Featured Writing
A rousing 'Ain't No Mo'' poses a provocative question
Caption: Among other characters, Grant Evan plays a drag queen named Peaches. (Courtesy Nile Scott Studios)
I’m unsure if I’ve ever been as moved, devastated and simultaneously entertained as when I watched Front Porch Arts Collective and SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Jordan E. Cooper’s “Ain’t No Mo’” (through Feb. 8).
The play starts with a spirited sermon delivered by Pastor Freeman behind a kente-striped podium. It’s 2008, and Barack Obama has been elected president of the United States.
Gold Dust Orphans apply their trademark touch to a horror classic
A frightening horror film might not be the first thing that comes to mind when conjuring up theatrical holiday fare to share onstage, but theater company the Gold Dust Orphans and writer, actor, and cofounder Ryan Landry aren’t keen on doing what’s typical. Year after year, the Orphans crew takes on classic tales and reinvents them using their distinctive brand of shtick. This year’s feature, “Rosemary’s Baby Jesus,” adapted from the popular 1968 Roman Polanski movie “Rosemary’s Baby,” is no exception. Landry and the Orphans have pulled out all the stops to create a hilarious extravaganza with numerous costume changes, musical numbers, and backdrops.
Putting the Public in Public Art: How participatory projects are bringing Bostonians together
This summer, these are the public art projects that bring us together, spur conversation, and inspire us to find meaning.
In a London pub, ‘The Wife of Willesden’ isn’t holding back
Clare Perkins shown in rehearsal for "The Wife of Willesden."Marc Brenner
‘Mentoring Murals’ shows off generations of Black artistic talent
When it comes to art, movement matters. At the unveiling of his latest work on Blue Hill Ave. last week, artist Paul Goodnight said that “good art anywhere has to move or move you.”
His most recent mural does just that. “No Strings Detached,” a collaboration between Goodnight and artist Larry Pierce, pulses with dance and music. With its yellow, red, cobalt, green, and brown colors, it feels like a melding of the ancient and contemporary. Brown bodies writhe as they play stringed instruments while younger, more sharply defined modern figures sporting hoodies and sneakers burst from sun-colored circles.
Imagine There's No Virus — The Huntington's Radio Plays Look To The Future In 'Dream Boston'
If you close your eyes and listen, local spots like the Boston Public Library, MIT’s Great Dome and the North Bridge in Concord come to life in the lushly layered soundscapes of the Huntington Theatre Company’s new audio micro-plays, "Dream Boston." Four of the area's leading playwrights answer the Huntington’s call to “imagine their favorite locations, landmarks and friends in a future Boston, when we can once again meet and thrive in our city.” There are footsteps, cannons, cheering and other elements of Valentin Frank's rich sound design that help set the scenes.
Kate Snodgrass and Brenda Withers tackle loss from different angles, and Melinda Lopez looks to the past only to push us to think more about the future. Read more.
With 'Code Listen,' A Violinist Brings Police And Citizens Together To Address Gun Violence And Race In Boston
Shaw Pong Liu ‘s "Code Listen" project is a civic arts initiative that leverages the transformative power of music, storytelling and performance to support healing and spark dialogue around gun violence, race and law enforcement practices in Boston.
