“The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
This EARNEST is an old chestnut well roasted with some spice added to its normal vanilla flavoring. A 5-star performance.
“Jitney” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Powerfully written and performed, Jitney at Oregon Shakespeare Festival definitely is a -- maybe THE -- highlight of the theater season.
“Fat Ham” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
The staging, pacing and acting are flawless throughout Oregon Shakespeare Festival's FAT HAM. There are no drags on this performance which rates 5 stars.
“Behfarmaheen (If You Please)” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Behfarmaheen is must-see, touching, detailed show featuring a man whose work I’ve long enjoyed. He must have incredible guts to put so any sides of him on stage for us.
“Smote This” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
This one-person show by OSF veteran Rodney Gardiner is intense, personal, real, and not to be missed (and like all of the one-person shows the run is too short, so go now).
“Born with Teeth” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
I am happy to have seen this theater-goers mental masturbation show which was well done but fails the “so what” test.
“Bring Down the House, Part II”
by William Shakespeareadapted by Rosa Joshi and Kate Wisniewskidirected by Rosa Joshi Ashland, ORat the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Bring Down the House, Part One (no photos yet posted for Part Two)Ensemble. Photo by Jenny Graham, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Through a scheduling snafu I missed the opening of Bring Down the House, Part I and took up the Henry VI story halfway through. Because co-adapters Rosa Joshi and Kate Wisniewski have done such a good job of curating scenes and speeches, I fell right into the story, despite the potentially confusing rush of characters and battles. I had a fun time [...]
“Hairspray” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Hairspray created and written by John Watersbook by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnellmusic by Marc Shaimandirected by Christopher Liam Moore Prepare to smile, laugh, feel good, applaud, and appreciate an uplifting story sung and danced into your heart by a strong, beautiful, coordinated cast. Get ready for a perfect production of a archetypal feel-good big musical. Beyond the summary above, everything else is just dreary supporting detail. The story has a socially marginalized fat girl scoring a position on a TV dance show that is a bastion of white privilege and teenage snottiness. She and her black friends break barriers [...]
“Cambodian Rock Band” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yeedirected by Chay Yew Photo by Jenny Graham. Understanding your parents and their motivations is a difficult and uncomfortable act for most of us humans. In Cambodian Rock Band it's an impossible task for first-generation American Neary (played by Brooke Ishibashi) whose Cambodian-born parents don't talk much about the pre-USA times. Neary, a thoroughly American young adult, has decided to go to Phnom Penh and work with NGOs to bring to justice people who helped the Khmer Rouge. She's gathering evidence against the superintendent of S21, a notorious killing prison, when her father (Chum, played [...]
“As You Like It” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
As You Like It by William Shakespearedirected by Rosa Joshi As You Like It (2019): Román Zaragoza (Orlando), Jessica Ko (Rosalind). Photo by Jenny Graham. At the very least yet another romp through Arden Forest should be enjoyable fun. Done with artistry, a director can use this comedy to make Shakespeare seem like a feminist. After all, the freedom to love will win out and the women's decisions share the shaping of action in Arden Forest. At least I think they do. On the other hand, the current Oregon Shakespeare Festival's offering didn't even amuse me. The show is both [...]