Photo credit: House Wren Photography
Acacia Theatre's "An Inspector Calls" features Richard Gustin, Bizen Ghebregziabiher and Maura Atwood
This week, ‘The Tragedy of Carmen’ arrives at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, and ‘An Inspector Calls’ in the Norvell Commons of St. Christopher’s Church.
Theater
Crave
Crave, written by Sarah Kane, is described by Theatre Gigante as “an enigmatic, thought-provoking and darkly poetic play.” A change in critical opinion of her work occurred with Kane’s fourth play, Crave, which was presented in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1998. The play was performed under the pseudonym of “Marie Kelvedon”—partly because the notion amused Kane, but also so the play could be viewed without the taint of its author’s rather notorious reputation. Crave marked a break from the onstage violence of her previous works and a move to a freer, sometimes lyrical writing style—at times inspired by her reading of the Bible and the works of T.S. Eliot.
It has four characters, each identified only by a letter of the alphabet. Crave dispenses with plot and, unlike Kane’s earlier works with their highly specific stage directions, gives no indication what actions (if any) the actors should perform on stage, nor does Crave give any specific information about its setting. It’s highly intertextual, and at the time of its writing, Kane considered it as the “most despairing” of her plays, written at a time when she had—like so many of us can certainly empathize with—“lost faith in love.” (John Jahn)
March 12-15 at the Jan Serr Studio, on the sixth floor of the Kenilworth Building, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. For tickets, call 800-838-3006 or visit theatregigante.org.
An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls is a play by J.B. Priestley. “The seven-member cast is an eclectic group from the Milwaukee area with some very good young talent,” says Richard Gustin, who plays the eponymous inspector. “I’ve played major and featured roles at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage and assorted regional theaters. The production will be in a new theater space in River Hills. We are the first company to play in the new intimate black box theater at St. Christopher’s.
“A noteworthy aspect of the production—in addition to being housed in a brand-new Milwaukee theater—is that the cast contains a former artistic director of Acacia Theatre Company, the organization’s current artistic director and the daughter of the founding artistic director,” Gustin says. “An Inspector Calls is a timely piece about the haves and the have-nots, rich vs. poor, the disenfranchised and the effects of income disparity. It’s a message very relevant to Milwaukee. The production is sure to leave its mark on the city,” he says. (John Jahn)
March 13-29 in the Norvell Commons of St. Christopher’s Church, 7845 N. River Road. For tickets, call 414-744-5995 or visit acaciatheatre.com.
Opera
The Tragedy of Carmen
Peter Brook’s 90-minute chamber opera, The Tragedy of Carmen, is an all-new production by the Florentine Opera. Brook’s acclaimed chamber adaptation strips the story of Carmen—familiar to opera lovers through the great tragic opera by Georges Bizet—to its very emotional core. As such, it dispenses with the original’s “sideshows,” scenes and characters not central to the plot, thus creating a taut psycho-drama that is both great opera and dynamic theater all at once. With jealousies ignited and passions exploding, Carmen’s lust for life leads down a deadly path. You’ll hear all of Bizet’s famous, beloved arias and get to know Carmen, the lovely-yet-lethal cigarette girl, in a whole new way.
To help familiarize you with The Tragedy of Carmen, there are pre-opera talks one hour prior to each performance in Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, hosted by stage director Eugenia Arsenis. The Florentine’s cast includes Laurel Semerdjian (Carmen), Luis Alejandro Orozco (Escamillo), Kathryn Henry (Michaela) and Luke Selker (Don Jose). (John Jahn)
March 13-22 in Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-291-5700 or visit florentineopera.org.
More To Do
Before We Burn Out
Windfall Theatre’s 27th Season continues with the world premiere of this play by Deanna Strasse, featuring Donna Daniels, Chris Goode, Cory Jefferson Hagen, Melody Lopac, William Molitor and Jessica Trznadel. Not every love story ends in “and they lived happily ever after,” but that doesn’t mean they weren’t still love stories. Three touching pieces explore tumultuous relationships between lovers, friends and families and the things we gain when we lose. March 12-21 at the Brumder Mansion, 3046 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, call 414-332-3963 or visit windfalltheatre.com.
Big Fish
Based on the hit book and feature film, Big Fish—by John August, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa—follows the stories of Edward Bloom, a father, husband, traveling salesman and master storyteller. His larger-than-life stories captivate everyone around him, but are they, in fact, true? His son, Will, is about to find out. Filled with heart, humor and magic, Big Fish is an adventure from beginning to end. March 12-29 at Waukesha Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St., Waukesha. For tickets, call 262-547-0708 or visit waukeshacivictheatre.org.
Charlotte’s Web
The Children’s Literature Association named this “the best American children’s book of the past 200 years,” and it now comes to life on stage. The beloved story of a young pig named Wilbur and his struggles to stay alive despite being a runt are at the core of Charlotte’s Web, which has been adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette based on the classic children’s book by E.B. White. Wilbur is befriended by an extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who thinks up a very clever way to help him. Charlotte’s Web offers us all an inspiring reminder of how loyal friends can come in all shapes and sizes, whether it’s in a barnyard or in the schoolyard. March 13-15 at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine. For tickets and more information, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is, perhaps, best described as improv comedy “without a net.” Audience suggestions serve as jumping-off points for short scenes, games and parodies. Despite its name, ComedySportz isn’t actually about sports; it’s about comedy played as a sport! Everything ComedySportz does has never been done before and will never be done again, which makes every performance a unique experience for both audience members and performers alike. The players are trained to be quick-witted and funny; two teams compete as hard as they can to make sure the fans are laughing. Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. at Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine. For tickets and more information, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.
The Play That Goes Wrong
What would happen if Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python had an illegitimate Broadway baby? Well, you’d get this, Broadway and London’s award-winning comedy. Called “a gut-busting hit” (The New York Times) and “the funniest play Broadway has ever seen” (HuffPost), this classic murder mystery is chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania. Welcome to opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor, the play-within-the-play where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), The Play That Goes Wrong surely lives up (or down?) to its name. March 17-22 at Uihlein Hall of the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit marcuscenter.org.
