Fall Theater Preview: October

A Man For All Seasons

October 14-16

Loeb Ex

Written by Robert Bolt

Directed by Joseph Gfaller

Produced by Rachel Sexton & Ray Courtney

The Premise: A historical drama on Sir Thomas More, the unwilling martyr who was prepared to do everything to save his life except betray his God. Set in the times of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, this is a play on the deep and stirring Shakespearean themes of valor and honor.

What to look for: Definitely director Joe Gfaller's decision to score the play to Carl Orff's lush Carmina Burana. Just as the play revolves around a "confusion between the sacred and profane", the Carmina Burana has some of the most profane lyrics performed to what sounds like medieval church music. Look out too for the inventiveness of new scenes added to give more depth to Henry VIII's court and life. And definitely keep your eye out for the full Tudor costumes and the large and opulent sets, all in the best style of what we might expect from a historical play. More than just an assault of the senses however, Gfaller also promises to leave the audience "emotionally affected" and forced to re-evaluate their own positions on honor and integrity.

The Buzz: Are you kidding? A genuinely brilliant and stirring script, a cast of some of Harvard's most respected thespians and an exciting treatment of themes. And absolutely free. The buzz is through the roof.

Starring: Tim Foley, Edie Bishop, Paul Monteleoni, Jerry Ruiz

The Mourning After

October 14-17, 21-23

Adams Pool Theater

Directed by Ryan McGee

Produced by Ryan McGee

The Premise: A performance piece, this is a composite of two,never-before performed works, Peggy Phelan's Shattered Skulls and Tony Kushner's The Second Month of Mourning. A play about intense grief, "shaped through the memory during a public display of it."

What to look for: Director McGee promises an electric experience for the audience, who should expect to be fully engaged with the actors, even as they break down "the fourth wall a lot" to "seek emotional solace from the audience." The interactive nature of the performance is enhanced by the intimacy of the Adams Pool Theater and McGee says that the very design will suggest the haunting of the theater by the "ghosts of the characters."

The Buzz: Come prepared for nothing less than a night of deep intensity and soul searching. And with Peggy Phelan having been closely collaborating with McGee, expect some fine work from the creators of this piece.

Starring: Kate Agresta, Karin Alexander, Jim Augustine and Sara Newbold

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds

October 21-23

Loeb Ex

Written by Paul Zindel

Directed by Sarah Yellen

Produced by Erica Rabbit

THE PREMISE: Teenaged Tillie lives at home, where her dysfunctional sister, mother and "Nanny" drive her to escape into a scientific world of gamma rays and cloud chambers. The play has five leading female roles and gives us a candid and amusing picture of how a young girl survives this modern world of borderline insanity and paranoia.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Gamma Rays is unique because it gives us five strong female roles, full of stark honesty and without sexual stereotypes. Though it is a bizarre story (see title), it is one that the audience can relate to: girl finds solace and escape from reality in her books and studies. Sound familiar to anyone?

THE BUZZ: With so many impressive female actors participating in Harvard student theatre, it is a special treat to have so many brought together to dominate the same stage in a play centered on women. Jump(India Song), Jamie Smith (Much Ado About Nothing), Hanna Stotland (Laughter on the 23rd Floor), Dale Shuger (Androcles and the Lion), and Carrie-Anne DeDeo (The Merchant of Venice) all bring considerable theatre repertoires to their challenging roles.

Starring: Anne Jump, Jamie Smith, Hanna Stotland, Dale Shuger, Carrie-Anne DeDeo

Simpatico

October 22-30

Loeb Mainstage

Written by Sam Shepard

Directed by Jesse Kellerman

Produced by Ali Davis & Wes Shih

THE PREMISE: A black comedy set in the thouroughbred racing world of the American West, Simpatico is a play of betrayal and caustic wit. Pulitzer Prize-winner Sam Shepard uses his biting humor to expose the sleazy society of the high rollers and their hilarious confrontation with the world of white trash.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Fresh from last year's acclaimed American Buffalo, director Jesse Kellerman, costume designer Lauren Winkler and set designer John Gordon are teaming up again to bring renowned playwright Sam Shepard back to student theater. Simpatico joins a team of designers that has worked together before and an amazing cast with proven talent.

THE BUZZ: This play is not only the first Shepard play to be done at Harvard in at least three to four years, but it is also a city-wide Boston premiere of Simpatico. Sam Shepard has won enough drama awards, not to mention a Pulitzer, to make his return to Harvard something to be excited about.

Starring: Blake Lawit, David Modigliani, Catherine Gowl, Michael Davidson, Elizabeth Janiak, Sarah Porter

Good

The Freshman Play

October 22-23, 29-30

Agassiz Theater

Written by C. P. Taylor

Stage Directed by Daniel Gidron

Music Directed by John Baxindine

Produced by Rusty North

The Premise: An annual event, the freshman play this year is C.P. Taylor's tale of how an ordinary, "good" intellectual German man, John Halder, lets himself be turned into a Nazi. With professional guest director Daniel Gidron (Women on Top, Mere Mortals) and Guest Equity Actor Diego Arciniegas.

What to look for: Certainly, the intensity of the questions the play asks. As Gidron says, the play is all about "responsibilit,", and the way that we "often fool ourselves about our role as the Everyman." And despite the play being set in '30s Nazi Germany, the play has "as many implications for today as back then." Look out too for the riotous German tunes, which lend a tone of absurdity to the dream-world of John Halder.

The Buzz: The raw enthusiasm of the first-years mixed with the seasoned know-how of professional devotees of theater, promises nothing less than a night of sheer chemistry, set to a play that promises both extreme comedy and horror.

Starring: Diego Arciniegas

Dr. Faustus

October 28-30

Loeb Ex

Written by Christopher Marlowe

Directed by Cary McClelland

Produced by Phil Michaelsen

THE PREMISE: What better way to spend Halloween weekend than feasting your eyes on a play rich in blood and sexual tension? This Shakespearean-era play will add a new flair to the traditional "deal with the devil" plot. Lucifer here will be portrayed as the demonic director of a play within the play, starring none other than the unwitting Dr. Faustus.

WHAT TO CHECK OUT: By portraying Faustus as an actor within a play, director Cary McClelland is able to emphasize the character's inherent need for a moment of glory in the spotlight, the primary issue drawing him into the dark side. McClelland also pointed out the other benefits of this approach, "The magic of hell becomes the magic of theater; [Lucifer] is from Germany to Rome in a scene change and Helen of Troy is an actress waiting in the wings. His death comes at the end of the show, as the scenery and tech is dismantled around him."

THE BUZZ: If you liked last year's rendition of Richard III, chances are this show will be right up your alley. This play brings together many old friends that worked on the Shakespeare project last year, and so far promises to be a great ensemble effort. McClelland said of the group, "We're looking forward to attacking a new project together."

Starring: David Egan, Thandi Parris and Peter Richards

November:

Women Beware Women

November 4-6

Loeb Ex

Written by Thomas Middleton

Directed by Max-Joseph Montel

Produced by Jorge Alex Alvarez & Carrie Schuchart

THE PREMISE: A tale of violence and passion in the 17th century set in iambic pentameter. But don't let that scare you away: there is enough poison, familial deception, and insanity to keep you on the edge of your seat.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Being a 17th century Jacobian tragedy, one would expect blood,guts, sex and horrific violence. Women Beware Women will not fail you in this respect: the director (Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Fair Child) confirms that there is plenty of poison, incest and sword fighting to satisfy even the most macabre appetite.

THE BUZZ: This modernized version of Women will face the challenge of making all that sex and death translate into a 20th century setting. However will they do it?

Starring: Fred Hood, Dan Hughes, Steian Westlake, Annalise Nelson, Tamara Spiewak, and Kate Powell

Anything Goes

November 4-14

Hasty Pudding Theater

Written by Cole Porter

Directed by Michael Roiff

Dance Directed by Colleen Gargan

Music Directed by Greg Padgett

Vocal Directed by Julie James

Produced by Melanie Sheerr

PREMISE: The masterpiece of American jazz legend Cole Porter, this musical's story is full of silliness, romance and scandal aboard an old-style luxury liner. Remaining true to the style of its era, it's pure entertainment with plenty of characteristically energetic song and dance.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Producer Melanie Sheerr looks forward to "an upbeat, old-style musical performed by extremely talented actors." The show promises to showcase a cast with substantial talent in all three key areas of musical theater- acting, dancing and singing. In the words of director Mike Roiff, "It's musical theater the way it should be. Sit back, relax and enjoy two hours of pure entertainment."

THE BUZZ: Encouraging. The presence of another great American dance show in this fall's theater line-up is exciting, and the dedication of this show's staff promises a fantastic product.

Starring: Vered Metson, John Keefe, Jen Glick, Jac Huberman, Rodrigo Chazorro, Ken Herrera

TAPS Dance Company

November 19-20

Adams Pool Theater

Directed by Fabiana Kepler

Produced by Colleen Gargan & Adam Robbins

The premise: This is TAPS' first show, consisting of mostly student choreography with styles ranging from Broadway to hoofing. Expect fun interaction between tappers and the audience.

What to look for: The first solo endeavor of a brand-new company, this show will introduce tap dancing as an entertaining and professional dance style. The group aims to present every kind of tap dancing, which wont be hard: TAPS has 14 talented dancers, most of whom have spent more than eight years tapping seriously. With such impressive background and talent, TAPS dancers are sure to choreograph amazing pieces.

The buzz: Looks encouraging. Given the talent of the dancers and their enthusiasm for the show, this performance should prove a rollicking good time.

Starring: TAPS Dance Team

Giasone

November 4-6 and 11-13

Agassiz Theater

Written by Francesco Cavalli

Directed and Choreographed by Ken Pierce

Produced by Wesley Chinn

Music Directed by Edward Jones and Robert Mealy

THE PREMISE: This lascivious 17th century opera examines the affair between Giasone (Jason) and Medea--it's a question of the minx or the fleece.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Expect the raunchy and entertaining-this opera will open with Jason singing about his inability to stand after a rough night of sex with Medea. You can look forward to authentic costumes and staging (Pierce is an expert on Baroque dance) hardly seen since in the last four centuries/

THE BUZZ: On all accounts, mythic and theatrical, something like this would register as unusual and spectacular.

Starring: Eliza Moore, Verdis Robinson & Matthew Burt

Reckless

November 10-21

Loeb Ex

Written by Craig Lucas

Directed by Christian Roulleau

Produced by Chris Wisniewski

The Premise: On Christmas Eve, a woman's husband takes a contract out on her life, forcing her to run away and start a new life. Through a series of ordeals, she discovers her own fears, dreams and identity.

What to Look For: Director Christian Roulleau is a notorious scene-stealer--as an actor, that is. After stellar performances in last year's City of Angels and the Hasty Pudding musical (he stole the show playing a man, no less!), he finds himself in the director's chair, helming a play driven by its actor interpretation. Reckless, Roulleau claims, stands out among the fall clutter because "the actors we have chosen all possess a keen sense of the fine line between the comic and the tragic-- a central element of this play." One of these talented actors is Julie Rattey; capable of finding any emotion on the gamut, she injected new life into an old part as Susie in last year's Wait Until Dark. She landed the almost impossibly difficult lead role of Rachel, but Roulleau is confident she'll pull it off. Julie, he says makes Rachel "nervous, self-deprecating and fragile, yet exceedingly tender and capable of terrific humor." But there are some potential obstacles. Roulleau notes that "budget is always a concern for the smaller shows in the season; but our team of designers is scrappy and resourceful and some very interesting things are happening on that end." Plus, the second weekend of the show coincides with the Harvard-Yale game.

The Buzz: Jesus Christ Superstar? Bah. Everyone's talking about Reckless. Expect the first weekend to be a reckless race to get tickets since Harvard will relocate to Yale for the second weekend. With a talented cast and a quirky storyline, Roulleau might have a huge crowd-pleaser on his hands. Plus, he urges us to look out for "an enormous bed hanging from the ceiling and a peloothered Santa." We're there.

Starring: Julie Rattey, Jason McNeely, Peter Richards, Bilqis Hijjas, Reihan Salam, Paul Monteleoni, Jessica Kirshner

Jesus Christ Superstar

November 12-20

Loeb Mainstage

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice

Directed by Dan Berwick

Dance directed by: James Carmichael

Music directed by: Steve Anderson

Vocal director: John Fiori

Produced by Rachel Altfest & Jessica Shapiro

PREMISE: The world's favorite rock opera tells the climactic story of Christ's life and death in a catchy musical adaptation replete with dramatic characters. The apostles, priests, lepers, prostitutes, transvestites and criminals of the story are brought to life by loud pop music.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Berwick describes the show as a "rock concert" which will "get people excited about the visceral aspect of theater." Producer Rachel Altfest insists that this production will change people's attitude toward JCS. "[This show] is often thought of as hippie-ish, but our [production] is more hip...and it really tells a story as well." An advanced sound system will add dimension to the show, creating a "right-in-your-face wall of sound," says Altfest.

THE BUZZ: One of the world's favorite modern shows brought to life by Harvard's top talent- what more could we ask for?

Starring: Ryan Shrime, Jeff Fowler, Emily Chang

VI: A Night of Six Student OperaPremieres

November 20-22

Agassiz Theater

Directed by Lane Shadgett

Music Directed by David Salvage

Produced by Katherine Hodge & Alexandra Budabin

THE PREMISE: This production will provide you with a mega medley of opera selections as it features six short operas written and arranged by a handful of talented Harvard undergraduates. The evening will feature original librettos, settings from "Antigone" and the poems of e.e. cummings.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Overwhelming creativity. Because of the large amounts of never-performed material in this show, the cast will have the chance to develop and interpret new material for the stage. Director Lane Shadgett said, "This evening will feature everything from jazzy to classical to modern, dissident opera. And our extremely talented cast will have the opportunity to work with and develop new literature."

THE BUZZ: Salvage comes to the show with strong credentials. In addition to being the Vice President of the nascent Harvard Contemporary Music Society (the student organization behind the show) he also directed the freshman musical two years ago and is a composer for the show. Expectations are high for the other five student composers involved in this project: John Russel, Sarah Meyers, John Driscoll, Chris Hossfeld and Aaron Einbond.

Starring: Sonny Elizondo, Tonia D'Amelio, Joseph Nuccio, Cissie Fu, Susan Long, and Sol Kim

December:

Uncommon Children

December 2-4, 9-11

Leverett Old Library

"Uncommon Women and Others" by Wendy Wasserstein

"Moonchildren" by Michael Weller

Directed by Dorothy Fortenberry & Andrew Boch

Produced by Alexis Loeb and David Handelman

THE PREMISE: Get out your bellbottoms and bongs--these two plays appearing side by side will take you back the '60s where they examine college life from male and female perspective. Uncommon focuses on eight college friends at Mount Holyoke bonding through the travails of the feminist revolution with wit and warmth. Moonchildren breaks on through to the other side with the male student perspective as it features men wrestling with issues surrounding the Vietnam War and the mysterious disappearance of bottles of milk.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: The very savvy script packed with unique characters. The characters in Uncommon Women and Others range from the preppy chick trying to snag a Harvard man to the firebrand who wants to taste her own menstrual blood. And who can pass up a well-written portrayal of male bonding?

THE BUZZ: This play is one to watch because it will bring a lot of talent and publicity to the house theater scene. Director Andrew Boch has confidence that the cast and their ability to bring out the beautiful elements in the writing will make this possible. "We have confidence this cast will be able to show the depth and richness of the character while also presenting some unique cultural ideas for the audience to digest."

Starring Jessica Shapiro, Libby Shani, Nicole Ruiz, Jay Chaffin & Joe Nuccio

Machinal

December 2-4

Loeb Ex

Written by Sophie Treadwell

Directed by Edith Bishop

Produced by Marianne Stanuinas and Phoebe Search

THE PREMISE: This award-winning play, composed of nine episodes, tells the life of a criminal in a post-modern world of mechanical fragmentation. Imaginative and witty, it questions society's influence on our actions and personal identity. Is our environment an assembly line for our identities?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Experimental student theater at its best with digital remastering, space age costumes and electronic mania.

THE BUZZ: It should be fun to watch this accomplished team, along with some fresh theater faces, make this shocking and zany futuristic world come to life.

Starring: Erica Rabbit, Scott Gunn, Randy Gomes, Kate Agresta, Eduardo Montoya, and Thandi Parris

HMS Pinafore

December 2-12

Agassiz Theater

Written by Gilbert & Sullivan

Stage Directed by Marisa Echeverria

Music Directed by John Driscoll

The Premise: The story of a captain's daughter and a common sailor who fall in love on the HMS Pinafore, this was the first smash hit for Gilbert and Sullivan and still remains one of the three most popular pieces in their repertoire today.

What to look for: A fast-paced musical farce that promises to be highly entertaining, even as a social commentary on class and pride unfolds. And as director Echeverria says, despite the traditional sets and costumes and ideas, modern parallels can still be found, which helps to explain why Gilbert and Sullivan has always been at once both archaic and new.

The Buzz: The Gilbert and Sullivan Players have always been one of the bastions of musical theater on campus, and this one too will be at the very least, an uproarious evening of great songs and easy laughter.

Starring: Vernon Eagle, Seth Fenton, Kathleen Stetson

Crazy for You

December 3-5, 9-11

Hasty Pudding Theater

Written by: George Gershwin

Directed by Rachel McGregor

Dance Directed by Kimberly Garris

Music Directed by Alex Freedman

Produced by Patrick Aquino

PREMISE: This romantic comedy has it all, showcasing Gershwin's greatest hits, including "I've Got Rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and "Embraceable You," in a plot involving a cowgirl and a city slicker, New York showgirls and Nevada yokels, bar brawls and broadway shows.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: "The most impressive aspect of the show," says McGregor, "is the level of dance talent." Citing Harvard's lack of dance-oriented musicals, McGregor emphasizes that Crazy For You is something new for audiences: "...It's something people have never seen before at Harvard." The show is all Gershwin, and integrates singing dancing and acting in a way which other musicals...well, don't. According to Aquino, this production's purpose is "to showcase the talent that's out there in a great musical."

THE BUZZ: Promising- this great show is hard to muddle. And the excellent directing staff should make for a very strong contribution to American musical theatre at Harvard.

Starring: Matthew Romero, Kate Earls, BJ Averell

Ballet & Jazz

December 3-4

Reiman Center

Directed by Miriam Noble, RobynSackeyfio, Fabiana Kepler

Produced by Elizabeth Darst, Elizabeth Santoro, Elizabeth Comen, Catherine Armstrong

The premise: A joint venture between Harvard-Radcliffe Ballet Company and Mainly Jazz, this show gives high-quality, wide-ranging dance in one evening. Works include everything from funky hip-hop to classical ballet, highlighting modern, creative, student choreography and a rock jazz/ballet piece.

What to look for: This promises to be one of the most exciting dance events of the year. The dancers are amazingly talented, starring in choreography that spans many styles. Harvard Ballet Company shows that there's more to ballet than tutus, while Mainly Jazz showcases their variety with funk and precision. Watch for Fabiana Kepler's choreography to Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," modern ballet pieces by Elizabeth Santoro and dance instructor Shannon Colver, a work by Boston jazz Professional Tracy Tedesco, and for the tutu-lovers out there, a short excerpt from the traditional ballet Don Quixote.

The buzz: One of this semesters best picks. Though this show is held in Reiman, the talented dancers, wide range of styles and brilliant choreography definitely equal the caliber of last years incredibly successful Loeb Mainstage all-dance show. A must-see even for the dance-wary.

Starring Mainly Jazz Dance Company and Harvard-Radcliffe Ballet Company

Letter to a Student Revolutionary

December 9-11

Loeb Ex

Written by Elizabeth Wong

Directed by Due Quach

Produced by Flora Kao

THE PREMISE: Two women, one a second-generation Chinese-American and the other her Communist Chinese pen-pal, keep in touch over a decade that culminates in Tiananmen Square. Letters explores the contrast of cultures and ideas: freedom, identity, and desire appear through two disparate perspectives.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Letters will make special use of lighting, choreography, and projections to face the unusual challenges of the set. A chorus of three men and one woman will also add a unique flair to the play.

THE BUZZ: Due Quach (M. Butterfly and I Get no Kick From Campaign) brings her diverse theatre staff experience to Letters. We get to see Kim's (Damn Yankees) first major lead role. This group will hopefully infuse this emotionally challenging play with new energy and talent.

Starring: Yayoi Shionori and

Karen June Mee Kim

(untitled)

December 11

Kronauer Space, Adams

Written & Directed by BenjaminMorgan

Produced by Jessica Greenberg

THE PREMISE: Experimental. Although Morgan's play is sans plot and characters, the cast hopes to entertain with unbridled episodes of smashing mirrors, scribbling on walls, singing in the dark and spilling perfume. The play even starts off with a bang: a naked woman covered with blue paint will commence this vibrant, sensory journey.

What to look for: This play shouldn't be missed by any Harvard student eager to leave his regular comfort zone. Morgan recognizes his melange of "beautiful images," will create an interesting atmosphere in the theater. "This play is so unique because it is aimed at being a sensory experience for the audience," he said. "Our characters are not only concerned with who they are in the production, but also how their movements might incorporate the audience. The audience is invited into this realm-- not as participants per se-- but as individuals forced to confront images that might not make them feel entirely comfortable."

THE BUZZ: The cast for (untitled) should be commended for having the moxie to take on this unique project. As Morgan himself said, "They are all willing to try some bizarre and pretty f**ked up things."

Starring Jessica Greenberg, Charity Shumway, Kevin Elias, Mikey Tan

January:

The Importance of Being Earnest

January 13-15

Agassiz Theater

Written by Oscar Wilde

Directed by Fred Hood

Produced by Carli Spina

PREMISE: One of the sharpest satires of the English language, this masterpiece continues to delight and astound audiences years after its author's death. Poking fun at British aristocracy while keeping onlookers in stitches, Oscar Wilde's wittily constructed story of foolishness, deceit and cunning strikes an admirable balance between criticism and comedy.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: "The only funny Victorian play ever written." That's how Fred Hood describes this work. A native of Great Britain, the director says his upbringing should improve his interpretation of the cultural manner so key to Wilde's masterpiece. Importance will be "a very classic production of a classic play," says Hood.

THE BUZZ: A must-see. A classic production is exactly what will make Importance showcase the greatness of it's author's mind. Wilde's wit combined with cast and directing talent promise to keep us enthralled in this one.

Starring: James Carmichael, David Skeist, Cary McClelland, Brittani Sonnenburg, Kate Powell, Stian Westlake

Children of Eden

January 13-15

Loeb Ex

Written by Stephen Schwartz

Directed by Mimi Asnes

Vocal Directed by Julie James

Produced by Jerald Korn

PREMISE: A musical adaptation of the Biblical genesis story, this work uses song and dance to review the events of the Creation and the Flood. Tension is created by breaking away from the scripted roles of this well-known story.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Asnes reports that the production will be an engaging intellectual experience for audiences; it's a very different take on the Creation story. Says Korn, " It tells the story in the most beautiful way I've seen it." According to Asnes, the show "brings mythical figures down to earth;" even God is a role with human characteristics, capable of making mistakes. Audiences should also expect to be intrigued by the show's in-depth exploration of the relationship between parents and children. Korn emphasizes the fact that the play "takes the [Creation] story and uses it as a taking off point to explore other things." And as the director herself points out, "you can't pick a more powerful story."

THE BUZZ: Children of Eden looks to be an ensemble piece in the truest sense of the word--a show where a talented cast will be showcased in a number of very prominent roles. There's no telling where this interesting concept will be taken.

Starring: Dan Berwick, Steve Toub, Jac Huberman, Ryan Shrime, Jason McNeely, Jody Flader