Two Gentleman of Verona @ The Polonsky Shakespeare Center @ The Theatre for New Audience

Two Gentlemen of Verona is a pastel, hipster worshipping, indie contemporary version of an already shallow classical piece full of misogyny befitting the era.

Walking into the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, one is guaranteed an almost perfect view, unless one of course is banished to the top balcony, and then in that case, you won’t see half the play anyway without dangling over the edge. Nevertheless, we move on. The FIASCO Theatre Company could have examined Shakespeare’s arguably more immature work, heavy laden with the classism and sexism of its time and turned it on its head by a subjective interpretation that battled the flimsy plotline and two dimensional characters. Instead, the audience is left with a overbearing dosage of sugar and nothing of substance.

A comedy, Two Gentlemen of Verona asks the “serious” questions of youth through tales of first love’s woe, and friendship betrayal with all the flirty whimsy of nothing being quite too serious.  When performed by what looks like a cast in their forties, it becomes a farcical mid-life crisis with a heavy dose of melodrama and none of the tender compassion that adults view childish behavior spurred by first love’s thorny kiss. A piece of eye candy to be sure, with their pretty indie guitar playing and pastel costumes, this piece tries to modernize Shakespeare by turning it into another shallow RomCom.

Zachary Fine’s Valentine is stilted at times, but his stint as a dog pulls laughter with well timed grins and begging. Actors Paul Coffey and Andy Grotelueschen steal the show with their portrayals of all of the secondary characters. Thank goodness for without them, I fear myself and the audience would have continued to sit in the awkwardness created by the interactive group.

Alas, the set as beautiful as it was, could not be enjoyed from the upstairs or at any sort of angle other than directly in front of. So please, if you do make the trek to Brooklyn, do yourself a favor and don’t buy the cheap seats. As is with all shallow pretty things, they’re enjoyed, but you’re left none the wiser, nor the better.

Two Gentlemen runs through May 24th.

Review By: Aziza Seven
Photos By: Sara Krulwich

An Octoroon @ The Polonsky Shakespeare Center @ The Theatre for New Audience

Rarely have I seen theater perfected in the way Sarah Benson delivers Branden Jacob-Jenkins adaptation of An Octoroon.  The Theater for a New Audience has given this returning melodrama a new home and has given you a second chance to not miss this masterpiece.  Jacob-Jenkins hands us Dion Boucicault’s original story in a lively modernized rendition while keeping the classic themes and voice intact.

An Octoroon takes place at Terrebonne, a southern cotton plantation.  Here we find George, heir to the estate, newly arrived from Paris.  He finds the plantation in financial ruin but rich with beauty.  Foremost in beauty for him is Zoe, the Octoroon.  Zoe and George fall quickly in love, but there love is threatened by the evil overseer M’Closky.

Both George and M’Closky are given life by Austin Smith.  Smith is a dynamo.  His melodramatic portrayal of each character is hilarious and yet truly believable.  In addition to these two characters, he also portrays the plays adaptor, Branden Jacob-Jenkins.  His remarkable delivery made me question more than once the honesty of the playbill in my hand.

Haynes Thigpen and Ian Lassiter are an amazing pair.  The two put on numerous faces in this production and with each, bring the stage to life with their wit, chemistry, whimsy and charisma.  Another amazing pair is hilariously handed us in the duo of Maechi Aharanwa (Minnie) and Pascale Armand (Dido).  These two sass their way into our funny bone while they helping to ease some of the difficult content our way.  This eases the heavier drama of Amber Gray (Zoe), who wears her heart on her sleeve and tears at all with her anguish.

The rounding out of the melodrama for the evening is wrapped up in a bow in the form of Mary Wiseman as Dora.  Wiseman introduces herself with at least eight put on caricatures in half as many minutes.  She is hilarious and owns the stage.

The mono-chromatic set by Mimi Lien is a perfect setting for the silly and soulful drama that director Sarah Benson sets up, leaving room for surprises at all corners.  Lester St Louis adds all the color the set needs with his cello off to the side and in case some real color is needed, Wade LaBoissonniere’s costumes are a delightful spectacle.

This is your second chance to see An Octoroon through the eyes of playwright Branden Jacob-Jenkins.  It is funny, witty and thoughtful, and it would be to your detriment if you miss it.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Gerry Goldstien

Tamburlaine, Parts I and II @ The Polonsky Shakespeare Center @ The Theatre for New Audience

Theater for a New Audience delivers a bloody spectacle in Christopher Marlows’ Tamberlain, parts I and II.  Playing at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center through December 21st, the show brings a different kind of red to the holiday season.

Tamberlaine is the story of a Scythian shepherd who rises to ever increasing influence through conquest and bloodshed.  It is a tale of the insatiable lust and savagery of humanity.  Director Michael Boyd holds nothing back in his desire to show us all the sins of man and more.

Boyd’s direction allows for a great amount of freedom from the actors.  Often, this can lead to some discrepancy between modern and classic styles.  This carries into set and props, placing a wooden classic chair for the past queen while giving the soon to be new queen a new, modern chair.  He does, however, grant his actors the chance to shine at times and keeps the story moving forward with seamless scene changes (aside from the much needed 30 minute intermission to tidy up the blood)

Leading the cast is John Douglas Thompson in the title role of Tamberlaine.  His presence on stage led the action with the same authority his character leads the story.  Paul Lazar (Mycetes, Soldan of Egypt, Almeda the Jailor) endears himself to the audience early on with his jester like attitude, which he carries with him throughout the piece.  In contrast is Steven Skybell (Meander), who’s clever timing adds a hint of comedy early on.  A wonderful performance is given by Chukwudi Iwuji (Bajazeth/King of Trebizon).  His pomp and conceit as the vain king are wonderfully delivered to the end.  The rest of this ensemble cast, totaling 19, do a splendid job of filling in the many roles called for in Marlow’s epic work.

Worth special note is Arthur Solari on percussion.  His performance in the one man pit is entertaining and extremely well thought out and balanced, adding atmosphere and background for most scenes in an unobtrusive but pervasive way.

This piece may not be a date-night worthy event, but if you enjoy classic theater told with a small amount of nonchalance and a large amount of gore, this is the show for you.

Review By: Paul Morin
Photos By: Sara Krulwich

A Midsummer Night's Dream @ The Polonsky Shakespeare Center @ The Theatre for New Audience

Julie Taymor makes her return to the New York stage since her family raved, critically acclaimed travesty Spider-Man Turn of the Dark, with the Theater for New Audiences production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream brilliantly conjoins four intertwined stories: the marriage of the Athenian Duke Theseus to the Amazon queen Hippolyta; the warring Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies; the madcap follies of four lovers in a forest; and the comically earnest efforts of a group of working men to stage a love-play for the royal wedding. Lysander loves Hermia, whose father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius, who chases the eloping Lysander and Hermia into the woods, pursued by Helena. They are all fair game for mischievous Puck, Oberon’s servant, who scrambles their desires and Titania’s. As the working men press faithfully on with their rehearsals, the otherworldly night of confusion, passion and diligence proves oddly momentous, touching every life to the quick.


There is no doubt about the fact that Julie Taymor had a hand in this extravagant production - technically brilliant, iconic animal work, and stranger than you can believe. Taymor is the only person who can turn Shakespeare's most magical play into a haunted encounter that will inspire goosebumps. By using an ensemble of children for the spirits, fairies and the forest, she was able to create interactive staging, turning something usually farcical and bright to something dark and bone chilling. The special effect of modernizing and exaggerating the character's jobs by drawing parallels from the "then" age to the "this" age kept the humor flowing and a lightness to this otherwise dark adaptation of the Bard's play. Taymor has surely redeemed herself.

Olivier Award winning Kathryn Hunter leads the cast as Puck. Hunter is glorious, fun, and flexible in more ways than one. Dressed in vaudevillian garb, she delivers a performance that is hard to top. David Harewood and Tina Benko, provide a near perfect portrayal of Oberon and Titania. Max Casella is the clear stand out of the cast as he takes on the taxing transforming role of Bottom. Casella is alluring, hysterical and engaging.

A Midsummer Night's Dream officially opened at the Theater for New Audiences on November 2, 2013 and is running through January 12, 2014. Don't miss out on this beautifully haunting original interpretation.
Photos by: Josef Astor
Review by: James Russo