OSF | Dangerous Common Sense

“Copper Children”

By Galen|2020-04-05T11:23:50-07:00April 5, 2020|osf, plays|

written by Karen Zacariasdirected by Shariffa Ali Ashland, ORat the Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Copper Children (2020): Ensemble. Photo by Jenny Graham, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Copper Children has much going for it: an under-told, important story, a talented playwright who entertained and educated us with Destiny of Desire, and an experienced and immensely talented cast. Unfortunately, this world premiere wasted its assets and delivers an evening that is a moralistic plod which fails to create drama or feelings. The play tells the story is of white Catholic orphans from New York who get sent out west for adoption by good [...]

0

“Peter and the Starcatcher”

By Galen|2020-05-31T12:00:32-07:00March 29, 2020|plays|

story by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearsonadapted for theater by Rick Elicemusic by Wayne Barkerrdirected by Matt Goodrich Ashland, ORat the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Peter and the Starcatcher (2020): Preston Mead (Boy), Grace Chan Ng (Molly). Photo by Jenny Graham, Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I didn't grow up watching, reading, or otherwise being infused with Peter Pan lore. Sure, I knew that there was a kids' story about him and fairy we clapped for named Tinkerbell. But, when I walked into the theater for Peter and the Starcatcher I didn't remember anything about lost boys, Mrs. Darling, or any plot. My [...]

0

“Hairspray” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Galen|2019-03-29T14:40:40-07:00March 29, 2019|osf, plays|

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 [...]

0

“Cambodian Rock Band” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Galen|2019-12-29T11:03:39-08:00March 22, 2019|osf, plays|

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 [...]

0

The 2018 Oregon Shakespeare Festival Season Rankings

By Galen|2018-10-21T12:07:33-07:00October 21, 2018|osf, plays|

The Ranking of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2018 Season by Ozdachs the Elder Three-Way Tie for Best Show of 2018, in alphabetical order: Destiny of Desire Oklahoma Snow in Midsummer Manahatta Othello Henry V The Book of Will Love’s Labor’s Lost The Way the Mountain Moved Sense and Sensibility Not seen, due to smoke cancelation, Romeo and Juliet. The first four shows are five-star, must-see events. Almost everyone in our group agreed. #5, Othello, was universally loved by those of us who saw it early in the season. The reviews from mid-season on were mixed. I worry that the cast [...]

0

“Manahatta” at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

By Galen|2018-09-29T16:49:34-07:00September 29, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Manahatta by Mary Kathryn Nagle directed by Laurie Woolery Steven Flores, Rainbow Dickerson, Sheila Tousey, Tanis Parenteau. ,br />Photo by Jenny Graham. This world-premiere production tells the story of the poor treatment of Native American people by Imperialistic white "settlers", brillianty weaves together narratives four centuries apart, and gives us a satisfying understanding of how the actions taken in 1626 reverberate in today's America. Manahatta deals with themes similar to the also-world-premiere The Way the Mountain Moved , but Manahatta did it right, engaging the audience instead of giving a sermon to it. Manahatta is about [...]

2

Snow in Midsummer

By Galen|2018-09-07T19:55:21-07:00September 7, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Snow in Midsummer By Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig Based on the Play The Injustice to Dou Yi That Moved Heaven and Earth by Guan Hanqing Directed by Justin Audibert Snow in Midsummer may be the best production of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival season. It certainly is the best production most likely to be overlooked by old-chestnut-seeking, casual theater goers. One reason Snow is a candidate for audience neglect is that it's a new play that hasn't been vetted by Broadway. Another reason is that the publicity for Snow makes it sound intellectual and good-for-you. You learn that [...]

0

Vietgone

By Galen|2018-04-03T10:22:49-07:00April 2, 2018|plays|

San Francisco, CA at the American Conservatory Theater, Strand Theater Extended through April 29, 2018 Vietgone by Qui Nguyen directed by Jaime Castañeda ACT advertising Vietgone as "The irreverent road-trip comedy" is almost sacrilegious. The categorization misses the depth, power, and cultural importance of this newish play. Anyone selling Vietgone as a mindless-sounding comedy rode the momentary surface story, ignoring the characters, context, and important human issue that makes Vietgone truly memorable. The strength of Vietgone is its suburb writing which hits the mark in storytelling, characterization, pace, and perspective. The playwright character (Jomar Tagatac) comes on stage in the opening scene to assure the [...]

0

Henry V

By Galen|2018-03-05T20:02:55-08:00March 5, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Henry V Ensemble as Chorus. Photo by Jenny Graham. by William Shakespeare directed by Rosa Joshi Daniel José Molina (Henry V) and other cast members deliver many truly spectacular moments -- especially in Act II -- which make this Henry a must see. Unfortunately, Director Rosa Joshi's choices diminish the impact of the play itself and leaves the audience to appreciate master-class acting set in a confusion of activity. I think the audience is supposed to [endlessly] appreciate the turmoil and indiscriminate horrors of the machine of war. Toward that end, actors push [...]

1

Sense and Sensibility

By Galen|2018-03-04T18:35:29-08:00March 3, 2018|osf, plays|

Ashland, Oregon at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Sense and Sensibility Ensemble. Photo by Jenny Graham. by Jane Austen adapted by Kate Hamill directed by Hana S. Sharif This "updated adaption" is, in fact, a completely uninspired snoozefest of outdated manners humor unworthy of the acting talent and craft workers it wastes. We went into the performance expecting that S&S would be a frothy comedy. But, maybe our expectations were raised too high by the thought that it had been adapted to be more modern. But, whatever. It was not amusing enough to create a bubble of happiness, much less froth. If [...]

1