BWW Review: ALMA at Arizona Theatre CompanyAugust 20, 2020Arizona Theatre Company's production of Benjamin Bennea??s emotion-laden drama, ALMA (livestreaming through August 22nd, at 5:00 p.m.PT/8:00 p.m. ET), while promoted as an online reading, is something far more. Directed by Catherine María Rodríguez and featuring riveting performances by Danaya Esperanza and Amandla Jahava, it stands as a virtual virtuoso portrayal of a mother and daughter absorbed in the generational tensions common to parent and child but also threatened by the ominous shadows of a mean-spirited politics.
BWW Review: Arizona Theatre Company Presents Benjamin Benne's ALMAAugust 20, 2020Arizona Theatre Company's production of Benjamin Bennea??s emotion-laden drama, ALMA (livestreaming through August 22nd, at 5:00 p.m.PT/8:00 p.m. ET), while promoted as an online reading, is something far more. Directed by Catherine María Rodríguez and featuring riveting performances by Danaya Esperanza and Amandla Jahava, it stands as a virtual virtuoso portrayal of a mother and daughter absorbed in the generational tensions common to parent and child but also threatened by the ominous shadows of a mean-spirited politics.
BWW Review: Southwest Shakespeare Company Presents THE MERCHANT OF VENICE ~ Virtual Classics LiveMay 25, 2020Southwest Shakespeare Company has launched the Virtual Classics Live Series, the latest edition of which featured THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. (Showcased for live streaming on May 23rd, the program is available on the Company's Facebook page.) Featuring actors from across the country, including the celebrated Patrick Page, the reading, directed by Irwin Appel, is inspired, informative, and, as usual, provocative ~ a worthwhile opportunity to delve into one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays.
BWW Feature: Helping Keep The Spirit Alive - Giving MattersMarch 24, 2020Keeping the spirit of the theatre arts community alive and vibrant requires not only the innovative initiatives of regional artists but also the good and generous graces of individual and corporate philanthropy. Now, nearly a hundred arts and cultural organizations are joining scores of other Arizona nonprofit organizations in ARIZONA GIVES DAY, this year's 24-hour online fundraiser on April 7th.
BWW Review: Sedona International Film Festival Features MARTIN EDENFebruary 22, 2020Pietro Marcello's 2019 eponymous adaptation of London's 1909 novel (with screenplay by Marcello and Maurizio Braucci) is a deep, stirring, beautifully composed, and, yes, intellectually provocative exploration of one man's search for meaning in a society that he could not countenance and that could not abide him. Luca Marinelli delivers a breathtaking performance (for which he received the prestigious Volpi Cup at the 2019 Venice Film Festival) as Martin, a man whose quest for fulfillment and resistance to the norms of society created an inner turmoil he struggled ferociously to weather. One of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.
BWW Review: Sedona International Film Festival Features THE KEEPERFebruary 19, 2020Marcus H. Rosenmüller's THE KEEPER is an absorbing and moving reflection on reconciliation as portrayed thru the life of an ex-POW turned legendary goalkeeper. Featured at this year's Sedona International Film Festival, THE KEEPER takes the viewer to unexpected places of reflection and emotion and, in the end, is a deeply sensitive and illuminating film to be kept in one's portfolio of favorite flicks.
BWW Review: Stray Cat Theatre Presents Sarah DeLappe's THE WOLVESFebruary 18, 2020Unequivocal thumbs up for Stray Cat Theatre's production of Sarah DeLappe's THE WOLVES, directed by Heather Lee Harper. Runs through February 22nd. The playwright has composed dialogue that flows like notes on a music sheet and the director has excelled in guiding the players ~ nine remarkable actresses ~ to move and talk to the beats of the script with near synchronization.
BWW Review: Sedona International Film Festival Features THE SILENT REVOLUTIONFebruary 15, 2020THE SILENT REVOLUTION is a must-see ~ one of the featured films at this year's Sedona International Film Festival. The film, based on actual events recounted in Dietrich Garstka's eponymous novel, is a sobering and poignant testament to the power of conscience and the ethical imperative of speaking truth to power, no matter the repercussions.
BWW Review: Sedona International Film Festival Features STANDING UP, FALLING DOWNFebruary 13, 2020In STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN, a film that is deceptively insightful and unsparingly poignant, Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz team up to deliver stellar and compelling portrayals of two men at their wit's ends who forge an unlikely but revelatory friendship. It is one of the featured films at this year's Sedona International Film Festival (Saturday, February 22nd through Sunday, March 1st.)