Just this Once: Three Reviews Together!
HPT photos by Shannon Atkinson Cahoone: TA by Jacob Oderberg; T3 by Jeffrey Schmidt
—Jan Farrington
The editor came back from a trip, saw a show almost every night the next week—and decided this abundance of riches could be covered (just this once?) in One, Big, Review.
How lucky we are to live in North Texas when there’s so much going on—not just in theater, but in live music, dance, film, visual arts and more. Here are just a few of the theater choices on offer, and you can find more by going to Onstage NTX’s “Up and Coming” list: onstagentx.com/up-and-coming
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
@ Hip Pocket Theatre (Fort Worth)
Venerable and quirky Hip Pocket, now in its 48th season of outdoor summer theater-making, surprised me with a high-quality, mostly straight-up version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer, smartly directed by Yvonne Duque-Guerrero with sprightly original music from terrific guitarist/percussionist Darren Kobetich.
I’ve become used to HPT’s uniquely imaginative 60-to-80-minute shows these past summers, and a piece with an actual intermission was a shock to the system. But the evening was breezy and the actors—especially the lead couples (both human and fairy folk)—were quite good. I imagine director Duque-Guerrero had a lot to do with the clarity of delivery (the cast absolutely knew what they were saying), and for some unusual but very “right” line readings I hadn’t heard before. Good work.
Ron Fernandez and Tyler Dorney are physical and funny as the battling boys Lysander and Demetrius, falling in and out of love with two young ladies of Athens, the small-but-fierce Hermia (Hannah Brookshire), and her frenemy Helena (willowy Grace Hays), who frequently feels she’s getting the short end of the romantic stick. Anthony McDonald is the fairy King Oberon, playing tricks on his Queen Titania (Amanda Reyes is tart and lovely); Jonathan Burt is a clear-voiced Duke Theseus, the Athenian leader who can make or break the young people’s romantic plans, and Walter Dagley is an amusing Nick Bottom, the workman who’s turned into “an ass” and has a lively evening with Titania. (They’re both enchanted and in love…temporarily.)
Of course there are pretty fairies (Susan Austin’s costumes are woodsy, flowery, and fascinating; I particularly admired Oberon’s twiggy crown). There’s a funny and bumbling troupe of amateurs rehearsing a play—and a clever Puck played with great charm by Dinvela Adam. He’s Oberon’s sidekick, sent into the forest with potions and spells for the young lovers and the fairy queen. But he makes a mess of things—and much of the play’s fun is in the untangling.
All in all, Hip Pocket’s Midsummer is a pleasant and fanciful way to spend an evening, when the sun does down and the Texas stars come out. (Plays June 14-July 7; hippocket.org )
Chicken and Biscuits
@ Theatre Arlington (downtown Arlington)
At Theatre Arlington, the terrific Denise Lee and a fine, funny ensemble cast do right by Douglas Lyons’ popular play Chicken and Biscuits, a comedy-drama with gay/Black/funeral/family overtones, undertones—and sideswipes.
“Lord, keep my eyeballs rolled forward in my head,” prays Baneatta Mabry (Lee) on the morning of her father’s funeral. She’s got Family to deal with, and sarcasm won’t help. Sheran Goodspeed Keyton directs the show, about a Black family who gather from around the country to mourn “B”—the strong pastor/father/grandfather who loved them all—and, as Baneatta’s son Kenny (Sheridan Monroe) says, “the only grandparent who accepted me for the faggot I am.”
Kenny’s brought his partner Logan Leibowitz (Karl Martin) for support, though both know his mother won’t look Logan in the eye or remember his name. (She uses every “L” name in the book but his.) Her husband Reginald (Tyrone King), who is succeeding “B” (for Bernard) as pastor, will lead the funeral service—and need all his heart and humor to herd this family through it.
Baneatta’s younger sister Beverly (Shaundra Norwood) comes dressed to kill—her sister— in a wildly colorful outfit (Hope Cox’s costume designs are soooo right for each character), and brings her outspoken teen daughter La’Trice (Ge’Camri Amberay), who’s on the prowl for family stories. Kenny’s older sister Simone (Tayla Underwood) says her father made her feel special, “like a diamond.” And inside the small church (designer Bryan Stevenson—with TA’s turntable—moves us inside to outside as scenes demand ) is a quiet lady in the back row (Ken’ja L. Brown), and an unseen soloist in the choir loft murdering “Amazing Grace.” And Reginald promises to keep his sermon short.
In the next few hours, old grievances will erupt, ruffled feathers will be smoothed, family secrets will come out, and everyone will be more and more ready for chicken and biscuits. People will behave badly—but some of the same people will do better by the end of the play…or at least think about it.
Chicken and Biscuits has plenty of fun and laughter, some emotional moments to take seriously, and considering families we’ve known and tried to love, a reasonably happy ending. Lyon’s script doesn’t, perhaps, delve as deeply into the characters as he might (I’m going to take flack for saying this, but a woman playwright would have known more about these people)…but he’s written a solid, audience-pleasing show—and I’ll never turn down a chance to see Denise Lee on the stage. (Plays June 7-23, 2024; theatrearlington.org )
Pirates of Penzance
@ Theatre Three (Dallas)
I just wrote that I’d never miss a chance to see Denise Lee onstage—and the same goes for veteran actor (and singer!) David Coffee, who sails away with Theatre Three’s Pirates of Penzance—no ifs, ands, or aarghs. He plays Major General Stanley, of course, and his fast, tongue-twisting patter song is a must-hear delight.
Alejandro Saucedo and co-director Jeffrey Schmidt direct this lively, pocket-sized version of the 1879 Gilbert and Sullivan classic—a cast of nine tackles the HUGE operetta, with rowboats the size of laundry baskets, and a cast of strong singers who keep the spirit of silly fun.
Vonda K. Bowling is the music director, with Jeffrey Bowling as the pianist sitting high in the rigging onstage. The moveable, nautical scenic design, very colorful, is by Track Curtis (with some nice effects from lighting designer Nicole Iannaccone). And costume designer Ryan Matthieu Smith makes the characters stand out against the busy sea world by putting them in mostly solid costumes, either whites and creams (for the ladies and the General) or solid dark colors (pirates, policemen).
Singer/actor Max J. Swarner plays Frederic, a boy whose nursemaid Ruth (Sara Caldwell) was told to apprentice him to a ship’s pilot; mistakenly, she bound him to a pirate instead. Now that he’s turning 21, Frederic wants nothing more to do with the Jolly Roger. Alone on the coast of Cornwall, Frederic finds his world opening up—he meets a group of young ladies on the beach, including the beautiful Mabel (Taylor Nash), whose wow-ee coloratura soprano brings out the baritone in him.
Rachel Nicole Poole (in a shiny moustache) sings strongly as the Pirate King; Esteban Vilchez is lively as a suspicious police Sergeant; and Caldwell is amusing as the muddled nursemaid Ruth. There’s almost non-stop song, and a plot so twisty you’ll be reaching for your compass. G&S make horrible fun of the “fancy singing” of their day, among other things. You won’t get all the lyrics—but you can look for them online before or after the show. Nobody rhymes like that any more: amazing stuff. (Plays June 13-July 14, 2024; theatre3dallas.com )
