Play gives movie a run for its kingdom By Leigh E. Rich Don’t let the advent of spring break or the fearful mixture of Shakespeare, tragedy and theater keep you from seeing the Arizona Repertory Theatre’s latest demonstration of professionalism and excellence, “Richard III.” Tickets prices are on par with the movie houses here in […]
03.07.1996
Categories: Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on UA’s ‘Richard III’ worth more than ‘a horse’
02.29.1996
Categories: Politics, Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on ‘7 Blowjobs’ falls flat despite talented cast
Stereotypes fail to inflate political caricatures By Leigh E. Rich The polls are still warm from Arizona’s first Republican Primary. And while a whopping 25% of conservative voters exercised their rights this past Tuesday, the Coyote Ramblers Theater Group has been expressing a very different political statement at the a.k.a. Theatre—a black box barely larger […]
02.23.1996
Mystery, thy name is woman By Leigh E. Rich Originally penned in 1894, George Bernard Shaw’s “Candida: A Mystery” is aptly named. It is a timeless commentary on man’s (often misguided) obsession with women. Whether he views her as a heavenly creature of divine inspiration or the sinful object of his sexual desire, Shaw’s message, […]
02.23.1996
Categories: People, Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on Director pushes political satire to the edge
Pulitzer-nominated Tesoriere explores theater, politics and fast food By Leigh E. Rich While many of you piled on the sofa with your cohorts last Thursday night to engage in an evening of “Friends” and “Seinfeld,” I spoke with award-winning playwright and director Ken Tesoriere in a McDonald’s on the north side—a most unlikely place which […]
02.16.1996
Categories: People, Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on Shaw’s ‘Candida’ ponders love in constancy and chaos
Convention just the thing for advent of spring By Leigh E. Rich George Bernard Shaw boasted almost a century ago that while most people write unconventional plays, he had written the conventional play. And just in time for the advent of spring, the Arizona Theatre Company presents Shaw’s comedy which ponders the meaning of love—“Candida.” […]
02.09.1996
Categories: Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on ‘Judevine’ dazzles but drags in the third hour
People and simplicity highlight voyeuristic tour into town By Leigh E. Rich Burt Bacharach once said, “A small town is a place where there’s no place to go where you shouldn’t.” This suffocating yet somehow pleasantly comforting atmosphere is reflected in David Budbill’s fictional Vermont hamlet known as “Judevine.” Based on his book of poems […]
01.25.1996
Not-so-ordinary artist directs UA’s latest play about everyday life By Leigh E. Rich To all who are fortunate enough to encounter her determination and vim, it is apparent that Chicago-based playwright, actor and director Virginia Smith constantly has several “irons in the fire.” Nonetheless, her almost preternatural reserve of energy proves ample kindling to perpetuate […]
12.07.1995
Gaslight Theatre tries too hard to deliver moral for ‘Christmas’ By Leigh E. Rich The slogan of the Gaslight Theatre’s latest melodrama, “The Flight Before Christmas”—and, perhaps, the theater itself—is that “you gotta believe in the happy ending.” Founded by a UA student in 1977, The Gaslight (which originally survived a chilly response in Alaska) […]
11.16.1995
Categories: Art, People, Theater, Utrinque Paratus | Comments Off on Motion energizes play’s pointed performance
Artistry and science meld in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ By Leigh E. Rich Although over a decade old, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Sunday in the Park with George” is still a celebration of pure color and light, and the Arizona Repertory Theatre’s rendition of it is dominated by a strong, gifted cast […]
11.09.1995
Local playwright brings Africa to Arizona By Leigh E. Rich Tucson author and playwright Patrick Baliani believes that theater is “kind of a schizophrenic endeavor.” By necessity, it forces actors, directors, and audience members to think from a multiplicity of perspectives. Baliani explains that his latest play, “A Namib Spring,” is one where the audience […]
