Photo courtesy of Theatre Gigante
Castmember Leslie Fitzwater with the composer, Dan Dance
This week, Theatre Gigante offers a modern-day take on a centuries-old play by John Gay, and The Constructivists present Sam Shepard’s self-described “take-off on Republican fascism.”
Theater
The Beggar’s Opera
At the crossroads of the legal and illegal worlds, The Beggar’s Opera (1728) is a raucous comedy by John Gay; it has inspired many adaptations throughout the centuries, including, most famously Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera. A timeless tale of greed, self-interest and love that pokes fun at the human condition at its most corrupt, it was an instant hit and became the most performed play of the 18th century. It remains, all these centuries later, in regular production throughout the world’s theaters.
Ten years ago, Theatre Gigante artistic directors Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson decided to have a little fun with Beggar’s story and completely deconstructed the original, writing a work containing a play within a play using their own original text and borrowing and adapting some of Gay’s original writing. In their adaptation, the story is based on the corruption of our times. In their typical post-modern way, they combine very short songs reminiscent of common English music-hall music (as a running commentary on the action), as well as some old poetic language from the original, with modern-day language and references. (John Jahn)
Sept. 27-Oct. 12 at Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. For tickets, call 414-961-6119 or visit theatregigante.org.
The God of Hell
Emma and Frank live a quiet life with their cows in the heart of Wisconsin. They don’t expect anything exciting to come from taking in their friend Haynes, but when a mysterious stranger comes looking for him, this slice of American heartland is turned into a place of paranoia and fear. A rarely staged dark comedy, American playwright Sam Shepard’s play was written in response to our government’s reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and is, perhaps, now timelier than ever.
Shepard once described The God of Hell as “a take-off on Republican fascism,” that being a reference to what he (and many Americans) saw as the destruction of personal freedoms in the wake of those attacks. This production by The Constructivists will be directed by Jaimelyn Gray and feature Robert W.C. Kennedy, Cheryl Roloff, Matthew Scales and Matthew Huebsch. The Constructivists state that “this production contains adult subject matter,” and therefore “viewer discretion is advised,” and “due to special staging, seating will be extremely limited.” (John Jahn)
Sept. 27-Oct. 12 at the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, call 414-858-6874 or visit theconstructivists.org.
Red
The winner of six Tony Awards (including Best Play), John Logan’s Red takes place on the cusp of the seismic cultural and artistic shifts of the 1960s. In this two-actor play, we find the brilliant abstract expressionist artist, Mark Rothko, struggling with his $35,000 commission to decorate an exclusive restaurant in a brand-new building. As Rothko battles his artistic demons, he challenges his assistant, Ken, on every aspect of his own project: painting murals for a commercial project. Windfall Theatre describes Red as “a breathtaking, vivid, verbal journey into the crucible of an artist’s creative, visionary process from imagination to canvas.” (John Jahn)
Sept. 27-Oct. 12 at Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Ave. For tickets, call 414-332-3963 or visit windfalltheatre.com.
More To Do
Peter and the Starcatcher
Written by Rick Elice and composed by Wayne Barker, this musical offers pirates, sea creatures and a little bit of magic in a retelling of the Peter Pan story, based on a best-selling novel. In this work, you can enjoy the origins of your fondest Neverland characters with all the familiar heroes and villains. Adventure, dreams and your imagination will fill the stage, along with plenty of musical moments and campy humor. This Tony Award-winning, inventive prequel is a charming adventure for all ages. Sept. 26-Oct. 6 in the Evan P. and Marion Helfaer Theatre on the Marquette University campus, 1304 W. Clybourn St. For tickets, call 414-288-7504 or visit marquette.edu.
Glorious!
In 1940s New York, the performer who everyone wanted to see live was Florence Foster Jenkins, an enthusiastic soprano whose pitch was, well, far from perfect. Based on a true story, the play spins from Jenkins’ charity recitals and extravagant balls through to her bizarre recording sessions and an ultimate triumph at Carnegie Hall via a hilarious, heart-warming comedy. The play is by Peter Quilter and is presented by Falls Patio Players. Sept. 27-Oct. 6 at North Middle School Auditorium, N88 W16750 Garfield Drive, Menomonee Falls. For tickets, call 262-255-8372 or visit fallspatioplayers.com.
The Clean House
Winner of the 2003-’04 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and a 2005 Pulitzer Prize (drama) finalist, The Clean House is a romantic comedy about loss, love, change and redemption that is both whimsical and touching. A serious career-oriented doctor, Lane, has hired a quirky Brazilian maid; the only problem is that the maid, Matilde, hates to clean! Instead, she longs to be a comedienne. Lane is deserted by her husband, Charles, who leaves her for his mistress—a passionate, older Brazilian woman upon whom he recently performed a mastectomy. Sarah Ruhl’s enchanting play reminds us that there is humor and beauty to be found in life’s most unlikely messes. A Village Playhouse show running Sept. 27-Oct. 13 at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd St., West Allis. For tickets, call 414-207-4879 or visit villageplayhouse.org.
Kettle Moraine Symphony Concert
In a side-by-side performance, KMS musicians will be paired with West Bend High School’s Chamber Orchestra students in a performance of the Autumn concerto from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, featuring Milwaukee Symphony violinist Jeanyi Kim as soloist. Judge Andrew Gonring will narrate Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, a delightful, accessible work that deftly introduces the audience to each major family of instruments in the orchestra. After intermission the children on hand can enjoy hands-on activities and learn more about the orchestra, while their parents enjoy Peter Tchaikovsky’s powerfully emotive Fourth Symphony. Sunday, Sept. 29 at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, 3399 Division Road, Jackson, Wis. For tickets, call 262-334-3469 or visit kmsymphony.org.
“Movement Media Lab”
Local film and video artists showcase dance and movement-focused media projects in a variety of genres, including experimental, narrative, documentary and animation in Danceworks, Inc.’s “Movement Media Lab.” The lab invites a process-based approach to analyzing and translating choreography-movement to the screen and also looks at the relationship to the human body in a 2D format and highlighting movement through editing. Saturday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. at the Danceworks Studio Theatre, 1661 N. Water St. For tickets, visit danceworksmke.org.
