From Gary Maker:
The below FYI gives you a bit of time to Web search the titles to see if there is any story that is of particular interest to you. I know that I, if in town, will want to check out John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea -- the work that put Mr. Shanley on the theatrical map back in '84. Critics have called the work a "darkly uncompromising love story," but I don't believe any of the local theatre companies have ever presented this work by the Oscar-winning writer (Moonstruck).
Sez Tboy: Anybody know of a production?
We area theatergoers have had a chance to hear his dialogue come richly alive when Project Y did his Italian-American Reconciliation at the Source Theatre space a few seasons back. Can't recall where it was, but do believe Shanley's Psychopathia Sexualis was also produced here.
Tboy sez: That would have been at Source--and the director was Joe Banno.
American College Theater Festival Schedule Set For Kennedy Center in AprilThe Thirty-sixth annual American College Theater Festival has set the schedule for the six collegiate productions and the evening of ten-minute plays to be presented at the Kennedy Center next month. Each full production is the winner of a regional competition. Seventy-four productions competed for all expense paid trips to showcase their shows at the Kennedy Center. Each regional festival also featured a ten-minute play competition and the winners will be staged here under student directors with casts drawn from the participating full productions. Tickets are $5 per performance and there are a host of additional activities during the festival. Here's the line up:
• April 12 - 13 - A Plague of Angels by Mark St. Germain, University of Evansville and Buried, conceived and directed by Colette Searles, University of Maryland - Baltimore County
• April 14 - 15 - Good Morning Athens: A Rock Musical music and lyrics by Sean Keogh
• April 17 - Danny And The Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley, University of Texas-El Paso and the Ten-Minute Play Festival
• April 17 - 18 - Quid Pro Quo by Garrett Zuercher, Marquette University and The Human Show by Margolis Brown, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Danny was done in the '80s, directed by John Neville Andrews (Kahn predecessor) and featuring Kathryn Kelley and Brian Hemmingsen. Forget the name of the theatre, but it doesn't exist anymore. I will ask brian at rehearsal tomorrow; i'm sure he will remember. It was while i was out of town, so probably around '85. He has a picture of the show on his wall. in case you or Gary Maker ever make it over to his place in Mount Rainier...
Posted by: artistic director-boy | Friday, 19 March 2004 at 16:46
I remember seeing a production on the Olney porch of Danny...Sea about six or seven years ago with Tim Carlin and, I think, Christine Tivel. Maybe directed by Ben Fishman? Slight production values, but strong performances as I remember.
Posted by: theater man | Friday, 19 March 2004 at 17:05
The production done by John Neville-Andrews was at New Arts Theater, which performed at All Souls' Unitarian Church, more recently the home of The No-Neck Monsters Theatre Company. New Arts was run by a woman named Camilla David, who was at the time married to Neville-Andrews. They also did the play Summit Meeting (about the mistresses of Hitler and Mussolini, and which featured a very young Michael Russotto) and A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square which boosted Grover Gardner's and Nancy Robinette's early careers.
Posted by: dramaturg boy | Saturday, 20 March 2004 at 13:14
It's been pointed out to me by some carping critic that the title of the play was actually "And a Nightingale Sang." There was also a certain amount of whinging that I'd omitted other cast members (TJ Edwards in particular). Nothing about my comment had implied that it was a comprehensive rundown of the damn show, but if it makes some poor soul feel better to find fault, far be it from me to protest.
Posted by: dramaturg boy | Sunday, 21 March 2004 at 23:33
someone needs to change his name to "hypersensitive dramaturg boy." excuse my precision, and explain to me what "whinging" is. richard mancini and nancy grosshans were also in it, and though i may carp, it was a low blow to call me a critic. i greatly appreciate that you supplied the name of the theatre, which i couldn't, and reminded me of its other production. i can return the favour by reminding you that gen. patton's grandaughter who was involved with no neck monsters is named helen.
Posted by: artistic director boy | Monday, 22 March 2004 at 12:42
Everyone knows that dramaturgs are the powder kegs of the theatrical community, always ready to blow up over the slightest hint that they don't know everything. It's one of the occupational hazards of working in the theatre, and we all know that chastened look on the face of a Michael Kahn or a Joy Zinoman when the d'turg has witheringly informed them that they've allowed someone to mispronounce something or that they've overlooked a joke based on some nicety of Victorian funeral etiquette. So, hypersensitive? It comes with the territory. Having said that, thanks for Helen Patton's name and the reminder of Richard and Nancy's participation. Will anybody be arguing about who was in our recent shows 20 years from now?
Getting back to Shanley, it was Project Y who did Italian American Reconciliation at Source, although Round House also did it some time ago. I'll let artistic director boy give the cast list, he enjoys that so much.
Posted by: dramaturg boy | Monday, 22 March 2004 at 13:10
all of the roles in both the round house and project y productions of "italian american reconciliation" were played by eric sutton.
Posted by: artistic director-boy | Monday, 22 March 2004 at 15:42
It was Richard Romagnoli who directed Project Y's Italian American Reconciliation.
Posted by: Just a designer | Friday, 02 April 2004 at 22:42