Greek tragedy is considered the root of western theater, though its original format can feel strange and stiff to our modern sensibilities. The themes are still relevant, touching as they do on the human condition and broad philosophical questions. Cal Poly Humboldt students, under the guidance of director Cynthia Martells, found creative ways to bridge […]
Front Row
Posted inFront Row
Rocky Horror’s New Thrust
The Rocky Horror Show is an iconic cult classic that manages to bend theater norms and create a pearl-clutching experience for staunch and pedigreed theaterists with the level of debauchery its script unabashedly offers. In its 50th year, productions of this scrappy “don’t like it? don’t care” musical often try to mimic the movie in visuals, concepts and characterizations with varying degrees of success. Not being a fan of cookie-cutter theater, nor lazy recycled […]
Posted inFront Row
She the People
What the Constitution Means to Me, now playing at the 5th and D Street Theatre, connects the Constitution of the United States, a cryptic, venerated document, to our everyday lives. Playwright Heidi Schreck (portrayed by Natasha Samuelsen in this autobiographical show) recounts her experience to the audience as a teenager traveling the country to earn […]
Posted inFront Row
To Err is Hilarious
The Play That Goes Wrong went very well at Ferndale Repertory Theatre on Saturday night. In this slapstick play-within-a-play by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the Cornely Drama Society presents The Murder at Haversham Manor. The society has just exactly enough members to put on the classic murder mystery set in the English […]
Posted inArts + Scene
What the Constitution Means to Redwood Curtain Theatre
In the 5th and D Street Theatre, Natasha Samuelsen stands in the spotlight explaining the tenets of the 14th Amendment to the five people sitting in the dark during dress rehearsal. As the main character in Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me, she enthuses over the enshrining of naturalized citizenship with the hard […]
Posted inArts + Scene
A Maximalist Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most produced and adapted plays in the history of western culture. Its themes and quotations are intricately woven into our cultural zeitgeist. A myriad of options are a click away on streaming devices. Sure, you can watch Romeo and Juliet with guns and […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Love’s the Best Doctor on the Mend at Dell’Arte
If Dell’Arte’s newest offering feels dated, it’s because it is. Love’s the Best Doctor is adapted from French playwright Moliere’s l’Amour Medicin from the 1600s. Michael Fields’ rework adds an onslaught of tech and social media observations, cute musical numbers and unapologetic explication of our healthcare system in the brash ruckus and masked chaos that Dell’Arte excels […]
Posted inArts + Scene
9 to 5: The Musical Clocks in at FRT
You don’t have to be a fan of Dolly Parton to appreciate 9 to 5: The Musical, now at Ferndale Repertory Theatre, but if you are, you’ll probably love it even more. . The music and lyrics are written by Parton, the book by Patricia Resnick. It’s of course based on the 1980 movie by […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Urinetown is Absurdly Fun
Urinetown is a silly, overacted, melodramatic, musical political satire that is pure excessive hilarity. The talented cast of North Coast Repertory Theatre’s incarnation of the show understands the assignment and creates an entirely entertaining evening of must-see theater. The surface of this production is stupid, stereotypical theater complete with puns, gags, terrible writing and an onslaught of […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Clue is Game
A dark and stormy night outside a lush mansion on Van Duzer Theater’s stage sets the melodramatic tone for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Department of Dance, Music and Theatre production of Clue by Sandy Rustin. The madcap, stylized parlor game whodunit is based on the movie of the same title, which was inspired by the board […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Steel Magnolias Blooms in Ferndale
It’s a bold choice to present a piece of theater as beloved and acclaimed as Steel Magnolias. For people of a certain (cough) maturity, the movie is a go-to experience for anyone needing a deep laugh, a cathartic cry and brilliant writing. It’s hard to separate the cinematic masterpiece from the stage play, and the iconic actors […]
Posted inArts + Scene
All the President’s Frantic Women
POTUS Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive by Selina Fillinger is a fast-moving farcical comedy set in the White House during a fictional presidency. The President has (yet again) said something awful at the worst possible moment. His chief of staff Harriet (Christina Jioras), her beleaguered intern Stephanie (Ximena […]