These Paper Bullets @ The Linda Gross Theater

I may come off as a snob in this review, but when I heard “Billie Joe Armstrong has a new musical coming out and its based off of Shakespeare!” I kind of turned up my nose and thought “it won’t be the end of the world if I miss it.” MAN WAS I WRONG! These Paper Bullets just became my new favorite play! If you enjoy music, if you enjoy Shakespeare, if you enjoy a classic farce, make your way to the Atlantic Theater Company!

The setting is in London, 1964 and the world is going crazy for the boy group, The Quartos, which have a severer resemblance to the Beatles. We meet the band backstage in their dressing room (naturally) after they give a rock star opening! We meet the girls Higgy and Bea, one the model, the other her fashion designer. Then the door opens are we see flying bras and underwear, and the boys make their appearance: Pedro the Drummer, Claude the lead singer, Ben on guitar, and dark mysterious Balth on Bass.

Like any great farce we have rumors, lies, and false identities, which comes to life from this brilliant ensemble! We follow the struggle to marriage for Higgy and Claude who fall in love at first sight, and the commitment issues Ben and Bea experience because both are to stubborn to express their feelings. Ariana Venturi portrays Higgy who does an amazing job at capturing an over dramatic drama queen and yet making her lovable, and polar opposite Claude, played by Bryan Fenkart, who manages to make “straight lace/ average/ boring” type, fun and hilarious. Once we finally get Higgy and Claude on the same page, we have Ben and Bea’s “relationship” hit the fan. Bea played by Nicole Parker is a standout STAR! Her comedic timing was perfection, she commanded the stage, and I couldn’t stop watching her. And then we have her partner Ben, played by the talented Justin Kirk, who had the audience eating out of his hand. He’s the “guys, guy” that all the men want to be friends with, and the sexy man all the ladies want to marry. The cast has so many great comedic actors that you must see this show to see it yourself.

Jackson Gay does a fantastic job directing this piece. The staging was wonderfully done, and the show has so many great stage pictures that if I couldn’t hear I would know what exactly was going on. The show had an amazing balance between Shakespeare and rock n roll, that it helped modernize the piece and honestly made it easier to follow the story line. Everyone should take a note from Rollin Jones, because this is how you successfully modernize Shakespeare and make it a hit!

If you are a fan of great music (thanks Billie) the 1960’s lifestyle, and a good ole farce, make your way to see these paper bullets! It will be a night of fun, and who knows, you might actually meet the Queen of England at a royal wedding.

Review By: Briana Burnside
Photos By: Walter McBride

Cloud Nine @ The Linda Gross Theater @ Atlantic Theater Company

At its core, theater lifts one out of their own life and allows them to be immersed in a new world.  It inspires questions, dialogue and discussion relating to how it this piece of work relates to one’s own life and experiences.  Unfortunately, for  Atlantic Theater Company’s revival of Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine, the questions that we were left with had nothing to do with our lives, but instead, were about the subject matter, the direction, the casting and the writing itself.

Staged in the round, Cloud Nine tells the story of sexuality; coming to terms with it, acting out on it and what “roles” we must play in relationship to the time period.  Set in two different time periods, the play’s first act takes place in colonial Africa.  We subsequently meet the family, one by one, and realize that most actors are playing the opposite sex.  The story continues, very soap opera-esque, in which most of the characters are love someone that time period believes they “shouldn’t”.  From the neighbor, to the husband’s best friend, to the little boy (yes, statutory rape), the characters go through an exploration of their sexual desires finally arriving at their sense of honor, duty and what society deems is “right”.  Most is presented with a comedic tone, with the action happening so fast you forget to stop and think about what you are watching.  In other points, the play drags on and has such verbal diarrhea you have to stop and think about what you are watching, essentially missing the next point, since you are too busy figuring out the last.  

According to the script, the second act brings the play forward in time 25 years for the characters, however it is set almost 100 years later in physical time.  We see the characters have grown up and now the children are going through their own sexual exploration; what is means to be gay and sexual freedom in the 1970s.  While the same set of actors play the characters in the second act, they are now played by different people, which causes some confusion. The writing has the first set of characters visiting the characters of this time period near the end of the second act in an ethereal echo to the past.  This proves for some nice moments in which we see the connection to the past and how the present characters have become the person they are because of that connection.  

While there were some nice chances for the character’s connections to the past to be solidified through the casting, director James Macdonald missed the mark with most of them.  We were often left wondering “who is this person and what is their purpose?”  However, the stand out performance goes to Brooke Bloom.  As Edward, we see her as the young boy struggling with what it means to be a man in colonial times, his sexuality and his place in the world.  As Betty, we see her after she has left her husband, struggling what it means to be a woman without a man.  We watch her go from dutiful wife in the first act to the present character who is free to make her own money, do as she chooses and masturbate as many times as she would like without feeling guilt.  The echoes from the past really knock it out of the park with this character as she is visited by her mother, who gives her guilt and the final moment visited by her younger self in which nothing is said, but with just a look, you understood it all.  

Cloud Nine is currently playing through Nov. 1^st at the Atlantic Theater Company, Linda Gross Theater.  The stadium seating built to support the show in the round, although cushioned, can get quite uncomfortable for this lengthy play.  The seating is also a bit short, so anyone over 5’4” is cautioned to buy an aisle seat. Note that there is no late seating or re-entry.  It is also suggested to wear a light layer as the 100+ lighting package really heats up the intimate space.

Review By: Renee Demaio

Photos By: Doug Hamilton

The Threepenny Opera @ The Linda Gross Theater

The dark dynamic duo has found a new home this spring at the Linda Gross Theater.  Of course I am talking about the gloomy combination of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill with their classic work, The Threepenny Opera.

The Atlantic Theater Company has done Brecht proud.  Martha Clarke’s gritty, in your face production often leaves the audience feeling scolded and uncomfortable, something Brecht often seems to hope for in his pieces.  The staging brings the right balance of operatic and theatrical styles, indicative of the work’s place as a historically transitional piece of theater.  Though the ending was delivered perhaps with more loving optimism and reform than Brecht intended; the overall feel of the story maintained his disdain for class separation.  Also, the addition and redistribution of musical numbers allowed for some extra character exposition, strengthening the audience’s bond with the story.

Michael Park’s Macheath was a perfect blend of class and swine.  With the exception of a few angry outbursts that lacked honesty, his delivery was smooth and redeeming even as he twisted the knife.
Macheath’s ladies, however, were the real show stealers.  Jenny, passionately played by Sally Murphy, delivers all of her songs with brilliant conviction and is a wonderful contrast to Park’s cool demeanor.  Laura Osnes' vocals in her portrayal of Polly Peachum are a beautiful blend of modern theater and classic opera sound, further solidifying the transitional feel of the work. Lilli Copper as Lucy Brown along with Osnes, are comic gold in their duet.  Copper plays the comedy of the jaded lover wonderfully.  F. Murray Abraham and Mary Beth Peil as Mr. and Mrs. Peachum are both solid musically and have a brilliant definition to their characters but lacked the precise timing needed to successfully pull of Brechts sarcastic humor.

The lighting was very interesting at times but often confused or drew attention from the action at hand.  As a scenic touch, having the characters carry candelabras while changing sets was visually pleasing but pulled the focus from the main action on stage.  The use of shadows to enhance the size of the crowds was an interesting idea, though in execution caused distraction more than atmosphere.
The set stayed simple but useful throughout.  The orchestra deserves an extra commendation for its dual roles of music and atmosphere, both skillfully and tastefully delivered.

All in all, a thoroughly classic rendition of The Threepenny Opera with a few minor twists and turns along the way.  If Brecht and Weill are an unknown to you, this production is a great place to start.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Kevin Thomas Garcia