Archives for 2012

Review: ‘Warm Delicious Play’

By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Oct 4, 2012, at 1:46 AM Updated on 10/04/12 at 3:14 AM

Jeremy Sheldon stars as “Clown” and Mick Swiney as “Remo” in the Nightingale Theater production of “Warm Delicious Play.” MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

At its simplest, “Warm Delicious Play” is the story of a custody battle between two parents of a rather extraordinary child who could be related in some mystical way to a couple of clowns in love with a woman who might be their sister.

Maybe. Or maybe not. When the Midwestern Theater Troupe is out in full creative force, nothing is simple. [Read more…]

‘Warm Delicious Play’ gets revision

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Sep 27, 2012, at 2:24 AM Updated on 9/27/12 at 7:16 AM

Chris Williams stars as Admiral Thumb in the Nightingale Theater production of “Warm Delicious Play.” MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

When the Midwestern Theater Troupe premiered “Warm Delicious Play,” the story was that this melange of deconstructed Greek myths and intergalactic soap opera was in fact the creation of a band of extraterrestrial clowns.

“Um, yeah,” John Cruncleton said, punctuating the comment with a brief, slightly embarrassed laugh. “That was just us having a little bit of fun.” [Read more…]

’80s Prom makes a blast out of the past

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By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer on Apr 5, 2012, at 2:21 AM Updated on 4/05/12 at 4:04 AM

Rob and Lynn Robertson rock their vintage fashions for the ’80s Prom. Tulsa World file

Perhaps Tulsa’s biggest annual party, ’80s Prom celebrates its 10-year class reunion.

Helmed by local DJs Lynn and Rob Robertson for most of those years, it’s exploded from a gathering of 100 or so retro-loving music lovers to sold-out blowouts of 1,000 or more people. [Read more…]

Review: ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’ by Odeum Theatre Company

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Mar 14, 2012, at 2:02 AM Updated on 3/14/12 at 3:00 AM

Maybe two halves do make a whole: David A. Lawrence and Dara Allen star in Odeum Theatre Company’s production of “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” playing at the Nightingale Theater. Courtesy

What else would a play titled “Gruesome Playground Injuries” be but a love story?

Granted, it’s an unusual love story – one played out over 30 years, with most of the meetings between the two people involved taking place in medical facilities, their lives measured in the scars on their skins and on their souls.

Odeum Theatre Company makes its return to Tulsa stages with its production of this Rajiv Joseph play, which opened Thursday at the Nightingale Theater. [Read more…]

Tulsa’s Odeum Theater Company offering ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries’

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Mar 9, 2012, at 2:27 AM Updated on 3/09/12 at 5:27 AM

Maybe two halves do make a whole: David A. Lawrence and Dara Allen star in Odeum Theatre Company’s production of “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” playing at the Nightingale Theater. Courtesy

Rajiv Joseph’s play “Gruesome Playground Injuries” has a cast of two.

Odeum Theatre Company’s production of this play – the company’s first show since April 2011 – has three directors.

Sara Phoenix, one of the directors, said the original reason for this rather unusual division of labor was a practical one – to accommodate the personal schedules of the personnel involved. [Read more…]

Review: ‘Frogs’ a blueish delight

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Feb 20, 2012, at 2:25 AM Updated on 2/20/12 at 5:20 AM

Two very old plays – one dating back centuries, the other millennia – undergo some modernization with varying degrees of success at the hands of two local theater companies.

To show due deference to age, we’ll start with Aristophanes’ comedy “The Frogs,” which has been around since 405 B.C. The Midwestern Theater Troupe opened its production Thursday at the Nightingale Theater. [Read more…]

New Genre Festival to keep opening simple with one event

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Feb 17, 2012, at 2:24 AM Updated on 2/17/12 at 5:32 AM

The sole event for the opening weekend is “Home Made,” a dance performance work by tEEth – the duo of dancer-choreographer Angelle Hebert and composer Phillip Kraft. AARON ROGOSIN/Courtesy

The opening weekend of the New Genre Festival typically is filled with events – exhibits opening, performances happening, installations being installed.

But for the 19th iteration of this celebration of the avant garde, Living Arts of Tulsa director Steve Liggett wanted to keep things very simple. [Read more…]

Nightingale Theater’s ‘The Frogs’ gets new laughs from ancient Greek

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Feb 17, 2012, at 2:24 AM Updated on 2/17/12 at 5:32 AM

Comedy has a way of arising out of tragedy.

“Sometimes the best way to deal with a serious subject is through humor,” Amy Page said. “That’s very much the case with ‘The Frogs.’ ”

The Greek playwright Aristophanes wrote “The Frogs” not long after the deaths of two of the leading figures of ancient world – the writer Euripedes, whose tragic plays include “Medea,” and the philosopher Socrates. [Read more…]

Most memorable performances of last 12 months

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By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Jan 2, 2012, at 2:23 AM Updated on 1/02/12 at 10:14 AM

Time is measured a bit differently in the performing arts, as a “year” traditionally begins in September and concludes around the end of May.

That makes doing one of these “year in review” pieces a little problematic because the end of the calendar year represents the midpoint of the performance season. [Read more…]

Archives for 2012

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