, volunteer directors, and volunteer stagehands. And there is something truly magical about people who follow their passions and give up their time. And the Memphis theater community specifically has the most deep and generous pool of über-talented people that I have ever run into in all of my days. I’ve lived in L.A., I’ve lived in New York, I’ve been all over the world, and this theater scene is one to pay attention to. It’s important for audiences to come out and pay attention to all the theaters here because they’re getting things that you don’t get everywhere. And I think sometimes we’re spoiled for that.
Playhouse’s production of The Prom overcomes a lackluster script. (Photo: Sean Moore)
At the end of the soliloquy in act 2 scene 2 of Hamlet, the audience is offered the line, “The play’s the thing,” a phrase with layered meaning according to most Shakespeare devotees. In examining Playhouse on the Square’s production of the musical The Prom, I need to make a clear distinction between the play, which I mostly didn’t care for, and the performance, which I mostly enjoyed.
The Prom takes place for the most part in the small town of Edgewater, Indiana, where high school student Emma Nolan is banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom. The musical opens on four Broadway stars lamenting their bad press — they are (correctly) lambasted for being narcissists — and deciding their only possible recourse to regain some good PR is to find a cause to champion and become activists. They stumble upon Nolan’s story online, hitch a ride on a touring Godspell cast bus, and make their way to Edgewater. In their misguided attempt to leech onto Nolan’s hardship, the four actors end up finding their long-latent humanity.
I can’t say I entirely disliked the show, as there were some moments, such as the PTA scene in act 1 and the song “Barry Is Going to Prom” in act 2, that were scripted and executed incredibly well. My number one complaint with this musical is that, thematically, I feel it missed the mark. The conflict of The Prom centers around intolerance, which is such a deep, pervasive problem in our society that overcoming it with a song or simple conversation, as happens in The Prom, seems like a slap in the face. The stakes are too low.
If the world portrayed in the musical was meant to be a rich idealistic universe in which singing to a group of teenagers actually could change minds and reverse years of indoctrinated hate, then maybe I wouldn’t have been so irked. But it’s obviously meant to take place in our real, actual world. It’s as if the playwrights are saying, “If only you would do this simple thing, the world will be changed! Hooray!” It came off as preachy, which is ironic given that the script pulls no punches in criticizing small-town religious culture. I’m not suggesting that the play’s central theme of fighting against intolerance is distasteful; if anything, I’m disappointed to see intolerance portrayed as something so easily overcome. Watching a play that celebrates the LGBTQ community so unabashedly was a joy — until the play suggested, more than once, that people can and will change their minds if we can just sing a song heartfelt enough.
While I had qualms with the source material, the cast made the show worth watching. Annie Freres in particular was a monumental presence on the stage as Dee Dee Allen, the biggest diva of the Broadway stars in TheProm. Her powerhouse vocals could bring the house down in any musical, and she certainly knows how to wield them. Whitney Branan’s lithe, sensual materialization of Angie Dickinson was also a standout of the production.
Most of TheProm’s appeal lies in the over-the-top classic big Broadway musical numbers — “Barry is Going to Prom” being my favorite — but there were a few intimate moments that brought the show back down to Earth. Arielle Mitchell’s rendition of “Alyssa Greene” came across as raw and utterly genuine, saving that character from being mishandled by the playwrights as simply a caricature of a typical popular high schooler. Jonathan Christian as Barry Glickman and Katy Cotten as Emma Nolan also achieved a real intimacy not often seen onstage, as it was one not of romantic overtones, but of found family and friendship transcending age and circumstance. Their makeover scene together was the moment in the production that seemed the most real to me, Christian and Cotten having succeeded in creating a personal bond between their characters.
Though TheProm suffered from a starry-eyed vision of the redemptive power of a musical number, Playhouse’s production of it overcame the hurdles of the script itself. There’s something hopeful in the realization that — to paraphrase Shakespeare for a second time in this column — if all the world’s a stage, the players can sometimes rise above a lackluster script.
The Prom runs at Playhouse on the Square through September 17th.
Having opened its first season in September 1999 with a performance by Art Garfunkel, Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center (BPACC) is now gearing up for its 25th season opening this fall. This season, as with every season, promises an array of performing arts, with everything from concerts to theater productions.
For Michael Bollinger, BPACC’s director, the variety built into the venue’s programming is intentional for one simple reason: “Because not everybody likes the same thing.”
The 25th season kicks off with a Neil Diamond tribute concert by Jay White on October 7th. “He’s the only [tribute] artist that Neil Diamond personally has kind of sanctioned,” says Bollinger, whose standards for tribute artists are pretty high. “There are a lot of bad tribute artists, but what I look for is they’ve got to be exceptional musicians and do the music well, and not try to be [the original artists by cosplaying as them] but instead pay good homage to their music.”
Other tribute artists this season include an Everly Brothers Experience Holiday Show with brothers Zach and Dylan Zmed on December 7th, ABBA Revisited on January 13th, and a Salute to the Eagles on February 10th.
In addition to tribute concerts, BPACC, of course, has your typical concert offerings. This season’s concert lineup includes country musicians Morgan Myles and Jay Allen from The Voice on October 28, Grammy Award-winning Crystal Gayle on November 3rd, and bluegrass band The Dillards on November 17th to close out 2023. Next year’s half of the season includes country and gospel trio Chapel Hart on January 26th, Bartlett Community Concert Band on March 12th, Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer on April 6th, and Tom Wopat on April 19th.
Leigh Nash, known for songs like “Kiss Me” and “There She Goes,” will perform at BPACC in April 2024. (Photo: Courtesy BPACC)
One point of pride that Bollinger mentions is BPACC’s Music by the Lake series, which he started after assuming his role in 2016. As he puts it, “It’s just a fancy title for outdoor concerts that are free. We do two concerts, one in May and one in June, and each one features only musicians from the Mid-South.”
In the same vein, last year, BPACC, in partnership with Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), launched Theater by the Lake, with the theater group putting on a free performance of Macbeth as part of their Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series. This year, TSC will perform an abbreviated version of The Tempest on October 18th.
“So, Music by the Lake and Theater by the Lake, those are free things that anybody in the whole Mid-South can come to,” Bollinger says. “You just bring your chair. It’s a nice big green park area that Lake Appling surrounds, so it’s just a really pretty place to have a concert or something.”
With these free events, as well as the arts and education program, Bollinger also hopes to expand accessibility to the arts, particularly live performances. Through the arts and education program, BPACC offers free school performances of certain shows for Bartlett students. This season’s show is Peter Pan, which will also have ticketed performances for the public from March 8th to March 10th.
“It’s just important, I think, for kids to have that experience [of a live theater performance],” Bollinger says. “And then the other thing is kids — this is a generalization — but a lot of kids, and adults, learn by more traditional ways, like reading or lectures. But a lot of kids don’t. They learn very well by watching and by participation.”
To that end, this season will also feature The Dinosaur Quest of Dr. T-Rex, where “Dr. T-Rex” will teach audiences about everyone’s favorite dinosaurs with help from the audience and his dino friends. Other family-friendly performances include Mark Nizer 4D (November 18th), It’s a Wonderful Life: The Live Radio Play (December 1st-3rd), and BPACC and Esprit de Corps’ The Nutcracker Ballet (December 15th-17th).
BPACC will put on It’s a Wonderful Life for the second year in a row this holiday season. (Photo: Courtesy BPACC)
With such a diverse menu of events for BPACC’s season, Bollinger hopes to capture the interest of everyone, and maybe even expose some folks to something new altogether. “One thing about our theater, if you’ve never been here,” he adds, “is we have 350 seats, and the nice thing about 350 is, even if you’re sitting in the back row, it’s like they’re performing in your living room.
“It’s not unusual that the artists will come out and personally meet the audience afterwards in the lobby and take photos or sign autographs or whatever,” Bollinger continues. “But the most important thing is, that intimate venue is really what makes the place special.”
Find more information about BPACC’s 25th season and purchase tickets at bpacc.org. Tickets for a comedy night with Henry Cho are already sold out.
