There’s a bit of magic happening at the Classical Theatre Company. Also some heavy rain, lightning, murder plots, romance, vengeance and environmental disasters. But mostly just magic. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” filled with bold choices and modern themes, is the latest success in a long line of stirring productions by the talented folks at the Classical Theatre Company.
Merv is one of those guys who watches a bit too much TV. He’s overly concerned with the affairs and politics of various reality TV stars and he has recently developed an unhealthy obsession with a cable news anchor. His daily routines rarely require him to venture from his designated dent on the sofa or bother with the nuisance of pants. But let’s not be fooled by his slacker façade. He’s a fairly smart cookie, always quick to offer up a psychologically scathing diatribe laced with fifty dollar words. But clever insults won’t pay the rent. He eats his roommates’ food, doesn’t respect their boundaries and eventually, he snaps and finds himself in the middle of a mess that even he can’t charm his way out of [i.e. Hostage crisis]. Merv, in other words, is a grad student.
Are we in bed with the Classical Theatre Company? No, but maybe we wish we were. They know all the old moves and provide them with a new twist. Perhaps we wouldn’t want to take on Uncle Vanya, though. He seems like he would be a solemn, selfish and distracted lover. What else would you expect from Anton Chekhov?
It’s the holiday season which means you probably have a little more time on your hands than you’re used to. At the very least, you need to be planning for the days when the family finally leaves town and you can do what you want when you want. How about a theatre production? Deserves to be on the calendar, right?
‘Tis the season… When I was growing up, my mom made it a point to watch White Christmas as many times as possible leading up to the big, not so snowy, day. It was a tradition. There was always one huge bowl of popcorn for herself and tiny bowls for my sister and me; popped perfectly, exactly the way her father taught. Our eyes would be glued on Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen for the rest of the night and the songs would linger for days after.
Hello, again. It’s that time of the month when we try something new. We’ll compile for you some of the things you need to keep an eye out for (Just Up), that which has already happened (Just Out) and news we wish we had covered (Just Missed). We’ll sort it out and spit it back at you.
“Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.” — William Blake
Whoa, what’s with the weighty quote? Aren’t we here to talk about a play? And aren’t plays supposed to be the two hour distractions from things like poetry, and our ever-procrastinated efforts to read more of it? Maybe you read some William Blake in college and then forgot all about it. Maybe he was just a small chapter in one of those massive English Lit anthologies that you still keep tucked on your bookshelf; because you’ve been meaning to read it, really read it, for years now. The Catastrophic Theatre’s production of There Is a Happiness That Morning Is may be just the motivator you’ve been looking for.
The Classical Theatre Company is definitely onto something with their productions of gender-bending comedic romances. After last season’s much applauded production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, the talented artistic staff at CTC has again dressed an actress in breeches and sent her onstage to delight and entertain Houston audiences. The Triumph of Love, by 18th century dramatist Marivaux, is the Classical Theatre Company’s latest lesson in the timelessness of classical comedy. So, what have we learned?
Fellow performing arts junkies, rejoice! Houston’s theatre community is offering up what promises to be a delicious 2011-2012 season. Between all the musicals, showcases, readings and classics on the horizon, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief, as summer boredom slips away into one weekend after another of artistic indulgence. In an effort to minimize the strain on my overworked, overflowing Google calendar, I’ve sifted through the press releases and TheatrePort gossip and narrowed my list of absolute can’t-miss upcoming productions. Now I’m sharing that list with you. ‘Cause I’m sweet like that.
Houstonians are freaks, but our freakishness is special. We are not like the Los Angelinos, who strive for it 24/7, nor are we New Yorkers, who desperately try to convince themselves that oddity is the height of fashion. We Houstonians know when our eccentricity can be used to maximum effect, like a city populated by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Awesome. Nowhere is this more evident than the venerable River Oaks Rocky Horror Show put on by the Beautiful Creatures every month.
