EXTRA CRITICUM

Getting Back to the Meaning of "Ensemble" at Ensemble Studio Theatre

If Artistic Director William Carden has his way, the future for Ensemble Studio Theatre may be bright again. In what can only be taken as a gutsy move that swims against the tide which flows toward smaller and smaller casts, Carden is quoted as follows in E.S.T.'s most recent email to members:

One of our goals this season is to reinforce the 'Ensemble' part of our name by presenting larger cast plays. Close Ties will allow our member actors, with their shared history, the rare opportunity to play three generations of the same family in this wonderful play.

Playwrights, directors and actors everywhere should receive this as welcome news in an environment of shrinking revenue in which more and more companies are turning to inferior scripts simply due to their smaller cast sizes. Kudos to William Carden for taking a bold stance on this issue and for having the guts to take E.S.T. on a different course. Hopefully the gamble will pay off as audiences respond to the unique quality offered by a true repertory company, something akin to an endangered species these days.

"NOTE No Bounds" CD Now Available at CD Baby

This post definitely falls into the Shameless Promo category, so consider yourselves forewarned!

The one-and-only CD recorded by NOTE No Bounds—the a capella offshoot to the opera company I ran during the last decades of the 20th century—is finally available for sale at CD Baby.

You can sample an audio file here or visit the site to sample more.

Sexism vs. Homophobia? Clyde Fitch Cuts Through the Bull

In the spirited and often eye-opening blog, Clyde Fitch Report, Leonard Jacobs proves once again that he has a gift for cutting through the layers of muck that other writers seem to miss.

On the recent brewing controversy over playwright Theresa Rebeck's Guardian piece in which she revives the "old boys" complaint against Broadway, see this Clyde Fitch post.

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.7

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we've posted  a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #7—our final installment—from John Yearley. From all of us at E.C., big thanks to Carrie for her thoughtful and candid answers to our challenging questions. Carrie, you rock!

Stage Presence is a Universal Language — Part 1

So recently my dear friend Heather and I had the wonderful opportunity to cast off our cares, our worries, and our hectic daily schedules to spend a week basking on beautiful beaches and experiencing the lively culture of the Dominican Republic.

Both of us being passionately of the theatre, Heather and I decided that our first objective for the trip... well, okay, our first objective was to relax and get a really great tan. It was vacation, after all!... But our second objective was to attend an evening of theatre in a completely foreign culture.

Drive, I Said — Part 1

[At left: My brother Joe "The Mechanic" and Wayne "The Driver," c. 1975]

Lately, I’ve been watching films about cars that go real fast. Why I’m doing this isn’t important. Okay, if you must know, it’s because I want to drive out of my life as fast as possible these days; this is a fantasy because, for starters, I don’t drive.

But I can do it vicariously through film.

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.6

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we've posted  a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #5—our penultimate—this one from Andrew Altenburg.

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.5

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we'll post a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #5, this one from Robert David Sullivan.

Every Producer's Wet Dream — An Audience Fighting to See a Show

This item caught my eye from Thomas Cott's daily email, "You've Cott Mail."

From The Stranger [Seattle weekly], issue dated 9/3/08

Last week, a piece of performance art almost literally drove a woman crazy.  Some performers were doing something secret in a gigantic, silvery box that filled the small stage of [Seattle’s] Rendezvous Theater. The woman wanted in. 

Performing the World Conference - Starts Oct 2nd

Interesting thing just crossed my desk. I've never attended, but the concept sounds intriguing:

A three-day "happening" of performances, workshops, panel discussions, lectures, community tours and improvisation. Performing the World 2008 (PTW '08) brings together activists, artists, educators, young people, practitioners and scholars from dozens of countries, all of whom are involved in the emergence of performance as a new way of relating to, understanding and changing the world. Open to all.

performing the world dot org

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.4

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we'll post a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #4, this one from Rolando Teco.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Index Cards

I've been writing scripts for a long time now... long enough that I measure that time in decades, not years. (ouch!) And I just realized something last week as I was really digging into a difficult screenplay that's been causing me a great deal of angst.

At my advanced age, I still don't know where I stand on the question of index cards.

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.3

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we'll post a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #3, this one from David Licata.

Critic on the Spot: Carrie Rickey v.2

As our 2nd Critic on the Spot, we welcome Carrie Rickey, film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. Her reviews are syndicated nationwide and she is a regular contributor to Entertainment Weekly, MSNBC and NPR. Rickey’s essays appear in numerous anthologies, including “The Rolling Stone History of Rock & Roll,” “The American Century,” and the Library of America’s “American Movie Critics.” Carrie also hosts a spirited blog, Flickgrrl.
Every few days, we'll post a new Q&A between Carrie and one of us. Here's #2, this one from Sylvie Stewart.

Street Theatre: ACLU's Online Agit Prop

Following in the footsteps of great masters of Agit Prop Theatre, the ACLU has come up with a witty illustration of what's at stake when we relinquish control over our personal information. As Brecht pointed out, if you want to change minds, first make 'em laugh.

click here for video