A Shot Rang Out Review by Jen Bush

I have a black friend.  In fact, I have many friends of diverse ethnicities and sexual orientations.   When I was learning to ride a bicycle, this one particular friend held on tight to the back of it so that I wouldn’t fall.  We played together and our families socialized on a regular basis.  He enjoys a successful career as an elementary school teacher and we are still friends to this day.  Sadly, in many cases, if a black boy approached a white girl on a bicycle and held the back of it, I don’t have to spell out the rest of the scenario for you.  An assumption might be made.  Assumptions is a germane word here.  The police officer in A Shot Rang Out held many assumptions about boys of color to the detriment of his moral and ethical obligation to serve and protect ALL in his community.

A Shot Rang Out takes place in a warehouse.  While a violent protest is happening outside, a police officer is trapped in the warehouse with a young black man and an angry white teacher.  The young black man was simply trying to stay alive and seek safety from the escalating protest.  The police officer assumes that he is a thug and acts accordingly attempting to arrest him.  The word thug is thrown around a lot in this play to emphasize the perception of people of color.   The teacher enters the warehouse, surveys the scene and tries to protect the boy.  She is angry that so many innocent lives are being taken.  The situation spirals out of control and the lives of all three characters are changed irrevocably.

This contemporaneous commentary on social injustice and the abuse of authority in law enforcement will bring to the surface a whole host of emotions from audience members.  FYI, the feelings won’t be warm and fuzzy.  You will be saddened and enraged which is the desired result of seeing this play.  For a nation that has made so much progress in so many areas, the continued divisiveness is confounding.  This production highlights a racially motivated epidemic problem in the current state of law enforcement nationwide. 

Michael Hagins is an African American playwright, director, fight director, actor and producer.  He used to write more lighthearted plays, but societal ills have caused this talented playwright to take his work in another direction.  This play was inspired by the real-life incident in Ferguson, Missouri when a white police officer killed a young black man.  His brilliant script demonstrates that he has his finger on the pulse of contemporary issues plaguing society.  He is a voice of social injustice.  This play is raw, emotionally charged, and necessary.  Mr. Hagins is using his artform as a platform to educate and draw attention to a problem that needs to change.

The actors that were cast all shined in their roles.  Marquis Neal played Terrell Brown who sought refuge from the protest.  This passionate performer has been connecting with audiences since the tender age of eight.  He crafted a convincing and compelling portrayal of an innocent young person just trying to survive among the dangerous chaotic situation outside.  Another early starter, Samantha Simone has been in the industry since the age of 10 and her professionalism shows.  Her interpretation of a frustrated and compassionate teacher was riveting.  It was smart of the casting director to put James Smart in the role of Officer Randy Kilmer.  He knocked it out of the park and evoked a lot of emotional responses as he acted his way through difficult subject matter.  Intuitive direction by Rachael Langton was the cherry on top of this production.  Well done all around.

Can’t Kill Me Now Review by Jen Bush

Coral Mizrachi began her artistic journey in her birthplace of Israel.  She took her passion for acting and telling stories to the stage where she starred in shows like Into the Woods.  In 2017, she was accepted into The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, one of the most prestigious acting institutions in the world.  In 2020 she had the lead role in a television serios Trippin Stacia and then the unthinkable happened, a cancer diagnosis.

Can’t Kill me Now is a biographical music video of this beautiful young artist’s struggle and ultimate triumph over cancer.  It’s difficult to watch yet uplifting overall.  Wes Aldrich composed a haunting and stunning piece of music that provides a wonderful companion to this poignant video.  We see the pain, the anger and the fear associated with this horrific illness when we see this beautiful young lady screaming under water receiving hypodermic needles and IV hookups.  Make no mistake, even without hair, Ms. Mizrachi looks beautiful and even healthy, but your heart will break when she looks at her own reflection with such deep anguish.  In this video we also see a strong, brave, and resilient warrior who reclaims her life as she gets better and stronger.   She takes paint and transforms a canvas into a gorgeous seascape.  She laughs and dances and finds joyous moments by the ocean.  This story had a happy ending.  There are many more stages and screens waiting for the artistry of Coral Mizrachi.  May the rest of her journey unfold with the best of health, joy, and prosperity. 

The Merry Wives of Windsor Review by Jen Bush

The American Theatre of Actors has been in operation for 46 years.  This supportive institution provides a creative playground for new playwrights, directors, and actors to nurture their work.  Edie Flaco, Dennis Quaid and Chazz Palminteri are just a few of the many notable artists who have worked with this theatre.  They present this version of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

The Merry Wives of Windsor centers around the characters of John Falstaff, Mistress Ford, Mistress Page and Anne Page, daughter of Mistress Page.  The unscrupulous John Falstaff is after the fortunes of the mistresses’ husbands.  He endeavors to seduce the two unwitting housewives to flee with the fortunes.  Anne Page is courted by three suitors but she only desires one of the three.  Mistress Ford and Mistress Page get wind of Falstaff’s scheme and come up with a scheme of their own to humiliate him.

Undertaking a Shakespearean play is a challenging endeavor, and this company was certainly up for the challenge.  Every pun, metaphor and simile in this play was delivered diligence.  The Bard’s beloved boisterous comedy was in excellent hands with this international, multi-ethnic talented cast.  Each and every one of them deserves a shout out and that’s exactly what they’re going to get. 

Michael Bordwell is no fool, but he pulled off playing one.  His comedic command of John Falstaff was a pure joy to watch.  Amanda Cannon, Amber Brooks and Jake McMichael all took a page out of the Shakespeare book of fine acting with their portrayals of members of the Page family.  Amy Losi was a worthy adversary for Falstaff with her cunning portrayal of Mistress Ford.  Tom Kane gave a fine performance as Shallow.  As a self-professed late bloomer in acting, what he lacks in time, he makes up for in talent.  Alan Hasnas was so good, I didn’t even realize he was playing two characters until further into the play.  Gabe Girson played Slender with Slender loving care.  Having seen Manny Rey in a previous production, it’s evident that he’s got range and a strong command of the characters he portrays.  Ken Dillon gave a solid performance as Sir Hugh Evans.  Well done, accent and all.   Dustin Pazar was a winner as the winning suitor, Fenton.  The third time was a charm for Sky Spallone (great name!) as this was her third production with A.T.A.  Vicky Gitre handled their three roles with keen expertise.  Having studied biochemistry, Riyadh Rollins definitely had a lot of chemistry in his roles of Pistol and Second Servant.  Nicole Arcieri was simply the best in her role of simple.  The multilingual Marc Martin wowed the crown with his French Doctor Caius.  Jake Minter’s double duty playing two characters was doubly good.

The actors utilized two levels of the stage.  Shakespeare plays do love a good balcony scene.  The fact that there were minimal set pieces was of no detriment.  It made it easier to concentrate on the fine acting.  The costumes were clever and inventive.  The finale was illuminating.  The production was directed and co-directed by a pair of A.T.A. veterans.  Award winning director Ken Coughlin knows how to direct an actor because he is an actor and a good one at that.  He gave a memorable performance in Banned in Bisbee as a military man also at A.T.A.  Laurie Rae Waugh, also an award-winning director, handled assistant directing duties expertly.  You have until July 3^rd to make merry with this production of The Merry Wives of Windsor.  I would suggest you make haste and see it.

Antonia Kasper Interview by Jen Bush

A highlight of Pride Month is all the exciting happenings in the performing arts world.  From lively stage productions to passionate songs sung loud and proud, entertainment is in full swing. 

Antonia Kasper happens to have a wonderful show playing this month.  Antonia Kasper is an award-winning writer, producer, director, and actress.  The comedy that she wrote and directed, True Confessions Of The Straight Man is currently playing at The Laurie Beechman Theatre.  Through her craft, she endeavors to feature people who are usually in the shadows.  Her pieces are humorous with a message, and she considers her job well done when her work resonates with people.  “My mission as a writer is to give a voice to people that are sometimes not heard.  For me, personally, it’s women and men of a certain age, or that may have had a turbulent past that isn’t visible to most. I like to write edgy or quirky material and now especially with all the hardships in the past few years, I feel comedy is really needed right now. Because I’m from a comedy background, I love writing comedy with some dramatic or poignant underlying message. Connecting with people and connecting people through writing is my most important mission.” 

Ms. Kasper doesn’t have to look far to find her keen observations for her works.  “I get most of my ideas and observations from my personal experience or experiences of people I know around me. The everyday man or woman struggling for their own integrity, purpose or truth in an environment that doesn’t support those honorable traits. At this time, like with True Confessions of The Straight Man, I’m redefining older writings that originated in a past time but that still feels timeless in many ways.  Some topics I have written years ago have messages that are still relevant today.”

The pandemic has most certainly changed the arts, but it also presented a challenge to artists to be more creative with limited resources.  Ms. Kasper rose to that challenge and came away with added techniques.  “Well, as far as stage productions, Covid has obviously really hurt the theatre.  But I do try to look for any positives or take aways from challenging times. Though people still aren’t going to live performances like they used to, artists have learned how to pivot with their art.  For instance, learning how to live-stream and have adjusted what was once a stage performance to more film/tv or camera type styles.

At least, that’s what I learned for myself. In the middle of the pandemic, I performed my one woman show “45 Coffee Dates” and restaged much of it for camera-type streaming. I found some interesting choices that I would have never found without the pandemic.  A few months ago, I performed the show live and took some of those acting choices I found through zoom performances that also worked well on stage. So, I believe many artists and the art supporters have had to “think outside the stage box” which has opened up alternative and interesting ways of interpretation and expression.  But performing at home in front of your computer or phone is daunting. On the other hand, what’s theatre without an audience’s laughter, gasps or applause? It’s hard to hear or see how people are reacting to your art when you are performing to a blank screen. Nothing beats live performing. While directing “True Confessions of The Straight Man” I found the initial auditioning process more convenient for both the creatives and the actors auditioning because everyone is using zoom now.  But live call backs and rehearsals are more challenging with vaccination card checks, regular Covid testing and mask wearing. Though all the compliance is slowly being phased out in theatre and the arts, it’s still difficult to say where we are all headed in the future.  Hopefully, artists, the arts (and the world) will get back to normal times…like the way we lived BEFORE the pandemic.          

From Three’s Company to I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, a straight man pretending to be gay has been a concept utilized on stage and screen time and again.  Through a careful balance of comedy and character depth, Ms. Kasper found a way to convey an important message using this concept.  “Three’s company revolves around a living situation, whereas Todd in True Confessions of The Straight Man is always pegged as being gay because he’s handsome, sweet, sensitive, and still single in New York City and plays gay to get the girl. Kate, who has been burned by guys, almost projects her wanting Todd to be gay onto him. It’s farcical and though an outlandish story it is based on some of my own experiences in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1990’s. All the great guys I knew and could relate to were gay. I thought the concept of a straight guy pretending to be a homosexual “to be cool” was a twist to the homosexual guy pretending to be heterosexual to be “accepted”. So basically, Kate makes Todd gay, and he plays along to get to know her better but gets in over his head playing this charade.  It escalates when everyone in the show takes on different personas. The show twists and turns with mistaken identities and disguises.  But through wearing different masks, the characters begin to understand each other.  The show is a farce but does have a poignant message about living in someone else’s shoes for a time being – about understanding each other and acceptance.”      

With projects galore coming up, Ms. Kasper will be keeping busy utilizing her artistic gifts in the arts world.  “Though film and television work is ramping up for me right now, understandably so, I hope to do more live theatre once we can get through this still unpredictable time.  

It would also be nice to see “True Confessions of The Straight Man” extended or continued after the summer. With Kasper Productions, I have some new works in development which includes an exciting new musical with original music and relaunching another period piece. In October,I will be directing Phyllis Gordon in her one woman show, “Em-Pathetic” at The Emerging Artists New Works Series. And when theatre is more robust, (crossed fingers in the fall/winter of 2022) I plan to perform my one woman show “45 Coffee Dates- In search of my soulmate through cyberspace and beyond!”

“I hope we all continue to rise through this prolonged tough time and everyone feels more confident going out and seeing theatre again soon!”       

    

REVIEW by Bill Eienring
Gidon’s Knot
Theater Row (6/16-6/27/22)
Johnna Adams. Playwright
David E. Shane, Director
Starring:
Nicola Bertram
Laura King Otazo

(Photo provided by Dan Lane Williams (DLW Photography)

If you are a lover of theater, and not triggered by the suicide of a preteen boy, then rush to get tickets to
Gidon’s Knot at Theater Row. Johanna Adams has written a play of extraordinary quality, Director David
E. Shane has embraced Adams text and actors Nicola Bertram and Laura King Otaza do a fantastic job
transferring Adams words and Shane’s vision to the stage.

This 90 minute gem is far better than much that has made it to Broadway and has writing as good as How I Learned to Drive.

Gidon is 11 years old and suspended from school. A day later he commits suicide by handgun. His mother
wants to understand why. She shocks his teacher by keeping the appointment she was requested to make
after the suspension. The confrontation is both “gentile” and devastating.

A grieving mother striving to understand why an institution where she had sent her son to be both safe
and academically challenged failed him on both counts. Gidon’s mother would love to untie the Gordian
Knot that triggered her son’s death, but, when she leaves her meeting, we are fairly certain she has
recognized that she needs to cut it.

Adams challenges the audience to recognize the difference between who Gidon’s teacher presents herself
as and who she actually is. Just as Lucas Hnath in Dana H. required audiences to reject their vision of
what a mother “must” be, Adams, more subtly than even Hnath, needs the audience to see through teacher “Heather’s” veneer and see who “Heather” is.

Louis A. Josephson Interview by Jen Bush

Louis is a New York-based collaboration-focused composer, music director, and producer. At Age 3,  Louis began writing and performing songs at the piano. As a child, Louis was exposed to different styles of  music from classic rock in the car with his parents to classical music at the concert hall with his  grandmother. Since then, his music has been performed and recorded by esteemed ensembles including  The United States Air Force Band, The Juilliard Orchestra, The All-National Honors Concert Band, Sirius  Quartet, and various Juilliard chamber ensembles. His music has been featured in various festivals  including Tribeca New Music, Association of Concert Bands, National Association of Music Educators,  MakeMusic, and Jersey Fringe. He is published by Wingert-Jones Publications, Inc.; A Division of J.W.  Pepper & Son, Inc. He is currently studying composition at The Juilliard School with Robert Beaser.

A musical prodigy at age 3, Louis A. Josephson considers his artistry to be a flexible and fluid thing that is ever evolving.  “I continue to explore what it means to be an artist. Lately, I have been fascinated with the idea of using art to express complex emotions and the idea of relating my personal growth to my musical language. I am also inspired by my collaborations with other artists who help bring my vision to life and with whom share a similar artistic mindset.” 

This production was a long time in the making from adolescence to adulthood.  The impetus behind writing it was to create something new and distinct.  “After writing a children’s musical with Justin in middle school, I was eager to try something completely different. Little did I know this work would end up being very meaningful to me and help me find my voice. Having started the piece in my freshman year of high and working on it up until my last year of undergrad, Relapse captures how my perspective on life experiences have changed over time.

During interviews artists discuss their creative process if the question arises.  Mr. Josephson did much more than that.  Here is a rare and literal glimpse of the collaborative creative process between Mr. Josephson and the lyricist, Justin Giachetti.  This is golden!

“Here is my recollection of how the most recent song “To Be A Man” came to be.”

Scene Description: Louis’ basement. Louis is sitting at his upright piano harping on random ideas while Justin is sitting on a black couch next to him typing on his laptop. Both Justin and Louis knew (and slightly resented the fact that) they had less than a week to a write one more song for their show. 

Justin (confident but also curious) stops typing on his laptop: Ok. Louis, what do you think of this: “So many people ask me to fill them up but my cup is low on its supply.”

Louis (still feeling unsure and slightly afraid of not being able to write a song but likes the idea): yeah, that’s cool.

Louis continues playing with some ideas and Justin continues typing away.

Louis (switching over to his spinning chair): Justin, this song needs to be about toxic masculinity and, in some ways, our own personal connection to “manhood.”

Louis and Justin continue discussing the concept, then Louis goes back to the piano and continues to play some more. A few minutes later, Justin shifts his posture and glows up his entire face. 

Justin: I got it. Reads the opening lines of the song. Then sends the lyric idea to Louis to view on his piano.

Louis (singing at the piano): “To Be A Maaan.” No that’s not it. “Tooooo Be A Man.” (many tries later). “To Beeee A Man.” There it is! Ahhh!!! Louis then furiously writes down the tune. 

That was the moment I knew we had our tune. From there, we continued exploring this tune and the tone it provided for the song. The lyric was abstract to me at first and of course I couldn’t imagine what the final product would sound like (which is always incredibly daunting), but once I began to absorb the words, and find the tune that served the song most, I knew what the song would sound like. 

Some artists feel an added sense of responsibility when presenting a work with serious subject matter.  Mr. Josephson’s responsibility is driven by passion.  “Being passionate about the topic encourages me to develop it at levels I may not otherwise achieve”.  

It’s no surprise that this gifted composer has a full plate of fascinating and distinctive upcoming projects.  His work will be music to our ears for a long time to come.  “I’m working on a few other projects right now. A musical about how a love affair affects six other people, which is  scheduled to be read on August 12/13; A musical about a family escaping from a Nazi occupied ghetto in modern-day  Belarus as inspired by a true survivor, as explained by his son, the producer; a piece for orchestra that explores the concept of  using metaphors and language to define uncomfortable and (what seems at the time) undefinable emotional and physical  sensations; and a song cycle for soprano and piano with text by John Frederick Freeman.”

ROLLIN JEWETT – SOCKY TELLS ALL – Interview by Jen Bush

Rollin Jewett has been a lifelong purveyor of the arts.  Some people dip their toe into various endeavors.  Mr. Jewett completely submerged himself in a vast ocean of creativity.  In front of audiences and behind the scenes, Mr. Jewett has all the bases covered.  Not many people can say that Batman starred in their movie but he can.  His brand new work Socky Tells All will be premiering in June.  In his own words, we find out about his fascinating, diverse and award-winning career.  “I’ve been involved in the arts my entire life and have attempted (with varying degrees of success) acting, screenwriting, playwriting, short stories, poetry, and singer-songwriter. As an actor, I played lead roles in many plays, had roles in films like the The Bodyguard (opposite Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner), Miami Vice, Unsolved Mysteries, hosted many TV shows and filmed dozens of commercials. As a screenwriter, I penned Carmen Electra’s first film, American Vampire (also starring Adam West) as well as the erotic thriller Laws of Deception with C. Thomas Howell, Brian Austin Green and James Russo. As a playwright, my plays are published by Lazy Bee Scripts and have been performed Off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. My short stories and poetry have been published in numerous high profile magazines and books, with a special leaning towards the horror genre. As a singer-songwriter, my music is available on all major music platforms and I have been nominated for/won numerous music awards, including the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, International Singer-Songwriter (ISSA) Awards, Indie Music Awards, Rampage Music Awards, Akademia Music Awards, Clouzine Music Awards, Red Carpet Awards and International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA) Awards.”

The impetus behind writing this play sprung from a dire systemic mental health crisis currently afflicting our country.  “The inspiration behind my latest play, Socky Tells All, is the current state of mental health care in our country. Children and adults are seemingly suffering from various mental health issues now more than ever and it’s time our government shines a light and puts more focus on the psychological welfare of our population, as violence in every form seems to be escalating to an unprecedented degree. More people are suffering from various forms of abuse, domestic and otherwise, as well as PTSD, and I wanted to address the lack of care in mental health facilities, which now seem to be more focused on monetary rewards than actual patient care. Hence, I wrote Socky as a reaction to the lack of care most mental health patients receive today.” 

This is theatre so the message will be conveyed with entertainment value.  The  Twilight Zone has been entertaining audiences while simultaneously chilling them to the core for decades.  Certain episodes continue to impact people to this day.  This piece pays homage to that show and shows like it.  Mr. Jewett explains more about that connection and the plot.  “On another note, Socky is also a throwback to a kind of story one might see in an episode of The Twilight Zone or Night Gallery. It has a macabre and sinister sensibility, with its young protagonist a mental health patient engaged in a battle of wits with the hospital director in a war over whether the young man will stay or leave the asylum which he has now come to regard as his home — with an omniscient sock monkey seemingly the arbiter. The unexpected outcome is an homage to those mysterious stories told on television late at night in black and white and narrated by an ominous voice. “ Hopefully the audience will be unnerved enough to  give some serious thought to this important subject matter after seeing the show. 

Since Mr. Jewett has such a diversified body of work, his creative process is customized based on the project to achieve the greatest outcome.  ‘My creative process varies from project to project and takes whatever form it needs to in order to manifest the story in the form that will best serve the story — whether it be a screenplay, a play, a short story or a poem. It can come from a snippet in a news article, a conversation overheard, a piece of music — anywhere really. And the story usually comes to me complete: beginning, middle and end. Then it’s just a process of sitting down and letting the creative juices flow. I typically write very fast and only do a few drafts before I finish something because I don’t ever start a story until I know almost everything that’s going to happen. Sometimes I surprise myself and the story takes on a life of its own as I write it. Those are usually the best stories because they practically write themselves. They don’t come from me, they simply flow through me, using me as a conduit, and when that happens they typically turn out better than I could have imagined. Stories that tell themselves are the best ones. Socky Tells All was one of those stories I had thought about for several years before I actually sat down and wrote it. And when I finished it, it turned out almost exactly as I had imagined it. I had said everything I wanted to say with it and now it’s up to the audience to watch, listen and draw their own conclusions about what they think the play represents in today’s society.”

There is definitely an added sense of responsibility when undertaking a work with weighty subject matter and Mr. Jewett acknowledges that.  “I do feel an added sense of responsibility because you’re putting a point of view onstage and asking the audience to make their own interpretation of the message you’re presenting.”  He’s hoping that his play will start conversations that will enact change. “If you’ve done your job well, the story will stay with the audience long after they’ve left the theatre and they will continue the dialogue with friends and colleagues and you will have made an impact and caused people to think deeply about the messages presented. I think the best a playwright can hope for is that their story will be remembered and discussed after the play is over. Sometimes, if enough people are influenced, they can become passionate advocates and real change can be affected.”

Living through a global pandemic has been akin to life being like a horror movie.  The negative impact has been far reaching.  “The pandemic has had a noticeable impact on all areas of modern life. People realize now that they are vulnerable in ways never before imagined and there’s palpable fear in that knowledge. There’s more caution in people’s lives now and we tend to walk on eggshells, waiting for what might be next: an asteroid? a war? look at Ukraine. The unexpected quality of the last few years has become a constant source of unnerving apprehension and we’re all feeling it. We’re all hoping to somehow feel “normal” again, waiting for our prior sense of “normalcy” to return, but it feels like those days are over. Apprehension is the new normal. Perhaps that’s why horror has become so popular. Horror feels normal now and it makes us feel like as bad as it is, hopefully it won’t be as bad as the zombie apocalypse or something like that. But who knows? It seems as though anything’s possible now.”

Mr. Jewett will continue to successfully construct new and wonderful works for the foreseeable future.   He already has vampires and sock puppets in his bag of tricks.  It will be thrilling to see where his creative compass will take him next.  “I have a few film scripts circulating and hope that one might get the green light one of these days. I’m also writing and recording new songs and have a backlog of music to last several years. And I will continue to write stories and plays for publication and production. Hopefully, I will just continue to grow creatively and as a human being contemplating the strange new world we’re living in. I personally see no end in sight to my creative odyssey.”