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The Greenroom Discussions is your forum for issues, commentary and reviews written by you, the theater-goer. It is arranged by the most current item first. Discussions may be archived periodically. Please email us at greenrm@shore.net
Sharyn Shipleys five-act re-telling of "Hamlet -- The Women" has excited general interest and additional action, so we're transferring the whole discussion to the REFLECTIONS, a section of The Theater Mirror where you will find the newest exchanges on this play, YOUR comments on the topic, and the entire summary of all five acts of the play that Sharyn sent The Mirror.
Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996 16:07:04 -0400 Dear Larry, Next, I want to tell you about a really exciting project that
several Players are involved with. Perhaps you are familiar with
the Vermont author, David Budbill? He started as a poet and then
turned much of his poetry into a play, "Jeudevine", which toured
throughout this state and was presented at the McCarter Theatre in
Princeton, NJ. He has adapted the Wakefield Master's midieval miracle play
--- "The Second Shepherds' Play"(1479) --- and written a parallel
piece --- "The Pulpcutters' Nativity" set in Vt in 1979. We will be touring this to Montpelier (City Hall Auditorium-
Dec.6,7,8,13,14 & 15), Burlington (Flynn Theatre On Stage-Dec 20,
21 & 22) and White River Junction (Briggs Opera House- Dec. 27 &
28). We are having a wonderful time working on the contrasts and
comparisons between the two pieces under the direction of Andy
Doe. I visit your site about once a week to keep up with everything
--- I really don't know how you keep it all going! LARRY STARK ENTHUSES: Yes! Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 16:16:40 -0400 Dear Larry, History Alive! is the professional acting group within the
Gordon College Department of Theatre in Wenham, MA. The Gordon College Department of Theatre is opening another
production Nov. 14 here is the info. Our Country's Good LARRY STARK APOLOGISES: Date: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 09:10:37 -0500 (EST) OOPS! Thanks for the prompt listing in your "Coming Attractions!" Unfortunately, someone around here took "break a leg" a little
TOO seriously and Raven Theatrical has had to push the opening
date of "Brother Truckers" back to November 14. We hope to see you there. Date: Mon, 28 Oct 1996 15:58:05 -0500 I visited your site for the first time today and loved it! I
think it is great! I would be interested volunteering (if there
is a need) to help out with the site. Briefly, I am a systems
analyst with a love of theater. Please let me know of any opportunities. I would be happy to
provide additional info regarding my experience. Thank you very
much. Kirsten Darrow LARRY STARK REPLIES: I lateralled this to Lee, who is my guru and the Webmaster for the Mirror, but I really hope he had time to get in touch with you, Kirsten. I am digitally
spastic and need all the help I can get! Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 11:28:27 -0800 I am looking for a seating plan for the Shubert Theatre in
Boston. Could you please tell me where I can get one? Is it
available on the net? If you have one could you fax it to me at
(617) 440-0111? Thanks. At some point it would be useful to have access to seating
plans for all theaters available on the net. LARRY STARK REPLIES: Anthony, I'll bet the only way you can see the seating-
chart for any of the big downtown theatres is to go to the box-
office itself. Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 12:07:27 -0500 I have recently discovered your site and would love to have the
production I am currently involved with to be listed. I am
sending you the "electronic flyer" I sent out to some mailing
lists. If you have questions, feel free to contact me at
derek@riscman.com. Date: Tue, 21 Oct 1980 00:21:56 -0400 Hi there, LARRY STARK REPLIES: Thank you for the compliments. Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 09:34:53 -0400 (EDT) LARRY STARK OBSERVES:
Press releases much like this one pop into my mailbox
nearly every day, and I'm glad to get them because they're part
of the pulse of live theater in New England. Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 16:11:48 -0400 Oh, yes, we are in love now! Now, "someone who likes to write reviews"- would this be for
publication on the web? On the Theatre Mirror site? And, not to
be crass, but, would one get anything in addition to glory? Oh,
hell, yes! We are a wordy lot as you can gather from this message
so far....send us details ( and we'll send de tales). Maybe we'll put your question in the newsletter, for the
membership at large to ponder and possibly to answer. LARRY STARK REPLIES: Yes we are Eager to get reviews from other people in other
places! However... No money unless and until We make some ourselves! All that
reviewing will get you in any practical sense is two free tickets
to the show, and Seventy Pairs of Eyeballs Every Day reading your
incomparable prose here in The Theater Mirror. Date: Tue, 08 Oct 1996 18:21:21 EST Hi Larry, LARRY STARK REPLIES:
Well, Jamie, I thought it had been moved from the front-
end spot to the REVIEWS section --- but it wasn't! I'm having the
miracle-man look into it right now. (I'm "Content"; Lee's
"Creative Prestidigitation"!) LAST WEEK I WROTE THIS TO NANCY WILLIS:
I've found that sacrifice of a live chicken the Ides of every
month at the shrine of BhilGates-The-Benevolent does wonders in
preventing "Glitch"! ADDED NOTE: Apparently, the warranty on the chicken ran out; I tried
sending this to Nancy three different ways, and this is the only
way she'll ever read it! AND THIS CAME THIS WEEK: Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 08:16:53 -0700 Larry: It's not that the warranty on the chicken ran out . . . It's
due to the fact that I stayed in my cave so long waiting for those
worldly computer geeks to fix my address --- I got hungry and ate
it! [By the way, it still isn't fixed (I'm on somebody's "to do"
list) so we'll have to carry on our affair more publicly!] I do have a couple of postings for two groups I'm involved
with: The Quannapowitt Players, 55 Hopkins St., Reading, MA
(617) 942-2212 OPEN AUDITIONS FOR "Road to Mecca" by Athol Fugard, directed by
Irene Ehl will be held on Sunday, November 17th at 6:00 pm and
Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 pm. The Quannapowitt Players, 55 Hopkins St., Reading, MA will
present the delightful comedy, "Romantic Comedy" by Bernard Slade,
directed by Ron Wackowski on Nov. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30,
and Dec. 6 & 7 at 8:00 pm, Sunday Dec. 1 at 7:00 pm. The Burlington Players, Burlington, MA announce OPEN AUDITIONS
for "Crossing Delancey" by Susan Sandler at the Park Playhouse, Thanks for listening. Keep up the good work. Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 02:47:02 -0400 I'd like to be included in the "Happy Few" mailing list. LARRY STARK REPLIES: Delighted to have you! Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 16:11:48 -0400 Oh, yes, we are in love now! Now, "someone who likes to write reviews"- would this be for
publication on the web? On the Theatre Mirror site? And, not to
be crass, but, would one get anything in addition to glory? Oh,
hell, yes! We are a wordy lot as you can gather from this message
so far....send us details ( and we'll send de tales). Maybe we'll put your question in the newsletter, for the
membership at large to ponder and possibly to answer. LARRY STARK REPLIES: Yes we are Eager to get reviews from other people in other
places! However... No money unless and until We make some ourselves! All that
reviewing will get you in any practical sense is two free tickets
to the show, and Seventy Pairs of Eyeballs Every Day reading your
incomparable prose here in The Theater Mirror. LAST WEEK I WROTE THIS TO NANCY WILLIS:
I've found that sacrifice of a live chicken the Ides of every
month at the shrine of BhilGates-The-Benevolent does wonders in
preventing "Glitch"! ADDED NOTE: Apparently, the warranty on the chicken ran out; I tried
sending this to Nancy three different ways, and this is the only
way she'll ever read it! AND THIS CAME THIS WEEK: Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 08:16:53 -0700 Larry: It's not that the warranty on the chicken ran out . . . It's
due to the fact that I stayed in my cave so long waiting for those
worldly computer geeks to fix my address --- I got hungry and ate
it! [By the way, it still isn't fixed (I'm on somebody's "to do"
list) so we'll have to carry on our affair more publicly!] I do have a couple of postings for two groups I'm involved
with: The Quannapowitt Players, 55 Hopkins St., Reading, MA
(617) 942-2212 OPEN AUDITIONS FOR "Road to Mecca" by Athol Fugard, directed by
Irene Ehl will be held on Sunday, November 17th at 6:00 pm and
Wednesday, November 20 at 7:00 pm. The Quannapowitt Players, 55 Hopkins St., Reading, MA will
present the delightful comedy, "Romantic Comedy" by Bernard Slade,
directed by Ron Wackowski on Nov. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30,
and Dec. 6 & 7 at 8:00 pm, Sunday Dec. 1 at 7:00 pm. The Burlington Players, Burlington, MA announce OPEN AUDITIONS
for "Crossing Delancey" by Susan Sandler at the Park Playhouse, Thanks for listening. Keep up the good work. Wed, 2 Oct 1996 17:36:12 GMT Just found your web site and think it has great possibilities! LARRY STARK REPLIES: Well, Lee, what do you call "M A J O R" Boston theatres?
The big professional companies --- with the single exception of
the A.R.T. --- haven't even felt the need of a web-site yet, and
though they know of The Theater Mirror they don't even send us
press-releases.
From: aseltine
Subject: News from Hyde Park VT
First, I need to give you our phone # at the Opera House
(802-888-4507); many thanks for listing us in coming events.
Needless to say we'd love a plug.
We salute you,
LCP Webheads
We should set up some information or interviews, and maybe we
can put up a series of "Postcards from The Road" dispatches!
Love,
===Anon.
From: Ben Bensen
Thank you for posting the information about History Alive!'s "Cry
Innocent...the people vs. Bridget Bishop"
I do have one correction to make concerning your paragraph about
History Alive! on the Theater Web Sites page of your site.
by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 21-23, 8 pm.
Nov. 16 & 23, 2 pm.
(508) 927-2300 ext.4750
$6 general, $4 students, seniors, children; $2 off all tickets on
Thur. and matinees.
Thank You
Ben Bensen
bensen@peace.gordonc.edu
Ben, we run a Loose Ship around here! I was the one who
leaped to conclusions about the college connection, but Lee is in
charge of rectifying my stupidities once they get into The Mirror.
I hope he can get to it soon, so I stop embarrassing both of us.
Love,
===Chagrinned
=END=
From: barlowa@wilpub.tiac.net (Barlow)
Subject: Brother Truckers Dates Change
The run is now November 14 through December 8.
Thanks.
- Barlow Adamson, Raven Theatrical
From: "Kirsten Darrow"
Subject: The Theater Mirror
kdarrow@pdginc.com (work email)
kdarrow@msn.com (personal email)
Love,
===Anon.
From: ajg2@ix.netcom.com (ANTHONY GARRAMONE )
Subject: shubert theatre seating plan
They're certainly not on the Internet anywhere, because none
of the downtown theatres even has a web-site! A.R.T. has a web-
site, and the Shubert Theatre down in NEW HAVEN has a very good
one. But I don't think either of them has put up seating charts.
That may have something to do with the "no refunds" policy
most theater companies operate under. I mean, if you submit a
series of date/location choices and they're filled by a computer-
program, you could easily get the worst seats on your list despite
the fact that better choices went unsold --- because you can't
discuss the problem with a computer-program.
But we would like to put seating charts up in The Mirror. I
only wonder how many people like you would really take advantage
of them.
Love,
===Anon.
From: Derek Clark
Subject: Listing for the Theater Mirror: Pygmalion
Thanks,
Derek Clark
Theatre At Old South
**************************************************************
THEATRE AT OLD SOUTH PRESENTS
**************************************************************
###############
### ###
### PYGMALION ###
### ###
###############
a comedy by
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
The Classic Inspiration For
MY FAIR LADY
**************************************************************
Henry Higgins...Eliza Doolittle...Colonel Pickering...
All the unforgettable characters are here!
**************************************************************
Performance Dates: November 8,9,15,16 at 8 pm
November 17 at 2 pm
Old South Church
Corner of Boylston and Dartmouth Streets
Copley Square, Boston
(T accessible)
**************************************************************
On Opening night, November 8, we invite our audience
members to participate in our re-creation of Golden Era
opening nights by "dressing for the occasion."
**************************************************************
For more info or reservations, please contact:
Old South Church
617-536-1970
or E-mail me at: derek@riscman.com
**************************************************************
"Robert A. Johnson"
Subject: Re: Sex and Longing
I think that your web page is great. I was wondering if you knew
if Christopher Durang's "Sex and Longing" is coming to the Boston
area at any point. I am a big fan and don't know if I will get a
chance to go to NYC before it closes there. Please e-mail me at
vweiss@student.med.harvard.edu if you know. Thanks a lot!
V.W.
I don't remember listing any new Durang lately, but as you see
there are simply too many producing groups around here to shake a
modem at.
Most of the major Boston companies have announced their seasons,
though new news comes in every week.
Rick Lombardo, for instance, still can't announce a show to be
done at The New Rep simply because a production "somewhere else in
New England" has to close before they're allowed to publicize the
fact that they have "dibs" on the NEXT New England production!
Then there are the bidding-wars, such as the Wang/Colonial wrangle
over the first Boston production of "Rent" --- which would usually
take place outside any publicity/media spotlight until someone
emerged victorious.
Theater Company of Boston used to wait poised like a hungry
vulture for off-Broadway shows to close before they could launch
their own productions.
And a lot of this has to do with legal tangles over rights that
the producers and not the playwrights build into their exclusive
rights to audiences.
All I can say is that we're a little too close to The Apple for
any reasonably successful show to get a "competing"oduction until
the New York run has staggered to its conclusion. With someone as
well-known as Durang, I presume that "dibs" or "options" have been
sought, but the New York producers will want to squeeze every
nickel out of their run before closing-notices go up, and they'd
hate like hell for any company this close to Broadway to mention
--- especially to a publicity mill with the reach of the Internet!
--- that they're scheduling a production BEFORE that last nickel
is out of pocket and into a bank.
Occasionally, I hear rumors of what might be coming, but they're a
little like the news that "Rent" would be produced by Jon B.
Platt and not Sy Spaulding, so I wait for the press-releases ---
and I haven't even heard any rumors about the new Durang yet.
But as soon as we hear, you'll hear.
Love,
===Anon.
From: barlowa@wilpub.tiac.net (Barlow)
Subject: Brother Truckers at Raven Theatrical
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kevin Fennessy
(617) 441-9291
RAVEN THEATRICAL MOUNTS GEORG OSTERMAN'S "BROTHER TRUCKERS"
Raven Theatrical, recently cited as one of Boston's best small
theatres by the Globe Calendar, proudly presents the Boston
premiere of Georg Osterman's "Brother Truckers (or The Men Who
Haul Trash and the Women Who Love Them)." "Brother Truckers" will
open on Thursday, November 7 and run through Sunday, December 8
with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm and
Sundays at 7:00 pm. No performance on Thanksgiving (Thursday,
November 28). Tickets are $15 or $10 for senior citizens or
students with I.D. Reservations can be made by calling Raven
Theatrical at 617-441-9291.
"Brother Truckers" is the late Georg Osterman's hilarious homage
to film noir, drawing heavily from the Ida Lupino film classic
They Drive By Night. It was originally commissioned for New York's
Ridiculous Theatrical Company by Everett Quinton, who directed
that 1992 production and originated the role of Lyla Balskin,
femme fatale.
Here directed by Raven Theatrical's artistic director (and winner
of the 1995 Boston Magazine award for Best Theatrical Director)
Kevin Fennessy, "Brother Truckers" features many faces familiar
from past hit Raven shows: Maureen Keiller (Chicklet's mother in
"Psycho Beach Party") as the conniving Lyla; The Mrs. Potatohead
Show's Margaret Ann Brady portraying Lyla's wealthy husband Harry;
Ken Mason, who sparred opposite Keiller in "Vampire Lesbians of
Sodom" and last appeared in Raven's "Zoo Story," plays Billie, the
waitress with the heart of gold; the object of both Lyla and
Billie's affections is the hunky Lech Fabrinski, played by hunky
Scott Yusah - Chicklet's Starcat; Barlow Adamson and Kate Kelly,
who were felled by a blue rifle in "The Loveliest Afternoon of the
Year," play Lech's brother, Flem Fabrinski, and his wife Bina;
Alisha Jansky, who personified the sixties nerd as Chicklet's best
friend Berdine in "Psycho Beach Party," portrays the lovely and
talented Trixie Fabu; chasing after Trixie is Gary Nicholson,
trusty secretary Miss Thick in "Sleeping Beauty or Coma," as
everybody's pal Frenchy Duvey.
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
"Brother Truckers" by Georg Osterman, presented by Raven
Theatrical. Thursday, November 7 through Sunday, December 8.
Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 7:00 pm. No
performance on Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 28). Little Flags
Theatre, 550 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge.
Tickets are $15, $10 for senior citizens and students with I.D.
Call 617-441-9291 for reservations.
But, frankly --- isn't it boring?
Not as boring as some of them, I grant you, but most press
releases are full of standard, necessary bits of important
information, plus what the writer hopes will catch my attention.
Sometimes I extract what looks important, or even merely
interesting, and put them into the SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
area in, I hope, succinct and scinitillating form.
Out of the above press release --- which, to be fair, has some of
the flavor of the show mirrored in its style --- I took this:
>Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 22:14:28 -0500
>From: Ben Morrison
From: aseltine
Subject: Mutual Admiration
First: thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! We love people who visit
and sign in. So sorry about the dicatorial tone in the
instructions; we got this guest book more or less ready made and
can't yet figure out how to edit it to friendlier language.
Meanwhile, we have you bookmarked in our browser.
With deep gratitude,
The reluctant web head at LCP
Think of it as an opportunity to earn the first Pulitzer
given to a web-site instead of a newspaper...
Love,
===Anon.
Reply-To: jmcgonnigal@bridgew.edu
I'm just wondering what happened to the Instages Cabaret review?
See ya!
Love, Jamie
Love,
===Anon.
From: "nancy.willis"
Organization: lockheed martin
Subject: "Chicken Warranty"
Production dates: Feb 7 thru March 1st.
Tickets $10/$9 Seniors/Students.
Easy to reach from Rt. 128. Call for info. (617) 942-2212.
on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 8th at
2:00 pm.
Callbacks Dec 8 at 6:00, if necessary.
To be directed by Nancy Curran Willis (NETC Best Production '91,
"The Boys Next Door," EMACT Best Director '93, "Woman In Mind,"
EMACT Best Production '95 "A Piece of My Heart")
Roles for 3 women, mid 20's to mid 30's, 40's to 50's and late
60's plus; 2 men, early 30's and 40's.
Production dates in March. Call Nancy at (617) 270-0869 for info.
From: "Praveen T. Vaidyanathan"
Subject: Inclusion in mailing list.
Thanks,
Praveen.
And we are dickering with theatres now to try to make that
membership more than merely symbolic.
Watch This Space!
Love,
===Anon.
From: aseltine
Subject: Mutual Admiration
First: thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! We love people who visit
and sign in. So sorry about the dicatorial tone in the
instructions; we got this guest book more or less ready made and
can't yet figure out how to edit it to friendlier language.
Meanwhile, we have you bookmarked in our browser.
With deep gratitude,
The reluctant web head at LCP
Think of it as an opportunity to earn the first Pulitzer
given to a web-site instead of a newspaper...
Love,
===Anon.
From: "nancy.willis"
Organization: lockheed martin
Subject: "Chicken Warranty"
Production dates: Feb 7 thru March 1st.
Tickets $10/$9 Seniors/Students.
Easy to reach from Rt. 128. Call for info. (617) 942-2212.
on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 8th at
2:00 pm.
Callbacks Dec 8 at 6:00, if necessary.
To be directed by Nancy Curran Willis (NETC Best Production '91,
"The Boys Next Door," EMACT Best Director '93, "Woman In Mind,"
EMACT Best Production '95 "A Piece of My Heart")
Roles for 3 women, mid 20's to mid 30's, 40's to 50's and late
60's plus; 2 men, early 30's and 40's.
Production dates in March. Call Nancy at (617) 270-0869 for info.
From: Lee Fraser
Subject: Seating
What I am still looking for, however, are diagrams of the seating
in the major Boston theaters (like the seating at the Fenway at
the Red Sox web site). I would like to be able to request tickets
in specific areas when I go to the box offices.
And then, you may find seating-charts in brochures or season-
announcements, but not in print-ads.
I suspect that big theatres are not yet ready to do digital
business. And they may just rather that you talk to a live box-
office person who has a finger on the daily pulse of sales than
make you submit half a dozen alternative choices and, perhaps,
lose out on better combinations that might actually be available.
Love,
===Anon.
Previous Greenroom Discussions
October, 1996
September, 1996
August, 1996
July, 1996
June, 1996
May, 1996
April, 1996
March, 1996
February, 1996
January, 1996
November, December 1995
THE THEATER MIRROR, Boston's LIVE Theater Guide
|
MARQUEE | USHER | SEATS |
INTERMISSION | CURTAIN |