Andrea Stephenson - Page 17

Technology and our experience of entertainment go hand-in-hand. I remember watching movies on VHS tapes, seeing actual slides in classes in school, and saving computer documents on floppy disks. The 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, The Flick by Annie Baker, is set in a movie theatre that is one of the last that still shows 35mm films. Being born in 1980, I fall into the last year of Generation X-part of that weird gap in between Gen X and Millennials that some have called Xennial. I learned how to type on a typewriter in high school, I know how exciting it was to hear 'you've got mail' and the frustration of waiting for a dial-up modem (not to mention the fact that if someone wanted to make a phone call you couldn't be on-line). Our phones had cords and you actually talked into them. And if you wanted to watch a movie at home you rented a VHS tape from Blockbuster. Many of us have experienced the transitions brought about by changes in technology. This is just one of the real-life themes that The Flick explores. This show will be performed by Open Stage Harrisburg at Midtown Cinema. Broadway World spoke with the director, Stuart Landon to learn more about this award-winning play.

Show Boat was first performed on Broadway in 1927 at the Ziegfield Theatre. The musical is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. Show boats, boats that traveled up and down rivers to perform at different towns along the river, are a real part of Americana from the 1800s and early 1900s, but they went out of fashion with the growth of the film industry. Ferber actually spent several days on a show boat in 1924 where she compiled research for her book. At the time, the most popular performing arts pieces were light comedies by vaudeville writers. Show Boat broke the mold with its focus on historical accuracy, realism, and foray into social issues. Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre will be bringing Show Boat to Central PA, and Broadway World had the opportunity to interview Kira Galindo, who will be performing the role of Julie.

A modern take on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, I Love You Because first opened in 2006. What started as a grad project at NYU became a hit off-Broadway, and it is now about to open on the Krevsky Center stage at Theatre Harrisburg. With music by Joshua Salzman and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham, this musical explores relationships from breakups to rebounds, from friends to lovers and the many foibles that we often experience in the modern dating world. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with Caitlin Graci, director of I Love You Because at Theatre Harrisburg, and to take a sneak peek at their upcoming production.

Akeelah and the Bee was first seen on the big screen in 2006. Written and directed by Doug Atchison, the film follows the journey of a young girl, Akeelah Anderson, who overcomes a variety of challenges to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The film was adapted for the stage by playwright Cheryl West and first appeared on stage in 2015. This inspiring, family-friendly show is directed by Sharia Benn and Stuart Landon and produced in partnership with Sankofa African American Theatre Company at Open Stage Harrisburg. In a fitting introduction not only to Sankofa African American Theatre Company but also to Akeelah and the Bee, Sharia Benn stated that our community, our nation, and our world need opportunities like the ones presented by theatre to 'understand that even though we are different, we are so much the same.'

In 2006, Ring of Fire, conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby, Jr. appeared for the first time on Broadway. Its Broadway run was short-lived, but a revised version of it has found popularity in the theatre world, particularly in an intimate setting where the audience can find themselves swept up in the story told by Cash's music.

Free and self-reliant, the title character of Jane Eyre has been studied in English and Literature classes for many years. Charlotte Bronte's novel was published in 1847 and, with its elements of social critique, explorations of morality and classism, and hints toward modern feminism, Jane Eyre has found its rightful place in the canon of classic literature. Today you can find adaptations of the classic novel on the screen and stage. At DreamWrights Center for Community Arts in York, Jane Eyre comes to life on the main stage. As one of the cast members noted, 'It's definitely different from the book and any of the movies.' I had the opportunity to speak with three of the actors and the guest director prior to seeing the show. Keep reading to get a behind-the-scenes look at Jane Eyre from the perspective of these actors as well as some tidbits from my experience of opening night.

God of Carnage sounds like it could be the next Quentin Tarantino film. While there is a lack of actual physical carnage, Yasmina Reza's satire peels back the layers of forced civility, conventions of politeness, and good intentions. Underneath these layers God of Carnage illuminates humanity's constant struggle against baser instincts. This 2009 Tony Award winning play was described by the New York Times as 'a study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct.'