I Have Loved Strangers: 06/04/2006

Clubbed Thumb kicks off this year's Summerworks with Anne Washburn’s I Have Loved Strangers – and they’re off to a great start. The play, set in “Ancient New York,” is a fantastic tale of a battle for survival that may have no winners in a city that may have no future. Johanna McKeon expertly directs a superb cast of seven that includes the always-amazing T. Ryder Smith as the prophet Jeremiah and the funny and touching Jennifer Ruby Morris as Ruthie who may be the wife of another prophet – or is he a terrorist? It’s unfortunate that the play will only be here for a week, but hopefully I Have Loved Strangers will have another life in the near future.

For info and tickets: Clubbed Thumb

Non-Broadway Drama Desk Award Winners

The Drama Desk Awards are unique in that they nominate both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. That said, it's usually Broadway that goes home with all the awards. So here are the list of non-Broadway winners:

Outstanding Actress in a Play:
Lois Smith, The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens

Unique Theatrical Experience:
Christine Jorgensen Reveals

You can see the full list of winners here: TheaterMania

A "Heads Up": 2 shows by Clancy Productions

It’s rare that you get a second chance at an Off-Off Broadway show, no less two. PS122 is presenting two shows directed by John Clancy (who just received a well-deserved OBIE award on Monday for Sustained Excellence of Direction). Brian Parks’ hilarious double bill AMERICANA ABSURDUM and Greg Allen, Benjamin Schneider and Danny Thompson’s hilariously-titled THE COMPLETE LOST WORKS OF SAMUEL BECKETT AS FOUND IN A DUSTBIN IN PARIS IN AN ENVELOPE (PARTIALLY BURNED) LABELED: NEVER TO BE PERFORMED. NEVER. EVER. EVER! OR I'LL SUE! I'LL SUE FROM THE GRAVE!!! will run in rep from June 6th - June 25th - Don’t miss either one!

For Info: PS122

The 2006 Village Voice Obie Winners Announced

...yawn, the OBIEs have TONY-envy...

PERFORMANCE:

S. Epatha Merkerson for her performance Birdie Blue
Ari Fliakos for his performance Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra
Scott Shepherd for his performance Poor Theater: A Series of Simulacra
Gary Wilmes for his performance Red Light Winter
Dana Ivey for her performance Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Christine Ebersole for her performance Grey Gardens
Euan Morton for his performance Measure for Pleasure
Lois Smith for her performance The Trip to Bountiful
Edwin Lee Gibson for his performance The Seven
Sherie Rene Scott for her performance Landscape of the Body
Julie White for her performance The Little Dog Laughed
Peter Francis James for his performance Stuff Happens
Byron Jennings for his performance Stuff Happens
Marin Ireland for her performance Cyclone
Michael Cumpsty for his performance Hamlet
Reed Birney Sustained Excellence of Performance
Meg MacCary for her performance What Then


DIRECTION:

Daniel Sullivan for his direction Stuff Happens
John Clancy for Sustained Excellence of Direction

PLAYWRITING:

Rolin Jones Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
Martin McDonagh The Lieutenant Of Inishmore

DESIGN:

Anita Yavich Sustained Excellence of Costume Design
Allen Moyer Sustained Excellence of Set Design
NTUSA Design of Abacus Black Strikes Now


SPECIAL CITATIONS:

Nikkole Salter
In the Continuum
Danai Gurira
In the Continuum
Robert O’Hara
In the Continuum
Adam Rapp
Red Light Winter
Jane Moss, Jon Nakagawa, Ricky Ian Gordon and Doug Varone
Orpheus and Euridyce
Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen & Michael Berresse
[title of show]

THE ROSS WETZSTEON MEMORIAL AWARD $2000 Grant:

Ross Wetzsteon Memorial Award- Soho Repertory Theater

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:

Eric Bentley

Emerging Theater Grants:

Edge Theater Company ($3000)
Red Bull Theater ($3000)
Billie Holiday Theatre ($3000)

Emerging Playwright Grants:

Rinne Groff ($1000)
Neena Beber ($1000)

The Judges for this season were Lynn Nottage, Didi O’Connell, David Herskovits, Eduardo Machado, Marc Robinson, Voice, critics Michael Feingold, Alexis Soloski and Village Voice theater editor and Obie Chairman, Jorge Morales.

Shining City: 05/07/2006

OK, I’m really not sure what to make of Shining City, the new Conor McPherson play being presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway. It’s a real puzzle of a play. A man shows up at a therapist’s office and tells him that’s he’s seen the ghost of his dead wife. Then you find out lots of background information about the therapist and his wife and a little more information and the widower and then it ends with a minor shock. I sat forward trying to figure out where this play was going for the entirety of its ninety-minute running time – but I’m not sure it was because it was interesting as much out of curiosity as to where this was all leading. In the end it doesn’t really lead anywhere spectacular – but it is a mildly entertaining ride – sort of like at an amusement park; albeit a cerebral one. Robert Falls has directed his cast admirably; but a big thumbs down to Santo Loquasto ridiculously overblown yet boring set. Overall it’s not bad, you just really have to be in the mood.

For info: www.mtc-nyc.org

Jack Smith and the Destruction Of Atlantis (film): 05/06/2006

When I told people I was seeing the documentary, Jack Smith and the Destruction Of Atlantis, most people said, “Who’s Jack Smith?” That is why Mary Jordan’s wonderful film is so important. Beginning with the beautiful opening titles, Jordan grabs you, entertains you and informs you; she documents why Smith was the most important artist of the late 20th Century. His influence on photography (Sherman), film (Warhol, Fellini, Waters) and performance (Foreman) is clearly demonstrated. The interviews with Richard Foreman, Judith Malina, Mary Woronov, Ronald Tavel, John Vaccaro, John Waters and Uncle Fish-hook himself, Jonas Mekas (among others) and the video and film clips are invaluable. The film hypotheses that it was experience with his film Flaming Creatures that caused him to leave most of his later work purposely unfinished so that he would forever be in control of it. This film is a must-see for anyone who cares about art.

For Info: www.jacksmithandthedestructionofatlantis.com

2006 Lucille Lortel Awards

And the winners are...

OUTSTANDING PLAY: The Lieutenant of Inishmore
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL: The Seven
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL: The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR: Harris Yulin, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER: Bill T. Jones, The Seven
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR: (tie) Christopher Denham, Red Light Winter and David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS: Lois Smith, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR: Charles Durning, Third
OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS: Hallie Foote, The Trip to Bountiful
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN: Eugene Lee, The Ruby Sunrise
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN: Eric Becker, Abigail's Party
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN: Aaron Black, Funnyhouse of a Negro
OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN: Darron L. West, The Seven