Tag: theater

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Theater Theater Feature

Scottsboro Boys at POTS

Photo: Bill Simmers

In attempting to describe Playhouse on the Square’s production of Scottsboro Boys to a friend, I found the concept of the show somewhat difficult to explain. Scottsboro Boys is the retelling of the case of nine falsely accused Black teenagers, which eventually became one of the sparks that lit the fire of the Civil Rights Movement. The show is a musical, which may come as a surprise given its heavy subject matter. And not just a musical, but a vaudeville-style variety show which features minstrelsy as an intentional part of its social commentary. It’s not so much a story within a story as it is a performance within a performance.

Director Jared Thomas Johnson says, “The construct of the show is fun, makes you laugh, and is entertaining so it hides the ugly truth in plain sight.”

The play begins as the reverie of A Lady, who is eventually revealed to be Rosa Parks. We are quickly introduced to the mistral concept of the performance, as well as the theme “speak the truth.” Parks is one thread running throughout the show, a viewer alongside the members of the audience. Our guides, so to speak, are the two zany, almost slapstick characters of Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, who play many of the various white characters in the story. Several cast members change characters throughout the play, showcasing dexterity, humor, and vocal talent by the frequent character shifts.

Similarly, the set, made up mostly by the simple repurposing of chairs, changes often. The back of a chair may be reimagined as bars of a cell or the caboose of a train. We first see the nine boys riding a train, which gets stopped by two policemen. Two white girls, who the policemen correctly surmise are sex workers, then accuse the boys of rape in order to avoid being jailed themselves for prostitution.

Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo (Photo: Bill Simmers)

As Johnson puts it, “When dealing with any subject, humor has a way of healing and feeling like a hug, an embrace. I think the show is designed to let you laugh, smile, and enjoy the talents of our Black artists who have crafted some of the best performances I have seen from Black actors in a very long time. The humor makes the characters real people, people I wanna get to know.”

The actors succeed in balancing the juxtaposition of humor and solemnity, masterfully juggling switches between characters, complicated choreography, and powerhouse vocals — often all at the same time. Music director Tammy Holt praises the cast, saying, “It’s rare and invigorating to have the opportunity to put that many Black male voices together on stage, and these men can sing! We really worked to build community so that the bond would be displayed in their performance, and I think it truly does. This cast is heavily committed and engaged in bringing this story to life, so that’s what you see and hear in every note.”

The ensemble numbers throughout the show were a true delight to take in, layered with adroit harmonies and emotion. My friend, Rhett Ortego, and I were both especially moved by “Southern Days.” After the show, Rhett, who has told me before that he normally doesn’t care for musicals, said, “I almost started crying during the one about home.”

Perhaps the most unusual thing about this play is that by the time the cast lines up for the final bow, the overall feeling is that of being uplifted. One might expect to feel overly saddened by the story, but I found that was not the case. And Johnson and Holt both spoke about how important it was to the cast and crew to present this story through a lens of joy.

“We have made a very earnest effort to make the show uplifting, inspirational, and joyous despite the subject matter,” Johnson says. “So I hope folks see there is joy in Black experience at all times.”

Holt adds, “Simply see it, process it, and examine how you will walk forward from the experience.”

Scottsboro Boys runs at Playhouse on the Square through February 19th.

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Theater Theater Feature

The Wizard of Oz at Playhouse on the Square

The Wizard of Oz at POTS (Photo: Bill Simmers)

Indulge me, please, in a brief flashback: It is January 1994, and I am sitting in the audience at Playhouse on the Square, watching Peter Pan in complete awe. It is my first theater experience. I am 3 years old. Fifteen years later, I begin studying theater under the same director of that show, Ken Zimmerman.

It is March 2008. My dear friend and I are driving behind our classmate, slowly, because of the unseasonable snow. We cross a bridge and see his truck begin to fishtail in front of us, then straighten out. We are all on our way to rehearsal for our high school’s first big musical production in years. The show is The Wizard of Oz.

Fourteen years later, my son — days away from his 5th birthday — and I sit in the audience at Playhouse. We are here for his first theater experience. The show we are seeing is The Wizard of Oz.

To say seeing this particular show with my child is a full-circle moment seems redundant. It feels like the sort of childhood trivia that will be repeated to him throughout his life. “You went to a live show before you ever even went to the movies!”

Any anxiety I had about a 4-year-old’s ability to sit still through an entire performance was quelled almost immediately. My son noticed the lights and asked, “When is that [the curtain] going to go up?” I had brought him not only so we could share a special memory, but also to get a child’s perspective of the play. He turned around in his seat when the actors were downstage during the twister scene; he was trying to see what they were reacting to. During “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” he excitedly whispered, “I know this song!”

One thing I knew my son in particular would love was the Wicked Witch of the West. In the program, Caroline Simpson, who plays the Witch, as well as Ms. Gulch, jokes that she “is very excited to have the opportunity to terrify the children of Memphis,” which I read with amusement as I sat beside my child, whose favorite characters in any story are villainous women. A picture of 17-year-old me as the Witch is on our refrigerator, a source of wonder for my macabre-loving son. As soon as Simpson flew offstage after the Witch’s intro in the tornado scene, my son turned to me, grinning under his mask and gave me a thumbs up.

The standout element of this production were the costumes. The Wizard of Oz is such a familiar show that it could easily look and feel rote, but Lindsay Schmeling’s designs were a delight to take in. Munchkinland looked as though the inhabitants had collectively raided a Manic Pixie Dream Girl’s closet, to absolutely fabulous effect. Punk rock crows, glow-in-the-dark jitterbugs, umbrella-canopied trees, and a diaphanous rainbow-clad Glinda lent an innovative, even modern take on the familiar Oz attire. Ms. Gulch, who I would usually think of as drab, strutted onto the stage in balloon-style slacks, totally changing the dynamic of the character.

The only note amiss in the show for me was unfortunately Patsy Detroit’s depiction of Dorothy Gale. It is my personal opinion that playing the “straight man” in any show is always the most difficult, and perhaps the vibrant nature of the other characters made the contrast sharper. Although I found Dorothy to fall a bit flat, especially when compared with the vitality of the rest of the cast, it did not hinder the overall success of the show.

The Wizard of Oz is perfect for a first-time theater-goer, and Playhouse on the Square’s production is an experience all ages can enjoy. My son was not the only young child in attendance, and seeing new Memphis audiences being introduced to the arts was a heartwarming thing. Witnessing the magic of live theater through my child’s eyes was enchanting, and something I hope neither of us will ever forget.

The Wizard of Oz runs at Playhouse on the Square through December 22nd.

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Theater We Recommend We Recommend

Who’s Holiday

Courtney Oliver as Cindy-Lou Who (Photo: Playhouse on the Square)

Every Who down in Who-ville loved Christmas a lot. But Cindy-Lou, who lives on the south side, has been through a LOT. Now living in a trailer park, she is ready to share her turbulent story, so stop by Playhouse on the Square and see Cindy, as played by Courtney Oliver, in her full glory.

“I cannot stress enough that this is not a kids show,” says director Marcus Cox. Put simply, Cindy-Lou with her unexpected past is quite unorthodox. “She asks audience members questions. There’s some food handed out. But it’s not like Rocky Horror where you can scream and shout.”

For Cox, this show marks his Playhouse directorial debut, and he’s the one who introduced the play to the crew. Before this, he’s mostly dabbled in children’s theater, but as said before, this is strictly an adults-only feature.

Courtney Oliver as Cindy-Lou Who (Photo: Playhouse on the Square)

But, fear not, Playhouse has kid-friendly productions going on this month, too: The Wizard of Oz and Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School are sure to woo. “We tell the stories of our full community, young and old,” says Cox. “We tell the stories of our community’s minds, hearts, and souls.”

As the regional theater for the entire Mid-South, Playhouse has to cover a large swath of land. “That requires us to do more shows, but we are proud that we have a team that can.

“People know Playhouse for edgy shows that make people cry and make people think, and all of that is vital and extremely distinct,” says Cox. “But it’s also good just to be able to relax and enjoy live theater with your family and with your friends. For Who’s Holiday, in particular, the fun never ends.”

But will your heart grow three sizes after the play? Well, only you can say, but on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m., you can catch Who’s Holiday, opening this Friday. To purchase tickets to this production, The Wizard of Oz, and Junie B, visit playhouseonthesquare.com or call 937-6496.

Who’s Holiday, The Memphian Room at The Circuit Playhouse, Friday, November 25-December 22, $20-$45.

Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School, The Circuit Playhouse, performances through December 22, $10-$35.

The Wizard of Oz, Playhouse on the Square, performances through December 22, $15-$45.

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We Recommend We Recommend

New Moon’s Evil Dead: The Musical

Evil Dead: The Musical (Photo: New Moon Theatre)

We may be in a national blood shortage (donate if you can!), but the folks with New Moon Theatre Company have a surplus of blood — fake blood, that is — and they’re ready to shower their audience with it.

What exactly calls for blood to run on the stage of New Moon’s latest production? Well, it’s all for Evil Dead: The Musical. Taking elements from the cult classic films Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness, the show spins the tale of five college students going to an abandoned cabin and accidentally unleashing an evil force that turns them all into demons. But, as director Ann Marie Hall says, “In this case, they’re all singing and dancing” — to songs like “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons” and “What the Fuck Was That.”

“‘What the fuck was that? Your girlfriend has turned into a demon,’” chirps Hall during our phone call. “‘What the fuck was that? Your sister’s a demon, too.’ And then two of the main guys do a tango.”

Hall adds, “It’s kind of stupid and funny, just the kind of way I like my show. Stupid and funny.” Indeed, Hall has acted in and directed a number of comedic shows, most recently having directed Theatre Memphis’ You Can’t Take It With You.

“I like to laugh. I like to make people laugh. That’s my favorite thing — hearing people laugh,” she says. “I will try to find the comedy wherever it is. And sometimes it’s just in the tragedy. So when somebody gets their head lobbed off or you have to kill your girlfriend with an axe, then chop it up later with a chain saw, that’s terrible, but sometimes it’s funny.”

So when presented the opportunity to direct New Moon’s Evil Dead, Hall jumped at it immediately. She had seen the show years ago in Charleston and loved it — especially the Rocky Horror-like moments where the cast splatters the audience with blood in the midst of their violent throes. “I’d been trying to get somebody in town to produce the show for ages,” she says. “I’m so excited for the blood part.”

For those who are also excited for the blood part, the theater will have a special section reserved: the Splash Zone. These seats will quite literally be in the middle of the action, practically on the stage. “Your chairs are on the floor with the cast,” Hall explains. “They are dancing right up to your face.”

Tickets for the Splash Zone cost $35 and include a commemorative T-shirt. For those not wanting any blood on them (couldn’t imagine why), non-Splash Zone tickets are available for $30. Performances run Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 13th. Evil Dead is not recommended for those under 17. For more information or to buy tickets, call 901-484-3467 or visit newmoontheatre.org.

Evil Dead: The Musical, Theatre works, Friday, October 28-November 13, $25-$35.

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Intermission Impossible Theater

New Moon Keeps On Being Creepy

A scene from "Shockheaded Peter" at New Moon Theatre Company (Photo by Gene Elliott).

Ten years ago, New Moon Theatre Company started its annual foray into producing thrills and chills for the Halloween season.

“Everybody involved with the company just loved Halloween,” says Gene Elliott, executive producer at New Moon. Look Away (A Civil War Zombie Tragedy) by Memphis playwrights Zac Cunningham and Stephen Briner had been staged by New Moon a couple of times before the 2011 production that started the annual scare fare.

Elliott says they company has been on the watch for something both odd and beautiful. A mix of plays from creepy to screamy were staged in subsequent years, including Bug, Frankenstein, The Woman in Black, Titus Andronicus, Cuddles, Buried Child, Lizzie the Musical, and The Pillowman.

This year offers, if you can imagine, one of the weirdest yet.
Shockheaded Peter (runs tonight through November 14th) is a musical version of an 1845 German children’s book of short stories and poetry about the consequences of misbehavior. The program describes it as a “tale of a childless couple that has their fondest wish granted in the most delightfully dreadful way imaginable, accompanied by songs, puppetry, and vignettes in which the hilariously horrible fates that befall naughty children everywhere are brought to darkly comedic life.”

Elliott, who has been involved in all the productions, says when he first encountered it, “I was kind of gobsmacked just watching what videos were available. And I read about it, everything I could. And it was just so wonderfully bizarre and just asking for no forgiveness.”

In other words, perfectly weird.

“It’s not an overly long play,” he says, “but it has so many moving parts. There’s little vignettes — it’s a vaudeville-feeling show. There’s little scenes that happen, but there’s puppets and people doing quick changes into bizarre costumes and it’s just nonstop. There’s 15 people in the show and every one of them are running backstage. It’s chaos and I just kinda sit back and laugh and watch them just running in circles. It’s so cool.”

But if it’s dark and weird, is it OK for children or not?

“It’s kind of like watching Bugs Bunny or the Road Runner,” he says. “Those are just cartoons. We have puppets. The violence is absurd and we’ve had a couple of older children watch it and they were laughing their heads off.”

Get tickets here.

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Theater Theater Feature

Rhodes College Students, Alumni Address Theater Major

The McCoy Theatre (Photo: Courtesy Rhodes College)

On May 17th, Rhodes College announced its plans to phase out its theater major. Katherine Bassard, provost and vice president of academic affairs, wrote in an email to the student body and alumni that “interest in the theater major has dropped significantly over the last several years.” The college has offered to place tenured and tenure-track faculty members in other academic departments or programs, and in the upcoming years, it plans to offer curricular and co-curricular opportunities in the performing arts, in lieu of a theater major. 

But many mourn the loss of the department that has earned numerous Ostrander Awards. “The McCoy Theatre is a special place to many,” says Katie Marburger, who graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s in theater. Marburger heard the news before Rhodes announced its decision to the public, and she started a Facebook group called Save the McCoy Theatre. “I couldn’t stand back,” she says. “If I could do something, I was going to try.” Her plan is to organize a letter-writing campaign to express why the theater department is necessary not only for theater majors and minors, but also for the college as a whole. “The decision doesn’t just affect majors and minors; it affects non-majors. And it’s not just about the Rhodes theater community; it’s about the Memphis community.”

Within a few days, the group has accrued nearly 500 members, including current students, alumni, and friends of the McCoy Theatre, all of whom express a deep sadness about the news. “There are a lot of people who wouldn’t have come to Rhodes if there was no theater department,” Marburger says, “not just people who intended to major in theater like myself, but also people who wanted to major in something else and still participate in theater.” 

In fact, rising senior Annalee McConnell intended to major in English and pursue theater as an extracurricular when she came to Rhodes. “Since I did theater in high school, but was not sure if I wanted to major, I loved the fact that the Rhodes theater department was accessible to non-majors,” she says. But after becoming involved in the department her first year, she decided to double major in English and theater. “I felt so supported by the theater professors and staff and knew I wanted to learn as much as I could from them before graduating,” she says.

A week before Rhodes announced its plans to phase out the department, McConnell met with administration to create an individualized plan to ensure that she could complete her major. She says that she appreciates the personal and sympathetic support she’s received from the school, but she is still crushed and surprised by the news. 

This most recent semester, McConnell participated in a theater class which culminated in a research project called “Proposals for the Future of Our Theatre.” “To spend so much time researching shows and planning for future seasons at the McCoy just to learn that the program was dissolving not even a week after our presentation left me feeling very discouraged,” she says, “especially since it seemed like the voices of those of us in the department were not being heard.”

Olivia Fox ’21 and Alex Forbes ’23 in Hand of God, directed by Juliet Mace ’20 (photo courtesy Olivia Fox)

Likewise, rising junior Eliana Mabe says that she feels unsupported as a student. “From a student’s perspective,” she says, “it does not feel like they have been clear and direct and willing to help.” Mabe is uncertain whether she will be able to finish her major, since Rhodes will stop offering theater classes after this fall; at this point, she has been told that she will only be able to minor in theater. “Before this decision, I was on the track to be a B.S. in biochemistry and a B.A. in theater, which is the prime example of the beauty of a liberal arts education.” 

Upon enrollment at Rhodes, Mabe had planned on pursuing the sciences, but after becoming involved in the theater department, she now plans to attend graduate school for playwriting. In fact, her plays have already been featured in local festivals, and when she’s in those settings, she says, “I feel like I’m an ambassador for Rhodes.” But with Rhodes’ recent decision, she now hesitates to take the same pride in Rhodes at those events as she did before, and she now says, “I feel like I’ve been ill-prepared for graduate school.” She’s reached out to administration about her concerns but has yet to hear back from anyone since her first meeting when she found out about the decision. “I feel very privileged to be able to attend a college like Rhodes, and I want to continue reaping the benefits it has to offer,” Mabe says, “but I need the support of my peers, past alumni, and faculty to continue pursuing my future playwriting career.”

Mabe continues, “This choice [to eliminate the theater department] is perpetuating the stereotype that theater isn’t real work, that it’s just an extracurricular, that it doesn’t deserve to be seen in academic light, which it does.” 

“Theater is not just about acting or putting on shows; it’s about fueling empathy, human connection, and creative innovation,” McConnell says. “My time in the Rhodes theater department has shown me all of these nuances and more and in the process has made me a more well-rounded and confident person both socially and professionally.”

Similarly, Marburger points to the theater department as being instrumental in developing her critical-thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills as well as her ability to have a dialogue with anyone she meets. “[Theater is] about storytelling and exploring humanity, being able to ask questions,” she says.

Mabe agrees, saying that through the theater department, she has learned that storytelling is an everyday experience. “Sometimes to understand a concept in my biochemistry classes, I have to create a story,” she says, “and that’s an innate human thing.”

“As one of my professors Dr. Dave Mason once said in class, everyone is performing every day of their lives,” she continues, “and when he said that, it really changed my perspective on moving forward as a genuine, good person. As you go through different experiences, how you behave and how you go forth to make good in this world all boils down to this idea of performance, and failing to include that [lesson in Rhodes’ curriculum] is not only a wrong-doing to the mission of the college but is also an error and a flaw that future students didn’t ask for.”

Olivia Fox ’21 (photo courtesy Olivia Fox)

Additionally, as recently-graduated theater major Olivia Fox points out, “Rhodes has always been a supplier of vital community members in the Memphis theater scene. Within the past five years that I have witnessed, there have been prominent actors and directors who have graduated from Rhodes and stayed in Memphis because of the connections they made here.” She also says that the McCoy Theatre has participated in multiple outreach programs in collaboration with places like Central High School and Crosstown Arts. “Since there are no more theater classes,” she says, “these programs will [likely] no longer happen.” It’s also unclear what will happen to student workers in the theater department — whether they will be placed in another department or whether they will lose their position as a student worker altogether.

Despite their disappointment, McConnell and Mabe, as president and vice-president of the Rhodes Theatre Guild, have hope that their student-run organization can “[uphold] the legacy of performing arts that the McCoy Theatre has expertly built over the years,” McConnell says. Since 2016, the group has provided supplementary theatrical opportunities, often student-written and student-directed, without the financial support of the academic department, but members could still go to professors for advice and guidance and utilize the departmental supplies and workers for building sets and making costumes. However, now that the organization will be providing the only theatrical opportunities without the support of an academic department, the productions will likely face limitations in the creative process and execution, especially in student-led shows since, as McConnell says, “none of us have the same experience or training of professionals.” 

Bassard, in her email, wrote that Rhodes is “working to create an environment where our students have access to rich theater and performing arts experiences on campus and in the Memphis community,” but at the moment, it is reimagining and identifying what this may look like going forward. Even with this statement, many students, alumni, and supporters of the McCoy are worried about the future of the performing arts at the college. 

“It’s kind of an open-ended promise at this point,” Mabe says. “However, the responsibility of trying to find other mentors, of reaching out to the community, of reaching out to alumni — that burden should not be placed on the students.”

Fox, who preceded McConnell as president of the Rhodes Theatre Guild, adds, “On top of this, putting all of the burden on students to now do all of the work themselves with no credits is a lot of pressure. Not to mention without classes, it is expected of the students to teach skills of acting and designing to one another.” 

McConnell and Mabe have reached out to the Save the McCoy Theatre group, asking for mentors, directors, designers, or producers to help with future productions. So far, the two have received a plethora of texts and emails from alumni inside and outside of the Memphis area who are willing to offer their support. “These are people who, according to what we’ve been promised, will be paid through Rhodes for their work,” Mabe says. 

“With the help of the institution to fund us and provide professional mentors from the community who can supplement the educational loss from not having an academic department,” McConnell adds, “I have high hopes that we will provide a space of education and creative growth for everyone on campus who loves theater.”

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Intermission Impossible Theater

Quark Theatre Gets Daring (Again) With ‘Wakey, Wakey,’ GCT goes ‘Barefoot,’ ‘Pond’ at POTS

Adam Remsen and Sarah Solarez in Wakey, Wakey.

Quark Theatre’s slogan is “small plays about big ideas,” to which fans will readily concur.   If you go and are not provoked in some way, if you don’t squirm, if you don’t talk about it afterward with your companion, then you probably weren’t there.

Quark’s next show is Wakey, Wakey by Will Eno, an acclaimed playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist. Tony Isbell, one of Quark’s founders, directs Adam Remsen (another Quark founder) and Sarah Solarez. Sound design is by Eric Sefton, with original music by Eileen Kuo, and lighting design by Louisa Koeppel (also a Quark founder).

The play runs 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through October 6th. It’s at TheatreSouth, 1000 Cooper St., southwest corner of the building. Tickets are $20. Here’s the website.

Isbell spoke to us about Quark’s philosophy and the production:

Quark’s plays aren’t particularly traditional. I suppose that’s true with Wakey, Wakey?

Sometimes I call it an experience because it’s not really a typical play in some ways. It’s kind of like an eccentric TED talk. It involves the use of quite a few projections and recorded sound while the protagonist talks directly to the audience. There is an aspect that’s more a traditional play with another character, but there’s a good bit of it that’s a direct address to the audience.

You’ve had the rare experience of talking with the playwright as you were putting this together, right?

When we applied for the rights to this show last year, we got an email from the company that handles the rights. It said that Will likes to be involved in local productions of his plays and here’s his email. So, when we started to work on it, we contacted him. I thought that was pretty cool since he’d been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for drama for a previous work. He replied within 20 minutes and we’ve emailed back and forth a few times and each time, he answered right back.

He seems to be as super nice human. We talked about our approach and our limitations because we have basically zero budget for our show. He was fine with that and much of our approach. Sometimes he’d suggest we try something instead, but never been anything less than enthusiastic and supportive and friendly.

So that must have given you confidence going in?

Yeah, because this is different. All of his plays might be described as eccentric. He’s previously been described as the Samuel Beckett for the millennial generation or something like that. He’s really not, that’s really not quite accurate, but I can certainly see it in him and his writing. This play in particular is what you might call a miniature or a chamber piece.

There isn’t a whole lot of plot. There are two characters, one a man named Guy and a young woman named Lisa. Guy spends part of the show talking directly to the audience. He talks about matters of life and death, and how to deal with life when you are facing extreme situations and it’s very funny and kinda out of left field. But it’s also very moving.

I’ve seen it dozens of times and I still tear up at certain places because it just captures the humor and the joy and the sorrow of being alive. And it reminds me, in some ways, of Our Town though it’s not in any way similar to what’s happened in Grover’s Corners. You kind of get that we all just try to do the best we can and we’re all here together and shouldn’t we all be doing our best to make things easier for other people instead of more difficult? It’s a play that I think has kind of a therapeutic or healing dimension to it. I think people will come out of this show feeling very uplifted and very centered. It ranges from goofy to profound.

How do you choose the scripts that you produce?

Adam and I have tried to produce things that haven’t been done in Memphis, or that Memphis isn’t going to produce because they don’t really fit the mold of what other theaters might want to produce. We deliberately look for things that are challenging and thought provoking, whether that’s the intent of the script or the manner in which it’s produced. Secondary factors: that they are one-act shows that can be produced without big, detailed sets or costumes. This show is our biggest exception to that because it does require a great deal of video and still images and the sound and projection.

Barefoot in the Park at GCT

Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park is playing at Germantown Community Theatre (GCT) through September 29th. The rom-com has fun with newlyweds (he’s uptight, she’s a free spirit) in their 5th-floor walkup apartment as they deal with neighbors, relatives, stairs, and Manhattan. Get tickets here.

On Golden Pond at Playhouse on the Square

Opening Friday at Playhouse on the Square is On Golden Pond, which is kind of like a geriatric Barefoot in the Park: Couple in love working out their differences while family members and people from the neighborhood keep showing up. In this one, Norman and Ethel Thayer are at the family lake house instead of Manhattan. Through October 6th. (And there’s one more connection: Jane Fonda was in both movie versions). Score your tickets here. 

Categories
Intermission Impossible Theater

Ostrander Nominations Announced for 2019

CREDIT: Carla McDonald

Carla McDonald

Tuck Everlasting at Playhouse on the Square

The 36th annual Ostrander Awards comes together on August 25th at the Orpheum, honoring the best of most of Memphis theater for the 2018-2019 season. The judges have conferred and come up with the nominees listed here.

The one winner we know for certain this year is veteran actor Christina Wellford Scott, who will receive the Eugart Yerian Award for Lifetime Achievement. That honor is given to those who have distinguished themselves for years of contributions to the local performance community.

More information on the Ostranders is here. Tickets are available in advance for $15 plus fees, and at the door for $20. A ticket includes the post-event reception at the Halloran Centre. They’re available here.

In the collegiate division, dramas and musicals are in one category for the majority of awards. In the community and professional division, awards are split by drama or musical.

If you’re counting, Theatre Memphis (Lohrey Stage) has 43 nominations, TM’s Next Stage 30, Playhouse on the Square 37, Circuit Playhouse 22, New Moon Theatre 13, Hattiloo Theatre 8, Harrell Theatre 4, and POTS@TheWorks 3.

Thanks as always to Memphis magazine, ArtsMemphis, and the Orpheum Theatre Group for making it possible.

Community & Professional Division

Best Set Design of a Drama
• Andrew Mannion, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Brian Ruggaber & Melanie Mulder, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre
• Bryce Cutler, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Jack Yates, Heisenberg, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis

Best Set Design of a Musical
• Jack Yates, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Tim McMath, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square

Best Costume Design for a Drama 
• Amie Eoff, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Theatre Memphis
• Ashley Kopera, Twelfth Night, New Moon
• Heather Steward, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Lindsay Schmeling, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Circuit Playhouse
• Waverly Strickland, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square

Best Costume Design for a Musical
• Amie Eoff, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Amie Eoff, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Amie Eoff, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Kathleen R. Kovarik, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square
• Kathleen R. Kovarik, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square

Best Hair/Wig/Makeup for a Drama
• Lindsay Schmeling, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Circuit Playhouse
• Barbara Sanders, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Heather Steward and Lindsay Taylor, Dracula, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Buddy Hart & Rence Phillips, Steel Magnolias, Harrell Theatre
• Alexandria Perel-Sams, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Theatre Memphis

Best Hair/Wig/Makeup for a Musical
• A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square
• Barbara Sanders, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Buddy Hart & Rence Phillips, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Kathleen R. Kovarik, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• Waverly Strickland, Madagascar, Circuit Playhouse

Best Props Design for a Drama
• Betty Dilley, Steel Magnolias, Harrell Theatre
• Brandyn Nordlof, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Brandyn Nordlof, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Jack Yates, Heisenberg, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis

Best Props Design for a Musical
• Brandyn Nordlof & Abby Teel, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square
• Brandyn Nordlof, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• Brandyn Nordlof, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Jack Yates, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Jack Yates, Newsies, Theatre Memphis

Best Lighting Design for a Drama
• Alyssandra Docherty, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre
• Justin Gibson, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Mandy Kay Heath, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Trey Eikleberry and Justin Gibson, Junk, Circuit Playhouse
• Trey Eikleberry, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse

Best Lighting Design for a Musical
• Justin Gibson, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Mandy Kay Heath, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Mandy Kay Heath, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Mandy Kay Heath, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Melissa Andrews & Thomas Halfacre, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre

Best Sound Design for a Drama
• Ashley Davis, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre
• Carter McHann, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Joe Johnson, Heisenberg, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Joe Johnson, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Travis Bradley, Carter McHann, & Jordan Nichols, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square

Best Sound Design for a Musical
• Carter McHann, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Gene Elliott, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Jason Eschhofen & Reyn Lehman, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Joshua Crawford, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Joshua Crawford, Newsies, Theatre Memphis

Best Music Direction
• Eileen Kuo, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Gary Beard, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Jeff Brewer, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Jeff Brewer, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Nathan McHenry, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square

Best Choreography/Fight Choreography for a Drama
• Brittany Church, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Courtney Oliver & Donald Sutton, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Daniel Stuart Nelson, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Circuit Playhouse
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Naivell Steib, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre

Best Choreography for a Musical
• Daniel Stuart Nelson, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Travis Bradley, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• Whitney Branan, Madagascar, Circuit Playhouse

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
• Aliza Moran, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Annie Freres, Twelfth Night, New Moon Theatre
• Danika Norfleet, A Song for Coretta, Hattiloo Theatre
• Susan Brindley, Agnes of God, New Moon Theatre
• Tamara Wright, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
• Annie Freres, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Edna Dinwiddie, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Jaclyn Suffel, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Rebecca Johnson, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• Whitney Branan, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis

Best Leading Actress in a Drama
• Jaclyn Suffel, The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Jessica Jai Johnson, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Kim Sanders, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Natalie Jones, Heisenberg, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Sarah Jo Biggs, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
• Christina Hernandez, Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Erica Peninger, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Jenny Wilson, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Kelly McCarty, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Whitney Branan, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
• Andrew Chandler, Dracula, Theatre Memphis
• JS Tate, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Justin Allen Tate, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Circuit Playhouse
• Michael Gravois, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Oliver Jacob Pierce, Twelfth Night, New Moon Theatre

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
• Donald Sutton, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Javier Pena, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Luke Conner, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Michael Gravois, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Talen Piner, Madagascar, Circuit Playhouse

Best Leading Actor in a Drama
• Danny Crowe, 1984, Circuit Playhouse
• Gabe Beutel-Gunn, Junk, Circuit Playhouse
• Jason Spitzer, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Theatre Memphis
• Ryan Duda, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• TC Sharpe, The Miraculous and the Mundane, POTS@TheWorks

Best Leading Actor in a Musical 
• Bradley Karel, Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Donald Sutton, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• John Maness, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Michael Gravois, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square
• Ryan Gilliam, The Producers, Harrell Theatre

Best Featured Performer in a Drama
• Christina Wellford Scott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• Jason Gerhard, Junk, Circuit Playhouse
• Jimbo Lattimore, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Theatre Memphis
• Lena Wallace Black, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Steven Brown, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis

Best Featured Performer in a Musical
• Ann Marie Hall, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Daniel Kopera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Harrell Theatre
• Jason Eschhofen, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Jimbo Lattimore, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Kirie Walz, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Kristin Doty, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Playhouse on the Square

Best Ensemble in a Drama
• Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre

Best Ensemble in a Musical
• 1776, Theatre Memphis
• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Newsies, Theatre Memphis

Best Direction of a Drama
• Dennis Whitehead-Darling, The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre
• Irene Crist, Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• Jason Spitzer, Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• John Maness, Twelfth Night, New Moon Theatre
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square

Best Direction of a Musical
• Cecelia Wingate, 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Dave Landis, Cabaret, Playhouse on the Square
• Dave Landis, Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• Jordan Nichols & Travis Bradley, Newsies, Theatre Memphis

Best Production of a Drama
• Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• Sweat, Circuit Playhouse
• The Clean House, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Playhouse on the Square
• The Parchman Hour: Songs and Stories of the ‘61 Freedom Riders, Hattiloo Theatre

Best Production of a Musical
• Hairspray, Theatre Memphis
• 1776, Theatre Memphis
• Newsies, Theatre Memphis
• Lizzie: The Musical, New Moon Theatre
• Tuck Everlasting, Playhouse on the Square

College Division

Best Set Design
• Brian Ruggaber, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Kenton Jones, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Nicholas Jackson, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Costume Design
• Kennon Cliche, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Jen Gillette, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Jen Gillette, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Hair/Wig/Makeup
• Emily Greene, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Jen Gilette, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Rebecca Koenig & Keyauna Shorter, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Props Design
• Kenton Jones, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Karen Arredondo, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Hattie Fann, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Lighting Design
• Anthony Pellecchia, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Melissa Andrews, Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine, Rhodes College
• Zoey Smith, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis

Best Sound Design
• John Phillians, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Anthony Pellecchia, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Sophia Deck, Rose and the Rime, Rhodes College

Best Music Direction
• Jacob Allen, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Eileen Kuo, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2018 version), Rhodes College

Best Choreography
• Jill Guyton Nee, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2018 version), Rhodes College

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama 
• Ariona Campbell, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Hiawartha Jackson, Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine, Rhodes College
• Eboni Cain, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
• Erica Peninger, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Lea Mae Aldridge, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Marlee Wilson, Be More Chill, University of Memphis

Best Leading Actress in a Drama
• Jessica Jai Johnson, Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine, Rhodes College,
• Simmery Branch, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Grace Small, Rose and the Rime, Rhodes College

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
• Aly Milan, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Jess Brookes, Closer Than Ever, Southwest Tennessee Community College

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
• Adrian Harris, Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine, Rhodes College
• Toby Davis, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical  (one nominee)

Best Leading Actor in a Drama
• Brandon Lewis, Imagination, Southwest Tennessee Community College
• Willis Green, Rose and the Rime, Rhodes College
• Christian Hinton, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
• Toby Davis, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Winston Mize, Closer Than Ever, Southwest Tennessee Community College

Best Featured Performer
• Riley Thad Young, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Jasmine Roberts, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• John Ross Graham, Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis

Best Ensemble
• Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2018 version), Rhodes College

Best Direction
• Justin Braun, Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Dennis Whitehead-Darling, Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• Joy Brooke Fairfield, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2018 version), Rhodes College

Best Overall Production
• Be More Chill, University of Memphis
• Intimate Apparel, University of Memphis
• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2018 version), Rhodes College

All Divisions

Best Original Script
• Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis
• Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• The Miraculous and the Mundane, POTS@TheWorks

Best Production of an Original Script
• Shaming JANE DOE, University of Memphis
• Little Women, Next Stage, Theatre Memphis
• The Miraculous and the Mundane, POTS@TheWorks

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis Returns

For more than a decade, Ruby O’Gray, executive producer and co-founder of the Women’s Theatre Festival of Memphis (WTFM) and an established Memphis playwright, dreamed of honoring women in theater.

“Sixty-three percent of theater audiences are made up of women,” says O’Gray. “So, to me, it was a no-brainer to create a theater festival centered around women.”

She approached longtime friend and director/event planner Karen Moore about starting a festival, and by 2012, WTFM was born. The inaugural festival took place at The Circuit Playhouse, Playhouse on the Square, and TheatreWorks and honored Memphis women involved in theater.

The Women’s Theatre Festival focuses on the theater-loving ladies of Memphis.

Now, seven years later, the festival has grown to cover more ground, with additional sites at Hattiloo Theatre, Theatre South, and Christian Brothers University Theater.

“I have worked to show the evolution and revolution of women,” says O’Gray.

This year, several theatrical works will be showcased, including O’Gray’s The Liberal: Mrs. Price and Making Folk Happy, as well as Natalie Parker-Lawrence’s Planting Firewood.

The festival will culminate in a Gyneka Awards Gala on Sunday featuring the 2019 honorees: Janie Paris, Precious Morris, and Natalie Parker-Lawrence.

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets for individual festival events may link to the Eventbrite page from womenstfmemphis.org.

Women’s Theatre Festival, Various locations, July 11th-14th.

Categories
Theater Theater Feature

Legends & Outlaws: Theater Review

CREDIT: Bill Simmers

Last weekend, Memphis exploded with so much theater, there was no way to take it all in. Shows opened at Circuit Playhouse, TheatreWorks, Evergreen Theatre, and Theatre Memphis. A Fringe Festival on two stages at Rhodes College showcased a mix of regional talent and visiting artists working in a variety of performance traditions. It was too much, in the best way possible, and a real opportunity to sample the best of what some of our local companies have to offer. Whether you love big Broadway-style shows, thoughtful family dramas, quirky comedies, or envelope-pushing shows that defy easy description, chances are, Memphis theaters have you covered.

It’s hard to do Four Places justice in summary. Joel Drake Johnson’s script, now showing at Evergreen Theatre courtesy of Cloud9 theater company and director Irene Crist, plays out in real time, telling the story of siblings intervening in the lives of their alcoholic parents. It’s an exercise in tension and dark comedy as public spaces play host to private concerns and vice versa. For people who like good acting, it’s also a masterclass in how to communicate loads of information with the simplest gestures.

Bill Simmers

Did Peggy (convincingly played by Glenda Mace) try to kill her invalid husband? Did he beg her to? Dishes were broken. Tough decisions were made while others were avoided. Johnson’s play is all about fine-grain details, and how and when they are revealed. Crist and a cast that includes Mace, Annie Freres, Gordon Ginsberg, and Teri Kennedy Feigelson get the timing exactly right, infusing what is essentially a compact family drama with the tense energy of a psychological thriller.

Four Places runs through June 23rd at Evergreen Theatre.

What happens when a peckerwood Elvis impersonator with a heart of gold (and twins on the way!) loses his gig at a peckerwood bar in the Florida panhandle to a couple of drag queens looking to put on a show? Magic, of course.

The Legend of Georgia McBride mixes so many underdog story tropes and stock characters it’s enough to make your wig spin, but somehow an original story wobbles out of the dizzying muddle, like a newly minted drag star in her first pair of stacked stilettos. A sweet and silly soap opera plot lightens more subtle, bracing lessons about economic security.

Low-volume drag numbers never fail to entertain, but they also interrupt the pace, making Georgia McBride a bumpier ride than it might be. Generous performances by a perfect ensemble make up for any deficiencies.

The Legend of Georgia McBride runs through June 30th at The Circuit Playhouse.

Memphis has witnessed so many fantastic productions of John Waters’ hit musical Hairspray, I wondered what Theatre Memphis might do to improve on what we’ve seen so far. The short answer: everything. The choreography is fun, the music is a lively romp through 1960s-era lounge and R&B, and the performances are all first-rate. But from its giant sputnik chandeliers to go-go dancers in silhouette and a sweet butterscotch Telecaster nobody really plays, Theatre Memphis nails the spirit and detail of mid-20th-century design like nothing I’ve ever seen on stage, making Jack Yates (set), Mandy Heath (lights), and Amie Eoff (costumes) the show’s secret stars.

Yates’ sets are a glorious, color-saturated love letter to the golden age of black-and-white TV. They look like the best of T.A.M.I. Show producer Steve Binder’s rock-and-roll extravaganzas with clear nods to Hootenanny, Shindig, Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special, and the mod-est of weekly music and youth-oriented programming.

John Waters’ Baltimore is famously garish, and when it needs to be, so is this production of Hairspray. It’s also a gorgeous Crayola box explosion wrapped in a cotton-candy halo — a sweet treat front to back.

Hairspray runs through June 30th at Theatre Memphis.