Herbert Paine - Page 23

Todd Michael Isaac and Mike Traylor deliver riveting and captivating performances as two hostages, isolated in a sterile cell and united only by their shared Kafkaesque despair, in iTheatre Collaborative's gripping and compelling production of Yussef El Guindi's HOSTAGES.

Phoenix Theatre premiering WHEN YOU WISH: THE STORY OF WALT DISNEY, a highly idealized and superficial portrait of the mogul of animated filmdom that leaves too many stones of character and relationship development unturned.

Scott Carter's DISCORD is more akin to an extended SNL sketch ~ longer to the tune of ninety minutes, comprised of a series of XV scenes, and made thoroughly bearable thanks to the whirlwind performances ~ albeit caricatures ~ of its original cast, Larry Cedar (Jefferson), Mark Gagliardi (Dickens), and Armin Shimerman (Tolstoy).

If America had an award for satirist-in-chief, David Sedaris would be the odds-on favorite. If there were a garland for humorist laureate, it would rest on his head. DAVID SEDARIS on-tour proves the point in an evening of readings and commentary that is both intellectual, personal, and theatrical.

In Hale Centre Theatre's current production of the award-winning classic, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, high school ingenue Sarah Pansing plays the central character to the hilt, conferring upon the role a sensibility and sensitivity that one might expect of an old soul. Her performance is not enough however to elevate the production to its required altitude.

The National Theatre of Scotland's THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART is wonderful ~ an innovative work of interactive drama, written by David Greig, directed by Wils Wilson, and starring the enchanting Jessica Hardwick as Prudencia, David McKay, Paul McCole, Annie Grace, and Alasdair Macrae. Richly conceived and magical in execution!

Arizona Broadway Theatre blows the roof off the THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS with a non-stop hit parade of Lone Star big star moments. Leading the pack is Cassandra Norville Klaphake as Miss Mona, the madam of the legendary brothel that inspired Carol Hall, Larry King, and Peter Masterson to pen the tale of tricks and treats. Klaphake delivers a commanding performance as the mother hen who guards her coop with a righteous blend of good business sense and sentimentality.

The exceptional and distinctively comedic performances of Cathy Dresbach as Sonia and Bruce Laks as Vanya are the highlights of Theater Works' otherwise uneven production of Christopher Durang's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE.

In Theatre Artists Studio's current staging of Bruce Graham's THE OUTGOING TIDE, Michael Fleck, Judy Lebeau, and Steven Fajardo deliver stirring performances in a play that is equal parts revelatory, uplifting, and provocative.

Scott Greer delivers a stirring performance that cuts straight to the heart and gives heart to Arizona Theatre Company and Milwaukee Repertory Theater's co-production of OF MICE AND MEN. There is artistry, substance, and depth enough in Steinbeck's allegory of man's existential struggle to make this staging a must-see before it leaves Phoenix.

Southwest Shakespeare Company's TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by David Vining, is a skillfully and smartly constructed and masterfully played production with scene pictures and performances that will linger well after the lights dim.

The gates of David Mamet's competitive hell are open anew on the stone cold set of Desert Stages Theatre, and, under the direction of Virginia Olivieri, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS storms into a riveting eruption of raw emotion and rage, driven by a palpable fear of failure.

What an absolutely and utterly engaging and rollicking good time is A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, the winner of four 2014 Tony Awards including Best Musical, now on tour and raising the rooftop at ASU Gammage. Propelling that rooftop to delirious heights is a sterling ensemble, featuring the jet-fueled performances of John Rapson and Kevin Massey; the fun- and pun-infused lyrics of Steven Lutvak's and Robert Freedman's score, conveyed with brio under the direction of Lawrence Goldberg; Alexander Dodge's majestic period set; and Aaron Rhyne's uber-creative special effects (surreal projections of the m.o. of murder).

Arizona Broadway Theatre has honored the legendary musical, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, by mounting an utterly captivating and inspired production, featuring Jason E. Simon's virtuoso turn and beautifully nuanced performance as Tevye. M. Seth Reines has directed a powerhouse of a show, giving meticulous attention to every detail and delivering a memorable theatrical experience.

Spirited performances by Tracy Payne Black, Brenda Jean Foley, Kevin Fenderson, and Micah Jondel DeShazer give zip to NOW. HERE. THIS. A/C Theatre Company further establishes its cred as the new kid on Phoenix's theatre block.

David Davalos's WITTENBERG requires a performance of mastery equal to the writing. The cast of Southwest Shakespeare Company's current production, astutely directed by Kent Burnham, more than rises to the challenge. Here's an ensemble devoutly to be wished, teeming with comedic energy and versatility ~ David Dickinson as Faustus, Marshall Glass as Luther, William Wilson as Hamlet, and Allison Sell as The Eternal Feminine.

The promise of Conor McPherson's masterpiece, THE WEIR, is half-fulfilled in its Arizona Regional Premier at Theatre Artists Studio. The play's structural elegance cannot be denied, nor can McPherson's muscularity of language be overlooked. The problem lies in the delivery. Neither do the performances rise to the level required to open the floodgate of emotion and tension that is at the heart of THE WEIR, nor do the technical effects set the essential mood.

TO THE MOON AND BACK is documentarian Susan Morgan Cooper's chilling expose of the travesty that has placed 259 children and their prospective parents in excruciating limbo. The story is as unnerving and convoluted as a byzantine plot. The result is a powerful cry for justice.

Sandy Smolan's documentary, THE HUMAN FACE OF BIG DATA, tackles one of the most complex and pervasive megatrends of our time, and the result is a provocative and remarkably well-balanced examination of the benefits and potential perils of technology's progeny.

SILVER SKIES is one doozy of a delightful and heartwarming film with a cast (no exaggeration!) to live for. Written, produced and directed by Rosemary Rodriguez and screening at this year's Sedona International Film Festival, the flick features bravura performances by a stellar group of veteran actors, most notably George Hamilton and Valerie Perrine..