A woman loses her faith in God, men and PBS. OK, so that last one sounds a little weird if you don't know that she also works for PBS. This is the central sense of loss at the heart of Jeff Daniels' Apartment 3A. That unique sense of loss is probably what made the comedy so popular and such a big hit for In Tandem Theatre so many years ago. Chris and Jane Flieller formed the company 15 years ago and have been running it ever since. Apartment 3A was a hit for the company when it originally staged the comedy just over ten years ago. They're closing out a decade and a half in business with another production of it.
Beyond its quirkiness, the charm of the play lies in the fact that a woman is trying to find herself in a contemporary urban landscape. It lies at the heart of the character herself. Staged in the intimate space of the Tenth Street Theatre, this should be a great deal of fun at the end of what has been a particularly satisfying crop of plays for In Tandem.
The central story lies between the woman in question and a mysterious neighbor who helps her cope with the loss of a very big love in her life. The author of Escanaba In Da Moonlight, Escanaba In Love and several others rendered a heartbreakingly tender story of two people that returns to the stage with In Tandem to close out their season.
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In Tandem Theatre's production of Apartment 3A runs April 26-May 19 at the Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. For ticket reservations, call 414-271-1371 or visit intandemtheatre.org.
Censored on Final Approach
Co-directed by Suzan Fete and Jennifer Rupp of Renaissance Theaterworks
Phylis Ravel's exciting play Censored on Final Approach sets military history straight on two counts. Women did serve as military during World War II, and the tactics used to keep them from flying included murder. Ravel, a titan of the Marquette University theatre program, who died last November, did research with surviving Women Army Service Pilots, who are rightly proud of their pioneering roles. They and the play deserve widespread attention. Renaissance Theaterworks and the Milwaukee VA Women's Health Care Program will present free public readings with women veterans and members of the VA staff in the roles. Performances are at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 26, at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave., Recreation Hall, Room 3435. (John Schneider)
Theatre Happenings
In its season finale, Boulevard Theatre offers Living Out, with the lovely Marion Araujo playing a Salvadoran nanny with a complex relationship with her employer (Rachel Lewandowski), April 24- May 12. For ticket reservations, call 414-744-5757 or visit boulevardtheatre.com.
Skylight Music Theatre presents Kay Stiefel and Jack Forbes Wilson in Sing Me A Story, a presentation of various songs in a narrative fashion directed by Ray Jivoff, May 3-19. For ticket reservations, call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.
