Results tagged “vagabondactingtroupe”

Performances: The Brothers Flanagan (The Flanagan Project) (Future Performances); barFlies (Vagabond Acting Troupe) (Future Performances); Welcome to Yuba City (Pig Iron Theatre Company) (Future Performances)

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Performances: A Priest Walks Into a Bar (Vagabond Acting Troupe) (future performances); Ballad Boys (Aspire Arts) (future performances)

Dear Readers:

(The Cardboard Box Collaborative) (Future Showtimes)

Feeling stifled by the heat and the never-ending Menopause: The Musical run at Society Hill? Take a breath of fresh air with Vagabond Acting Troupe. Vagabond will be presenting its second annual New Works Festival tonight through Friday, featuring three one-acts from playwrights Christine M. Connelly of Chicago (To Ashes), Henry W. Kimmel of Atlanta (Saved On The Day Of Atonement), and Marie Lynch of our fair Philly (Throwing Stones). The evening is rounded off with a performance of Lesley Berkowitz's Boy and Girl, which premiered at the Troupe's first solo works festival this February. Each piece is directed by a member of Vagabond's core ensemble (hi, Editor Jill!), and features some of the ensemble in acting roles.

Phillyist is quite the fan of Shakespeare, but I took quite a while to warm up to the old guy. I maintain that making high school students read any of his work out of context is not the best introduction to the Bard. In fact, it was not until I saw a live production of Romeo and Juliet at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Company a decade after duly reciting its lines in freshman English class that I "got" it. And that's not surprising, seeing as how plays are meant to be performed. I've been fond of Shakes (and that play) ever since.

This week's quote comes from the always-fabulous Harvey Fierstein, who very candidly spoke of the more grueling nature of theatre thus: “You really, really, really have to love what you are going to do in theatre because it is an unmerciful life. It's six days a week. It's eight performances a week. And that's doing the exact same thing over and over and over again.” Now, on with the listings! (And yes, we know we already posted this video. But with the play opening this week, we thought it might be worth including again. Because it's freakin’ sweet.)

We've already told you about the New Play Festival that's been making the rounds at various theaters throughout the city, and will continue to do so until February 18. We do however want to give a special shout out to The Vagabond Acting Troupe's Solo Works Festival. In addition to several full length works (5 of which have already been reviewed by Phillyist), most theaters have a works-in-progress tie-in; this is Vagabond's, and each of the pieces is about 10 to 15 minutes long. The Solo Works Festival is happening because The Wedding Consultant (Vagabond's full length contribution to the New Play Festival) started out as a 10-minute solo piece; Solo Works is designed to give exposure to emerging artists so that hopefully they can move on to bigger works (and bigger budgets).

Editor's note: In the interests of full disclosure, we should mention that two Phillyists - Editor Jill and Associate Editor Katie - are involved with the production reviewed below. I'll be upfront with everyone: I am basically a musical theatre nut case. Going to a play is a very rare occasion and when I do it's usually to something familiar or famous. I am usually so involved in a musical(s) that I don't have time...

Last month I went to the wackiest wedding ever. I barely knew the couple, but I was still totally pumped because I was ready to get my Hava Nagila on. What transpired during the reception was mortifying. First of all, instead of the traditional Hava Nagila, they chose a terrible techno version that consisted of a continuously looped house beat with a Goldfrapp wannabe singing over it. It gets worse. Instead of boosting the bride and groom into chairs and inviting everyone to dance around them, the groomsmen hoisted them up one at a time. Who does that? The whole point is for the newly married couple to gaze at each other from up high, looking totally petrified.

.) (Future performances.)

(Karen Getz) (Future performances).

Why?