Carpenter Square Theatre has opened its 29th season with Yasmina Reza’s comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton. This is not a play that should be put on by amateurs, and director Rhonda Clark has assembled a cast of seasoned pros who do it justice. Whether this particular work is the best use of […]
performing art
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Deal on a Dozen
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US” lang=”EN-US”> Donuts and eggs are just a couple of items that come by the dozen; sometimes children even make their way onto that list, too. Having 12 kids can be, um, chaotic, but The Stage Door’s production of Cheaper by the Dozen proves it also can be entertaining. Director Frieda Penn said […]
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‘Sordid’ stand-up
A few years ago, a small, independent film came out in a limited run in U.S. theaters. It starred some big names like Olivia Newton-John, Beau Bridges and Delta Burke. But it never achieved blockbuster status. That is, until its afterlife. Sordid Lives has become a cult classic. LGBT audiences in particular embraced the quirky […]
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No need to be ‘Angry’
Matthew Alvin Brown first played the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2002, and he’s appearing again as the bewigged belter under the auspices of Oklahoma City Theatre Company at Civic Center Music Hall’s Freede Little Theatre. This is the fourth time I’ve seen him in the role. Directed by Christopher Castleberry, […]
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Anything but a drag
Opening its 14th season with gusto, Oklahoma City Theatre Company presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The show boasts a cult following; its inaugural Oklahoma City show was staged in 2001. The leading role of Hedwig has been performed by Matthew Alvin Brown each time. “When I was living in New York, I would see […]
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Pop pattern
By: Mark Hancock As summer’s dog days wane, the new theater season begins with the much-produced musical Forever Plaid. Stuart Ross’ tribute to guy groups of the early 1960s is such a sweet-natured little show, it would be churlish to knock it, but devotees of edgy, provocative theater should look elsewhere. Forever Plaid is about […]
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Getting cocky
Hey, gents: Have you ever seen a production of The Vagina Monologues and wondered why your naughty bits don’t get equal treatment onstage? Say hello to Beneath the Zipper. Using a mixture of monologues and short skits, Oklahoma playwright Robert Matson’s “theatrical celebration of the penis” will be performed at Chicago’s Fringe Festival at the […]
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Mind Rader
The sudden urge to call a friend who turns out to be in need, the shared gut feeling between a set of twins — some shrug it off as intuition, others might apply spiritual meaning to it, and still others might consider it magic. For William Rader, it may be all of the above. The […]
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It’s the top
Summerstock Productions is presenting Cole Porter’s 1934 classic, Anything Goes, directed and choreographed by Shannon Hurleigh. It’s a satisfying, if modest, production. If nothing else, this is a welcome chance to see Renee Anderson play Reno Sweeney, “the world’s most sensuous sermonizer.” Anderson has the perfect voice for Porter’s songs, and she delivers them with […]
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Play in the water
Under the sharp direction of Michael Jones, The Tempest is one of Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park’s best presentations of a Bard play in some time. Jones has assembled a top-notch cast, led by Hal Kohlman as Prospero. The second scene is a lengthy exposition in which Prospero tells his daughter Miranda how they came […]