Reviews

‘Visitors’ knocks at the door of the Vineyard Playhouse

September 30, 2015
What happens when a person bids farewell to her mind, and her loved ones take leave of her as they’ve known her? In prizewinning U.K. playwright Barney Norris’s “Visitors,” now playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, we’re introduced to these circumstances. We watch a couple in either advanced middle age or young elderliness, in their cozy farmhouse in Wiltshire, England, as wife Edie, played with charm by Charlotte Booker, begins the long slope — or will it be a steep drop-off? — into dementia while her husband, Arthur, played gamely by David Bennett Stephens, watches — how else? — helplessly.

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Visitors Puts Hope at Center Stage

September 24, 2015
In the current issue of the website London, 28-year-old British playwright Barney Norris states, “I absolutely don’t think there is an afterlife, or a deity, or a God or whatever word you’d use. I’m interested in two things: the numinous qualities in humanity — the inner light of people — and also the world.”

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Between heaven and earthly delights

September 2, 2015
Celibacy. What good is it? Clearly it has spiritual benefits, as a means to channel the seeker’s passion into connection with the divine (Freud would have put it that way). But generally it’s on offer as a personal choice. Many Buddhist and Hindu holy men have wives and children, and some Muslim clerics not only ignore celibacy, but ratchet it up to the next polygamous level. It’s only the Catholic clergy, seemingly, who put such a strict emphasis on it, from the pope on down.

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Monday Night Specials: Good for entertainment and stimulating conversation

August 26, 2015
Live theater is always a treat. The excitement of watching a story unfold on the stage in real time is a thrill that can’t be replicated by watching a film. There’s the shared-experience aspect among the audience, and since no two performances are the same, the crowd actually influences and becomes a part of the show.

The effect is amplified when that up-close and personal experience is taken one step further, and the audience has the chance to participate in a discussion with the playwright and actors. Click here to read the rest of the article on MVTimes.com

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Brilliance Under Fire; Trial of Galileo Stirs Creative Juices

August 13, 2015
Amidst shouts in Italian and a few anachronistic jokes, James Reston Jr.’s play, Galileo’s Torch, based on the life and trial of Galileo Galilei had its Martha’s Vineyard premiere Monday night in a reading at Vineyard Playhouse directed by Scott Barrow.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with tonight,” said Mr. Reston during a question and answer session after the play. “But I would love to do it as a full production.”

- See more at: http://vineyardgazette.com/news/2015/08/13/brilliance-under-fire-trial-galileo-stirs-creative-juices?k=vg55ad277915a72#sthash.hkwFMURb.dpuf

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Shakespeare buffoonery en plein air

August 4, 2015
Is it a well-kept secret or knavishly common knowledge that attending plays — in particular Shakespeare — in the Tisbury Amphitheater above the Tashmoo Overlook is one of the purest delights of a Vineyard summer?

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‘77%’ gives 100 percent value

August 2, 2015
As you leave the theater after watching “77%” by Rinne Groff, directed by Claudia Weill, the third offering of the Vineyard Playhouse summer season, you’ll have that itchy feeling you’ve experienced before when you’ve sipped wine and shared a meal with married friends whose affinity is foundering. As you leave, you might ask your companion, “How much time do you give them? Six months?”  Click here to read the rest of the article on MVTimes.com

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Cold War Play Can Still Bring the Heat

On a lucky-for-me Saturday in New York city in 1988 I scored twice at the Times Square same-day, cheap ticket booth — single (back row) tickets to two big hits: Sondheim’s Into the Woods (Bernadette Peters) and Lee Blessing’s A Walk in the Woods (Sam Waterston and Robert Prosky).

I was alone — an advantage for last-minute ticket hunters — and intrigued by two shows in the big city about things that happened in the forest. Both shows were brilliant and couldn’t have been more different. And no poison ivy or tick bites. Just rich theatrical nourishment that has remained indelible in my memory.

Click here to read the rest of the article on vineyardgazette.com

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Anything Can Happen in the Woods

The first preview for Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse’s A Walk in The Woods was a triumphant beginning for this thought-provoking drama. Playing at the Patricia Neal Stage from June 26-July 18, A Walk in the Woods tells the story of two American and Russian Cold War negotiators who are trying to hash out conflicting agendas to solidify a common goal. Lee Blessing’s Pulitzer nominated script brings to light the way in which individuals of different backgrounds can find common ground by developing a personal relationship. This unlikely partnership radiates a heartwarming message of acceptance and respect for differences, and leaves audience members ready to take on their personal relationships with rejuvenated eyes. Click here to read the full review on thisweekonmv.com

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